May 26, 2010

15,000 snakes spotted slithering along a road near a Chinese village

09:03 AM

About 15,000 snakes were spotted slithering along a road near a village in northern Beijing this week in what local authorities said may have been part of a Buddhist ceremony, China's Global Times reports.

The Huairou district Bureau of Landscape and Forestry was quick to assure locals that the rambling reptiles had nothing to do with the weather, while the seismological office stressed that it did not signal an impending earthquake.

"Don't believe the rumors and stop spreading them," the forestry bureau said.

The Times said the 15,000 snakes crossed the road at the village of Duanshuling Monday morning.

Yang Fuwu, from the Beijing Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation center, said traffic was even stopped for a while to minimize the number of snakes crushed by passing vehicles.

About 10 foam boxes and bamboo sticks were also found nearby, indicating that the snakes had been released, the newspaper says.

"It's rare to see such a mass release. It might be a Buddhist ceremony," Yang said. "Such campaigns should be encouraged, but it's irrational to release so many at the same place at one time."

http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... -village/1