A video clip shows a Burmese python is going to devour a pet poodle. [Photo/Beijing News/screenshot]

A video clip showing a Burmese python attacking a small dog has triggered online outcries, Beijing News reported.

In the video, the giant golden snake approaches a pet poodle and then suddenly opens its mouth to bite its head. The six-second video published online on March 18 didn't show if the dog survived the attack or what happened next.

Netizens called the video cruel and some vowed to launch a "cyber manhunt," a term for anonymous Web users collaborating to track down and share information online.

Xie Yan, an associate researcher with Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the Burmese python is protected by the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, a status equal to second-level protection in China.

He added that owning or trading the snake requires approval from the State Forestry Administration and it is illegal to raise a Burmese python at home because its living requirements cannot be met.

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