Around 900 snakes, many of which are poisonous, are roaming free after Typhoon Maysak triggered severe flooding in Hengzhou, a city in southern China. The flooding has claimed at least 39 lives.
Officials said one woman died after she was bitten by a snake, possibly a cobra that escaped from a flooded snake farm. Several other people have also reportedly been bitten.
Videos shared by residents show snakes swimming through floodwaters with only their heads above the surface.
Authorities initially downplayed the danger but have since warned residents to avoid any snakes they encounter.
Snake catchers have been deployed, and hospitals are also stocking up on antivenom as medical staff are preparing for the possibility of more snakebite patients.
The flooding also allowed several zoo animals to escape, including zebras, horses, donkeys, as well as ostriches, emus and raccoons.
The privately owned zoo issued an emergency alert asking people to report any escaped animals; they also warned that frightened animals could become aggressive.
The disaster also affected local farms, with more than 16,000 pigs reportedly swept away by the floodwaters. Videos shared online show heavy machinery being used to recover the animals from the water.
About the Region
Hengzhou is located in Guangxi in southern China, where a flat central plain is surrounded by mountains and hundreds of rivers.
The city is widely recognized as China’s jasmine capital and has been growing the fragrant flower, commonly used in tea, for around 500 years.
Snake farming is another major industry in the region. Guangxi is home to more than 100 snake species, and catching snakes for food has long been part of local tradition.
Snake meat is still considered a delicacy by many people.
By 2020, the region was home to nearly 20 million snakes spread across more than 14,000 breeding farms.
Today, many of these snakes are raised for pharmaceutical and biomedical research purposes.
Cobras and common rat snakes are among the most commonly bred species. While rat snakes are harmless to humans, cobra bites can be fatal.
A volunteer in Hengzhou said its seven or eight members spent two straight days searching for escaped snakes, catching an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 of them.
Most of the snakes they recovered were non-venomous rat snakes.
The team explained that after flooding, snakes often hide in sheltered places such as the corners of homes.
Residents report sightings, and the captured snakes are then turned over to specialists, who release them back into the wild.
