>> male narrator: IN THE MOST
REMOTE AREAS OF THE WORLD, SOMETHING MASSIVE IS SILENTLY
STALKING ITS VICTIMS AND SWALLOWING THEM WHOLE.
>> THEY CUT IT OPEN, AND SURE ENOUGH THEY FOUND THE LITTLE
GIRL IN THE STOMACH OF THE SNAKE.
>> narrator: HISTORY SUPPORTS THE EXISTENCE OF SNAKES LARGER
THAN ANYONE HAS IMAGINED. >> A 30-FOOT PYTHON PROBABLY HAS
THE ABILITY TO OPEN ITS MOUTH TWO TO THREE FEET WIDE.
THIS WOULD LEAD YOU TO BELIEVE THAT, YES, IT COULD SWALLOW AN
ADULT HUMAN BEING. >> narrator: NOW, USING THE
LATEST TECHNOLOGY, SCIENCE EXPLORES THE WILDERNESS...
>> OH, WOW, THERE'S A BIG GUY RIGHT HERE, RIGHT AHEAD OF US.
RIGHT THERE. >> narrator: AND UNCOVERS
EVIDENCE MUCH CLOSER TO HOME. >> HOLD ON, THERE'S ONE.
>> narrator: AN EXPEDITION SEARCHES FOR PROOF AND UNCOVERS
SOME SURPRISES. >> [yelling]
SHE GOT ME. >> male narrator: WITNESSES
AROUND THE WORLD REPORT SEEING MONSTERS.
ARE THEY REAL OR IMAGINARY? SCIENCE SEARCHES FOR ANSWERS
ON<i> MONSTER QUEST.</i> >> male narrator: THIS IS THE
REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA. THE RUGGED LANDSCAPE HERE TEAMS
WITH MONKEYS, GIANT ANTEATERS, AND THE WORLD'S LARGEST
RODENTS CALLED CAPYBARAS. LURKING BENEATH THE SURFACE OF
THESE RIVERS ARE FEROCIOUS PREDATORS LIKE CROCODILES AND
PIRANHAS. BUT THE PEOPLE HERE
SAY SOMETHING EVEN BIGGER AND MORE DEADLY IS OUT THERE,
LEGENDARY MONSTER-SIZED ANACONDAS, AND THEY ARE BECOMING
ITS PREY. >> HE'S SAYING THAT THEY WERE 40
TO 50 METERS LONG. >> HE HAD MY WHOLE HAND IN HIS
MOUTH. THE SNAKE PULLED ME DOWN TO THE
GROUND SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET MY HAND BACK.
>> THE GIRL WAS LOST. NO ONE COULD FIND HER.
THE SNAKE HAD ALREADY SWALLOWED HER.
>> narrator: ANACONDAS ARE SOME OF NATURE'S MOST VICIOUS
PREDATORS EQUIPPED WITH RAZOR-SHARP TEETH AND POWERFUL
MUSCLES TO CRUSH THEIR PREY. >> THE TEETH OF ANACONDA ARE
LIKE NEEDLES THAT CURVE BACKWARDS.
>> IF YOU TRY TO PULL OUT, THEY GO IN EVEN FURTHER, DEEPER.
>> THEN IT THROWS A COUPLE LOOPS AND STARTS SQUEEZING INCREDIBLY
POWERFULLY. >> THE PREY IS TRYING TO GET ITS
BREATH. AND WITH EVERY BREATH THOSE
COILS JUST TIGHTEN UP EVEN MORE UNTIL CARDIAC ARREST.
>> narrator: HERE YOU CAN SEE AN ANACONDA MAKING A MEAL OF A
CAPYBARA. THE SNAKE SQUEEZES THE ANIMAL
THEN SWALLOWS IT WHOLE. EYE WITNESS REPORTS FROM AROUND
THE WORLD DESCRIBE GIANT SNAKES REACHING OVER 150 FEET OR HALF A
FOOTBALL FIELD IN LENGTH. THESE GIANTS COULD BE
ANACONDAS OR PYTHONS, TWO OF THE LARGEST SNAKE SPECIES IN THE
WORLD. UNLIKE OTHER SNAKE SPECIES,
WHICH KILL THEIR PREY WITH POISONOUS VENOM, PYTHONS AND
ANACONDAS ARE CONSTRICTORS, SNAKES THAT SQUEEZE THEIR PREY
TO DEATH. PYTHONS ARE NATIVE TO ASIA AND
AFRICA, ANACONDAS TO SOUTH AMERICA.
NO ONE HAS EVER PRODUCED DOCUMENTED PROOF OF A PYTHON OR
ANACONDA LONGER THAN 30 FEET. <i>MONSTER QUEST</i> IS SENDING
BIOLOGIST JESUS RIVAS DEEP INTO VENEZUELA TO HUNT FOR JUST SUCH
A GIANT, AN ANACONDA BIGGER THAN ANY FOUND BEFORE.
HE'S FLO FROM CARACAS, THE VENEZUELAN CAPITAL, TO THE TOWN
OF BARINAS. FROM HERE IT'S A THREE-HOUR
DRIVE INTO THE LLANOS. <i>LOS LLANOS</i> IN SPANISH MEANS
PLAINS. IT'S A 200,000 SQUARE MILE
SWATH OF WILD SAVANNA. >> THE LARGEST ANACONDA I FOUND
WAS ABOUT 17, 18 FEET LONG. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN A
COUPLE STORIES PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME THAT REFER TO A VERY LARGE
SNAKE, PROBABLY MUCH LARGER THAN ANYONE THAT I HAVE CAUGHT.
AND I HAD NO REASON TO DISBELIEVE THIS STORY.
>> narrator: THE FIRST STOP ON RIVAS' EXPEDITION IS HERE, THE
TINY TOWN OF MONTECAL. IT'S THE FINAL OUTPOST BEFORE
LEAVING CIVILIZATION BEHIND. HE'S LOOKING FOR CLUES FROM THE
LOCALS ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE SEEN...
AND HE'S LED TO THIS MAN. >> HE JUST TOLD ME A
STORY--ACTUALLY QUITE REMARKABLE--SOMETHING THAT
HAPPENED TO HIS COUSIN 35 YEARS AGO.
>> [speaking native language] >> narrator: THE MAN CLAIMS
THAT HIS 13-YEAR-OLD COUSIN HAD GONE DOWN TO THE LOCAL RIVER
ALONE. AN ANACONDA APPROACHED.
IN THE WATER, THE SNAKE WAS ALL BUT INVISIBLE.
WITHOUT WARNING, IT ATTACKED. [girl screaming]
THE ANACONDA WRAPPED ITS MASSIVE COILS AROUND THE GIRL.
THERE WAS NO CHANCE OF ESCAPE. [intense music]
♪ ♪ THE SNAKE SQUEEZED THE GIRL TO
DEATH THEN PROCEEDED TO SWALLOW HER WHOLE.
>> THEY FOUND HER, THEY KILLED IT, THEY CUT IT OPEN, AND SURE
ENOUGH THEY FOUND THE LITTLE GIRL IN THE STOMACH
OF THE SNAKE. >> [speaking native language]
>> THAT WAS THE LARGEST SNAKE I HAD EVER SEEN.
