River Monsters

MY NAME IS JEREMY WADE,

FRESHWATER DETECTIVE AND ANGLING EXPLORER.

AND THE PLACE THAT HOLD ENDLESS MYSTERY FOR ME IS THE AMAZON.

NOW I'M HEADING BACK ON THE MISSION OF A LIFETIME.

OVER THE COURSE OF A WHOLE YEAR,

I'LL GO FURTHER AND DEEPER

INTO MORE REMOTE AND UNKNOWN RIVER-MONSTERS TERRITORY

THAN EVER BEFORE.

THE WATERS OF THE AMAZON INFILTRATE

BEYOND THE RAINFOREST,

INTO A DESOLATE AND DANGEROUS HINTERLAND OF RIVERS

AND MARSHES,

WHERE I'VE RECENTLY HEARD A REPORT

OF A BRUTAL UNDERWATER MUTILATION...

THAT HAPPENED IN AN INSTANT...

A CRUEL CUT THAT SEVERED A YOUNG MAN'S PROSPECTS.

BUT INVESTIGATING HERE ISN'T GOING TO BE EASY.

THIS IS A FORGOTTEN, OFTEN LAWLESS PLACE,

WHERE SOME OF THE WATERWAYS HIDE DESPERATE CRIMINALS

ALONGSIDE BLOODTHIRSTY PREDATORS.

BUT IT'S HERE I HAVE TO CONFRONT THE SECRET SLASHER

THAT STALKS ARGENTINA'S RIVER OF BLOOD.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

A SINGLE LIFETIME IS NOT ENOUGH

TO EXPLORE A WILDERNESS THE SIZE OF THE AMAZON.

BUT THE PREDATOR-FILLED WATERS DON'T HALT AT THE EDGE

OF THE IMMENSE TROPICAL RAINFOREST.

THEY CREEP OUT, TENTACLE-LIKE,

INTO A COOLER REALM OF SPRAWLING SWAMPS

AND WETLANDS...

AN AREA ALMOST FOUR TIMES THE SIZE OF TEXAS.

OTHERS MAY BALK AT THE PROSPECT

OF HUNTING DOWN NEW RIVER MONSTERS OUT HERE,

BUT WHEN I HEAR STORIES OF ATTACKS, I HAVE TO GO.

ONE PARTICULAR STORY HAS REACHED ME

OF A BLOODY ASSAULT ON A YOUNG MAN'S MANHOOD

IN THE PARANá RIVER.

IT'S TIME TO OPEN A NEW CASE.

THE RIO PARANá

IS THE MASSIVE FRESHWATER ARTERY

COURSING THROUGH THIS REGION.

IT FLOWS FROM THE WETLANDS OF BRAZIL FOR 3,000 MILES,

UNTIL IT MEETS THE SOUTH ATLANTIC.

I'M HEADING INTO ITS CONVOLUTED MAZE OF WATERWAYS

TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE STORY.

LIKE MUCH OF ARGENTINA, THIS IS CATTLE COUNTRY.

DESPITE THE RISKS OF FLOODING,

SOME RANCHERS STILL USE THE MARSHY ISLANDS FOR GRAZING.

I KNOW ENOUGH SPANISH

TO ASK IF HE'S HEARD ABOUT THE MUTILATION INCIDENT.

Wade: NOT FAR FROM HERE,

THERE'S A STORY OF A YOUNG LAD ACTUALLY HAVING HIS PENIS

MORE OR LESS AMPUTATED.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THE REPORT I HEARD IS TRUE,

BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT CREATURE WAS RESPONSIBLE.

HE SAYS THE MOST DANGEROUS FISH IN THE WATER HERE

IS THE STINGRAY.

I CAME FACE-TO-FACE WITH THIS VENOMOUS FRESHWATER GIANT

ON MY ONLY OTHER INVESTIGATION ON THIS RIVER.

THERE IT IS! THERE IT IS! THERE IT IS! THERE IT IS!

THERE IT IS! THERE IT IS!

I DOUBT A RAY

IS CAPABLE OF CAUSING THE DAMAGE I'M HEARING ABOUT.

I WANT TO ASK THE VICTIM HIMSELF

IF HE HAS ANY IDEA WHAT ATTACKED HIM,

SO I INQUIRE WHERE HE LIVES.

