If you thought being a fish out of water was bad, try being a giant catfish caught in the wrong pond.

In mid-December, villagers from the coastal Phatthalung province in southern Thailand spotted a Mekong giant catfish thrashing in a local pond. The river mammoth, estimated to weigh about 440 pounds, is well known on an individual basis. In fact, locals call the animal the "swamp king," and they were alarmed to see that it was stuck in a small pond after heavy rains flooded the area. Enter villagers to save the day.

With the help of a giant net for the giant fish, the locals hauled the stranded swimmer out of the water and onto the trailer of a