I used to live at the gate to Ft. Bragg as a youngster when my Dad was stationed there. I was about 9 or so. In the part of the base adjacent to where we lived we “discovered” a rice paddy and village replica and a zoo of jungle animals. We befriended and fed the coati mundi. It was near the fitness trail if anyone was there in the early seventies. Maybe it escaped from there.
Also, in my neighborhood was an exotic animal dealer. He sold the record King Cobra for the movie SSSSSSSSS. I saw it in his basement and it scare me to death. Huge snake.
I’ve got you beat.
In my town, there’s an exotic animal dealer next to a daycare center, and last year they painted 12 huge cobras on the side of the building on a hill right above the daycare’s outdoor playground.
It’s absolutely hilarious to drive by and see all of the kids playing in the sadows of such an evil looking mural.
Oh man!!! My parents took me to the drive-in to see that movie when I was like 6 years old and it scared the HELL out of me! My parents were young and dumb and saw no harm in taking me to see movies like “SSSSSSSSS”, “Death Race 2000”, “The Devil’s Rain” and of course my favorite, “Phantom of the Paradise”! I still bear the psycho-logical scars to this day!