The odds were stacked against an unborn monkey after a car crashed into its pregnant mother, but in an incredible (if not slightly surreal) turn of events, an untrained passerby managed to save its life through an emergency impromptu cesarean section.

Thanks to the marvel of smartphones, the operation was captured on camera by one of her relatives and quickly went viral on Facebook.

Padtama Kedkuerviriyanon, a “monkey-food vendor” from Nakhon Sawan in Thailand, noticed a crowd had gathered after a tourist’s car hit a monkey near her local temple in Wat Khao No in Banphot Phisai district on Friday, March 2.

The 36-year-old had no medical expertise or veterinary skills at all, however she was compelled to act after noticing the mother monkey had passed away. She recalled what nurses had told her during one of her pregnancies.

“At that moment, I thought to myself the baby monkey would be dying inside its dead mother if I didn’t do anything to help save it,” she told The Bangkok Post.

Wielding a sharp blade, she delicately cut the dead monkey’s abdomen and reached in to remove the baby from the womb. Remarkably, the baby was still alive, although it appeared to be suffering from some breathing problems. She proceeded to tap the monkey's chest until it came to life and raised its arm.

Against all odds, the baby female monkey was born.

Kedkuerviriyanon told Thai media that she has taken the monkey home and continues to care for her, feeding her regularly with a milk-filled syringe. It’s only been a few days since its rather traumatic birth, but the monkey seems to be perfectly healthy. Best of all, Kedkuerviriyanon hopes to rehabilitate the young monkey until it's fit and strong enough to live independently

“I think I will have to take care of it until she grows up enough to live on her own, possibly a year or so,” she added.

WARNING: This video contains scenes that some people may be disturbing