The Great Florida Snake Scare of 2015 is over.
The deadly king cobra that escaped its Orlando enclosure after a tree limb fell on it has been recovered, just 1,500 feet from where it first slithered away in September, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Greg Workman told CNN.
The 8-foot snake was found under a dryer at a home, he said.
Cynthia Mullvain told CNN affiliate WESH that she heard hissing coming from underneath the dryer in her garage Wednesday and contacted authorities.
“Every time I put something in the dryer, this hiss sound happened. So after I got all the clothes in the dryer, I closed the door and said, ‘No I’m not going to turn it on. I don’t know what I’ve got.’ “
“I don’t freak out with snakes, but I started getting a little antsy after about the fourth hiss,” Mullvain told the station.
A Florida wildlife officer rounded up the snake, which is now back in the hands of owner Mike Kennedy after officials determined the owner had a safe enclosure to keep it in, Workman said.
Kennedy is facing a charge of failing to immediately report the snake as missing. He allegedly waited a day before calling authorities, WESH reported. He pleaded not guilty in a court appearance Wednesday, the station said.