Soldiers caught a terrifyingly large king cobra slithering under a resident's house in Thailand.


The troops were called to tackle the 14ft-long snake prowling round Renu Sukkaew's home in Nakhon Si Thammarat province on February 15.

The officers, who were trained to catch venomous snakes, located the cobra hiding in an outdoor storage area.

Despite the reptile's quick movements gliding through the tall grass with ease, the troops managed to pin it down and removed it from the property.

Just 30 minutes later, they received another call about another king cobra in the area, which they also promptly caught.

Lieutenant Pornpitak Chimkhonburi and Sergeant Major First Class Pantharet Sampaosong of the Sichon Special Combat Training Camp, who caught the beast, later released it into woods several miles away.

Pornpitak said: 'We learn how to catch snakes as part of our training. They're more dangerous than humans, so it's a useful skill.'

Researchers found that 7,000 people are treated for snake bites each year in Thailand. Suchai Suteparuk from the Division of Toxicology at Chulalongkorn University reported that 30 of those die, with cobras being the biggest killer.