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JOURNAL SENTINEL (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) 01 December 04 Eagle man hospitalized with snake bite - Venomous African cobra later euthanized (Jacqueline Seibel)
Eagle: A man is in fair condition in Waukesha Memorial Hospital after being bitten in the hand by his highly venomous snake on Wednesday, officials said.
David Schneider, 44, was feeding a rodent to his black-neck spitting cobra about 2 a.m. at his home in the 400 block of N. Sherman St. when the snake went for his hand, said Waukesha County Sheriff's Detective Steve Pederson.
Schneider was rushed to the hospital, and officials called the Milwaukee County Zoo for help. Working with the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department, Waukesha sheriff's deputies made at least three anti-venom serum deliveries from the zoo to the hospital during the early morning hours, Pederson said.
Craig Berg, the zoo aquarium and reptile curator, said that at first, zoo officials were told the snake was an Asian cobra, and the first two deliveries were for that species. It wasn't until later that Berg learned it was an African spitting cobra.
"There is a big difference between the Asian and African snakes," Berg said, and the proper anti-venom serum was delivered on the third trip.
"I understand the swelling was severe, so I presume he received the anti-venom (at the hospital)," Berg said. However, that could not be confirmed because hospital officials would not release that information to Berg or to the Sheriff's Department.
Waukesha County Humane Officer James Stadler removed the snake from Schneider's home and took it to the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County. It was in a plastic bag, which was placed inside a cooler and put inside another plastic bag. But since the snake spits as a defense mechanism, aiming for the eyes of its prey, and because HAWS did not have the required face shields, Berg brought the snake to the zoo.
However, the zoo does not accept any animals of a type not in its collection plan and would not accept the snake. Since HAWS could not care for it either, Berg said, the 31/2-foot juvenile snake was euthanized.
"One bite from this animal can kill you," Berg said. "There is no good reason for keeping a venomous animal. You not only endanger yourself but you endanger your neighbors."
"Snakes have a tendency to escape," Berg said, and this snake could have easily fit under a door and crawled into a neighbor's home if it had escaped.
Also, treating snake bite victims is a drain on the zoo's resources, Berg said, and costs an average of $15,000 per bite. One vial of anti-venom serum can cost $1,000, and it can take many vials before the patient is safe, he said.
The zoo typically keeps about 30 vials of anti-venom on hand, Berg said, and the number of bites has been increasing. The person treated for a snake bite before Schneider's bite needed seven vials of the zoo's serum, he said.
"We don't know yet how many (Schneider) will need," he said.
Eagle Village Board President Richard Spurrell said Wednesday that he isn't sure whether the village has an ordinance that prohibits venomous pets.
"But in lieu of what just happened, we may have to talk about it," he said.
Schneider's neighbor said she had no idea that there were pet snakes in the area.
"I don't like snakes. I don't want them in my house," Virginia Barrett said. "And I really don't want them in the area."
Eagle man hospitalized with snake bite - Venomous African cobra later euthanized

I have several reptiles, but I do not have any snakes. I believe they are beautiful creatures and it sickens me that they killed the poor thing. It wasn't the animals fault that the owner was inattentive or maybe inexperienced. It's press like this that is going to kill the hobby of keeping hot snakes. I live in WI and just heard this story earlier tonite. I frequent these forums because I love to see pictures and hear all of the information about venomous snakes.