Urban legend: Alligator in the city? [Han-gyeore Prism]

A young child who recently returned from a Florida vacation purchased a baby anaconda, a species classified as CITES 1, which is an endangered species. The child's father, who dislikes reptiles, placed the anaconda in the toilet bowl and flushed it away after the family left. The anaconda, which grew to a size of 2.4 meters, survived the ordeal and made its way into the sewer system, ultimately invading the city's infrastructure.

This event is reminiscent of the 1980 film "Elevator," which depicts the terror of an uncontrollable wild animal or mutated organism attacking humans. The incident in New York, where a 2.4-meter anaconda was discovered in a sewer manhole in 1935, sparked the urban legend of a monster born from an illegally discarded pet anaconda.

Recently, on May 18, an 80-cm-long snake was found in the Jangcheoncheon Stream in Hoengseong County, South Korea. The snake, identified as a Chamaelaucus, a CITES 1 endangered species, was later transported to the National Ecological Center on May 23. The snake's owner reportedly bought it for 1.2 million won from an online reptile trading website and subsequently abandoned it, claiming it had escaped.

However, authorities suspect it was intentionally released. Besides the anaconda, a Nile monitor snake, also an endangered species, was spotted on March 13 near the Yanggyeong Library in Suwon City. Police investigation revealed that the snake was likely released by its owner, who had previously abandoned a Nile monitor snake a month earlier.

Both species are CITES-protected animals, and their illegal trade involves real profits. Authorities have called for stricter border controls at airports and seaports and for a more comprehensive crackdown on illegal trafficking and smuggling of endangered species. The problem ultimately lies with human behavior; people are often drawn to exotic pets out of curiosity, but can become frustrated, face family opposition, or abandon them due to high maintenance costs.