(intense music) (buzzing)
- I'm Coyote Peterson,
and I'm about to enter the sting zone with the
Japanese Giant Hornet.
One, two, here we go, three.
(suspenseful music)
Oh searing pain!
Absolute searing pain!
(intense jungle music)
(lion roars)
There are moments we have brought you
on the Brave Wilderness channel that the world
will never forget.
(grunts)
Oh it's stuck in my arm, it's stuck in my arm.
(yelling and grunting)
Then there are the moments
that we know the world is waiting for.
I'm Coyote Peterson,
and I'm about to enter the sting zone
with the executioner wasp, here we go.
But before we get there,
first, I must face one more horrific sting.
Ah! (grunts)
The Tottori Prefecture
is one of the most remote stretches of wildnerness
in all of Japan.
And mysteriously hidden
deep within it fog covered mountains,
a world of giants stalk this ancient landscape.
For days we searched in every place possible.
Yet much to our chagrin,
it seemed as an encounter with Japan's most notorious insect
would allude us.
Then in our second to last day in country,
when it seemed as if all hope was lost,
the very encounter I had been searching for
presented itself in the form of a giant hornet.
(gasps)
Hornet, hornet, hornet, hornet, hornet, hornet,
right there, right there, right there,
right on the edge of that weed,
look at that, it's huge,
right there, right there, right there.
(suspenseful music)
Got it, hornet!
Hornet, giant hornet 100%.
- [Cameraman] You caught one?
- [Coyote] Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, hold on a second.
Yes, right there, right there, right there.
- [Cameraman] Dude you got it.
- Got it, hold on I'm gonna put this Go-Pro down.
- [Cameraman] Wow that is a big hornet!
- Where is it, where is it, hold on.
- [Cameraman] It's right here, it's right here.
- Right there, right there, right there.
Let me trap it up against the front of the net.
- [Cameraman 2] Where is it?
- It's tangled up within all these plants.
- [Cameraman] Mario, look at that.
- [Cameraman 2] Where, where, where?
- [Coyote] Look, look, look,
it's biting right through the net.
- [Cameraman 2] You can barely see it.
- Here let's do this, I gotta get it in the capsule.
- [Cameraman 2] Let's get it in the capsule.
- [Coyote] Hold on a second, here, uh.
- [Cameraman 2] Do you need help?
- Hold the end of that, hold the end of that.
Ah! (mischievous laughter)
Yeah you guys will be able to see a lot better
if I get it into here, hold on a second.
I don't wanna get stung through the net.
Okay, opp.
(suspenseful music)
I almost got it.
- [Cameraman] You're sure it's a giant.
- I'm 100% certain dude, it's huge,
there's no way this is anything else.
Look at it, it's biting onto the net.
Probably chew right through there if it could.
- [Cameraman] Hasn't stung yet.
- Got it, got it, got it, got it, got it.
- [Cameraman 2] Let's take a look at it.
- Look at that, that is it, yep.
- [Cameraman] You got one!
Man!
- How about that right?
Oh my goodness, look at how big it is,
my hand is shaking.
- [Cameraman] How'd you find it?
- It was just on top of the plants, I saw it,
it was about ready to take off and I was like,
(gasps)
I don't know if I got the shot on the Go-Pro,
just dropped it into the dirt,
I just had to make sure that I got it.
I swiped down right on top of those plants,
got the plants, and got the hornet at the same time.
It is huge.
Wow.
I guess that's why they call it the giant hornet.
Man, okay, well, we're starting to lose light,
but we definitely still have time to get the scene.
Let's hike back up this way, find a flat spot.
Yes!
We have got the Japanese giant hornet!
Man!
Ho yeah!
(suspenseful music)
There it is, the Japanese giant hornet.
And I would say the giant is an understatement.
Not since the tarantula hawk
have we encountered a more intimidating insect.
Look at that beast.
From its head to its thorax,
down its legs, which end in grappling hooked feet,
and then of course, that enormous pulsating abdomen.
Everything about this creature screams
run in the other direction.
Yet here we are, on the door step of the executioner wasp.
And what we're gonna find out today,
is just how painful the sting of this hornet really is.
Now on the insect sting pain index it only ranks
as a two, can you believe that?
On a scale of one to four, this is only a two.
Maybe its bark is bigger than its bite.
Or in this case I should say its sting.
Today, I'm going to be stung
by the largest hornet in the world.
Alright, what we're gonna do now
is get a couple of really cool B-roll shots,
I'm gonna walk around, address the Coyote Pack,
and then, we're gonna enter the sting zone.
(deep exhale)
I am nervous.
The Japanese giant hornet is considered to be
one of the largest stinging insects in the world.
This nightmarish creature
is armed with a 6.25 millimeter stinger
and it injects a venom known as mandaratoxin
in a high dosage that can destroy tissue
and attack the nervous system of its victim.
