US MARINES surviving in the Thailand Jungle

By
News Editors
-
US Marines eat scorpions and drink snake blood during the Cobra Gold 2020 jungle survival training US Army/US Marines

US Marines are eating scorpions and drinking snake blood in the #Thailand jungle, and no, it’s not because someone forgot to pack the Meals Ready to Eat.

Cobra Gold, a large multilateral exercise, kicked off in Thailand in late February, and one key part of the exercise is jungle survival training.

Check out these wild photos and see how the Marines are connecting with nature in a way a lot of people would probably rather not.

Royal Thai Marine Petty Officer 1st Class Pairoj Prasarnsa, Chief Jungle Survival Trainer with Marine Recon Patrol holds two Cobras in his hands during jungle survival training alongside his U.S. Marine counterparts
Royal Thai Marine Petty Officer 1st Class Pairoj Prasarnsa, Chief Jungle Survival Trainer with Marine Recon Patrol holds two Cobras during jungle survival training alongside his U.S. Marine counterparts  U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Nicolas Cholula
 

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.

Royal Thai Marine Petty Officer 1st Class Pairoj Prasarnsa, Chief Jungle Survival Trainer with Marine Reconnaissance Patrol, displays a spiders fangs during jungle survival training alongside his U.S. Marine counterparts during exercise Cobra Gold 2020
Royal Thai Marine Petty Officer 1st Class Pairoj Prasarnsa, Chief Jungle Survival Trainer with Marine Reconnaissance Patrol, displays a spider’s fangs during jungle survival training alongside his US Marines.  U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Nicolas Cholula

For instance, some plants can be a good source of water.

U.S. Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, drink water from a plant as part of jungle survival training
U.S. Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, drink water from a plant as part of jungle survival training.  U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall
And, there are, in many cases, a lot of different fruit available for consumption.

U.S. Marine Cpl. Alicia Yoo with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, a native of Haymarket, Va., eats watermelon during jungle survival training
U.S. Marine Cpl. Alicia Yoo with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, eats watermelon during jungle survival training.  U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Nicolas Cholula
But, when those options aren’t available, Marines can also eat geckos, gibbons, and even scorpions.

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Lance with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, eats a live scorpion as part of jungle survival training during exercise Cobra Gold 2020 at Ban Chan Khrem, Chanthaburi, Kingdom of Thailand, Mar. 1, 2020
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Lance with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, eats a live scorpion as part of jungle survival training during exercise Cobra Gold 2020.  U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Nicolas Cholula
Then, of course, there is one of the most iconic aspects of the Cobra Gold jungle survival training, and that is drinking cobra blood.

U.S. Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, drink the blood of a king cobra
U.S. Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, drink the blood of a King Cobra.  U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall

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.

U.S. Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, drink the blood of a king cobra
U.S. Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, drink the blood of a King Cobra.  U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall

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.

U.S. Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, drink the blood of a king cobra
U.S. Marines with Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, drink the blood of a king cobra.  U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Hannah Hall

 “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.”

U.S. Marine Sgt. Etrice Sawyer a native of Miami, Fla., with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, drinks the blood of a king cobra
U.S. Marine Sgt. Etrice Sawyer a native of Miami, Fla., with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, drinks the blood of a King Cobra.  U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Nicolas Cholula
–
You can follow BangkokJack on Twitter, Instagram, & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right)

Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS – PayPal

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR