New name, new life for wayward cobra snake




REAL CHARMER—Meet Adhira, the all-white cobra that went on the loose in T. O. and was taken to San Diego.

REAL CHARMER—Meet Adhira, the all-white cobra that went on the loose in T. O. and was taken to San Diego.

The Thousand Oaks cobra now has an official name. Online voters have chosen to call the famous reptile Adhira.

The Hindi-derived named means “lightning.”

The snake, just over 4 feet long and about 2 years old, made international headlines when it was loose in the city for four days in September. After she was caught, the white monocled cobra was taken first to the Los Angeles Zoo and then to the San Diego Zoo, one of only two zoological facilities in the United States with the proper antivenin for the species.

After a period of quarantine, Adhira was introduced to its new home Dec. 23. The habitat has mulch, live plants and rock ledges, which give the snake plenty of places to hide.

Because of the cobra’s celebrity, zookeepers decided to let the public vote on its name. The cobra’s keepers came up with a list of words and names native to Southeast Asia, an area indigenous to the species.

With more than 4,600 votes cast, Adhira bested five other proposed names: Sapheda (white), Krima (cream), Cini (Sugar), Moti (pearl) and Sundara (beautiful).

Though mostly white in color, the snake is not albino, as was first believed when photos of the loose cobra were made public. Instead, the cobra is leucidic, meaning it has reduced pigmentation, as opposed to albino, which means no pigmentation.

While not a threatened species, cobras are illegal to own in California without a permit. While authorities believe the snake was a pet that got loose or was released, they have yet to identify the former owner.

If you’d like to see the cobra on exhibit, this time of year, the zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours will change in March.

One-day passes are $38 for children and $48 for those 12 and older.

Becca Whitnall


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