Viral videos showing hundreds of snakes escaping a flooded breeding facility in China's Guangxi region have sparked widespread debate online. The reptiles escaped after Typhoon Maysak-triggered floods damaged the farm, forcing emergency rescue teams into action. Many called the scenes terrifying and urged compassion.
A dramatic video showing hundreds of snakes swimming through floodwaters in southern China has gone viral, leaving social media users both shocked and concerned. The reptiles escaped after severe flooding damaged a snake breeding farm in Dengwei village, Hengzhou, in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The flooding followed days of torrential rain linked to Typhoon Maysak, which has caused widespread destruction across the region.
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According to local officials, nearly 900 snakes escaped after floodwaters entered the breeding facility, prompting an urgent rescue operation to prevent the reptiles from spreading into nearby residential areas.
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Rescue teams sent to capture escaped snakes
Authorities quickly deployed a 10-member rescue team equipped with fishing nets and stun guns to capture the escaped snakes.
Local official Wu Zhi told Chinese media that the rescue operation began immediately after the farm was flooded. While some early reports claimed venomous cobras had escaped, Wu said the snakes being recovered by the rescue team were non-venomous.
Videos shared online showed several snakes moving through muddy floodwaters, leading authorities to warn residents of nearby villages to stay indoors until the situation was brought under control.
Reports also suggested that some flood-hit villagers may have suffered snakebites while stranded by rising water, although officials are still assessing the overall impact.
Flood crisis continues across Guangxi
The escaped snakes are only one part of a much larger emergency unfolding across southern China.
Authorities have issued the highest-level red flood alert after rivers across Guangxi rose well above danger levels. State media reported that dozens of monitoring stations recorded water levels exceeding official warning marks.
The floods have already claimed at least 17 lives across China, including six deaths in Guangxi, while 11 people remain missing. More than 130,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes as rescue teams continue evacuation and relief work.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed officials to carry out full-scale rescue operations, prioritising medical care, emergency assistance and the relocation of affected residents.
Experts have also warned that this year's flood season could become more severe because of the combined effects of global warming and El Niño.
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Viral video sparks mixed reactions
The viral footage quickly attracted thousands of reactions online.
Many viewers admitted the scenes looked like something from a disaster film, with comments describing the video as a "new fear unlocked" and "the stuff of nightmares." Others joked that it was "Snakephoon" instead of Sharknado or compared the swimming reptiles to the Loch Ness Monster.
At the same time, several users shifted attention to the bigger issue. Many questioned why so many snakes were being bred in one place, while others said the animals were also victims of the flooding and deserved humane treatment.
Several people expressed sympathy for both the flood-affected communities and the displaced snakes, saying the disaster highlighted the wider impact of extreme weather on humans and wildlife alike.
As rescue teams continue searching for the escaped reptiles, the video has become one of the most talked-about images from China's ongoing flood emergency, sparking conversations not only about public safety but also about wildlife farming and climate-related disasters.
