# 8-foot king cobra - is FOUND



## Johnny (Sep 3, 2015)

oh CRAP batman !! now what ??
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/authorities-search-for-escaped-king-cobra-orlando-area/35072154
This area is not far from my home, maybe 10 miles or so.
Seeing the documentaries on TV about these deadly critters
in their natural habitat, they roam 20 miles just to have something to do.
The snake escaped from an exotic animal rescue center near Orlando.
Some people are so afraid of snakes, they have packed up and LEFT TOWN
until they see the snake either killed or captured. (preferably the former).


Plus - all the rain we have had lately, the snakes and other wildlife are finding
safe havens on higher grounds - which means populated areas !!!

On his YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9-GJIk_1Hk
look at the woods in the background . . . . 
that kind of environment goes on for hundreds of acres ......
That snake is gone gone gone..... only to be discovered some day in someones
garage eating the family cat.

and yes, this appears to be the same Mike Kennedy of the TV show, Airplane Repo !!!!

Welcome to Florida - Land of Entertainment









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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Sep 3, 2015)

Their searching a town near me for a cotton mouth that has been spotted a couple of times.


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## lovedr79 (Sep 3, 2015)

I like Mike Kennedy on the repo show, but i am sorry if said King Cobra showed up in my yard i would have a trophy!


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## lovedr79 (Sep 3, 2015)

heck cottonmouths are very common where i grew up.


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## Johnny (Sep 3, 2015)

Some of the results are starting to emerge on the noon news today.
Apparently, this snake went missing a few days ago !!!
and Mike is just now getting the cops involved after he couldn't find it.

He could face some VERY stiff fines and possibly put his "sanctuary" on probation.
Mike said that King Cobras really don't like to be around people.
But, Florida is experiencing a tremendous growth explosion and the critters are
being forced into the populated areas . . . just have to wait this one out.
Two schools are close by and they are on "outside lockdown".
LOL hope he can keep his TV job.


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## AllOutdoors (Sep 3, 2015)

As far as the video. Dang! Talk about being force fed. Seems to me it would have been much easier and safer to just have dropped the mice into the can and let it feed on its own. Maybe I'm over thinking it. It's a shame it got loose.


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## Johnny (Sep 3, 2015)

Outdoors, 
They are not force fed for all their meals. Normally, a live animal is put into
the cage and the snake (or other critter) eats it when it wants.
That is the way reptiles and other animals get a good dose
of medicine and other vitamins that they need while in captivity to be healthy.

and the snake does not live in a plastic trash can. It is only put in there for
easy handling. Once it is milked or fed the juiced up rat, it is put back into its 
(supposedly) secure cage and padlocked.

I am only a couple of miles from the famous Ross Allen's Reptile Institute and 
used to visit there often. That is how I know this stuff. LOL not from personal experience.


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## KMixson (Sep 3, 2015)

Wait until it cross breeds with the pythons down there. Then you will have a movie made about it. :lol:


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## lswoody (Sep 4, 2015)

Oh sheesh!!!!


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## overboard (Sep 4, 2015)

KMixson said:


> Wait until it cross breeds with the pythons down there. Then you will have a movie made about it. :lol:



:lol: 
Just hope it's not a pregnant female that eludes capture, that could be bad!


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## Johnny (Sep 4, 2015)

and - 10 years ago, a *13 foot* King Cobra escaped and found its way
into a neighbors garage. The homeowner killed it with a shotgun.
These snakes are nocturnal (like to roam at night) . . . . 
VERY tense situation to say the least. One bite can kill an elephant.
I was out yesterday cutting my grass and weeds down CLOSE and will
continue today to make as much noise as possible around the house. LOL LOL
Even though it is 10 miles away from me, It may be only about 4 miles
through the woods "as the snake crawls" so the saying goes.
or, is that as the crow flies ? lol

https://www.wftv.com/videos/news/raw-wftv-talks-to-man-who-encountered-cobra/vDZdNj/

Cobra + beer + stick = not a good thing


Mike needs to book more shows for his Airplane Repo !!!


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## Ictalurus (Sep 4, 2015)

Isn't Florida home to several species of venomous snakes? 

