OCALA, Fla. — A 2-foot long suphan cobra escaped Monday night from a home in Ocala, Florida, police said.
The snake escaped about 9 p.m. from a cage in a home on Northeast 9th Street near Ocala Tuscawilla Park, according to a report.
The tan-colored cobra is highly venomous.
Venomous reptile permit holder Brian Purdy called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at about 11:15 p.m. to say that the cobra had escaped its enclosure.
A search was still underway in the neighborhood Tuesday morning.
Ocala police, Marion County Fire Rescue and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are investigating.
FWC officials urge residents in the area to use caution until the snake has been captured.
Officers ask anyone who sees the cobra to keep a safe distance and call FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.
No other details were given.
People in the area are posting to social media that they are worried.
"I have kids at home. Just worried. Thank you for the info," one person wrote on an Ocala discussion Facebook page.
A similar situation unfolded in 2015 in Orlando when a 10-foot-long king cobra escaped its enclosure at Dragon Ranch.
The snake, named Elvis, was loose for a month before being found underneath a dryer in the garage of a nearby home.
The snake's owner, Michael Kennedy, was cited for failing to immediately report the snake's escape.