A Bronx Zoo staff member noticed that an adolescent Egyptian cobra was missing Saturday afternoon. The snake is 20-inches long and can kill a person within 15 minutes. Zoo officials are confident that the snake is within the confines of the Reptile House, for this type of snake is not prone to seek out wide-open spaces such as the outdoors.
“We are confident that the snake is secure within the Reptile House. To understand the situation, you have to understand snakes,” writes James Breheny. “Upon leaving its enclosure, the snake went to a place where it is hidden and feels 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.”
Breheny is the Senior Vice President of Wildlife Conservation Society and Director of the Bronx Zoo.
The snake escaped from an off-exhibit enclosure in the Reptile House. The Reptile House closed yesterday afternoon and will remain closed until further notice, stated Mary Dixon, a spokesperson for the Bronx Zoo.