This is the dramatic moment a rescue team battled an angry cobra in Thailand.

The large snake shocked locals when it poked its head out from some undergrowth next to a road in Chonburi province on December 1.

They then called specialists to deal with the venomous reptile amid fears it could emerge onto the road and cause an accident or attack locals living near the area.

Video shows the snake wranglers dragging the 13ft-long king cobra onto the road.

Angered, it tried to lunge at them several times before it was subdued using a snake clamp.

Upon inspecting the female snake, the rescue team found that it had several scratches on its body. The king cobra also appeared to be weak.

Snake wrangler Nirit Chomngam said: ‘This king cobra is calmer than others I have encountered. I have never seen a female king cobra with this length and weight before.

‘Many people use this route to exercise so we had to catch the snake to make sure it could hurt anybody. It will be released in an area suited for its habitat.’

The king cobra’s health is currently being monitored at the veterinary centre. The reptile will be freed to the wild once it recovers.