J-Lo the green anaconda dies at Missouri zoo. She ‘captivated millions of guests’

J-Lo the green anaconda “captivated millions of guests” at a Missouri zoo, where she was a rare exception among the captive animals.

Rare not just because of her great size, but also because the Saint Louis Zoo doesn’t tend to take in animals collected from the wild.

“An exception was made for J-Lo,” the zoo said in a Sept. 1 Facebook post. “Our choice saved her life.”

She lived at the zoo for about 12 years before she was euthanized on Aug. 30, according to the zoo. Experts found a “severe tumor” during her medical exam.

J-Lo was believed to be over 20 years old.

J-Lo was taken in by zookeepers after she was captured in Guyana, a country in South America. She had been taken from the wild to a meat market, where she was destined to be sold for her meat and skin.

But an animal exporter bought the large snake, saving her from hunters, according to the Facebook post.

During J-Lo’s time in St. Louis, zoo officials say she was a “foundational part” of the Charles H. Hoessle Herpetarium. She was “well-known and loved.”

J-Lo was known as one of the largest captive anacondas at any accredited institution within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She was about 210 pounds and 18 feet long.

Anacondas of her size are also rare in the wild, as they are usually hunted before they can grow to her size, according to the zoo.

The expected lifespan of green anacondas in the wild is about 10 years, though they can live into their late 20s in captivity, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.

“J-Lo was an ambassador to millions of zoo guests for green anacondas, the Amazon rainforest, and all snake species,” the Saint Louis Zoo said.

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