Wild photos show US Marines munching on scorpions and washing them down with snake blood as they learn to survive in the jungle
Cobra Gold, a large multilateral exercise, kicked off in Thailand in late February, and one key part of the exercise is jungle survival training.
During the training, Marines learn valuable skills, specifically how to live off the land. This includes learning how to build a fire, learning what plants and animals are dangerous, and learning what is safe to eat and drink, the essentials should a Marine wind up alone in the jungle.
For instance, some plants can be a good source of water.
And, there are, in many cases, a lot of different fruit available for consumption.
But, when those options aren't available, Marines can also eat geckos, gibbons, and even scorpions.
Then, of course, there is one of the most iconic aspects of the Cobra Gold jungle survival training, and that is drinking cobra blood.
A King Cobra can grow to 13-feet-long and carries venom that attacks the central nervous system of its prey. A person bitten can die within 30 minutes.
No, this isn't just something weird that Marines do in the jungle simply because they can.
In the jungle, water may not always be readily available, and in those situations, Marines can drink animal blood to stay hydrated. Cobra blood is said to have a sweet taste.
"We don't do this for fun, but to survive," a Royal Thai Marine instructor explained previously, adding, "It won't fill you up, but it will keep you alive."
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