You're more likely to be bit by what's already there in greater numbers, which might just happen as people are looking for the cobra :LOL2:


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## Johnny (Sep 4, 2015)

that is quite true..... The Southern States has the diamondback rattle snake, 
coral snake, pygmy and ground rattler, cotton mouth, and a few others.
But, being a Native Floridian, I have become used to being in their world.
When I was 30 years old, drunk and stupid, I got bit on the hand by a pygmy
rattler and spent 4 days in the ICU - with the possibility of loosing my hand.
In over 60 years of approaching most of them at one time or another,
NONE of them can raise their spreaded hood, that is as big as a grapefruit,
higher than I am tall . . . and spit in your eye from 10 feet away.
I would find it quite unnerving to come across something so menacing as a
friggin COBRA that is lightening fast on the ground. . . . . 
If a cobra can slither at 2mph for extended times, he could be in my front yard
in 2 or 3 hours if he didn't stop and take a break. LOL provided he made it across
the roads it would have to cross. . . . . but, still - - -
There are many non-native critters in Florida that belong somewhere else.
and now, it looks like we may have added one more ....................
and yes, the searchers are also very afraid of being bitten by something else
than the cobra. In our woods, we also have several varieties of hornets, wasps
and bees that can do a number on you in addition to the spiders and snakes.
And apparently, this thing has been missing for a WEEK already !!!
it could be anywhere by now.

It is all over the Central Florida news today !!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Ictalurus (Sep 4, 2015)

Ha, local news must really be playing it up.

Pretty sure king cobras don't spit though.


Reminds me of the south park with the crocodile hunter. :LOL2: :LOL2:


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## Johnny (Sep 4, 2015)

from the internet:
"Although some cobra species can spit venom, king cobras 
are not among them. However, they're still highly venomous. 
Measuring between 10 and 15 feet long, king cobras are the 
largest venomous snakes in the world. 
They live in parts of India, China and Southeast Asia". and now, Florida LOL

ok, knowing they don't spit, I will put away my full face shield (for now). LOL LOL


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## GTS225 (Sep 5, 2015)

I seem to recall reading somewhere that they also don't "strike" like the other venomous snakes. Thier fangs are constantly dripping venom, so a strike doesn't really active a venom gland to pump venom into the bite. What I read is that they have to (sort of) chew when they strike, in order to get a good dose of venom into the "victim". May have been a load of B.S., but I really don't know.

Roger


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## Johnny (Sep 5, 2015)

Funny how we learn the most about some of the critters we only see on TV is
after something happens in your back yard. I know quite a bit about the snakes
in the Southeastern US because at one time or another, we do cross paths.
But, the non-native species such as the Python, Monitor Lizard, Iguana, Killer Bees,
and the like, I know absolutely nothing about. But, I am learning because they
are creeping ever more closely to *my* Homestead !!!!


I think you are thinking of the Coral snake that sort of "chews" its venom into its victim. 
The one with multi-colored bands.

Excerpts from LiveScience.com:
Coral snakes have the second-strongest venom of any snake (the black mamba has the most deadly venom)
"New World coral snakes are considered some of the most toxic snakes in 
North America because their venom contains powerful neurotoxins,"
unlike most other venomous snakes, the coral snake cannot contract its fangs into its mouth. 
Instead, they are constantly out and erect. Their fangs are small and relatively weak.
* “One of the most distinctive behavioral characteristics of coral snakes is how they deliver their venom. 
Since their fangs are short and fixed, they deliver their venom through chewing motions.”*

The *king cobra* delivers enough neurotoxins to kill an Asian elephant, as well as about 50 percent 
of the humans that it bites. Reaching 18 feet in length, the king cobra is also the world's longest venomous snake.
The amount of neurotoxin they can deliver in a single bite, with fangs up to 2" long, can be up to 2 tenths
of a fluid ounce and is enough to kill 20 people. Fortunately, king cobras are shy and 
will avoid humans whenever possible, but *they are fiercely aggressive when cornered*.



The saga continues - - - - 







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## KMixson (Sep 5, 2015)

Is it time to Call Samuel L. Jackson yet? :lol:


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## Johnny (Sep 5, 2015)

:LMFAO: Snakes on a Plane :LMFAO:


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## satx78247 (Sep 6, 2015)

To All,

What "blows my mind" is that the FL wildlife folks haven't declared that ANYONE can hunt/kill/eat the various reptiles that are everywhere down there now, as NUMEROUS ethnic groups in Asia routinely make snakes of several sorts a part of their daily diet there. ======> The MEO culture, for just one group, eats COBRAS & other venomous snakes & consider them to be a delicacy. 
When this "tactic" was suggested by a former SF NCO (who had several years service in RVN & is married to a Meo lady), who is now a FL trooper, the "wildlife experts" listened to the "PETA types"/professional exterminators (who expected to make a windfall for capturing & relocating snakes) & made sure that exotic snake/lizard hunting was NOT opened 12 months a year.
(Listening to people, who know little or nothing about the subject and/or have an ulterior motive OR "who have a huge profit motive", is NOT often a sound plan.)

