The biggest snake In the world, was found dead just a week after being discovered in the Amazon rainforest.
A group of scientists found this giant anaconda about five weeks ago. They were filming for a show on National Geographic’s Disney+ series called Pole to Pole with Will Smith. There, they discovered this massive snake named Ana Julia in the Formoso River. It was a rural area of Bonito in southern Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul State.
Ana Julia, a type of giant snake called a Northern Green Anaconda, was incredibly long at 26 feet and weighed more than 440 pounds. Some think the snake was shot, but Professor Vonk is still figuring out how Ana Julia died.
However, he shared an Instagram post, blaming the hunters who killed her, saying it was cruel to harm such a beautiful animal. He also mentioned how Ana Julia was healthy and could have had many babies. Also, he mentioned that her death is a big loss for biodiversity.
However, Professor Vonk said before that someone shot the snake, but now he says there’s no proof yet.
“The cause of death is currently still being investigated, considering all possible options. So it’s also possible that she died a natural death.” he mentioned.
The scientists carefully studied Ana Julia’s DNA and found it was 5.5% different from other anacondas. When the researchers found Ana Julia, Professor Bryan Fry from The University of Queensland said:
“The size of these magnificent creatures was incredible – one female anaconda we encountered measured an astounding 6.3 meters long.”
He also mentioned that “There are anecdotal reports from the Waorani people of other anacondas in the area measuring more than 7.5 meters long and weighing around 500 kilograms.”
However, we can finally say that Ana Julia’s death affects more than just the rainforest. There are only a few giant snakes like her, so losing her is a big loss. These top predators are really important for keeping nature balanced. They help lots of other animals survive.
As we think about Ana Julia, we need to remember to protect animals like her. The Amazon forest, home to various plants and animals, faces significant issues. That is deforestation, climate change, and human encroachment. Ana Julia’s death shows us that what we do can hurt nature a lot.
