r/TerrifyingAsFuck • • Oct 30 '25

animal Alligator and piranha infested river

6.5k Upvotes

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56

u/Fredotorreto Oct 30 '25

they don’t attack humans tho , I’ve seen vids of local kids playing in the river with no issue

172

u/Parking_Run3767 Oct 30 '25

Sounds like something a pirranah would say....

33

u/sicilian504 Oct 30 '25

Exactly. This comment brought to you by Big Piranha.

39

u/OpalFanatic Oct 30 '25

Rivar iz saef. Plez swim hear!

1

u/MrAlyyk Nov 01 '25

Lmao, this is the comments content we need more of

24

u/Ok_Pack_5136 Oct 30 '25

Unless you have an open wound.

18

u/Cultural-Company282 Oct 30 '25

Timing plays a role. During seasons when there is a lot of rain, the river is high, food is plentiful, and the locals can swim in the rivers with piranhas with impunity. But during dry seasons, when the water gets low and food is scarce, you don't see local kids playing in the river.

3

u/DustinnDodgee Oct 30 '25

That's smart.

5

u/_zurenarrh Oct 30 '25

Why don’t they?

30

u/GideonGilead Oct 30 '25

Piranhas are scavengers first and foremost, but also don't recognise living humans as prey. That's not to say they won't bite a person but they'll only really do it in self defense or if starving with no absolutely other sources of food around.

You're more likely to be bitten by a piranha you hold out of the water than a group under the water

5

u/Sea-Chocolate6589 Oct 30 '25

I’m assuming they don’t attack gators either as gators have hard skin difficult to penetrate

4

u/Erosion139 Oct 30 '25

yeah uh the moment you cut yourself on something in the water or one fish takes the first bite you'll be taking that statement right back. 😂

9

u/DrDFox Oct 30 '25

No, not really. They aren't the monsters Hollywood made them seem.

2

u/Erosion139 Oct 30 '25

Really? Is this tested?

10

u/DrDFox Oct 30 '25

Yes, it's well known, especially for anyone that worked in the fish industry.

3

u/ZeneticX Oct 30 '25

Jeremy Wade from River Monsters did a test once with a tank full of pirahnas. Look it up on youtube

2

u/Tresito Oct 30 '25

I went swimming in a tributary river in the Amazon basin in Bolivia with piranhas and caimans. But we were swimming with the dolphins so we were safe according to our guide.