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Survival instincts

Embracing nature Les Stroud receives shoulder tattoos

He has survived black bears in Alaska, explored the scorching sands of the Kalahari and ventured into the densest parts of the Amazon; Les Stroud spent years surviving some of the remotest locations on earth. His struggles and triumphs became part of “Survivorman”, one of the top-rated shows on Discovery Channel.

Now Stroud has returned with a new series, ‘Beyond Survival With Les Stroud' , where he spends time with tribals, learns their techniques, takes part in their rituals and ceremonies and discovers the secrets of how these cultures have survived for thousands of years.

“These tribes have truly mastered survival in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. Once you have secured the survival of your body, you still have to ensure the survival of your mind and spirit.”

Excerpts from an e-mail interview:

Take us through the show…

This was a chance to work with the various indigenous peoples around the world. Some of them are still close to being Stone Age, and learning from them through their ceremonies and rituals and rites of passage, was interesting. I circled the globe about ten times in eight months and was with the Mentawai in Indonesia, Veddah in Sri Lanka, Hewa in Papua New Guinea, Inca in Peru, and many others.

I think the ceremonies were a very big part of the process for me, and that's what the series is about.

You have proved it is possible to break free from the trappings of modern day luxuries and be one with Nature. Is it a practical pursuit?

You need to touch and feel the earth, touch and feel rocks, touch and feel the trees, the breeze, the wind, the water. Survival skills cause you to slow down and really enjoy Nature. I would say it definitely inspires people to get closer to Nature.

Is it an expensive pursuit, an alternative game for people who have seen everything and want to return to the basics?

I've had numerous people who have survived in the wilderness and have come out and said because I've watched ‘Survivorman' I knew what to do. I'm very humbled by that but also very proud.

In a way, I don't really need to kill an animal to eat for survival. I'm here to show you what you could do if you really had to and sometimes that means taking the life of an animal. My goal is to teach and show true survival as it happens on the spot and oftentimes that means not moving at all.

Tell us about your passion for music and how it translated into the love for Nature. Where do the two meet?

I was doing music and television, at some point I became a little bit disillusioned with it and wanted something else. Then at one point, I just thought I could put the two of them together and start filming all of these adventures I was having, and out of that my first series for Discovery Channel – “Survivorman” was born.

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