Experts Capture Images of a Strange Encounter Between Two Dolphins and a Giant Anaconda on the Tijamuchi River, Bolivia.
In an encounter more unusual than ever, two male dolphins were seen swimming comfortably in the river and playing with a Beni anaconda.
The experts happened upon images of the dolphins on the Tijamuchi River in Bolivia, with one of them holding a long anaconda in its mouth.
A dolphin holding a long anaconda in its mouth.
Diana Reiss, a marine mammal scientist at Hunter College in New York, noted that the anaconda was over 4.2 meters long and is semi-aquatic. However, from a distance, it appeared that the anaconda in the dolphin’s mouth was dead, as its head had been submerged in water for too long.
Previously, the research team discovered a pod of dolphins as soon as they arrived at the site and began taking photographs on the Tijamuchi River. They realized the unusual event after reviewing the initial images.
Bolivian River Dolphins typically swim beneath the surface, but these two maintained their heads above water for an unusually long time.
Steffen Reichle from the Noel Kempff Mercado Natural History Museum in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, stated: “I think the anaconda must have gone through a tough time. Surprisingly, the two dolphins were very playful, keeping their heads above water longer than usual.”
The two dolphins swam at a suitable distance from each other, at the same speed and depth. Researchers believe the dolphins were engaging in a playful activity rather than attempting to tear apart the Beni anaconda. Playfulness is a behavior that has been clearly documented in mammals in general and dolphins in particular.
This is the first time experts have recorded images of a meeting between dolphins and an anaconda. However, due to a lack of data, experts still cannot fully explain the issues surrounding this strange encounter.
The Bolivian river dolphin is a subspecies of the Amazon river dolphin. They typically inhabit several rivers in the Upper Madeira Basin of Amazon Bolivia.
This species is considered endangered, as most populations are facing declines related to overfishing, hunting, and habitat loss.
Humans do not have much information about Bolivian river dolphins. It is likely that their eating habits are similar to those of Amazon river dolphins, which consume 43 different species of fish.
