A Yellow Anaconda hatchling has reportedly gone missing from the Dehiwala National Zoological Gardens.
Accordingly, officials of the Dehiwala Zoo have lodged a complaint with the Dehiwala Police regarding the disappearance of the hatchling housed at the zoo.
The hatchling, along with six snakes of three other species, was illegally brought into the country from Thailand by a Sri Lankan woman on September 12, 2024.
The snakes were subsequently seized by Customs at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and 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 scheduled to be exhibited to the public after the quarantine period.
He added that the Yellow Anaconda is the heaviest snake species native to South America and emphasized that the now-missing hatchling had not previously been housed at the Dehiwala National Zoological Gardens prior to this incident.
