Snake in the lake remains elusive
The snake in Lake Hopatcong has yet to be seen by anyone besides a reptile expect who continues his search for the elusive serpent.
Spokesman Larry Ragonese told The Record that traps set by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection have not caught what expert Gerald Andrejcak said is a Green Anaconda. “With thousands of eyes, cell phones, iPhones and iPads, if there is such a creature in the water, you’d think at some point someone would get a picture or see something,” Ragonese told the newspaper. “It’s getting to be kind of a Loch Ness monster kind of story.”
Beachgoers have continued to cool off at Lake Hopatcong State Park according to The Record without concern that a 16 foot snake may be slithering around the lake. Sussex County Freeholder Richard Vohde told the New Jersey Herald, "The snake in the lake is a fake.”
Andrejcak remains steadfast the green anaconda is in the lake. “I know what I saw. Whether they believe it or not, that’s their problem. It’s just plain and simple. I know what I saw,” Andrejcak told the New Jersey Herald.
The search for the snake will pick up later in the week, but Andrejcak hasn't scheduled a return to Lake Hopatcong. He told Lehigh Valley Live he believes the snake is staying near the Brady Bridge and doesn't want to disturb it so it stays in that area. "Stay away," he said. "I don't want this thing to move."
The snake has generated lots of interest from potential visitors and the media. Hopatcong Mayor Sylvia Petillo complained to the New Jersey Herald that “Half my day is spent on the snake. It’s insane. A woman called and asked if she should put her child in the lake. I said, ‘I can’t answer that for you.’"
Petillo added that there is an upside. “People come here, they talk about it and they have dinner" and contribute to the economy.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Snake saga continues as traps fail to catch serpent / New Jersey Herald
- Local beachgoers not concerned by reports of snake in Lake Hopatcong / The Record
- New Jersey officials skeptical about Lake Hopatcong snake, despite searcher's account / Lehigh Valley Live
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