This is the moment a baboon filmed wandering around the Saudi capital Riyadh yanks a terrified cat out of a tree by its tail before dragging it off.

The scared puss can then be seen trying to make a run for it after the baboon lets go of its tail but it catches up with it and pins it down as the footage ends.

The footage was shared online before being picked up by local media.

It is currently unclear if the baboon was wild or if it was an escaped domesticated animal, according to reports.

Baboons are primarily found in Africa, although Hamadryas baboons are native to the south-western region of Saudi Arabia and parts of Yemen.

While their primary habitats are mountainous areas, they are known to have strayed into urban areas in search of food.

The Saudi National Centre for Wildlife Development said in a statement that primates found in Riyadh are often the result of illegal trafficking operations.

They said in a statement: “With reference to the circulating clip in which a baboon appears in one of the neighbourhoods of the city of Riyadh, the centre indicates that its field teams are working to address the situation and control the animal.”

The investigation is ongoing. It is not known what happened to the cat after the footage ended.