IT WAS AT LEAST 45 FEET LONG. >> narrator: 45 FEET IS A GIANT
SNAKE, AND IT'S JUST WHAT RIVAS IS LOOKING FOR.
FROM THIS TOWN, IT'S AN HOUR'S DRIVE TO THE REMOTE RANCH CALLED
EL CEDRAL. THIS WILL BE RIVAS' BASE OF
OPERATIONS. BECAUSE ANACONDAS CAN THRIVE ON
BOTH LAND AND IN WATER, RIVAS HAS A PLAN TO SEARCH BOTH FOR
THE ELUSIVE GIANT SNAKE. HE'S PIONEERED A LOW-TECH BUT
DARING TECHNIQUE TO SEARCH FOR THESE PREDATORS, FEELING FOR
THEM WITH HIS BARE FEET. HE'LL ALSO BE AROUND WITH
MOTION-TRIGGERED CAMERA TRAPS AND THE LATEST MILITARY GRID
SONAR TO HELP HIM PEER INTO DEEPER WATERS.
EXISTING EVIDENCE OF GIANT SNAKES IS SPARSE.
ONE OF THE EARLIEST AND MOST FAMOUS ACCOUNTS COMES FROM
BRITISH EXPLORER PERCY FAWCETT, WHO, IN 1907, SAYS HE
ENCOUNTERED A 62-FOOT ANACONDA IN BRAZIL.
LATER EXPEDITIONS CAME BACK WITH FANTASTIC STORIES OF KILLER
SNAKES. BUT MORE RECENTLY, THIS SERIES
OF PHOTOGRAPHS SURFACED ON THE INTERNET.
THEY APPEAR TO SHOW A MAN SWALLOWED WHOLE BY A GIANT
PYTHON. BUT ARE THESE PHOTOS HOAXES OR
REAL EVIDENCE OF GIANT MAN-EATING SNAKES?
EXPERTS WILL ANALYZE THIS EVIDENCE.
>> IF YOU LOOK AT THE RIBS, THEY ARE FACING TOWARDS THE BACK, AND
THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE SNAKE SWALLOWING TOWARDS
THE TAIL. >> narrator: THE PYTHONS IN
THESE PHOTOS ARE NATIVE TO ASIA AND AFRICA.
BUT THERE COULD BE THOUSANDS OF THEM RIGHT HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES, SPECIFICALLY IN THE EVERGLADES OF SOUTH FLORIDA.
THIS WILL BE THE SIGHT OF ANOTHER<i> MONSTER QUEST</i>
EXPEDITION. WITH MORE THAN 1 1/2 MILLION
ACRES OF WILDERNESS, THIS IS A PERFECT HIDING PLACE FOR GIANT
SNAKES. AS SEEN IN THESE SHOCKING
PICTURES TAKEN IN 2005, YOU CAN SEE A 13-FOOT BURMESE PYTHON
SPLIT ALMOST IN TWO AFTER SWALLOWING AN ALLIGATOR WHOLE.
ON THE UPPER RIGHT IS THE SNAKE'S HEAD, ON THE LEFT ITS
TAIL. THE ALLIGATOR'S TAIL PROTRUDES
FROM THE SNAKE'S RUPTURED BELLY. >> TO LOOK AT AN ANIMAL, FOR
INSTANCE, LIKE, A PYTHON FEEDING ON AN ALLIGATOR THAT IT WOULD
NOT FIND IN ITS NORMAL HABITAT, SHOWS THAT THE ANIMAL WOULD
ADAPT TO WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO IT. SNAKES' DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS ARE
INCREDIBLE. THEY CAN DIGEST ALMOST ANYTHING.
>> narrator: AND EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THESE EATING
MACHINES ARE ON THE MOVE. THIS IS ALSO A BURMESE PYTHON,
AND IT'S INVADED THIS MAN'S SUBURBAN MIAMI BACKYARD.
HIS STRUGGLE WITH IT WAS CAPTURED BY A LOCAL NEWS CREW.
>> [yelling] >> FEARING FOR HIS EXOTIC FISH,
THE OWNER AND A FRIEND JUMPING INTO ACTION, TRYING TO POUNCE ON
THE PYTHON, BUT CHARMING THIS SNAKE DIDN'T GO SO WELL.
>> narrator: IT WAS NO ISOLATED INCIDENT.
DAYS EARLIER, A PYTHON WAS DISCOVERED NEARBY WITH A
SWOLLEN BELLY, WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE A 15-POUND PET CAT NAMED
FRANCIS. THESE INCIDENTS ARE BECOMING SO
COMMON, MIAMI DADE COUNTY CREATED AN EMERGENCY UNIT TO
RESPOND TO SUCH CALLS. IT'S CALLED THE ANTI-VENOM UNIT.
[sirens blaring] >> THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM HERE
IN SOUTH FLORIDA. THESE ARE BIG SNAKES THAT CAN
HURT A YOUNG CHILD AS WELL AS A TEENAGE BOY OR EVEN A
FULL-GROWN ADULT. >> narrator: HANDLING THESE
SNAKES IS DANGEROUS, EVEN FOR PROFESSIONALS.
HOW DID PYTHONS, NATIVE TO SOUTHEAST ASIA, END UP IN THESE
MIAMI NEIGHBORHOODS? >> FOR MANY YEARS NOW, THESE
SNAKES HAVE BEEN VERY POPULAR PETS.
>> narrator: RON MAGILL OF THE MIAMI METROZOO HAS BEEN STUDYING
FLORIDA WILDLIFE FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS.
>> THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS, THEY PURCHASE THESE ANIMALS WHEN
THEY'RE HATCHLINGS OR NEWBORNS IN PET SHOPS, AND THEY LOOK
VERY MANAGEABLE. >> narrator: BUT WHEN PYTHONS
GET TOO BIG FOR THEIR CAGES, OWNERS RELEASE THEM INTO THE
EVERGLADES. AND IN 1992, WHEN HURRICANE
ANDREW HIT HERE DESTROYING HOMES AND PET STORES, HUNDREDS
OF YOUNG PYTHONS ESCAPED INTO THE WILD.
NOBODY COULD HAVE PREDICTED WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
>> BECAUSE OF OUR CLIMATE, IT'S SO CONDUCIVE TO THESE ANIMALS,
WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED OR THEY ESCAPE, THAT THEY THRIVE.
NOT ONLY DO THEY THRIVE, THEY REPRODUCE.
>> narrator: JUST HOW MANY PYTHONS ARE NOW LIVING IN THE
EVERGLADES IS UNKNOWN, BUT THERE'S NO QUESTION THE NUMBER
IS GROWING. >> A LARGE CONSTRICTOR CAN HAVE
50 TO 60 LIVE BABIES THAT ARE ON THEIR OWN.
SO REALLY I DON'T SEE A WAY, SHORT OF A LONG DEEP FREEZE, IN
SOUTH FLORIDA WHERE THESE ANIMALS ARE GONNA BE ERADICATED.
