01x06 - Too Hot to Handle

[bunniefuu]

[ Grunting ]

Oh, my God. It's so hot.

Oh, my God.

Aah.

Narrator: Two strangers.

One man...

One woman...

Oh [bleep]

...dropped into some

of the most hostile
environments on the planet...

This is disgusting.

- Oh, I'm sore everywhere.
- Aah!

Narrator: ...For 21
days with no food...

- This is food?
- Just the smell.

Narrator: ...No
water... No clothes...

Man: It's a storm.

...will put their
survival skills

to the ultimate test.

Woman: I heard
noises. I'm scared.

Narrator: And in
this unique event

that's been translated
from French,

two Europeans will take
on the 21-day challenge.

Woman #2: [ Crying ] I
can't take this anymore.

Man #2: Oh, damn it!

Woman #3: This is not good.

It begins! Whoa!

Narrator: This is...

it starts at the northern
tip of South Africa,

where two strangers must survive

amongst some of the most
dangerous animals on the planet.

Leopard and hyena
reign over the savanna,

seeking prey to feed on.

Swarms of deadly
snakes and scorpions

hide beneath the leaves.
Danger is a constant.

Weather conditions are grueling.

During the day,

the blazing sun
raises temperatures

to over 104 degrees.

On these semiarid plains,

sudden and violent storms
can strike unexpectedly.

At night, eastern winds
can lower temperatures

to below 59 degrees...

an inhospitable land

for anyone to survive in.

♪

My name is Géraldine.
I am 50 years old.

I have six children.
I am a sports coach.

I train people out of
their comfort zones.

It suddenly looks barren.

I'm not a survival expert.

I've never done this before.
It's like getting ready to fight

without knowing who
it is we are fighting.

I'm a fighter. I
don't give up easily.

I always achieved
everything I put my mind to.

My mind is set. I
like a challenge.

So this is the start
of the adventure.

Let's get ready for
surviving 21 days here.

It's a bit hard to take
off all of my clothes.

I'm naked. I'm
clearing my head space

and leaving this
nudity issue right here.

That's all you have
to do. Okay, let's go.

My name is Loury.
I am 31 years old.

I live Biarritz, France,

and I am an environmental
building consultant.

I live with my female
partner and two children.

I like living life
to the extreme.

I am a bit of an
adrenaline junkie

who enjoys dangerous situations.

My strong point would be
my ability to keep a cool head

in most types of situations.

We're really naked.

When I feel that
contact with nature,

it really makes
me feel like prey...

uh...

Powerless.

Okay. Let's go.

Narrator: To participate
in this challenge,

experts assess each
candidate's survival skills

in hostile environments.

Based on their psychological
and physical evaluations,

each survivalist is given

a primitive survival
rating, or PSR.

Géraldine is a top athlete.

She is used to pushing past
the limits of her body and mind,

but she is in unknown territory.

Experts have given
her a PSR of 6.7.

Loury is used to
survival situations

and has a high pain threshold,

but his fearlessness
could mislead him.

He begins with a
primitive survival rating

of 7.6.

Their PSRS will be reassessed

at the end of the
three-week challenge.

Géraldine: I really want
to see what I'm capable of

without help in a
survival situation.

I don't know what it's like.

I'm eager to discover what
I can do in this situation.

Loury: I'm looking forward
to meeting my partner

and seeing how we get
along, see if we're compatible.

Today is the day.

I can't wait.

♪

Hey. [ Chuckles ]

Hi.

Hello, I'm Géraldine. Pleasure.

When I meet Géraldine, I
don't know anything about her.

Anything is possible.
She could have mad skills,

useful skills we could
use or she could teach me.

Ready? Yeah. Naked but ready.

Naked but ready.

Let's go. Okay.

We can start.

Narrator: To survive in
this harsh environment,

they've each chosen an object

to bring essential
to their survival.

What did you bring? Ah, yeah.

A sharp object.

Ah, a pot. Well done. A pot.

They've also been given
a basic map of the area.

