Captured Cobra Arrives at San Diego Zoo

A venomous cobra that captivated a Southern California neighborhood is on its way to the San Diego Zoo

The cobra that attacked a dog and sent snake wranglers scrambling is on the move again – but this time not on the loose.

The snake -- a pure white version of the typically black and white species --  was transferred from the LA Zoo to the San Diego Zoo Friday afternoon, where it will be placed in a 90 day quarantine.

The cobra relocated because the LA Zoo has anti-venom for African cobras, but this snake is an Asian cobra, and the San Diego Zoo has anti-venom for this species.

The curator for snakes and amphibians at the LA Zoo explained the three-month quarantine.

"That's what all accredited zoos do with snakes," said zoo curator Ian Recchio. "You keep it in a 90-day quarantine to safeguard your current collection. Because we don't know where the snake's been. It could be harboring parasites."

The snake was handed over to the San Diego Zoo about 1 p.m. Friday. There's no word on when the reptile will be on display because "it has been through a lot," zoo officials said.

The journey south for the snake was made in a sealed bucket, buckled into a seat of a car, in a sorta snake selfie posted on the San Diego Zoo's Facebook page.

"You know that albino cobra found in LA?" the Facebook page read. "Look who's on its way here."

The monocled cobra was spotted by a mom driving to pick up her seventh grader from school.

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"It went right in front of me, went through that gravel, went down, up and over, into this driveway," said Tanya Gray, who saw the snake crossing the road about 2 p.m. in Thousand Oaks.

Animal control officers, who were already in the neighborhood searching for the white snake, found the reptile in a woodshed after 3 p.m.

"He was just acting like a regular snake trying to get away," said Lt. Fred Agoopi, a Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control officer, who was shaken after capturing the snake. "It's a venomous snake. It's not something we're used to everyday."

The snake was taken to the Los Angeles Zoo for evaluation. Officials said they didn't know if it was venomous because they didn't know if it was defanged or had its venom sacks removed. A dog was attacked by the cobra on Monday, but the dog has recovered.

The snake's owner has not come forward. There are severe restrictions on possessing such exotic animals.

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