The Longest Snake in the World Has Been Revealed and Other Animal News for November 14, 2024

Idina Menzel to Perform on Bronx Zoo’s Float in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Bronx Zoo recently announced Broadway star Idina Menzel, otherwise known as Elsa in the movie Frozen, will sing atop the zoo’s float in the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, taking place Thursday, November 28. She’s promoting her new Broadway musical, Redwood, by performing “Great Escape,” one of her songs from the show.

The partnership between Menzel and the zoo commemorates the zoo’s 125^th anniversary. The musical’s central theme revolves around natural preservation, making it an appropriate pairing with the Bronx Zoo’s “Wondrous World of Wildlife” float, which aims to promote conservation. The float features various biomes, such as the African savanna or Russian boreal forest, and the animals that thrive in these unique habitats. Read more about the collaboration in the press release, found here.

African Elephants Experience Decline in Population Numbers

According to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, African elephant populations have declined significantly over the last 50 years. The study synthesized results from population surveys across Africa since 1964. The results were startling and worrisome: African savanna elephant populations have declined by 70% over the last half-century, and forest elephant populations have seen a 90% decrease.

While these findings appear troubling, hope remains for African elephant populations. Some populations are growing at an impressive rate, such as those in Southern Africa, which have seen a 42% increase. Conservation efforts have helped stabilize these populations, but climate change and poaching still threaten African elephants today.

The Longest Snake in the World: Revealed!

Many have debated which snake species is the largest; some people side with the reticulated python, while others champion the green anaconda. Both snakes are massive – measuring between 20 and 30 feet long. But only one snake species can hold the title of the longest snake in the world: the reticulated python.

The longest reticulated python on record measured 32 feet and 9.5 inches long. That snake took first place in 1912 and has yet to be dethroned. Will the green anaconda challenge the reticulated python for the crown? Probably not. The green anaconda holds its own record as the heaviest snake on Earth, weighing more than 550 pounds.