RALEIGH, N.C. — Editor's Note: Video features zebra cobra after it escaped in Raleigh.
The man who owns a venom-spitting zebra cobra that escaped and was recently captured is now facing dozens of charges.
WNCN reports Christopher Gifford, 21, is facing 40 misdemeanor charges for violating a state statute regulating the ownership of venomous reptiles.
The zebra cobra escaped last week in Raleigh and was spotted in a neighborhood. Animal control caught the snake after a WNCN reporter spotted it and alerted police.
It was then taken to a secure facility. The snake is not native to North Carolina or the United States.
The zebra cobra spits venom from its mouth. The venom can cause swelling, difficulty opening your eyes, or with breathing.