A 72-year-old lady was surprised to find a yellow anaconda (Eunectes Notaeus) in the backyard of a house in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul. The episode was recorded this Thursday (26), in the municipality of Miranda (MS).
When she called the Military Environmental Police (PMA) at around 09:00, the elderly woman still did not know it was a yellow anaconda, and only described the snake as “big”. At the resident’s home, located in downtown Miranda (MS), police confirmed that it was a Eunectes Notaeus. At about three meters, the anaconda was found in a chicken coop.
According to the PMA, the anaconda was caught with a special hook and placed in a lock-up box. “The snake was healthy and was released in an area of springs and vegetation far from the city,” says an excerpt from a note from the police institution.
During the release, the snake even blew up a chicken that had pawed in the resident’s house. The behavior may be related to the stress caused by capture.
“This anaconda is very common in the Miranda region”, tells ((o))eco the biologist and veterinarian Paula Helena Santa Rita, coordinator of the vivarium at the Dom Bosco Catholic University (UCDB), which is part of the Technical Animal Rescue group of the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul (Gretap/MS).
The fact that the episode was recorded in a municipality that is part of the Pantanal, she says, may affect the appearance of the sighting. But habitat loss and reduced food supplies may also cause this type of episode to increase.
“For snakes, two ‘natural’ factors increase sightings: foraging or reproduction. But the loss of habitat intensifies the movement of these animals,” he adds.