TortoisesAreTerrific
Member
Cobras are one of the most iconic and distinctive kinds of snake, and yet I’ve never seen one in the flesh. Which zoos in the United Kingdom have them?
Cobras in UK zoos?
- Thread starter TortoisesAreTerrific
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London Zoo has a King Cobra which is currently being incorporated into their new Reptile House so I don't think it's on show right now, but it will be once the new building is completed and open to the public.
Also worth looking on Zootierliste on where species are kept, though it can sometimes not be the most accurate.
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Kalaw
Well-Known Member
The King Cobra is currently on-show, but most likely not for very long.
Asides from London, the only other cobras that I am aware of on-show in the UK are the Red Spitting Cobra at Chester. There are a fair few in private hands across the country (which is indeed where Chester got theirs from), and ZTL claims that Monocled Cobra can be found at West Midlands Safari Park (but I am not sure how accurate this is, seeing as ZTL, while an excellent website, is notoriously unreliable for the UK).
Sadly, cobras, and by extension venomous snakes, are an increasingly rare find in UK zoos. It is a shame, as they are fascinating, even for somebody like myself for whom reptiles aren't a particular priority.
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There certainly seem to have been a downscale in recent years, which is indeed a shame. I still remember my visit to Cotswold Wildlife Park several years back and saw a Green Mamba resting on top of a Gaboon Viper. I think they also had a cobra at the time. Now, pretty sure all three have gone.
A real shame, as they are large, active distinctive snakes that make a very engaging exhibit if displayed well. Not to mention that several species including Naja atra, N.siamensis, N.mandalayensis and N.oxiana are reported to be in increasingly perilous positions in the wild.
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
That would be Indian (Spectacled) Cobra. Add that to Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Beautiful Pit Viper, Eyelash Viper and Western Gaboon Viper, and it seems like they may have the UK's best collection of venomous snakes, although even theirs is not quite what it used to be
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According to ZTL, the UK only has 4 kinds of cobra:
King cobra: London
Monocle cobra: West Midland Safari Park
Red spitting cobra: Chester
Spectacled cobra: Cotswold Wildlife Park
King cobra: London
Monocle cobra: West Midland Safari Park
Red spitting cobra: Chester
Spectacled cobra: Cotswold Wildlife Park
I'm not really into reptiles but for some reason the ZSL King Cobra is an exception and I would always visit the Reptile House just to see it (past tense as I may never go to ZSL again now as its so disappointing nowadays). One time I saw it fed with a (dead) rat too. Its such an impressive snake.
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
Chesters Red Spitting Cobras are not on show. They are off-show but will go on show , or at least one of the three when heart of Africa is completed.
In regards to West Midlands, I’m not sure they have anything venomous anymore? Something to do with anti venoms and storage. But I’m pretty sure it meant their venomous snakes all were moved on.
Heythrop Zoo have a Monocle Cobra.
I went last October and saw the monocled cobra... so, unless something's changed in the past year or so, as far as I know it's still there.
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
Was told it a couple of months ago. I've not been to West Midlands for a while, but when I last went, didn't go in the Reptile House. But it was a head of Reptiles (at a different zoo) who told me about why zoos in the UK were not having as many venomous species anymore (as I asked why more zoos don't have venomous snakes), and its to do with anti-venoms and where councils want them stored, and said because of this a number of zoos who had a lot of venomous snakes, now don't have any and he mentioned West Midlands as being one affected by it.
I have just had a Buyagift experience at a place called Crocs R Us in Bristol - the actual pace is a Reptile Shop called Reptile Zone, but they had a number of reptiles exhibited in vivariums behind the shop, which you can only see if you are on a gift experience.
They had a number of venomous snakes (including Sonoran sidewinder, Western green mamba, Eastern green mamba, Fer-de-Lance, Copperhead, Timber rattlesnake, Prairie rattlesnake, Puff adder and Papuan taipan). They also had a few cobras - Siamese spitting cobra (Naja siamensis), Spectacled cobra (Naja naja), Forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca), King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), plus the keeper there said they also had Indonesian king cobra and Malaysian king cobra. I am not an expert on snakes, so unsure whether these are actually subspecies.
They had a number of venomous snakes (including Sonoran sidewinder, Western green mamba, Eastern green mamba, Fer-de-Lance, Copperhead, Timber rattlesnake, Prairie rattlesnake, Puff adder and Papuan taipan). They also had a few cobras - Siamese spitting cobra (Naja siamensis), Spectacled cobra (Naja naja), Forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca), King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), plus the keeper there said they also had Indonesian king cobra and Malaysian king cobra. I am not an expert on snakes, so unsure whether these are actually subspecies.
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
Crocs R Us is a cracking collection. Had a tour there earlier in the year and loved it. As you say many venomous snakes and you get to hold a Alligator at the end of it as well. They also offer you the chance to swim with Crocodiles there. I thoroughly enjoyed my day there.
Is that legal?
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
It's in a small pool, and they are juveniles and I would imagine, if it wasn't legal, they wouldn't be allowed to do it, so can only assume so.
Well, sometimes things that happen in animal-keeping facilities might not always be legal, but are inofficially tolerated as long as nothing goes wrong.
Celle: Wolf bites eight-year-old in the film zoo Eschede and injures him
Its not illegal to light a fire or have a sharp knife but that does not mean there are no associated risks, or regulations and laws in place to reduce those risks. Its worth looking at their video on www.crocsrus.com . The alligators are not large but capable of inflicting a bite that could be quite a traumatic experience, particularly to a young child. But probably a lower risk of being bitten than by a meerkat, which their website suggests can also be cuddled !
Reptile House
Well-Known Member
I always thought the decline in the venomous snake population was health and safety related, it would be interesting to find out how councils want anti-venom stored? I also wonder if anti-venom has a long shelf life? I would’ve thought that private collections would have to have the correct anti-venom?