Indian Cobra Hunt Intensifies in Castelginest as Schools and Parks Stay Shut

Overview

• Search teams, which expanded operations Thursday, are using specialized firefighters, gendarmes, traps and drone thermal cameras, yet the cobra has not been located.
• The mayor’s order keeps parks, gardens, sports grounds, schools and the local college closed, and sports events have been called off to limit risk.
• The prefect urged residents to avoid the search zone, report any sighting by calling 18 or 112, and take photos only from a safe distance.
• Regional emergency services and poison-control centers are on pre-alert with the appropriate antivenom ready in case of a bite.
• Investigators have found no authorized owner nearby and are probing possible illegal detention under France’s strict venomous-animal rules, which require a capacity certificate and carry possible prison terms and heavy fines.