On 7/7, Chinese social media circulated information and images showing a snake farm in Dengwei village, Hengzhou city, Guangxi autonomous region, destroyed by floods, with hundreds of snakes escaping.
That afternoon, local officials confirmed the incident occurred on the morning of 6/7, when Typhoon Maysak caused dike breaches at the Liulan and Yunbiao reservoirs. The leader of Dengwei village announced that approximately 800-900 snakes from the local farm had escaped, with at least one villager reportedly bitten by a snake and hospitalized.
The village head stated that most of the snakes at the local farm were non-venomous water snakes. The facility also raised cobras and rat snakes. He added that the majority of snakes were swept away by floodwaters, with only a few clinging to floating debris.
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Images of snakes escaping and swimming in floodwaters in Guangxi were shared on Chinese social media on the morning of 6/7. |
The Hengzhou City Emergency Management Agency confirmed it had received the information and dispatched rescue forces to the scene. Local officials will release more details after completing their verification.
Residents in neighboring villages voluntarily formed snake-catching teams, using nets and fishing gear to search each home in the flooded area. However, local authorities advised people not to catch snakes themselves without professional knowledge. Those who discover snakes in their homes are requested to immediately report them to local authorities for specialized teams to handle.
The incident occurred amidst severe floods and extreme weather causing significant damage in many parts of China. Guangxi raised its flood alert to red, the highest in the 4-tier system, as water levels in dozens of rivers exceeded alert thresholds.
Many other provinces also experienced landslides, thunderstorms, and tornadoes. Chinese officials deployed thousands of rescue workers and warned residents to remain vigilant against extreme weather in the coming days.
By Thanh Danh (Source: Global Times, China Daily, India Times)
