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TRINIDAD & TOBAGO EXPRESS (Port of Spain, Trinidad) 28 September 07 Wildlife experts want to save anacondas (Richard Charan)
Wildlife experts mounted a search yesterday to find young anacondas slithering ashore on Trinidad's south coast.
They hoped to save some of the animals from being killed by people scared of them.
Nadra Nathai-Gyan, head of the Wildlife Section of the Forestry Division, asked her game wardens to monitor the coastline for more floating islands of vegetation bringing animals from the mainland.
And Guptee Lutchmedial, president of the Zoological Society, has requested that officials of the Emperor Valley Zoo try to capture any of the snakes and relocate them to an area in East Trinidad where they could thrive.
Lutchmedial said last year, more than 30 land turtles that live in South America were found washed up on east coast Manzanilla beaches.
The turtles, which cannot swim, all came aboard debris and vegetation spat out of the Orinoco River delta.
He said several mata mata turtles, which live in fresh water in the Orinoco, also boated to Trinidad on flotsam.
Lutchmedial said as many as 40 anacondas could be born in a litter clustered together, making it possible that when vegetation from upstream South American rivers tore loose, it could take the snakes out to sea.
He said the snakes were not venomous, and should be captured instead of being killed.
Snakes ashore sightings have been made for the past month and on Monday scared bathers out of the water at Quinam Beach. There is an unconfirmed report of a man being bitten.
Nathai-Gyan said that animals coming in from the mainland were nothing new "but not necessarily snakes. And we all know how people in Trinidad fear snakes".
She said "huge mats of water hyacinth, almost like islands, are large enough to transport certain animals", including caiman and the capybara (a rodent).
Nathjai-Gyan said the Wildlife Division would be concerned if animals that were not native to Trinidad or those harbouring diseases were to make the ten-mile sea voyage from Venezuela.
Anacondas (macajuels) live in Trinidad.
Asked if the snake issue was exaggerated, she said "in the minds of the people who came in contact with the snakes, the fear is real". She said "I've asked my officers to be vigilant, because more can be expected".
She said any snake found would be taken to the Nariva Swamp, its natural habitat.
Wildlife experts want to save anacondas

"Nathjai-Gyan said the Wildlife Division would be concerned if animals that were not native to Trinidad or those harbouring diseases were to make the ten-mile sea voyage from Venezuela."

Nonsense. Animals float across every rainy season when the Orinoco floods out. Even Tapirs have been known to make it. I've been to T-dad many years ago...pretty place.
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