Dangerous albino monocled cobra relinquish in California neighbourhood

There is a venomous snake loose in the Thousand Oaks community in California, and a frantic hunt is on to locate it before it bites again. According to the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, the albino monocled cobra bit a dog on Monday, and a three-man-team has been dispatched to find it. The past two days of searching have not turned up anything, but the animal control authorities think that the snake will come out to hunt after dark.

There is no information about the size of the snake at large, but monocled cobras can grow to be seven feet long. They possess venom so powerful that it could kill someone within an hour without the correct anti-venom. Jay Brewer, who owns the Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley, California, explained that these snakes are usually kept behind double-locked cages or in specially-outfitted rooms.

The dog was bitten in the 1300 block of Rancho Lane, and it appears that it will make a full recovery. Residents in this area are accustomed to problems with rattlesnakes but not cobras. News is being spread door-to-door. This snake is illegal to keep as a pet in California, but the owner of the “wanted” reptile is unknown at this time.

Although Thousand Oaks is in Ventura County, they contract the Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control for their services. An antivenin has already been secured in the event the rare snake bites again. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department has also been involved in the search for the missing snake.

According to Yahoo News, a spokesperson for animal control mentioned that although residents have been warned to watch their pets and children, they have not been asked to leave their homes. It sounds like that might be a possibility at some point, however. Stories such as this one illustrate just why dangerous exotics such as this cobra are restricted animals.