Snake in the lake captured at last in Germany
August 30, 2018
The 2.4-meter yellow anaconda, which had been living in a lake in the western town of Meerbusch for six days, was finally caught on Wednesday whilst sunning itself in difficult to access bushes.
Sebastian Schreiner, a reptile specialist with the fire service in nearby Düsseldorf, successfully steered his boat into position to snatch the snake on the second attempt.
The operation had started the day before.
A local fisherman first spotted the snake on Thursday last week, which led to authorities closing off the lake. The anaconda was again sighted by a photographer on Tuesday.
It is unclear how it got into the lake in the first place.
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Michael Gorgs, a spokesman for Meerbusch council, said it was unlikely the owners would reclaim their pet. "They could face considerable costs," he said.
The anaconda will now be transferred to a reception center in Brueggen near the German-Dutch border.
Anacondas, which are native to South America, are not venomous and can grow up to 4 meters in length. They are one of the largest snake species in the world.
Authorities said that had it not been captured, the snake would not have survived the German winter.