A Yellow Anaconda hatchling has gone missing from the Dehiwala National Zoological Gardens, prompting zoo officials to file a complaint with the Dehiwala Police.
The hatchling was one of seven snakes — including three other species — that were illegally smuggled into Sri Lanka from Thailand by a local woman on September 12, 2024. The snakes were seized by Customs officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and subsequently handed over to the Dehiwala Zoo for care.
According to Deputy Director of the Zoo, Kasun Hemantha Samarasekara, all six remaining snakes had been kept under quarantine and were scheduled to be showcased to the public once the mandatory quarantine period was complete.
He noted that the Yellow Anaconda is the heaviest snake species native to South America and stressed that the missing hatchling had never been part of the zoo’s existing collection prior to its transfer from Customs.
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