Slithering surprise near Kallang MRT station turns out to be spitting cobra
A slithering surprise near Kallang MRT station left one woman slightly shaken.
Stomper Lakshmi was on her way home on March 23 at around 9.44pm when she noticed the “baby cobra” by a construction site.
“I got a little scared, so I moved away,” said the Stomper, who shared a video of the animal.
She was “very sure” that she had rightly identified the cobra, which she believed was a poisonous species, and wondered if more were in the area.
“It would be good to catch it and place it in a zoo,” Lakshmi said, though she did not report the incident to the authorities as she did not know how to.
“I sent the video to Stomp so that others can be more careful when walking at night,” she added.
Public should keep a respectful distance from snakes: Reptile experts
A science officer from the Herpetological Society of Singapore (HSS) confirmed that the snake is an Equatorial Spitting Cobra – a venomous snake commonly found in urban areas and nature parks.
“This species will raise the front portion of its body into a hood if it feels threatened and is able to spit venom towards its aggressor,” HSS told Stomp on March 26.
HSS, a volunteer-run group of reptile and amphibian enthusiasts, emphasised that snakes do not attack unprovoked and will escape if given the opportunity.
Members of the public who come across snakes in public should keep a respectful distance of four to five metres — or more if the snake is larger – and avoid cornering them as it may make them feel threatened.
Those who encounter snakes in their homes are advised to contact Animal Concerns Research and Education Society Singapore (Acres) at 9783 7782 or the National Parks hotline at 1800-476-1600 for rescue services.
The Stomper’s cobra sighting is not the only one to make the news in recent times.
On March 21, avid birdwatcher Myron Tay spotted a king cobra in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, which led to the temporary closure of one nature trail.
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