Escaped hots in TX

Yet more bad press thanks to some moron......


Deadly Snake Still At Large
POSTED: 1:03 PM CDT April 19, 2004


DALLAS -- Residents and neighbors Tuesday reported another cobra sighting at the Fleetwood Oaks Apartments. Despite the sighting, a professional snake trapper has yet to catch the elusive reptile.

The snake catcher has brought in reinforcements, according to an NBC5 report. Heating and air duct technicians have sealed potential escape routes that could be used by the cobra. Additional traps are to be set Wednesday.

Animal control officials last week captured one Suphan cobra on the property at the 5200 block of Fleetwood Oaks Ave. in northwest Dallas. The officers said another is still living there.

The snakes are among the most toxic, most aggressive snakes in the world, according to experts.

"In a place we're not used to seeing them in, there's a possibility they could envenomate someone if they come across them," Mike Watson, of the Dallas Zoo, said.

The threat of a potentially fatal bite has kept neighbors on edge, especially those who have seen the reptiles.

"And then it just stood up ... and I said, 'My God, that's a cobra,' " resident Michael Jeffers said.

"It raised its head up and its head was real wide, like the width of my four fingers," resident Dan Shilling said.

Despite the capture of one of the deadly snakes, neighbors remain terrified.

People have reported seeing the cobras sunning themselves on top of bushes and slithering from under their building.

No one knows how the snake, native to Thailand, wound up living on the property, but experts have sound theories.

"Chances are, someone brought it over for a pet, and it obviously escaped their control," Watson said.

Until all the cobras are captured, animal control officers are warning residents to avoid contact with the reptiles, and to call officials if they see one.

The snake that was captured is now in quarantine at the Dallas Zoo.

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/3019483/detail.html

Man, talk about bad publicity for the herp community. I live in Dallas and this has been all over the news and radio. It gets headline coverage daily. This is one of the worst things that can happen as far as mending fences with the reptile keepers and the unknowing community. As I type this, I just heard them talking about it on the radio. This thing will not go away. They are saying they think that one of them has gone and laid eggs. Did you see the "snakeman" as they are calling him, get bit on TV from the boa he was holding. By the way, why did he have the boa with him while he was trying to catch the Cobras? I didn't understand that part. Maybe I missed something. Also, I would like opinions on his method for trapping the second one that is still loose. He said he is going to take a rodent, put it in a cage, and surround the cage with sticky pads. As he described, "when the snake comes in to feed, it will get stuck to the pad. The more he tries to get loose, the more he will get himself stuck." Any opinions on this method? They are sending the snakes to the local zoo. Someone is going to get the wonderful job of removing the snake from the sticky pad and cleaning them thoroughly. Sad thing is, hots are not normally kept by the novice herper. The "lost" owner is possibly a member on here. So far, noone has come forth to claim the animals, DUH!


****Oh what a deadly web we weave, when we first become a freakin Moron.****

Jason Smith

If that's so, then someone should realize that snakes are not aggressive. If they were, there would be dozens of bites by now.
I guess the reporters just have to sensationalize it.