A prize-fighting ox was rescued after getting stuck in a muddy swamp for two days.

The stud, worth 25,000GBP having competed in fights before retiring and covering hundreds of cows, stumbled into the pit in Trang, southern Thailand on Monday (February 3) afternoon.

Owner Prasert Inthrawiset, 70, rushed to the scene after neighbours told him the next day that the animal was stranded in the palm grove.

He gathered ten friends to help him rescue the animal, named Dang, but after three hours they were still unable to drag the heavy ox out.

The pensioner contacted the rescue team for the help and they brought a crane with a pulley attached.

They successfully retrieved the exhausted old ox from the mud pit, where it had been struggling to break free during the night.

He said: "Dang used to be a champion in the bullfight ring. I bought him to be a stud in my farm for a million baht (24,668 GBP) after he retired.''

Prasert added that even though he bought the ox for breeding purposes, he felt love towards his animal and wanted to take care of him.

He said: "From now on I will be more careful when letting him eat grass alone in the field because I love him and want him to stay with me as long as possible.

"He is quite old now if he happens to get stuck in the mud again I do not know if he will survive.''