CHUTIAN METROPOLIS DAILY (China) 08 October 13 A reptile dysfunction: Highway police find 300 snakes stowed on bus
Highway police in Jianli county, Hubei Province confiscated more than 300 snakes and 10 badgers being smuggled on a long-distance bus after two snakes escaped into the cabin on October 6.
Inspectors at the Jingyue Bridge toll booth discovered five bamboo baskets filled with over 250 kilograms of Chinese rat snakes and 10 badgers in the baggage compartment below during a routine check.
The bus, which was en route from Chongqing to Shenzhen, was carrying 27 passengers when two snakes measuring a meter long found their way into the middle stairwell.
There was little panic as most passengers were asleep at the time, and were only awoken after officers removed the snakes using a mop.
"It is really terrifying to think I could have been bitten by them even though they are not poisonous," said a passenger surnamed Li who was seated nearest to the two snakes.
The bus driver claims he was only charged with transporting the animals, and the owner was not among the passengers. Highway police let him off with a warning.
According to authorities, the confiscated animals were released and the case has been handed over to local forestry officials, who are now investigating suspects involved in illegally transporting and selling wildlife.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/816263.shtml

搜狐‎ / SOHU (Beijing, China) 08 October 13 重庆客车司机托运300条蛇 途中两条溜进车厢
[COLOR="#006400"] Photo @ URL: 图为：民警从行李厢内查获五竹篓蛇
前晚，高警监利大队民警在对一辆重庆籍大型客运车进行例行检查时，惊讶地发现，两条菜花蛇竟盘踞车厢内，离最近的乘客仅一米之距。幸亏发现及时，才未引发意外。
　　民警用拖把将蛇挑下车
前日22时许，高速警察监利大队民警在随岳高速公路荆岳大桥收费站，对一辆悬挂“渝F”号牌的大型长途客运车辆进行例行检查。
此时，车上27名乘客大多已进入梦乡。凭借路灯的亮光，民警发现在该车的中门口踏步处，有东西在蠕动。民警打开手电筒照过去，不禁倒吸一口凉气—两条长一米多的大花蛇正在楼梯处爬动， 最近的一名乘客李先生离它们不到一米远。
民警赶紧让客车司机打开车门，用车内拖把将蛇挑出车外。听说车上有蛇，乘客们都吓得不轻，睡意全无，纷纷从前门挤下车。
下车后，乘客李先生心有余悸地对民警说，由于是深夜，他早已进入梦乡，对蛇爬入车厢之事浑然不知，“要不是你们及时发现，真不知会有什么后果，就算是无毒蛇，被咬一口也吃不消呀”。
行李厢还放着五竹篓蛇
长途大客车内怎么会出现两条大蛇？为了弄清大蛇的来源，民警随后对该车下部的行李厢进行了检查，发现行李厢内有五个大竹篓，里面全是蛇，而行李厢与客车中门踏步处是相通的。
民警分析，这两条大蛇可能是在车辆行驶途中钻出竹篓，从行李厢与中门踏步处的间隙中溜进车厢的。
据司机温某供述，该车是从重庆云阳县开往深圳龙岗区的。此次，总共托运了250多公斤蛇，外加10只狗獾前往广州，发货人和收货人均不在车上，他只是负责托运。
随后，高速民警请来监利县野保站执法人员，经鉴定，这些蛇共300余条，分为菜花蛇和乌梢蛇两种，爬入车厢内的两条是菜花蛇，无毒。
因时值国庆长假，为不耽误车上乘客们的行程，民警对司机温某进行了批评教育后，车辆予以放行。由于涉嫌非法运输和贩卖野生动物，该案件已经移交监利县森林公安。
昨日，监利县森林公安负责人介绍，此次收缴的250多公斤蛇和10只狗獾已全部放生。由于此案贩运的野生动物数量较大，他们正在追查发货人和收货人，一旦查到将依法处置。
http://news.sohu.com/20131008/n387697971.shtml