A brave wildlife rescuer descended the steep sides of a well in western India recently to save an aggressive cobra trapped in the water source.

Footage captured on April 28 in Ahmednagar showed Akhash Jadhav lowering himself down to the stricken reptile and catching it with a special implement.

The exhausted snake still had enough energy to strike at Jadhav before he placed it in a bag and climbed back to the surface.

“Coming face-to-face with a cobra while hanging midair is scary. I was very tense till I could lock it up in a bag safely," said Jadhav.

This was the moment an aggressive cobra almost bit a wildlife official, who had climbed down a deep well, to rescue it. The man managed to hold his nerve and bring up the deadly reptile to the surface.

A farmer called Animal Rescue Society in Ahmednagar in western India after spotting a cobra swimming inside his well on April 28.

A team led by Akash Jadhav went to save the cobra. Akash strapped himself with harness ropes and climbed down the 70-feet deep well. He dragged the cobra towards him with a long pole and then picked it up using a snake stick.

The snake though exhausted from the ordeal still had enough stamina to hiss at Akash continuously warning him to stay away. As Akash drew the cobra close to him, it took a sudden swipe at him, which he luckily managed to dodge. He put the snake in a bag and climbed up carrying it. The cobra was later released in a natural habitat.

Akash said: “Coming face-to-face with a cobra while hanging midair is scary. I was very tense till I could lock it up in a bag safely.”