Man who tried to get eaten alive by snake instantly regretted it

Paul Rosolie, a devoted conservationist, set out to do the unthinkable: get swallowed alive by a giant anaconda.

Paul Rosolie, the man who tried to get eaten alive by a snake. Credit: Taylor Hill / Getty

Rosolie is a seasoned explorer and wildlife enthusiast who has dedicated years to studying the complexities of the Amazon rainforest.

In 2014, the conservationist came up with a plan to raise global awareness about the decline of habitats in his documentary for the Discovery Channel.

The controversial film, which was titled Eaten Alive, saw Rosolie head out to the remote part of the Amazon and track down a green anaconda - the largest and heaviest snake in the world. 

To safely navigate this dangerous interaction, the man wore a carbon fiber suit, strengthened to withstand the anaconda’s coils. This suit was no ordinary gear, it came equipped with its own oxygen supply and cameras to record every moment of this unprecedented encounter. 

Unfortunately, the stunt didn't go entirely to plan. The snake lunged and trapped Rosolie in its mighty coils, squeezing him with immense pressure.

The conservationist described the harrowing experience to his team: “I'm getting coils over me...She's got my arms pinned. She knows there's nothing I can do," per Daily Mail.

As the 20-foot long, 18-stone snake tightened its grip, Rosolie's body reacted with distress. His heart raced, and breathing became difficult, but the protective suit kept him safe.

Initially, the man remained focused on his mission to raise awareness but 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!" he said.

His team rushed in and managed to wrestle the snake off him before he was fully consumed.

Rosolie reflected on the chilling encounter in a follow-up interview, sharing: “She nailed me right in the face and the last thing I saw was her mouth wide open before everything went black,” cited by The Independent.

“And then she wrapped me and I felt the suit cracking and my arms ripping out of their sockets. It was absolutely terrifying,” he added.

Though he walked away unscathed, the incident sparked a wave of controversy in the media, with many debating the ethics of such an extreme act.

The naturalist felt he could only get attention on the Amazon rainforest by doing an extraordinary stunt. “I wanted to do something that would sort of shock people and force a dialogue about what’s going on here - and it’s working," he added.

Featured image credit: Taylor Hill / Getty