Bugs Are One of the Biggest Threats to ‘Naked and Afraid’ Participants

The premise of Naked and Afraid is terrifying. Contestants are stripped of their clothes and given minimal equipment to see if they can survive Mother Nature for 21 days. One would think that, given the extreme nature of the program, there have been some mishaps in the series. So, has anyone ever been attacked by wildlife on the show?

Unfortunately, yes. And the danger isn't just reserved for contestants on the series, but members of the production crew as well. In 2013, Steve Rankin, a producer on the series, was purportedly bitten by a pit viper when the team was filming in Costa Rica.

Rankin told Discovery about the painful snake attack. "It was a sharp pain like being stabbed, but the real pain started after, when the venom started to spread up my leg."

The bite required Rankin to board a helicopter to receive medical attention. But that wasn't the end of his ordeal. Healthcare workers needed to complete five different surgeries on his leg to save him.

If you've watched the show, then you'll know that oftentimes, the biggest obstacle participants have to overcome is the swarms of mosquitoes constantly biting them. And it's more than just a nuisance, as these bug bites can turn potentially fatal.

One of the show's nude contestants, Manu Toigo, ended up suffering from hemorrhagic dengue fever as a result of the multiple mosquito bites she endured. Ultimately, she was able to recover.

In 2015, contestant Matt Wright was bitten by a bug that, unbeknownst to him, carried flesh-eating bacteria.

Although doctors on the series quickly administered antibiotics to keep Wright in the game, it didn't stave off the bacteria in the bug's bite. It spread so quickly that the participant was at risk of losing his foot completely.

And although he had to end the challenge early, Wright ultimately was welcomed back by the Naked and Afraid production crew for subsequent episodes.

The "naked" portion of the show didn't just subject contestants to bug bites, but also the elements.

In 2017, Samantha Ohl experienced stage 2 hypothermia after declining to hold her fellow contestant to keep warm. And she isn't the only one to succumb to cold weather on the show, either. In 2023, Amber Hargrove's body had a hypothermic reaction while filming during one particularly cold night in South Africa.

She stated, "Three nights of being freezing cold was so difficult. I noticed my muscles started to tighten up, and when I couldn't stand in the shelter, and I couldn't talk straight, I realized something was wrong with me," she told the outlet.

Sam Mouzer wasn't attacked by a creature, bugs, or bad weather, but by a fire. The tip of his genitals was singed after a hot coal popped and hit his member. "We've been peppered by hot coals," he said, stating that his "little soldier's helmet" was harmed by the fire.

After treating the wound, Mouzer went on to complete the rest of the episode.