And while a single sting is not likely to be deadly,
over 30 people die every year in Japan
from taking multiple stings.
(grunts)
In most cases, these deaths come as a result
of anaphylactic shock.
But no matter how you break it down,
this sting is incredibly dangerous.
(deep breath)
That is a big hornet.
That is a huge hornet.
The biggest hornet on the face of the planet.
And I have a feeling that the sting
is going to be intense.
Now it's rumored that the sting of this insect can kill you.
Guys, a single sting is not going to kill me
unless I go into anaphylactic shock.
Now if you were to be swarmed by 30 or 40 bees,
and be stung repetitively, yes,
there is a good chance that you will die.
Now I've also heard that the venom is going to cook
a hole in my arm.
(deep breath)
Not exactly looking forward to that, but,
it all depends on how my body reacts to the venom.
Everybody reacts differently,
you guys have to remember that.
So, I'm gonna go through with this.
I know a lot of you are probably running
to the comments section right now saying
Coyote you don't have to do this,
you don't have to do this,
I do have to do this.
We have climbed the insect sting pain index,
and this is the only one guys, the only one
that I think we just have to find out how bad that sting is.
It's so big, it's such a dominant character
throughout all of Japanese culture,
and certainly when it comes to the insect sting pain index,
I don't think that we can leave this stone unturned.
So if you guys are ready, I think the crew is ready.
It is time to enter the sting zone with
the Japanese giant hornet.
(deep breath)
Here we go.
(heavy breathing)
Warning, never attempt to recreate the following scene
as a sting from the giant hornet has the potential
to be lethal.
Alright guys, this is it,
the moment that you all showed up for.
Now before we go through with the sting,
first let's talk a little bit about the safety.
We do have an epinephrine pen with us.
Now a single sting from this hornet should not kill me.
However, like most stings,
you can go into anaphylactic shock.
It just depends how your body reacts to the venom.
I should be just fine.
I will experience some pain, discomfort,
potentially some pretty extreme swelling,
but I shouldn't die from a single sting.
I do have my etymology forceps with me,
what we're gonna do is get the insect into the net
and then I'm gonna get it under control.
Same way we've done all the sting videos in the past,
are you guys ready?
- Sounds good, are you ready to do this?
- [Coyote] Here we go.
- Alright.
- Alright, net coming up.
This is probably one of the most risky bits,
we do not want to lose the hornet,
and I do not want to get stung too early.
Okay I'm gonna gently stand up here,
put the basin of the capsule at the bottom of the net,
alright, and hornet is going live inside the net.
Let me get the platform out.
Here we go, platform is out of the net.
And, come on guy, out you go.
Alright, hornet is out of the capsule, there we go.
(sighs)
Okay, so I'm gonna keep the capsule close,
you guys know the goal is to always
get the capsule back on top of the insect
before it flies away,
place that there for just a second,
and now it gets intense.
I have to figure out the best way to pick up this giant.
I want to grab right onto the back of its thorax
behind the wings so I have full control.
Alright, you guys got a good shot?
Alright, I'm gonna slightly have to maneuver myself
just a little bit here.
Ooo, it is not happening, this is one angry hornet.
Hold on, hold on, got it.
(suspenseful music)
Oh it's turning, hold on a second.
(deep sigh)
My hand is shaking.
(grunts)
Control your nerves Coyote, control your nerves.
My heart is racing a million miles a second
and I can't keep my hand still,
I'll have grab onto the insect, hold on.
Ah, the hornet is actually biting onto the forceps.
(suspenseful music)
Okay, I've got it, I've got it, perfect hold,
that's what we want.
(sighs)
Wow, alright, everyone just take a moment to soak this in,
that is an enormous hornet.
Look at its abdomen pulsating.
You look at the mandibles, those are used for chomping.
I think I may also take a bite during this video as well,
which I'm kind of afraid of,
and if you zoom in on the legs,
you can see that they have these little hooks,
they almost look like grappling hooks,
and one thing that also scares me
there is the chance it's gonna latch onto my arm,
and sting more than once.
I can't stop my hand from shaking.
I haven't been this nervous since the tarantula hawk.
- [Cameraman] Sure you wanna do this?
- Yeah, there's no turning back now.
Alright, you guys ready?
- [Cameraman] Ready if you are.
- I'm Coyote Peterson, and I'm about to enter
the sting zone with Japanese giant hornet.
(suspenseful music)
One, two, here we go, three.
(suspenseful music)
(loud yell)
Oh, the stinger's stuck in my arm.
(loud grunt)
(painful noises)
- [Cameraman] How bad is it?
- Oh man, wave of dizziness really quick.
(loud yelling)
Oh, searing pain, absolute searing pain.
