A Yellow Anaconda hatchling has reportedly gone missing from the Dehiwala National Zoological Gardens.
According to reports, officials at the Dehiwala Zoo have lodged a complaint with the Dehiwala Police regarding the disappearance of the hatchling, which had been housed at the facility.
The hatchling, along with six snakes belonging to three other species, was illegally brought into Sri Lanka from Thailand by a Sri Lankan woman on September 12, 2024.
The reptiles were later seized by Sri Lanka Customs at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and subsequently handed over to the Dehiwala Zoo.
Deputy Director of the Dehiwala Zoo, Kasun Hemantha Samarasekara, stated that the six snakes had been placed under quarantine and were expected to be exhibited to the public once the quarantine period was complete.
He further noted that the Yellow Anaconda is the heaviest snake species native to South America and emphasized that the missing hatchling had not previously been part of the Dehiwala Zoo’s collection prior to this incident.
