Snake Freak-Out Caused By Fake City Facebook Page

CALHOUN, GA — A satire Facebook page mimicking a northwest Georgia city is causing some real concerns for residents after a post claiming to show a gigantic snake found there went viral.

The page, "City of Calhoun, Gordon County GA," clearly states in its "About" section that it is a satire page not affiliated with the real government in Calhoun, which is off of Interstate 75 a little over an hour northwest of Atlanta.

But pictures of gigantic snakes are one of the internet's favorite things. And when the page posted on Monday, it took off. If the post were true, it would be one of the creepiest public health warnings ever.

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"This morning one of our oficers (sic) killed this copperhead as it came out of the sewer in front of the courthouse," the post reads. "Please avoid the sewers as we think there is (sic) more snakes in them."

Attached are photographs of a gigantic snake (which actually looks more like a rattlesnake than a copperhead). The post went viral and, in just a couple of days, has been shared more than 147,000 times, liked more than 8,400 times and garnered more than 17,000 comments.

The parody page, which has more than 14,000 followers, has gotten the attention of the real government in Calhoun, which posted about it on the city's actual Facebook page (which has about 2,700 followers).

"Public Notice: It has been brought to our attention that there is a 'satire page' mimicking the official City of Calhoun Facebook page," the post reads. "Please be aware that 'Calhoun, Georgia Government' is the official Facebook page of the City of Calhoun. Thank you."

In 2018, you'd like to think a quick look at the parody page would be all it would take to realize it's not real. Its posts tend to include dubious spelling and grammar and all tend to be pretty ridiculous jokes, some of them bordering on poor taste.

Recent posts have included a "live gator cam" showing a giant alligator or crocodile, internet videos supposedly showing contestants in an upcoming "Calhounians Got Talent" contest and reports that President Donald Trump and televangelist Benny Hinn plan to visit the city, which has a population of about 16,000.

But none have gotten as much traction as the snake post. City officials have had to speak out to make it clear that venomous snakes aren't swarming the city.

"I’ve had comments like 'Is it safe to walk down the street' and those things," Calhoun Mayor Jimmy Palmer said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I don’t think the people who put it on there realize the impact."

Palmer said the city's attorney is reaching out to Facebook about the page.

Photo via Shutterstock