Officials have issued a warning after a woman was bitten by a piranha – marking the tenth attack in a normally quiet lagoon in the last few weeks.
Raiane Leite Loiola was bitten by a piranha while swimming at Lagoa Nova inside a private club in the municipality of Linhares, in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo, on January 11.
The student said she had only been in the water for a few minutes when she felt the fish bite her.
She was assisted by lifeguards at the club and received first aid at the scene before leaving the water.
Raiane recounted: ‘My family and I arrived at the lagoon and went into the water. About five minutes later, a fish bit me. My husband picked me up and pulled me out of the water.’
At least 10 other people had already complained of similar piranha bites at the location in recent weeks, according to reports.
Biologists monitoring the area confirmed the presence of piranhas in Lagoa Nova, but stressed that attacks on humans are usually rare.
Biologist Daniel Motta said: ‘Piranhas are naturally aggressive, but attacks are very rare. It’s a matter of protecting the nest, or during their breeding season, when they become more active and aggressive.
‘There may be an ecological imbalance, a decrease in the number of prey in their environment.’
The Linhares Municipal Department of Environment said it sent teams to inspect the site after learning of the incidents and instructed the lagoon owner to adopt preventive safety measures.
Officials warned that during this time of year, some fish species, including piranhas, are in the reproductive phase when defensive behaviour increases.
The local authority advised the public to avoid swimming in unsignposted areas, respect safety warnings and report any situations immediately
The club managing the site said sections of the lagoon would remain closed during the week to ensure safety.
The incident comes just a few weeks after a two-year-old girl was eaten alive by piranhas after wandering outside her stilt house in the city of Coari, in the Brazilian state of Amazonas.
Little Clara Vitoria had fallen into the river through a hole in a floating structure where she lived with her family on December 22.
She was rescued from the water with numerous bite injuries to her neck, but no longer showed signs of life.
Authorities investigating the case said that the area where she fell had no fencing or guardrails.
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