A reptile specialist leading the search for a snake on the loose in Lake Hopatcong now says it is a green anaconda, not a boa constrictor, as officials had maintained.
Gerald Andrejcak told NJ.com that he was told by a local animal control officer to keep quiet about the true species to avoid raising public panic.
“These things are not man-eaters. They are not man-killers. They are not going to hunt human beings to satisfy their hunger. They want to be left alone. Just like we do,” Andrejcak said.
The lake was filled with boaters late Monday. Rosco Young and his friends said they saw it.
“It was humongous. I’ve never seen such a thing. So we just obviously took the boat away,” Young said.
Andrejcak said he would be back out at the lake later in the week with local animal control to try and catch the snake.
Agencies/Canadajournal