#Constrictor #snake #discovered #Freek #Vonk #Amazon #dead
Freek VonkFreek Vonk with the constrictor snake he discovered a few months ago in Brazil
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 21:42
A constrictor snake that Freek Vonk discovered a few months ago in Brazil has been found dead. The biologist wrote this on Instagram.
He says he has heard from various sources that the snake was shot dead, although there is no official confirmation of the cause of death yet. “I’m so sad and so angry at the same time!”
Vonk discovered the anaconda species in February in the north of the Amazon region with fourteen biologists and scientists from other countries. The snake, almost seven meters long, was named northern green anaconda.
It was “a very strong animal”, writes Vonk. “As far as we know, she was super healthy and still in the prime of her life, so she could have produced many more offspring in the years to come.” According to him, the fact that this is no longer possible is “a blow to biodiversity”.
Colossus of an animal
Previously, only one species of anaconda was known to occur in the entire Amazon region. The species discovered in February had a different DNA and, according to scientists, only occurred in northern South America, in countries such as Venezuela, Suriname and Guyana. That is why this type was called the northern variant.
In his Instagram post, Vonk looks back on the moment he swam with the northern green anaconda. “I was in complete shock when I saw how big she was! It was the largest snake I had ever seen with my own eyes. A colossus of an animal. I swam next to her for at least an hour. And the intriguing thing was that she seemed completely unperturbed by my presence.”
The biologist hopes that “the perpetrators will be found and prosecuted, because this type of behavior must be severely punished.” “This was truly a formidable snake, one of a kindand she did NOT deserve this…”
Naturalis had kept the northern anaconda in strong water for over fifty years, without knowing that it was this special species:
Freek Vonk discovers new snake species: ‘Giant surprise’
