Residents of the Siberian city of Surgut are living out their very own biblical nightmare after seeing a plague of common adders infest their city in the wake of recent flooding in the region, Interfax reported Friday.
The venomous visitors slithered into the streets of Surgut after the flooding drove them on a quest to find some terra firma, an Emergency Situations Ministry spokesman told Interfax.
One incident in which a person was bitten by a snake has been recorded so far, according to Russian media.
“Being venomous gives the [European] adder a bad reputation with people,” according to the U.K.-based Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. “But they are very shy and timid animals and there have been no reported fatalities from an adder bite for over 20 years.”
The residents of Surgut are not taking their chances, however. A man killed a snake at his dacha after it lashed out at him, Interfax reported.
