NEWSDAY (Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago) 29 August 06 38 Babies For Emperor Valley

The only female anaconda at the Emperor Valley Zoo gave birth on Friday night to 38 baby anacondas. The multiple birth of anacondas was a second for the Zoo, but not unusual for anacondas, the record standing at as many as 50 in one birth.

There are three male anacondas at the Zoo. Nirmal Biptah, Head keeper at the Zoo, told Newsday that the anaconda would eat her babies as during the period of gravid (pregnancy) the snakes do not eat and are very hungry afterwards and eat anything in sight. The baby snakes therefore, had to be immediately removed from their mother.

The 38 baby snakes were yesterday coiled together in one bundle in a glass container by themselves for their protection from their mother. A visit to the new mother, said to be about 12 years old found her relaxing in water in a curled position, apparently indifferent to Newsday’s photographer. She had to be coaxed for the photograph by the keeper using a prodder.

The door was opened and Newsday’s team stepped as far back as possible, having been warned that anacondas can be extremely aggressive particularly after giving birth. The baby anacondas’ fate is yet to be determined as the Zoo can only accommodate three or four more of these large snakes.

Biptah said they would probably give some of the baby anacondas to zoos abroad. The record survival in such multiple births is 99 percent in zoos and in the wild only ten percent survive.

The new mother is 12 feet long and 12 inches thick and weighs 75 pounds. She was taken from persons in Cedros who tried to sell her to the Zoo.

The Zoo is not allowed to buy animals as it may cause theft and illegal hunting.

Wildlife officials got involved and they seized the anaconda and gave it to the Zoo.

Anacondas are found from Caroni to Manzanilla but should not be kept as pets as they can strangle both humans and other animals.

Although human death by the anaconda is rare, it is possible and has occurred. They usually have a life span of 50 years and can grow to 37 feet.

Anacondas bite their prey (usually rodents, fish, or caiman for example), then they finish the job by strangulation.

Each time their prey breathes out, the snake tightens its death grip.
38 Babies For Emperor Valley

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• TTO Press: 38 Babies For Emperor Valley - W von Papineäu, Tue Aug 29 18:40:26 2006