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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Peter Alexander reports that New York City's Bronx Zoo is searching for a potentially deadly cobra that's been missing since Friday. Zoo officials say it could take days or even weeks to track it down.
Alyssa Borek / Bronx Zoo
An Egyptian cobra, similar to the venomous snake who went missing from New York’s Bronx Zoo.
A venomous snake who went missing from New York’s Bronx Zoo may be eluding zookeepers, but thousands of fans have found her on Twitter.
The 20-inch Egyptian cobra hasn’t been seen since Friday afternoon, and is believed to be hiding somewhere in her zoo enclosure. However instead of searching crevices of the Reptile House for the pencil-thin snake, zoo workers might have better luck looking online.
“Holding very still in the snake exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. This is gonna be hilarious!” tweeted a spoof account called @BronxZoosCobra on Monday night. “Anyone know of a good vegan restaurant near Union Square?” she tweeted a couple of hours later.
While @BronxZoosCobra’s 30,000-and-growing fans enjoy her musings, ophidiophobics – those with a fear of snakes – may find the tweets funnier once she’s found.
The Egyptian cobra’s bite can kill quickly if not treated, and is considered by many to be the serpent Cleopatra used to commit suicide, according to a fact sheet on the San Diego Zoo’s website. Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny didn’t believe his zoo’s months-old snake was out to get anyone, though.
“We remain confident that the snake is contained within the Reptile House,” Breheny said in a statement on Monday. “Our best strategy is patience, allowing her time to come out of hiding.”
Finding her could take days or weeks, he said. The Reptile House has been closed indefinitely.
In the meantime, @BronxZoosCobra has tweeted about trips to the Financial District (“Leaving Wall Street. These guys make my skin crawl”), celebrity sightings (“Rockefeller Plaza is amaz… wait... OMG! Tina Fey totally just walked by me!”), and transportation woes (“What does it take to get a cab in this city?! It’s cause I’m not white isn’t it.”).
Cobras seek out confined spaces, and this one likely won’t leave her hiding place until she gets hungry or thirsty enough, Breheny told the Associated Press on Sunday. The reptiles aren’t likely to attack people unless they feel threatened.
The snake’s biggest concern at this point should be the weather, Animal Planet reptile expert Jeff Corwin told The New York Post on Monday. If exposed to the cold, she would likely die within several days.
At least the Twitter account is alive and well. @BronxZoosCobra has been replying to inquiries from her fans, which include everything from invitations to fancy department stores to thoughts on the revolution in the Middle East (“Obviously I’m a big fan of freedom!” was her reply).
Neither @BronxZoosCobra nor the actual Bronx Zoo cobra responded to a request for comment from msnbc.com.
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It is hard to believe that the experts can't find her within the enclosure, but the twitter version is very funny anyway.
I hope it enjoys its freedom before they put it in a small glass box to spend the rest of its life because the tweets are HYSSSSSSTERICAL.
I am LOVING this! How refreshing to find FUN on this board. It would be a great marketing tool for the zoo to continue with the tweets after this charmer is located. Maybe the other animals could use a twitter account?????
I hope this Cobra had visa to come to America and it was her decision to come !
is she pregnant. hope not Catch her before she gets too far, we do not need any more snakes in Tennessee... lol
I'm on a plane from Germany right now to find this Cobra. Finding this Cobra is only a job for a cross-eyed possum. twitter@heidithepossum
I have caught & handled Egyptian Cobras in the past. They are not really a scarry snake and probably would not bite if caught & handled gently - though I would not recomend that. Most people do not know basic information on snakes & snake bites. In 50% of ALL snake bites (by poisonous snakes) they do NOT inject any venom. Their venom is their food gathering/digestion aid and not to be wasted. They bite to say - leave me alone!! In 25% of bites there is a small amount of venom, but not enough to get into a person's system and only causes swelling, pain, etc. at the site of the bite. So less than 5% of bites are potentially fatal (that is more of a danger to children & elderly) without treatment. At such a small size, the snake will be very difficult to find - good luck guys. We had one quite a bit larger that escaped and was found under the freezer enjoying the heat from the motor. etc..
@ Inde This animal is only about the thickness of a pencil and dark. Finding her will be hard. Fortunately, since she is a juvenile her metabolic needs will be greater and she should be getting hungry soon. I just hope she didn't get out of the building as it would be a death sentence for her.
@ Bwana, Are Egyptian cobras similar to the cobras found in India? The Indian species does not always inject poison when giving a warning/defense bite. I have some experience with snakes but none with the Egyptian Cobras. Thanks.
problem with this one it seems thar it is a "baby" & babies have no control of the release
of their venom if they inject it may release all of its venom which may be fatal
Depending on the type of heating system used she would probably be found near a baseboard(possably underneath it).
