A Buddhist monk rescued a venomous mangrove snake tangled in fence by the river.

The orange-robed man Nong Tidta was feeding a stray dog with a colleague when they saw wandering around Wat Than Thong temple before discovering the reptile in distress in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand on January 14.

Footage shows the monk using stick to pull the wild animal's head from the water. He then cut the mesh and free the snake while securing it on the neck.

He checked the mangrove snake's body for injuries as he laid it on the ground before releasing it safely to the forest.

The monk's friend Phra Suwapap Phuripanyo said: ‘We wet the snake while feeding the dog. We helped the snake and took it back to nature.'

Mangrove snakes are rear-fanged venomous snakes, meaning their hollow fangs are located towards the rear of the mouth. Their venom is mildly toxic, causing symptoms like pain, swelling, nausea and general malaise in humans if bitten. However, their bites are rarely life-threatening to humans.