An unfortunate camel stuck in mud was at the centre of a dramatic rescue mission in western India.
A helping hump: The poor camel had spent 12 hours int he mud when the rescue team finally arrived at the mangrove forest to help set it free
In the early hours the owner and four helpers rowed out to the mangroves armed with a piece of rope.
Hump-ty dumpty: The owner and fellow helpers tie a rope around the distressed animal stuck in the dirt
Heave ho! The five men start to pull the rope to free the camel from its sticky prison, they themselves sinking down to their knees
‘It was a long walk once we reached the other bank but once we saw the camel the Maldhari people I was with got into action quite fast.
Get me out! The camel bellows at the camera as the owner tries to figure out the safest way to get it unstuck
Good effort: The five men get the camel partly out of the ground before it sinks in again
Mudbath: The camel scrambles in the wet dirt as it tries to find solid ground
Final pull: It has been nearly an hour and the exhausted animal is covered in mud
The Kharai camel, also known as Indus deltaic camel, is a particular breed of camel native to the area, famous for its exceptional swimming skills.
Trooper: The rescue party found the camel struggling in the mud among the mangroves it had been feeding on
Getting there: The back end is clear and the camel is struggling to get its front legs out of the wet mud
Do the hump! The camel walks away – tired – but unharmed and heading for the mangroves