Bronx Zoo Cobra May Be Caught, But Merchandising Continues
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The slithering sensation that captivated the attention of New Yorkers - and the nation - this week is safely back in its terrarium.
The 20-inch deadly serpent was found lurking in the shadows of the reptile house about 200 feet from its cage.
Since being caught, it has been placed under observation and is under evaluation. After a week at large, zoo officials want to make sure it's in good shape. When they're confident the snake's ok, they plan to reopen the Reptile House and put the captivating cobra back on display.
At a news conference Thursday, the director of the Bronx Zoo spoke of his relief. "We are delighted to report that the snake has been found alive and well," Jim Breheny said.
"We appreciated the public's support through the past week," he added.
So what did it take to catch the deadly escapee?
"The key strategy here was patience," Breheny said. "We kept lights dim and commotion down so she'd feel comfortable coming out. It was really the scent of the rodents that we hoped would take her out," he said.
Word of the snake's escape fascinated the public. Sketches about the snake's liberty were done on late-night talk shows, a Twitter account and Facebook page were created, and of course knock-off products hit the scene. One was a coffee cup, with a version of the famous "I ♥ NY" logo - a coiled cobra replacing the heart symbol.
The snake's Twitter account became particularly popular, drawing more than 200,000 followers. Even though the snake has been captured, that hasn't stopped the Tweets. Early Friday the caught snake tweeted "Oh, it's ssso on now. You'll never guess what's coming."
One Facebook community has an idea: a campaign has begun to get the snake to host "Saturday Night Live." So far, the page has about 8,000 "likes."
Have you had enough of the Bronx Zoo cobra? Are you relieved or bummed she's been caught? Sound off in our comments section.
