Ramapo Alumnus to Be Swallowed Alive by Anaconda

Photo courtesy of Discovery Channel

My anaconda don’t want none unless you are a Ramapo alum, hun.

Paul Rosolie, an explorer, naturalist and Ramapo alumnus, will be featured on a Discovery Channel special, where he will be eaten alive by a snake. According to the channel’s website, Rosolie will enter “the belly of an anaconda in a custom-built snake-proof suit.”

Rosolie graduated from Ramapo in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies. He has always been fascinated with wildlife, and when he was 18 he took on his first journey to the West Amazon, where he worked at a local research station.

Since then, Rosolie has led projects to raise awareness of the Amazon and promote biodiversity preservation, in addition to his numerous interactions with wild animals, indigenous tribes and poachers.

In March, he published a book titled “Mother of God,” where he detailed his journey in the West Amazon, including encounters with anacondas and jaguars. The book received positive reviews from renowned environmentalists and adventurers, like Bear Grylls.

In addition, Rosolie’s expedition project, “Tamandua Expeditions,” allows people to get a taste of his lifestyle by engaging in a responsible adventure and volunteer tourism.

According to Rosolie’s website, his mission is "to blend adventure and conservation with the aim of reaching a broader audience, and including more people in an ecological call to arms.”

The show he will soon be featured on is called “Eaten Alive” and will premiere on the Discovery Channel on Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. It will be part of the network’s “Mega Week,” which will offer specials and supersized episodes of popular Discovery shows.

Since it was announced, Rosolie’s project was the source of controversial debate. Organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have voiced concerns that the stunt could be potentially harmful for the anaconda, which spends a lot of energy swallowing prey and will be left exhausted once Rosolie is regurgitated.

A petition was started to boycott the show on the grounds of animal cruelty. It was signed by 35,000 as of Nov. 17.

Not many details about the show have been announced yet, but it is likely that Discovery will shed more light on how the experiment will impact the anaconda. 

In addition to recreating the experience of being eaten alive, the show would attempt to raise awareness about biodiversity in the Peruvian Amazon and promote its conservation. Discovery also provided the funds for Rosolie and his team to conduct the first study of an anaconda in the area.

Rosolie responded to the criticism by tweeting the following statement: “If u know me—I would never hurt a living thing. But you'll have to watch #EatenAlive to find out how it goes down!”

avasilev@ramapo.edu