Titanoconda: Of Charlie, Carol, an Island and a Really Big Snake

By Robert Braden

A sleepy village deep in the Colombian Amazon awakens in terror when a young villager is swallowed whole by a monstrous anaconda of prehistoric proportions!

The giant is captured by the Colombian Department of Conservation and sold to an American consortium, Conservation America. They dispatch their exotic animal specialist, Dr. Carol Evans, to Colombia to haul the creature she names Queen, to Miami.

Worlds collide when Carol, stranded in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, hires Charlie, captain of the Empresa, to rescue the mission and transport Carol and Queen to their destination.

A storm at sea shipwrecks them onto an uninhabited island where Charlie and Carol must join forces to stay alive. Can they learn survival skills? Can Carol trust Charlie? And can they outwit a natural born killer like Queen?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Braden
• Release date: Aug 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311164605

Robert Braden

I am a retired businessman, living in Overland Park, Kansas. When I was younger, I was an avid hunter and fisherman. Today, I am a passionate conservationist.The idea for this book came to me while on the first of many fishing trips with my friends to Colombia, South America. We flew into Bogotá, took a small cargo plane to Miraflores, then a riverboat to our camp. The camp was an old rubber plantation built in 1941.A guide, two fishing buddies and I were in a boat on a lake near the Vaupés River. This boat was carved from a huge log by the natives and ran low in the water. Suddenly, we spotted a large anaconda on the riverbank. We wanted to take a closer look. Our guide started to paddle toward the shore when the snake noticed us. We paddled within seven feet from the shoreline and there, about ten feet up on the bank, was the biggest snake I have ever seen in my life. Our guide called it La Culebra Grande.As we stared at the snake, it lifted its huge head about six feet to face us. I was standing in the boat and it felt like the snake was staring straight into my soul. I felt a little intimidated by this snake. Never have I seen such raw power facing me without benefit of bars or glass between us.Without warning, the snake started down the bank straight at us. It slithered into the water and went under our boat. One friend, who was in the very front of the boat, pulled his arms and legs as close to his body as possible. The snake was so large, I never thought it would stop coming down the bank. We guessed the snake to be twenty-eight to thirty feet long; we think that estimate is fairly accurate. The bank was ten feet up and we were seven feet from shore. That’s seventeen feet with half the snake still on the bank. Not many people will ever witness a scene like this!Lucky for us the snake was not aggressive as I saw a large bump in its midsection. It had been lying there peacefully while digesting its food. Another friend laughingly suggested that maybe we should all go ashore and change our pants!Needless to say, we were quite shaken. Since then, I have had a fascination with the area and its wildlife. But all my life, I have been interested in the conservation of all animals.After writing the first draft of my book, tentatively called The Island, I watched a TV program on the Smithsonian Channel called “Titanoboa Monster Snake.” Amazing! I was writing a story about a giant forty-two foot snake and I learned that fossils of a prehistoric giant snake were discovered not far from the very area I was writing about! Of course, Queen is not as large as Titanoboa, but she could be a Titanoconda. Thus, The Island was changed to Titanoconda.Was discovering this program about Titanoboa coincidence? Fate? Perhaps fiction is closer to fact than we realize.I no longer hunt and fish, but age does not stop an active imagination. I hope you enjoy the adventures of Charlie, Carol, Mike, Elmer ... and Queen!You may contact me at [e-mail]. I look forward to hearing from you!

Book preview

MAP OF CHARLIE AND CAROL’S ISLAND

PROLOGUE: SIXTY MILLION YEARS AGO

She knew instinctively it always came down to this…how much time she would have on this earth.

Her prey was a massive crocodile that dwelt in the swamp-like conditions of a river inlet in what is now Colombia, South America.

There, several of the giant crocodiles could be seen swimming in a protective formation, ever alert to other predators.

Too many crocodiles. But she hadn’t eaten in several weeks, and hunger trumped her good sense. Old and wise, she circled her prey with practiced movements, attempting to isolate one from its formation. But this time, the crocodiles won.

Mortally wounded, she managed to escape and slither into a depression under a canopy of trees. The rains came, and the tropical decay of the rainforest built up over her, until she was entombed.

Her flesh decomposed until only bones remained. The bones fossilized and lay, undiscovered, for millions of years.

In 2002, these fossils were unearthed.

