Search ensues for missing cobra

Following the death on July 14 of an 18-year-old man suspected to have been bitten by a cobra, a team of herpetologists will be joining with the Animal Protection Office to conduct a search for the snake. “We felt we needed to organize and conduct a proactive search in the interest of public safety,” said Animal Protection supervisor Mark Sloat. Beginning at 8 a.m. Friday morning, the team will be searching the area near the Lowe’s home improvement store at 13000 N. I-35. Although there have been no reports of the snake on the Lowe’s property, the store’s garden center will be closed during the search. According to a media advisory from the Austin Animal Center, the snake is “highly aggressive” with a “distinctive circle on its back and a tan underbelly.” Anyone who finds a snake of this description should avoid approaching it and instead call 911. Anyone with information about the circumstances surrounding this case or about the snake in particular, which reportedly belonged to the young man who died, is encouraged to call the APD Homicide Unit at 512-974-5210.