Snake in your face! Moment lethal 10ft king cobra lunges at snake wrangler as he tries to remove it from broken car engine in family's yard in Thailand

 This is the scary moment a ferocious king cobra chased a snake wrangler.

The 10ft reptile was hiding in a broken car engine in a family's garage in Chanthaburi province, eastern Thailand, earlier this month.

Shocked homeowner Tippawan Bunnak, 49, contacted the reptile specialists to have the deadly snake removed.Shocked homeowner Tippawan Bunnak, 49, contacted the reptile specialists to have the deadly snake removed.

A ferocious king cobra chased a snake wrangler in Chanthaburi province, eastern Thailand, earlier this month

King cobras, also known as Ophiophagus hannah, can be up to 12ft long and are usually up to 9kg

This king cobra was 10ft and unusually heavy at 12kg. In the wild king cobras typically live around 20 years

Dramatic footage shows the aggressive snake lunging at the team as they tried to capture it, after finding it still curled inside the rusty engine on March 15. 

At one stage in the clip it chases after a team member, its hood flared as it tries to land a bite. 

The volunteer dodges the cobra's strikes before managing to pin the snake's head to the floor and control it. 

The team measured the king cobra's body and found that it was 10ft-long and weighed 12kg, which is unusually heavy for that type of snake.

The specialists removed the snake to release it back in the wild. 

Snake wrangler Sergeant Nattapon Suengam said: 'If locals spot a large snake they should always contact experts and not try to hit it and catch it themselves.

The snake wranglers found the large snake hidden beneath a brokencar engine

One of the wranglers put his hands up as he walked gingerly away from the deadly snake, which lunged at him, trying to attack

He raised his feet in an attempt to distract the long reptile, which had become aggressive

The snake flexed its ribs and muscles on both sides of its neck to create a hood  to intimidate the wranglers

However, the wrangler was unafraid and seemed to goad the king cobra by touching its head and hood

'King cobras have a scent that attracts the opposite sex to mate so if a snake has been hit or injured to death, chances are more snakes will show up.' 

Relieved house owner Tippawan said: 'This was the biggest snake that has ever came into my property. 

'It's normally only small snakes so I think the big one is here to bring me luck.'

What are king cobras? 

When facing predators, king cobras often expand ribs and muscles on both sides of their necks to create what’s called a hood. 

The hood makes the snake appear larger than normal.

When hungry or threatened, cobras can become aggressive.

However, they are also some of the most family-centred snakes: they are the only ones to build nests for their eggs.

Common name: King cobra

Species: Ophiophagus hannah

Type: Reptiles

Diet: Carnivore

Group name: Quiver

Average life span in the wild: 20 years

Length: Up to 13 feet

Weight: Usually up to 20lbs (9kg)

Source: National Geographic