A keen snake-keeper who was looking after a friend's snake called in the RSPCA for help after the venomous false water cobra escaped his vivarium and got trapped under a wardrobe.
The woman, who wants to be known as Aimee, keeps 11 snakes herself, including a 9ft-long boa and a Mexican kingsnake - was looking after a friend's false water cobra while he was on holiday.
She explained: 'I was looking after him for a week and we were filling up his water and he made a dash for it. 'They are very flighty. They move quickly.'
Cyrus - a 5.5ft-long false water cobra - shot under the wardrobe and Aimee couldn't get to him with her hook so called in the RSPCA for help.
'He folded like an accordion, he was a lot more flexible than I expected,' she said. 'He got trapped under the wardrobe and I panicked a little bit.
'I wouldn't have worried if it was one of my snakes, which are non-venomous, but I was concerned about him being there with the kids and my other pets in the house.'
RSPCA inspector Richard Lythgoe, who was on-call for out-of-hours emergencies in the area, attended the house in March, Cambridgeshire, on Tuesday night to help.
He said: 'The snake was trapped under a fabric wardrobe in one of the bedrooms. He was stuck underneath the weight of the clothes and she felt she wanted some help in order to catch him safely.
'As we emptied the wardrobe he darted out and we were able to catch him and confine him. I have never seen a snake move so fast.
'It's always important to be extremely cautious when approaching any situation involving venomous snakes, due to the risks these animals can pose. We wanted to make sure Cyrus wasn't injured in any way so we carefully emptied the wardrobe and managed to safely catch him using my long hook.
'Thankfully Cyrus wasn't injured and was quickly returned to his vivarium. I understand he is now back with his owner and is doing well.'
Aimee said inspector Lythgoe was 'fantastic' and thanked the RSPCA for their help.
False water cobras are rear-fanged venomous snakes which originate from South America. Their name comes from the way they flatten their neck in response to potential threat, similar to the behaviour of a cobra.
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