What a Sign to See at the Zoo: Cobra Is Missing - New York Times by By Mosi Secret

Visitors to the Bronx Zoo were greeted with locked doors when they tried to enter the reptile exhibit this past weekend, and with good reason: a venomous snake was on the loose.

“The World of Reptiles is closed today,” a sign explaining the closing said. “Staff observed an adolescent Egyptian cobra missing from an off-exhibit enclosure on Friday.”

The Egyptian cobra, a favorite of snake charmers — and probably the asp whose venom Cleopatra used to commit suicide — is a dark snake with a narrow hood, and grows up to two yards in length. (The missing animal was only 20 inches, a zoo employee said.) Native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, it usually preys on toads and birds, not humans, but zookeepers notified the public in an abundance of caution. The snake’s toxins can cause respiratory failure.

The director of the zoo expressed confidence that the snake was still in the reptile house and said the snake would probably avoid open areas. “To understand the situation, you have to understand snakes,” Jim Breheny, the director, said in a written statement. “Upon leaving its enclosure, the snake would feel vulnerable and seek out a place to hide and feel safe. When the snake gets hungry or thirsty, it will start to move around the building. Once that happens, it will be our best opportunity to recover it.”

Until the creature slinks into view, zoo visitors should plan to skip the reptile exhibit, and maybe keep an eye on their ankles.

“Of course it happened on the day I come,” said Andrea Regan, 26, of Granby, Conn. “I wasn’t scared, but snakes aren’t my favorite thing, so I wasn’t too excited about that.”

Her friend was excited, however. “I wanted to see it, take a picture with it and run,” said Nick Christiana, 27, from Bristol, Conn.

Others were concerned with more ordinary threats. “It was way too cold to be concerned about the snake,” said Christophe Dumoulin, 39, of Woodstock, N.Y.

Bernard Vaughan contributed reporting.

Someones getting fired!!

No not fired. Stuck on Cobra watch..then they get fired

Deadly Egyptian cobra missing from Bronx Zoo
New York (CNN) -- A venomous Egyptian cobra went missing from New York's Bronx Zoo, prompting the closure of the zoo's reptile house until further notice.

Staff was alerted Saturday that the adolescent Egyptian cobra was missing from an off-exhibit enclosure, according to a statement from the zoo. Staff members closed and secured the reptile house.

Zoo officials said they are confident the 20-inch-long snake is contained in a nonpublic, isolated area of the building.

"Based on our knowledge of the natural history and behavior of snakes, we know they seek closed-in spaces and are not comfortable in open areas," the zoo statement said.

The Egyptian cobra is most commonly found in North Africa. Its venom is so deadly that it can kill a full-grown elephant in three hours -- or a person in about 15 minutes, according to wildlife experts. The venom destroys nerve tissue and causes paralysis and death due to respiratory failure.

Scholars believe the Egyptian cobra was known in ancient times as the asp. Legend has it that Cleopatra, the ancient Egyptian queen, used an asp to commit suicide.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/27/new...x.html?hpt=T2#

Check out this good information, the cobra will be roaming the frozen streets of NY.

Anybody know what venomous snake lives "at the highest altitudes of the Himalayan Mountains".

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"Snakes can survive in both hot and cold weather – Kilham said there are poisonous snakes living for years at the highest altitudes of the Himalayan Mountains, indicating that if the Egyptian cobra did escape the zoo, he could survive New York’s frigid temperatures"

Imagine walking around New York City and coming across a 20-inch snake – a poisonous Egyptian cobra, which proceeds to bite you.

It’s not a completely unlikely scenario: Officials at the Bronx Zoo have closed the Reptile House since Friday after learning the adolescent snake was missing (although officials do believe the exotic snake is confined to an area of the building that is not accessible to the public).

But, it does have people thinking – how do you handle a snake bite?

“The venom is quite serious – immediately get yourself to a hospital for anti-venom,” said Chris Kilham, The Medicine Hunter and Fox News contributor. “You have precious little time. The whole thing about sucking out the venom has proven unsuccessful.”

Kilham said you could tie a tourniquet above the snake bite, to try to stop the venom from traveling to the rest of the body.

“If you can do a tourniquet, get to the hospital immediately – there is no home remedy for this,” Kilham added.

Dr. Theodore Bania, a medical toxicologist at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, agreed with Kilham, and said if you are bitten by a snake, you should immobilize the extremity.

Bania said you should never use over-the-counter venom extractors because you could end up harming yourself more than helping yourself – especially if the snake didn’t end up injecting any venom into your body.

Once you get to the hospital, Bania said doctors try to determine what kind of snake you were bitten by and what type of venom it was, as there are different antidotes to use.

“There are different antidotes based on what kind of snake it is, but there is a common antidote for common snake bites indigenous to the U.S.,” Bania said. “A lot of people import snakes to New York, and then they need specific antidotes.”

Bania said envenomation can occur within minutes if the venom gets into the vein, or longer – up to 12 to 24 hours, depending on what kind of snake bites you, and where it bites.

“Cobras can cause some local tissue swelling and paralysis rather quickly, but most cases don’t happen that quickly,” Bania said. “There is usually time to treat that person.”

