The special episode of "Man vs Wild" featuring PM Modi will be aired on August 12.
Highlights
- In 45-second teaser, PM Modi is seen walking in the jungles
- Special episode has been shot in Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand
- Bear Grylls said it was a privilege to take the PM "on an adventure"
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join adventurer Bear Grylls in an episode of "Man vs Wild", the hugely popular show on Discovery Channel, next month.
"People across 180 countries will get to see the unknown side of PM @narendramodi as he ventures into Indian wilderness to create awareness about animal conservation & environmental change," Edward Michael Grylls, better known as Bear Grylls, tweeted, sharing a teaser of the episode that will premiere on August 12 at 9 pm.
According to a statement from Discovery, the special episode, shot in Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, will be a "frank and freewheeling journey" which will throw light on wildlife conservation.
In the 45-second video that shows snippets from the episode, PM Modi, 68, is seen walking in the jungles with the British adventurer and holding a flask as he is being prepped for rafting. "You are the most important man in India. My job is to keep you alive," Bear Grylls tells PM Modi as they are seen making what appears to be a wooden spear or rafting oar.
"I will keep this with me for you," PM Modi tells him.
"For years, I have lived among nature, in the mountains and the forests. These years have a lasting impact on my life. So when I was asked about a special programme focussing on life beyond politics and that too in the midst of nature I was both intrigued and inclined to take part in it," PM Modi said in a statement.
"For me, this show presents a great opportunity to showcase to the world India's rich environmental heritage and stress on the importance of environment conservation and living in harmony with nature. It was a great experience spending time in the jungle once again, this time with Bear, who is blessed with indefatigable energy and quest to experience nature at its purest," he added.
PM Modi said "it was a great experience spending time in the jungle once again", this time with Bear Grylls.
In the show, PM Modi and Bear Grylls have to make a raft and cross a jungle river, the channel said. The promo shows the Prime Minister and Bear Grylls crossing a river in a raft.
The announcement came soon after PM Modi released the 2018 tiger census report, saying that with around 3,000 tigers, India has become "one of the safest habitats" for the big cats in the world.
"You are the most important man in India. My job is to keep you alive," Bear Grylls tells PM Modi in the episode of "Man vs Wild".
Bear Grylls said it was a privilege to take the PM "on an adventure into the Indian wilderness." "I feel truly honoured to get to spend time with this remarkable world leader. The wild reminds us that we need each other and that together we are stronger. I am so excited to spend time with the PM and to get to know the man who leads this great nation," he said.
In the past, Bear Grylls, a former special air service trooper, has taken big names such as former US President Barack Obama, Tennis legend Roger Federer and American singer Nick Jonas on his shows that test a person's wilderness survival skills.