>> narrator: MAGILL HAS EVIDENCE THAT THIS NEW POPULATION OF
SNAKES ARE ABOUT TO BECOME GIANTS.
>> THIS IS A 20-FOOT SKIN OF A RETICULATED PYTHON THAT WASHED
UP ON A BEACH IN MIAMI, AN ANIMAL THAT STARTED OUT AS A PET
BUT NOW IS INDICATIVE OF A PROBLEM THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING
HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA. AND THE SOUTH FLORIDA
ENVIRONMENT IS EXTREMELY CONDUCIVE TO THE GROWTH OF THESE
SNAKES. IT'S A WARM HUMID ENVIRONMENT,
HAS INCREDIBLE PREY BASE, WHETHER IT BE RACCOONS, POSSUMS,
WATER FOWL, AND QUITE SUPPORTIVE FOR SNAKES REACHING MAXIMUM
SIZE. >> narrator: THE IMPLICATIONS TO
PEOPLE HERE IN FLORIDA COULD BE DEADLY.
>> A SNAKE THIS SIZE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA CAN PRETTY MUCH
PRETTY ON ANYTHING HE WANTS. THIS SNAKE COULD KILL ME THAT
FAST IF IT WANTED TO. >> narrator: WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST
JOE WASILEWSKI IS NO STRANGER TO GIANT SNAKES.
IN 1989 HE HELPED CAPTURE THIS 22-FOOT PYTHON, THE BIGGEST
SNAKE EVER FOUND IN THE UNITED STATES.
NOW HE'S GOING TO LEAD A HUNT HERE IN FLORIDA TO FIND A
GIANT EVEN BIGGER THAN THAT. WASILEWSKI BELIEVES THAT GIANT
SNAKES ARE THRIVING IN THE EVERGLADES AND MAY START
CROSSING INTO RESIDENTIAL AREAS. NOW HE'S LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE
THAT SNAKES, EVEN GIANT ONES, ARE ELUSIVE.
FIRST HE WILL SET UP MOTION-SENSING CAMERAS.
>> YOU KNOW, THIS IS ACTUALLY PERFECT.
IF I WERE TO BE A PYTHON IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, THIS IS WHERE I'D
WANT TO BE. NICE, SHADED, HOUSES ALL OVER,
EVERGLADES RIGHT THERE--THIS COULD BE THE SPOT.
>> narrator: THE PLACE HE'S CHOSEN IS THE BORDER BETWEEN THE
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK AND THE DENSELY POPULATED SUBURBS SOUTH
OF MIAMI. >> IT'LL BE GOING FROM POINT "A"
TO POINT "B." AND IF THERE'S ANY MOVEMENT
IN FRONT OF THIS CAMERA, IT WILL CATCH IT.
>> narrator: NOW HE'LL DRIVE ALONG THIS BOUNDARY IN SEARCH OF
EVIDENCE THAT FULL-GROWN PYTHONS, UPWARDS OF 20 FEET, ARE
IN FACT LEAVING THE EVERGLADES AND INVADING THESE
NEIGHBORHOODS. >> IF THE PYTHONS
ARE IN THE EVERGLADES, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF CROSSING A ROAD TO
GET IN TO THESE URBAN AREAS. >> narrator: WILL WASILEWSKI
FIND THE GIANT SNAKE HE'S LOOKING FOR?
>> YEAH, WAIT, HOLD ON. THERE'S ONE.
>> narrator: IN SOUTH FLORIDA, THERE ARE SIGNS THAT DOZENS OF
NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND MIAMI COULD BE UNDER ATTACK FROM GIANT
KILLER SNAKES. EXPERTS POINT TO THESE PHOTOS AS
EVIDENCE. THEY WERE TAKEN BY A WILDLIFE
RESEARCHER IN THE EVERGLADES IN 2005.
THEY SHOW A 13-FOOT BURMESE PYTHON, WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE
BURST OPEN AFTER SWALLOWING A SIX-FOOT ALLIGATOR WHOLE.
>> SNAKES' DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS ARE INCREDIBLE.
THEY CAN DIGEST ALMOST ANYTHING. PEOPLE SPECULATING, WELL, THAT
THE PYTHON JUST EXPLODED BECAUSE THE ALLIGATOR WAS TOO BIG,
THAT'S REALLY NOT THE CASE AT ALL.
WHAT MOST LIKELY HAPPENED IS THAT THIS ALLIGATOR WAS
SWALLOWED. EITHER A CLAW OR A TOOTH OR
SOMETHING CAUSED SOME TYPE OF PERFORATION IN THE PYTHON'S GUT,
CAUSED AN INFECTION, WHICH LED TO THE DEATH OF THE SNAKE.
>> narrator: IF PYTHONS ARE GROWING LARGE ENOUGH TO SWALLOW
ALLIGATORS WHOLE THEN THEY COULD BE A THREAT TO PEOPLE
LIVING NEARBY. >> A PYTHON THAT GETS TO ANY
SIGNIFICANT SIZE IN A PLACE LIKE THE EVERGLADES WILL FEED ON ANY
WARM-BLOODED MAMMAL OF ANY SIZE THAT IT CAN KILL AND
SWALLOW. THEY CAN ADAPT.
THEY CAN BRANCH OUT. THEY CAN BE FOUND IN SUBURBAN
AREAS. >> narrator: A 2007 U.S.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY REPORTS THAT AS THE EARTH CONTINUES TO WARM,
THE PYTHON'S HABITAT COULD START TO EXPAND AND EVENTUALLY STRETCH
FROM NEW JERSEY TO CALIFORNIA. JOE WASILEWSKI THINKS IT'S
HAPPENING ALREADY. >> WE REALLY COULD BE ON THE
VERGE OF A REAL EPIDEMIC WITH THESE PYTHONS.
JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE THEM DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN
THEY'RE NOT HERE. WHAT IT DOES MEAN IS THEY'RE
HIDING PRETTY GOOD ON US. IT'S BEEN DRY FOR THE LAST FEW
MONTHS UP UNTIL A COUPLE NIGHTS AGO WE GOT SOME REALLY
GOOD RAIN. AND WITH THE RAINS COMING IN,
IT SORT OF WAKES ALL THE WILDLIFE UP.
RIGHT NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO LOOK FOR PYTHONS.
>> narrator: A THOUSAND MILES AWAY IN VENEZUELA, ANACONDA
EXPERT JESUS RIVAS IS ABOUT TO BEGIN HIS SEARCH FOR A GIANT
SNAKE. THIS REGION OF SOUTH AMERICA IS
A HOT BED OF GIANT SNAKE SIGHTINGS.
FROM NEIGHBORING BRAZIL CAME ONE OF HISTORY'S MOST WIDELY SIGHTED
ENCOUNTERS. IT CAME FROM THIS MAN, COLONEL
PERCY FAWCETT. ON JANUARY 7, 1907, FAWCETT WAS
ON ASSIGNMENT WITH BRITAIN'S ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.
HE DESCRIBED THE ENCOUNTER IN HIS JOURNAL.