The good news is that snakes are not typically aggressive animals, Kilham said, so if you don’t bother them, they likely won’t bother you. However, there is no real way to tell whether a snake is poisonous or not.

Since this was an adolescent snake, Kilham said this is the most dangerous. Adolescent snakes “always give it their all; they just give you a walloping bite.”

Snakes can survive in both hot and cold weather – Kilham said there are poisonous snakes living for years at the highest altitudes of the Himalayan Mountains, indicating that if the Egyptian cobra did escape the zoo, he could survive New York’s frigid temperatures.

“If you see a snake, stay away from it – don’t imagine you can handle it,” Kilham said. “Just assume you should not be playing with it.”

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/0...s-snake-bite/#

I am not really familiar with Cobras, but I thought the only species that could tolerate pretty cold temps were the colubrids? I don't know, I guess if the zoo officials said it then it must be true. lol

Search continues for Egyptian cobra missing from Bronx Zoo

(CNN) -- It may take days or even weeks to find a venomous Egyptian cobra that has gone missing from New York's Bronx Zoo, officials say.

But staffers hold out hope that the 20-inch, pencil-thin snake is hiding out somewhere in the zoo's reptile house and will surface when her "comfort level rises."

"Our best strategy is patience, allowing her time to come out of hiding," said zoo director Jim Breheny.

"We understand the interest in this story and that everyone wants us to find the missing snake. Right now, it's the snake's game," Breheny said in a statement posted on the zoo's website Monday.

The zoo learned the adolescent Egyptian cobra was missing from an off-exhibit enclosure Saturday. Staff members closed and secured the reptile house. Daily sweeps continue.

The zoo director said he is confident the snake will begin to move around the building to seek food and water once she feels completely secure.

The Bronx Zoo case is reminiscent of an incident at Zoo Atlanta last year when a tiger rattlesnake went missing.

Zoo officials believed the snake was hiding somewhere in the reptile house. But it was found two days later in the front porch of a neighborhood house where the homeowner had clubbed it to death -- unaware that it had escaped from the zoo.

The Egyptian cobra is most commonly found in North Africa. Its venom is so deadly that it can kill a full-grown elephant in three hours -- or a person in about 15 minutes, according to wildlife experts. The venom destroys nerve tissue and causes paralysis and death due to respiratory failure.

Scholars believe the Egyptian cobra was known in ancient times as the asp. Legend has it that Cleopatra, the ancient Egyptian queen, used an asp to commit suicide.

While zoo personnel continue their search, someone has set up a cheeky Twitter account to chronicle the snake's fictitious adventures as she apparently explores New York City.

In 11 hours since it was created Monday, the @BronxZoosCobra had collected more than 20,000 followers with tweets such as, "Leaving Wall Street. These guys make my skin crawl."

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/29/new...x.html?hpt=C2#

I don't know of any venomous snake living at that altitude, then again I've never heard of a "poisonous" snake... ever. They must know something we don't.

Originally Posted by Morelia4life

I am not really familiar with Cobras, but I thought the only species that could tolerate pretty cold temps were the colubrids? I don't know, I guess if the zoo officials said it then it must be true. lol

Except neither of those people worked for the Zoo.. one is a consultant for FOX news.. http://www.medicinehunter.com/

OK, I promise no more posts on the missing cobra. This is the last one.

Missing cobra sinks fangs into Twitter

(CNN) -- An escaped Egyptian cobra has slithered its way out of a New York City zoo and onto the internet, where the reptile is winning tens of thousands of fans.

After launching on Monday, the anonymous @BronxZoosCobra Twitter feed had amassed more than 75,000 followers by Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET.

The feed pretends to chronicle the escapades of the venomous, 20-inch snake that escaped from the Bronx Zoo on Monday. Officials say it may be days or weeks before the real snake is found, although they urge the public not to panic, saying the cobra is likely contained within a building in the zoo.

"We understand the interest in this story and that everyone wants us to find the missing snake. Right now, it's the snake's game," the zoo's director, Jim Breheny, said in a statement issued on the zoo's website.

"At this point, it's just like fishing; you put the hook in the water and wait. Our best strategy is patience, allowing her time to come out of hiding."

In the interim, the anonymous cobra Twitter feed has given the snake a hilarious shtick by toying a bit with the fears of skittish New Yorkers.

"It's getting pretty cold out. I think it's probably time to crash. Oh look, an apartment window someone left open just a crack. Perfect!" the snake wrote.

Well, "wrote" in a loose, slithery sense of the word. The snake acknowledges that, without fingers, typing could be difficult -- if she weren't so tech-savvy.

"A lot of people are asking how I can tweet with no access to a computer or fingers. Ever heard of an iPhone? Duh," another post says.

Here are a few of our other favorites.

"Leaving Wall Street. These guys make my skin crawl."

"Anyone know of a good vegan restaurant near Union Square?"

"On top of the Empire State Building! All the people look like little mice down there. Delicious little mice."

"Dear @CharlieSheen, know what's better than tiger's blood? Cobra venom. #winning #snakeonthetown Also I'm 20 inches long. Just sayin'.").

"Holding very still in the snake exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. This is gonna be hilarious!"

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/03/...x.html?hpt=C2#