Ananova:

A British woman fought a 14ft Burmese python to save her pet dog from being crushed to death in Hong Kong.

Expat Catherine Leonard, 41, kicked and punched the snake after seeing it wrap itself around her pet dog, a mongrel called Poppy, near her home, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Ms Leonard was walking Poppy and two other dogs on a trail close to a family picnic area in Hong Kong's rural New Territories when the python pounced on Poppy.

"I'm not sure exactly what I did but I kicked it and I tried to pull Poppy free. The snake was twisted around her, that was the problem," she said.

"Somehow Poppy managed to get away and the python slithered away. It was all over in about a minute.

"I was very shaken afterwards and really scared. If I'd had the chance to think about it, I wouldn't have done what I did, but I heard the dog in distress and I just waded in there."

The attack happened on a stretch of path where a husky was crushed to death in front of her owner by a python last year.

Police and a local snake catcher, Briton Dave Willott, searched for the python after the attack without success.

Mr Willott said: "Catherine was very courageous and definitely saved her dog's life. It would have been unconscious within two minutes and dead within five minutes.

"In this case, the snake probably thought 'I've had enough of this' and let go which is unusual. They are used to their prey fighting back so if they are attacked when they're in a feeding frenzy they grab hold and coil around tighter and tighter."