The zone there. Is it water?

Yeah. That looks like
water. Looking really good.

Loury and Géraldine's adventure
starts off with a two-mile hike

to the west

to reach the riverbed
where they can find water.

♪

We must be careful
with sun exposure.

It's very important.

There isn't a lot of
shade around here.

It's not great. Yeah.
We can try with this.

We have to find something.

We should make
hats out of leaves.

We can braid them or
something, I'm sure, you know?

Okay. Let's start
with the hat, then.

This is a mopani tree.

It's very supple.

Can you get two branches?

Three is even better. Yeah.

Géraldine: It's imperative
to cover our heads.

It's really hot right now.

We have to make
hats really quickly.

The crown of my head is boiling.

Poor tree.

Yeah. It's saving
our lives, though.

Loury doesn't have any
hair, so it's even worse for him.

You're protected. Let's go.

Let's go.

Narrator: Today climatic
conditions are particularly grueling...

93 degrees in the shade

with the humidity
level below 1%.

This means that to
Loury and Géraldine,

the temperature feels
like it's over 100 degrees.

The ground is quite
hot. That's for sure.

There are no animals
out. It's too hot.

What kind of animals are there?

I'd say there's a lot
of African antelopes.

Impalas, they're called.
There's also scorpions.

Yeah. That's what
frightens me the most.

Well, the scorpion... I'm
not really afraid of them.

It's just that you
can't see them.

You've got to be
careful with that.

You've seen scorpions before?

Yeah, I was stung by one
before. You were stung?

Yeah. Ooh.

Some of them just
painfully paralyze you

while others... it's
more complicated.

I feel a little bit vulnerable.

I am expecting
to see anything...

reptiles, insects,
large animals.

I know we need to be careful.

There are prints everywhere.
We're on their turf.

For now, we are definitely prey.

No doubt.

Narrator: Indeed, the
area holds many dangers.

And it's worse at night.

As soon as the sun sets,

snakes and scorpions,
sometimes fatally poisonous,

come out of hiding.

The cool temperatures
turn the savanna

into a wild hunting ground,

including savage hyenas
eager to devour prey.

I knew my feet would
hurt, but not this much. Ow.

You alright?

You alright? Ugh. Pause.

[ Groans ]

Don't stay in the
sun. You'll burn.

My feet need a break. I swear.

[ Breathing heavily ]

The heat is stifling.

It's 104 degrees out and
the ground burns my feet.

Feels like I'm
walking on needles.

Every step I take feels
like stabbing needles

in the soles of
my feet. It hurts.

[ Breathing deeply ] Ohhh.

[Bleep]

Loury: It's hard for her.

She can barely walk
anymore. I sympathize.

And it's boiling
hot. It's really hard.

We've walked fast and
far under a burning sun.

[Bleep]

The sun is hitting us hard.

[ Groaning ]

I'm making a lot of effort.

Good, because we've
just started. [ Chuckles ]

I don't know how you do it.

I walk barefoot year-long,
so it's less of a hassle for me.

[ Exhales sharply ]

[ Grunts ]

Géraldine: He must
think I'm a liability,

and he wouldn't
be wrong right now.

Loury: Does she really
understand where we are?

Ahh. Ahh.

Does she realize
the danger we're in

and how hard it's going to be?

[ Breathing deeply ]

See that over there?

Ah, yeah. Yeah.

Let's go.

Narrator: Loury and
Géraldine have traveled

for over four hours.

With the dangers of the
night fast approaching,

they must choose a spot
to build a secure camp

as quickly as possible.

Yeah. This place looks
good. There is shade.

I think we're good here. Okay.

What do you think?

I like it. We need
the shade. Yeah.

The tree gives a natural
feel. It's nice and bushy here.

We just need to build
here, here, and here.

Géraldine: We must build
a secure shelter at any cost.

That means building
a secure bubble

by using prickly branches.

This will stop
possible intrusions

that could happen
while we are sleeping.

♪

[ Breathing heavily ]

Loury has a great state of mind.

