Fact-check: These aren’t images of a snake cursed by Torit residents’ grandparents

This is not a snake. It’s a cave in Thailand called the Naka cave

Writer: Jibi Moses

Series of pictures posted by Suncity TV and Juba TV, claim that a giant snake was cursed in Torit by its elders. 

“Residence of Torit says this giant snake was cursed by their grand   grandfathers,”  reads the captions. Suncity TV, a Facebook page which describes itself as a Society and culture website with just over 5,000 likes.

But, are these pictures from Torit, Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan?

A Google reverse image search on the pictures found that these pictures are neither of a snake, nor are they from Torit. These pictures are of Naka Caves which are found in Thailand

Naka Cave (or Nāga Cave) is located in Phu Langka National Park which is in the Bueng Khong Long District of Bueng Kan Province, Thailand. Naka means ‘snake’ in the Thai language, and the cave took its name from the texture of some stones in the area, which resembles the scaled skin of a snake.

The Naka cave, which is sometimes called Naka  snake cave or Naga snake, is a strange rock with an image of a python head and scally body. The place has many stories and theories attached to it; others believe the Naga snake is a giant snake which sometimes turns into a human. Some of the stories about the cave can be found here, here, here, here, and here. In addition to the these stories we have a few videos from youtube showing the Naka cave attached  1, 2, 3.

211 Check contacted Afani William who is a resident of Torit, whether such a snake exists anywhere in Torit, but he denied.

Conclusion:

211 Check traces the images in the claim to Thailand. The images show the Naka snake cave, but not a real snake which was cursed by elders of Torit.

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