(File photo)

Over 200 baby cobras managed to escape from a farm in Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu province, at the end of August. More than 50 of the fugitive snakes are still at large.

The snakes were raised on a farm in Shanbei Village in the Luhe district of Nanjing. The 200 snakes that escaped in late August came from the 1,500 Monocled cobra eggs imported from overseas by the farm at the beginning of August. More than 100 snakes have been killed or captured, the local government reported on Oct. 10, adding that anti-venom treatment has also been brought in from Shanghai.

News of the missing reptiles immediately triggered widespread panic in the city. Many notices were posted warning residents against visiting regions near Shanbei Village. The latest report on the incident, released on Oct. 8, noted that villagers in Shanbei-adjacent Xiongzhou had called for help when a cobra was found in one resident's home. The cobra was eventually killed.

The missing Monocled cobras can be identified by a single circle on their backs, resembling a lens. The mature snakes can grow to be as long as 1.5 meters. They are also highly poisonous. One bite quickly causes severe pain and swelling near the wound, and potentially death.