The escape of over 200 Monocled baby cobras from a farm in China has set locals in a panic.
The venomous cobras escaped from Nanjing’s Chunyi livestock farm between Aug. 26 and 29, Xinhua reported.
Around 150 had been retrieved or killed so far, which means some 50 snakes remain slithering around somewhere.
According to Shanghaiist, the local government of Liuhe claimed that it was informed of the escape only on October 10.
The escaping reptiles reportedly measure about 20 centimeters in length. Their venom is said to be less lethal than mature snakes.
Photo By: Tontan Travel (CC BY-SA 2.0)
To address the situation, a “manhunt” covering the farm’s five-kilometer radius was initiated on Tuesday.
Residents were informed and eligible to receive snake-venom serum from Shanghai. Ambulances and medical personnel will attend to possible bite victims.
The Chunyi livestock farm has since been closed. Without approval, it bought Monocled cobra eggs from Guangdong on Aug. 6, with 1,500 surviving from a total of 1,820 hatchlings.
