Very poisonous 2 meter long green mamba snake disappears, police ask residents to stay at home
Illustration of a green mamba snake. (Wikimedia Commons/Ltshears)
- A highly poisonous green mamba snake was reported missing by its owner, prompting the police to issue a warning about the snake's danger and ask residents to stay at home.
Tilburg City Police, Netherlands received a report from a snake owner about the disappearance of his snake on the evening of November 21. The next day, the police published an announcement about the snake's disappearance, warning residents to stay at home and not try to catch the two-meter-long snake, and published a notice poster.
The police said they had contacted several experts in the country about how the snake could be found again as soon as possible, with the search also involving sniffer dogs, as quoted by CBS 5 December.
Police also warned residents to immediately seek medical attention if bitten by the snake, although they said the green mamba did not seek "confrontation" with humans and was unlikely to like to roam in winter.
"He likes dark, warm rooms. If he finds one, he will become very passive," the police statement said.
After a few days, the local city government announced that the snake had been found at its owner's house in good condition and looking for a warm place. "He was hiding behind an attic wall," the Koya government confirmed, as quoted by the NL Times.
Illustration of a green mamba snake. (Wikimedia Commons/Danleo~commonswiki)
A professor from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam said the snake was alert and active.
"It can drink enough water and the animal is in good health," he said.
Meanwhile, snake expert Walter Getreuer told Omroep Brabant on Thursday evening that he believed the snake was still in the owner's house. He participated in a second search of the home, concluding the snake was almost certainly behind the home's plaster walls.
"The owner made holes in the walls. In one hole, my dog sat down and hyperventilated. That was a very clear sign he smelled something. "The dog was also sitting near the tool the snake owner used to catch the snake," said Getreuer, adding that a net was installed in front of the drilled hole, so the dog was not in danger of being bitten.
At that time, the snake had not yet emerged from behind the wall. "But it's almost certain that the animal was behind that plaster wall," Getreuer said. "We saw the heating pipe where the dog was sitting. Snakes are tropical animals that need warmth, so this place made sense," he said.
According to Getreuer, there was no way out of that part of the house that could reach the outdoors, while the homeowner continued efforts to catch the snake.
There are three species of green mamba, all of which are native to Africa, namely from the eastern, central and western regions of the continent. The city government did not specify the missing snake species, according to CNN. Usually found in trees, this shy snake produces fast-acting and deadly venom, although it rarely attacks humans, instead preying on birds, small mammals and lizards.
Ular Mamba Hijau Sepanjang 2 Meter yang Sangat Beracun Hilang, Polisi Minta Warga Tetap di Rumah
Ilustrasi ular green mamba. (Wikimedia Commons/Ltshears)
- Seekor ular mamba hijau yang sangat beracun dilaporkan pemiliknya hilang, membuat polisi menerbitkan peringatan berbahayanya ular tersebut dan meminta warga untuk tetap di rumah.
Kepolisian Kota Tilburg, Belanda menerima laporan dari seorang pemilik ular tentang hilangnya seekor ular miliknya pada 21 November malam. Keesokan harinya, polisi menerbitkan pengumuman hilangnya ular tersebut, memperingatkan warga untuk tetap di rumah, jangan mencoba menangkap ular sepanjang dua meter itu, serta menerbitkan poster pemberitahuan.
Pihak kepolisian mengatakan, mereka telah menghubungi beberapa ahli di negara tersebut, bagaimana ular itu bisa ditemukan kembali secepatnya, dengan pencarian yang dilakukan juga melibatkan anjing pelacak, seperti dikutip dari CBS 5 Desember.
Polisi juga memperingatkan warga untuk segera mencari pertolongan medis jika tergigit ular ini, kendati dikatakan mamba hijau tidak mencari "konfrontasi" dengan manusia dan tidak mungkin suka berkeliaran saat musim dingin.
"Dia menyukai ruangan yang gelap dan hangat. Jika dia menemukannya, dia akan menjadi sangat pasif," kata pernyataan kepolisian.
Selang beberapa hari, pemerintah kota setempat mengumumkan ular tersebut berhasil diketemukan di rumah pemiliknya dalam keadaan baik dan mencari tempat yang hangat.
"Ia bersembunyi di balik dinding loteng," pemerintah koya mengonfirmasi, seperti dikutip dari NL Times.
Ilustrasi ular green mamba. (Wikimedia Commons/Danleo~commonswiki)
Seorang profesor dari Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam mengatakan ular itu dalam kondisi waspada dan aktif.
"Ia bisa minum cukup air dan hewan itu dalam keadaan sehat," ujarnya.
Sementara itu, pakar ular Walter Getreuer mengatakan kepada Omroep Brabant pada Kamis malam, dia yakin ular itu masih berada di rumah sang pemilik. Dia berpartisipasi dalam penggeledahan kedua di rumah itu, menyimpulkan ular itu hampir pasti berada di balik tembok plester rumah.
"Pemiliknya membuat lubang di dinding. Di satu lubang, anjing saya duduk dan mengalami hiperventilasi. Itu tanda yang sangat jelas dia mencium sesuatu. Anjing itu juga duduk di dekat alat yang digunakan pemilik ular untuk menangkap ular tersebut," kata Getreuer sambil menambahkan jaring dipasang di depan lubang yang dibor, sehingga anjingnya tidak terancam digigit.
Saat itu, ular itu belum juga muncul dari balik tembok. "Tetapi hampir dapat dipastikan bahwa hewan itu ada di balik tembok plester itu," kata Getreuer.
"Kami melihat pipa pemanas tempat anjing itu duduk. Ular adalah hewan tropis yang membutuhkan kehangatan, jadi tempat ini masuk akal," tandasnya.
Menurut Getreuer, tidak ada jalan keluar dari bagian rumah tersebut yang bisa menjangkau alam terbuka, sementara pemilik rumah melanjutkan upaya untuk menangkap ular tersebut.
Ada tiga spesies mamba hijau yang semuanya asli Afrika, yakni dari wilayah timur, tengah dan barat benua itu. Pemerintah kota tidak merinci spesies ular yang hilang, dikutip dari CNN.
Biasanya ditemukan di pepohonan, ular pemalu ini menghasilkan racun yang bereaksi cepat dan mematikan, meski jarang menyerang manusia, melainkan memangsa burung, mamalia kecil dan kadal.