Some images of a determined mother possum saving its baby from the grasps of a hungry python in a short struggle in a Queensland backyard have captured the attention of thousands, three years after they were taken.

Photos of the melee were shared by almost 2,000 people after being posted to Facebook on Thursday night by a prominent snake catcher on the Sunshine Coast.

They were snapped by Mackay woman Christine Birch Williams, who recalled stumbling across the backyard brawl late one night in 2015, reports the ABC News.

Her six photos depict the baby possum well and truly wrapped up by the python, with the mother possum leaping into action, clawing and biting the reptile.

Eventually the python releases its prey.

The photos sparked discussion as to whether Williams should have intervened.

‘Would I interfere and save the baby if I was there at the time? Hard to say.

‘In one hand it would be horrible to watch, on the other hand the snake has earnt his meal.’

Opinions were divided among the comments.

‘Leave it be, nature is what it is. Nature doesn’t do it to be cruel and malice its the natural instinct to survive,’ Samii Lawson wrote.

‘I could not of just watched without helping the possum,’ Jill Patterson said.

Williams said she did not even think of intervening.

‘I was more fascinated with the battle,’ she said.

Ms Williams said once the fight was won, the possums took off.

Queensland Museum Mammals Collection Manager Heather Janetzki said it was not totally unusual to see the possum take on the python.

‘While I’ve personally never seen a possum act like that before and attack a snake, possums can generally be quite feisty animals, so that doesn’t surprise me,’ Janetzki said.