Supplementary Table S1 Anacondas records in Brazilian cities noticed by local press. State: Brazilian State acronyms. City: Brazilian city where anacondas where reported. Species: scientific name of anaconda species reported in the news. Date: dd/mm/yy of anaconda record. Place of finding: site/ local/area where anaconda was found. Rescue agents: organization/entity/people who rescued the anaconda. Destination: destination given to anaconda after rescue. Size class (1-5): anaconda size from one to more than five meters (see text for details). Observation: additional information about the anaconda record (i.e. predation event, behavior, etc.). Link: website address for each sample.

They are among us: issues and perspectives on urban anacondas (Boidae: Eunectes)

Bruno Felipe Camera^{1, 5, *}, Ana Lúcia da Costa Prudente², Christine Strüssmann³, Everton Bernardo Pereira Miranda^{4, 5}

¹Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Evolução, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará, Brazil. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9758-9979

²Coordenação de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará, Brazil. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4164-6815

³Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9880-9489

⁴Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Agroecossistemas Tropicais, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brazil. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2198-4742

⁵Snake Specialist Group, IUCN Species Survival Commission

*Corresponding author: camera_bruno@hotmail.com

Abstract: Urban growth is a megatrend, compelling wildlife to coexist with humans. Anacondas (Boidae: Eunectes) are frequently found within Brazilian cities. Here, we documented the occurrence of anacondas in Brazilian cities using online news as information source, providing insights into their spatial distribution, body size, and ecological roles in urban environments. We also examined rescue procedures and proposed measures for improving urban fauna management and conservation. We found 189 records published between 2008 and 2022, with an exponential increase in the last years, and with no seasonal pattern. Records originated from 84 cities in 18 Brazilian states, mostly from North region. Government bureaus are the main actors in anaconda rescues, typically returning individuals to natural habitats. Most rescued anacondas are adults. We provide information on wildlife rescue operations in Brazil. We also highlight the adaptability of anacondas to human-altered landscapes, the increasing media attention given to human-anaconda interactions, and the lack of information on the homing and survival of rescued and translocated individuals. Our findings suggest that environmental connectivity allows top predators to maintain functional populations within large Brazilian cities and emphasize the necessity for a paradigm shift from reactive rescues to proactive long-term solutions.