Girl 'eaten by piranhas': How common are piranha attacks?
Piranhas involved in death of girl after canoe capsizes on Brazilian river in storm
A six-year-old girl found dead in Brazil was partly eaten by piranhas, the BBC reports. It is not clear whether the girl, who had been in a canoe with relatives, had already drowned when the fierce fish found her.
The story has just come to international attention but the girl, identified by local media as Adrila Muniz, died in the Maicuru River near the town of Monte Alegre on 27 January, says the BBC.
She was said by family members to have been with her grandmother and four other children when the canoe capsized during a storm. The grandmother was able to rescue the other children but could not reach the six-year-old.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What exactly are piranhas?
They're freshwater fish which inhabit rivers across South America and are known for their powerful jaws, sharp teeth and habit of feeding in large shoals. Their teeth can be used for weapons and tools by humans – and the fish themselves are often eaten, usually fried.
Where does their fearsome reputation come from?
In 2012, National Geographic explained that the fish's image as a ravenous killer which can 'skeletonise' a cow in minutes was first drawn in the popular imagination by former US president Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote about watching the fish perform exactly that feat on a visit to Brazil in 1913.
Are they really so very dangerous?
What isn't so well-known is that the fish Roosevelt watched had been carefully corralled in a large group by local fishermen and starved of food for several days. Normally, attacks on humans are rare, fatal attacks even more so. They usually happen when the rivers are low in the dry season – and children are at particular risk as their splashing can attract the fish.
How rare are piranha attacks?
The BBC points out that another six-year-old from the same state, Eduardo dos Santos de Sousa, died in 2012 after piranhas ate the flesh from one of his forearms. The Daily Telegraph says a five-year-old girl was killed in a piranha attack in 2012, also in Brazil. In 2011 a drunken 18-year-old fell into a piranha-infested river, possibly in a suicide attempt, in Bolivia. He died of blood loss said Brazilian website Terra.
So did piranhas kill Adrila Muniz?
It's not clear. The girl was taken to a morgue and gruesome post-mortem photographs show that most of the flesh from her legs had been eaten. But it is not known if that happened after she was dead.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Week Unwrapped: Sudan, tackling homelessness and fake news
Podcast What is happening in Sudan? Could London really end rough sleeping? And why has Joe Lycett being making up stories?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Taylor Swift's surprise double album: an event of 'world-shaking proportions'
Why Everyone's Talking About Fans are 'reeling' after The Tortured Poets Department is followed by The Anthology – 15 additional tracks
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 13 - 19 April
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
How would we know if World War Three had started?
Today's Big Question With conflicts in Ukraine, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, the 'spark' that could ignite all-out war 'already exists'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The issue of women and conscription
Under the radar Ukraine military adviser hints at widening draft to women, as other countries weigh defence options amid global insecurity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine's unconventional approach to reconstruction
Under the radar Digitally savvy nation uses popular app to file compensation claims, access funds and rebuild destroyed homes
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Will Ukraine's leadership reset work?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy hints at ousting of popular military chief, but risks backlash amid dwindling munitions, delayed funding and Russian bombardment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Imran Khan sentenced to 10 years: how powerful is Pakistan's military?
Today's Big Question The country's armed forces ignore country's economic woes, control its institutions and, critics say, engineer election results
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Iran's endgame?
Today's Big Question Tehran seeks to supplant US and Saudi Arabia as dominant power in Middle East while forcing Israel to end Gaza war
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Israel proposes two-month pause in Gaza war in exchange for all Hamas hostages
Speed Read Deal doesn't include an agreement to end war, but might be 'the only path that could lead to a ceasefire', said US officials
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Nato official warns of all-out war with Russia in next 20 years
Speed Read Civilians must prepare for life-changing conflict and mass mobilisation, says military chief
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published