King Cobra Got Loose Wednesday Near Orlando

Normally an 8-foot King Cobra on the loose in central Florida would not be a story to which we'd pay much attention. But this snake belongs to Mike Kennedy, one of the stars of the Discovery Channel show "Airplane Repo."

Fox News reports that Kennedy said that the community's reaction to the escaped snake has gone way over the top. Kennedy, a self-described wildlife conservationist, said that he feels like "Cecil the Lion's hunter."

Kennedy says that the cobra would not suddenly appear on school grounds, as has been suggested. He said "there are big rattlesnakes in Florida," and that the King Cobra would not do something like that. "I'd hate to see anything happen to him." Kennedy said.

A reptile expert at the Black Hills Reptile Gardens in South Dakota told Fox News that the King Cobra is one of the most venomous snakes in the world, and that its bite is very dangerous.

The snake got out last Wednesday when a tree fell on Kennedy's house and upset the snake's habitat. Local schools shut down when news got out. Florida Fish and Wildlife has been leading the search, and Kennedy has been participating.

Kennedy said the snake was not a pet, but an animal he had rescued. Such rescues are legally sanctioned in the state of Florida, Kennedy said, adding that he did the right thing by reporting that the snake had gotten loose.

(Public domain image. Not missing King Cobra)

FMI: http://myfwc.com/