Snake handlers rescued an injured king cobra that was attacked by pet dogs in Thailand.

The deadly 12ft snake can kill humans with a single bite but it was forced to retreat into a bamboo grove after being savaged by the territorial canines in Yala province on February 11.

Terrified villagers called the local wildlife team when they found the dogs barking at the venomous reptile.

The officers arrived and found that the residents had already dragged the cobra out of its hiding spot. It was nursing numerous bite injuries and was rushed to a wildlife rescue centre to be treated.

Patcharin Pratummek, president of the Betong Animal Lover Club rescue volunteers, said: 'The cobra was taken away to receive medical treatment before being released back into the wild.'

In March 2024, soldiers rescued a critically injured king cobra found mauled by dogs in a forest in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

The 16ft leviathan named Boonrod was found with its internal organs spilling out from ruptured skin following a fight with a dog at a local orchard. Boonrod has since been released into its natural habitat after weeks of rehabilitation.

Cobras are one of the world's deadliest snakes.

Researchers found that 7,000 people are treated for snake bites each year in Thailand. Suchai Suteparuk from the Division of Toxicology at Chulalongkorn University reported that 30 of those die, with cobras being the biggest killer.