Video shows Brazilian fisherman harassing 17-foot anaconda

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MATO GROSSO DO SUL, Brazil — Would you grab a 17-foot anaconda by the tail? A Brazilian fisherman named Betinho Borges did just that and lived to tell the tale.

Borges was boating down the Santa Maria River with his wife, Sirlei, and friend, Rodrigo Santos, when they encountered the massive snake. Most people would’ve steered clear of the creature as Sirlei urged Borges to do. But goaded on by Santos, Borges pursued the snake and repeatedly grabbed it by the tail.

The action was all captured on video and has garnered more than 11 million views on YouTube. However, harassing the snake was a crime and from the video, it appeared that the snake had recently eaten a large meal, making the fisherman’s antics even more unacceptable to Brazilian environmental police.

According to the Daily Mail, the three boaters were each fined $600 by the police for their role in the incident. They also could face up to a year and a half in jail if convicted of violating the state’s environmental law that forbids chasing or hunting wildlife without a license.

Borge and his wife have hired a lawyer to represent them. The lawyer, Amilton Ferreira de Almeida, issued a statement saying that the couple never intended to break the law so it wasn’t a crime.

“They wanted to show how nature is, how the animal behaves — but they had no malice,” he told the Daily Mail. “There was guilt, yes, negligence and recklessness, but not intent.”

Wildlife advocates are monitoring the situation, hoping to see the boaters punished to the fullest extent of the law.

What do you think? Were the boaters simply having fun with the anaconda or was it harassment that deserves to be punished? Let us know on the comment board.


Grant Olsen joined the KSL.com team in 2012. He covers outdoor adventures, travel, product reviews and other interesting things. You can contact him at grantorrin@gmail.com.

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