A giant green anaconda has been found dead in the Brazilian Amazon, possibly shot

A giant anaconda has been found dead in the Brazilian Amazon, possibly killed by a gunshot wound, according to a Dutch researcher who studies snakes and recently helped discover a giant anaconda that was a contender for the world's largest snake.

The snake found dead is not the same as the largest anaconda discovered in the Ecuadorian Amazon, despite a wave of media reports saying it is, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. Professor Brian FryWho led a team of scientists with the help of indigenous people Huaorani people Who discovered a new type of green anaconda while filming “From Pole to Pole with Will Smith,” a National Geographic series that will stream on Disney+.

“This particular specimen was not a new species but a southern green anaconda (Eunectes murinus),” Fry told USA TODAY on Wednesday.

Learn about the northern green anaconda: The new snake species is said to be the largest ever found

“Fantastic creatures”: New photos show the largest anaconda ever recorded

What we know about the green anaconda being found dead

Professor Frick Funk, who was part of the team that first found the southern green anaconda, which has since been killed, Share the news in an Instagram post “With great pain in my heart, I want to tell you that the big green anaconda I swam with was found dead in the river this weekend,” he said.

The snake's name is Anna Julia ThIt was also discovered in the Formoso River in the rural Bonito region of southern Brazil. According to The Independent newspaper. It is 26 feet wide and weighs about 440 pounds.

He added: “I heard from several sources that she was shot dead, although there is no official confirmation of the cause of death yet. I am very sad and angry at the same time!” he wrote.

“Authorities have yet to find any evidence that this beautiful green anaconda was shot and killed,” the update late Tuesday said. Funk shared on his Instagram account.

Snake's death a 'senseless tragedy'

Even if the killed snake was not a new record-setting species, Fry told USA TODAY that its death was a “senseless tragedy on the level of someone shooting a panda.”

“It's incredibly crazy,” he said.

Fry's team's work in the Amazon is far from over. Pollutants like cadmium and lead have made their way into “the delicate fabric of this ecosystem as consequences of the recurring oil spills that have plagued the Yasuni Amazon region,” he shared with USA TODAY last month.

Scientists hope to monitor the reproduction of green anaconda species to gain greater insight into the overall health of the ecosystem.

“These types of very large and old specimens are the most at risk,” Funk said. “If there is more news, I will of course share it immediately.” “The fact that I spent over an hour with her at the bottom of the river remains one of my most breathtaking experiences in nature – and I will never forget it! I love you so much. I love you.”