Snakes in Singapore?!

yes I know there are plenty of fork-tongued snakes in singapore, but I mean the slithery crawling reptiles, the real deal. Didnt know they can still be found near homes, and definitely never expect a black cobra to be crawling around in the backyard (not many backyards in singapore to begin with). Yet, while I was getting ready for work this morning, I heard my russian housemate screaming. "She can't be at it with her bf, its way too early for that sort of thing", I thought. I was right, moments later I heard Marcus (her bf) yelling "bilal do you know anything about cobras?!" and I was like "yea, supposed to stay away from them". Apparantly they had seen a black cobra in the backyard. Somehow they figured out the snake is a she (aren't they always?). good guess there roomies!

I quickly grabbed my bokken (graciously given to me by lovely model Carrol), clad in nothing but my shorts and bedroom slippers, Marcus was holding a broom clad only in a sarong ("the semi-nudist cobra hunt", I should have brought my camera downstairs). and there was a really cute cat sitting and watching intently, close to where the lady cobra was now hiding under the thick vegetation. Exciting stuff.

Alas, after a lot of probing and prodding, I couldnt get the cobra to show its head. It seems that the cobra found the earlier screams of my lovely russian housemate too terrifying and high-tailed out of there before we could get acquainted. Hmm... or maybe the poor snake was too terrified of two blokes coming after it in their skimpy sleepwear. Hey I'ld be scared too if I was in it's place.