160 Escaped Cobras Incite Terror in China

160 cobras have escaped from an illegal breeding factory in Shijiao Township in the municipality of Chongqing in southwest China, terrorizing residents who have spotted them in outdoor toilets on the streets and in kitchens. Another villager, Cai Yong, admitted to the illegal breeding of some 1,900 cobras in an abandoned schoolhouse, but no charges were filed against him.

While the rising demand for cobra meat and traditional medicines made from the venom has decimated the snake population, in China illegal breeding of these deadly serpents is a lucrative source of income, tempting many to carry on illicit operations. Large does of anti-venom have been sent to the township, but that does little to allay the fear of the villagers, which is not likely to abate until the very last cobra is either captured or killed.