A family was shocked after a poisonous cobra took refuge inside a shoe of their eight-year-old son.

Luckily, a team of snake rescuers who were at hand took the shoe away. They took the package to a forest, placed the shoe on ground and tapped it with a stick.

As they watched in amazement, a cobra emerged, with its hood flared up and ready to strike.

The incident occurred in the North Indian city of Alwar, which lies in a hilly region and is marked by a healthy population of reptiles.

On September 10, a family in the city spotted a cobra entering their home. They locked the door and called First Step - Saving Wildlife, a local volunteer-driven animal welfare organisation.

The volunteers searched for the cobra in the house and were unable to find it.

As they were ready to pack up, the eight-year-old son of the family touched his shoe accidentally, which responded with a hiss sound.

Vivek Jaiswal of First Step said the cobra scared by the commotion that followed its entry into the home had sought refuge in the shoe, which looks like its natural nesting place.

He decided to take it to a nearby forest, Sariska Reserve area, and release it there.

Jaiswal, who has been rescuing snakes for the last 12 years, said: ”I have seen snakes hiding in furniture, automobiles and even refrigerators, but never in a shoe so far.”

He said the incidents of snakes entering homes seeking refuge shoot up during monsoons. The organisation has been getting about 10 calls a day, he said.