By now, you’ve likely heard of the terrifying-sounding “murder hornets” that have recently made their way to the U.S.
For most of us, there are extremely high hopes that we’ll never have a run-in with one, as the insect, that originates in Japan, is not only scary looking, but it kills about 30 people each year there.
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On Brave Wilderness’ “Breaking Trail” YouTube show, the host, Coyote Peterson, follows adventure in a variety of wildlife areas.
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In one episode, Peterson travels to one of the most remote stretches of Japan in search of the Japanese giant hornet, also known as the “murder hornet,” which, he says injects venom in such a high dosage that it can destroy tissue and attack the nervous system.
“No matter how you break it down, this sting is incredibly dangerous,” Peterson said.
Though one single sting is not likely to be fatal, the more than 30 people stung each year in Japan die from taking multiple stings or anaphylactic shock, Peterson said.
Scroll down to watch the video.
So what does Peterson do? He travels across the area for days in search of the hornet until he finally finds one on his last day. His intent? To let the hornet sting him.
“I have a feeling that the sting is going to be intense,” Peterson said. “I’ve also heard the venom is going to cook a hole in my arm.”
He goes on to say he’s not looking forward to it, but the situation will just depend on how his body reacts to it.
So he gets to it.
We should mention, Peterson had an epinephrine pen, also known as an EpiPen, on hand in the event he reacted with anaphylactic shock.
Within seconds of the sting, Peterson’s arm begins to swell where he took the hit, and it’s immediately clear that he is in pain, as he rolls and cries out on the ground.
“When the stinger went into my arm, I had a wave come over me and I got super dizzy,” he said. "(I got a) wave of dizziness really quick -- absolute searing pain. The pain was immediately searing.”
His hand also completely seized up. And 24 hours later, his arm had swollen to nearly double its normal size.
Peterson, who takes stings from insects rumored to be some of the most painful in the world, described the pain as being worse than anything he’d experienced.
Click or tap here to watch the video on YouTube.