There's where the stinger went in right there,
did you guys see how slow the sting was?
- I see blood.
(painful yelling)
Oh my gosh.
(painful yelling and grunting)
Oh my gosh.
- [Cameraman] I know it's tough to describe,
but you gotta describe it for us.
- Okay, okay, okay, okay.
My hand is completely seized up and locked in place.
This is like the tarantula hawk,
look at the swelling that's beginning to form on my arm,
forearm is incredibly total,
only about 45 seconds have gone by.
- [Cameraman] Careful not to go over this
cliff edge by the way.
Let's move over there.
- Back up, back up, back up, back up.
(painful yelling)
- [Cameraman] You gotta tell us if you're in trouble.
Are you gonna be okay?
- When the stinger went into my arm,
I had this like wave,
like a wave came over me and I got super dizzy,
almost didn't feel what was happening,
and then the pain just was like immediate,
immediately searing.
(slow motion yell)
(grunting)
- [Cameraman] Look at your arm, oh my gosh, look at that,
look at that.
Wow, you are swelling like crazy.
He's swelling up bad.
(loud grunt)
Hang on a second,
let's put a circle around where the swelling's at
to see the progression of it.
This is the outer, and then
that is the immediate right there.
(loud grunting)
- Oh man, not a two, far surpasses the tarantula hawk.
Far surpasses the tarantula hawk.
(grunting)
Here, here, here, look at this,
if I turn my arm sideways,
look at the welt on my.
(grunting)
Okay, can't touch near it,
sharp shooting pain if I touch near it.
- [Cameraman] Wow.
- Oh my gosh.
- I [Cameraman] I can see that your wrist
is starting to swell, do you wanna take your watch off?
Need help?
- I got it, I got it, I got it.
Ah.
(loud grunting)
No relief yet.
It's just a matter of harnessing the pain,
controlling the level of pain,
and, rolling around on the ground
and screaming at this point
really isn't doing me any good.
Alright, let's cut cameras and come back
in about five minutes.
Let me get a drink of water.
(suspenseful music)
- [Cameraman] Alright man, well, I can definitely see that--
- [Coyote] Don't touch it.
- [Cameraman] I'm not, I'm not gonna touch it.
I just wanna show everyone at home,
the swelling has completely gone outside
of these initial marks, I mean,
and I don't think you're out of the woods yet,
I think that's gonna swell a whole lot worse.
Yeah, we are only 20 minutes in a this point.
20 minutes since that stinger
went deep into my forearm.
You can see the discoloration in my skin there,
the massive goose egg that has formed,
the venom has worked its way up my arm.
- [Cameraman] Can you show us the lump,
can you hold you arm up at all?
Oh my goodness.
Wow.
- I'm sure you guys wanna know how this feels
as compared to some of the other tops insects
on the sting index.
It blows the cow killer out of the water, no comparison.
It definitely trumps the tarantula hawk.
And we're talking blood ant,
I would definitely say that at this point it is on par
and in just one month,
the episode you have all been waiting for,
the sting of the executioner wasp
will determine who the true kind of sting really is.
We're gonna monitor this sting for the next 24 hours,
and see what happens,
I can promise you this much,
I've got a world of pain ahead of me for the next few hours.
Alright, let's get an outro
and get back down to civilization, you ready?
I'm Coyote Peterson, be brave,
(sighs) stay wild,
we'll see you on the next adventure.
Oh that was a bad one.
(suspenseful music)
The hours following my brutal sting
we're some of the most painful I have ever faced
and my arm continued swelling to nearly double
its normal size.
The trauma that my mind and body endured,
today seemed like a blur,
yet when we look back,
there is a strange similarity to the scenario
I faced with a bullet ant.
Both insect's stingers
became lodged in my arm,
and as a result they put me with a higher dosage of venom
than I had originally intended to take.
When I compare the stings side by side,
I am completely honest when I say
that the Japanese giant hornet
is an overall more intimidating
and overall more painful sting than the bullet ant.
Absolute searing pain.
(grunting)
- [Cameraman] You alright man?
- Yep.
There's no question about it,
through my personal experience,
the Japanese giant hornet ranks as a four
on the insect sting pain index,
and in this very moment,
I consider it to be the most painful sting in the world.
But will it be able to hold onto its prized title
as the king of sting?
Stay tuned, we all know, what's coming next.
Hey Coyote Pack,
are you excited for the conclusion to my climb
up the insect sting pain index?
If so, learn more about these thrilling
and painful adventures in my new book
The King of Sting,
it swarms into bookstores November 27th,
but you can preorder your copy today.
Look for the link in the description below.
And don't forget, subscribe!
Then click the notification bell
so you can join me and the crew on the next wild adventure.
I've never seen this species before guys,
so we are actually going to take it back to base camp,
we're gonna have to look this up.
(animal calls)