City of Cape Town debunks claims of anaconda infestation in Zeekoevlei Nature Reserve
. A fake video of a green anaconda was shared widely.
Image: screenshot
City authorities are warning the public about spreading fake news regarding 500 green anacondas actively living and breeding in Zeekoevlei Nature Reserve after a news alert claimed its existence.
The news alert, which was shared widely on social media, made claims that more than 500 green anacondas were actively living and breeding in Zeekoevlei Nature Reserve. It further stated that the City of Cape Town had declared a state of emergency around the vlei and that access to the reserve was restricted.
In response to this, Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayco Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, said it was fake news and warned the public against sharing it.
“Reports circulating on WhatsApp and certain websites claiming that there is an anaconda infestation at Zeekoevlei are false. There are no green anacondas in Zeekoevlei, no declared ecological emergency, no evacuations and no confirmed sightings,” he said.
“The articles attributed to three local media websites are fabricated.
“The public is urged not to share unverified posts and to rely on official City of Cape Town public notices for alerts and information.” In the fabricated post, it stated the following: “In a shocking development that has sent panic through the Southern Suburbs, authorities have confirmed the presence of more than 500 green anacondas actively breeding in Zeekoevlei, the largest freshwater lake in the region. The non-native constrictors, native to South American swamps and river systems, appear to have established a thriving population in the shallow, nutrient-rich waters of Zeekoevlei Nature Reserve.
"Early estimates from wildlife response teams place the number at over 500 individuals, with dozens of breeding pairs observed coiled among the reeds and submerged in the vlei's murky.”
It went on to quote a local resident, including an expert on the matter, providing dramatic details. "I was paddleboarding near the eastern shore when I saw what I thought was a log moving," said resident Sipho Mkhize, who captured cellphone footage of a 5-metre specimen gliding through the water. "Then I saw three more wrapped around each other. It was like something out of a horror movie." Environmental officials believe the invasion may stem from illegal exotic pet releases compounded by breeding in the warm, polluted conditions of the hyper-eutrophic lake.
"Anacondas thrive in slow-moving, vegetation-choked waters – conditions Zeekoevlei provides in abundance. It also claimed the city had declared a state of ecological emergency and that a team was utilising drones and boats to conduct a survey."
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