Raleigh owner of escaped zebra cobra is facing 40 charges, police say
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Snake scare in Raleigh, and the aftermath
In the summer of 2021, a venomous zebra cobra was on the loose in a North Raleigh neighborhood, an incident that captured the region’s attention. The incident prompted the city of Raleigh to enact a new exotic animal ordinance. Here is coverage from The News & Observer.
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Raleigh Police Department confirmed charges Wednesday against the owner of an escaped venomous spitting zebra cobra.
Christopher Gifford of Chaminox Place faces 40 charges related to his escaped snake and other venomous snakes — but they are all misdemeanors under North Carolina law.
Gifford’s attorney, Anna Smith Felts, confirmed to The News & Observer that one of the charges against Gifford alleges that the cobra escaped its enclosure in November 2020 and that he did not report the snake missing at that time.
Gifford’s cobra was reported outside a home on Sandringham Drive, about a half-mile from Gifford’s home, on Monday, June 28, and captured by Raleigh animal control officers the following Wednesday evening. The day before the capture, Raleigh police and animal control searched Gifford’s home and removed something in a large plastic bucket.
Gifford’s social media presence has revealed that he keeps a large collection of deadly reptiles, including monocled cobras, rattlesnakes, Gaboon vipers and even a green mamba, which bit him in March, requiring antivenom from a South Carolina zoo.
The snakes were all kept in the basement of the home owned by Chris Gifford’s parents, Keith and Rebecca Gifford.
Gifford’s collection of videos, filmed almost daily for more than a year, sometimes show him playing with venomous snakes in his yard or driveway.
One of the misdemeanor charges against Gifford states that he did not notify law enforcement of the snake’s escape, as required by state law.
Thirty-six of the misdemeanors are for keeping venomous snakes in improper enclosures. Three charges were related to snakes in containers that were mislabeled.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said Gifford is scheduled to appear in court on the charges on Aug. 6.
According to Freeman, whether someone faces active jail time for misdemeanors such as these, “largely is a combination of the offense and the prior record level of the individual.”
Freeman noted that Gifford is someone who, if convicted for the charged offenses, would receive a probationary sentence.
Police have so far not answered questions about how Gifford’s snake escaped and whether or not snakes were removed from his home last week.
Few laws to enforce here
Raleigh and Wake County have no ordinances against keeping exotic or venomous animals, though Raleigh City Council member David Knight said he plans to propose an ordinance restricting ownership of wild dangerous animals.
North Carolina has no laws against keeping, breeding or selling non-native venomous reptiles, but does have rules about how the animals should be kept, and about reporting escaped animals.
In addition to noting that venomous snakes can’t be used to harm or harass people, North Carolina’s Article 55, “Regulation of Certain Reptiles” says snakes must be housed in a sturdy, secure enclosure designed to be escape-proof, bite-proof and having an operable lock.
Each enclosure must be clearly and visibly labeled “Venomous Reptile Inside,” with the scientific name, common name, appropriate antivenom and owner’s identifying information noted on the container, the law says.
In addition, a written bite protocol with emergency contact information, local animal control office, the name and location of suitable antivenom, first aid procedures, treatment guidelines and an escape recovery plan must be within sight of permanent housing. A copy must accompany the transport of any venomous reptile.
Finally, if a venomous reptile escapes, the owner must immediately notify local law enforcement, the law says.
A call for stricter rules
In the days after the snake’s capture, local lawmakers have vowed to propose new laws that would prohibit citizens from keeping dangerous wild animals.
On Tuesday, Knight said he would propose an ordinance that would restrict ownership of “wild dangerous animals” in Raleigh, including but not limited to venomous snakes. Knight aims to propose the ordinance when the council returns from its break in mid-August.
On Wednesday, state Sen. Wiley Nickel, a Democrat who represents Wake County, says he is planning to introduce legislation for a new state law in as little as two weeks, describing the incident as “a wake-up call.”
Orange County has a local law that makes it illegal to “keep, shelter, feed, harbor, or take care of any wild and dangerous animal” within the county, including reptiles which are poisonous, crushing or giant.
This story was originally published July 7, 2021 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Raleigh owner of escaped zebra cobra is facing 40 charges, police say."
