Not sure how your bingo card for 2022 is looking, but if you had a viral picture of a couple of dolphins sexually assaulting an anaconda on it then it seems like you’re in luck – although I have to admit that the photographic evidence of this leave a bit to be desired.

Featured Image VIA

The picture comes courtesy of Steffen Reichle – a biologist at the Noel Kempff Mercado Museum of Natural History in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia – who managed to snap the bizarre encounter last summer whilst observing Bolivian river dolphins in the Tijamuchi River. He recently published a research paper on the interaction between the creatures, saying the following:

This is an extremely perplexing photograph as there has never been a known case of an anaconda being eaten by another animal.

It seems like the dolphins were playing with the anaconda rather than trying to eat it.

There were juveniles on the scene as well, and it seemed that the adults were showing off the snake to them.

Something else from the photos was notable — the male dolphins’ erect penises.

The aroused males could have been having a sexual romp with each other before the snake became entangled.

Afterwards, we were able to observe on the photographs that the adult males were sexually aroused while engaging in object play with the anaconda.

It could have been sexually stimulating for them. It could have been something to rub on.

It’s possible that the males tried to insert their penises into the snake.

There are so many questions.

I mean there really are aren’t there, although sadly it kinda seems like if this is the first occasion in history that this has ever been observed then it might be a very long time until we get any of the answers. The picture is kinda disappointing too I know – bit strange they couldn’t take a few more? – but it’s also interesting to see that the dolphins’ heads are out of the water as that very rarely happens. Nature just never ever stops does it?

For more of the same, check out this two headed dolphin that was found in Turkey a while back. Absolute nightmare fuel.