This is not a good thing for the Bronx Zoo. In these tight budgetary times, zoos are incredibly expensive to maintain. They operate on a shoestring as it is, often to the point that animals are poorly kept. Just feeding a lion or an elephant is much more expensive that you might think. Virtually every zoo on the country is under threat of budget slashing. I would expect to see as many as half of our zoos close within the next ten years.
Then plans should begin now to make provisions for the animals.
I agree with what you're saying, but this twitter account and the publicity could actually be a good thing and get people back into the zoos.
True.
FGH make provision for or of the animals. Mountain lion tastes pretty good.
Have you actually done any research on this little misleading tidbit you are sharing? If you did you would find that in the down economy, zoo's are suffering the same budget cuts that everyone else is with lower tax revenue - but attendance is record breaking. Not only are 50% of the zoo's not closing in the next 10 years, they are expanding and continuing to conduct important conservation work world wide.
The only good snake is a dead snake.
I'm sure it says the same thing about you - the only good human is a dead human. :)
Poor snakes...and this is what they get for helping humans out of their ignorance. I bet they whished they had never seen a damn apple tree.LOL.
With attitudes like that, no wonder our ecosystems are screwed up...
Nikki ,
I know where you live!!!
BZC
idiot!
I'd like to volunteer my boss to flush the critter out. You know one snake in the grass to another!
Stepped on a sahara pit viper in Kuwait (accidental, he was buried in the sand), didn't even bite me. You should get over your hatred and fears, they really are amazing creatures.
OIF - is that why you are a disabled vet? Only kidding of course. THANK YOU for serving our country and being in a position to accidentally step on a pit viper!
Nikki I dont know how many times I have heard that dumb quote about snakes...usually coming from an uneducated or ignorant individual....which one are you?....
Not true Nilkki. Snakes are important predators. Without them we would be overrun with vermin which I trust you, in your infinite wisdom and knowlegde of the animal kingdom find preferable...Snakes are NOT my favorite animal but they have just as much a right to live as we do...
Thank You Chas for your service...Maybe the snake knew you were a good guy...I accidently stepped on a honeybee and thought that was an emergency....silly me....
Maybe the snake won the mega millions and is living back home in a nice warm pyramid. Hope they find him before this weekends nor'easter.
Love the tweets, very funny; hopefully the cobra is found soon.
I checked out all of the tweets and they are just hilarious!! Whoever is tweeting is just too funny!!
I hope they find her soon too...For her good and the Zoo...Bronx Zoo a great place...Good Luck and be safe...
I would be so paranoid if I worked there. "Alright snakey snakey... where are you???"
Jaime M
No no it is hear Snakey Snakey come hear little cobra I have a little mouse treat for you
Haha true that! I would still be very paranoid though :)
In this day and age you would think that a computer chip with a sensor could have been attached or inserted somewhere on the snake which would have made it easier to locate. This technology should be used on all animals that potentially could escape their enclosures.
There's a cheaper low-tech method. Just tie a little bell around each snake's neck ... if you can find their necks ... and if you can find a zoo helper who is fast enough to attach the bells.
 Perhaps they should loose a mongoose or two. Snakes are capable of some of the most incredible acrobatic feats imaginable... they can climb like a monkey! Who's to say she isn't in queens somewhere by now? Or curled up in a subway.LOL.
But then, how do you get rid of the mongooses??? Escalation is never the solution! :-)
Well, you bait the mongooses up with another snake.LOL. Of course if that didn't work likely they'd be pitchin shoes at screaching mongoose's instead of alley cats all night long. LOL.
Is it mongooses or mongeese? I'm so confused :(
goose's, geese's no matter how you say it its funny...I don't know,i guess mongoose in plural might be geese. Whats that? Oh thats just a gaggle of mongeese.LOL.
Mongi?
Mongoosen
Contrari-Tom
But then, how do you get rid of the mongooses???
============
.........Lions!..........hungry lions!!!
It's Mongooses and not a good idea...
Now Lions, thats an idea....
Meg,
I was just joking about the mongoose i've seen first hand what they can do in uncontrolled and non native enviroments...saw it on molokai as rat control and St Lucia where they loosed them to reduce the fer de lance(native and highly poisonous vipers) Yet as Kipling so aptly described they are effective.
I love it, this is the only place where you cant find name callings like "Libturds or RepsDB's". What a relaxation from all of that anger around. I love you peacemaker cobra.
P.S Did they call Samuel L. Jackson yet, for help?
Wouldn't speak too soon Emma. Its early in the game yet. I'm sure someone can find a way to make the great serpant escape of 2011 Obamas fault or find hope that it will slither off to Texas and fang Bush in the shins.Which would be due to a vast democratic conspiracy of course. LOL.
