Florida Fish & Wildlife searching for escaped cobra

Officer Stuart Spoede, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, expressed his surprise that the snake was recovered so quickly after it escaped.

Several people tried to help the whale after it beached Saturday at St. Augustine but it was too late.

Reptile expert Greg Graziani says he never expected to find and trap the snake so soon.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t because I knew it was close so I was like, ‘anywhere but the yard is fine, ‘ but right next to the house-good to know”, Dylan Deriso explained.

Spoede said Pellicer might face criminal charges, since he didn’t report that a venomous snake had escaped. But wildlife officials said Pellicer violated rules by not reporting the snake was missing.

The snake belongs to Lewis Mark Pellicer, who holds a Venomous Reptile Permit. “Members of the public should not approach or attempt to capture this snake”.

The missing cobra has been located and trapped.

That was according to a call placed to 911 Friday afternoon by a driver, alerting state wildlife officials to the possibility that a cobra was on the loose in Lee County. The cobra, which has enough venom to kill up to 20 people, was owned by Discovery Channel star Mike Kennedy.