Mysore zoo will grapple with anacondas

The Colombo zoo in Sri Lanka is gifting five of its surplus Green Anaconda population to the famed Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysore. The procurement, as per a deal struck between the officials of both zoos at a recent conference in Nepal, is a first of its kind as none of the zoological parks in India has the snake species.

Deadliest reptile

The Green Anaconda is among the deadliest and longest snakes in the world, stretching to an average of more than 5 metres or 17 feet and weighing about 100 kg. Female species are bigger than the males.

Found in tropical rainforests, the snake is primarily aquatic and has high-set eyes to give it an overview of things outside despite being submerged in water.
The reptile’s olive green skin with regular dark blotches helps it to launch silent and surprise attacks on its prey, which could be anything it can overpower from smaller snakes to elephants.

The anacondas that Mysore zoo will get are young ones—two males and three females—measuring five to seven feet. The Colombo zoo had already given its consent letter to the Mysore zoo though the official consent letter is awaited in a day or two.

In the meantime, the Mysore zoo has forwarded a proposal to the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA), which has to give its green signal for procuring any birds or animals as gift or exchanges.

“Once the CZA gives its green signal, we will visit the Colombo zoo to collect more details about rearing the anacondas here,” Executive Director of the Mysore zoo K B Markandaiah said. The whole process will take six months to one year.

The zoo is now gearing up to make a suitable habitat for the snake, which cannot stand extreme cold conditions. In the Colombo zoo, they were kept in 10x 15 ft enclosures. Here, with the zoo being a sprawling 78 acres, the snake can have enough room for a ball.

Also, the enclosures will have special air conditioning and artificial lighting for providing the right warmth.

The zoo is also making room for adequate precautions, for the snakes, as widely known, are dangerous. The menu for the predators would also need some planning, as Green Anacondas are known for their voracious appetite.