Remember the Viral Anaconda? This Amazon Giant Was Found Shot Dead by Hunters
-- Ana Julia, the largest North Green Anaconda snake in the world, was found dead in the hands of a hunter.
Its body, more than 8 meters long and weighing up to 200 kilograms, was shot dead!
The discovery of Ana Julia made five weeks ago in the Amazon Forest, Brazil. Previously, this snake became famous after Professor Freek Vonk, a wildlife show presenter, swam with it.
Ana Julia's body is as wide as a car tire with a head the size of a human head. The news of the death of Ana Julia made Professor Vonk sad and angry. He called the hunters who had the heart to kill Ana Julia "sick people." Ana Julia was found dead in the Formoso River, Bonito region, southern Brazil on March 24. Cristian Dimitris, a wildlife filmmaker, believes the dead snake was the same one that swam with Vonk.
"I compared the features on his face, like fingerprints. This is definitely the most popular Anconda in the world, the symbol of the region. The image has gone global," said Dimitris.
The identity of Ana Julia was also confirmed by Juliana Terra, an anaconda researcher at the University of São Paulo. He called Ana Julia a "symbol of Bonito county."
"With a broken heart, I want to inform you that the giant anaconda I swam with was found dead in the river," said Professor Vonk. According to some sources, he was shot dead. But there has been no official confirmation of the cause of death. "I'm sad and angry. Are they so sick that they have the heart for this beautiful and unique animal?" Vonk said.
"There aren't many anacondas this big, and the death of Ana Julia was a huge blow to biodiversity. She was the biggest I've ever seen. We swam together for at least an hour. She seemed strangely calm in my presence," he said.
"I hope the perpetrator is found and punished. This kind of behavior must be punished severely!" Vonk emphasized.
Professor Vonk hopes the police investigation will provide clarity. He was one of 15 scientists who discovered this Northern Green Anconda species. Previously, only one species of Green Anaconda was known in the Amazon.
The discovery of the Northern Green Anaconda was published in the scientific journal Diversity on February 16. Professor Jesus Rivas, who led the research, first became aware of the existence of two species of Green Anconda more than 15 years ago. Together with his wife, Dr Sarah Corey-Rivas, they analyzed the samples to look for genetic differences.
"I have been studying anacondas for 32 years. This makes us ask, how many other species are there that we don't know about? This discovery makes us humble to realize how diverse South America's wildlife is," said Professor Rivas.
Currently, the Environmental Military Police is investigating the death of Ana Julia.(*)