Thai veterinarian teams search for escaped mambas in floodwaters

Government officials were tipped off Wednesday about the snake escape by messages posted on Twitter, that could not be confirmed.

'It might be true, because we know that there are a lot of illegal animal smuggling operations in Thailand and they would not dare to alert officials themselves if the snakes had escaped,' said Nanthika Chansue, president of the Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarian Society of Thailand.

The society, in collaboration with the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, dispatched teams to Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi, 16 kilometres north-west of central Bangkok, to hunt for the green mambas in the flooded neighbourhood on Wednesday and Thursday.

'We are not sure they are out there but we need to try to protect the public,' Nanthika said.

'We have also issued warnings to the public that these snakes are green, similar to the green snakes indigenous to Thailand, but the mambas are a lot bigger and very dangerous,' Nanthika said. 'If you see one, stay far away.'