The Bronx Zoo has misplaced one of its cobras:

Lookout, New York — a poisonous cobra snake may be on the loose today from the Bronx Zoo.

In a statement released Saturday, the Bronx Zoo said that their reptile house was closed after a staff member noticed that an adolescent Egyptian cobra was missing from an off-exhibit enclosure.

“After learning the snake was missing yesterday afternoon, we immediately closed and secured the building as we took steps throughout the evening to recover the snake,” the statement read.

Egyptian cobras are known for being uncomfortable in open areas, so the missing snake is expected to be in a closed-off space. Officials are confident that the 20-inch long snake is currently in a non-public, isolated area within the building.

This reminds me of a novel I read a while back, The Snake, by John Godey, He also wrote The Taking of Pelham 123. The story involves a black mamba that gets loose in Central Park. Mayhem ensues! One lone herpetologist tries to be the voice of reason, arguing that with a little patience it shouldn’t be too difficult to round him up. But he is no match for the voices fomenting panic and the desperate politicians trying to avoid being blamed. Partly a suspenseful thriller, and partly a satire, it’s well worth a read if you can track down a copy.