This is the moment a kind-hearted man rescues a panicking egret whose leg was broken after it got frozen in the ice.

The dramatic rescue happened in the city of Linyi in Shandong Province, China.

The footage shows the egret struggling to release its leg, which is trapped in the ice.

The man, identified as Mr Xian, can then be seen petting the scared bird and covering the ice with water.

As he cuts the ice around the bird, it was then collected with a small piece of ice still around its leg.

Local media reported that when Mr Xian took the bird, he noticed that its leg was injured, so he called the police.

The Forestry Bureau team came to the spot and assisted the bird, reports say.

The bird can then be seen being placed in a cage which then is put in the trunk of a car.

Its current condition is unknown.

The video, which was shared on Doyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, received many comments praising the kind gesture.

User ‘Hey Siri’ said: “You are so kind, thank you for saving it.”

Egrets are long-legged birds which have the same build as herons. They normally have white plumage.