A pet dog narrowly escaped being crushed to death by an anaconda.
Horror footage shows the poor pooch struggling as the massive water boa coiled tightly around its body.
The fire brigade was called after the owner witnessed the attack on the banks of a stream near her and her neighbours’ homes on Thursday (5 Feb).
Luckily, locals managed to save the female dog just in time, pelting the anaconda with stones to drive it off.
Firefighters then captured the roughly 6m (20ft) long reptile in the stream in Urânia, in Brazil’s São Paulo state.
Unharmed, it was released into a forested area along the São José do Dourados River in nearby Pontalinda on Friday (6 Feb), far from urban areas.
The dog, a mongrel called Rabica, was rescued from the streets by the owner and her family around seven years ago and has been cared for ever since.
Described as small and gentle, she was taken to a veterinary clinic for tests and medication, as reported by Need To Know.
Biologists warn that anacondas attack any animal for food. Non-venomous, they kill prey by constriction.
Firefighters capture six-meter-long anaconda in the urban area of ??Urânia. (Picture: Jam Press)
Sightings in urban areas are rare but can occur at this time of year due to rainfall and environmental degradation.
The snake involved is almost certainly a green anaconda (Eunectes murinus).
Endemic to South America, it is the largest, heaviest, and one of the longest snake species in the world, slightly shorter than the reticulated python, with rare individuals reaching up to 9m (30ft).
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