Cobra Hunt Intensifies Near Toulouse as Venomous Snake Remains at Large

Overview

• Authorities in Castelginest, a suburb of Toulouse, are still searching for a spectacled cobra after multiple sightings this week.
• Specialist teams of herpetologists, gendarmes, and the RAN animal‑risk unit are using drones with thermal cameras, door‑to‑door garden checks, and metal‑sheet traps.
• The mayor, in coordination with the prefecture, has closed parks, schools, the cemetery, and the local cinema to limit any contact with the snake.
• Regional health officials have alerted nearby hospitals and EMS on bite protocols, as experts warn a cobra strike can lead to amputation or death.
• Investigators are working to identify the owner of this banned exotic species to determine if it escaped or was abandoned, a key step in judging longer‑term risks.