JEFFERSON, N.J. — There have been repeated reports of what’s been described as a 16-foot-long exotic snake — possibly an anaconda — inhabiting a lake in New Jersey…and a herpetologist attempting to capture the critter is now saying he’s been told by authorities to shut up about it.
Lake Hopatcong, which just happens to be New Jersey’s biggest lake (meaning a 16-foot snake could reside in it with a comfortable food supply for a considerable period of time and go unnoticed due to the sheer acreage…IF it could survive any cold temps that come along), is the scene of this adventure, in which officials are advising the public that reports have been coming in of the huge snake since early this month (July 2014).
The state’s Department of Environmental Protection (the equivalent of Illinois Department of Natural Resources…and you know how THEY are) have insisted, however, that “there have been no confirmed sightings of the snake and no evidence that it’s actually there.”
“We’ve been trying to take this seriously, because if there is a dangerous creature we want to help capture it,” spokesman Larry Ragonese said. “At this point, we’ve gone a couple weeks now with a growing story of an exotic creature roaming the lake, and there’s hundreds of eyes now trained on it. If there was to be something, you would think that that someone would have seen it.”
But a reptile specialist who works for Common Sense for Animals, Gerald Andrejcak, who last Thursday attempted to capture the snake, says the creature is there for sure.
Andrejcak “said he’s known the species since last week, but was “sworn to keep my mouth shut by local officials to avoid causing a panic,” according to NJ.com.
“Now that there’s a panic, I’m going on the record,” he told NJ.com.
Andrejcak said the snake is a green anaconda, about 15 to 16 feet long. The snake has been described as a boa constrictor. An anaconda is part of the boa family, Andrejcak said.
The green anaconda is “pound for pound the largest snake in the world,” according to National Geographic. Anacondas can grow to more than 29 feet and weigh more than 550 pounds.
Andrejcak nearly captured the snake on Thursday near a boat house on South Jersey Avenue, but the anaconda swam away through his legs. Andrejcak described the snake’s head as being as big as his hand.
Turns out there’s a boat house resident at the lake, and he’s the one who understandably wants the reptile captured because he has small children there, and he’s worried the snake could view them as a food source.
There’s more here at the link…including a Twitter page for the snake…but the bigger question is: When are “public officials” doing the public they are supposed to “serve” (through the use of the public’s tax dollars, obtained by threat of force) doing a DISSERVICE to the public by attempting to hide something? We’ve been through that in southern Illinois….too many people have seen large, dangerous cats for years before the IDNR even came close to admitting they were here; same said for rattlers in deep southern Illinois. We can understand “not creating a public panic”….but stifling information lends to its own creation of public problems. And god forbid someone does get killed or disappear because of someone’s “cool” pet they let go to thrive in the wild (and it happens…ask Florida about their non-indigenous snake problem). Who’s responsible? Your opinions welcome.
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