Brazil: deforestation sends snakes slithering to city

[Judi Lynn]

Brazil: deforestation sends snakes slithering to city

www.chinaview.cn 2008-03-13 15:35:12

BEIJING, March 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Snakes are increasingly invading the eastern Amazon's largest city, driven from the rain forest by destruction of their natural habitat, the government's environmental protection agency said Tuesday.

The agency, known as Ibama, has been called out to capture 21 snakes this year in Belem, a sprawling metropolis of 1.5 million people at the mouth of the Amazon River, Ibama press officer Luciana Almeida said by telephone.

In normal years, Ibama gets no more than one or two calls a month, she said. No poisonous snakes were reported, but the captured snakes included a 10-foot anaconda, usually a jungle recluse.

"People are scared," she said. "Imagine finding a 3-meter snake in your plumbing. Deforestation destroys their habitat, so they come to the city."

More:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/13/content_7782564.htm

[Nihil]

1. Sounds pretty damn painful to me ...

> "Imagine finding a 3-meter snake in your plumbing."

:hurts:

"Hey baby, wanna see my 3 metre snake?"

Soon to be filmed as "Snakes on a Drain" ...

On a boringly serious note, I'm glad that the snakes are doing this
as it might bring the problem of deforestation home to more people
(if you'll pardon the pun).

[phantom power]

2. who to call...? St Peter or Samuel Jackson?