Telha
This shouldn’t need to be said, but just in case—do NOT try this at home or wherever you might find these snakes. Nature can be scary at the best of times, because once you venture out of your comfort zone and find yourself in places like the rainforest, there are things there that won’t hesitate to kill you.
Paul Rosolie, a dedicated conservationist, has a different comfort zone than most of us, as he offered himself as prey to a green anaconda. This extraordinary act was aimed at shocking the public into supporting efforts to save the Amazon rainforest. Rosolie, who has spent over 16 years working to protect wildlife and their habitats, sees these formidable creatures as allies.
His mission has taken him to countries like Indonesia, Brazil, India, and Peru, where he has tirelessly worked to preserve essential ecosystems. Rosolie’s fascination with green anacondas, native to the Amazon, grew alongside his frustration at witnessing their habitats dwindle. He believed a dramatic demonstration was needed to galvanize public support for conservation efforts. Thus, in 2014, he embarked on a controversial and highly publicized mission: to be consumed by a green anaconda.
The event, featured on the Discovery Channel’s series “Eaten Alive,” was not just a stunt but a “massive fundraiser to protect the rainforest,” according to Rosolie. His organization, Junglekeepers, claims to have protected over 77,000 acres of Amazonian habitat. With a 10-person team, Rosolie set out in the Peruvian Amazon to find the perfect anaconda. They located a 20-foot long, 18-stone snake, and Rosolie prepared for the encounter in a specially designed carbon-fiber suit.
This suit, engineered using 3D technology, was designed to protect him from being crushed and to withstand the snake’s digestive fluids. The suit was also equipped with a radio mic and cameras to ensure constant communication with his team. To make himself more enticing to the snake, Rosolie covered himself in pig’s blood. As he approached the anaconda on all fours, the snake quickly took the bait, latching onto his head and beginning to constrict his body.
“I’m getting coils over me,” Rosolie informed his team. “She’s got my arms pinned. She knows there’s nothing I can do.” Despite his heart racing and breathing becoming labored, Rosolie tried to remain calm. However, when the snake started to constrict tighter and latched onto his head, he had to call for help. “Stand by guys, I’m starting to feel like she’s consuming me. Guys, my face is down. I’m calling it, I need help!”
His team rushed in and managed to wrestle the snake off him before he was fully consumed.
