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SALT LAKE CITY — Being eaten alive by an anaconda is probably one of the worst things most people can imagine, but one man has elected to do it of his own free will for the sake of TV.
Wildlife filmmaker Paul Rosolie will allegedly “enter the belly of an anaconda in a custom-built snake-proof suit” during the show “Eaten Alive” on the Discovery Channel. The program is scheduled to air Dec. 7 as part of the channel’s MegaWeek.
A sneak peek on YouTube shows Rosolie and his team wrangling a wild anaconda from the water and then donning the “snake-proof suit.” Presumably Rosalie is still alive after his adventure, as Discovery confirmed that the endeavor has already been filmed and he appears to still be active on Twitter.
Ppl say #snakes only eat prey that is dead - in my experience they def eat things alive! proof:http://t.co/ghi9mGW5aB#EatenAlive@Discovery
— Paul Rosolie (@PaulRosolie) November 4, 2014PETA called on the Discovery Channel Thursday to cancel the show.
“This blatant publicity stunt sounds far-fetched, but if the description is accurate, the snake was tormented and suffered for the sake of ratings—as animals usually do when they’re used for entertainment,” PETA wrote in a statement.
“Anacondas go days without eating and expend the energy needed to do so selectively. Making this snake use up energy by swallowing this fool and then possibly regurgitating him would have left the poor animal exhausted and deprived of the energy that he or she needs.”
Rosolie invited those who are concerned about animal cruelty to read his book, “Mother of God: One man’s journey to the uncharted depths of the Amazon rainforest”, in a post on his website.
He wrote, “Then ask yourself: would this person ever hurt an animal?”
Discovery Channel told Entertainment Weekly that the snake survived the experience.
