Missouri Zoo Announces Loss of Beloved Anaconda J-Lo

Whether it's a domestic animal or one being taken care of at a zoo losing an animal is always hard.

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The St. Louis Zoo announced that their beloved Anaconda J-Lo has passed away. J-Lo had been with the zoo for 20 years and was rescued from a food market. Look, I am not the biggest fan of snakes, especially those that are giant, but those who took care of J-lo they are heartbroken.

We are heartbroken to announce that the well-known and loved green anaconda J-Lo passed away on Tuesday, August 30. Following a medical exam, she was humanely euthanized due to a severe tumor. J-Lo was likely over 20 years old, and she came to the Zoo in 2010 after she was saved from hunters.

J-Lo was one of the largest anacondas in any Association of Zoos and Aquariums, weighing about 210 pounds and measuring 18 feet long. Do you think she was named J-Lo after Jennifer Lopez's movie Anaconda? I would have to lean towards a big yes.

I remember visiting the zoo and seeing J-Lo. She will be missed not only by her handlers but by the many visitors that came to see her every day.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.