The Pacu fish, a cousin of the Piranha, has made a name for itself in the world of predators by devouring human testicles. But that didn’t stop British angler, Jeremy Wade, host of Discovery Channel’s River Monsters, from putting his bollocks on the line to catch one late last December.
Wade’s exploits beg the question: are you a tough enough angler to take on the Pacu fish? Before you answer that, here’s a little more about your quarry…
There have been at least two different incidents of men dying from the blood loss they encountered after the pacu ate their testicles.
The piranha has very sharp, razor-like teeth. Sadly for those who have experienced it, the pacu has teeth closer to that of a horse or human and just as dull. If the story is true, it should be added to the 100 Bad Ways to Die list.
The red-bellied pacu, cousin to the piranha, was introduced to the Sepik and Ramu rivers in Papua, New Guinea back in the 90’s to improve the region’s fishery. The pacu has been blamed for killing off all of the tilapia in those rivers. Only after the original food source of underwater vegetation ran out did the pacu become carnivorous.