What would you do if you let your dogs out one day and they led you to a 9-foot-long green anaconda?
Real-estate agent Leisa Remsberg, a resident of Florida and a native of Melbourne, screamed for her dogs and immediately dialed 911.
Her dogs, a shih tzu named Gizmo and a half-shih tzu, half-poodle named Teddy, dashed to the side yard and apparently sniffed out a large, shiny dark anaconda.
Remsberg said she didn't know what it was at first, because it was so big, but then the snake tilted its head and stared at the dogs.
"It raised its head up like it ... like snapping at them ... like lurching at them to make them back off. I started screaming for the dogs right away," said Remsberg.
Teddy was smart enough to run back to the house, but Gizmo was curious and remained. That was when she called 911.
At that point, Remsberg said she still didn't know what kind of snake it was. She said she recalled screaming to the phone, "There's just this huge, huge snake!"
Remsberg's neighbor thought the snake was a python. The man brought out a shovel to hold the snake down until officers arrived. He placed the snake inside a container covered with a lid. To keep the snake trapped, he placed a piece of concrete on top of the lid. He then took the snake to his yard.
Brevard County Animal Services secured the snake, and handed the situation over to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Greg Workman, spokesperson for the commission, said wildlife officers are trying to determine where the snake originated. They also did not find any legally required microchip on the snake.
"Basically, it wasn't there legally. They're a top predator. They get huge. They can really decimate an area," said Workman.
The 9-foot-long anaconda is the second to pop up in Brevard County in the past few months. The first one was also 9 feet long, and was discovered to be lurking around in November last year.
Green anacondas are often found in South America. These animals can grow to more than 500 pounds, and 20 feet in length. The snake poses a risk to wildlife in Florida.
