Deadly Cobra at Large in Austin After Killing Its Owner

A venomous monocled cobra is on the loose in Austin, Texas, and authorities are warning residents to stay away from the "highly aggressive" snake if they locate it.

Authorities have been searching for the dangerous cobra since Tuesday after the death of Grant Thompson, an 18-year-old resident of Temple. Thompson, who worked at the Temple Fish Bowl Pet Express, was found unconscious in his car in a Lowe’s parking lot with puncture wounds on his wrist. He was then transferred to St. David Round Rock Medical Center, where he later died from cardiac arrest.

Though an autopsy is still underway, the Austin Police Department believes Thompson was bitten by a cobra that he owned. The snake was missing from the car and is yet to be located, but officials found a veritable menagerie of other animals there, including six tarantulas, a foot-long non-venomous Mexican hognose snake, and an African bullfrog.

Thompson’s co-workers at the pet store described him as fearless with animals and said he was well loved.

"He could handle tarantulas like they were kittens," one Fish Bowl employee told the Statesman. "He loved animals and loved spreading awareness about animals in the community."

"Animals were his passion," his grieving mother told the Daily News. "When he was 4, he got his first big fish tank. We had an animal-themed birthday party. I had a zoo out in Austin bring in animals. From then, he was hooked."

She added that Thompson had an interest in breeding exotic animals, but she never knew that he had owned a poisonous snake.

Crews and police have been searching the area near where the car was found. A home and garden section at Lowe’s will also be searched.

— Ann Wyatt Little (@AnnWyattonFOX7) July 16, 2015

The crew also includes members of Austin Animal Protection, a group that handles cases of animal abuse and neglect, as well as a reptile experts and herpetologists. The Austin Animal Services group will not be participating in the search, as the group’s spokeswoman has said “it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

— Shannon Murray (@ShannonM_KVUE) July 16, 2015

Search efforts have gained such widespread media attention in Austin that the cobra has earned its own Twitter handle: @Austin_cobra

 

The account includes a whimsical picture of a cobra with a monocle over one eye and a top hat, and several tweets parodying the search efforts.

— Austin Cobra (@Austin_Cobra) July 16, 2015

— Austin Cobra (@Austin_Cobra) July 16, 2015

It even ties in some current events, and pokes fun at recent public figures in the media, including Donald Trump.

— Austin Cobra (@Austin_Cobra) July 16, 2015

As funny as a Twitter account may be, the monocled cobra is no joke.  The snake’s name comes from a distinctive circle on its back. Its venom kills almost instantly, as it attacks the victim’s central nervous system, causing organs and muscles to break down.

Four different species of snakes live in the Austin area, though poisonous snakes are rare. Texas reports roughly 3,000 snakebites each year.