Woman releases poisonous snakes into wild, photos go viral

Photographs of a woman releasing venomous snakes and other animals in a Yingde City park in Guangdong Province on July 14 have aroused a controversy after going viral online, New Express Daily reported.

Wutong Mountain Scenic Area employees in Shenzhen said that randomly freeing wildlife poses a threat to the ecological environment if they are not an indigenous species.

A Shenzhen wildlife protection official, surnamed Hu, said purchasing wildlife is illegal and those who buy animals under state protection will face criminal charges.

The report said Buddhists sometimes free animals that are about to be slaughtered.