Franco Banfi, a professional diver and snake enthusiast, has done something unheard of. Banfi, armed only with a camera, got up close and personal with 8 female anacondas. He was able to photograph the massive snakes up close in the wild. Some of the snakes measured more than 26 feet, according to the Daily Mail (photos below).
Banfi took a 10 day trip to the Mato Grosso area of Brazil to take pictures of the snakes. He got pictures of them both on land and as they descended into the waters to look for prey.
In this shot, Banfi was able to get right up next to a giant anaconda as it was sunbathing and resting after having just consumed a giant rat.
Banfi, who is from Switzerland, said he wasn’t afraid that the snake would make a meal out of him.
Banfi said:
“As the snake had just eaten it didn’t take much interest in us. Everything is possible but I don’t think it would have eaten us.I was very close, I could have touched it if I wanted to.”
Banfi said that, in the ten days he was in Brazil, he had seen six different female snakes.
The Mato Grosso do Sul region of Brazil that sits right in the heart of South America is known for its diverse wildlife and beautiful forests. The name of the area literally translates to “Thick Forrest Of The South”. The area attracts thousands of visitors every year.
Banfi was asked how nervous he was being so close to such a massive predator, and he said:
“At the first moment it’s scary because you don’t know the animal and everybody says it’s dangerous, but after a while you understand that nothing happens if you respect the snake. I have never been so close to a snake like this before. But I think a small poisonous snake is more scary than a big one. At least you can see the anacondas clearly and know what they’re doing.”
While it is unlikely that an anaconda would eat something the size of Banfi, if it felt threatened, it could very well kill him.
Would you be interested in getting this close to a giant snake?
All photos credited to Franco Banfi / Solent News / Rex
