A family in Pune in western India decided to spring clean their store room, which had been locked up for a long time. As they entered the room they heard the hiss of a snake and went out quickly.

They called rescuer Saidas Kusal, who went to their home, and searched for the snake. After clearing the trash, he saw a pair of boots. When he checked inside he found a deadly cobra hiding in one of them

As he took it out, the young cobra attacked him aggressively, though the experienced rescuer managed to put it in a snake bag and release it later in the wild.

Saidas said: “It is not a good idea to keep trash in locked rooms in snake prevalent areas. Snakes find a comfortable hiding place and bite people who disturb them unwittingly.”