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Watch school of hungry Amazonian piranhas make chunks of meat disappear in just a couple of seconds

Now you see it, now you don't

Jack Simpson
Monday 16 March 2015 14:50 GMT
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Piranhas make mat disappear in matter of seconds
Piranhas make mat disappear in matter of seconds (YouTube/Joao Antonio Cruz Junior)

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Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, a group of Brazilian fishermen have released a video showing just how savage a school of piranha fish with a meal in front of them can be.

In the video uploaded onto YouTube over the weekend, a group of Brazilian fishermen are caught throwing chunks of meat into piranha-infested waters.

Within seconds, dozens of piranhas are captured tearing apart the meat in a furious feeding frenzy. As the clip goes on, even more fish are filmed joining the banquet,making the meat disappear within seconds.

The footage, which would make anyone think twice about booking an Amazon cruise, has gone viral, with nearly 350,000 people watching the one-minute long clip posted online by a man who calls himself Joao Antonio Cruz Junior.

Piranhas are native to South America and are found along The Amazon River.

They are known for their razor-sharp teeth and furious group attacks when hungry.

A shoal of red bellied piranha fish found in South America
A shoal of red bellied piranha fish found in South America (Rex)

They can attack humans too and every year Piranha hundreds of attacks are reported throughout South America.

The most notable piranha incident in recent times came in Argentina in December 2013, when an attack by a school of hungry piranhas saw 70 people injured and several children lose fingers and toes.

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