Heartwarming footage of the moment a kind-hearted man helped guide a visibly frightened fawn back to its mom has been shared on social media.

In the video, posted to TikTok by his partner under the handle @katelap1, a man in a high-visibility jacket and baseball cap can be seen leading the fawn back to an area of woodland.

He's careful not to walk too quickly or make any sudden moves as he guides the baby deer back. He stops near foliage, hoping the fawn will walk the remainder of the distance unaided.

As the video ends, he points in the direction of the young animal's mom, hoping it will be enough to get them moving independently.

According to a caption accompanying the footage, the "crying baby" fawn's pleas alerted the woman's partner to the animal's predicament.

The footage has gone viral, amassing over 460,000 views, with many heaping praise on the man for his kind actions and gentle approach.

"Guiding it back to the woods without touching it is so perfect!" one viewer wrote, with another telling the woman posting the clip: "You're married to a real life Disney prince!"

A third said: "Aww such a sweet thing he did for the baby," with a fourth commenting: "Men being compassionate to animals is so wholesome."

There was good news for the fawn involved, too, as it emerged the man's efforts were not in vain. Commenting on another video showcasing what unfolded, his partner, @katelap1, confirmed that this deer family was soon reunited.

"Mom came back," she wrote in response to one comment. "We saw them together several times after."

Despite remaining a popular target for big game hunting, the deer population of the United States is healthy, with the World Population Review estimating the country is home to as many as 36 million.

Though the man in the video appears to be a skilled outdoorsman, the general advice when it comes to encounters with deer and fawns is to stay away.

The Massachusetts government website, for example, advises: "If you find a fawn, leave it alone."

"Even if you see a fawn alone for several days, please leave it alone. The mother is probably feeding or bedded nearby," it says. "Does (female deer) visit their fawns to nurse very infrequently, a behavior that helps fawns avoid detection by predators. It is not uncommon for fawns to be left alone for 6-8 hours at a time."

Because of young fawns' color patterns and lack of scent, it is relatively easy for them to remain undetected from potential predators.