You can tell he
is an adventurer.

[ Grunting ]

I'm partnered with Rambo.

[ Grunts ]

Unfortunately, I don't
have an ax to help him.

So he's doing it on his own.

I'm not saying I don't help.
I try to bring moral support.

But he's doing most of the work.

That has to be entirely closed.

Really? Yeah, completely closed.

Okay.

We need the floor
cleaned and cleared out.

Yeah. You can start
cleaning now if you want.

Yeah. Like that.

Okay.

Water. What?

We need water.
Yeah, we need water.

We waited too
long before drinking.

Yeah. [ Clears throat ]

You see it? Yeah.

Narrator: With the heat
and the efforts they've made,

if Loury and Géraldine

do not drink water soon,
they risk extreme dehydration.

It looks alright.

At this time of year, there
is no shortage of water.

Unfortunately, they
don't know if it's safe.

Ah. That feels great.

Mmm.

I think it's probably
well-oxygenated

since grass grows around
it. That's a good sign.

It looks clear and
no smell or taste.

Narrator: Drinking
stagnant water

runs the risk of
contaminating the body

with intestinal parasites

and diseases such as
dysentery, typhoid, and cholera.

We're trusting our instincts
and decided to drink the water

without boiling it first.

I think we really needed
to drink, so we drank it,

and it's a good thing, because
if we hadn't drank today,

it would be bad.

♪

This is hard. My
head is k*lling me.

I feel sick. My
head hurts a lot.

It's a heat stroke. The
sun must have hit me hard.

And it's cold right now.

This is hard.

How can I say this?

It's freezing.

[ Coughs ]

[ Groaning ]

[ Coughing ]

♪

My head still hurts
very much. Yep.

Let's hope I don't
get sick again.

I didn't sleep very well.
It's very cold at night.

The cold didn't help.

It's probably because
of the heat stroke, I think.

[ Groans ]

Loury: The first
night was already hell,

and I didn't even suffer
as much as my partner did.

She is maybe more
...more sensitive.

We have drinkable water
...well, kind of drinkable.

It's water that
didn't poison us.

It's a point in our favor.

But we have other
issues that need solving,

like, um...

Starting a fire.

Narrator: In order
to achieve this,

Loury decides to
try fire by friction.

Collecting pieces of wood

and unwinding the
string from his ax,

he makes a bow drill.

♪

♪

♪

♪

[Bleep] This sucks.

Loury: I keep
trying to start a fire

and getting frustrated
because it's not working

and it's just really annoying.

It's irritating, big-time.

It's frustrating and
brings me down.

[ Exhales sharply ]

Narrator: Though
Loury feels dejected

by his multiple
failures to light a fire,

a few yards away, Géraldine
breaks down entirely.

Today... I am a
little miserable.

I feel like throwing up.

I'm exhausted.

I can't leave after
only two days.

It's...

Out of the question.

When it gets like this, I...

I think back to...

Everyone who's rooting for me.

I need to hold up for them.

[ Crying ]

I have to.

Are you okay?

I hope so.

Hang on a bit longer.
We'll go get some water.

It'll do you good.

Loury: It's sad to see,

but, unfortunately, I
can't really do much

except try to cheer up.

I'm taking her there
because I think a bit of water

will do her good.

Well, come on.

Narrator: There is one problem.

Their watering hole is situated
400 yards away from camp.

To get there,

they must once more
endure the scorching sun

and the burning ground
littered with thorns,

a guaranteed
ordeal for Géraldine.

Come on, run.

[ Breathing heavily ]

Hurry up.

Loury: I try to guide her from
one shady spot to the next

because her feet are so fragile.

I'm trying my best

so that she can... she
can... she can pull through.

♪

Géraldine: Those 400
yards seem like nothing,

but it's already too much.

It's really crazy.

[ Groaning ]

I knew it would be hard.

[ Breathing heavily ]

But I've realized that,
uh, this is so much worse.

It's just inhuman.

[ Groaning ]

♪

[ Breathing heavily ]

♪

Loury: The worst is over.

