Shocking footage of men fishing for swarm of piranhas is unlocking a new fear

They say that good things come in small packages, but I'm not sure this phrase could be used to describe piranhas.

While piranhas mainly eat things like fruit, seeds, and other fish, they have been found to have bird fragments, snakes, and small mammals in their stomachs, according to SeaWorld.

To put into perspective just how brutal the notoriously nippy fish can be, a large group of the fish would be able to skeletonize a cow in minutes.

And two fisherman took advantage of these carnivorous traits, and appeared to dunk an animal leg into a river to 'fish' for piranhas.

In a video that's doing the rounds online, one of the guys was in charge of dipping the leg into the murky waters in front of them, and then when they got a few bits, he'd lift it up and put it over a bucket, which was being held by a second fisherman.

The fish then toppled off the leg and fell into the bucket.

Seeing the small but mighty fish attack the animal leg has left everyone saying the same thing.

"These little f***ers scare the sh*t out of me," someone penned on Reddit.

"Even though i've owned a bunch of them, after I saw a video of a kid that fell into piranha infested waters and the father was holding him afterwards, they earned a top notch on my list of horrors."

"I'm glad I live hundreds or thousands of miles away from those things," wrote a second person.

Another person said the viral video has reignited their childhood fear of piranhas.

They wrote: "Did everyone else go through a phase when they were kids where they were absolutely terrified of piranhas? Only to forget they exist until you see a video like this?"

Echoing similar sentiments, another person penned: "I remember old movies where piranhas would eat people and I was terrified of them for years. F***ing fish."

While the shoal of piranhas quickly swarmed around this animal carcass, it's said that the fish don't usually feed on large animals or attack humans.

SeaLife explains: "Contrary to popular belief, they don't typically feed on large mammals or attack humans unless provoked or when their natural food sources are scarce. Piranhas are known for their efficient hunting techniques, which involve rapid strikes and tearing of flesh with their sharp teeth."

I can't say I'd rush to encounter one, however...