An albino cobra has bitten one dog and remains on the loose in the southern California town of Thousand Oaks.
According to The Los Angeles Times, local animal control officials have deployed a three-person search team to hunt for the rare creature. The snake has been at large since at least Monday, when it bit a dog on the 1300 block of Rancho Lane.
"A cobra is pretty darn dangerous," said Janice Mackey, a Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman. She noted that anyone who sees the snake should not approach it, and instead telephone the authorities.
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The bitten dog has been taken to the vet, examined, bandaged, and it appears it will make a full recovery. Cobra snakes carry a venom that can sometimes be fatal, but animal control told reporters that sometime the snakes attack with a so-called dry bite that doesn't inject venom into its victim.
One of the dog's owners was able to snap a picture of the snake, and it's estimated to be roughly 4- to 5-feet long. Authorities are using the picture as a primary tool in their search.
"We’re taking it a shift at a time," said Alfred Aguirre, an officer with the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. "We’re truly trying to get this when the animal is going to be most active," he continued, noting that snakes are more active at night, when they hunt for "furry little creatures."
Animal control remained uncertain on Wednesday whether the snake was an escaped pet, or truly feral. Mackey explained that cobras are a restricted species in California, and require a permit to own. Permits are only given out for scientific and education purposes, to places like zoos and laboratories.
Jules Sylvester, a snake wrangler for film productions,
told CBS News the albino snake lacks camouflage, increasing the chances it will be caught.
"He’ll probably glow in the dark, he’s that white," Sylvester said. "I’m sure we’ll spot him again."
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