[1]The Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, popularly known as the Mysore Zoo, will become the first zoo in the country to house green anacondas from Tuesday.
The public and lakhs of tourists visiting the zoo can have a look at the world’s largest snake from next week. Anacondas can grow up to 20 ft in captivity.
Five medium-size anacondas, including two male, will arrive in Chennai on a cargo flight from Sri Lanka on Tuesday morning. The Mysore zoo authorities will bring them here by road. National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka in Dehiwala had gifted five green anacondas as a goodwill gesture last year.
Executive director of Mysore zoo, K. Ravi, told DC that the anacondas will be a prized possession, and the zoo would be happy to give its visitors something new and rare to see. He added, “For the first time, people will get a chance to have a glimpse of the giant snakes in real life.”
The official said that special enclosures are getting ready, and for the time being space has been created in one of the existing enclosures.
“The zoo already has a range of snake species like reticulated python, whose characteristics are similar to anaconda, and cobras. However, special arrangements are being made to create an artificial environment that mimics their natural habitat. Anacondas require temperatures around 27 degrees, and a good amount of space,” Ravi revealed.
It is learnt that the Sri Lankan government has also decided to gift anacondas to the Ahmedabad Zoo, and the consignment will also land in Chennai on Tuesday.
Karnataka Zoo Authority chairman, N. Nanjundaswamy, who visited Sri Lanka to finalise the deal, said proudly that it is a milestone in the history of the zoo.
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