Torrential rains bring devastating floods to a Chinese city – and a snake invasion
Snake Invasion Sweeps Through Flooded Chinese City
Torrential rains bring devastating floods – Residents of Hengzhou are facing an unusual nightmare as floodwaters recede, revealing hundreds of serpents wandering through their streets. The southern Chinese metropolis, home to approximately one million people, has become the setting for what locals describe as a scene straight from a horror film. Following the passage of Typhoon Maysak, authorities estimate that roughly nine hundred snakes have escaped their enclosures, with many of these creatures carrying venom.
The deluge has claimed thirty-nine lives so far, according to official reports. Among the victims was a woman who succumbed after being bitten by a snake believed to be a cobra. This reptile likely fled from one of the numerous reptile farms that dot the landscape. State media indicates that several additional individuals have suffered snakebites, though most have survived with treatment.
Video footage circulating online captures the surreal sight of snakes navigating flooded neighborhoods. Their heads remain elevated above the water, resembling periscopes scanning for danger or prey. Initially, officials downplayed the severity of the situation, but the growing number of encounters has prompted them to issue public warnings. Villagers are being advised to avoid areas where snakes might be hiding, while snake catchers have been deployed and hospitals have increased their antivenom reserves.
Other Animals Join the Escape
The flooding did not only affect reptiles. A local zoo experienced significant damage, allowing multiple species to break free. Two zebras, a humpback ox, three miniature horses, and two donkeys were among the animals that wandered into the streets. The privately operated Guigang Zoo released an emergency statement on Wednesday evening, cautioning residents that certain escaped creatures—including ostriches, emus, and raccoons—may become aggressive if startled. The zoo requested that locals report any sightings immediately.
Zoo proprietor Yin Feifei shared details with Hongxing News about the desperate efforts made by staff members. Workers risked their own safety to secure predator enclosures as water levels surged. Tragically, three lions perished in the rising waters. “We could not allow predators to escape during the flood and create an additional public safety risk,” Yin explained to reporters.
Agricultural and Industrial Impact
Beyond the zoo and reptile farms, agricultural losses have been substantial. Shangyou News reported that more than sixteen thousand pigs were swept away by the torrential rains. Online videos show heavy equipment lifting the animals from the water in a manner reminiscent of arcade claw machines.
Hengzhou occupies a flat central plain in the southeastern portion of Guangxi, encircled by mountains and crisscrossed by over six hundred and sixty rivers. The city holds the distinction of being China’s jasmine capital, cultivating the fragrant flower for half a millennium to produce tea. However, the region has also emerged as a major center for snake breeding over recent decades.
Guangxi, which shares a border with Vietnam and encompasses diverse ethnic communities, hosts more than one hundred snake species. Local traditions include consuming snake meat as a nourishing food source. By 2020, the province contained nearly twenty million snakes across fourteen thousand breeding facilities, according to Guangxi Daily. Today, most operations focus on pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, with cobras and common rat snakes being the most frequently raised varieties.
“We caught two or three thousand in two days – we’ve basically cleared them all out,” Mr. Zhu told Beijing News.
Mr. Zhu, who serves on a civilian snake-catching team in Hengzhou, revealed that his group of seven or eight members had been operating nonstop for forty-eight hours. They captured between two thousand and three thousand snakes, surpassing earlier projections. Zhu noted that snakes typically seek shelter in hidden locations like house corners after floods. Once villagers spot them, the catchers retrieve the animals and hand them to professionals for release into natural habitats.
State media videos depict dramatic scenes of residents attempting to capture swimming snakes. One individual in a bright pink raincoat lunges at a serpent while others prepare nets. Screams of both fear and excitement fill the air as people work together to secure the reptiles. Despite the excitement, authorities emphasize that snakebites can prove fatal, particularly when medical assistance is delayed by flood conditions. Some villagers reported being unable to reach help for the bitten woman until it was too late, as rising waters severed communication routes.