HE DOESN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE,

BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE RIVER HERE.

ON MY WAY, I CAN'T RESIST GETTING A LINE IN THE WATER

TO SEE FOR MYSELF WHAT'S DOWN THERE.

I'VE LEFT THE EQUATORIAL ENDLESS SUMMER

FOR A PLACE WITH DISTINCT VARIATIONS IN TEMPERATURE,

ARRIVING AT THE END OF THIS REGION'S

SURPRISINGLY COLD WINTER.

THESE STORIES I'VE BEEN HEARING OF BODY PARTS SEVERED,

I WOULD NORMALLY THINK STRAIGHTAWAY

OF RED-BELLIED PIRANHAS,

BUT THIS FAR SOUTH

IN WATER THAT GETS AS COLD AS THIS DOES --

AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, THEY'RE NOT HERE.

SO IT'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING ELSE.

I CAN DISCOUNT THE VENOMOUS STINGRAY.

THE STABBING SPINE ON ITS TAIL IS POTENTIALLY DEADLY,

BUT IT COULDN'T AMPUTATE GENITALS.

BUT THERE IS A FISH I KNOW

THAT CAN INFLICT GENITAL MUTILATION...

AAH!

...THE PACU, SOMETIMES CALLED THE "BALL-CUTTER."

BUT IT ONLY BECAME CARNIVOROUS

WHEN PEOPLE MOVED IT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD,

WHERE VEGETATION WAS SCARCE.

THIS EERILY HUMAN-TOOTHED BEAST

IS NATURALLY VEGETARIAN HERE IN ITS SOUTH AMERICAN HOME,

WHERE I'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT CAUSING ANY TROUBLE.

BECAUSE I'M AFTER SOMETHING WITH A TASTE FOR FLESH...

...I'M GOING TO FISH WITH THE BLOODIEST BAIT I KNOW.

THIS BEING CATTLE COUNTRY,

THIS IS A BIT OF COW'S HEART -- NICE AND BLOODY, VERY FLESHY.

AND, WELL,

THAT SHOULD GET THE ATTENTION OF ANY CARNIVORES DOWN THERE.

THAT'S A FISH ON.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

WHAT I'M DOING --

I'M JUST RUNNING CLOSE TO SOME BRANCHES HERE.

UNH!

THAT'S A VERY STRONG FISH IN THIS CURRENT.

OKAY, HERE WE GO.

WHAT'S THAT?

THE FISH THAT TOOK THE COW-HEART BAIT

IS ONE I'VE NEVER CAUGHT BEFORE --

A BOGA.

HERE WE GO.

THIS FISH -- DEFINITELY CARNIVOROUS,

LOOKS A BIT CARP-LIKE.

BUT THIS FISH HAS WHAT CARP DON'T HAVE.

OH, THERE'S TEETH IN HERE.

JUST WANT TO GET A CLOSE LOOK AT THOSE TEETH.

ITS SCIENTIFIC NAME, LEPORINUS,

DESCRIBES ITS RABBIT-LIKE TEETH,

BUT THIS IS NOT THE HARDWARE OF A FRIENDLY VEGETARIAN.

I'VE HEARD BOGAS CAN GROW BIGGER THAN THIS,

BUT EVEN SO,

ITS MOUTH IS NOT NEARLY WIDE ENOUGH TO BITE MY FINGER.

ALTHOUGH IT'S QUITE STRANGE TO SEE TEETH IN A FISH LIKE THIS,

I DON'T THINK THIS IS RESPONSIBLE.

IN FACT, I'M CERTAIN OF IT.

EXPLORERS NAMED THIS LAND "ARGENTINE"

AFTER THE SILVER THEY HOPED TO FIND HERE.

ONCE A LAND OF PLENTY

FOR SETTLERS FROM SPAIN, ITALY, AND BRITAIN,

NOW ITS FORTUNES HAVE FADED.

LIKE MANY PEOPLE IN THESE REMOTE BACKWATERS,

THE YOUNG MAN WHOSE PENIS WAS SEVERED

LIVED ON THE MARGINS OF SOCIETY,

IN AN ALL-BUT-FORGOTTEN SETTLEMENT.

THE RED FLAGS ARE THE SIGN OF A RENEGADE SAINT

WHO LOCALS REVERE.

