Between ‘two and three’ thousand snakes have been caught by the public after floodwaters smashed through a breeding farm.
The snakes, including venomous cobras, fled the farm during the torrential storm.
Footage of the snakes lurking in the muddy water spooked locals, as they slithered through the floods following the collapse of a nearby reservoir.
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The terrifying escape happened in Dengwei village, Hengzhou, in southern China, as reported by Need To Know.
According to local officials, the snakes got loose on 6 July after the Liulan Reservoir collapsed amid extreme weather linked to Typhoon Maysak.
On 9 July, Mr. Zhu, a member of a civilian snake-catching team, confirmed that up to three thousand snakes had been captured.
A team of eight people banded together to capture the escaped reptiles – working over two intense days.
Whilst the farm is reported to have housed a mixture of venomous cobras, king rat snakes and non-venomous water snakes – majority of the animals captured were Chinese rat snakes.
The escaped reptiles were found hiding in the corner of houses, as spooked villagers alerted the team.
A number of people have attended the Hengzhou People’s Hospital with snakebites following the floods.
According to reports Hengzhou has opened a fast-track emergency treatment channel for snakebite cases and improved its stock of anti-venom at the medical centre.
Medical specialists have also been contacted to provide on the ground support and guidance for snakebite patients.
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