This is the dramatic moment a brave Buddhist monk caught a huge snake that has hanging over the entrance to his temple.

Phra Sariyot spotted the 8ft long serpent coiled around the figure of a golden dragon at the religious building in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on April 29.

He left the python for a night hoping it would slither away and disappear into nearby woodland. However, the monk in orange robes was disappointed when the snake was still there the next morning.

CCTV shows how he fetched a long stick to prod the snake and make it drop down onto the ground below. Phra Sariyot then had to drag the snake away before stuffing it into a white sack so it could be released into the wild.

The relieved monk said: 'I'm glad the snake has gone now. It could have dropped on somebody's head when they walked into the temple.

'I didn't hurt the snake. I just wanted to catch it myself instead of bothering the rescue department.'