Animal Expert(?) Gets Stung By Insanely Painful 'Cow Killer' Velvet Ant In The Name Of Science

You do not want to be stung by a velvet ant (it's actually a wingless wasp) also known as the "cow killer" because it has one of the most powerful, and so painful, stings on the planet. But Coyote Peterson from YouTube channel The Brave Wilderness does exactly that in the name of, well, showing people what it's like to see someone get stung by one—and also in the name of YouTube views.

Peterson has been working his way up the insect sting pain index, heading towards what's considered the most painful sting you can get, which is from a bullet ant. Fourth on the pain index is the so-called "cow killer" (it can't really kill cows that's just a myth) whose stinger evolved from the sex organs of the female.

So Peterson's sort of testing his pain threshold, but after watching him sting himself with one, which happens around 9:30 minutes in, you wonder if he should go any further in his quest.

Because he doesn't react well to getting stung, and of course you can't blame him. The pain must be excruciating—and it lasts for about 30 minutes—as Peterson says it's the worst sting he's ever had, the pain radiating out from his arm where he was stung, feeling like he's getting stung again and again.

It's actually pretty tough to watch but Peterson battles through it. And at the end he's talking of the next insect sting he must endure to take him closer to the bullet ant. Next Peterson must conquer the tarantula hawk's sting, so we'll see how he fares.

God's mercy on him.