Other mistake: After they blow up the dam blocking their passage, there is a far away shot as they are going up river and there's a grassy landmass that goes across the river blocking their route up river.
Other mistake: When the anaconda is behind the boat she shoots at it about 5 times with a bolt-action rifle, with no magazine, and never reloads.





Answer: They didn't set it up. They were chasing after the anaconda anyway and were stranded. They still wanted to go after the anaconda after they were picked up, so they lied to the crew. They knew the crew wouldn't go after the anaconda on their own.