Discovery is putting wildlife expert Paul Rosolie into a snake-proof suit and filming him get eaten by a giant snake - what could go wrong?
A wildlife expert called Paul Rosolie is going to wear a custom-made 'snake-proof' suit and then let himself be 'eaten alive' by an anaconda - all for a TV show.
Eaten Alive is show made by Discovery that's going to air in early December. It stars 30-year-old filmmaker Paul Rosolie, who is a cross between Steve Irwin and Bear Grylls - with a pinch of Johnny Knoxville thrown in.
Currently the details about the stunt are scarce, but the promotional page on Discovery’s website simply says says: “Naturalist and wildlife filmmaker Paul Rosolie enters the belly of an anaconda in a custom-built snake-proof suit.”
Now, there's a chance that this might be an Inner Space-style CGI extravaganza or some sort of mechanical snake model, but that would be incredibly disappointing.
If it is the real deal, there are lots of unanswered questions about what constitutes a 'snake-proof' suit and how on Earth such a garment would be tested. It's possible to buy fabric that protects from smaller snake bites, but it certainly wouldn't protect a human from the immense pressure of a powerful snake's constriction.
What we do know is that Rosolie spends a lot of time putting himself into dangerous situations. He has previously travelled with poachers into the jungle to document the illegal trade in endangered species but also does a lot of work with anacondas in the Amazon, which are under threat from hunting and habitat destruction.
Anacondas are very large snakes found in South America. The term usually refers to green anacondas, which can grow to as long as 6.6 metres. They live in or near water and tend to suffocate prey by constricting their bodies around their victims.
The snakes eat a wide variety of animals including fish, birds, deer, crocodiles and tapirs. Once the prey is subdued they will try and swallow it whole.
There are a few cases where anacondas have attacked people involved in researching the snakes - even a medium-sized anaconda of around 3.5 metres would be strong enough to overpower a human.
