Missing king cobra found hissing behind dryer

OCOEE, Fla. — Elvis has slithered back into the building.

The missing king cobra snake was returned to its owner's home Wednesday in this Orlando suburb after being on the loose for more than a month and ending up behind a dryer in a garage.

The 8-foot snake was found at a home here, about a half mile from where its owner, Mike Kennedy, reported it missing in early September, according to WKMG-TV, Orlando.

The homeowner, Cynthia Mullvain, who discovered Elvis behind her dryer called Orange County Animal Control, which retrieved the king cobra and returned it to Kennedy, officials said.

"She didn't know exactly what kind of snake it was," animal services officer Billy Ledford said. "All she knew was that it was a very large snake."

Elvis put up a fight before being caught, Ledford said.

"I did notice when I was there it was acting aggressive and, of course, was hissing," Ledford said.

8-foot-long Cobra still loose in Florida

Three animal control officers were needed to capture the 8-foot snake using special tongs. The snake was too large for a traditional snake box so they placed the angry Elvis in a cat cage and put it in a soft carrier for extra security.

No one was injured. A microchip inside the snake confirmed it was the missing cobra.

Kennedy's wife, Valerie Kennedy, said she was happy to have Elvis back home.

"We're thankful," Valerie Kennedy said. "We're thankful for law enforcement and what everyone's done for us."

Mike Kennedy, a cast member of the Discovery Channel's Airplane Repo, was in court Wednesday on a misdemeanor charge for waiting more than two days before reporting the snake's escape to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. He pleaded not guilty and is seeking a jury trial.

The wildlife commission stopped actively searching for the missing king cobra weeks after the snake's escape. Students at a nearby elementary school weren't allowed outside for recess during the early days of the search.

And a witty Twitter user even created an account for the missing snake with the tagline, "I'm on the loose in Orlando. Keep Away!"

By late Wednesday, one post on the Orlando King Cobra account said, "Singing the Folsom Prison Blues tonight. Oh well at least I get three squares a day now."

Later posts show the snake posing on a postcard from Paris and promising to share vacation photos. "I wasn't hiding under the dryer all this time," one tweet said.

Contributing: The Associated Press