Trailer collision unleashes wild animal chaos on I‑95

The incident occurred near Wilson by Raleigh, North Carolina, on Interstate 95, which connects Miami with the Canadian border. According to American authorities, a truck driver hit the camper. Inside, in addition to five people, there was a whole menagerie: 28 snakes, five lizards, a pair of turtles, two dogs, and a cat.

Upon arriving at the scene, the police found snakes emerging from the camper. According to reports, the truck driver either fell asleep or became distracted, causing him to hit the vehicle in front of him. As a result of the collision, he suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital. Local media reported that 28 snakes, including venomous ones like pythons and rattlesnakes, slithered onto the street.

These animals were being transported to a show, and their owner, fulfilling an order from a company organizing such displays, was also transporting bearded dragons and turtles. Although no animals were harmed in the accident, they scattered disoriented on the roadway.

Surprisingly, they managed to capture all of them, even the venomous species. It might have been the low outdoor temperature that contributed to the cold-blooded reptiles being less eager to escape.

The commitment of the authorities to capturing the escaped animals shows that even seemingly harmless escapes of a few reptiles can turn into an ecological disaster with unpredictable consequences. Florida's experience serves as an example. More than 20 years ago, when a hurricane devastated the area, it also destroyed, among other things, the terrariums in a pet shop. The released Burmese pythons multiplied to the extent that they eventually began posing a serious threat to the local ecosystem.

In response, Florida authorities allocate enormous sums of money to combat this invasive problem and try to control the snake population.