[Sportschosun reporter Jang Jong-ho] In China, hundreds of snakes raised at a breeding farm have escaped after torrential rain, leaving residents on edge. One resident has already been bitten and is receiving treatment at a hospital. Experts warned that it is difficult to tell venomous snakes from nonvenomous ones in flood conditions, so people should avoid approaching any snake.
According to Chinese media outlets including Sina.com, a snake farm in Hengzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, was inundated by flooding on the 7th, allowing many of the snakes to escape.
A farm official told local media that the escape occurred on the morning of the 6th and that the preliminary count puts the number of snakes that got out at around 800 to 900. He said one resident has already been bitten and is receiving emergency treatment at a hospital. He added that not all of the escaped snakes are venomous, and that many are a type of nonvenomous water snake. However, authorities said they believe the group also includes many venomous snakes, such as cobras and vipers.
One expert stressed that it is virtually impossible for ordinary people to distinguish venomous snakes from nonvenomous ones by sight in floodwaters.
He warned that the common belief that a triangular head means a snake is venomous is not accurate. "The highly venomous silver-ringed snake does not have a triangular head, so you should not judge toxicity by appearance alone," he said. He advised that unless you are an expert, the safest approach is to assume every snake is venomous and keep a wide distance.
He also emphasized that people should not let their guard down even if they are bitten by a nonvenomous snake.
"A snake's mouth can contain various bacteria, so there is a risk of wound infection or even sepsis," he said. "You should go to a hospital immediately after being bitten and receive professional treatment."
Meanwhile, the area is one of China's largest snake-breeding regions, where snakes are raised on a large scale for use in medicine and the leather industry.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
