Animal control officers tell the tale of catching king cobra

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Elvis the king cobra put up a fight, even briefly escaping, as animal control officers tried to lure it from underneath a dryer in an Orlando woman’s garage.

The snake had been missing from its owner’s home since Sept. 1 and was found Wednesday in the garage about a half-mile away.

Three animal control officers went there to capture Elvis.

The Orlando Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1GAlh6m ) reports that the snake suddenly escaped their grasp, extending his body as tall as officer Jenifer Porter – 5 feet 6 inches.

Porter backed away. Kirsten Smith stepped on Elvis’ tail, and Billy Ledford grabbed the head with snake tongs. The box that usually holds snakes was too small, so officers put Elvis in a cat cage. A report says the snake is 8 to 10 feet long.