The newly discovered giant anaconda snake has been found dead in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest.
The world’s largest snake named Ana Julia has been found dead in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. The snake from the giant anaconda species was recently discovered by a group of scientists during National Geographic’s Disney+ series.
Professor Bryan Fry Says The Snake’s Death Is A “Senseless Tragedy”
Ana Julia, the giant anaconda, was found dead just weeks after it was discovered. Five weeks ago, the huge reptile was found residing in the Formoso River in the rural area of Bonito. Ana Julia weighed over 440lbs and had a head the same size as a human’s. Though the cause of death is still being investigated, it is gushed that the Dutch researcher who helped discover the species might have shot the reptile.
Professor Freek Vonk announced the devastating news on Instagram, saying: “With a heart full of pain, I want to let you know that the green anaconda I swam with recently was found dead this weekend.” He then described the mighty big green anaconda as “an iron-strong animal, one that has been swimming around Bonito for years.”
the professor continued, “As far as we know, she (Ana Juliana) was still in the prime of her life.” According to Vonk, she had the potential to take care of many descendants, and since there were not so many of these species, “the blow to biodiversity” could have been huge.
He then continued to shed light on the news that claimed the colossal giant snake was shot dead. But he said that no evidence was found supporting the claim.
“The cause of death is currently under investigation, and the authorities are considering all possible options,” he said adding,” It is also possible that Ana Juliana died a natural death.”
According to Vonk, “extremely large and old specimens” were extra vulnerable. He then promised to share any updates on the news as soon as he receives one.
“I will never forget her. The fact that I spent nearly an hour with her at the bottom of the water remains one of the best experiences of my life. I love you so much,” he concluded.
At the time when they discovered the creature, Professor Bryan Fry from the University of Queensland said that the sizes of those magnificent creatures were incredible. “One female anaconda we encountered was 6.3 meters long,” he elucidated.
Reportedly, several other anacondas were found in the area “weighing more than 500 kilograms and measuring around 7.5 meters long.” According to Fry, the snake found dead is different from the largest anaconda that was discovered in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Though there is a flurry of media reports claiming both the reptiles are the same, Fry has completely denied the allegation.
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“This particular specimen is not owned by a new species, but was a southern green anaconda, aka, Eunectus murinus, “ Fry said in a statement on Wednesday. Even though the dead snake was not from any record-setting new species, the tragedy was nothing short of ‘shooting a panda,” Fry added.
“So incredibly maddening,” he remarked.
Earlier this month, Fry disclosed that their work in the Amazon was far from done. When inquired about the reason, he stated that it is highly affected by the frequent oil spills plaguing the Yasuni Amazon.
To ensure the health of the ecosystem is not affected, scientists are planning to keep an eye on the reproduction of mighty green anaconda species.