There are 17 species of snakes in Bulgaria, 4 of which are poisonous, Georgi Krastev, a zoologist at the Sofia Zoo, told Focus Radio. Of these 4 species, 2 are dangerous to people – the horned viper and the common viper, but they bite only when really provoked, he explained. People can get an acute allergic reaction when bitten, and even if it goes away by itself, they need to seek medical help, he added.
Just because people are afraid of an animal does not mean they have to kill it, said the biologist. "There are many ways to avoid killing a snake. One of them is to look for a long rod, or to break off a branch with leaves and scare the snake away from the people. The long rod or branch will protect the person from a possible bite, if the snake gets scared. Every snake that feels threatened would react defensively," he said. 
Snakes get active in spring when their mating rituals and search for food begin. After heavy rains the reptiles leave the wetland to move to warmer places. It ends in August when temperatures rise, the biologist explained.

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