The Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital at Sandy Bay, Hong Kong Island. Photos: Google Maps, HK Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department
The Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital at Sandy Bay, Hong Kong Island. Photos: Google Maps, HK Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department

A staff member spotted a venomous meter-long Chinese cobra in a floor-drying machine in a pediatric hospital in Sandy Bay on Hong Kong Island early on Monday.

At around 3am, the staffer heard some strange sounds coming from a room at the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital, Apple Daily reported. Checking the room, the staffer found a snake inside the drying machine.

Staff immediately sealed the dryer with tape and moved it to the ground floor. They then called the police, who brought in a snake expert.

The expert used a net to catch the reptile, which was identified as a four-year-old male Naja atra, a venomous snake species more commonly known as the Chinese cobra. It was nearly a meter long.

It was taken away by the snake expert for further inspection.