She was Titanoboa.

CHAPTER 1: THE TRAGEDY, 2014

In the jungles of Colombia, South America, the Vaupés River has been known to hide death. The Vaupés is a black water river flowing through the Amazonian swamps. These black waters create unique conditions that produce lush vegetation and exotic wildlife. Native peoples live along the banks of the Vaupés and have occupied these banks for millennia.

The Vaupés is known for caimans, piranhas and anacondas … slithery giant snakes which grow abnormally large due to the scorching hot, humid climate and dense jungle. In spite of these dangers, village children can usually be found playing in the river. The murky waters hide everything the natives should be afraid of, but yet, they must live with a deep respect of the dangers ever present within the river.

On one sunny Sunday afternoon, tragedy struck in the village of Aldea.

Suddenly, Diego, a small-framed but stocky eight-year-old boy, started screaming. ¡Mi pie! ¡Ayuda! Something had grabbed his foot and with a staggeringly powerful yank, dragged him down into the coffee-colored waters. He quickly disappeared below the surface. Estrella, who was looking after the children, saw what looked like the tail of a large anaconda slowly glide, barely perceptible, on the surface of the river and then disappear.

¡Serpiente! It took Diego! she screamed. The tenor of her voice gained the alert attention of the men. It was a cry well known to the villagers. They quickly ran to their boats and took to the waters to search for Diego. Estrella frantically pointed to the spot where she saw the snake’s tail. There! she yelled, her voice filled with desperation. After searching for an hour, the men found nothing. They paddled home to share their sorrow with the village.

Diego’s parents, Juan and Gabriela, were devastated. Family and neighbors gathered in their hut, trying to console them. Gabriela, in spite of her grief, clenched her lips and went into the kitchen, followed by her friend Maria. I will cook, Gabriela said. With tearful eyes and a broken voice she murmured, This is something I can do.

Let me help you, Maria said to her dearest friend. Through her tears, Gabriela whispered, Please, go to the garden and bring back some sweet potatoes, plantains and peppers. I will make Diego’s favorite dish.

Maria went to the edge of the village and followed a well-worn path to the community garden. Suddenly, she saw movement in the deep green cover of the jungle. She stood frozen, moving her head, searching for the object of her fear. Her eyes found it. Lying in a spot of sun was the largest anaconda she had ever seen, with a bulge in the middle of its body. With horror, she realized the bulge was Diego. Screaming, she ran back to the village.

¡Serpiente! I saw the snake that got Diego!

Everyone immediately gathered around her. Where? Diego’s father, Juan, demanded.

Over there, she pointed. Right before you enter the garden!

Juan wanted to avenge his son. He ran to get his machete, crying out, I will kill it! Who will join me?

I will! one man yelled. Another man joined in, I will, too!

Gathering their weapons, the men entered the path. When they got to the clearing in front of the garden they found nothing. Look! Juan cried. A trail! What he saw was a large trail through the brush, where the brush had been flattened down by something very heavy. Juan wanted to follow the trail but the sun was setting and the dark would soon come.

No, no, Juan. It will be dark, his friend said. The cartel will be out. It would be better to come back in the morning.

Juan reluctantly agreed. Cocaine was a local crop and it was best to stay in the village at night. Drug runners with guns were common. His search for justice would have to wait.

When they returned to the village and told of their failure to kill the serpent, Maria and the other villagers decided to call the authorities. For the past month, there were reports from other villages about a larger-than-usual number of goats and pigs missing. Enough! They would call the authorities and demand this snake’s capture. Maria made sure they knew how big it was. As wide as my boat and four times as long! she exclaimed.

Captain Ramon Santiago, head of the Colombian Department of Conservation, took their call. He doubted the size of the snake. Even considering the village woman’s exaggeration, anacondas were large, but not that large! But, he thought, The jungle holds many secrets. If this snake was truly that large, it would be worth a lot of money. He knew that many people, especially the Americans, would pay top dollar for such a specimen … alive.

He told the villagers this and said if he could catch the snake alive, the village would be well rewarded. He would be there as soon as he could, with men who specialized in snake capture.

News of this possible reward spread through the village. I can buy a new boat! one man said. Another said, I can get a new roof! But Juan, Diego’s father, was heartbroken. He wanted to kill the snake that killed his son.

