An Indian farmer caught the mystery thief stealing his chicken eggs and made the serpentine snatcher return its loot.

The man, Sujit, became concerned when eggs kept disappearing from the chicken coop at his farm in Koraput district in the state of Odisha in eastern India.

He kept a vigil and on 18 June spotted the thief inside the chicken cage -- an approximately 1.5m-long (over 4ft) Indian cobra.

After calling Snake Helpline for assistance, local volunteer Sujjit Kumar Mohanty removed the snake from the coop.

The cobra's body had a telltale bulge, suggesting it had recently swallowed some eggs, but with Mr Kumar holding its tail in the air it realised it had nowhere to hide and quickly regurgitated all five eggs before the snake catcher took it away to release it in a nearby forest.

Subhendu Mallik, the founder of Snake Helpline said: "The Indian cobra loves to eat eggs and they frequently enter chicken coops in search of their favourite food."

A farmer in Koraput district in eastern India was worried as someone was stealing eggs from his chicken coup.

He kept vigil and on June 18 he spotted the thief inside the chicken cage - a 4 feet-long Indian cobra. Horrified at the sight of the cobra swallowing his eggs, he called Snake Helpline for help.

A local volunteer Sujjit Kumar Mohanty went to the spot and removed the snake from the coop.

Sujit found the abdomen of the cobra had a bulge and the snake soon started regurgitating eggs. As they watched, the cobra spat out 5 eggs one by one.

Sujit released the snake in a nearby forest later.

Subhendu Mallik founder of Snake Helpline said: "Indian cobra Naja naja loves to eat eggs, and they frequently enter chicken coop in search of their favourite food."