Note: When Northern VA, DC & suburban MD was "being over-run" with feral pigeons, the "Asian outreach" LE officers "quietly put out the word" that killing pigeons 365 days a year was a lawful means for getting food, the Vietnamese, Laos, Cambodians & other folks started hunting pigeons with crossbows & spears. - Problem SOLVED.

yours, satx


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## lovedr79 (Sep 7, 2015)

they also do goose hunting with archery and pellet guns at golf courses in northern va too.


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## Johnny (Sep 7, 2015)

Satx - you are so right . . . 
Many states are being over run by non-native critters.
Take Louisiana for example. That big rat called the Nutria.
It is decimating their natural wetlands at an alarming rate.
Open season is on them, with a bounty per tail.
And, the restaurants are trying to incorporate it into their menus.

The infamous LionFish is doing the same on our natural reefs.

and the list goes on and on and on. Each state has their own demons.

If the local governments don't get these non-natives in check pretty soon,
our kids and grandkids will be the ones tasked with the resolutions that
may not have an end . . . .
I don't fish or hunt in the Florida Everglades anymore.
But, that does not mean that I am not concerned about a natural ecosystem
being turned upside down with the pythons. Yes, it does bother me a great deal !!!!
I am sure each state has its own rants . . . and rightfully so. 

I guess the rhetoric in Central Florida about the cobra is not really about the danger,
but, about one more dangerous critter being released into an already sensitive
environment by an irresponsible exotic pet owner.
The governor has tasked a committee to view all FL laws about exotic pets and come
up with a resolution to keep this sort of thing from happening again.
AFTER the horse has already escaped from the barn.
ok, my rant is over LOL


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## overboard (Sep 7, 2015)

AH, the old saying- "after the horse has escaped from the barn"!
Happening too many times.


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## KMixson (Sep 7, 2015)

I heard that some research scientist were going to to turn loose some pythons in the Savannah River Basin to see if they can breed or live this far north. If not no big deal. But what if they thrive in that habitat? Then what? They will then be wondering how the snakes managed to invade this far north. They will never look into the mirror to spot their problem.


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## Johnny (Sep 7, 2015)

*w h y ??????*

all they gotta do is build some outside ENCLOSURES to keep the 
snakes confined through a couple of winters to see if they survive.
Of course, in the summertime they will proliferate.
I have been to Charleston several times over the years and the winters
there are sometimes not all that bad . . . . sometimes downright brutal.
Charles Darwin wrote a pretty good book about adaptation in 1859.
Maybe the government officials should read it sometime.

On the realistic side, I don't recall any _wild_ pythons being found North of Orlando.
I guess the main reason would be the 10,000 roads and interstates it would have
to cross to get past Mickyville.
But, the St. Johns River starts its headwaters way South of Orlando and flows
North all the way to Jacksonville. And, the pythons are excellent swimmers . . . . 
Anyone that is interested should do some research on the old interweb.......
One fertile adult female python can produce 50-75 eggs per year. 
The University of Florida has a 21 foot python from the Everglades that had 102 eggs in its belly.

- - - do the math - - -







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## satx78247 (Sep 8, 2015)

lovedr79,

You know, I had forgotten about that. = GOOD catch.

The MD PWD also (VERY quietly) allowed some archers to take swans.
(SHHHHHHH! - That's a "deep dark secret" - Wouldn't want to upset the "animal rights" nitwits.)

yours, satx


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## satx78247 (Sep 8, 2015)

Barefoot_Johnny,

The folks that hunt Nutria in south LA are called "ratcatchers" & some make a decent living in that trade.

Btw, "rat" is a good meal. = I used to have a lot of "upriver folks" on my payroll & therefore ate lots of "rat", gator, etc.

yours, satx


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## KMixson (Sep 8, 2015)

satx, You have the solution right there. Teach people how to cook it and your problem will be solved. Teach them how to prepare a python, king cobra or anything for that matter and the numbers will dwindle. Take bowfin, mudfish for example. That used to be one of my grandmothers favorite fish to eat. We ate a lot of them.


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## lovedr79 (Sep 22, 2015)

was this thing ever caught?


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## Johnny (Sep 22, 2015)

*N O P E !!!*

As of last nights news, all search efforts have been called off.
It is feared that all the commotion may have driven the cobra
underground or up into the trees - - - - 
Special "snake traps" have been placed all over the area and 
the 3 adjacent elementary schools have have been given "cobra training"
of what to do if anyone sees anything crawling.
All the school grounds grass has been cut down close to "deter" wandering
snakes. Including other types of big snakes we have in Central Florida.
Everything has returned back to normal - - - with the exception of his neighbors.
Which have shotguns at the ready and have been given free shotgun training by
the local police. . . . . . 

