Swedish Zoo Closed After Venomous Snake Escape
A Swedish zoo was partially closed after a venomous snake escaped from its enclosure. The incident highlights the risks of keeping wild animals in zoos.
The Skansen-Akvariet Zoo in Sweden was partially closed after a venomous snake escaped from its enclosure over the weekend.
Staff at Stockholm's Skansen Zoo were still searching on Monday for the elusive king cobra, which goes by the name «Sir Väs» («Sir Hiss»).
The animal, nicknamed «Houdini» after the famous escape artist, had arrived at the zoo only a few days earlier.
A video recorded by a visitor shows the snake climbing from a branch through a lamp fixture in its terrarium.
Zoo staff believe the snake is somewhere in the ceiling of the reptile department and have sealed off the building with flour, adhesive traps and specialist cameras in an attempt to catch it.
«In theory it will not come out, because it is so cold outside that it would fall asleep«, said the director of the Skansen Aquarium, Jonas Wahlström.
Skansen Zoo has been home to king cobras for nearly 15 years, but it took only a few days for the new animal to escape on Saturday after the enclosure was fitted with new energy-saving light bulbs.
«He must be a clever fellow«, said Wahlström. «The old lamps were too hot, which kept the snakes away.»
King cobras, native to South and Southeast Asia, are the longest venomous snakes in the world. They feed mainly on other snakes, but their bites can be fatal to humans if left untreated.
