Thai man sparks panic after leaving his pet King Cobra in the back of pickup truck
A driver sparked panic after taking his pet King Cobra for a ride - then leaving it alone in the back of his pickup truck.<br /><br />The snake owner, who was not named, parked up and went to the toilet while leaving the 9ft long snake in the open flat-bed part of the vehicle.<br /><br />With ho human nearby, shocked locals thought the beast had slithered onto the car from nearby woodland.<br /><br />Several people fled after noticing the highly venomous reptile stretched out along the side of the vehicle in Phetchaburi, western Thailand on Saturday (August 24) morning.<br /><br />Fruit vendor Jantra Nokyoongthong, 43, said that she was terrified when she saw the snake lifting his head up from the cab parked in front of her shop.<br /><br />She said: ''I cried in a panic when I saw the snake. Everybody also came to see him but nobody wanted to get close until the owner came.<br /><br />''He told us that his snake understood what humans were saying. He proved it by calling his pet to give him a kiss on a cheek and he did.<br /><br />''Jan-Jao was very calm and also let us pet him on his head. That was the first time I ever touched a snake. I'm very amazed by how smart and how cute he was.''<br /><br />The pet owner told Jantra that he had stopped in the car park for a rest and moved the snake from the passenger seat to the back of the truck for it to get some fresh air.<br /><br />Locals and tourists were frightened after noticing the huge serpent slithering around the car, mistaking that he was a wild beast falling from a tree nearby.<br /><br />The man rushed back and claimed to be the snake owner, saying that Jan-Jaowas friendly and not harmful. Residents then gathered to pet and take photos with him.<br /><br />The king cobra is believed to have had its fangs removed in order for it to be domesticated. One bite from a wild king cobra would kill the victim within a few hours unless they were given anti-venom immediately after the bite.
