Missing Cobra Shutters Reptile House At Bronx Zoo
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Reptile House at the Bronx Zoo was closed Saturday after an adolescent Egyptian cobra went missing from an off-exhibit enclosure.
Zoo staff said they immediately closed and secured the building after learning the snake was missing. Egyptian cobras are poisonous.
Officials at the zoo said they were confident that the snake, about 20-inches long, was confined to an isolated, non-public area of the building. Snakes typically seek closed-in spaces, and are uncomfortable in open areas.
"We are informing the public out of an abundance of caution, and will continue to take whatever steps necessary to ensure public safety," the zoo said in a statement.
The Reptile House will be closed indefinitely, zoo staff said.
