Fight to the death: Indonesian man saves pedestrians from giant snake

An Indonesian man won an exhausting fight to the death with a 7m-long python which left him with horrific injuries. Photo / Asiawire

An Indonesian man has won an exhausting fight to the death against a 7m-long python which left him with horrific injuries.

Brave Robert Nababan was on his way home from work when he saw two pedestrians blocked from crossing a road by a giant snake.

The 37-year-old decided to step in - and became locked into a bloody battle with the snake as it sunk its teeth into his arm.

The injured man is taken to hospital. Photo / Asiawire

After an exhausting struggle he killed the reptile but was rushed to hospital for his wounds to be treated.

They wrestled in the middle of the road in the Riau Province of Indonesia as the pedestrians looked on in horror.

The security guard, who works on a palm oil plantation in the Indragiri Hulu Regency area of the country, is now fighting for his life in hospital.

Speaking from his bed, he said: "I tried to catch it. It bit my arm, and we wrestled for a while."

He won the fight and killed the snake after an exhausting struggle. Its body is shown in pictures strung across his village like a washing line.

Children play on the dead snake hanging on a washing line. Photo / Asiawire

He suffered deep wounds to his left arm and hand and was suffering from exhaustion because the fight went on for "some time".

The unlucky python was left on display in the village - hanging across a washing line.

Indonesian media noted an encounter with a similarly huge snake in March had gone much worse for a West Sulawesi man, who was found dead in the reptile's stomach.

The man injured his arm. Photo / Asiawire