Sometimes when we’re riding on our local trails we’ll see a squirrel, a rabbit or, if we’re really lucky, a deer before they scurry off into the trees.

This group of mountain bikers in Italy got far closer to nature than they probably could ever have imagined when they saved a boar from drowning.

The boar was clearly struggling against a strong current in the drainage canal but thankfully the mountain bikers were able to spot it and grab it from the torrent. The rider dressed in red snatches it by the scruff of its neck before hauling it on to the path behind him. The boar appears to hurry away unscathed but no doubt shaken by the experience.

We once wrote an article about how mountain bikers and animals traditionally don’t get along so it was touching to see a moment of kindness here.

Have you had any animal encounters like this? Let us know about them in the comments below.