The Saga Continues !!!

But, not to worry. We still have the Pythons, Diamond Backs, Cotton Mouths, Corals and Alligators !!!!
LOL us Florida Natives know how to walk around in grassy or wooded areas - - - 
it is the flippin _TOURISTS_ that gives us the most trouble !!


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## satx78247 (Sep 22, 2015)

Johnny,

Are your rattlesnakes PROTECTED in FL?
(IF you disturb, much less kill, a rattler in VA, you get arrested/heavily fined.)

yours, satx


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## Johnny (Sep 22, 2015)

Thankfully not - we have PLENTY of rattlers to go around.
But we do have a few non-venomous snakes that are protected.

with the population EXPLOSION in Florida there are a lot of native critters
that are being displaced or disappearing altogether. 
I just witnessed a road widening project near my home come to a complete HALT
because someone found a Sand Skink (a/k/a legless lizard, glass snake, underground lizard) 
in the area. Almost a half acre was carefully dug up shovel full by shovel full and SIFTED
to ensure no lizards or eggs were present . . . this took two months.

09/14/2015 https://www.clickorlando.com/news/orlando-students-at-school-near-escaped-king-cobra-allowed-outside-for-recess/35261828

and our STUPID GOVERNOR just got back from Kentucky trying to lure even MORE businesses
to Florida . . . i could just puke at our - - - - sorry - that is my pet peeve.

No, the Diamond Back is not protected and roams freely where ever it chooses.
LOL just as the King Cobra, Python yada yada yada


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## Ictalurus (Sep 22, 2015)

Johnny,

You need to read some Carl Hiaasen, check out Sick Puppy for starters. 

Very funny books about Florida politics, everglades, environmental activists.


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## lovedr79 (Sep 22, 2015)

its not illegal to kill rattelsnakes in va, unless you get caught.  sorry but if there was one in my yard............ they are in the area that i live in. i have only seen one, did not kill as it was in a somewhat public area.


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## bobberboy (Sep 22, 2015)

Johnny, you better keep us up to date on this story. I'm not going south of Iowa until the thing is caught.


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## KMixson (Sep 22, 2015)

A friend of mine has a neighbor who just moved from Canada a couple months ago. They are now in the process of selling their house and moving back to Canada. Why? Because they came across a snake in their yard after moving in. I was told they were upset with the realtor because he didn't tell them there were snakes in South Carolina. How can you not know there are snakes in South Carolina? There was another instance a couple of years ago on Hilton Head where a golfer from Ohio was attacked and lost his arm to an alligator while he was trying to retrieve his ball. He sued the golf course because they failed to warn him of the fact that alligators are dangerous. The golf course settled with him although I do not know for how much.


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## satx78247 (Sep 23, 2015)

Johnny, 

Fyi, one of my neighbors when I lived in VA killed a rattle-tail about 5' long with a hoe in his backyard, where his 3 school-aged children routinely play & was seen by a "nosey" neighbor & turned-in to the County Police. = Cost him 150.oo in fine & 176.oo for court costs.

Darned expensive snake.

Fwiw, we crazy Texicans eat them & round them up, when they den up.
(Fyi, I like rattler BUT I only eat them when they are free. = Rattlesnake steaks are about 8.oo a pound & taste like channel catfish, when battered & fried.)

Remind me sometime to tell you about THE GREAT FT. STOCKTON RATTLESNAKE FEAST of 1986.
(It's a long "shaggy-dog" story that concerns "opening my mouth & inserting foot".)

yours, satx


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## Snowshoe (Sep 23, 2015)

It's shoot on site. It's simple self defense. As for the Cobra, a few rounds of double 00 buck out of a 12 should do it.


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## Johnny (Sep 23, 2015)

Shoe, yes it is !!
The police have gone door-to-door with all the neighbors to give close encounter
shooting education. 00 buck is strictly forbidden..... nothing larger than
#6 bird shot. No Magnums. No rifles, no handguns with a solid projectile.
For the simple fact that IF someone should encounter the snake, the fear 
of shooting through a drywall structure into the neighbors house is a definite safety concern.
IF the snake is encountered, it will probably be in a garage or enclosed pool area.
So a blast of #6 bird shot @ 20 feet or less is a pretty tight group of lethal force.
yeah yeah yeah, we all know - shoot first - let the law sort it out later.
In that area, there are a lot of "transplants"..... meaning Non-Floridians.
People from the big city that moved to the country and have no idea how to shoot a gun.
Personally, I would be more afraid of a neighbors 9mm copper jacket hitting me in the 
chest while I sat in my easy chair watching Survivor than some 8 foot snake !!!

