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Snake scares at camps
Joshua Kimmich, the 31-year-old captain of the German national team and a player for FC Bayern Munich, said that during the World Cup in the United States near the training camp in North Carolina, “Yesterday we saw a snake. Then they told us it was venomous.”
“Joshua Kimmich, an avid gardener and not very familiar with the wildlife of the United States, admits that an encounter with a venomous snake has made him look at the local nature with different eyes”
Kimmich said the team is staying during the World Cup in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with training at Wake Forest University’s facilities, and he described the encounter as making him look at local nature with “different eyes.”
Le Parisien reported that Kimmich told a press conference on Tuesday, “We saw a snake yesterday, and we were told it was venomous,” and it said the snake in question was a copperhead moccasin.
The Times of India framed the broader context by asking which state has the greatest concentration of venomous snakes, noting that the answer depends on whether every snake species or only venomous species are counted.
In San Diego, the Swiss national team posted a map of its Carmel Valley training center in California showing a red-highlighted warning sign reading “Snake Zone,” and the San Diego Natural History Museum said the region is home to at least four species of venomous pit vipers.
What players and officials say
Kimmich said that if a venomous snake bites, “you have to go to the hospital,” adding, “I don't think you'll die, but at least it's dangerous,” as he contrasted Germany’s wildlife with what he saw around the training camp.
Le Parisien quoted Kimmich explaining, “In Germany, I get the impression there aren’t as many dangerous animals,” and it said the Germans must continue playing matches after their 7-1 opening win against Curaçao.
Vietnam.vn reported that biologist Falyn Owens of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said the region’s snakes are “not particularly aggressive,” but they can strike in self-defense if stepped on or cornered.
The Swiss team’s “Snake Zone” warning also drew attention to local guidance, with the city information page saying that in case of encounter with a snake, you must not “provoke it, nor pick it up, nor approach it in any way.”
In Greensboro, North Carolina, Vietnam.vn said the Swiss team and the Norwegian team were warned about risks of venomous snakes during their training camp, including avoiding hitting the ball outside the fairway because tall grass can harbor dangerous snakes.
Venomous-snake stakes for camps
The Times of India said Arizona is home to roughly twenty venomous species and subspecies, and it added that thirteen recognised rattlesnake species are found within the state.
“Snakes are found across much of the United States, though the number and variety change dramatically from one region to another”
It also described the western diamondback rattlesnake as “probably the best known” in Arizona and said its venom “attacks blood cells and surrounding tissue,” causing severe swelling, pain and internal damage.
Vietnam.vn said local authorities indicate venomous pit vipers are often spotted in rural areas or canyons in San Diego, especially when temperatures rise, and it tied the Swiss team’s “Snake Zone” map to that risk.
For the Norwegian player Kristian Thorstvedt, Vietnam.vn reported he was “very upset by the news” and said he planned to spend a lot of time playing golf in the United States but would now exercise extra caution if the ball lands in tall grass.
The same Vietnam.vn report said the Japanese national team moved from Tigres UANL’s training center to El Barrial at the Monterrey club’s training facility, and Rayados “spontaneously invited the Japanese national team to train” there after images of the field spread on Mexican social media.
