A North Carolina man has been charged after his venomous zebra cobra was captured last week in a Raleigh neighborhood—seven months after police now say the deadly snake escaped its enclosure, NBC affiliate WRAL reports. Christian Michael Gifford, 21, has been charged with 40 counts of misdemeanors after authorities says he violated state rules regarding the ownership of venomous reptiles; 36 of the counts were for keeping dangerous reptiles in containers without locks, the outlet reported. One charge states the cobra was loose since November, when it escaped. Police said the cobra was seen outside a neighbor’s home after it escaped Gifford’s home. Although police were able to use a glue trap to capture it, local officials have continued to raise concerns about the ownership of venomous reptiles. “Some have made light of the zebra cobra issue, but it could’ve ended tragically, and I think we got to take this issue very seriously,” David Knight, a Raleigh city council member. North Carolina is one of three states in the U.S. that does not ban exotic pet ownership. Gifford was infamous on TikTok for his videos showing him handling dangerous snakes.
