A huge python with a swollen tummy was caught after eating a hen.

Footage shows rescuers using a stick to secure the serpent's head and pulling it out of the chicken coop before placing it into a sack in Phatthalung, Thailand, on December 15.

Authorities reported that the group received a request to capture the reptile from resident Sujin, 57, who heard the noise of several chickens, prompting her to check the yard.

Then, she saw the python, around 13ft (4 metres), while one of her poultry had disappeared.

Snake handlers found the animal unable to escape due to its distended stomach after eating its dinner.

Officials said the snake would be released back into its natural habitat.

After the incident, Sujin and her neighbours took a photo of the serpent, as they planned to buy lottery tickets with the number 154. One was from the number of chickens eaten, and 54 was from the house number of the elderly woman.

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