Two years ago a deadly and terrifying Zebra Cobra got loose in Raleigh
Two years ago, an African zebra cobra on the loose put a northwest Raleigh, North Carolina neighborhood on edge. The deadly and venomous snake prompted days of panic.
Posted — UpdatedDid they find the zebra cobra in Raleigh?
The deadly snake's appearance on a porch prompted days of panic. Reporters staked out the neighborhood until the cobra was finally caught.
It turned out the snake had been missing for months, but the attention garnered by media coverage brought on a new urgency, especially when spooked neighbors in a community off Leesville Road learned the snake was among them. The matter was so urgent, Raleigh police issued a warning at 1:30 a.m. on June 29, 2021.
The cobra is not native to North Carolina. This species, from Africa, is known to spit harmful venom from several feet away, making routine outdoor activities like morning jogs and dog walks a little more unnerving.
African zebra cobra snake spotting prompted media frenzy
On WRAL.com, the story evolved over about 36 hours from when the snake was first spotted to when it was captured, driving millions of views.
On June 30, WRAL News cameras captured a striped snake crawling out of the siding of a house on Sandringham Drive, onto the front porch of a home. Its hood was visible as it lifted its head to look around.
The cobra was seen on the porch of the same house where it was first spotted earlier in the week – the home of the man who called 911 to report the snake.
Thousands in fines for owner of Raleigh zebra cobra
Gifford apologized for the first time after he was hit with more than 40 misdemeanor charges.
Zebra cobra snake search leads to new limits on exotic animal ownership
As a result of the community-wide panic, the city of Raleigh instituted a new dangerous animal ordinance aimed at stopping ownership of animals like Gifford's.
The attention around the venomous snake put a spotlight on animal laws in the state and facilitated discussion on acceptable accommodations for exotic pets.
The Raleigh City Council spent months discussing exotic animal laws. North Carolina is one of the few states that has no ban on exotic animals.
The council eventually passed the Dangerous Wild Animal Ordinance. The ordinance bans residents of the city from owning lions, tigers, wolves, monkeys, hybrids or crossbreeds, and medically significant venomous snakes like the zebra cobra.
The ban took effect on Sept. 3, 2022.
- 'Unfathomably irresponsible': Reptile experts slam TikTok-famous Raleigh snake owner
- Deadly venomous zebra cobra loose in Raleigh neighborhood
- Relief: Venomous zebra cobra captured in north Raleigh neighborhood
- Glue trap seals days-long search for venomous zebra cobra in north Raleigh
- Zebra cobra's owner faces charges following deadly snake's months-long escape
- Owner of zebra cobra pleads guilty to not reporting its escape, turns over $35,000 worth of snakes
- 'This is an apology': Raleigh zebra cobra owner admits his mistake, tells his side of the story
- Raleigh zebra cobra owner nearly lost his life to green mamba bite months after losing his cobra
- Lawmakers draft bill to crack down on venomous reptile ownership after 75 snakes seized from Raleigh home
- Raleigh council considers ban, registration requirement for wild animals kept as pets
- Owning monkeys, snakes, squirrels and other wild animals could be prohibited under proposed Raleigh ordinance
- Raleigh leaders move forward with plan to ban wild animals as pets
- #RaleighCobra: T-shirts, memes and Twitter accounts inspired by roaming venomous snake
- Call 911 immediately if you ever spot an exotic venomous snake
Related Topics
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.