A 16ft-long python had a fierce tug-of-war with firemen as they battled to put it into a sack.

The serpent was adopted as a pet when it hatched from an egg near a family's home in Davao province in 2011. He was named Marmar by his caretakers.

But from a cute baby snake, the creature grew uncontrollably as its appetite for meat increased over the years. Eventually, Marmar was turned over to authorities after 12 years.

However, the enormous python put up a fight and refused to leave the cage he had been calling home, challenging the firemen to a tug of war.

Footage shows Marmar being dragged out of his cage by at least six rescuers and neighbours.

The family's neighbour Aprilyn Traveno said: 'There were 12 eggs found but only Marmar hatched without their mother.

‘He was really gentle when he was still a baby but he kept getting bigger. Sometimes he already had a meal and would still be hungry.'

But when Marmar grew incredibly long, his caretaker ceased taking him out of the cage.

Aprilyn added: 'They were afraid of him too. After all, he's still a snake.'

Marmar was taken to the wildlife department's facility, where he would be taken care of, as he was a domesticated snake. An assessment of whether he could survive in the wild would also be done.