When a cobra slithered in beneath the staircase of Bijay Parida’s house in Orissa, the seven puppies sleeping there were at the mercy of the deadly reptile.

But the mother of the puppies was there too, and her protective instincts took over. She barked and growled, keeping the snake at bay for the most part, though she could not prevent it from biting two of the puppies.

A local snake-catcher was finally called to capture the snake and he displayed it to onlookers before putting it in a plastic container.