A large python was forced to regurgitate a baby cow it swallowed at a farm in India.

The 15ft (4.5 metres) snake had eaten the calf alive it found roaming near the paddy fields in Himachal Pradesh on September 27.

It was caught by furious locals who shook it up and down so it would spit the animal regarded to be sacred in Hindu beliefs.

Footage shows the serpent being jerked upside down by two men so it would eject the young animal out of its mouth.

The forest department officers were called to the scene to rescue the calf, but the residents did not wait for help to arrive, so they handled the reptile themselves.

It expelled the calf out of its body, but it was already dead.

In Hinduism, cows are associated with the goddess Kamadhenu and symbolise non-violence, motherhood, and gentleness. Many Hindus avoid eating beef due to the cow's revered status.