Team hunting for deadly green mambas

Saying that none of the creatures had been confirmed captured, Wichian urged people not to try to capture or kill the yellowishgreen snakes of 12 metres in length themselves, because the serum for their venom wasn’t available in Thailand. Anyone who spotted such a snake should instead call for expert assistance via the hotline on 1131 or 1363. 

Earlier in the day, a widelycirculated tweet claimed a green mamba had been found on Soi Kosumruamjai, but this has not been confirmed. Wichian has also contacted the National Parks Department in a bid to track down other wildlife dealers with permits to handle such snakes, and check if any more were loose.

Pimuk Simaroj, directorgeneral of the Zoological Park Organisation, said the tipoff over the escaped mambas had come from an Internet website, and officials had not yet traced the snakes’ owner. Explaining that the mambas’ natural habitat was trees, he advised people to stay away from isolated wooded scrubland and urged anyone bitten by a snake to wash the wound and see a doctor immediately.