Wednesday, June 8, 2026 - Around 800 to 900 snakes, including venomous cobras, escaped from a farm in a village in Hengzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region after it was damaged by flooding.
Some residents have suffered snakebites, local media
reported.
The local city government told media that rescue workers
have been dispatched to handle the situation.
Affected by Typhoon Maysak, Guangxi has experienced
continuous heavy rainfall, with several reservoirs in Hengzhou, Nanning, facing
emergency situations.
On Tuesday, July 7, some netizens posted screenshots and
video clips claiming that a snake farm in Dengwei village in Hengzhou city was
destroyed by floods, resulting in the escape of a large number of snakes. The
posts warned nearby residents to take precautions.
Other netizens commented that some trapped villagers had
been bitten by snakes and were facing shortages of medical supplies and
treatment, according to CCTV.com.
"It [the escape] happened on the morning of July 6.
According to our preliminary estimate, around 800 to 900 snakes escaped after
the farm was washed away by floodwaters. So far, one villager has been bitten
by a snake and is receiving emergency treatment at a hospital," Wu Zhi,
head of the Dengwei village committee in Yunbiao township, Hengzhou, told Red
Star News on Tuesday afternoon, July 7.
Wu said that not all of the escaped snakes were venomous,
adding that a large proportion of them were non-venomous water snakes.
A local resident surnamed Shen from Yunbiao township told
CCTV.com that snake farms are located in both low-lying areas and on hillsides
across the township.
Due to the breaches at Liulan Reservoir and Yunbiao
Reservoir, low-lying areas were inundated, and snakes from some small-scale
farms have escaped into surrounding areas.
Shen said some trapped villagers had indeed been bitten by
snakes, but they were unable to seek medical treatment in time because they
remained stranded.
A local snake farmer surnamed Lei told CCTV.com that his
snake farm is located on a higher ground and has not been affected by the
flooding so far.
Lei estimated that snakes from scattered small-scale farms
in low-lying areas may have escaped in large numbers, but added that most
farmed snakes in the area live in mountainous forests and are likely to di£
after being submerged in water for an extended period.
An employee from Hengzhou Emergency Management Bureau told the Global
Times on Tuesday afternoon that they were aware of reports that a snake farm
had been destroyed and villagers had suffered snake bites, and
had notified the frontline workers.
Rescue personnel had been dispatched to handle the situation, but no
further updates had been received. The employee said more details would be
released in an official announcement.
Wu Zhi from Dengwei village said that after the incident, more than a
dozen residents from nearby villages that were not affected by the disaster
voluntarily formed a civilian snake-catching team. They entered affected areas
and went house to house to capture snakes in an effort to prevent further
snakebite incidents.
"Team members mainly use fishing tools and electric fishing equipment
to catch the snakes," Wu Zhi added. "Most of the snakes have already
been washed away by the floods. At present, only a small number remain on
floating garbage and debris on stagnant floodwaters. Most of the snakes
captured at the site have been non-venomous water snakes."
Wu said they have already issued notices urging villagers without
professional snake-catching skills not to attempt to capture snakes
themselves.
Wu added: "If residents find snakes in their homes, they should
immediately report it to the village committee and have professional personnel
handle the situation."
See video below.
900 Snakes swimming in flooded waters in China. pic.twitter.com/5F14ljGKo9
— JOKAMRREDPILLZ (@JOKAQARMY1) July 7, 2026
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