A steppe rat snake is seen in this photo provided by Green Korea United.
SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — As the sweltering summer heat continues, snakes are increasingly appearing at apartment complexes in urban areas.
In response to a series of incidents where a local resident’s dog was bitten by a snake while taking a walk around the apartment complex, Incheon’s Jung district office initiated a snake-capturing operation.
In June, firefighters captured a two-meter-long ratsnake in a residential area in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, and released it into the wild.
Last month, a 1.4-meter-long snake created a buzz in the heart of Gangneung, Gangwon Province, when it was found hiding beneath the hood of a car. The snake was captured and released in a nearby mountain area.
“In this scorching weather, even snakes are looking for a place to cool down,” said Park Chang-deuk, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Ecology.
“They can often be found along walking paths in apartment complexes where there are a lot of trees or near artificial waterfalls,”
The Wildlife Protection and Management Act prohibits capturing most snakes found in the country, which is why authorities release them into the wild instead of killing them.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
