Zebra cobra.Photo: Raleigh Police Department
Some North Carolina lawmakers say the state needs to strengthen its laws governing exotic reptiles after a TikTok star’svenomous cobra escaped for several days, sending Raleigh residents into a panic.
TikTok userChristopher Gifford’s videos center largely on his venomous snake collection. But one of the 21-year-old’s exotic pets — a spitting zebra cobra — went from being a social media star to a real-life menace when itescaped his homelate last month.
Ultimately, life on the lam lasted only two days for the snake, which was captured and safely removed from a northwest Raleigh neighborhood, the Associated Press reported.
Now, some state legislators are questioning whether the state’s laws go far enough when it comes to certain exotic pets, noting that North Carolina’sregulations governing reptilesare limited in scope, and haven’t been updated in years.
Under state law, it is legal to own venomous snakes, though they are supposed to be kept in locked and labeled enclosures. Owners are also required to tell law enforcement and have emergency instructions handy if a venomous snake breaks free from its enclosure.
North Carolina alsohas a limiton owning more than five of its native venomous snakes, the Charlotte News Observer reports, though there are no such rules when it comes African cobras and vipers (the outlet reports that Giffords owns several varieties of poisonous snakes).
“It’s time to ask whether we should amend our#ncgalaws on venomous snakes. I’ve heard from a number of constituents (#ZebraCobracalls Senate District 15 home) expressing concerns about our law,” Chaudhuri, a Democrat, wrote.
Acknowledging the state’s outdated laws governing snake ownership, Chaudhuri noted that the most recent snake escape was not North Carolina’s first.
Chaudhuri wrote that one “good solution” to the problem “comes from the other Carolina,” adding, “Earlier this year,#SCHousepassed a bill that eventually bans ownership of non-native venomous snakes.”
South Carolina state Rep. Bill Hixon told the News Observer legislators hope to renew their effort to pass a similar bill next year: “We are going to do something when we come back. We were scared to death for people’s safety. ''
As the News Observer notes, the North Carolina law currently governing snake ownership was originally written in the 1950s to govern “snake handling” at religious institutions.
source: people.com
