Thursday, March 31, 2011

Missing Bronx Zoo Cobra found after six days

The deadly Egyptian cobra who went missing in New York City's Bronx Zoo and evaded zoo employees for six days is back in custody.

The snake was found Thursday morning in the zoo’s Reptile House and is said to be secure and safe. The building will reopen and snake put back on display when zoo officials are certain the snake is healthy.

The Reptile House closed Friday after the snake’s disappearance, and zoo staff conducted round-the-clock extensive searches throughout the building.

In less than a week, the snake has become the stuff of urban legend. Someone pretending to be the cobra even developed quite a following on Twitter with fake updates on the snakes activities around New York. The snake does not even have an official name, however zoo officials say they are considering holding a naming contest. The cobra, who weighs about three ounces, is an adolescent of its hooded species, which is believed to be the type of snake that was called an asp in antiquity.

Cobra bites can be deadly if not treated properly. MyFoxNY.com reports that poison from an Egyptian cobra's bite can kill an elephant in three hours and a human in only 15 minutes.
But the snakes aren't likely to attack people unless the reptiles feel threatened, according to a fact sheet on the San Diego Zoo's website.

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