Stowaway Cobra found on ship at NJ port “Video”

A stowaway cobra was found on a container ship at Port Elizabeth, New Jersey this week, but captured before it could do any harm.

The container ship was on its way from Singapore to the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal in New Jersey on Dec. 10 when the crew discovered the stowaway cobra in the hold.

Two herpetologists from the Bronx Zoo rescued the roughly 18-inch snake on Monday once the ship docked after a request for help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

It took them about half an hour to spot the stowaway cobra, which is a protected species, and the creature was cold, dehydrated and exposed to oil residue when they found it.

The stowaway cobra is now being treated by veterinarians at the Bronx Zoo and its condition has improved since it arrived.

“When we located the snake deep below the deck of the container ship, it was in very poor condition,” Bronx Zoo staffer Kevin Torregrosa said in a statement. “We are cautiously optimistic regarding its recovery.”

The stowaway cobra is about one year old and its sex is still unknown, according to Torregrosa.

Agencies/Canadajournal