♪

The water's cold. Ahh.

Géraldine: Submerging
my whole body,

my head and my hair,
feels great, and it's cool...

the cold currents...
so it is such a relief.

Loury: Everyone
says it. Water is life.

And it makes that much
more sense in our situation.

Narrator: Many predators
prowl at night in the savanna.

Aware of these risks
and in spite of the dark,

Loury tries starting
the fire once more.

Loury: It was hard
already during the day,

but at night, not
seeing anything.

I know I'm going to fail.

I'm trying because I
know we really need it.

♪

Come see what I did.

Oh [bleep]

Well done.

Bravo. Hell, yeah!

♪

[ Grunting ]

Are you happy?

I'm almost crying.

[ Chuckles ]

Fire! Man! Fire! Fire! Fire!

♪

[Bleep]

I think we really needed this.
It was really very, very hard.

I know nothing about wood.

I tried three different
types of wood,

and I'm... I'm out of strength.

It's hot and there's no water,

but I have fire.

Géraldine: I'm so relieved to
know we won't be cold tonight.

I'm expecting to sleep well.

♪

[ Groans ] I really did not
expect it to be this rough.

I got bit a lot, too.
The bugs like me.

And my skin is burnt all over.

[ Exhales sharply ]

My back, too.

[ Sighs ] It hurts. It
hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

[ Sniffles ]

It was a very long night...

very, very long.

In spite of the fire,

we can't sleep because
we are sunburnt all over.

My buttocks are k*lling
me. They're burnt red.

The back of my arms
are extremely painful.

I just can't get comfortable.

Narrator: Though Géraldine's
overall state is worsening,

Loury seems, for his
part, determined to endure.

The boss is taking charge
now. [Bleep] Gonna hit the fan.

I'm building a sick camp.

Are we hiding the camp?

Yeah.

We are putting in
drywall eight inches thick,

or, as we call it
in the industry,

"heat insulation." [ Chuckles ]

It's important to make
it more comfortable

because that's what
will make this adventure

a little easier to
bear day to day.

We need at least
some protection.

We're entirely naked.

We have to try whatever we can

to avoid burning

or being cold at night.

That's it.

That's three seeds.

We brought back a
branch full of seeds.

It's this one?

Yeah, I saw it.

It's edible.

Géraldine: Luckily,
when Loury cut the branch

to reinforce the shelter,

I saw they had seeds on them.

I figured that if worms
could eat the seeds,

then so could human beings.

It could maybe
provide some vitamins

to give us a bit of a kick.

Narrator: Indeed, food to many
different insects and animals,

mopani seeds can also
be eaten by humans.

So, I'm shucking them now.

It's keeping me busy.

We'll see how it goes.

The seeds seem good cooked.

Did you try them?

No, not yet.

To preserve
nutritional benefits,

the mopani seeds must
be consumed raw or boiled.

Roasting not only
destroys all minerals

but also alters its
texture and taste,

making it near inedible.

Whoa. The aftertaste.

It doesn't smell bad... like
pepper, a minty pepper.

But the taste...
wow. It's just terrible.

Loury: I'm not very hungry.

I prepared myself in advance.

For food, if we
can't eat animals,

we'll eat insects.

Géraldine: It's very bitter.

I've never tasted
anything like it.

Blech.

I know we can't be choosy,

but it's better if
we don't get sick.

I'm going to get water.

[ Groans ]

♪

Loury: I'm going to build a
door like you can find in a house.

It's very important
to have a home.

Even if we're in a very
hostile environment,

we still have a safe home.

That boosts my self-confidence.

[ Grunts ]

Having a comfortable camp
brings a degree of serenity,

getting my mind off of
things, and I need that.

It can have many uses.

Like if there's a breeze, it
would make some noise,

which could potentially
scare off certain animals.

But I'm also doing it to feel
at home in my own camp.

The goal is to prepare our camp

so as to be able
to stay in it all day.

♪

Géraldine: Here we are again,

umpteenth night of complicated
sleeping, all drawn out.

