King Cobra on the Loose In Cumberland County?
National Geographic Photograph by Mattias Klum
North Carolina Wildlife Officials are investigating the possible sighting of a King Cobra in Cedar Creek area after a man reported an encounter last week.
Vernon Byrd was on an all-terrain vehicle in a field off Johnson Road last Tuesday when he said an 8-foot-long snake reared up beside him – and the serpent’s head was about shoulder high to him.
“I caught something out of my eye, and this snake comes up beside me and looked at me,” Byrd said. “I’ve seen every kind of snake in this part of the country, but I’ve never seen a snake like this.”
He called Freddie Mims, a licensed wildlife rescue agent, who said the description of the snake sounded like a king cobra, the world’s largest poisonous snake.
If it turns out to true chances are pretty good that someone illegally let an unwanted snake go. A King Cobra can kill an elephant with one bite so needless to say it is very dangerous to a human.
Their venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, but the amount of neurotoxin they can deliver in a single bite—up to two-tenths of a fluid ounce (seven milliliters)—is enough to kill 20 people, or even an elephant. Fortunately, king cobras are shy and will avoid humans whenever possible, but they are fiercely aggressive when cornered.
Hopefully officials will capture this snake or get to the bottom of the story very quickly.
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It is very unlikely that this is actually a venomous snake let alone an exotic snake. You get one ignorant redneck with some inebriated tale and one ignorant “wildlife rescue agent” and you end up with this! You skip straight from any idea it is a local nonvenomous snake (many of which will show this behavior) to it being a cobra… wait not only a cobra but a king cobra? Most likely it is a Coachwhip or a Racer or a garden hose. The guy even described as coiling up like a spring in the video report. This is just STUPID!
Comment by Adrian — May 21, 2008 @ 7:48 am
adrian, this could infact be a king cobra, and by the way you are talkin it seems like your just jealous you didnt find one.
Comment by ;akfea;je — May 22, 2008 @ 4:33 pm
[...] the heels of the possible King Cobra sighting in Cumberland County reports are now coming out of Onslow County that NC Wildlife officials have been called in to [...]
Pingback by Moose Droppings » Animal Rights Group Maybe Responsible For Turning Deadly Cobras loose in Onslow County NC — May 22, 2008 @ 10:54 pm