adminPatrick Chitumba Victoria Falls Reporter
VICTORIA Falls will host world renowned Bear Grylls Survival Academy, the first such activity in Africa. The development will market Zimbabwe to close to two billion viewers, thus boosting the tourism sector.Bear Grylls Survival Academy is shown on DStv’s Discovery Channel and has more than two billion viewers. Paul Gardiner, the global director of the academy said the programme was also aimed at marketing Zimbabwe throughout the world as the tourist destination of choice.
“The first academy is set to kick off on the Stanley and Livingstone Private Game Reserve, a wild and undulating landscape located in the Victoria Falls area.
“It is home to Africa’s Big Five namely the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo,” he said.
Gardiner said they were excited to be in Zimbabwe playing a part in the recovery of the tourism sector.
“We want to be part of this progress in terms of tourism arrivals in the country. Victoria Falls is the tourism capital of the continent and we are happy to note that we have journalists from the UK, Germany and USA who are here. This is a great opportunity for Zimbabwe,” he said.
The Survival participants yesterday started white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi River gorges where they spent a night in the gorges.
Techniques include fire lighting, emergency shelter building, knife skills, foraging for grubs and rodents, remote medical trauma, a range of dynamic activities including rappelling, river crossings, a white river rafting challenge down the mighty Zambezi River and of course Bear’s famous Gross Eat challenge.
The course has been designed by Bear Grylls and will be run by his close team of highly trained survival experts. Lead instructor and course developer, Scott Heffield who also works closely with Bear, said: “The greater Victoria Falls area provides the perfect backdrop for Survival Academy course to launch. The rivers, the incredible Victoria Falls, extreme weather conditions and African wildlife are all important factors to consider when looking to recreate an environment that simulates real life survival situations.”
Bear Grylls has become known around the world as the most recognised face of survival and outdoor adventure, with experience gained during his seven seasons of Discovery Channel’s Emmy nominated hit television show Man vs. Wild and NBC’s Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu