THIS is the shocking moment a five-year-old girl was bitten on the face by a venomous snake at a petting zoo.

Video caught the moment Viktoria was attacked at the Butterflies Park in Russia by what is thought to have been a hook-snouted rufous beaked snake.

The snake is seen curling around the child’s neck before striking and Viktoria is seen recoiling in agony.

Staff quickly rush to remove the reptile.

The species is not considered dangerous to humans but the girl was taken to hospital for treatment.

Viktoria is reported to have eaten a chicken meal before handling the snake.

She also played with chicks at the petting zoo.

One theory is that the scent of chicken caused the snake to bite her.

Expert Ekaterina Uvarova said: “Snakes are very sensitive to smell.

“If it was hungry, and the girl smelled of prey like chicks this might provoke the snake to bite her."

The bite was like a syringe prick, and the venom mild.

She also called for petting zoos to be banned.

The snake also might have bitten the girl because of “the excessive attention of people”, she said.

"An animal that is being touched all the time, which has nowhere to hide and rest, and is in constant stress. It is never good.”

If it was hungry, and the girl smelled of prey like chicks this might provoke the snake to bite her

Zoo workers claimed the snake had not attacked anyone before.

The girl’s father Vladimir said: “We called an ambulance and took the child to hospital to be examined.”

She later had a plaster on her face.

“The zoo staff said that the snake does not attack people at all,” he said.

“It may have been due to the fact that she had touched the chickens before and that they smelled."

The petting zoo did not immediately comment.

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