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Deadly Snake on the Loose at the Bronx Zoo: Take the Kids or Take Cover?
A highly venemous Egyptian Cobra is on the loose Bronx Zoo
As visitors walk through the Reptile House at the Bronx Zoo and observe the pythons, coral snakes and rattlesnakes, there is a sign posted intermittently near the deadliest of the serpents that reads: “Please don’t tap on the glass. What would you do if it broke?”
While no glass has been broken, visitors to the zoo since Friday are left wondering what they would do if they encountered one of the highly venomous snakes anyway. A 20-inch-long Egyptian Cobra has gone missing from its enclosure, which prompted zoo officials to shut down the Reptile House until it’s recovered.
But while a sign is posted outside of the house of sssssssssssnakes — The World of Reptiles is closed today. Staff observed an adolescent Egyptian cobra missing from an off-exhibit enclosure on Friday — there is none at the zoo entrance warning patrons of what could be coiled up around any given corner. Will you take your chances — and your family — to the zoo while there’s a deadly snake on the loose?
Zoo officials say they’re confident the cobra is hiding in an isolated area away from the public, that reptiles in general enjoy confined spaces. When the snake gets hungry or thirsty it will make its presence known, officials say.
While cobras aren’t likely to attack people unless they feel threatened and are more likely to feast on toads and birds than anything (or anyone) else, the venom from an Egyptian Cobra can kill an elephant in three hours and a human in 15 minutes. While there are no elephants anymore at the Bronx Zoo, there are plenty of humans.
Egyptian Cobras are native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, so there’s no telling how it will fare in the jungle of the Bronx. Will you go there to find out?
Image: Creative Commons
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6 Comments
[...] deadly snake is loose in the Bronx Zoo. No, it’s not Bruce [...]
Luke Warm Linkage | The Elitist Jerks' Sports Information Collective commented on Mar 29 11 at 9:25 am[...] — your ankles are safe once again. The elusive Egyptian Cobra has been found at the Bronx Zoo.After a 7-day hiatus from the rigors of non-display life, she (officials was declared “her” something other than an “it” the other day) has been [...]
It’s SSSSSSSSafe to Return to the Bronx Zoo: The Cobra Has Been Found | Info Media commented on Mar 31 11 at 10:26 pmKate commented on Mar 28 11 at 1:29 pmHmm… no, I won’t be going. At least they know what kind of snake antivenin to use if anyone is bitten.
Sidenote: After a quick Google search I see that Egyptian Cobra antivenin also cures AIDS so… I guess it’s more bang for your buck if you do get bitten =)
Melanie commented on Mar 28 11 at 3:07 pm“When the snake gets hungry or thirsty it will make its presence known, officials say.”
I’m sure it will.
Meredith Carroll commented on Mar 28 11 at 3:26 pm@Melanie – LOL
Rebecca C commented on Mar 28 11 at 5:36 pmMeh, if I lived there and was already planning a trip it probably wouldn’t stop me. Our local zoo borders a cypress swamp (actually, the swamp runs down the middle of it, and along the backside). The zoo does their best to make the animal habitats as natural as possible, and most of the animals are native to Florida. Thus, it tends to attract wildlife.
It is entirely possible that we could stumble upon a wild, deadly cottonmouth sunning itself on one of the walkovers. Doesn’t stop me from going, any more than the thought of wild snakes stop us from hiking through the woods.
That said, I don’t know the layout of this zoo. If it is very enclosed, that would make me more nervous about going, compared to a relatively open zoo (like ours). I would definitely be more aware of possible hiding places.
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