This is the baffling moment a man tries to save his donkey with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a tourist beach in Turkey.

The owner – identified as Mehmet D. in local media – had been swimming with his pet ass at the busy Kleopatra Beach, in Alanya resort, in Antalya Province.

But when the poor donkey disappeared beneath the waves, Mehmet D. dragged it back to the shore and frantically tried to revive it, local media reported on 29th October.

A video of the bizarre scene showed the man giving the twitching animal the kiss of life in an attempt to revive it.

But the resuscitation bid failed, leaving Mehmet D. sobbing and hugging the dead beast surrounded by a group of tourists and beach users.

Antalya Police took Mehmet D. to the police station where he was interrogated.

The video that immediately spread on social media platforms outraged netizens who did not hold back from commenting.

A netizen said: “The owner of the animal should be penalised!”

Crews from the Alanya Municipality Cleaning Affairs Directorate removed the animal’s corpse from the beach sometime later.

They reportedly buried it in a location unknown to media.