The city of Bonito (MS) is known for the tourist appeal of its rivers, whose waters are crystal clear, and adventure sports. But recently, another of its qualities has put the municipality in the spotlight on social media: the amazing animals.
In a video posted by environmentalist Vilmar Teixeira on his Instagram profile, a about six meters faces the camera on the banks of the Formoso river.
Also known as “anacondas” or “boiunas”, anacondas are semiaquatic snakes who live in South America. Because they are ectothermic – that is, they regulate their body temperature through the environment –, they leave the river waters to warm up on the banks, where it is warmer.
Thus, during the winter months, it is common to see them out of the water, basking in the sun. It was this scenario that promoted the meeting between Vilmar and the huge anaconda on June 29th.
Meeting with “Grandma”, the giant anaconda
At the time, Vilmar went in search of anacondas together with a fellow youtuber, with the aim of making some video recordings.
“As I know where she lives, he came to me so we could take these pictures. I was very lucky and saw this giant, which I’ve known for years”, he tells about the snake, which, according to him, is around six meters long.
“I got to shine the eye to see an animal of that size in perfect condition. I am amazed, because I see these animals frequently, so for me it is common. But the youtuber who accompanied me on the recording tried to film and started to shake – I don’t know if it was emotion or fear”, he continues.
But those who think he doesn’t feel fear are wrong. After all, according to Vilmar, it is fear that keeps him alive.
“You have to be afraid and respectful of the animal. That’s why I always keep a certain distance, since I don’t know your instinct and I don’t even know what your reaction will be”, says the environmentalist.
The giant anaconda and star of the video is “Grandma”, a nickname he got from the environmentalist, and it is just one of the snakes he knows by name: there is also “Mãezona”, “Tiazon” and “Filhona”, nicknames created together with his followers.
“I recognize the ‘Grandma’ by its size and color, because it is already getting old and anacondas, when they get old, lose their green and become grayer”, he explains. The greenish tone is what gives the name to the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), a common species in humid areas, which facilitates its occurrence in Bonito.
The “Mother”, who he also saw on the 29th, has an apparent scar on her tail that allows him to recognize her. Males, on the other hand, are smaller due to sexual dimorphism of the species, and have a different head shape than females.
Vilmar also says that, in all eleven years of work accompanying, sighting and recording anacondas, there has never been an attack by the animal. The most common reaction is that snakes feel the presence of humans and run away.
Despite your particular experience, the ideal, when faced with an anaconda, is to keep your distance and not make sudden movements. Humans are not on their regular hunting list, but one cannot overlook the destructive potential of the encounter.
After all, anacondas prey on animals such as waterfowl, capybaras, caimans and even other individuals of the same species. Without venom, these serpents use force as the main device for hunting.
To add to the set of surprising qualities, according to the Butantan Institute, anacondas are the largest snakes in the world in terms of mass. In addition, they dispute the record for the longest snake on the planet with the also giant Malayan python (Malayopython reticulatus).
The largest recorded anaconda, according to the Institute, was just over seven meters long, and there are reports of even larger individuals of the species.
Preservation of anacondas
The videos of anacondas recorded by Vilmar, which already total 766 on his YouTube channel, aim to create greater awareness about environmental preservation.
“I want my children and grandchildren to be able to see these wild animals in their wild, still in perfect condition. If we preserve the environment, we can see the animals and maintain this environmental balance between human beings and nature”, he says.
“The media and cinema have created a myth around the anaconda, which makes people very afraid. But there are a lot of lies about it, and I want to make them aware of the snake and what it does in nature”, adds the environmentalist, who has almost 50,000 subscribers on his channel.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
