Now showing: Anacondas, live in Mysore zoo

On screen, these slimy reptiles have given millions of viewers the creeps. Now, visitors to Mysore can see them live without any fear. 

Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysore became the first zoo in the country to house anacondas on Tuesday. Five young ones—two males, and three females—measuring five to seven feet will slither their way into a special enclosure built in the snake park once they get acclimatised to the new environment.

They were a present from the Colombo Zoological Park in Sri Lanka, which had an excess stock of anacondas. The special enclosure has been air-conditioned as these reptiles are weather sensitive and can live only in the right temperature.

Executive director of Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, BP Ravi, said young anacondas were chosen as large ones would pose problems during transportation.

The presentation was made as a goodwill gesture and the Colombo zoo has borne the cost of transportation to Mysore.  The gift offer was made at a meeting of zoo directors convened by Sally Walker, a wildlife expert attached to the Zoo Outreach Programme, in Nepal in 2010.

“The Central Zoo Authority cleared the arrival of the anacondas,” said Jayakumar, member secretary of the authority's Karnataka chapter. The director general of foreign trade also gave his assent for the receipt of the anacondas as gift.

Although Hollywood films have depicted these giant reptiles as man eaters, the ones in Mysore zoo are shy and non-venomous.