challenge, “Is this the biggest anaconda on exhibit in the UK?”. They
believe that they have the largest anaconda on exhibit anywhere in the U.K.
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| Optimus Prime - biggest anaconda in the UK? |
on the 31st January at a massive 373cm long and a hefty 62 kilos in weight.
She needed 12 able-bodied keepers to control her incredible strength. This
equates to one keeper every one foot of snake! The most frightening thing
is, she's still nowhere near fully grown!
Mark Amey, owner and reptile expert at Amey Zoo said, “Anacondas can quite
easily live until they are 40 years of age in captivity. Optimus is only 11
years old, so she has a lot of growing left to do. In the wild they have
been known to grow up to 6 metres long and weigh up to 150 kilos.”
Green anacondas originate from the marshes and swamps of South America.
Optimus, and her smaller mate Megatron are fed on a healthy diet of small
mammals such as rats and mice, but in their natural habitat they would
normally eat capybara and caymans.
Lynn Whitnall, director at Paradise Wildlife Park said, “We believe we have
the largest Anaconda on exhibit at any zoo in the country, but we can't know
for certain. We're inviting any other zoos in the community to come forward
and rise to the challenge!”.
Optimus Prime is currently on exhibit at Paradise Wildlife Park in
Hertfordshire. If you know of any other anacondas that might be bigger than
her, then please get in touch with them at info@pwpark.com or call 01992
470490 www.pwpark.co.uk
