10-Foot Anaconda Halts Traffic As People Help It Cross Highway [Video]

Traffic on a busy highway in Brazil came to a standstill Wednesday after commuters spotted a giant anaconda crossing the road.

The video, shared Friday on Facebook by Italo Nascimento Fernandes, showed the reptile slither across the highway in the Brazilian state of Rondonia. Some people could be seen getting out of their cars and signaling other approaching vehicles to stop in order to help the big snake cross the road safely.

According to reports, the green anaconda, a female, belonged to Eunectes murinus species, which is known as sucuri in Brazil. It weighed about 66 pounds and was over 10 feet long.

Speaking to the Dodo, an animal news website, Fernandes said, “It’s not everyone who protects animals like that. Some people prefer to see them dead. Seeing all the people help gave a wonderful sensation.”

"She went into the woods and left. It was beautiful,” he added.

Experts believe the snake was searching for something to eat.

“These snakes can appear in the urban area in search of food, which are small rodents, and in the city they can feed on dogs and even cats, so it’s good to be careful not to leave the trash in the yard because these animals can smell the rodents or these animals and come close to homes, especially in the rainy season,” Biologist Flavio Terassini told G1 Globo, a local news portal.

“People did well to stop the traffic to stop it from being run over,” he added.

According to local websites, this was not the first time the snake was attempting to cross the highway. On April 20, the anaconda was spotted at the same road; however, it “ gave up because of the traffic and returned to the stream.”