Missing venomous cobra loose in Grand Prairie residential neighborhood, police say
Grand Prairie police issued an alert on Wednesday to be on the lookout for a venomous cobra that escaped its owner Tuesday afternoon in a residential neighborhood.
Authorities said residents should not approach or attempt to capture the West African banded cobra, which got out of a home in the 1800 block of Cherry Street.
Grand Prairie police and Grand Prairie firefighters have alerted area hospitals of the missing snake and initiated a protocol with Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas to treat this type of snake bite in case someone is bitten.
Grand Prairie animal services responded to the report of the missing snake about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The owner noticed the dangerous snake, which police said was permitted by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, missing from its enclosure about 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Officials with animal services, the owner and a venomous snake apprehension professional searched for the snake inside and outside of the residence through the night, but they failed to find it.
Grand Prairie police have been in contact with state officials related to the policy and procedures on permitting venomous snakes in residential neighborhoods.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department told the Star-Telegram on Wednesday that despite state laws that allow this type of snake with a permit, the municipality where the owner lives prohibits people from owning one.
The 1800 block of Cherry Street is located in Dallas County. According to Dallas County rules, venomous snakes are considered prohibited animals.
Grand Prairie asked residents who live in the area and see the missing cobra to call 911 immediately.
The snake’s owner, who asked not to be identified, told KXAS-TV that he thinks the cobra could have gotten caught inside the walls of his house and died, or died outside from the heat.
“I did make a mistake and I feel very sorry for the community,” the owner told NBC 5.
He told the TV station he had been feeding a rat to the snake when he left his home to get more food. “I left to go get food for my other animals down the street and I came back, and the cage door was open by an inch,” he said. “She must have found a way to open it up.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 12:33 PM.
