Snake catcher grabs cobra with bare hands even after it tries to bite him in southern India

This is the moment a snake catcher in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu removed a massive cobra from a residential house.

Footage filmed on July 24 in Cuddalore shows Selvam, the snake handler carefully picking up the dangerous reptile with his bare hands and then coaxing it into a plastic bottle.

Swathy Reddy, the filmer, told Newsflare: "It was three feet long and initially immobile as it swallowed a big rat.

"Afraid or angry snake bit the handler but luckily as he was wearing shoes, so the poison didn't penetrate to his body." The highly venomous snake was later released deep in a nearby woodland area.