Germany: Escaped cobra found after 5 days on the lam

BERLIN – An escaped cobra that had eluded capture in western Germany for almost a week has been found.

Authorities in the city of Herne said Friday on Twitter that “the snake is being isolated. Further information will follow.”

German broadcaster n-tv reported that municipal workers in Herne chanced upon the poisonous reptile as they were about to mow a nearby lawn.

The hunt for the cobra began Sunday after it was spotted in the hallway of a house where a resident kept more than a dozen snakes.

Four houses on the street were evacuated as a precaution and people within a 500-meter (yard) radius were advised to exercise caution, leaving their doors and windows closed.

Officials had attempted to use flour and two-sided sticky tape to find and trap the reptile.