3 months Hunt for -COBRA in Toronto

[Alexis696969]

The hunt for the venomous snake has shut down the rooming house, sent its five tenants packing and left the landlord, Philip Belanger, $20,000 poorer from lost rent and damage. Belanger says he's heard estimates that the City of Toronto has spent $100,000 in its bid to find the snake, calling in the police, fire department, paramedics and experts from the Toronto Zoo and Animal Services. The city will not confirm any figure.




The cobra was last heard from on Oct. 2 when officials from the Toronto Zoo and Animal Services heard it slithering, once again, in the basement ceiling.
The cobra was owned by Helder Claro, the former tenant of 18 Church St. - the other half of the semi-detached house. Claro, who has a history of keeping dangerous animals in his home, fled the premises in September. Animal Services charged him with harbouring prohibited animals, an offence that carries a maximum $5,000 fine. He is now in custody awaiting trial on unrelated charges.


The house, built more than 100 years ago as one dwelling and later divided into a semi, has made the snake's commute from one side to the other easy. The cobra could serpentine its way through the joists between the hardwood floors and drywall ceiling. cont......
http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1230053,1230053

 

[Esco!]

Why dont they just fumigate the whole place FFS?????

 

[Jade4u]

Hopefully they catch it before the warm weather comes that is all the city needs is a cobra that runs out of rodents to eat to come out into the city in search of more prey.

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

It's a big responibility owning a snake.

I always keep mine tucked away in a warm place, only to come out on special occasions.

 

[Jade4u]

I have a warm damp moist hole.

 

[lookingforitallthetime]

I have a warm damp moist hole.

My snake loves those!

 

[Jade4u]

lol I bet it does.

 

[nautilus]

Hopefully they catch it before the warm weather comes that is all the city needs is a cobra that runs out of rodents to eat to come out into the city in search of more prey.

It couldn't possibly run out of rodents to eat anywhere in Toronto.

 

[Esco!]

It likely wouldn't work. Reptiles require much less oxygen than mammals so their lungs wouldn't absorb the chemical quickly enough to kill before it disappated.

Damn, you learn something new everyday!!

 

[Aardvark154]

It couldn't possibly run out of rodents to eat anywhere in Toronto.

True, however, depending on what species of cobra it is, it may prefer other snakes to rodents.

 

[Esco!]

What we need is some type of Cobra eater.
Is there any predator out there that eats Cobra's??????

 

[red]

What we need is some type of Cobra eater.
Is there any predator out there that eats Cobra's??????

a mongoose

 

[Esco!]

a mongoose

Where are we gonna find a Mongoose at this hour????

http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/ict/AAA/documents/desert/mongoose.gif

Does it have to be male or female???????

 

[LKD]

It's likely still there and alive if it's still in the house...they can go for months without eating. If it got outside, it's dead.

did u mean if it got outside, someone could be dead from its bite.

 

[tboy]

Actually, depending on where it struck, who it struck, when it last struck, and how close the person was to hospital, Children and the elderly (or small people) are more susceptible to the venom or so I gather.

As for food, it will eat just about anything that's alive. It may prefer other snakes but a snake is a reptile of oppurtunity: it will even take birds, cats, dogs, winos, crack heads, Benz Smart Cars, Mini-coopers or even mopeds!

As for it being such a "big" deal, it is relatively easy to take care of:

Turn the heat off in the house, down to about 33 F. Put plumbing antifreeze into all the pipes and various tanks. Let it sit there for a month.

The snale will die of exposure (they are cold bloooded and need a constant source of heat).

Turn the heat back on and wait a week, follow your nose! lol

This isn't such a big deal if it gets out. I mean, we've had cougars, (the 4 legged kind), Pit Bulls, Lynx's, all loose in the city and other than the Pit Bulls, no one has ever been injured or killed by one.

BTW: I bet the wingnut that kept the snake won't be financially responsible for the damages.....

 

[Aardvark154]

Turn the heat off in the house, down to about 33 F. Put plumbing antifreeze into all the pipes and various tanks. Let it sit there for a month. The snale will die of exposure (they are cold bloooded and need a constant source of heat). Turn the heat back on and wait a week, follow your nose!

Not a bad idea.

Cobra venom is quite deadly, but on the plus side cobras are rear fanged they have to grab hold of you and chew to envenomate you unlike pit vipers which are "more modern" snakes (in Canada various species of Rattlesnake) with front hinged fangs. Also (although it doesn't say much for your common sense) you have a general idea of how far a cobra will be able to strike (somewhat like putting your elbow on a table and seeing how far forward the tip of your longest finger will reach when you put your arm out flat) whereas it is very pretty near impossible to have any idea of the strike range of Crotalinae with their "coiled rope" resting pattern.

Glad it isn't my building!

 

[Jade4u]

Hopefully it is not a spitting cobra it will not even need to bite if it feels threatened.

http://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/spitting-cobra.cfm

 

[tboy]

Hopefully it is not a spitting cobra it will not even need to bite if it feels threatened.

http://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/spitting-cobra.cfm

Yeah, but isn't there a fine for spitting in toronto????

 

[Jade4u]

If not there should be as well as for urinating on the streets too.