Venomous snake captured in North Carolina capital

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A venomous snake has been captured two days after it was spotted on the loose in a neighborhood of North Carolina’s capital.

The Raleigh Police Department sent out a notice late Wednesday announcing that the zebra cobra was found and safely removed from a northwest Raleigh neighborhood. Police didn’t give more details about how or where it was caught.

An animal control officer was called Monday to a home where a snake was spotted on a porch, police said. But by the time the officer arrived, the snake had slithered away. Then they learned that a zebra cobra was missing from a home in the area. Officials warned anyone who saw the snake to stay away and call 911, saying it could spit and bite if cornered.

WNCN-TV reports that animal control and Raleigh police used wooden boards with special glue on them to trap the snake. It was then moved from the board into a red bucket.

Venomous snakes are legal to own in North Carolina, but they must be kept in an escape-proof, bite-proof enclosures and owners must notify law enforcement if one escapes.