>> "WE WERE DRIFTING EASILY ALONG IN A SLUGGISH CURRENT WHEN
THERE APPEARED A TRIANGULAR HEAD AND SEVERAL FEET OF UNDULATING
BODY. IT WAS A GIANT ANACONDA.
I SPRANG FOR MY RIFLE AND, HARDLY WAITING TO AIM, SMASHED A
.44 SOFT-NOSED BULLET INTO ITS SPINE.
WE STEPPED ASHORE AND APPROACHED THE REPTILE WITH CAUTION.
AS FAR AS IT WAS POSSIBLE TO MEASURE, A LENGTH OF 45 FEET LAY
OUT OF THE WATER AND 17 FEET IN IT, MAKING A TOTAL LENGTH
OF 62 FEET. >> narrator: THIS DRAWING AND
FAWCETT'S ACCOUNT ARE THE ONLY EXISTING EVIDENCE OF THIS GIANT
SNAKE. IN HIS SEARCH FOR NEW EVIDENCE,
JESUS RIVAS WILL USE CUTTING EDGE SONAR IMAGING TECHNOLOGY
ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR THE U.S. NAVY TO DETECT SUSPICIOUS DIVERS
IN RESTRICTED WATERS. THE DEVICE IS CALLED THE
DIDSON OR DUAL FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION SONAR.
ED BELCHER AND HIS TEAM AT SOUND METRICS IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON,
DESIGNED THIS DEVICE. >> THIS IS AN ACOUSTIC CAMERA.
IT USES SOUND INSTEAD OF LIGHT TO GENERATE AN IMAGE.
>> narrator: RIVAS WILL ENCOUNTER ZERO-VISIBILITY
CONDITIONS IN HIS SEARCH FOR A GIANT ANACONDA.
THIS DEVICE WILL BE HIS EYES UNDER WATER.
BELCHER PLACES A BRICK IN THE TANK AND CLOUDS THE WATER TO
DEMONSTRATE THE DIDSON'S IMAGING CAPABILITIES.
TO THE NAKED EYE, THE BRICK IS INVISIBLE, BUT THE DIDSON SEES
IT CLEARLY. >> NOW, THIS BRICK IS ONLY ABOUT
FOUR FEET AWAY, BUT IN VENEZUELA, WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING
FOR SNAKES, THEY'LL BE PROBABLY 30, 40 FEET AWAY, AND WE'LL
STILL BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE SNAKES.
>> narrator: ONCE RIVAS FINDS A SNAKE, HE'LL BE ABLE TO
MEASURE IT TO SEE IF HE'S FOUND AN ACTUAL GIANT.
SONAR HAS NEVER BEEN USED BEFORE TO SEARCH FOR GIANT SNAKES.
AND WHAT RIVAS' TEAM FINDS COULD RAISE THE EVIDENTIARY BAR.
JOINING RIVAS ON HIS EXPEDITION ARE HIS OLD PARTNERS, VICTOR AND
RAMONE. THEY'LL BE SETTING
MOTION-TRIGGERED CAMERA TRAPS, BUT THEY MUST FIRST TRACK DOWN
BAIT TO LURE THE GIANT SNAKES. FOR THAT, THEY'LL NEED TO
COLLECT MUSK FROM ANOTHER ANACONDA.
MUSK IS A MYSTERIOUS GLANDULAR EXCRETION THAT RIVAS BELIEVES
COULD ATTRACT OTHER SNAKES. >> NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THE MUSK
IS FOR. IT COULD BE FOR DEFENSE,
'CAUSE IT'S VERY STINKY. BUT ALSO IT COULD HAVE A SOCIAL
FUNCTION, ATTRACTION. >> narrator: AHEAD SOMETHING IN
THE ROAD CATCHES THEIR EYE. IT'S THE TRACK OF AN ANACONDA.
>> I CAN SEE THE PRINT OF THE SCALES HERE IN THE DIRT.
ON THIS SIDE IT TELLS ME THAT THE SNAKE IS GOING THAT WAY.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT PRINT SIZE, I CAN TELL THIS SNAKE WAS
ABOUT EIGHT TO NINE FEET LONG. WHEN I SEE A TRACK THIS FRESH,
I KNOW IT'S ONLY AN HOUR OR TWO OLD.
SO THIS ANACONDA HAS TO BE NEARBY.
>> narrator: ANACONDAS INHABIT SHALLOW SWAMPS WHERE THEY STALK
THEIR PREY. FIVE YEARS AGO THIS PARTICULAR
SWAMP WAS THE SIGHT OF A NEAR-FATAL ATTACK.
THIS MAN, JOSE DE ESTEBAN, IS A COWBOY AT EL CEDRAL, THE SAME
RANCH WHERE RIVAS IS BASED. HE IS ONE OF THE FEW LOCALS TO
TANGLE WITH AN ANACONDA AND LIVE TO TELL ABOUT IT.
DE ESTEBAN HAD HEARD A REPORT OF A LARGE ANACONDA BY THE
ROADSIDE AND WENT TO INVESTIGATE.
>> I WAS OUT THERE LOOKING FOR ONE, AND I SAW IT ON THE GROUND.
AND WITHOUT EVEN THINKING I WENT OUT TO SEE IT CLOSER, AND
BEFORE I KNEW IT, IT GOT ME. [horse neighing]
>> narrator: DE ESTEBAN STRUGGLED TO KEEP THE
ANACONDA'S COILS FROM WRAPPING AROUND HIS BODY.
AFTER NEARLY FIVE MINUTES, HE FINALLY WRESTLED HIMSELF FREE.
THE TEAM BEGINS THEIR SEARCH IN THIS SAME SWAMP WHERE DE ESTEBAN
WAS ATTACKED. THEY CAN'T SEE THEM, BUT THEY
KNOW THAT ANACONDAS ARE HERE. IN THEIR HUNT, THE MEN USE ONLY
POLES AND THEIR BARE FEET. RIVAS' UNORTHODOX METHODS HAVE
EARNED HIM THE NICKNAME THE BARE FOOT BIOLOGIST.
AS HE SEARCHES, HIS ONLY SAFETY NET IS HIS INSTINCT AND
EXPERIENCE. >> THIS WATER'S NOT VERY DEEP.
IF I CATCH AN ANACONDA IN A WATER THAT IS TOO DEEP, SHE
MIGHT HAVE THE UPPER HAND. I DON'T WANT THAT.
THERE'S A SNAKE HERE, NOT A VERY BIG ONE.
THERE'S ANOTHER ONE RIGHT HERE. RAMONE! VICTOR!
>> narrator: THESE ANACONDAS ARE TOO SMALL FOR MUSK EXTRACTION,
BUT THERE'S EVIDENCE THAT A BIGGER ANACONDA COULD BE NEARBY.
THIS IS A TRACK RIGHT HERE. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS ANACONDA WILL
BE ABOUT NINE, TEN FEET, MAYBE THAT BIG AROUND.
>> narrator: DESPITE THE FRESH TRAIL, RIVAS CANNOT FIND THE
SNAKE. THE TEAM IS LOSING DAYLIGHT.
