Piranha problem takes bite out of Brazilian beach fun

Piranha problem takes bite out of Brazilian beach fun

A Piranha swims inside of an aquarium in 2010 in Dubai. Authorities in a state in Brazil's northeast are scrambling to take the fright and the bite off the beach after piranhas sunk their teeth into about 100 beachgoers, UOL Noticias reported. AFP - Authorities in a state in Brazil's northeast are scrambling to take the fright and the bite off the beach after piranhas sunk their teeth into about 100 beachgoers, UOL Noticias reported.

The problem -- rather fearsome given piranhas' horror-movie teeth and ability to sink them into human flesh -- has been the biggest at the main beach area in Piaui state; authorities said they need to act fast to reduce a piranha overpopulation situation.

Last weekend, at least 100 bathers were treated at the hospital in Jose de Freitas not far from Terezina, Piaui's capital, after being bitten on the heels or toes at the local beach.

"Since they have no predators, piranhas have started attacking people on the beach," said Romildo Mafra, a local environment official.

Environmental officials so far have added tilapia to the piranhas' local food chain hoping to quell some of the predators' hunger.

http://www.france24.com/en/20110925-piranha-problem-takes-bite-out-brazilian-beach-fun

Yikes!!

wow that's really unusual.

Sounds just like the movie!

wholly cr@p!!!

Good grief! I wouldn't want to be on that beach to become lunch!

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_you_eat_piranhas

...........

fry them up..... people in Brazil eat them... I knew a guy from there that said he would eat pacu and piranha all the time living there, don't know what happened to him...


https://youtu.be/_-JPNvS5yJA

PTD said...

" don't know what happened to him"...

....priceless... -JT

NajaAkaDoa wrote:

PTD said...

" don't know what happened to him"...

....priceless... -JT

as in I haven't seen him in a while he was a DFW, Tx local....... piranha's aren't human hunters, they attack to protect there young....

.....yep

Piranha are not known to attack humans. This very rare. I have eaten piranha and black pacus. I perfer black pacu. More meat. Piranha are everywhere theres water. In the dry season when the water is drying up piranha can become more aggressive.

deep amazon natives say only stupid ppl get bit. they swim regularly with em. even jeremy wade did it. the underlying problem isnt the piranha themselves. its overfishing and other human idiocy involved

Hm, its definatly weird for a few reasons..

1) Pirahnnas dont really attack humans

2) They really only attack from scent of blood in the water

giving the benefit of the doubt that there may have been some blood, from a cut or whatever..

3) Pirahnnas school together..this had to be a single solitary pirahnna each time cause a school, would have torn them apart.

I worked at the Texas State Aquarium for a few years, and we have some Pirahnnas in a temporary set. Never had a single issue with them during diving, cleaning, or anything..but anyfood with smell of blood.it was gone.

The fact it was one weekend, and there where 100 apparently non life threatening cases makes me think it was a few that just went and took nibbles or nips out of them.