Is it even possible to be eaten alive by an Anaconda?

WASHINGTON — The Discovery Channel’s announcement of a new special airing in December featuring a man purposely getting eaten alive by an Anaconda snake has a lot of people asking two questions: Is it appropriate? Is it even possible?

“There is no way to do it and make sure that the animal is still happy and healthy,” says Tom Stalf, CEO of the Columbus Zoo, in an interview with WTOP on Friday.

“The first thing I would say is why would anyone even think about this? And the second thing I would say is it’s pretty ridiculous.”

The show, “Eaten Alive,” features naturalist Paul Rosolie who Discovery says put on a “snake-proof suit” and was consumed by a live Anaconda snake in the Amazon rainforest. The channel says both Rosolie and the snake survived the act and are healthy.

Stalf says that’s not possible. And he’s not alone in his criticism. He, along with various animal advocacy groups, say the concept alone is damaging to preservation efforts of the planet’s animals.

“It’s a shame that we would step to this level because credibility is extremely important in our conservation efforts of the animal world,” Stalf says.

Stalf says it’s unfortunate Rosolie, the star of the show, was involved. Rosolie has traveled the Amazon and written a book about his experiences. He’s known as a conservation advocate and has been endorsed by giants in the field such as Jane Goodall.

Stalf explains Anaconda snakes are massive creatures that grow up to 30-feet long and can weigh a couple hundred pounds.

“They can consume an animal the size of a deer and, yes, a small human. But their metabolism rate is so slow that they only have to eat once a year.”

Calling the special a “gimmick,” Stalf says he hopes those who do tune in get one thing out of the experience.

“The Amazon rainforest is a fantastic place, home to 2.7 million acres of trees and we need to protect that,” he says. “That’s the only thing that’s going to be valuable watching this show.”

Here’s a preview of the show:

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