CHENNAI: A 12-feet-long king cobra was captured and released into the wild after being spotted in a farm near Sirumugai in Coimbatore district on Monday, as reported by Daily Thanthi.

The cobra had taken refuge at a farm in Palapatti near Sirumugai for the past two days and appeared too exhausted to move.

On spotting the massive reptile sprawled near some trees, onlookers immediately alerted forest officials.

A team led by forest officer Manoj arrived at the spot and captured the snake after two hours of efforts.

Speaking to reporters, the forester said that the snake appeared severely dehydrated, rendering it immobile. "This could have happened due to lack of food intake for several days. Some times snakes can get exhausted after mating as well," he explained.

The snake was later carefully guided into a rescue bag and released into the Sirumugai forest area.