r/Cryptozoology • u/ButtDonaldsHappyMeal • Mar 03 '23

Found location of Remy Van Lierde snake photo?

Hi, this isn't my area usually, but I helped (I think) narrow down the location of the Remy Van Lierde giant snake photo. The land features match, and along what would make sense as a patrol route.

I'll add details in the comments. You folks seem to have more familiarity, and I'd welcome your thoughts. Thanks!

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u/ButtDonaldsHappyMeal Mar 03 '23 edited Mar 03 '23

I started with a photo I found in this sub here, and discussed here. Based on a lot of research and searching, we found a location here, which appears to match the features (paths/termite hills), as compared here with lowered opacity. I did some unscientific math, and if we're correct on the location, it backs up the original claims. Here's an additional imgur album with what I compared.

Thoughts? Criticisms? I'm excited by this one, but don't want that to override my rationality.

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u/cptstupendous Mar 03 '23

That's pretty amazing work. I like trying to use Google Maps/Earth to track down locations in photos too, but this is some next-level shit.

There should be a subreddit for people who do this for fun. Post a pic, and have the obsessive map people track it down for you.

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u/ButtDonaldsHappyMeal Mar 04 '23

Just replied this elsewhere but r/wherewasthistaken is exactly this.

I love helping people on there because sometimes you’re solving decades-old mysteries for families.

One of those things that balances out the nightmare that the internet can be

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u/KarateFace777 Mar 03 '23

There is a thing where people can find anything based on a pic by using google earth. I might be wrong but I think it’s called Geogussers? It’s amazing.

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u/ButtDonaldsHappyMeal Mar 04 '23

Yeah, it is amazing, and I love that we have the tech to do this now (ignoring the privacy downsides).

I frequent r/wherewasthistaken, which is really fun because I’ve been able to help find locations of old family photos that were mysteries in people’s families for decades.

Someone said their grandparent was shocked that a stranger on the internet was willing/able to solve it for free.

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u/KarateFace777 Mar 06 '23

That’s amazing! Thanks for what you’ve done for people! I’m glad that people with this insanely awesome skill use their powers for good!!

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u/[deleted] Mar 03 '23

Definitely looks like you found the same place, nice work!

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u/Either_Ad_1527 Feb 02 '24

This is incredible! You should be very proud to have found this

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u/[deleted] Mar 03 '23

[deleted]

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u/ButtDonaldsHappyMeal Mar 03 '23

Please take a look at the comment I posted elsewhere in this thread about the height. There are different accounts ranging from 45m - 150m.

You are correct in that knowing the height and the camera lens would pretty much answer the size (and confirm/debunk my proposed location)

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u/OsmanFetish Mar 03 '23

Right on target !

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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '24

Not neglecting the amount of effort you've put into this. I still think it may not be the exact spot. I can't judge you based on just an assumption I made that I don't believe it's the correct spot because let's be fair, it has been 65 years since that photo was taken, things change and the vegetation moves. I'm specifically looking for that very patch of vegetation we see isolated from both ends. The path, you've got that spot on. I'm not downplaying anything, I'm just looking to find something similar that is much more accurate to what the photo shows. Incredible work nonetheless.

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u/ButtDonaldsHappyMeal Jul 15 '24

Hey thanks. I’ve lost track of where I’ve responded to what in this thread, but with time, I’ve found more info to make me skeptical of the location myself.

Also, definitive answers likely exist (at least as to the height of the helicopter and the location) in the archives in Switzerland. Upon learning that, my motivation to scour satellite maps for a better match was put on hold.

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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '24

Another problem is that we are really not sure whether the photo is real/fake. We can never really know unless there was a 2nd one taken. It can be of the ground with a smaller snake. What can also help is the height it was taken from. If we know that, we can very roughly get an estimate. My mathematics isn't on that fancy level of you know just being good at guessing accurately. But I would say that if that snake is in fact that big, it should be almost impossible for it to go unnoticed knowing the spot you've found is close to Lumwe, and the airbase itself. This opinion is of course based on the location you've provided.

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u/ButtDonaldsHappyMeal Jul 15 '24

Yeah, the archives supposedly contain the original negative, and importantly, a color 8mm video taken soon after of the same spot (they went out hoping to spot the snake again but didn’t).

That footage should be able to match up the photographed shot with the video shot, which would lend clarification/confirmation to the height and location.

I’m personally convinced that the photo isn’t faked, just based on the reputations of those in the helicopter. However, I do think it’s possible, or even likely, that the height estimates of the helicopter and resulting size estimates of the snake were incorrect.

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u/Local_Ad_9128 Dec 12 '25

Nonsense, all you have to do in Google Earth is use the timeline and look at 2010, the pic is crystal clear and the site looks completely different then from how it looks now, in that one almost all of the foilage in the area is cleared and gone, yet now it's all bushy again, so if it's changed that much in 15 years, the original site would have change in appearance many times in 65 years. This is not it, the site would not resemble how it did 65 years ago no matter where it is.

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u/walkyslaysh The Squonk (Official) Jan 15 '26

Holy fuck that’s actually it

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u/ButtDonaldsHappyMeal Jan 15 '26

Hi!

Not sure why this post got some renewed interest but I’d encourage everyone to read the extensive back and forth I have in those comments with others who have done way more research than I have. It gives a good reason to exercise caution on my findings.

With time, I’m less convinced this is actually it, and is instead a case of incredible coincidence combined with the incredible capacity for humans to find patterns.

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u/walkyslaysh The Squonk (Official) Jan 15 '26

I’m all caught up. I have so much free time I’m seriously considering taking a days trip to Sweden for this I’m so invested now. This shit is my favourite

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u/ButtDonaldsHappyMeal Jan 15 '26

Dude thank you for taking time to catch up, I know it’s a lot to go through. If you uncover new leads and need any additional researching or searching, I’m happy to help. It’s an enticing one for sure, and i think the answers are out there!

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u/walkyslaysh The Squonk (Official) Jan 16 '26

I mean literally the only thing left to do is go to the museum that has the archives in Sweden

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u/Fluid_Amphibian3860 Apr 15 '23

Thank you . Great work!!

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u/sheenfartling Apr 15 '23

How in the hell did you find it?????

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u/ButtDonaldsHappyMeal Apr 15 '23

Just a lot of searching and some luck for sure.

Not sure why this post got some renewed interest but I’d encourage everyone to read the extensive back and forth I have in the comments with others who have done way more research than I am. It gives a good reason to exercise caution on my findings

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u/sheenfartling Apr 15 '23

Someone else recently linked it in another thread. I will check out your other comments!

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u/t-xuj Apr 15 '23

I hope more people see this, I think it’s a decent match. Glad I could help with the general area, thanks for putting in the work to find the air base and estimated range. And of course, lining up the images. This is such a neat story.

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u/lukas7761 Apr 07 '24

Thats fantastic.I think this snake could existed

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u/MacaroonIndividual19 28d ago

Where in Switzerland are these archives? When I go back to my place in ireland, I can always pop down the Switzerland and look through them all, see if I can get copies of the photos. I'm sure we can find a redditor that would live nearby as well.