A cobra in a village of Xinle, North China's Hebei Province, appears to have killed a dog. Photo: Screenshot of a video posted on Sina Weibo

Authorities in Xinle, North China's Hebei Province, dismissed rumors on Tuesday that 800 cobras had escaped from a village farm and injured several residents, saying only four snakes had escaped and all had been captured. 

The rumors came after a video circulated widely online showing a villager trying to chase a snake away with a stick while the snake reared up to confront him/her. Other footage from the video showed that a snake appeared to have killed a dog, which was lying next to it in a pool of blood. 

The video soon sparked concern among residents. Local authorities later launched an investigation into local snake farms and took urgent measures to protect villagers. 

The investigation found that only four cobras had escaped from a farm and all had been brought under control. 

The escaped cobras were non-venomous, according to the farm owner. No injuries caused by the snakes were found during a large-scale inspection at the village.


Newspaper headline: City authorities in Hebei dismiss rumors that 800 cobras managed to escape village farm