The days are long.
The nights are long.

The nights are freezing.
The days are stifling.

Why am I here?

You could say I'm
at an all-time low.

[ Groans ]

I've hit rock bottom.

♪

Narrator: It is day four of
Loury and Géraldine's adventure.

After yet another
sleepless night,

Géraldine's morale
sinks even lower.

Géraldine: There's something my
son told me that eats away at me.

I told him I knew
it would be hard,

but I would do everything
to see this through.

And he told me, "mom,

you don't have to prove
anything to anyone.

So if it's not going
well, if you feel in danger

or if you're unwell, stop."

[ Exhales sharply ]

I thought this over
a lot back and forth,

but I've decided to stop here.

[ Voice breaking ] I
think I'm going to stop

the adventure here.

[ Sighs ]

It pisses me off.

It really bothers me
leaving you here alone.

To be honest, I expected
this from the beginning.

You're exhausted physically.

I think I could still
work physically,

but I'm psychologically
worn out.

It's hard. We're very
limited in our survival skills.

I can easily understand
that, after all this,

she reached her limit.

When I left home,

I told myself if my
partner wanted to leave,

I'd stop him, but
I'm the one leaving.

I really didn't think
that I would be like this.

I didn't think I would give up.

But it's just so hard here.

Give me a hug.

Stay strong for both of us.

Come on. Don't
forget to eat and drink.

Stay the way you are.

The warrior is leaving.

Narrator: In
survival situations,

the first four days are decisive

as you you're exposed
to the harshest trials.

Géraldine failed to adapt

to the arid climate of
the African savanna.

She bore the costs
of the mistakes made

from the start of the adventure.

Stay strong.

♪

That first day in the
heat of the moment,

I managed to burn my
feet. The sand was so hot.

Maybe I should have
stopped and said it hurt,

but I didn't say anything.

I kept going. I'm stubborn.
I've always fought through.

But it's impossible
with burnt feet.

Like all soldiers
who lose the w*r,

I regret it, but I waged
this w*r against myself.

I'm lucky to be alive, healthy,

and able to live many
more adventures.

This adventure will feature
among the greatest in my life.

♪

Narrator: Géraldine
has just left,

but Loury pushes on and
plans how to survive on his own.

Loury: Basically, I don't
mind surviving on my own.

It was even something
I wanted to try.

I think we've reached a
stage where skills are vital.

Maybe experience is needed
for mind-set or something.

I don't know. And if
we can't ensure that,

then it means we
can't succeed together.

In any case, this won't
keep me up at night.

On the contrary, I'll have
more space near the fire.

There's also a part of me

that won't need to worry
anymore about her comfort...

if she's alright, getting her
water and everything else.

This is survival.

So we also need to come
to terms with why we're here.

I chose to come.

♪

Narrator: Loury is about
to spend another night

in the African savanna.

♪

I'm having some
trouble sleeping.

I'm hearing things nearby.

♪

Something is roaming outside.

I don't know what it
is. I don't feel safe at all.

I tried to stoke the fire

to show I'm here
as much as possible.

[ Exhales sharply ]
I'm trying to sleep.

Well, I'm staying
up with a machete.

♪

[ Rustling, animal grunting ]

♪

I don't feel very confident.

♪

After last night's scare,
I've decided to set up

different things to make
me more comfortable.

I've made a kind of mini totem.

It's a round stone which
I've named "cookie."

Hi, cookie.

[ Chuckles ]

Look at that smile.

[ Chuckles ]

Isn't cookie just awesome?

[ Chuckles ]

I want to play some
kind of role-playing game

for the rest of the adventure.

I'm talking to him
like a real person.

You look happy, and
you don't eat anything,

just like me. We
complete each other.

That's pure love. [ Chuckles ]

I'm sorry about what
happened with Géraldine,

but I feel great on my own.

Any need for conversation
is made up for on my own.

At least cookie
doesn't complain.

I think I'm better off alone.

This is the number of
days since I've been exiled.