The REAL emphasis is to *close the door and DIAL 911*

The Saga Continues !!







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## earl60446 (Sep 23, 2015)

Johnny

You have made 13 posts on this subject plus you originated it.
I would say you have a concern for your little buddy the king cobra. 
Get us a picture of your drawers when you find him in your garage.  

Tim


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## satx78247 (Sep 23, 2015)

earl60466,

The ANSWER is call a traditional Vietnamese hunter. = They KNOW how to hunt/kill/cook cobras.
(In fact fresh cobra blood is a delicacy there.)

yours, satx


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## Johnny (Sep 23, 2015)

hahahahahhahaaaaa Tim, I laughed my butt off !!

well, it's all in good fun. A few years ago, I stepped into my shed to find
an ENORMOUS diamond back all coiled up in a pile !!!
Maybe 5 feet long..... was hard to tell from the PILE of snake it was coiled up in.
It was probably 3 feet from my legs . . . . dang, what a feeling when you are not expecting it !!!
I have been scared many times by different things - but this one had my absolute undivided attention !!!
Took a few minutes to gather the mind-set to slowly back up and close the door.
RAN to the house, got my .410 . . . . slowly opened the door and listened for the unmistakable buzz.....
no snake !! got a long stick, poked around, turned stuff over, no sound - no snake.
It was MONTHS before I went in there without making a commotion first !!
the second unsettling adventure was going into another shed, opened the door, always looking
around on the floor first - then, just happened to look up .. . . . there on a rafter was this huge
rat snake looking down at me. I love the outdoors, I like all of God's critters !!
I just don't like _SURPRISES_ !!!! LOL that is why my Python Trip to the 'Glades only lasted two hours LOL.
Too many places for those stupid 12 footers to hide in. and they DON'T advertise their presence
with hissing or rattling the tail ..... just bite and wrap, all in one smooth movement.
I can only imagine a friggin COBRA cornered in a garage !!!! I would be calling 911 from the next county !!
I KID YOU NOT !!


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## mirroman (Sep 23, 2015)

Didn't you used to called Bare foot Johnny? Since the Cobra thing my guess is that you got a pair of shoes or boots and just went with Johnny?


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## Johnny (Oct 8, 2015)

Just as predicted - the 8' King turned up in some lady's garage !!!
She was putting clothes in the dryer when she heard this hissing sound
coming from a corner . . . . GEEEZZZEEEEE can you imagine ???
She said that when Animal Control came to look, they pulled back the dryer and
the cobra raised up straight . . . the lady said it was taller than her. (5'3"). 

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/escaped-king-cobra-captured-returned-to-owner-officials-say/35717478

Mike Kennedy (the owner) had a court appearance yesterday but plead not guilty to neglect
and his attorney has requested a jury trial . . . hmmmmm my vote is GUILTY !!

Looking at this lady's garage where the snake was found has some PVC pipe and
other debris under the garage door preventing it from closing all the way.
there is NO TELLING what else is in there too !!!

ok, back to boating - the snake is got LOL



:LMFAO: @ MirrorMan . . . yes, I had the prior name of BareFoot Johnny.
which came from some surf fishing friends a few years ago. Because I am
always barefoot, no matter where I go. Also, an American Indian (Seminole) name.
If I had a nickname for the cobra - it would be: Atawanba ta loktano.
Which means - Johnny stays home cuz he is skeered. LOL





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## bobberboy (Oct 8, 2015)

I think I'll spend the day outdoors today...


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## lovedr79 (Oct 8, 2015)

i cant believe they found it!


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## KMixson (Oct 8, 2015)

Now that they found it the question is what are they going to do with it? Give it back to whom lost it to begin with?


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## Johnny (Oct 8, 2015)

yep !! it has been returned to Mike Kennedy, the owner.
this is not the first time one of his snakes have escaped.
a few years ago, a 10 foot king cobra got loose and was killed
in a neighbors garage, a half mile away.

This case is far far from over..... the law enforcement agencies that
expended their valuable resources to hunt this thing, are adding up
their individual costs and the bills will be forwarded to Mike Kennedy.
His licenses and facility is currently under review to house exotic animals . . . 
He currently has a leopard, some very venomous non-native snakes
and others. He takes the unwanted and found animals to save them
from the gas chamber.

He will have a jury trial soon just to address the issue of why did he wait
2 days to report this snake missing. Which carries a monetary fine.

alas, the saga continues.


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