Fisherman stands on 27ft snake thinking it’s a log

A fisherman was out catching eels when he stepped on what he thought was a log - but the log moved and he realised it was an enormous python.

What follows is an extraordinary battle between man and beast as the 27-foot reptile powers through the undergrowth trying to escape.

The giant snake then goes into survival mode and instinctively wraps itself around one of the men's ankles.

Six men spent several minutes trying to overpower the 100kg reptile - trying to hold the snake's mouth to stop it from biting.

'I found the snake first of all,' said one fisherman, Tan Galuang. 'I walked on it. I thought it was a log. I was shocked. There were six men all trying to fight it.

'The snake was wrapped around my friend's leg and we quickly released it.

'We were only looking for fish, but the snake is like the grand prize. My religion forbids me from eating the snake, so I could not make a meal from it.'

The snake ended up in a large cage in a village in the Padang Pariaman region where it was kept for several days. Wildlife officials then drove it several miles away to be released away from settlements.

Growing up to 30ft long, the reticulated python (Python Reticulatus) is the longest snake in the world.