An albino monocled cobra that eluded animal control authorities for four days in Ventura County before being captured was on its way to the San Diego Zoo on Friday, zoo officials confirmed.
The hunt for the reptile began Monday in Thousand Oaks after it bit a dog, which survived. No one has claimed ownership of the snake, which was captured in the same area on Thursday and was initially transported to the Los Angeles Zoo.
Monocled cobras are native to Thailand and their venom is considered to be more deadly than that of their more famous cousin, the king cobra.
The snake was brought to San Diego because the zoo has other cobras, so anti-venom is on-hand, zoo spokeswoman Christina Simmons told City News Service.
Simmons said it will receive veterinary care and be held in quarantine for 90 days. What happens to the cobra after that period remains unclear, she said.
— City News Service