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When Monkeys Attack

    Some monkeys, like baboons and chimpanzees, are highly dangerous due to their strength and aggression Others, like squirrel monkeys and titi monkeys, are generally not considered non-threatening, but they can still become aggressive if threatened or frightened. 

 In a fight with a chimpanzee it is highly unlikely that a human would win because chimpanzees possess superior strength, agility and fighting instincts.Even a well-trained human would likely be outmatched. Chimpanzees are much stronger than humans. Studies suggest they can be 1.35 times more powerful. Chimps also have much stronger arm muscles that enables them to lift a surprising amount of weight. Chimps are extremely agile and have excellent climbing and swinging ability and they are fast. 

    Their fighting style includes biting, scratching and grappling would make it difficult for a human to defend themselves and gain an advantage. 

    By nature chimps are aggressive, particularly when defending themselves or their territory. All this makes them dangerous adversaries.   

    When it comes to bites, chimps have powerful jaws and teeth that are capable of inflicting serious damage. Their bite attacks can be brutal and lead to severe injuries. 

    Also, chimps don't fight like humans; they don't pinch...they slap, bites and grapple. There have been reports of chimps gouging out eyes, tearing off ears, noses, lips, arms, hands, fingers and genitals. 

 If a monkey attacks you, the immediate priorities are to protect yourself, especially your face and head, and to create distance. Avoid eye contact, don't scream or make sudden movements and slowly back away. If you have food or items they might be interested in toss it to them away from you. If you’re lucky, it will distract them. 

 

Electric Eels

    Electric eels generate electricity using organs composed of modified muscle cells called electrocytes that are arranged like stacks of batteries, with each cell generating a small electric charge. When triggered, these cells discharge, creating an electrical shock. 

    There isn't a specific voltage that is lethal to humans, but voltages above 50 volts can be dangerous and potentially lethal, especially with alternating current. Several factors, including current, duration body resistance and the path of the current influence the severity of the shock. 

    A Taser works by overwhelming the nerves that control the muscles, causing them to involuntarily contract. A Taser delivers 19 high-voltage pulses per second while an electric eel can produce 400 pulses per second. 

    Being shocked by a single electric eel can cause muscle spasms, intense pain and temporary paralysis in the affected area. In some cases, the shock can be severe enough to cause involuntary muscle contractions, making it difficult to swim which can lead to drowning. While a single shock is not usually lethal to healthy adults, multiple shocks can cause respiratory or heart failure. 

    The electric eel has a slender, snake-like body and flattened head. Its thick, scaleless skin is generally dark gray to brown and its underside is a yellow-orange. 

    Three specialized electric organs make up about 80 percent of its body. The electric organs create strong and weak electric charges, which are utilized for defense, hunting, communication and navigation. Electric eels grow to lengths of 6 to 8 feet. 

    The electric eel is widely distributed across northern South America. Its range spans across Brazil, the Guianas, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. 

    They inhabit the quiet, slow-moving waters of ox-bow lakes, a crescent-shaped lake formed when a meandering river cuts off a bend, creating a separate, U-shaped body of water. These lakes are a common feature in areas with rivers that have extensive meandering They also inhabit streams, pools and flooded forests of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers, preferring side channels but also living further inland. 

    Water efficiently conducts electricity, providing a wide surface area for the electric eel’s shock. This means that a shock may not be as painful for a large pret as one delivered outside of the water. Because if this an electric eel can jump out of the water, sliding its body up against a partially submerged predator to directly target its shock. The eel then delivers its electric pulses in increasing voltages.

    Their life span in the wild is unknown, but in captivity males typically live 10 to 15 years and females to 22 years. Adult electric eels are generalist carnivores, eating fish, crustaceans, insects and small vertebrates such as amphibians, reptiles and mammals. 

    In the dark, murky waters they inhabit electric eel have motion-sensitive hairs along their body that detect any slight pressure change in the surrounding water. When the eel senses a prey is near it emits two rapid electric pulses, called a doublet, that affects the muscles of the prey, causing it to twitch. Then with a series of high-voltage pulses (as many as 400 per second), the eel paralyzes and eats its prey. 

    Electric eels are edible, but they are not a common food source due to the potential dangers in catching them and hey are not very meaty. Some cultures, like in South America, consider them a delicacy, but proper preparation and cooking are crucial to avoid any harm.