This is the heart-warming moment two rescuers give a lease of life to a snake, doomed to meet with an agonising death.

People of Totapada village near Bhubaneswar in East India spotted a checkered keelback snake in a local pond. The three-feet-long snake had bitten into a fish hook still attached to a fishing rod and was wriggling in pain.

Responding to a call from the villagers, Subhendu Mallik, general secretary of Snake Helpline, went to the spot with a volunteer.

They removed the fishing rod from water and then fished out the snake as well.

The hook had embedded itself below the left lower jaw. The rescuers held the snake gently and removed the fish hook with the help of a small pliers.

Luckily, the snake was not injured seriously as the hook had not penetrated deeply.

“There was no major injury outside and inside the mouth of the snake. So we decided to release the snake back in the pond right away,” said Mallik.

"As the snake was non-venomous, the villagers agreed to the release of snake in the pond," he added.