One glue trap ends days of searching for venomous zebra cobras in north Raleigh.
Following many hours of consultation and preparation by Animal Control officers, in the end a glue trap captured a venomous zebra cobra on a north Raleigh porch, a 48-hour incident that generated nationwide interest.
We guided the cobra into a red bucket and took it to a safe location so that we could fully remove the glue from its body.
The WRAL cameras captured the striped snake crawling out of the siding of a Sandringham Drive house, onto the front porch. While raising its head to take a look around, its hood was visible.
When officers confirmed it was the snake, they walked back from the camera crew before moving in to try and capture it.
911 call from that same house sparked the search at the beginning of Tuesday.
WEEKLY NEWS
An investigation of a venomous zebra cobra in north Raleigh is concluded with the discovery of a glue trap
Snakes venomous, Raleigh Cobra
I posted this at 7:21 a.m. EDT on July 1, 2021.
The following was updated on July 13 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time
Kasey Cunningham, Joe Fisher & Matt Talhelm, WRAL Reporters; Heather Leah & Maggie Brown, multiplatform producers
North Carolina, Raleigh Following hours of consultation and preparation by Raleigh police and animal control officers, a glue trap captured a venomous zebra cobra on a north Raleigh porch on Wednesday, highlighting the nearly 48-hour ordeal across North Carolina.
The cobra was guided into a red bucket and taken to a safe location so the glue could be completely removed.
An earlier video interview had captured a striped snake crawling onto a porch on Sandringham Drive from the siding of a house. When it lifted its head to look around, the top of its hood was visible.
When Animal Control officers confirmed the snake was the one they moved camera crews back before they attempted to catch it.
Early Tuesday, early Tuesday morning, a 911 call from inside the same house sparked the search.
House of Swank's North Raleigh Spitting Cobra T-shirt #3RaleighCobra: t-shirts, memes and twitter accounts inspired by roaming venomous snake
Joan Nelson said she was relieved the ordeal was over.
She said she felt safe and really happy. Now that I can go outside, I can walk on my deck and go outside. However, I feel bad for the snake.
Trying to find a zebra cobra laying on a porch in a north Raleigh neighborhood where one is missing.
A zebra cobra, which can spit up to nine feet, is faster than most snakes, so even a morning stroll with the dog becomes a fearsome event. The African Snakebite Institute reports that this snake is very dangerous. A victim's nervous system could be shut down by the venom.
One would feel immediate pain, swelling, irritation, vomiting and diarrhea if stung by a cobra's poison. Afterward, a fever and breathing problems would result, possibly resulting in respiratory failure.
Dr. Salina Locke, a veterinarian with Avian and Exotic Animal Care, treats an array of animals.
There is no evidence that this species of cobra bites. The venom is more likely to spray because they are very accurate and go straight for the eye, she said.
A pet of this snake is not recommended because of the risks, according to Locke.
Most bites occur when a person is sleeping. The effects of being bitten may last for years, according to research.
There was a police search of 6917 Chamonix Place Tuesday afternoon, near the street where the last sighting of the cobra was reported.
Four officers were dispatched to that home for an animal issue in March. Approximately half a mile away, they spotted the zebra cobra on a porch, prompting them to return on Monday and Tuesday.
There are records in the county indicating Keith and Rebecca Gifford live at that address. On a Facebook page associated with Keith Gifford's name, he posts photos of snakes owned by his son, Christopher.
Christopher Gifford has over 460000 followers on TikTok. In one of his posts, he claims to have a 7-foot-long zebra cobra.