The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!
The Daily BS • Bo Snerdley Cuts Through It!

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Hundreds of venomous snakes escape into flooded city

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For residents of one flood-ravaged city in southern China, the disaster didn’t end when the water arrived. It got worse when the cobras showed up.

Authorities in Hengzhou, a city in China’s Guangxi region, are scrambling after hundreds of snakes—including venomous cobras—escaped from a breeding facility that was destroyed during catastrophic flooding linked to Tropical Storm Maysak.

According to local reports, nearly 900 snakes were housed at the farm before floodwaters overwhelmed the property after the collapse of a nearby reservoir. Video circulating online shows snakes emerging from muddy water, raising their heads above the surface and slithering through flooded areas as residents watched in horror.

The breeding operation reportedly contained a mix of venomous cobras, king rat snakes, and non-venomous water snakes. Officials have not publicly confirmed how many remain missing, but emergency crews have been deployed to search for escaped reptiles while warning residents to remain vigilant.

The Hengzhou Emergency Management Bureau confirmed rescue teams are responding to the situation and assisting residents affected by the broader flooding disaster.

Local authorities have reportedly begun stockpiling anti-venom and distributing public safety guidance as concerns grow that the reptiles could spread throughout flooded neighborhoods and surrounding rural communities. According to local media reports, at least one resident has already been bitten and is receiving treatment.

The snake scare is only one piece of a much larger tragedy unfolding across southern China.

Days of relentless rain associated with Tropical Storm Maysak caused widespread flooding throughout Guangxi Province, breaching reservoirs, washing away roads, trapping thousands, and leaving entire communities underwater. Chinese officials say at least 39 people have died across the region during the past week.

The worst damage occurred in Hengzhou, where authorities reported that a reservoir failure sent a torrent of water through populated areas. Ding Wei, vice mayor of Nanning, which oversees Hengzhou, said 26 of the confirmed deaths occurred there alone.

The flooding also stranded more than 10,000 students and teachers at a cluster of schools in nearby Guigang. Rescue operations have continued around the clock as emergency personnel attempt to reach isolated communities cut off by the rising waters.

The animal crisis extends well beyond the snake farm.

A zoo in Guigang reported that more than 100 animals disappeared during the flooding, including zebras, porcupines, and dozens of tropical birds. Animal shelters across the region have also struggled to rescue hundreds of dogs and cats displaced by the disaster.

China’s state media has highlighted large-scale rescue efforts, but the incident has once again raised questions about infrastructure failures and disaster preparedness. Videos showing reservoir breaches, submerged towns, and now venomous snakes swimming through floodwaters have become symbols of a crisis that appears to have overwhelmed local authorities.

You know, every once in a while a story comes along that reminds you things can always get worse.

Flooding? Terrible. Reservoir collapse? Awful. Thousands stranded? Heartbreaking.

Then somebody says, “By the way, 900 snakes just escaped.”

At that point, I’m not waiting around for a government press conference. I’m moving. Think about the poor guy who gets told, “Don’t worry, the floodwaters are receding.” Great. Now what’s that floating toward me with its head sticking out of the water?

This story reads like somebody combined a natural-disaster movie, a monster movie, and a bad day at the zoo into one script.

To be fair, the flooding itself is a genuine tragedy. People have died. Families have lost homes. Entire communities have been devastated.

But if there is one universal human reaction to this story, regardless of politics, nationality, religion, or ideology, it is this, Nobody wants surprise cobras. That’s one of the few issues still capable of uniting humanity.

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