NewsThailandchonburicobra gold 2013

Cobra Gold 2013: Jungle Survival Exercises See Military Drink Freshly Killed Snake Blood In Thailand (GRAPHIC PICTURES)

Jungle Survival Drill Sees Marines Drink Cobra Blood (GRAPHIC PICTURES)
Sara C Nelson
|

Deep in the jungles of Thailand a military exercise is taking place which sees participants drink the blood of freshly killed cobras.

The intense survival program is part of an annual event known as Cobra Gold 2013.

It focuses on maintaining and improving military relationships among nations in the Asia-Pacific region, including the US, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia.

Scroll down for more pictures

Open Image Modal

A female Marine grimaces as cobra blood is poured into her mouth

This year’s 10-day drill, which is Thai-US sponsored, was held in the Sattahip district of Thailand’s Chonburi province.

US Army Sergeant Daniel A Hernandez told military website Dvidshub.net the drills were necessary for soldiers to survive in the jungle.

SEE ALSO: Snake Venom Clots Blood (VIDEO)

He said: “Drinking contaminated water could result in life-threatening problems in the jungle. If there’s no water, drinking blood could be used, but as a last resort.”

The 13,000 combined personnel were also trained in hunting insects and animals and how to identify poisonous plants.

Open Image Modal

The annual exercises train military personnel on survival methods

Deputy commander Brigadier General Richard Simcock said it is "critically important" for the region to bolster its preparedness for both natural and man-made disasters, The Japan Times reports.

Other operations include humanitarian projects, evacuation drills including a mock amphibious raid, and computer-simulated command post exercises.

US Marines Drink Cobra Blood (GRAPHIC CONTENT)
(01 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood during a jungle survival program as part of the annual Cobra Gold 2012 combined military exercise at a navy base in Sattahip on February 13, 2012. About 13,000 military personnel from seven nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia are involved in the exercise ending on February 17. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
(02 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood during a jungle survival program as part of the annual Cobra Gold 2012 combined military exercise at a navy base in Sattahip on February 13, 2012. About 13,000 military personnel from seven nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia are involved in the exercise ending on February 17. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
(03 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood during a jungle survival program as part of the annual Cobra Gold 2012 combined military exercise at a navy base in Sattahip on February 13, 2012. About 13,000 military personnel from seven nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia are involved in the exercise ending on February 17. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
(04 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood during a jungle survival program as part of the annual Cobra Gold 2012 combined military exercise at a navy base in Sattahip on February 13, 2012. About 13,000 military personnel from seven nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia are involved in the exercise ending on February 17. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
(05 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood during a jungle survival program as part of the annual Cobra Gold 2012 combined military exercise at a navy base in Sattahip on February 13, 2012. About 13,000 military personnel from seven nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia are involved in the exercise ending on February 17. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
(06 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood during a jungle survival program as part of the annual Cobra Gold 2012 combined military exercise at a navy base in Sattahip on February 13, 2012. About 13,000 military personnel from seven nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia are involved in the exercise ending on February 17. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
(07 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood during a jungle survival program as part of the annual Cobra Gold 2012 combined military exercise at a navy base in Sattahip on February 13, 2012. About 13,000 military personnel from seven nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia are involved in the exercise ending on February 17. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
(08 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood during a jungle survival program as part of the annual Cobra Gold 2012 combined military exercise at a navy base in Sattahip on February 13, 2012. About 13,000 military personnel from seven nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia are involved in the exercise ending on February 17. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
(09 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood during a jungle survival program as part of the annual Cobra Gold 2012 combined military exercise at a navy base in Sattahip on February 13, 2012. About 13,000 military personnel from seven nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia are involved in the exercise ending on February 17. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
(10 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood during a jungle survival program as part of the annual Cobra Gold 2012 combined military exercise at a navy base in Sattahip on February 13, 2012. About 13,000 military personnel from seven nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia are involved in the exercise ending on February 17. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images)
A US Marine holds a cobra he caught duri(11 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine holds a cobra he caught during a jungle survival program as part of the annual combined military exercise Cobra Gold 2010 at a Navy base in Chonburi province on February 9, 2010. About 14,000 military personnel from six nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore and Japan, are involved in the largest US-led war games in the Pacific, ending on February 11. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
A US Marine drinks cobra blood as he par(12 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood as he participates in a jungle survive program as part of the annual combined military exercise Cobra Gold 2010 at a Navy base in Chonburi province on February 9, 2010. About 14,000 military personnel from six nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore and Japan, are involved in the largest US-led war games in the Pacific, ending on February 11. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
A US Marine drinks the blood of a cobra(13 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks the blood of a cobra during a jungle survival program as part of the annual combined military exercise Cobra Gold 2010 at a Navy base in Chonburi province on February 9, 2010. About 14,000 military personnel from six nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore and Japan, are involved in the largest US-led war games in the Pacific, ending on February 11. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
A US Marine drinks cobra blood as he par(14 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood as he participates in a jungle survive program as part of the annual combined military exercise Cobra Gold 2010 at a Navy base in Chonburi province on February 9, 2010. About 14,000 military personnel from six nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore and Japan, are involved in the largest US-led war games in the Pacific, ending on February 11. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
A US Marine drinks the blood of a cobra(15 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks the blood of a cobra during a jungle survival program as part of the annual combined military exercise Cobra Gold 2010 at a Navy base in Chonburi province on February 9, 2010. About 14,000 military personnel from six nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore and Japan, are involved in the largest US-led war games in the Pacific, ending on February 11. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
A US Marine drinks cobra blood as he par(16 of16)
Open Image Modal
A US Marine drinks cobra blood as he participates in a jungle survive program as part of the annual combined military exercise Cobra Gold 2010 at a Navy base in Chonburi province on February 9, 2010. About 14,000 military personnel from six nations, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, US, Singapore and Japan, are involved in the largest US-led war games in the Pacific, ending on February 11. AFP PHOTO/PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL (Photo credit should read PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip