While lions may be the king of the jungle, sometimes they find themselves in compromising situations and in need of a helping hand.

While the 2 year-old cat and its pride were spotted near a village in Gujarat, India, residents tried to scare them off in an effort to protect the locals.

The terrified lioness tried to jump across a well made from a pile of rocks, but lost her footing, and plunging into the 20 foot deep water below.

Four other lions peered down the drop where the young lion fell and eventually gave up on the stranded cub, leaving her to die in the waters.

Locals neared the well and saw that the animal desperately was treading water to avoid her head from going under.

That's when they alerted rescuers who spent 2 hours freeing the cub from the well.

Continue to the next page to see the video of the harrowing rescue.

The village is located a hundred miles north of Gir National Park. This sancuary is the only home in the world the Asiatic lion is in the wilderness.

The rescue was tricky because officials could not use a dart gun on the predator, because that would cause her to lose consciousness and drown.

"I got into a metal cage and went down into the well. When I was at the bottom I lassoed a loop across the lioness' shoulder which meant she could be pulled up carefully and put in a cage again," said Rahim Baloch, a lion tracker.

After the rescue, the animal was shifted to Sasan Gir Animal Care Center and was found in good condition with only minor injuries.

She was then released into the forest in an area where she will be able to find her family again.

We are glad that this lion was rescued and reunited with her family!