Maths teacher wrestles 17 foot anaconda and defeats it after blindfolding it with a T-shirt

Guiana:  Sebastien Bascoules, 39, waded into a shallow river to retrieve the massive, deadly predator after it had snatched the pooch from the bank.

The maths teacher, who lives in Matoury, French Guiana, hauled the 175lb - 12-and-a-half-stone - reptile onto land in nearby Montsinery before blindfolding it with a T-shirt.

He then put the giant in his bathtub overnight before releasing it into a river six miles away.

The dad-of-three allowed his kids, Noam 11, Solal, eight, and Mano, five, to interact with the beast after dragging it onto dry land.

He said: "A friend phoned me and explained that his dog, Minus, had been eaten by an anaconda close to his house.

"At first I was not scared because I thought it was smaller - but I was very surprised by his strength and his length - more than five metres.

"Since I was 10 years old I have liked handling reptiles but this was the biggest snake I had ever seen and I had ever caught.

"It was so big I asked to my friend to help me by catching his tail - otherwise it could strangulate me.

"Because it was digesting the dog it was very calm before I touched it."

Sebastien said by the time he and his neighbour landed the snake it was too late to re-home it away from the residential area.

So he brought it into his family home to spend the night in the bathtub.

He said: "My wife was worried it might escape from the bathroom during the night.

"We didn't have to be worried because I put it a cloth on his head so it was blind and became like a big worm."

The next day Sebastien released the anaconda six miles away into a river close to swamps where the creatures are often found.

The incredible event unfolded last year but the footage has only now been released

Sebastien, originally from France, has lived in French Guiana for 15 years and works part-time as a tour guide.

He said: "I chose this country because of its fauna - particularly reptiles and amphibians.

"It is really common to come across snakes in French Guiana, there are 98 species here.

"I have caught between 15 and 20 anacondas. To capture a snake this size is a dream come true."