Torrential rains bring devastating floods to a Chinese city – and a snake invasion | CNN

It sounds like the script of a low-budget horror movie – a community besieged by hundreds of snakes. But in Hengzhou, a southern Chinese city of some one million residents, floodwaters have brought that terrifying reality to their doorsteps. Around 900 snakes – many of them venomous – are on the loose after Typhoon Maysak swept through the region, causing flooding that has so far killed 39 people, according to state media. One woman died after being bitten by a snake – possibly a cobra – suspected to have escaped one of the flooded reptile farms in the area, though state media reports at least several other people have been bitten. Nightmarish videos posted by concerned residents have shown serpents paddling through the streets, their heads raised comfortably above the floodwaters like venomous periscopes. Chinese authorities initially played down the threat but are now issuing warnings to villagers to stay clear of the slithery new arrivals, as they mobilize snake catchers, boost antivenom stocks and prepare hospital workers for a potential influx of snakebite cases. Snakes are not the only animals on the loose. Two zebras, one humpback ox, three miniature horses and two