After two months of discovery, the nearly 8-meter-long green anaconda named Ana Julia was shot dead by hunters on March 24 in the Amazon rainforest.
End of an Era: World’s Largest Anaconda Ana Julia Shot Dead
A group of 15 international biologists discovered the northern green anaconda back in February 2024 and identified it as a new species based on DNA differences of 5.5% compared to other anaconda species. The motionless body of the 7.9-meter-long Ana Julia was found on the Formoso River in the rural area of Bonito in the southern Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Mail reported on February 26. Professor Freek Vonk, a biologist in the team that discovered the new snake species, expressed sadness and anger upon hearing of Ana Julia’s death.
“I have heard from various sources that the female anaconda was shot dead, although there has been no official confirmation of the cause of death. As far as we know, the snake was extremely healthy and in the early stages of its life, so it could have given birth to many offspring in the coming years. Since there aren’t many giant snakes like this one around, this is a significant loss to ecological diversity. It’s the largest snake I’ve ever seen,” Vonk shared.
Biologists had captured moments swimming with Ana Julia last month, where the snake was as wide as a tire and weighed up to 200 kg. Wildlife filmmaker Cristian Dimitris confirmed that the dead snake was the one swimming with Vonk after comparing distinctive marks similar to fingerprint ridges on its face. An anaconda expert and researcher at the University of São Paulo, Juliana Terra, also confirmed the information and referred to Ana Julia as an “icon of the Bonito region.”
Before the discovery, only one species of green anaconda, also known as the giant anaconda, had been recorded in the Amazon. Along with 14 scientists from nine other countries, Vonk discovered that the world’s largest snake, the green anaconda, actually consists of two different species. The northern green anaconda found in South America’s northern region, including Venezuela, Suriname, and French Guiana, appears to be an entirely different species. Although the two anaconda species look nearly identical at first glance, the genetic difference between them is 5.5%. That figure is significant as humans and chimpanzees have a genetic difference of only about 2%.
The research team named the new species Eunectes akayima in Latin, meaning northern green anaconda. Currently, they express concerns about the risks this snake species faces in the face of climate change and deforestation in the Amazon. More than 1/5 of the Amazon rainforest has disappeared, more than 30 times the size of the Netherlands. “The survival of giant snake species is closely linked to protecting their natural habitats,” researchers emphasize.