Owner of venom-spitting cobra faces 40 misdemeanor charges

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The owner of a venom-spitting cobra that escaped in a Raleigh neighborhood is facing 40 misdemeanor charges, according to Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.

Christopher Gifford, 21, faces 40 charges for violating a state statute regulating the ownership of venomous reptiles.

Included were 36 counts of improper enclosure, three counts of mislabeled enclosures, and one count of failure to report the escape, Raleigh police said.

The zebra cobra escaped and was spotted in a northwest Raleigh neighborhood. It was reported by a 911 caller on June 28. Animal control caught the snake on June 30.

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