THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The most prized possession of the Thiruvananthapuram zoo, the seven green anacondas have grown to huge sizes with two of them weighing 60 kg each. A.S. Harshad, 40, the lone reptile keeper, is risking his life as they are unpredictable. Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Mysore, was unsuccessful in taking care of the anacondas brought from Sri Lankan zoo as they met an early death.
When these seven anacondas, which include a male, Renuka, and six females were brought from Dehiwala zoo in Sri Lanka two years ago, they were just six kg. It is the females Dilsire, Angela, Arundhati, Ramani, Menaka and Ganga who have grown more than 10 times by now. “I know when they are feeling hungry. I feed them with live rabbit and chicken every three days. Two of the females, Dilsire and Angela, have evolved into gigantic snakes,” said Harshad.