THE PRESSURE IS ON. RIVAS DISCOVERS SOMETHING, BUT
IT'S NOT ANACONDA. >> NOT A SNAKE.
NOT WHAT I WANT TO FIND. >> narrator: IT'S A SMALL BUT
VERY UNHAPPY CROCODILE. THE DAY SEEMS ALL BUT OVER,
BUT THEN A DISCOVERY. >> OH, IT'S VERY STRONG FOR A
SMALL SNAKE. NOW, THIS BABY IS ACTUALLY
PUTTING THE SQUEEZE ON MY ARM NOW.
IF IT'S ANY HARDER I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND IT.
>> narrator: THIS FEISTY ANACONDA IS JUST RIGHT FOR RIVAS
TO EXTRACT ITS MUSK. AT FIRST LIGHT, RIVAS WILL SET
THE CAMERA TRAPS AND TEST THE SONAR.
>> I CAN EVEN SEE HOW FAT HE IS. >> narrator: AND IN FLORIDA A<i>
MONSTER QUEST</i> DEMONSTRATION GOES TERRIBLY WRONG.
>> [yelling] OH, [bleep], HE'S GOT ME.
>> narrator: SNAKES HAVE BEEN THE OBJECT OF FASCINATION AND
WORSHIP THROUGHOUT HISTORY. FROM THE PHARAOHS' TOMBS OF
ANCIENT EGYPT TO QUETZALCOATL, THE FEATHERED SERPENT GOD OF THE
AZTECS, TO THE NAGA, A MYTHICAL RIVER SERPENT IN THE MEKONG
DELTA OF VIETNAM. TO MILLIONS, SNAKES ARE THE
EMBODIMENT OF EVIL AND THE SOURCE OF PARALYZING FEAR.
THAT FEAR IS VERY REAL IN VENEZUELA AND IN FLORIDA,
WHERE THERE COULD BE EVIDENCE OF GIANT PYTHONS AND ANACONDAS.
AND TWO EXPEDITIONS ARE UNDER WAY TO FIND THEM.
IN SOUTH FLORIDA, THE INVESTIGATION IS TRACKING
ESCAPED PET PYTHONS THAT HAVE FOR YEARS NOW BEEN THRIVING AND
GROWING IN THE SECLUSION OF THE EVERGLADES.
BUT THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THEY'RE NOW INVADING SUBURBAN
NEIGHBORHOODS. CAPTAIN JILLSON WITH THE MIAMI
DADE ANTI-VENOM UNIT HAS SEEN THEM FIRSTHAND.
>> I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 9 1/2 YEARS, AND WE'RE GETTING
MORE AND MORE OF THESE CALLS WHERE WE COVER THESE EVERY YEAR.
WE FORESEE IN THE FUTURE THAT WE WILL DEFINITELY SEE LARGER
SNAKES, MORE CALLS ON THESE LARGER CONSTRICTORS THAN WE HAVE
IN THE PAST. THE CALLS THAT WE ARE
RECEIVING, THEY ARE A LOT OF LARGE CONSTRICTORS, 7 TO 10 TO
12 FOOT LONG. THIS YEAR I EXPECT IT
TO GET WORSE. [siren blaring]
>> narrator: CAPTAIN JILLSON AND HIS PARTNER, CAPTAIN CHUCK
SEIFURT, AGREED TO DEMONSTRATE FOR<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> HOW THEY
CAPTURE THESE DEADLY PREDATORS. THIS IS A TEN-FOOT PYTHON CAUGHT
ON A RECENT CALL, AND IT'S NOT HAPPY.
THEY TRIED TO SUBDUE IT BY COVERING ITS HEAD WITH THIS BAG,
BUT THIS PYTHON IS INTENT ON ESCAPE.
THEY NEED TO ACT FAST. >> IT'S PISSED AT ME.
>> narrator: AS A LAST RESORT, JILLSON ABANDONS HIS TOOLS FOR
HIS BARE HANDS. >> MAYBE I CAN GET HIM TO CHILL.
>> narrator: HE NEEDS TO SNEAK UP BEHIND THE SNAKE AND GRAB IT
RIGHT BELOW ITS HEAD TO STAY CLEAR OF ITS JAWS.
>> I'M GONNA WALK AROUND THIS WAY, SINCE HE'S FIXATED THERE,
AND COME FROM BEHIND. I'M GONNA GRAB HIM.
[yelling] [bleep] HE'S GOT ME.
[bleep] >> narrator: WHILE JILLSON AND
HIS PARTNER ARE FRANTICALLY TRYING TO GET THE PYTHON TO
RELEASE JILLSON'S ARM, THE SNAKE IS COILING AROUND THEIR BODIES.
>> HE'S GOT A GOOD HOLD ON ME. >> CAN YOU PUSH IT IN A LITTLE
BIT? >> NO, HE'S GOT THE VEIN, DUDE.
>> narrator: SEAFORD HAS TO USE BRUTE FORCE TO PRY THE JAWS
OPEN, TEARING THE SKIN FROM JILLSON'S WRIST.
>> OH, HE GOT ME GOOD, DUDE. GO GET AN ICE.
[groaning] [bleep]
YEP. IT HURTS LIKE HECK RIGHT NOW.
THEY GOT REAL SHARP TEETH. AS I APPROACHED HIM, MY MISTAKE
WAS, I DIDN'T GRAB HIM CLOSE ENOUGH TO HIS HEAD.
WHEN I DID GRAB, I SLID BACK, AND HE WAS ABLE TO CIRCLE
AROUND. HE CAME BACK ON ME AND BIT ME
IN THE ARM. AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY GOT A FULL
MOUTH OF TEETH. HE GOT ME WITH HIS INNER AND HIS
OUTER TEETH. >> narrator: AS JILLSON
DISCOVERED, A CONSTRICTOR'S JAWS ARE ONE OF NATURE'S DEADLIEST
CONTRAPTIONS. BOTH PYTHONS AND ANACONDAS HAVE
SIX ROWS OF RAZOR-SHARP TEETH THAT CURVE BACKWARDS LIKE 100
INDIVIDUAL FISH HOOKS. THE MORE THE PREY STRUGGLES, THE
DEEPER THEY SINK INTO ITS FLESH. THIS SNAKE WAS TEN FEET LONG,
HARDLY A GIANT, BUT IF IT WAS A GIANT, COULD IT HAVE KILLED
AND SWALLOWED JILLSON WHOLE? >> [yelling]
>> narrator:<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> HAS COMPILED THIS PHOTOGRAPHIC
EVIDENCE FROM THE INTERNET THAT SUGGESTS IT COULD BE
POSSIBLE. NO ONE HAS COME FORWARD TO SAY
WHERE AND WHEN THESE PICTURES WERE TAKEN, BUT MANY ARE
CONVINCED THAT THEY ARE EVIDENCE OF GIANT MAN-EATING SNAKES.
NOW BOB HENDERSON AND RON MAGILL ANALYZE THIS EVIDENCE.
