A motorcycle rider from northeastern India got a fright recently when he spotted a deadly cobra hidden beneath his seat.

Harihara Prusty, a villager from Kendrapada in eastern India, was sitting on his bike on May 29 and was about to start it when he heard a hissing noise.

When he looked down he saw the venomous reptile popping its head out from below the engine.

Harihara got off the bike immediately and called Snake Helpline who sent Nalini Prasad Das to the village.

He found that a 4-foot-long spectacled cobra had taken refuge in the motorcycle.

The snake was so deep inside the bike that he could not pull it out without seriously injuring it.

He worked for an hour to remove the snake.

As no mechanic was willing to get close to the motorcycle, he had to dismantle the side panels and a few other parts on his own.

He managed to remove the cobra and release it in a wild area.

Subhendu Mallik, founder of Snake Helpline, said: "Luckily, the motorcycle owner spotted the cobra on time. If he had noticed it under his seat while riding the vehicle, it could have led to a serious incident.”

Harihara Prusty, a villager near Kendrapada in eastern India, sat on his motorcycle on May 29 and was about to start it when he heard a hissing noise.

When he looked down he saw a deadly cobra popping its head out from below the engine.

Harihara got off the bike immediately in terror and called Snake Helpline. A volunteer, Nalini Prasad Das, went to rescue the cobra.

He found that a 4-feet-long spectacled cobra had taken refuge in the motorcycle. The snake was so deeply stuck inside, he could not pull it out without seriously injuring it.

He worked for an hour to remove the snake. As no mechanic was willing to get close to the motorcycle, he had to dismantle the side panels and a few other parts on his own. He rescued the cobra, which was later released in a natural habitat away from the village.

Subhendu Mallik, founder of Snake Helpline, said: "Luckily, the motorcycle owner spotted the cobra on time. If he had noticed it under his seat while riding the vehicle, it could have led to a serious incident.”