Maine town buzzing after elusive anaconda possibly spotted

BOSTON – The myth, the legend of Wessie.

The elusive, possibly 10-foot anaconda said to be on the loose in Westbrook, Maine has captivated the country.

The search for Wessie has been going on for months. And with pictures seeming to prove the giant snake does in fact exist, people are having fun trying to track Wessie down, CBS Boston reported​. 

It’s the summer of the snake in Westbrook, and for any sleuth the first stop has to be Riverbank Park, a lovely setting where some think danger may lurk.

“When you come to the park you’ve just got to check the nooks and crannies to make sure he’s not hiding there,” said Eric Baker, visiting the park today with his kids.

The park is where a picture was taken supposedly showing Wessie out for a swim. And it’s where a huge snake skin was discovered.

They just found out the skin belonged to an anaconda.

“Was it placed there or did a snake leave it? That’s the question. I don’t really have a thought on it. I’m Switzerland on this one,” said Westbrook Police Capt. Sean Lally, who has been investigating the mystery all summer. “It’s more of a curiosity I would say, kind of like a Loch Ness monster. Our own little version of it.”

And it seems like a lot of people in town are talking about the secretive snake and some are trying to bring it more attention.

The guys at the Mast Landing Brewing Company whipped up a Wessie T-shirt to go along with their Wessie beer.

“It was really popular. It sold out in about 2 weeks on the first production run,” said co-owner Neil Fredrick, who adds that a new batch will be on tap tomorrow. “We’ve had people asking for it, so we figured it was a good way to go.”

Though it’s been fun, a lot of people are Wessie doubters.

“It seems like a tall tale to me,” said one walker in Riverbank Park.

But others believe, like a little girl playing in the area.

“He’s long, and the police is going to get him,” she told CBS Boston. 

If Wessie is real and is an anaconda, let’s hope they find it soon. The Maine winter will not be kind to a snake native to South America.