Locals came together in an epic team effort to rescue a wild python that was stuck under a car.

Residents, including drivers and motorcycle riders, gathered around a white SUV after spotting the 12ft snake poking out from the rear wheel in Zamboanga del Norte, the Philippines.

Footage shows the men shouting and tugging at the reptile's tail in a dramatic struggle, resembling a game of tug-of-war.

At least six people worked together to free the serpent, while dozens of curious onlookers gathered to watch the dramatic rescue on March 17.

Onlooker Junric Lowie Reyes Dacula said: 'It was so huge. The police came, but they could not remove it on their own, so the other drivers volunteered to help.'

The snake was freed but appeared to panic, looking for a way to escape the area.

It tried to bite the rescuers, who used a pushcart to restrain it before carefully placing it in a sack.

The snake was later handed over to the local environment and natural resources department for proper handling.

A local wildlife officer said the python might have been looking for a cool spot to shelter against summer heat.

The reticulated python is found throughout Southeast Asia, where they live in forests, swamps, canals and even in 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.