Missing Egyptian Cobra The Talk Of The Bronx Zoo
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's small, venomous and has been on the loose since Friday.
An Egyptian cobra is in the reptile building somewhere at the Bronx Zoo, but workers can't seem to find it, reports CBS 2's Kristin Thorne.
Visitors arriving at the zoo on Monday had concerns about the serpent.
"It's kind of crazy, we just got here, we just found out," one said.
"We had to come here for school today and we were worried we were going to get bit or something," said Louis Fevola of Flushing.
1010 WINS' John Montone with concerned residents near the Bronx Zoo
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The snake was kept in an area away from the exhibit floor. Zoo officials said there was nothing to worry about after they secured the building. They released a statement, saying "We are confident that the snake, about 20 inches long, is contained in a non-public, isolation area within the building."
Zoo officials said it's an adolescent and as thin as a video cable.
Officials also said it's not big enough to strangle anyone, but is extremely venomous and can kill within 15 minutes. Legend has it Cleopatra committed suicide by using the toxins of an Egyptian cobra.
Snakes love warmth and closed spaces, so the Zoo said there was no way it would venture very far.
The reassurance was enough for some visitors.
"As long as they keep looking for it, and you know, keep people safe, have some kind of a response team in case it shows up somewhere else," said visitor Cigal Shaham.
Some kids probably wouldn't mind getting a good look.
Asked what she thinks of snakes, 6-year-old Sophia Desmarais said, "I think they're kind of scary and really, really, really, interesting."
Zoo officials said they shut down the reptile house out of an abundance of caution Saturday. The building remains closed until further notice.
And now this slippery snake is apparently tweeting his cobra covert ops, postings like:
bronxzooscobra: i should take in a broadway show. anyone heard anything about this "spiderman" musical?
bronxzooscobra: i want to thank those animals from the movie "madagascar." they were a real inspiration.
Rest assured the Bronx Zoo is doing everything in its power to stop the snake's stealthy ways.
Late Monday afternoon, the zoo released another statement, saying "Right now, it's the snake's game. At this point, it's just like fishing; you put the hook in the water and wait."
Will this affect your plans to visit the Zoo? Leave a comment below...