THIS IS A SHRINE TO GAUCHITO GIL.

IN THIS REGION OF ARGENTINA,

HE WAS SOMETHING OF A ROBIN HOOD FIGURE,

HELPED THE POOR PEOPLE.

YOU HAVE TO LEAVE OFFERINGS -- CIGARETTES, WINE.

BUT GAUCHITO GIL HIMSELF

WORSHIPPED ANOTHER SAINT OF DARKER,

MORE ANCIENT ORIGINS.

THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER SMALLER FIGURE IN THERE,

AND THIS IS SOMETHING --

WELL, IT TRANSLATES TO THE "SAINT OF DEATH."

IT'S SAID THAT SAN LA MUERTE CAN PROTECT HIS FOLLOWERS

FROM GOING TO PRISON,

WHICH IS WHY MANY HARDENED CRIMINALS

AND EVEN MURDERERS IN THIS CORNER OF ARGENTINA

ALSO MAKE OFFERINGS TO HIM.

A WOMAN IN THIS VILLAGE SAYS THE VICTIM'S FAMILY

HAVE MOVED TO THE BIG CITY, BUT HIS UNCLE IS STILL HERE.

HE WATCHES MY APPROACH SUSPICIOUSLY,

PERHAPS BECAUSE I'M NOT FROM AROUND HERE.

AND PEOPLE ASKING QUESTIONS

CAN OFTEN BE CONNECTED TO THE POLICE.

BUT IN THE END,

HE AGREES TO TELL ME ABOUT THE HORRIFIC EVENT

THAT CHANGED HIS NEPHEW'S LIFE FOREVER.

IN AN ISOLATED BACKWATER OF ARGENTINA,

I'M INVESTIGATING HORRIFIC REPORTS OF A CREATURE

THAT BRUTALLY SEVERS HUMAN EXTREMITIES.

A MAN NAMED TULIJO AGREES TO TELL ME EXACTLY

WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS NEPHEW JEVASIO ON A DAY

THAT NEITHER OF THEM WOULD EVER FORGET.

JEVASIO WENT SWIMMING AFTER SCHOOL WITH SOME FRIENDS.

THE BOYS WERE FROM POOR GAUCHO,

OR COWBOY, FAMILIES AND OWNED ONLY ONE SET OF CLOTHES,

SO THEY WENT SKINNY-DIPPING.

SUDDENLY, SOMETHING BIT HIM.

THE WATER TURNED RED WITH BLOOD.

SOMETHING HAD SEVERED THROUGH HIS PENIS

AND HAD REMOVED PART OF A TESTICLE.

IT WAS A RAPID STRIKE

WHICH CUTS LIKE SHEARS ACROSS HIS GENITALS

BUT LEFT THEM HANGING FROM A FLAP OF SKIN.

SO, WHAT DID THIS CLEARLY HAD A VERY POWERFUL BITE,

BUT POSSIBLY SIGNIFICANT THAT IT DIDN'T CUT CLEAN THROUGH,

SIGNIFICANT ALSO THAT WHERE THIS HAPPENED,

IT WAS THE SIDE OF THE WATER

WHERE PEOPLE GO SWIMMING, WHERE ANIMALS GO,

SO THE WATER WAS CLOUDY.

SO NOBODY ACTUALLY SAW WHAT IT WAS THAT DID THIS.

JEVASIO SURVIVED THE ATTACK,

BUT WHEN I ASK WHERE I CAN FIND HIM,

HIS UNCLE TELLS ME THAT HE'S SINCE DIED

BUT FROM AN UNRELATED ILLNESS.

THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME

I'VE INVESTIGATED ATTACKS ON THE SHORES OF THIS VAST RIVER.

MOST OF WHAT LURKS UNDERWATER HERE IS STILL A MYSTERY TO ME.

TULIJO SAID VILLAGERS REGULARLY USE THE STRETCH OF WATER

WHERE IT HAPPENED.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THE PLACE WHERE JEVASIO WENT BATHING

WAS ALSO THE PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY CLEANED THE FISH.

GUTTING THIS FISH HERE, WHAT'S HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY --

LOADS OF SMALL FISH HAVE COME IN,

ATTRACTED BY THE SCENT OF THE BLOOD AND GUTS