Brazil - Dutch researcher Freek Vonk made an incredible discovery at the beginning of the year when he stumbled on a 23-foot-long giant anaconda on the floor of the Amazon. But shortly after, he received some shocking news from Brazil.

"With a lot of pain in my heart, I would like to let you know that the mighty big green anaconda I swam with was found dead in the river this weekend," the professor from the University of Amsterdam wrote on his Instagram profile on Monday.

His discovery and subsequent photos made waves around the world in February, and he himself had never seen a comparable snake before.

"I will never forget how special it was to spend time with her at the bottom of the river. I was in complete shock when I saw how big she was! It was the largest snake I had ever seen with my own eyes. A colossus of an animal," he added.

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Vonk initially reported that the anaconda, which was christened "Anajulia," had probably been shot, but in another post shared Wednesday, he backtracked a little and emphasized that the local authorities did not yet have any evidence of this and that a natural death could not be ruled out.

Regardless of the cause of death, the demise of this rare creature is a bitter loss for humans and wildlife.

"Since there are not many of these colossal giant snakes swimming around, the blow to biodiversity (and this specific species in particular) is enormous," Vonk wrote.

The Dutchman now hopes that the perpetrators will be brought to justice and stresses that the death of the giant snake was not in vain.

"The worldwide attention to her death has increased awareness about the fragility of nature, and that is thanks to this exceptional animal," he added.