This is the moment a Chinese man holds two large pieces of wood like a pair of giant chopsticks in order to pull a plastic bag from the mouth of the swan which is eating it in the water below.

The footage was shot at a wildlife park in the city of Hefei in the province of Anhui in China. Visitors had been feeding the birds on the water, and a black swan had apparently mistaken a bag for something tasty to eat.

The footage which shows the man identified only by his surname Mr Fan holding on to the railings of the bridge and leaning over with the two giant ‘chopsticks’ in his hand trying to grab the plastic bag which the swan is eating just out of reach.

Eventually, he realises that this was not going to come any nearer as he brandishes the two sticks of wood, and so he moves further along the bridge and then with a quick launch, manages to grab hold of the bag and pull it free from the swan’s mouth.

The man’s sister who filmed him said that the wooden sticks were actually a bamboo garbage picker which he borrowed from a nearby cleaner for the mission, which was carried out as a young girl is seen screaming as she is apparently worried about the swan eating the plastic.

She was also heard shouting happily after the successful rescue mission realising that the man had probably saved the swan’s life.