Survival with Ray Mears – Episode 1 – ‘Leopards’

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Survival with Ray Mears, ITV1

For those of you who are looking forward to the start of Ray’s new series this Sunday, April 18th, here’s a sneak-peek at the episode synopsis for the first programme, Leopards:

In the first episode of Survival, Ray Mears arrives in Namibia’s vast central highland plain, a territory he describes as ‘one of nature’s richest environments’, to track his favourite predator: the leopard.

“They’re loners that roam huge territories, they’re perfectly camouflaged for disappearing into the thorny scrub, and as if that didn’t make them hard enough to follow, they’re most active under the cover of darkness. For a tracker, they are quite simply the ultimate challenge.”

The leopard is renowned for its strength, cunning and, above all else, its stealth, but because it is the most elusive big cat Ray believes it is also ‘hardly understood.’ So will his tracking skills help him find leopards and give us a better understanding of their habits? Continue reading →

Survival with Ray Mears on ITV1

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Leopard

The leopard, the subject of the first epsiode of Survival with Ray Mears

On ITV1 this spring, the iconic TV series Survival returns to our screens, hosted by none other than Ray Mears. Beginning in April, this brand new series comprises of three hour-long programmes, focusing on Ray’s extraordinary animal tracking and wilderness skills.

In this ground-breaking series, Ray sets himself the ultimate challenge: to track the world’s top predators. Ray will use his expert tracking skills and extensive wildlife knowledge to follow the leopard in Namibia, the bear in British Colombia, and the wolf in Central Idaho.

By reading the clues these animals leave behind, he offers viewers the unique opportunity to gain a rich insight into their habits and lifestyles, as he follows them at remarkably close quarters in their natural habitats.

Survival with Ray Mears brings to life the skills Ray has in a truly exciting and compelling way: there are tears after a wolf he has been tracking for several days dies; moments of genuine danger as a bear appears at just 20 feet away; and a lifetime highlight of watching leopards at night.

Underpinning each film as Ray tracks the animals is a sub-plot focusing on the current state of each species, and the threats they now face: in Idaho the crew arrives with only days to countdown before the wolf’s status as a protected species is lifted, and local farmers indicate their intention to begin hunting them; in British Columbia the impact of global warming on the salmon population is felt by the bear, which relies on the fish as its main food source; and in Namibia, the uneasy co-existence between leopards and local farmers keen to protect their livestock, is highlighted.

Each film stunningly showcases some of nature’s richest playgrounds, set amid breath-taking scenery, which are home to an array of wildlife beyond the species being tracked.

Survival in 2010 brings one of the network’s most prestigious and popular brands back to ITV, building on the classical animal storytelling of a series that broke new ground in wildlife documentary-making from its first transmission in 1960. This time round, the series clearly illustrates the all-consuming passion one man has for the world’s wildlife, and his commitment to helping us understand more about them.

“For over 20 years I’ve been exploring the wild outdoors and what fascinates me more than anything, are the secret lives of wild animals. When I learned how to follow the clues that animals leave behind, it opened up a whole new world of understanding. And in this series I’m putting my skills to the test by tracking the world’s top predators.” – Ray Mears

Survival with Ray Mears begins on Sunday 18th April at 19:00, exclusive to ITV1.

Welcome to the Woodlore, School of Wilderness Bushcraft Blog!

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Well, it’s the beginning of a new course season once again. With lots going on already, we feel it’s an ideal time to start our Bushcraft Blog. From here, the Woodlore Team hopes to keep all fellow Woodloreans up-to-date every week with news and reports from the world of Woodlore.

This will be the place to find it all, be it behind-the-scenes photos from our courses, news of last-minute spaces on our wilderness expeditions, or simply the name of the equipment Ray Mears has been using on TV.

Hopefully this blog will allow us to give all our followers the answers and info that they’re looking for, all in one place. Plus, if there’s something you’d like to see up here we’d love to hear your thoughts.