This is the heroic moment a brave passerby saved a pet cat that was being eaten alive by a wild snake.

The moggie was pounced upon and wrestled to the ground by the 8ft long python outside homes in Bangkok, Thailand, on February 4.

Onlooker Phieng Sukparee heard the tabby cat screeching for help and alerted his neighbours who rushed outside to help the stricken feline.

Horrified locals found the cat being slowly crushed to death by the reptile, which was trying to slowly weaken the pet before swallowing it whole.

However, one brave local approached the snake and prodded it with a broom handle.

The snake relented and loosened its grip after being struck, letting its prey run free. Phieng’s neighbor then hit the snake a few more times to drive it back into the undergrowth.

Phieng, who recorded the scene from his window, said: ‘I had just come out the shower and I saw what was happening. I thought the cat was going to die. Luckily, my neighbour came and rescued it before it was too late.’

Residents tended to the cat, which was shaken by the incident but otherwise unharmed.

The animal, which is believed to have been living as a stray or left a human's home, has now been adopted by Phieng. He has called the male cat 'Lucky'.

Phieng added: 'I have been giving Lucky food and milk and letting him stay in my home. I will care for him but the snake is still outside, so I'm worried that he could catch Lucky next time.'