>> AND LOOKING AT THIS IMAGE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RIBS, THEY ARE
FACING TOWARDS THE BACK. AND THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT
WITH THE SNAKE SWALLOWING, FROM THE HEAD BEING THIS WAY
TOWARDS THE TAIL. >> narrator: AS DEMONSTRATED
HERE WITH THIS PYTHON FEEDING ON A DEAD RABBIT, THE HEAD IS THE
MOST COMPACT AND MANAGEABLE PART OF THE BODY FOR A SNAKE TO GET
HIS JAWS AROUND. THAT'S WHY SNAKES ALWAYS SWALLOW
HEADFIRST. THE SAME WOULD BE TRUE FOR A
HUMAN VICTIM. >> NOW, WHAT ALLOWS A SNAKE TO
OPEN ITS MOUTH VERY WIDELY ARE SPECIAL BONES THAT IS HAS BACK
HERE. IT'S CALLED A QUADRATE BONE.
>> narrator: THE QUADRATE BONE AT THE BACK OF THE SKULL ALLOWS
THE JAWS OF THE SNAKE TO DROP STRAIGHT DOWN TO OPEN UNUSUALLY
WIDE. THEN THE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE
TWO BOTTOM JAWBONES ALLOWS THE MOUTH TO EXPAND EVEN FURTHER,
TO THREE TIMES THE WIDTH OF ITS OWN HEAD.
BUT HENDERSON ISN'T SURE THE SNAKE IN THIS PHOTO HAS
SWALLOWED A PERSON. >> JUST BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE
PERSON AND THE FACT THAT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY
PARTICULAR BRUISING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, EVERYTHING LOOKS JUST
VERY, VERY MUCH INTACT FOR IT TO HAVE BEEN THE VICTIM OF A
SNAKE ATTACK AND TO HAVE BEEN INGESTED BY A LARGE SNAKE.
>> narrator: A SNAKE SWALLOWING ITS PREY IS A SLOW BUT VIOLENT
PROCESS. THE SNAKE HAS NO LIMBS TO PUSH
FOOD INTO ITS MOUTH, INSTEAD IT HAS ROWS OF CURVED TEETH THAT
MOVE INDEPENDENTLY, PULLING THE PREY LITTLE BY LITTLE INTO ITS
STOMACH. THE CONDITION OF THIS BODY
APPEARS INCONSISTENT WITH THAT OF A SNAKE VICTIM.
WHILE WE CAN'T SAY DEFINITELY THAT THEY'RE FORGERIES, THESE
PHOTOS DO GIVE US PAUSE. THIS PHOTOGRAPH, HOWEVER, SEEMS
TO TELL A DIFFERENT STORY. >> NOW, THIS PHOTOGRAPH HERE IS
MORE INDICATIVE OF WHAT I THINK COULD EASILY HAPPEN.
>> IF THIS IS THE SHOULDER HERE AND THE ARM HERE, THIS WOULD
HAVE TO BE THE HEAD. >> narrator: THIS PHOTO WAS
TAKEN IN 1995 BY A POLICEMAN IN MALAYSIA.
HE CLAIMS IT SHOWS A MAN LYING FACEDOWN WITH A GIANT SNAKE
COILED AROUND HIS BODY, HIS HEAD IN ITS MOUTH.
>> I THINK THE SNAKE COULD HAVE A REAL HARD TIME GETTING AROUND
WHAT LOOKED LIKE THEY MIGHT BE FAIRLY BROAD SHOULDERS.
>> PREY SPECIES WOULD BLEED A LOT FROM THOSE WOUNDS.
AND HERE YOU SEE THAT THIS SNAKE HAS STRUGGLED.
IT HAS TRIED TO GO BACK AND FORTH TRYING TO GET OVER THOSE
SHOULDERS, WHICH IS SPREADING THIS BLOOD, SPREADING THIS
INJURY. ONCE THE SNAKE SWALLOWS THIS
MAN'S HEAD, THE SHOULDERS COULD PROVE TO BE AN INSURMOUNTABLE
OBSTACLE. THE AVERAGE WIDTH OF AN ADULT'S
SHOULDERS IS TWO FEET, BUT IF THE SNAKE COULD GET ITS MOUTH
AROUND THE SHOULDERS, NOTHING COULD STOP IT FROM SWALLOWING A
PERSON WHOLE. >> A 30-FOOT PYTHON PROBABLY
HAS THE ABILITY TO OPEN ITS MOUTH TWO TO THREE FEET WIDE.
THIS WOULD LEAD YOU TO BELIEVE THAT, YES, IT COULD SWALLOW AN
ADULT HUMAN BEING. THE BEST PLACE TO FIND THESE
MONSTER-SIZED SNAKES IS GONNA BE IN THE REMOTEST AREAS
OF THE WORLD. >> narrator: BACK IN VENEZUELA,
RIVAS EXTRACTS THE MUSK OF THE ANACONDA HE CAUGHT THE NIGHT
BEFORE. HE BELIEVES THE MUSK COULD
CONTAIN PHEROMONES THAT WILL ATTRACT OTHER ANACONDAS,
HOPEFULLY A GIANT. >> SO MAYBE IF THIS MUSK HAS A
SOCIAL FUNCTION, WITH THE CAMERA TRAPS WE MAY BE ABLE TO FIND
BIGGER BETTER--MORE ANACONDAS. >> narrator: RIVAS POSITIONS AND
AIMS THE CAMERAS USING THE ONBOARD LASER SIGHT.
EACH IS EQUIPPED WITH A MOTION SENSING TRIGGER AND A FLASH.
THESE CAMERAS WILL CAPTURE WHATEVER CROSSES THEIR PATH
DAY OR NIGHT. NOW THE TEAM WILL TEST THE
SONAR. >> COOL.
I CAN SEE HIM. I CAN SEE HIS ARMS, HIS FEET.
I CAN EVEN SEE HOW FAT HE IS. LET ME MEASURE HOW FAT HE IS.
ALMOST HALF A METER. YOU COULD LOSE SOME WEIGHT,
BUDDY. >> narrator: AFTER THE TESTS,
RIVAS HEADS INTO THE FIELD. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME SUCH
TECHNOLOGY HAS EVER BEEN USED TO HUNT FOR ANACONDAS.
AND IT COULD LEAD THESE RESEARCHERS TO THE DISCOVERY OF
A LIFETIME. THE BIGGEST SNAKE RIVAS HAS
FOUND HERE WAS 17 FEET. COULD AN EVEN BIGGER ANACONDA, A
GIANT, BE LURKING BENEATH THESE WATERS?
>> OOH, THIS IS SOMETHING THERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.
THAT WAS A NICE--LOOK, LOOK! [speaking native language]
IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE SNAKES DOWN HERE.
>> narrator: AROUND THE WORLD, LEGENDS ARE TOLD OF GIANT
SNAKES MEASURING 150 FEET OR MORE, HALF THE LENGTH OF A
FOOTBALL FIELD. ANACONDA EXPERT JESUS RIVAS AND
HIS TEAM ARE ON THE HUNT FOR JUST SUCH A MONSTER SNAKE IN
VENEZUELA. ON LAND THEY'VE BAITED AND SET
MOTION-SENSING CAMERA TRAPS. THEIR SEARCH NOW MOVES TO THE
WATER. >> IF AN ANACONDA GROWS TO BE
TOO LARGE, HE WILL BE LIMITED TO DEEPER WATER.
THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT IN THESE PLACES I MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND
LARGER ANIMALS. >> narrator: VISIBILITY IN THIS
WATER IS ALMOST ZERO. BUT HERE THE DIDSON SONAR SEES
EVERYTHING. >> OH, THOSE ARE FISHES, A
WHOLE BUNCH OF FISHES. LOOK.
PROBABLY PIRANHAS. >> narrator: THEN SOMETHING MUCH
BIGGER APPEARS ON THE SONAR. >> THERE'S SOME SHADOW HERE.
AND I SEE THE BUBBLES RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
I'M TRYING TO SEE IT UNDER THE WATER WITH THE SONAR.
>> narrator: WHAT RIVAS SEES IS THE OUTLINE OF A CROCODILE,
AND IT'S HUGE. >> I CAN ACTUALLY MEASURE HOW
BIG IT IS. IT SHOWS NOW ABOUT 3 1/2
METERS LONG. THAT IS 14, 15 FEET LONG.
BIG GIRL. >> narrator: RIVAS CONTINUES TO
SEARCH FOR A GIANT SNAKE. IF HE FINDS ONE, HE MAY HAVE TO
JUMP IN TO CATCH IT. >> IF THE WATER IS ANYWHERE, I'M
THINKING, ABOVE MY CHEST, IT MIGHT NOT BE VERY WISE OF ME TO
GET INTO THE WATER. IF THE WATER IS SHALLOWER, THEN
I MIGHT HAVE TO GIVE IT A GO. >> narrator: THEN A PROMISING
SHAPE APPEARS ON THE SONAR SCREEN.
>> THIS IS SOMETHING THERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.
OOH, THAT'S LOOKING LIKE--LOOK, LOOK!
>> narrator: RIVAS ABANDONS THE SONAR TO SEARCH FOR THE SNAKE BY
HAND, BUT HE CAN'T FEEL IT. >> [speaking native language]
>> narrator: WHAT RIVAS SAW ON THE SONAR WAS THE DENSE AQUATIC
VEGETATION ON THE RIVER BOTTOM, NOT A GIANT SNAKE.
THE SUN IS SETTING, BUT HE IS UNDETERRED.
LIKE THE SONAR, ANACONDAS CAN SEE IN THE DARK, AND THEY WILL
REMAIN ACTIVE THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.
BACK IN SOUTH FLORIDA WHERE THE SEARCH FOR A GIANT SNAKE
CONTINUES, THE DAY IS ALSO COMING TO AN END, BUT THAT
COULD BE GOOD NEWS FOR BIOLOGIST JOE WASILEWSKI.
>> AS THE SUN GOES DOWN, THE ROADS STAY WARMER.
THE SNAKES, PYTHONS IN THIS CASE, WILL BEGIN TO MIGRATE
ACROSS. AND THAT'S USUALLY--WHEN THEY
MOVE IS RIGHT AFTER SUNSET AND INTO THE NIGHT.
>> narrator: HIS SEARCH BEGINS TO LOOK EVEN MORE PROMISING.
>> THIS REALLY IS A GOOD ROAD. IT'S SORT OF SECLUDED.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN ORCHARD HERE.
THERE'S SOME NURSERIES. THERE'S HOMES.
AND THIS IS REALLY PERFECT TO FIND A PYTHON.
>> narrator: HIS INTUITION IS RIGHT.
>> THERE YOU GO. I THINK I SEE SOMETHING.
YEAH, WAIT. HOLD ON.
THERE'S ONE! [foreboding music]
♪ ♪ >> narrator: WASILEWSKI FINDS A
WILD PYTHON THAT MOST LIKELY ESCAPED FROM THE EVERGLADES.
>> OH, YEAH. WHOO!
WELL, THIS ONE IS ABOUT EIGHT FEET LONG AND ABOUT AS MEAN AS
A PYTHON CAN BE. I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, IF THIS WERE
ONE 15, 20, 25 FEET IN LENGTH, THERE'S NO WAY I COULD GET IT
OFF. THE POWER OF THESE ANIMALS IS
JUST ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. >> narrator: OUT OF THE
EVERGLADES AND INTO THIS RESIDENTIAL AREA, THIS PYTHON
COULD PROVE DEADLY TO ANYBODY IT ENCOUNTERED.
>> IF THIS ONE WERE TO COIL AROUND SOMEONE'S NECK, THIS
SNAKE COULD ACTUALLY CHOKE OFF YOUR TRACHEA AND YOUR ESOPHAGUS,
AND YOU COULD NOT BREATH. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, A SNAKE THIS
SIZE. >> narrator: THE ESCALATING
PRESENCE OF SNAKES THIS SIZE COULD MEAN THERE ARE EVEN BIGGER
SNAKES MIGRATING OUT OF THE EVERGLADES.
>> THE BIG ONES ARE OUT THERE. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT,
BUT YOUR CHANCES ARE, IF YOU SEE A PYTHON, IT'S GONNA BE ONE
AROUND THIS SIZE SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE NUMBERS GAME.
THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THIS SIZE TO ONE OR TWO HUGE ONES.
WE THINK IT'S A YOUNG POPULATION AND IN THE NEXT FEW
YEARS IS WHEN THEY'RE GONNA START GETTING TO THESE REALLY
MASSIVE SIZES. BUT COULD BE RIGHT NOW WE COULD
SEE A BIG ONE TONIGHT, TOMORROW. [thunder rumbling]
>> narrator: A STORM ROLLS IN AND THE RAIN PUTS A HALT TO
WASILEWSKI'S SEARCH. BUT THE CAMERA TRAPS HE SET
EARLIER COULD PROVIDE WHAT HE'S HOPING FOR: EVIDENCE OF A
GIANT SNAKE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND BACK IN VENEZUELA, RIVAS PRESSES ON THROUGH THE NIGHT
AND IS STARTLED BY WHAT HE SEES NEXT.
>> OH, WOW, THERE'S A BIG GUY RIGHT HERE, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT
AHEAD OF US. RIGHT THERE.
>> narrator: COULD THIS BE THEIR GIANT?
>> narrator: IN THE WILD PLAINS OF VENEZUELA AND IN THESE SOUTH
FLORIDA SUBURBS, EVIDENCE OF GIANT SNAKES EXISTS.
IN VENEZUELA, THIS COWBOY NARROWLY ESCAPED WITH HIS LIFE.
[suspenseful music] THIS MAN SAYS HIS 13-YEAR-OLD
COUSIN WAS SWALLOWED WHOLE BY A 45-FOOT ANACONDA.
IN FLORIDA, ESCAPED PYTHONS ARE INVADING NEIGHBORHOODS...
>> OH! >> narrator: FEEDING ON PETS,
EVEN TAKING ON THE AUTHORITIES SENT TO CAPTURE THEM.
