This was the startling moment a rescuer came across a three-and-a-half foot long rat snake with a ring stuck around its body.

Raja Mohapatra, a resident of Banki near Bhubaneswar in eastern India spotted the reptile in his house on October 17.

He called Snake Helpline, who rushed a local volunteer, Lalit Mohan Panda, to rescue the snake.

Panda found the three-year-old serpent to be very weak and was shocked to see the finger ring around its body.

He took the snake to the veterinary department at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology where doctors removed the ring.

Founder of Snake Helpline Subhendu Mallik speculated that the snake would have tried to pass through the abandoned ring accidentally or out of curiosity. After slipping through its jaws and slimmer upper body through the ring, the snake’s thicker mid-body got stuck.

“With no way of escaping the ring, the snake was unable to eat and started living off its body fat for nearly three months when it was rescued,” he said.

Dr Indramani Nath who treated the snake said: “The ring had cut into the belly and the X-ray revealed injury to the vertebrae. It is in a very critical condition and we are keeping our fingers crossed.”

This was the startling moment a rescuer comes across a three-and-a-half feet rat snake with a ring stuck in its mid-body.

Raja Mohapatra, a resident of Banki near Bhubaneswar in eastern India spotted a rat snake in his house on October 17.

He called Snake Helpline, which rushed a local volunteer, Lalit Mohan Panda, to rescue the snake.

Panda found the three-year-old snake weak with very little movements. When he examined it closely, he was shocked to see a ring trapped around its body.

He took the snake to Veterinary department at Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology where doctors removed the ring and treating its injuries.

Founder of Snake Helpline Subhendu Mallik speculated that the snake would have tried to pass through the abandoned ring accidentally or out of curiosity. After slipping through its jaws and slimmer upper body through the ring, the snake’s thicker mid body got stuck.

“With no way of escaping the ring, the snake was unable to eat and started living off its body fat for nearly three months when it was rescued,” he said.

Dr Indramani Nath who treated the snake said: “The ring had cut into the belly and the X-ray revealed injury to the vertebrae. It is in a very critical condition and we are keeping our fingers crossed.”