YouTuber Suffers Lead Poisoning Symptoms After Unknowingly Eating Giraffe Meat Containing Bullet Fragments During Africa Trip

Japanese YouTuber couple Tottabi (とったび日和), known for their travel and lifestyle content, recently shared a harrowing experience that unfolded after one of their trips.

It all began about half a year ago, when they travelled to Namibia. During a meal there, the husband, Kon-chan, decided to try a variety of local game meats, including giraffe.

Midway through the meal, he suddenly felt something hard in his mouth. He quickly spat it out, only to realise it was a metal fragment from a hunting bullet. 

While he managed to spit out most of it, he had unknowingly already swallowed a small portion of it. 

Kon-chan and his wife, A-chan, later recalled that the restaurant staff appeared flustered by the incident and offered to waive their bill as compensation. However, the couple were not satisfied and later filed a police report.

Then things started to go south after they returned to Japan. 

Kon-chan later began experiencing numbness in his limbs, prompting him to seek medical attention. Tests revealed that his blood lead level had reached 25 µg/dL, far exceeding the average level in Japan and high enough to raise health concerns.

Just for context, typical background blood lead levels in adults are below 5 µg/dL. At 25 µg/dL, symptoms such as numbness, fatigue and abdominal discomfort can begin to appear.

Doctors warned Kon-chan that if any lead fragments remained in his body, it could trigger lead poisoning.

After six months of regular monitoring, his blood lead level gradually declined. His latest test result stands at 9 µg/dL— still above the standard level, but an encouraging sign that his condition is improving and that he is on the road to recovery.

The couple’s video about the incident has since garnered over 60,000 views, with many netizens expressing relief that Kon-chan is on the mend. Some also pointed out that if the lead poisoning had not been detected early, it could have been fatal, adding that the couple had a narrow escape and were fortunate the incident did not end in tragedy.