Busan Gijang Fire Department said Tuesday it received a report of a venomous snake in a park in Busan around noon on Sunday.

Some 10 people who were walking in the area came across the snake and quickly left, reporting the sighting.

The fire department said it had captured the snake hiding in a flower bed at the park.

The captured snake, measuring 1 meter in length and 3 to 4 centimeters in width, was identified as a tiger keelback snake, also locally known as the floral snake, a common species in Korea but one that firefighters warned can be dangerous, especially at this time of year.

“Snakes become more sensitive and venomous in the fall, which is typically their mating season,” said the fire department. “Please report to us immediately if you spot a snake.”

By Kim Jee-min (jeeminkim@heraldcorp.com)