Survival in the wild

Bear Grylls, a former British Special Air Service (SAS) soldier and adventurer has survived some of the harshest environments on earth, like deserts and rainforests. He takes part in the TV program` Born Survivor. ` In each episode he lands in a faraway desert, jungle or mountain region with only what he is carrying on his back to survive. In his TV shows, Bear shows people what they need to do to survive if they were stranded on a desert island or lost in the jungle. He also explains how to find water and work out what is safe to eat.

Bear, who at the age of 23 became the youngest Brit ever to climb Mount Everest, is an amazing man. He has lived through many dangerous adventures. These adventures are made even more astonishing and wonderful when we remember that, during his service in the SAS, he had a free-fall parachuting accident in which he broke his back in three places. Before he was back to normal again he had to go through months and months of treatment and physiotherapy. Finally, Bear had his record-breaking dream come true when he reached the top of Everest on 26 May, 1988 after a terrifying 90-day climb.

Since then, Bear has broken many records and has had numerous daring adventures in the wild. Thanks to many of his expeditions, he has supported many charities. When he became the first man to fly a powered paraglider higher than Everest, he and his team raised over 1 million dollars for children’s charities around the world.

Bear has travelled on foot around the rough and rocky west coast of Ireland, come across man-eating crocodiles in Australia and fought a rattlesnake in the Baja Desert, Mexico. He has also had to make use of the local plants and animals for food and shelter, eating anything from poisonous scorpions to drinking water from elephant dung.

For Bear, these adventures are not just about pushing the limits. They are also about overcoming challenges and living your dreams, something he encourages all people to do. He says young people need to see the outdoor world and to experience risk in their lives to build a spirit of adventure and curiosity.