That's five days I've
been in this camp,

even surrounded by nature,

I am trapped by
the passing of time.

I am trapped by the weather

or by the environment
surrounding me.

So I build things every
day to improve my daily life.

This also helps me pass the time

and... and not feel
trapped so much.

♪

I'm off to wash up a bit,

and then I really need
to start finding some food.

I know I've lost
weight. I can see it.

I'm weaker. I work
less during the day.

I sleep more.

I understand this clearly.

For a start, I don't know how to
hunt without weapons or tools.

It's going to be complicated.

Narrator: It's now
been five days

since Loury ate
anything substantial,

and yet a man his
age should consume

between 2,500 and
3,000 calories every day.

Loury: I've been thinking
about this the past two days.

When I was dropped off,

I saw a huge nest about
three feet in diameter.

So I wanted to
look for it again,

thinking that
maybe, if I'm lucky,

there's a bird in it.

If not, then maybe
there are a few eggs in it.

The nest is 15 to 20 feet
up, but I still try to climb it.

Narrator: The nest
belongs to a hammerkop,

a kind of African stork.

It can hold three to seven eggs,

but it can also
shelter other species,

like monitor lizards
or even deadly cobras

that take over these
natural habitats.

♪

Loury: [Bleep]

When I open it, it's
empty, so I climb down.

Whoa!

I can only blame myself.

I don't know any fundamentals
of the fauna or flora.

It's hard.

♪

I'm not going to
feel sorry for myself.

I will keep on fighting to find
food and keep my spirits up.

At first, I notice many
little empty shells,

and then I see the
same ones alive nearby.

I pick up about 50 of them,

and I will try to eat those.

♪

I don't really like seafood,

But this is an
extreme situation.

♪

I'm going to, uh,
try to eat these.

It's a crustacean, but
I don't know what kind.

Narrator: The freshwater
shells are often found

in muddy, shallow waters

and contain a lot of germs.

To cleanse them, Loury has
the good sense to boil them.

♪

[ Crunches ]

[ Spits ] This is
so freaking tough.

[ Spitting ]

This really complicates things.

♪

[ Sighs ]

[ Sputters ]

It's edible, but
with difficulty.

♪

I'm still in high spirits,
but I have no energy at all.

I am sleeping longer
and more often.

I want to eat something.
I'm really getting hungry.

Narrator: Apart from
some frogs and shells,

Loury hasn't
eaten in eight days.

Loury: I don't feel that hungry,

but I can tell my
body lacks something.

♪

[ Grunts ]

[ Breathing heavily ]

Protein!

[ Breathing heavily ]

I'm going to get that snake.

♪

Protein!

I'm going to get that snake.

When I see it, I
realize I'm very lucky

because I almost
stepped on it...

Like 10 times.

♪

I can finally, finally
eat something.

[ Laughs ]

I got it!

Chicken, chicken.

Even if it's a snake,

I can't be choosy in
this kind of situation,

so I'm eating it.

Narrator: The snake
Loury has just caught

is a yellow-bellied sand snake.

Its bite is not venomous, but it
would cause a significant wound

and in these
unhygienic conditions

could lead to a
severe infection.

Loury: It moves
even without the head.

I'm going to cook it now.

Oof.

I let the rock heat up
while I skin the snake

and gut it.

And I also discover it's
eaten a kind of gecko.

It's a lizard or a gecko.

♪

Two in one... a
gecko and a snake.

It's a relief, that's for sure.

♪

You're following
Maité's recipe...

the plancha snake.

Narrator: Once cooked and
thus rid of potential parasites,

these reptiles are a
great source of protein.

♪

Ahh.

♪

It was a real treat...
small but appreciated.

Cookie is tanning,
and he is delighted.

Since he's on a strict
diet, I got to eat at all.

Let me just say...

I'm ecstatic.

♪

[ Thunder rumbling ]

♪

Aah!

♪

[ Groans ]

We're on the brink
of a terrible storm.

There's lots of wind... gusts
of wind... and torrential rain,

huge drops falling
every which way.

