The world’s largest snake may be getting harder to find do to Bolivia’s thriving eco-tourism industry and harsh chemicals used by those backpacking the jungles of Bolivia’s lower Amazon basin. Biologists in the area are attributing lower anaconda numbers to the use of chemicals that are found in an insect repellent carried in by backpackers to protect themselves from mosquitoes and malaria. The biologists are claiming that the whole anaconda population could be wiped out in as little as three years.
Bolivia’s eco-tourism industry has exploded over the past decade. Those traveling to and through the Amazon basin use to number in the low hundreds. They now top out at over 12,000 visitors a year. Much of this increase is do to eco-tourism marketing which has placed priorities on showing off some of the spectacular and varied species in the area. The anaconda happens to be the jewel that leads most. Most are intrigued by the opportunity to have a chance encounter with the world’s largest snake.
From The Telegraph:
The high-strength insect repellant that tourists use to protect themselves from mosquitos is absolutely fatal to the anacondas.”They are amphibians and breath through their skin. The insect repellant, along with some types of sun cream, is extremely toxic. It is getting washed into the pampas and left in the swamps where tourists are hunting for the snakes.
“We are finding between 25 and 30 dead anacondas ( per year) which have been poisoned. It is terrible.”
Any trace of foreign contaminants can be quite deadly to this region. The fears are that complete amphibian populations may be wiped out and that will lead to the demise of other species in the area.
The chemical in question is the use of DEET. DEET is commonly found in most insect repellents and some sunscreens. One suggestion is to use insect repellents made with natural oils rather than DEET. The problem lies in the fact that many of the ‘natural’ repellents are less effective and that malaria is a potential problem in the area. Do you risk your life for the snakes survival? That is where the problem lies. Many people would love to go to the Amazon basin. Many people would love to see an anaconda. Nobody that I know of would take the risk of catching malaria.
Discuss: I would love to hear what you think on this issue. What could be a possible solution? The easiest solution would be to not go to the Amazon basin. We all know that that is not in the equation for many travelers. Is there a safe insect repellent that works? Leave your comments below.
The current anaconda population is said to number around 200 in the Amazon basin. Biologists are also stating that the chance one has of encountering the Anaconda in it’s natural habitat is 1 in 10. Has the species been limited enough to take that ‘chance’ out of the equation when it comes to deciding on an Amazonian visit?
Anacondas are an amazing species. Most horror movies involving snakes, involve the Anaconda. They are not poisonous, but their size and the ability to take, smother, and eat a human being have given them a reputation for being one of the world’s more dangerous species. I think that intrigue will always draw people to search them out. Perhaps Bolivia needs to find a better way of marketing their eco-tourism packages and spreading the word about the dangerous effects of DEET on their highly sought after environment.
Who writes this stuff?? Anacondas are amphibians? Breath through their skin? Dead from exposure to DEET? This is all pseudo-scientific nonsense. Anacondas are snakes, which are reptiles, which have tough, keratinized scales in their skin. Keratinized epidermis prevents moisture, and hence oxygen, loss through the skin. Again, who writes this junk?