Praise for heart surgery on giant snake
‘Incredible’, “It’s huge”, and “Hope it does not wake up mid-surgery”, are among some of the comments left about a story about a team of veterinarians who successfully performed surgery to remove a tumour from near the heart of an anaconda.
Khlong Luang Animal Hospital veterinarian Taweesak Anansiriwattana said an anaconda was brought in for his attention after it showed signs of being sick.
A check revealed the giant snake had a massive tumour near its heart, Vet Taweesak said. The team decided to perform surgery to remove the tumour even though it was a delicate operation, probably the first time such a procedure has been performed in Thailand.
The surgery began at 3pm and took more than six hours to complete, with a team of three vets and seven assistants. The tumour weighed more than one kilogramme.
The anaconda woke up about 2am, the vet said. It seemed to be weary but in a stable condition.
Anacondas are native to South America and can grow to over 12 metres in length. The Yellow Anaconda is listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) but trade is permitted with an export permit.
Mr Taweesak told Channel 3’s Ruang Lao Chao Nee the snake has low chances of survival in nature. He said the anaconda which underwent the operation is owned by a private collector who imported the snake 10 years ago. It is about four metres long and weighs about 50kg.
“I have just found out this species has been brought into the country, but for what reason? Certain species should never be imported. It could harm native species and destroy the ecological balance if it is accidentally let loose into nature,’’ one user said.
A few others echoed the comment saying the anaconda is large and could pose a danger if it gets loose.
Hundreds of users, however, shared the story and praised the vet team’s skills.