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Spitting cobra seen on tree at Windsor Nature Park making warning displays, worker warns passing joggers

Joggers at Windsor Nature Park had an unknowing brush with danger when a spitting cobra was spotted coiled around a tree, rearing its head and flaring its hood in warning as people passed by, completely unaware of the venomous reptile mere steps away.

55-year-old cook and wildlife photographer Joanne Toh encountered the reptile peeking out from around a tree at 10.25am on 28 June.

Source: Joanne Toh on Facebook

Ms Toh told MS News that she was on her way to photograph a blue-rumped parrot at the time.

She then noticed a cleaner at Windsor Nature Park standing with a hiker near the tree on the Venus Loop trail.

She quickly realised the source of concern: a venomous snake had taken up a defensive position right next to the path.

Ms Toh managed to photograph the black spitting cobra, also known as the equatorial spitting cobra, from a safe distance.

It was coiled around a tree next to the Venus Loop path with its head reared up and hood open.

Source: Joanne Toh on Facebook

According to NParks, the cobra will raise the front part of its body, flatten its neck, and hiss loudly if threatened.

Should the warning display fail, it would then spray venom towards the eyes of the provoker at distances of over one metre.

Worker warns passing hikers of nearby cobra

Ms Toh explained that the spitting cobra had gotten too close to the path. Joggers and hikers frequently moved past without noticing it, causing it to become agitated and prompting the threatened reaction.

Image courtesy of Joanne Toh

Fortunately, the cleaner had spotted it and reported the close encounter to his superior. He waited close by and warned others about the snake.

Source: Joanne Toh on Facebook

After around 20 minutes, the snake came down from the tree by itself and slithered off before the worker’s superiors arrived.

“I’m a snake lover, of course, I feel very excited,” Ms Toh said about the encounter. She knew there was a resident “black beauty” in Windsor but had not seen it before.

Image courtesy of Joanne Toh

Her post in the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group has since racked up over 1,400 likes at the time of writing, with many commenters praising her sharp eye and calling it a lucky encounter.

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