A chunky wild python was removed from a Buddhist temple after being found by a shocked monk while he was cutting the grass.

The 13ft-long serpent wandered into the garden inside the compound of Wat Donphosri temple where it had been hunting stray dogs in Chainat province, Thailand on May 28.

However, its hiding spot was revealed when one of the orange-robed men tended to the weeds and cut them shorter. Later that day, authorities were called for help catching the snake.

Footage shows the local officials carrying the heavy 50kg reptile coiled around their catching rod. The monks and other residents followed closely to see the snake off.

Officer Prakong Thongmee said: 'The snake was bloated. Judging from its appearance, it had eaten a dog.'

The snake handler said that after the large meal, the snake might have stayed under the grass to lay low until its prey had been digested.

He added: ‘We tried to stretch the bush, the snake lunged at us attempting to attack.

‘We used a rope hoop to hook its head and brought it to an open area before putting it into a sack for release in nature.'

He said it was the largest snake he had ever caught and found in the temple.

The reticulated python is found throughout Southeast Asia, where it lives in forests, swamps, canals, and even cities, causing conflict with humans. The species is one of the world's largest snakes and can eat humans, cats, dogs, birds, rats, and other snakes.