I was enjoying all of these clever comments until I got to yours. It's a stretch trying to insert politics into this conversation!!! Why do it? :(
That snake is hiding in the storage closet did they check that yet I mean come on they checked the drinking fountion for peats sake it's like WTF the snake is gone O lets look for him at the drinking fountian
reply to this on your life because i can find where u live easly enjoy
I don't know about Mr. Jackson. But it was reported on the Today Show this morning that Steve Martin is sitting by the phone, with his King Tut hat on, awaiting a call for his assistance..... Seriously......I watched it!
Maybe they thought fangs was parched from running away,Or had found that the shin bones of New yorkers were bitter and wanted to wash its mouth out,or....had experience cotton candy for the first time.
i hope they catch it very soon before that thing head to the street
I think the tweets are wonderful! Hope the precious snake has a good visit in the city, and gets back to the zoo for feeding time.
Or stop by the Golden Arches for some McMouseNuggets.
......... her ? aint that just like a woman .......
How did they know it was a "She"? It showed up in Bloomingdale's.
The same way you tell with everything else - you pick it up and if there isn't anything hanging underneath, it's female!
........ er i meant wosnake ........ sorry
Great article. Maybe E.C. (Egyptian Cobra) is headed back to Egypt to be Prime Minister or Pharoah or something. Duty calls. The Bronx Zoo can always find another nasty snake. For instance, Congress is full of them.
No, EC cannot. Only rats hold elected office, the snakes are in the senate
one word one solution ....MONGOOSE
One thing's for certain, with taxes as high as they are in NYC, it's no wonder the snake is trying to escape......probably headed for Florida.
Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
Hey! An Indiana Jones quote! Very cool!
Hey! An Indiana Jones quote! Very cool.
Why couldn't it be Charlie Sheen that was missing?
Charlie's more the lizard type...
Varanus komodoensis demands a retraction. He says that he might be a 10 foot long predator with a poisonous bite and a taste for carrion, but he absolutely won't tolerate being compared to Charlie Sheen.
I was reading the comments hoping for an Indiana Jones quip before I hit a Snakes on a Plane reference. I love you XD
If she is tweeting, why don't they just call her and find her by ring tone?
Yeh, listen for that "Snake Charmer Song" ringtone.
Or..."Walk Like an Egyptian"....
Bring on Harry Potter. He speaks Parseltongue and can call her out of hiding!
Potter Fan--I'm surprised she's not following Lord_Volemordt7. I'm sure they have a lot to talk about.
Y'all are very clever.
Probably has the phone on viperate!
I don't think Harry Potter is in any shape to go looking for the snake due to the fact that he is currently locked in his cupboard for getting my son Dudley stuck in a snake enclosure - Vernon Dursley
Not so hard to believe - I would often "lose" my 9' long Burm Python in my one-bedroom apartment. Snakes can curl up in Very Small Places when they feel like it.
That sounds so dirty.
The solution is too simple. Re-open the Snakehouse and offer a large cash prize to the first person to find it. Should only take 15 minutes. And they probably wouldn't even have to pay the money unless the finder brought anti-venom with him.
Let's just hope she wasn't stolen. The Zoo could be downplaying this.
People! This is exactly what happens when you don't monitor internet use by your impressionable young Cobras!!
When will people learn?
They are quick little buggers also. A friend of ours bred snakes for various reasons (crazy was my guess). He was cleaning a cage of a rhino viper and had set it on the floor to empty the tank. Turned his back for a second and it was gone when he turned back around. We walked in when he was shaking various things to get it to "huff" so he could find it. We turned around and walked very carefully back out again.
I so want to know the rest of that story...
Viewing from 4-7 tomorrow, buriel the following day at 10:00!!!
Remember in the Bible, the snake (serpent) used to walk upright but because of sin (eating of the apple in the Garden of Eden), God relegated the snake to crawling on his belly. WOW. Watch out and look down. I'm staying out of the Bronx until that serpent is caught and, hopefully, given his just desserts (they are a delicacy in some places).
Why are zoo keepers such morons? Just call in Rikki Tikki Tavi. Problem solved.
Wow, one day outta the pen and it's already using the race card, heheh...
i think this is purely incompetence on the part of zoo keepers. snakes do not escape from a locked enclosure. hear in san diego many snakes and iguanas have been found outside of zoo left by people who don't want them anymore. this could be the work of an animal hoarder--check with animal planet--snake may turn up on the next episode.
Alligators in the sewers...cobras in the "hood".
The crocodile hunter could track a snake in the middle of Africa in one day, and it's going to take these guys weeks to find it in a zoo enclosure.
Must be a Union job!! ;)