Live cobra in unmarked package addressed to St. Edward’s School causes stir
November 1st, 2009 by TCPalm.comINDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 2-foot-long false water cobra snake caused a stir this week when it was packed for St. Edward’s School and shipped in an unmarked container through the United Parcel Service.
A teacher at the school, Alexander Moir, said he ordered the reptile, which experts said is venomous but not dangerous to people, from a Chester, Va., pet store.
UPS officials said an incorrect ZIP code on the box sent it to the shipping company’s Pinellas Park location. When Moir called to check on the delivery of the package, UPS officials learned there was a live snake inside.
UPS contacted state wildlife officials, who contacted Vernon Yates, owner of the Wildlife Rescue and Rehab in Seminole, to retrieve the snake.
“The box should have been marked,” Yates said. “A school kid could have opened the box not knowing what was inside.”
Moir said the snake was supposed to be sent to his home, not to the school.
However, the package was addressed to St. Edward’s Drive, said Yates, who still had the box Friday. Video of the box in a report by WTSP-TV in Tampa showed the St. Edward’s name on the package label.
Moir said the snake is for his personal collection and has nothing to do with the school.
“This is a perfectly legal snake,” he said.
School officials said they did not know anything about the snake delivery.
They said they talked with Moir about the incident Friday. St. Edward’s School spokeswoman Elizabeth Thomason described the incident as a misunderstanding.
“The school did not order a snake, and no snake was delivered here,” Thomason said.
UPS allows customers to ship some live animals, but prohibits the shipping of any snakes, according to spokeswoman Susan Rosenberg. UPS officials are conducting an internal investigation about the matter. Staff at the Virginia pet store, Off the Ark, declined to comment Friday.
lamaur.stancil@scripps.com; colleen.wixon@scripps.com
ABOUT FALSE WATER COBRA SNAKES
The South American snake bears the distinction of being a snake with a powerful venom but is not considered dangerous to humans, said Bruce Dangerfield, animal control officer for the Vero Beach Police Department.
Dangerfield described the reptile as a rear-fanged snake, which means its venom would not impact a person who is bitten. Rather, the fangs would inject venom into smaller prey as it is being swallowed.
Florida requires permits for anyone who keeps a dangerous snake, but the false water snake is not on the list.
The snakes can grow up to 6 feet long and have a striped color scheme that can be black, yellow, brown or olive.
Tags: snake
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November 1st, 2009 at 11:42 am
Why in the hell would ANYONE ….need one of these poison ropes for personal use? THIS is how South Florida is getting overrun by invasive species……genitally deficient guys who want stuff like this just to say they have one.
Permits should be issued to regulated zoos and for medical use. Thats it. No private ownership. Want to own a cobra? Move your weird a– to India.
November 1st, 2009 at 12:29 pm
For heavens sake can we do something about these snakes before we all walk out one morning and have to tip toe around the cobras and pythons laying about in our yards? Come on congressmen/women get the lead out and get it done. I am tired of hearing about these dangerous varmits being brought into our state from the far off lands.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:42 am
Sounds like it was just a big miSNAKE!
December 10th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
for all you retards complaining, shut the #&$^ up. For one NOT DANGEROUS, TWO dogs cause more fatalities and disfigurings than these harmless snakes, FUGGIN IDIOTS GET A FUGGING LIFE, and read it again ITS A FALSE WATER COBRA, comes from south america, ITS LIKE OUR HOGNOSE. IDIOTS. IM sick of being a soldier protecting IDIOTS