“We got it back! “Launched in a press release the Skansen Aquarium in Stockholm, which had to close its reptile section pending the capture of the fugitive… A week after its spectacular escape from the Swedish zoo, the king cobra returned to its enclosure on Sunday after having succeeded in days to evade all searches.
Barely days after his arrival, the snake, named “Sir Vas” (Sire whistler), fled on Saturday, October 22, passing through one of the lights in his terrarium. According to the management of the zoo, which had safely welcomed king cobras for almost fifteen years, low-energy light bulbs had recently been installed to replace the old lamps which were much hotter and kept the reptiles at a distance.
“He realized while the customs officers were in the building”
‘Sir Vas’ then foiled attempts to retrieve him, earning the nickname ‘Houdini’, named after the legendary illusionist who was able to extricate himself from all chains, cages and cells. To track him down, staff sprinkled flour in the reptile section and littered it with sticky traps, to no avail. The zoo then installed special cameras and portable X-ray machines on loan from the Swedish customs service.
VIDEO. Sweden: King cobra named Houdini escapes Stockholm zoo
On Friday, the reptile’s run seemed to come to an end when it was spotted in an interior wall. “Clever Houdini, however, changed places several times when we opened several holes to catch him,” explains the zoo.
At one point, the fleeing snake even allowed itself to poke its head out through a trap door. “He then realized that the customs officers were in the building and ran to hide elsewhere”, says the zoo, but if “we can flee customs, we cannot escape him”.
Houdini “under house arrest”
During the night from Saturday to Sunday, the cobra seems to have decided to abandon its life as a fugitive. “He dropped and crawled back to his safe, warm home,” according to the zoo.
The reptile section was able to reopen to the public but “Houdini” has been placed “under house arrest” for viewing and visitors will not be able to see him until Monday.
Native to South and Southeast Asia, the king cobra, naturally calm and unlikely to attack, is the longest venomous snake in the world. Its main prey is other snakes, but its bite can be fatal to humans if left untreated.