Pa. woman uses shovel to kill cobra slithering on her patio

FALLS, Pa. — A Pennsylvania woman used a shovel to kill a cobra she saw slithering on the patio of her apartment.

Kathy Kehoe says the squawking of some blue jays outside her unit caught her attention Monday. When she looked outside, she saw a 4 to 5-foot-long serpent.

Kehoe, 73, says she noticed the lateral spot commonly found on cobras and nudged its tail. When it rose and spread its hood, she realized it was a cobra.

Her apartment complex in Falls, Wyoming County, just northwest of Scranton, is the same one where officials removed 20 venomous snakes from another apartment in March. Officials aren’t sure if the cobra had escaped from that unit.

Wildlife officials say people who spot snakes should call police and let experts handle the situation.