'WALKING THE NILE WAS A TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE'

Explorer Levison Wood opens up on the emotional toll of his first epic challenge as he embarks on more intrepid adventures in a thrilling new series

- ALICE PENWILL

Just one near-death experience would be enough to put most people off risking their lives for the sake of a TV show. But for former paratrooper Levison Wood, numerous dangerous encounters have only driven him on to bigger and more daring expeditions.

The 41-year-old made his small-screen debut in 2015 after being filmed becoming the first person to walk the length of the River Nile. As best-selling author and photographer Levison travelled through jungles, deserts and war zones, he was robbed, chased by wild animals and nearly ran out of food and water. However, the treacherous journey kick-started his TV career and he’s now about to launch his fifth Walking series.

Levison Wood: Walking With… is a three-parter kicking off in Borneo where he sees the effect of palm oil plantations on organutans, before he visits Namibia and East Greenland. He gets close to orangutans, desert lions and polar bears, as well as the communities who live among them.

But perhaps he got a little too close at times, as Levison recalls one incident that had him slightly worried.

“One of the lions basically stalked me and came straight at me. That was pretty scary,” says Levison. “We got as close as you want to be. I expected the polar bear to be a danger, but it was actually really playful, just frolicking around on the ice.”

Levison experiences first-hand some of the same dangers from the increased contact between humans and wildlife, the conflict between tradition and the modern world, and how climate change is affecting both human and animal survival.