The reptile, which was given the name Sir Väs (Sir Hiss or Count Swish, after the snake from the Disney movie ‘Robin Hood’), stayed at the zoo for only a few days.
On Saturday, the snake managed to escape through one of the lamps in the cage. A visitor was able to capture the animal’s head between the light bulb and the lamp holder after it was able to crawl up from one of the branches in the terrarium.
The reptile department was subsequently cleared and will remain closed until the cobra is captured. According to the zoo, the snake is currently somewhere in the ceiling and won’t come out because of the cold. The staff will now sprinkle flour and put up sticky traps to track the animal down. Special cameras were also used.
The reptile has since been given the name ‘Houdini’, as a reference to the famous magician and escape king. The zoo has been home to king cobras for nearly 15 years, but recently the staff replaced the lights above the terrarium with low-energy bulbs.
“The old lamps were too hot, which kept the snakes away,” said Jonas Wahslström, director of the zoo. “Now it is no longer warm at all and the new king cobra has noticed that.”
The king cobra is native to south and southeast Asia and is the longest venomous snake in the world. Although its main prey is other snakes, an untreated bite can be fatal to humans. According to Wahsltröm, the species is naturally calm and unlikely to attack.
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