Famous Southern California white cobra gets name: Adhira
-
SAN DIEGO — A white monocled cobra that briefly became a national celebrity after it roamed a Southern California neighborhood for several days in September now has a new name.
The San Diego Zoo tells the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/1xEHdOj) that the cobra will be called Adhira, which in Hindi means lightning.
The Times says Adhira came in first in an online poll to find a name for the venomous cobra that was captured in Thousand Oaks and, after a period of quarantine, joined the zoo's Reptile House.
Adhira received 4,612 votes, besting Sapheda (white), Krima (cream), Cini (Sugar), Moti (pearl) and Sundara (beautiful). Selected by the cobra's keepers, the names were meant to reflect the Southeast Asia region where cobras are native.
-
White Cobra Caught!
Thousand Oaks, CA -
From Hal Eisner:
It's all over. The white cobra that surprised neighbors in the 1300 block of Ranchero in Thousand Oaks has been caught. And, it's capture was just as dramatic as when it first reared it's albino-hooded-head.
It was just before 2:30pm Thursday afternoon. Davide Lucchina and Tanya Grey both happened to be driving their kids from school up Rancho Lane when slithering across the street in front of the cars… the cobra!
Lucchina told me “... as soon as I come up this road its in the middle of the road crossing the road from there to there.” “It was going quickly across the road definitely trying to get away from the open area,” Grey explained.
Matthews Mills with a company called Nature-Cide that deals with snakes was in the neighborhood. As soon as he heard the cobra was in motion so was he. “I jumped the fence, got in there and started digging…” in a wood pile behind a wooden fence he says. Animal Control officers moved in, got the cobra, put it in a wooden box and carried it away. As they did you could hear neighbors say 'thank you' and applaud. “No problem” said one Animal Control officer.
-
White Cobra on the loose...
Authorities warned parents to watch their children and keep them away from dark holes after a cobra was seen slithering through a Southern California suburban neighborhood this week. State wildlife officials and Los Angeles County animal control officers searched bushes and woodpiles Wednesday for the albino monocle cobra, which has been loose at least since Monday evening, when it bit a dog on Rancho Lane in this Ventura County town just past Los Angeles County's northern border.
The dog had a neck wound on Wednesday but appeared healthy, authorities said. The monocle cobra can deliver a neurotoxic venom that can be deadly. "Do not approach it, do not try to capture it, do not try to kill it," said Brandon Dowling, a Los Angeles County spokesman. If the snake does bite someone, antivenom will be flown in from the San Diego Zoo, Dowling said.
Authorities planned to resume the search on Thursday morning. Authorities were concentrating on the cooler morning and evening hours when the snake probably would be more active and more likely to hunt for mice and other food.
They urged residents to keep pets indoors, watch children and make sure they stay away from animal burrows, pipes and culverts.
The cobra's native to southeast Asia, parts of India and China, and can grow to 4 feet or more. Its name derives from a circle or ring on the back of its hood.
Cobras are illegal to own in California except for educational and scientific purposes, and a permit is required.
While it isn't aggressive, the snake will defend itself if cornered and "to it, a person is a great, big potential predator," Greg Pauly, curator of herpetology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
The cobra apparently escaped from captivity, although authorities had not found the owner.
Unless the snake is hungry, it may remain "tucked away in a corner somewhere" for several days, Pauly said.
"It's not in its usual home (in captivity)," Pauly said. "It's probably freaking out a little bit. It's probably quite anxious about this situation — as I'm sure the neighbors are as well."
Update From Hal Eisner:
If you've never heard of an albino monocled cobra it's because they're not from around here. Experts say they're from Southeast Asia. So, the fact that one was seen crawling around a Thousand Oaks neighborhood had locals freaked out. They talked about how "unsettling" it is to hear such a creature is slithering around their neighborhood and how "nerve wracking" it is that such a creature is on the loose.
Monday night it bit a 7-year-old Whippet named "Tiko." That's one lucky dog. The experts say that 17% of the bites from this type of snake are not venomous. "Tiko" was in that 17% and now is jumping around and barking like nothing happened.
Meanwhile, Animal control officers searching the area for the snake think it may be from a local home but no one is fessing up.
Jules Sylvester works with snakes for TV shows, movies and documentaries. He says just like a bite from a rattlesnake "You go to the hospital real fast.” He thinks the 4-footer is probably hiding under brush or logs. Animal Control brought him in, he says, to help in the search. To Sylvester, the snake should surface but it's color may work against it. “It's got to eat," he says. "When it comes out to eat it gets spotted either by humans or birds of prey or anything else like that.” What does it eat? Rats and mice and other snakes are what Thousand Oaks offers for dinner.
Meanwhile, some neighbors like Rick Eddy are philosophical saying “For me, snakes will let you know either stay away or hello and you better have the brains to leave it alone."
While others won't rest until it's caught. “It's kind of nerve wracking," says neighbor Tyler Nunn, "...there's a snake going around… that could kill us.”
Animal Control officials say if you see the snake stay away and call 9-1-1