A cobra was rescued after becoming stuck in a glue trap under a family's kitchen cupboard.

The deadly serpent had been stalking rats in the house in Saraburi province, Thailand, but had slithered onto the adhesive plate on February 12.

Homeowner Kasem Maneerat, 51, said his sister had heard a hissing sound in the kitchen, which she initially thought was a gas leak.

Upon bending down to check the cupboard, they were shocked to find the cobra next to a dead rat that was caught in the glue trap.

The snake itself had also crawled over the sticky goop, leaving it unable to crawl away. They called a wildlife rescuer as they were afraid of handling the venomous creature themselves.

A specialist later arrived with a snake pole to prod the reptile out from the cupboard.

While wearing a motorcycle helmet for protection in case the snake spat venom, he also sprinkled powder over its body to help free it from the adhesive.

The cobra was then lifted up and put inside a sack before being released into the wild.

Kasem said: 'The cobra probably entered the back door of the house to eat a rat. It might have attacked us if it hadn't become stuck in the trap.'