A family in Puri, India's eastern state of Odisha, were relieved after a snake dangling from their ceiling was removed.

S K Kar had called Snake Helpline after spotting the serpent coiled around a fan on his ceiling.

Nihar Ranjan Panda arrived at the scene and ID'd the reptile as a non-venomous rat snake.

After switching off the fan, Panda managed to remove the 7-foot-long snake.

He said: "The snake was lucky as the fan was running at high speed and could have cut it into pieces."

Subhendu Mallik, General Secretary of Snake Helpline said: "Rat snakes are good climbers. It might have come down through a skylight opening following a rat.”

The snake was released in its natural habitat away from the village in the night.

An Indian family was left terrified when they saw a huge snake dangling from the ceiling of their living room.

S K Kar, a resident of Puri district in eastern India noticed the unwelcome visitor after switching on the overhead fan on July 18. The family fled the home leaving the fan running and called Nihar Ranjan Panda, a volunteer with Snake Helpline.

Panda went to the home and saw a large Indian Rat snake hanging on to the electric wire casing and with the fan running at full speed. He switched off the fan and pulled the reptile down with a snake hook. The seven-feet long non-venomous snake resisted but came down and then took shelter under the furniture in the corner.

Nihar rescued the snake patiently and released it in the wild later. He said: “The snake was lucky as the fan was running at high speed and could have cut it into pieces."

Subhendu Mallik, General Secretary of Snake Helpline said: "Rat snakes are good climbers. It might have come down through a skylight opening following a rat.”

The snake was released in its natural habitat away from the village in the night.