Man Vs. Wild (rawr!)

May 29

Have you seen Man vs Wild on the Discovery Channel?

If you don’t know, it’s a show that follows one man as he tries to overcome the challenge of surviving in the wilderness with little more than what a traveler might have.

I love this show. It’s amazing while also being hilarious. First off, the man’s name is Bear. That’s not a nickname. That’s just his name. You know that he’s gotta be awesome if his name is “Bear.” In any case, a cameraman (okay maybe a crew?) follows him as he does whatever it takes to survive in various harsh climates. I’ve seen him in places like the Rockies, a volcano crater in Hawaii, the African desert, and other such fun places.

7 Favorite Moments From Man vs Wild

1. When he eats a live snake by biting off the head (which according to Bear would taste disgusting) and slurping the rest of it through his mouth like a spaghetti noodle.

2. Eating maggots from an animal that was killed in an avalanche. Apparently the actual animal flesh would be dangerous to eat because it’s rotten. But the maggots that eat the rotten flesh? They’re just fine. Who would’ve thought?

3. When he tries to ride a wild horse but fails miserably because he tries to mount it after only being around it for a little bit. I think that because he’s so good, it’s pretty funny when he fails. :P

4. Catching and taking a big bite out of a live fish. He looked like Gollum. It was disgustingly awesome.

5. Finding a zebra that was killed by lions and then picked by vultures. The bones are clean. So what does Bear do? He cuts off the skin near the neck and eats the zebra meat raw. And then he puts some in his pocket to eat later!

6. Talking about how rattlesnakes are dangerous and how you shouldn’t get close to them. All the while walking closer and closer to the rattlesnake right in front of him.

7. Finding a mound of ants, talking about how he only eats the abdomen of the ants because the bite hurts, and then allowing an ant to bite his tongue so that you can see how much it must hurt. And the ants are actually a “sweet treat” to him.

Isn’t it amazing what people will do to survive? I don’t think that this kind of brutal living is ever hardly seen by many of us because we are in “civilized” locations.

I think that a great part of the appeal to the show is that he (seemingly) actually enjoys all of it. Oh and for some reason the British accent makes it that much more interesting and authentic.

I could learn a lot from this show. Perhaps even more than just the survival techniques. But even if I couldn’t, at least I’d have a great time being grossed out, amazed, and entertained.