An MTA bus driver made eight stops along his route last Saturday before he happened to notice that one of his passengers was taking up a ton of space in the back of the bus because it was a giant snake.
The reptile, believed to be a boa constrictor, rode the B12 in Brooklyn until the driver discovered the creature and immediately turned the bus around and headed back to the depot, which apparently only had that one nonhuman rider. The snake was pulled off the bus — though he was kind of lodged into the panels, apparently making his way to the engine — and given to Animal Care and Control. The Post reports that another driver said he thought he saw someone bring a snake on the bus, but assumed he’d take his exotic pet with him when he got off. It apparently took some time for anyone to see something, say something.
The boa constrictor, however, was a pretty tame visitor compared to the extremely poisonous Indian cobra that stowed away in a cargo ship bound for Port Elizabeth, New Jersey. Workers spotted the hooded snake, whose bite is deadly, and called in scientists from the Bronx Zoo. The Bronx Zoo folks, armed with anti-venom, found and captured the female cobra, whom they named Sana for the ship. She is now staying at the Bronx Zoo and is probably pretty happy that she got a free ride into the city instead of having to take the Port Authority bus to get out of Jersey.