>> [yelling] >> narrator: SO FAR, NO ONE'S
EVER BEEN KILLED HERE BY ONE OF THESE ESCAPED PYTHONS.
HOWEVER, THESE PHOTOGRAPHS PROVE THEY'VE BECOME GIANTS LARGE
ENOUGH TO SWALLOW ALLIGATORS WHOLE.
AND THESE PHOTOGRAPHS WIDELY CIRCULATED ON THE INTERNET COULD
BE EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE MAN-EATERS.
ALTHOUGH THEY CAN'T BE AUTHENTICATED, EXPERTS AGREE IT
COULD HAVE HAPPENED. >> I THINK IF A 30-FOOT
CONSTRICTOR, AN ANACONDA, A PYTHON, DID EXIST AND DID COME
ACROSS A HUMAN BEING AND IT WAS HUNGRY, THERE WOULD BE NOTHING
THAT WOULD STOP IT FROM SWALLOWING THAT HUMAN BEING.
>> narrator: HISTORY IS FILLED WITH ACCOUNTS OF GIANT SNAKES,
SOME OVER 150 FEET IN LENGTH. CAN SCIENCE NOW PROVE THE
EXISTENCE OF SUCH A SNAKE? IN THE WILDS OF VENEZUELA,
MOTION-SENSING CAMERAS ARE KEEPING WATCH ON THE LAND.
AND BY THE LIGHT OF A FULL MOON, JESUS RIVAS CONTINUES HIS SEARCH
OF THE WATERS. >> ANACONDAS ARE VERY PATIENT
ANIMALS. IF YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THEM,
YOU JUST NEED TO BE JUST AS PATIENT AS THEY ARE.
>> narrator: EVEN IN THE PITCH-BLACK WATERS, THE
STATE-OF-THE-ART SONAR SEES EVERYTHING.
RIVAS IS HOPING FOR A GLIMPSE OF THE SNAKES' DISTINCTIVE COILS
AND GETS ONE. >> OH, WOW, THERE'S A BIG GUY
RIGHT HERE. RIGHT HERE, RIGHT AHEAD OF US.
VICTOR! [speaking native language]
CHECK THIS OUT. THIS REALLY LOOKS LIKE AN
ANACONDA RIGHT HERE, RIGHT AT THIS PATCH OF VEGETATION.
[speaking native language] >> narrator: IS THIS A GIANT
ANACONDA? >> THERE'S A REALLY BIG THING
DOWN THERE. THAT IS A BIG GUY.
[intense music] ♪ ♪
>> narrator: BUT THE SHAPE DISAPPEARS INTO THE DENSE
UNDERWATER VEGETATION. THE TEAM COMBS THIS SECTION OF
THE RIVER AGAIN BUT CAN'T FIND THE SNAKE...
BUT THERE IS HOPE. THE SONAR HAS RECORDED THE
ENTIRE SEARCH. AND BACK AT THE RANCH, RIVAS CAN
NOW ANALYZE THE FOOTAGE. HE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO REVIEW ANY
STILL PICTURES FROM THE MOTION SENSING CAMERAS.
>> THIS ONE SEEMED LIKE IT TOOK A LOT OF PICTURES.
>> narrator: THE MEMORY CARDS ON THE CAMERAS ARE FULL, BUT
WINDBLOWN LEAVES, BIRDS, AND CAPYBARAS SEEM TO BE ALL THAT
SET THEM OFF. >> NOT ANY SNAKE, NOT ANY OF
THE THINGS I WAS LOOKING FOR. >> narrator: BUT THE SONAR
IMAGES COULD PROVE TO BE MORE PROMISING.
>> THERE'S A MYSTERIOUS SHADOW THAT LOOKS LIKE A CURL ABOUT
FIVE FEET ACROSS. COULD BE A BIG SNAKE, BUT I
CAN'T REALLY MAKE OUT WHAT IT IS.
>> narrator: A SNAKE FIVE FEET ACROSS WOULD TRULY BE A GIANT,
BUT WHAT RIVAS SEES IS JUST AN ALLUSION ON THE RIVER BOTTOM.
>> SEE, THE AQUATIC VEGETATION REALLY RESEMBLED ANACONDAS.
MANY TIMES I SAW SOMETHING AND WHEN I CHECKED IT IN
PERSON THERE WASN'T ANYTHING. >> narrator: RIVAS REMAINS
CONVINCED THE EYE WITNESS REPORTS HERE ARE TRUE, AND HE'LL
BE BACK TO SEARCH AGAIN. >> I HAVE HEARD A FEW STORIES
THAT I HAVE NO REASON TO DISBELIEVE.
AND THEY ALL REPORT ANACONDAS SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN WHAT I
HAVE CAUGHT. SO WHETHER THEY CAN GROW LARGER,
YES, I BELIEVE IT'S POSSIBLE. I'D LOVE TO SEE IT.
>> THERE'S ONE. >> narrator: BACK IN FLORIDA,
JOE WASILEWSKI CAPTURED THIS EIGHT-FOOT-LONG PYTHON IN A
RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE'LL
CHECK HIS MOTION-SENSING CAMERAS FOR EVIDENCE OF EVEN BIGGER
PYTHONS LEAVING THE EVERGLADES BEHIND.
>> OKAY, LET'S SEE WHAT WE GOT HERE.
OH, THERE'S A DOG. SO THE CAMERA DOES WORK.
WHOA. LOOK AT THAT.
THERE--WAIT A MINUTE. THAT'S THE WHOLE SNAKE.
WOW, NOW, THAT IS A GREAT SHOT. THERE'S THE HEAD, THE TAIL.
THAT THING IS AT LEAST 12 FEET LONG.
>> narrator: THIS ODD-LOOKING SNAKE IS AN ALBINO PYTHON, A
POPULAR BREED WITH PET OWNERS. IT'S NOT A GIANT, BUT WHAT
WASILEWSKI HAS FOUND IS NEW EVIDENCE THAT WILD PYTHONS ARE
CROSSING INTO SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOODS.
>> THAT PHOTO IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, RIGHT?
AND HERE IT IS. SO THAT'S A FACT.
SNAKES ARE COMING INTO THESE AREAS.
>> narrator: AND IT MAY ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THESE
SNAKES BECOME GIANTS. >> I'LL BET IN ANOTHER FIVE, TEN
YEARS, WE WILL START SEEING THE HUGE ONES COMING OUT.
>> narrator: THE EVIDENCE SHOWS GIANT SNAKES ARE AN UNSTOPPABLE
FORCE OF NATURE AND POTENTIAL MAN-EATERS.
IN THE VENEZUELAN LLANOS, LIFE GOES ON AS THE ANACONDAS LAY AND
WAIT FOR THEIR NEXT VICTIM. AND HERE IN THE U.S., THE
POPULATION OF ESCAPED PYTHONS CONTINUES TO GROW AND SPREAD TO
NEW AREAS EVERY DAY. THE NEXT PLACE ONE TURNS UP
COULD BE YOUR OWN BACKYARD.
