A bird lover from western India got a shock recently when he found a large cobra hunting his budgerigars.

The resident of Pune in the state of Maharashtra heard his birds chirping agitatedly on May 21.

When he went to check on them, he spotted the six-foot-long reptile which had already polished off several of the colourful pets.

He called in a snake expert who caught the python causing it to regurgitate four of the budgies.

The snake was later released in a wild area.

A resident of Pune in western India heard his love birds fluttering and chirping agitatedly on May 21.

When he checked he saw an adult six-foot-long cobra that had slithered into the cage to feast on the birds. He immediately called rescuer Saidas Kusal to rescue the snake and save his birds.

By the time Saidas reached the house, the cobra had preyed on a few birds and was resting on the floor. A few birds sat at a distance while some flew in confusion.

As soon as the door of the cage was opened, the cobra, fearful of the human intruders, tried to escape through the space between the bars. But as its bulging stomach was unable to pass through, Sai pulled it back to the cage.

He waited for the cobra to settle down and then caught it with the help of his snake stick. The cobra regurgitated four dead birds and was later released in a nearby forest.

Saidas said: “Snakes regurgitate their meal when they are stressed as it helps them to make a quick getaway.”