A highly venomous cobra is on the loose in Grand Prairie, Texas, after it went missing from a home on Tuesday.
A West African banded cobra was reported missing by its owner on Tuesday as the owner, a venomous snake apprehension professional and animal services searched for the snake inside and outside the home all Tuesday night with no luck, the police said in a press release.
The owner was permitted to have the snake by the State of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The Grand Prairie Police Department and Fire Department have been in touch with hospitals in the area so they can prepare to treat a bite from the snake if an incident occurs.
A bite from the West African Banded Cobra could be lethal to humans, and the snake is aggressive.
“I did make a mistake and I feel very sorry for the community,” the owner, who asked not to be named, told NBC 5, Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
The owner was feeding the snake a rat when he left to get more food for the other animals he owns.
“I left to go get food for my other animals down the street and I came back, and the cage door was open by an inch,” he said. “She must have found a way to open it up.”
He believes the snake is either dead inside the walls of his home or died outside in the heat.
The police are talking to the State of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regarding the policy to allow individuals in residential neighborhoods to have such venomous snakes.
The police are telling residents not to approach the snake if they find it and to call 911 immediately.
This incident follows a similar situation in Raleigh, N.C., in June when a venomous snake escaped its owner.