An injured king cobra bitten by a guard dog was nursed back to health by animal rescuers in Thailand.

The 10ft (3 metres) serpent entered a fruit garden and was attacked by a pet pooch before being evacuated by volunteers to an open field in Chanthaburi province, Thailand.

Despite being one of the world's deadliest snakes, the cobra was wounded and unable to fight back. Fortunately, it was found the snake handlers.

Footage shows the snake being tamed by officers from the Mueang Chan Snake Protection Volunteer Team on October 8.

It let the team of firefighters and animal handlers hold its head while its wound was being cleaned with antiseptic. To freshen up, it was also sprayed with water from a bottle.

A vet examined its injuries and administered medicine before placing it in a box to be taken to a rehabilitation facility.

One of the rescuers, Teerachai Hiriotappa, said: ‘It was difficult to place the snake into the box at first. We tried to lure it in, but it refused, so we had to grab its head while we tamed it.'

His colleague firefighter Narongdech Chusith said: ‘We warned locals about trying to handle venomous snakes by themselves. They should call us for help.'

The king cobra is a venomous snake native to Asia, with a range spanning from the Indian Subcontinent through Southeast Asia to southern China.

Typically, it measures between 10.4ft (3.18 metres) and 13.1ft (4 metres) in length, with a record length of 19.2 feet (5.85 metres), making it the longest venomous snake in the world.

The species is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and is listed under Appendix II of CITES, which regulates its trade to protect its population from further decline.