Allegedly Killed Brazilian Footballer, Can Piranha Really Eat Humans?

KOMPAS.com – A Brazilian footballer dies after being eaten by fish piranha.

The incident took place after the footballer known as Luiz Henrique Coelho de Andrade is being chased by the police when the police think Luiz is a criminal. Then, Luiz jumped into the existing lake Piranha to escape the police chase.

Quoted from Daily Star Saturday (2/4/2022) edition, Luiz (21) died as a result of being eaten by a piranha fish, and his body was no longer recognizable because only flesh was left in his skull.

Also read: Get to know the Piranha Fish that ate the Brazilian footballer to death

Before being found eaten by a piranha, it was told that the beginning of the incident was when the authorities or the police mistook Luiz for a criminal when he came home from a football match.

Police officers reportedly ordered Luiz to enter the Rio Negro River in Manaus, where they allegedly started shooting.

In that tense situation, Luiz reportedly jumped into the lake to avoid the police who were chasing him.

Luiz, who cannot swim, reportedly struggled to stay afloat while in the lake.

So, is it true that piranhas can eat humans?

Misunderstanding of the piranha originated from the writings of Theodore Roosevelt.

After the crushing defeat of Woodrow Wilson in the United States presidential election in 1912, Roosevelt began to explore the world. One of the places he visited was the “River of Loss” in the depths of the Amazon basin, and is now renamed the Roosevelt River.

When Roosevelt traveled, he brought 18 people to accompany him on the expedition. However, only 16 people returned home, including Roosevelt, who returned home in critical condition due to leg injuries and infections.

His trip to Brazil did not go smoothly because he was faced with various problems, such as illness, injury, running out of food, fatigue, drowning, and being involved in murder.

At the Roosevelt team’s arrival banquet, the Brazilian Government provided authentic entertainment that can only be seen at Rip Aripuana, Amazon. The show was in the form of beating a sick cow by a group of piranhas.

It’s true, the poor cow was eaten by the piranhas. However, according to tropical fish expert HR Axelrod’s report, this is because the piranhas have been deliberately starved and deprived of food for weeks.

Also read: 7 Animals That Live in the Amazon River, Piranha to Green Anaconda

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