A nearly 18-pound king cobra was spotted winding its way around the bars outside apartment windows in southwestern China, bringing the venomous snake right up to residents' homes.
Here's what to know
The snake reportedly emerged from a nearby hill in Liupanshui, according to BroBible. The cobra was not thought to have been kept as a pet.
Metal bars guarded the building's windows, and the footage captured the cobra threading around those barriers. TMZ shared the video on social media, crediting Marija Stojkoska/NEWSFLASH for the footage.
Residents reported no harmful contact with the cobra.
More background
King cobras can grow to 18 feet long, and the largest specimens weigh more than 20 pounds.
Despite the hood and the name, king cobras aren't true cobras. They belong to their own genus, Ophiophagus.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
Encounters like this one are often tied to habitat loss. Urban expansion and development can push animals out of their natural habitat and closer to people, making run-ins like this more likely.
"Talk about a nightmare neighbor … residents of an apartment building in China got the scare of a lifetime when a massive, nearly 18-pound king cobra came slithering right past their windows … and it's all on video," TMZ wrote.
Where can I learn more?
Residents elsewhere in Asia have also found king cobras close to home. These stories cover cobras found in homes across the region and an unusual nesting discovery in China.
• In Thailand, a nearly five-meter black king cobra appeared inside a home during rainy weather.
• In Bali, 18 king cobras were removed from homes in three months.
• In China's Yunnan province, two king cobras guarded a nest containing 72 eggs.
• In Bihar, a king cobra confronted a python inside a family's home compound.
• In the Philippines, a homeowner found a juvenile Luzon king cobra indoors.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
