A policeman who emitted a loud screeching sound while running from a snake in South Africa has become an internet sensation after viewers found it hilarious.

Footage of the spectacle, which climaxes with the policeman running and screaming, has been uploaded to YouTube after the man’s colleagues apparently filmed the incident, and it has now been viewed tens of thousands of times.

The 39-second clip shows the South African policeman releasing his dog on the edge of a wood. It is unclear what the man thinks the dog is supposed to be trying to find.

When the policeman catches up with the dog, he suddenly emits a high pitched-shriek and a stream of words as he sprints back towards his fellow officers, some of whom are laughing in a manner suggesting they knew what was coming.

The dog had reportedly found a snake.

“Lol, this is funny”, wrote YouTube commenter Dropping Guy.

“I love my country”, wrote fellow YouTube user Adam South.

South Africa is home to many of the world’s most deadly snakes, including the Black Mamba, the Puff Adder, the Boom Slang and the Mozambique spitting cobra.