During a jungle survival program February 20, 2013 taught by Royal Thai Special Forces in Sannapit, Thailand, U.S. Marines learned to catch cobras and drink their fresh blood, not to mention eat forest insects and pull the heads off of chicken. The training was part of Operation Cobra Gold 13, the 32nd edition of international military exercises hosted by the Thai. According to a U.S. Marines press release, Cobra Gold is the largest exercise of its kind in Asia and incorporates troops from five other nations in addition to the U.S. and Thailand. The Daily Mail reports that the Marines were invited to experience the local custom of drinking cobra blood after being taught to catch and kill cobras in the wild. As CNN notes, Cobra blood is believed to be a panacea and aphrodiasic in parts of Southeast Asia. In Jakarta, vendors can earn over $100 a night selling shots of cobra blood mixed with liquor. (Photo by Pornchai Kittiwongsakul/AFP Photo)

A drone photo shows an aerial view of a part of Augusta Ancient City, belonging to the Roman period, revealed following the withdrawal of water level of Seyhan Dam Lake, in Adana, Turkey on September 07, 2021. (Photo by Eren Bozkurt/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Kindergarten children show off handmade floral headdress made of ginkgo leaves on December 17, 2024 in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. The floral headdress is also known as Zanhua or Zanhuawei. Zanhuawei is a traditional Chinese hairstyle favored among ladies from Xunpu Village of Quanzhou in China's Fujian Province. (Photo by Tan Yunfeng/VCG via Getty Images)

A protester is sprayed by a Department of Homeland Security officer outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (Photo by Jenny Kane/AP Photo)

Honourable mention, Behaviour category. Toss the scorpion – Indian roller playing with its kill by Susmita Datta. The image was taken during an early morning safari drive at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in India. (Photo by Susmita Datta/PA Wire/Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition 2017)

People dance during New Year's celebrations in downtown St. Petersburg, Russia, early Sunday, Januaru 1, 2023. (Photo by Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo)

People pose for photos with scarecrow installations during the Scarecrow Art Festival at Huatuo Baicao Garden on November 22, 2025 in Bozhou, Anhui Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

Anna Sloan and Vicki Adams of Britain sweep during a match against Olympic Athletes from Russia in Session 1 of the Women' s Round Robin curling competition at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Curling Centre in Gangneung, South Korea on February 14, 2018. The British team won the match convincingly, 10-3. (Photo by Cathal McNaughton/Reuters)