Now that the escaped king cobra is back safe and sound in his cage, his owner, Mike Kennedy, spoke exclusively to Joel Schipper about what the experience was like, and how it feels to finally have the 10-foot-long snake back.
The king cobra that social media has nicknamed "Elvis" is back safe and sound at Mike Kennedy's home off Apopka Vineland Road after escaping Sept. 2.
The story of the cobra's escape made headlines not only in Central Florida, but across the country and worldwide.
"It's funny he has a name now," Kennedy noted. "We never named him, but the public has."
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"I'm just really happy," Kennedy said Monday. "It couldn't have turned out any better. I'm just very thankful."
(Joel Schipper, Staff)
A search that lasted for over a month with the help of Florida Fish and Wildlife turned up nothing until Elvis was spotted last week under a dryer at Cynthia Mullvain's house, just a few hundred yards from where the snake escaped.
Mullvain said she never actually saw the snake up close when it was captured, but she definitely heard it.
After Elvis' capture, Mullvain reached out to Kennedy to see how the snake was doing. She said she has always had compassion for animals and met Monday evening with Kennedy and his wife on their property, known as Dragon Ranch.
"It's good to see he's good and healthy, getting better," Mullvain said.
Although the stress for Elvis is over, Kennedy has been cited by FWC for several violations in the past, including not reporting the cobra's escape sooner. FWC now wants to revoke Kennedy's permits for the seven venomous snakes he has on his property.
For now, Kennedy said he is just glad the cobra is alive and getting better, and that Mullvain had compassion and reported it, rather than trying to kill it.
So, the king is back in the building, and not a moment too soon.
"Obviously by looking at him, he did not do well," Kennedy said. "He didn't eat, he's dehydrated — he's a flipping mess. In fact, he wouldn't have survived much longer."
Kennedy has 21 days to file an appeal on the permit revocation and said he has already started the process of doing so.
"The probability of him hurting someone was very slim," Kennedy said Monday. "Of course, that potential is always there, so it's a huge fear, and the fact that he's back now and nobody was hurt — and he wasn't hurt — is the best-case scenario. We're thoroughly relieved, and I know everyone can breathe a sigh of relief now."
Elvis the king cobra is caught and captured Wednesday night, Oct. 7, 2015, after an Ocoee woman found the snake under her dryer.