The monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia) that was the subject of an intense snake hunt over the last few days has been found dead, apparently hit
The monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia) that was the subject of an intense snake hunt over the last few days has been found dead, apparently hit by a car on the side of the road in front of a Lowe’s hardware store. The parking lot of the hardware store is where Grant Thompson, 18, was found July 14, unresponsive in his car.
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KXAN reports a 911 caller reported a dead snake on the road and the Austin Animal Protection Office confirmed the venomous snake was the one authorities were looking for.
“When I got the call, I was greatly relieved, obviously,” Mark Sloat, Austin Animal Protection Supervisor, told KXAN. “I kind of wish the snake was alive, but for the public’s sake — the fact that we found it. This is a busy area, a lot of cars parked here already, so the public definitely could have been at risk with this snake.”
Sloat says the snake will be held until the death of Thompson is determined.
Thompson, 18, was known as the "Reptile Guy" in the town where he lived and worked a local pet store that his mother bought for him, according to news reports.