The “extremely venomous” green mamba, supposedly escaped from its owner in Tilburg in the south of the Netherlands, was finally found safe and sound at his home. The municipality of Tilburg had been on alert since Monday, when the owner of the mamba, a very dangerous two-meter-long snake, reported its disappearance to the police, saying that a reptile was missing.
Police released a photo of the green snake coiled around itself, calling on residents to stay at home and not try to capture the reptile themselves. Sniffer dogs and snake specialists were mobilized in vain for several days to try to find the elusive green mamba, until the twist of theater which ended the suspense on Friday: the reptile had slipped behind a wall in plaster. The snake was “alert and active,” said biologist Freek Vonk who participated in the research. “He was able to drink enough water and is in excellent health,” he said.
“Extremely venomous” bites
The green mamba affair made headlines in the media in the Netherlands, despite the dominant position in the legislative elections which saw the victory of Geert Wilders’ far-right party. Herpetologists have appeared one after the other on TV sets and have been cited extensively in articles.
Authorities had deemed it unlikely that the tropical snake would venture outside due to the weather, but many residents remained cooped up in their homes. The municipality had called on residents to “be extra careful and not approach the snake”. If the reptile does not seek confrontation itself, it remains “very dangerous” and “its bites are extremely venomous,” she said.