Four people have died and more than 20 others injured in a succession of terrifying piranha attacks causing serious concern in Paraguay.
A 22-year-old swimmer died after he was fatally bitten by the predators in the Paraguay river at Itá Enramada - south of the capital Asuncion - on January 2.
Police carried out a search for the male victim after being contacted by his family when they lost sight of him - with his seriously injured body found 45 minutes later.
It is uncommon for piranhas to be so aggressive, yet the region has been blighted by several attacks in recent times, the Mirror reports.
A 49-year-old man was also killed in the Paraguay river, in the town of Puerto Rosario, with his body found with bite wounds after he was reported missing.
Forensic examinations confirmed that he had most probably been attacked by piranhas in the water who targeted his face.
Then two people where killed in the Tebicuary river, Villa Florida, in Misiones, with their bodies found with piranha bites, reported La Nacion.
There have also been many other reports of swimmers being bitten with more than seven reported on just New Year’s Day on the beach at the Bella Vista swimming club in Itapua.
Adrian Cardoza, a manager at the club, said they are looking at using chemicals to put in the water to keep the piranhas away.
Biologist Julio Javier Capli told outlet ABC.com.py that piranhas can hide behind floating vegetation in rivers before attacking people.
He said they are most likely to attack during the breeding season but also in hot weather when the water level in rivers is low.
Piranhas normally move around in groups and it is the male piranha that normally attacks to protect their young while the bites are underwater with the predator not jumping as is often shown in terror films.
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