No, a Truckload of King Cobras Didn’t Just Cause Chaos on a Wyoming Road

“We would like to clarify that a commercial vehicle carrying cobras did NOT overturn on I-25 near Casper,” Wyoming State Highway Patrol says.

A viral Facebook post from July 30, claiming a tractor-trailer overturned near Casper, Wyoming, releasing thousands of king cobras, garnered significant attention from local law enforcement.

The post, published by “Casper Planet,” bore the sensational headline, “Semi Truck Accident on I-25 Near Casper Releases Hundreds of King Cobras.” The article described an extraordinary incident where a shipment of king cobras from a scientific research lab was supposedly released onto the highway following an early morning crash.

The post spurred a frenzy of online searches for terms like “king cobras Wyoming” and “king cobra crash,” according to Google Trends data.

To clarify the situation:

THE QUESTION

Did a tractor-trailer full of king cobras spill on a Wyoming highway?

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

No, a tractor-trailer full of king cobras didn’t spill on a Wyoming highway. The rumor originated from a satirical Facebook post.

The post was made by Casper Planet, a page known for satire. The page later updated its post, noting the story was fabricated.

The Wyoming Highway State Patrol also debunked the rumor on their Facebook page. “There is no danger to the public and I-25 is open. Please stay calm and rely on official sources for accurate information,” they stated in their July 30 post.

Justin Hathaway, the founder of Casper Planet, expressed surprise that the police needed to intervene. “They definitely have better things to do than deal with imaginary cobras,” he told VERIFY.

Casper Planet’s Facebook profile makes it clear the page deals in satire, humor, and opinion, often using fictitious names and locations. An auto-reply message to inquiries stated, “We are satire if you are asking, we get that a lot.”