A zoo was forced to close its doors as keepers performed a frantic search for a highly venomous king cobra that escaped from its enclosure.
The Skansen Zoo in Stockholm, Sweden - described as the world’s first and oldest open air museum - told visitors they couldn't go in on Monday.
Staff were busy inside hunting for the snake which had fled the reptile hut over the weekend.
The deadly creature, now nicknamed Houdini after the famous escape artist, had only arrived at the zoo a few days before.
Staff believe Sir Väs - which translates to Sir Hiss - could be in the ceiling of one of the buildings after the enclosure was fitted with new energy-saving bulbs.
Skansen zoo, popular with children, has been home to king cobras for almost 15 years.
"He won't come out - in theory, it's so cold outside that he would fall asleep," Skansen Aquarium director Jonas Wahlström told AFP.
"He must be a smart guy. The old lamps were too hot, which kept the snakes away."
The zoo have yet to report if the snake has been recaptured or if it is still on the loose.
The cobra making a run for it is small fry compared to what animal lovers in the Netherlands had to contend with last year.
A zoo was forced to close for a second time in 10 months after two wolves escaped from their enclosures.
It was the latest setback for the Dierenpark Amersfoort attraction, after two chimpanzees were shot dead when they somehow slipping out of their enclosures months before.
Officials said they would investigate how the wolves managed to escape - then claimed the animals weren't a danger to visitors anyway.
"The situation has been brought under control," a spokesman said. "The two animals were isolated, sedated and taken back to their enclosure.
"A wolf is not dangerous to visitors. They don’t attack people.
"We asked our visitors to go inside and ensure the situation was as calm as possible so that we could bring the situation to an end."