Juan, we know the real reason you want to kill this beast, said one villager. You want to make sure it doesn’t kill any more children, said another villager. They let that turn over in his mind. "But this way, the snake is gone and the village gets a reward, added the first villager. This reward will give us enough money to section off part of the river for a safe swimming hole for our children."

They looked at Juan and waited respectfully. Juan’s face finally relaxed from its angry sorrow. His brave son could be regarded as a hero, a hero who died to call attention to the snake’s existence. And now, Diego’s heroic act could mean badly needed funds for Aldea. Suddenly, he wondered why he had ever even thought of avenging his son’s death in this manner. Better that he and the other men use some of the money to net off an area of the river. That would really honor Diego’s memory.

Juan slowly nodded his head. Yes, you are right. I still want to kill that snake! But I know we need the money and we will have enough to build a safe area for the children. Diego would like that, he said, his eyes brimming with tears.

While waiting for the arrival of the conservation officials, the villagers decided to build a cage for the snake. It gave them something to do while waiting and to ease the grief they all felt. The cage was made of sturdy bamboo, grown locally and harvested by the villagers. The planks for the floor were held together with heavy twine. Slats on the sides would contain the snake. The top would be nailed firmly down once the snake was inside. That done, they waited.

CHAPTER 2: THE CAPTURE

A few days later, Captain Santiago arrived with other government agents and the Conservation Department’s veterinarian, Doctor Lopez. These men specialized in trapping large snakes. Usually, they tried to remove the snakes and relocate them to other areas to protect the people as well as the snake. But if this snake is as large as the villagers claimed, it would be offered up for sale by the government to the largest bidder.

These experts devised a plan to capture the animal with the villagers’ help. The plan was simple — use a very strong fishing net. Two corners of the net were weighted. This side was dropped into the water about twenty feet from the river’s edge. Strong rope was attached to each corner with the rope trailing back to the shore. The side of the net closest to shore also had strong rope attached to the corners. This rope was securely staked into the ground. After the net was in place, they tethered three live pigs on the bank and waited. Two days went by and nothing happened. On the third day, they spotted movement in the water. The head of a huge anaconda slowly rose from the water close to the pigs.

A signal was given and four men rapidly pulled the two far corners of the net toward the bank, while four other men manned the two corners on the bank. This closed the escape route for the snake. When the anaconda realized it was trapped, all hell broke loose. The battle was on.

As the men pulled on the net and more of the anaconda was exposed, its tremendous size started a panic. The power and scope of the snake was far beyond any they had trapped before. The net started to tear and a loud cry went out for more nets. Soon, there were fourteen men working to capture the snake.

For one fateful moment, the head of the snake escaped through a tear in the side of the net. The snake’s jaws gaped wide and immediately grabbed the nearest man, a soldier, head first. Seeing this, some of the men were terrified and released their grip on the net. This loosened the snake’s tail. The snake whipped its tail around and threw three men several feet in the air. They landed with broken bones and torn flesh. Ten more men came with even sturdier nets and joined the others. Three soldiers tried to grab the snake’s head from behind, hoping to save their friend. But if they pulled him out, the snake’s teeth would rip him to shreds. These teeth are slanted backwards; a handy characteristic that holds its prey to prevent escape.

The only way to save their friend was to anesthetize the snake so the jaws would relax. Twenty men were now holding the snake down. The vet was not sure how much anesthesia would be needed to immobilize such a large creature. Since he did not have a dart gun, he would have to get right next to the snake. The vet squeezed between two men and plunged the needle into whatever surface of the snake he could reach.

In addition to the anesthesia, the snake was starting to tire because it was on land, not its natural environment. Once the snake was felt to relax, it took four men to pry open the jaws and pull their friend out. It was too late. He was dead. In the end, the capture had taken a huge toll. In addition to the little boy, another man was now dead and three suffered injuries.

With the snake anesthetized, they were able to carry and drag him to the cage. The cage is too small! Captain Santiago cried. Quickly, we have to build a larger cage. How long will this demon be out? he asked Doctor Lopez.

I don’t know! I’ve never faced an animal this large! I gave her all I had … maybe an hour or two? I just hope I haven’t killed her.

Killed her? the Captain yelled. This demon is a female? She’s worth a lot of money! You had better hope you did not kill her!

All the men, both the capture