DENVER — The Denver Zoo announced on Monday the death of its green anaconda, Jayloe, after zoo staff found that the huge water snake had an inoperable tumor.
Jayloe was 18.5 feet long and weighed 130 pounds, making her one of the largest reptiles to ever live at the Denver Zoo. She was almost 20 years old, according to the Denver Zoo's Facebook page.
"She was an icon of Tropical Discovery, and she will be deeply missed by staff, volunteers, guests and her many little fans who reminded us all that 'snakes are cool,' " according to the zoo.
The zoo's animal care and animal health teams discovered a tumor that was impacting the anaconda's quality of life and determined that it couldn't be safely removed. The teams "made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize this beloved snake," the zoo said.
>> Video above: It takes a village to weigh the anaconda at the Denver Zoo, published Aug. 22, 2019.
RELATED: We need to unpack this video of the effort to weigh Jayloe (the anaconda at the Denver Zoo)
Jayloe has gotten longer but dropped weight over the past couple of years. Back in August 2019, she weighed 165 pounds and was 15.5 feet long.
Green anacondas are the largest snakes in the Western Hemisphere and the heaviest snake in the world, according to the Denver Zoo's website. Adults range between 20 and 25 feet long and weigh up to 550 pounds. Females are larger than males.
The snakes are native to tropical South America and live in rainforests, swamps and marshes. They suffocate their prey by coiling around it and squeezing, and then swallow the prey whole.
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