A huge 9ft-long python sparked panic after it was found hiding under a pickup truck.

The reptile was believed to have emerged from a nearby canal and hid inside the parked vehicle in front of a house in Bangkok on June 20.

When the car owner left the house, he saw the head of the snake poking out of the rear wheel before it went further inside to escape.

The rescue team was contacted and arrived in the area with poles with a noose attached to the end to easily pull the creature out.

Car owner Nuttapong Chanpeng, 37, said: ‘I was shocked when I saw it. The snake might have been anxious and hid in my car after seeing that the area was crowded.

‘I came here to meet my brother since I was in the area. I did not expect that a snake would come out of the canal and raid my car.’

Volunteers used flash light and catching rods to lure the animal out the vehicle. It was squeezed between the wheels and the engine of the car.

After almost half an hour, the snake was successfully pulled out. The car owner thanked the rescuers who took the animal with them to release back into the wild.