This is the moment a cattlewoman in China discovers how one of her herd has been giving security a licking by undoing her stall latch with its tongue.

The astonishing breakout was filmed by the unnamed owner at her home in Wenshan, Yunnan Province, China.

The woman told local media she has a couple of cows, and when she cannot go out to graze them on weekdays, she feeds them in the pen.

On the day the video was filmed, she said she noticed the weather outside was poor, so she decided to prepare feed for the cattle at home instead of driving them out.

The woman had just walked to the door of the cattle pen when she saw a calf’s mouth protruding from the gap in the steel bar on the door.

She stood observing in shock as the calf wrapped its tongue around the door latch, then turned it around and lifted it up – opening the door and letting itself go free.

The woman said she was so dumbfounded by what she witnessed that she even forgot what she was doing inside the cattle pen in the first place.

But she remembered to film the incredible situation before snapping out of her confusion and then went on with her duties, after securing the door with the calf back inside.

She said she later realised why the door would often end up wide open even when she made sure to close it.