Hundreds of snakes, including venomous cobras escaped from a snake breeding farm in Hangzhou, China after floodwaters washed the breeding facility away.
Hundreds of snakes, including venomous cobras escaped from a snake breeding farm in Hangzhou, China after floodwaters washed the breeding facility away, according to reports in the Shanghai Daily and China Daily. The snakes, which were mostly non-venomous water snakes, also included venomous cobras, the reports said. They escaped July 6 and a team of 10 people have been tasked to capture them using a combination of stun guns and nets, the reports said. Reports note that there were 800-900 escaped snakes that were unaccounted for and one villager was reportedly bitten.
The escape was brought upon by Typhoon Maysak, which struck the region during the weekend of July 4-5.The government noted that 55 rivers were above the warning leveland President Xi made a public announcement. “All local governments should tighten accountability for disaster prevention and relief, thoroughly check rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other regions prone to geological disasters, strengthen early warning, prevention and relief work and ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.”
Southern China is known for its snake farming industry, with Chinese cobras, King rat snakes and water snakes the most common snake types bred in the farms in Southern China. These reptiles are bred for the pet trade, venom extraction, and the food market. And Guangxi is one of the world’s largest snake breeding regions in the world.
800–900 snakes escaped after floodwaters in Hengzhou, Guangxi, breached a local snake farm yesterday. Most are non‑venomous water snakes, but one villager has been bitten and is hospitalized, local official said. Residents are urged to report sightings rather than attempt to… pic.twitter.com/78u5ELEwZY
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) July 7, 2026
