Snake Hunter Calls Off Anaconda Search in Lake Hopatcong

The one expert who truly wanted to catch the giant snake reportedly swimming in Lake Hopatcong has called off his search.

Gerald Andrejcak, a snake expert from Warren County, who said the green anaconda – first believed to be a boa constrictor – swam through his legs on July 17, has called off his search after receiving a threatening phone call, according to dailyrecord.com.

“The caller said I better just walk away from this, and even if I did find the snake I would be accused of planting it as a publicity stunt and fined,” Andrejcak told the newspaper.

The call came from a blocked number and the caller did not identify themselves, the report said.

Reports of a snake slithering through the state’s largest body of freshwater began to come forward in early July. Some said it was 14- or 15-feet long, others said 20.

Andrejcak began his search and was, to date, the only person to have reported such intimate contact with the serpent. At the same time, Department of Environmental Protection officials had set up humane traps to capture the reptile, but pulled back a week later saying there wasn’t enough evidence to justify the reports and sightings.

The snake hunter said he’s willing to help capture the animal if called upon, but won’t be setting out on his anymore to find it, the report said.