Then the cold comes into
the mix with... with the rain.

I'm under a tree and barefoot.

I could really get
struck by lightning.

[ Thunder rumbling ]

I'm still taking that risk
because I really had

a lot of trouble
starting this fire.

It is absolutely necessary to
keep it going because, uh...

In these conditions, it's
impossible to start another one.

♪

♪

If the rain doesn't
stop and I lose the fire,

I'll succumb to the cold.

If that happens, my
body will just stop.

Narrator: Hypothermia starts
when the body's temperature

goes below 77 degrees.

Depending on the
intensity and duration,

hypothermia can
prove to be fatal.

Loury: It's going to be
very hard to sleep tonight.

The sand is freezing.
It's flooding everywhere.

This is hell... Cold.

[ Sighs, groans ]

I'm freezing.

If it doesn't stop soon,
I'm in serious trouble.

Narrator: After battling
a 48-hour storm,

Loury and his
fire are still alive,

but exhaustion and
lack of food are kicking in.

Loury: Everything I do
requires a lot of energy,

and if I could eat, I'd
have more strength.

So I decided to look under
some rocks for some food.

I know scorpions tend
to hide underneath rocks.

Narrator: Indeed, the sands are
packed with venomous scorpions.

Their harmfulness
can be measured

by the size of their pincers.

The smaller the pincers,
the worse its venom is.

It can even be
lethal in some cases.

Loury: I started with a
small tapas a scorpion.

It's a black one and
about two inches long.

I have to be very
careful handling it.

There's no margin for error.

♪

I find it to be
a little bit small.

It's not going to be enough,
so I keep on looking around.

Ah. There we go.
That's more like it.

That's when I found
scorpions that are a lot bigger,

measuring about three
to four inches long.

Narrator: On top of being a
source of iron and calcium,

scorpions contain
80 percent protein.

Oh, scorpions galore!

You just need to ask
for it. Come here, big guy.

How are you doing? The
black ones are the hardest.

It's a significant
source of protein,

and I have 2 1/2 of them.

This allows me to eat today
since I didn't eat yesterday.

Mmm. Feast time.

Maité will be happy.

Mmm. Medium rare.

Let's eat on the patio.

♪

Delicious.

One scorpion is
worth 10 good steaks.

You can feel yourself
getting back energy

and regain your strength

and spirit, as well.

♪

[ Groans ]

♪

A little exercise
will do me good.

I thought I could
climb this baobab tree

and see [exhales
sharply] from up high

what's going on around me

on the horizon, which I
can't see from my camp.

Let's climb, then.

♪

♪

[ Grunts ]

[ Sighs ]

I think...

I'm almost 30 feet high.

Look at that.
Isn't it beautiful?

I have a good bird's-eye view.

The leaves are big enough
to shield me from the sun.

There aren't any
bugs bothering me.

I think I'll come
here more often.

♪

Narrator: In the following days.

Loury prepares
for his extraction.

He spends the hottest
part of the day resting,

continues to hunt scorpions,
and works to maintain his fire.

You might have noticed I
scratched my face a little bit.

This has been hard
from start to finish.

But I was determined
from the start.

It's a psychological
goal, above all.

♪

♪

The three weeks are nearly over.

I am in superwarrior
survivor mode.

I'm on the homestretch.

I am unstoppable. I'm ready.

Narrator: Tomorrow puts an
end to Loury's survival ordeal.

He must first trek
four miles up a riverbed

and cross areas known to
be swarming with snakes.

Caution will have to be
exercised for this last step

before a final ascent
to the extraction point.

♪

Hi, my darlings.
It's daddy speaking,

and today we'll be daddy's
last day on his adventure.

I miss you a lot, of course,
and I miss your mother.

I'm really doing all
of this thanks to you.

You've given me your love,
your strength, and your support.

Thank you for always
having faith in me.

[ Exhales sharply ]

I hope to be seeing you
very soon, my darlings.

♪

[ Smooches ] Lots of kisses.

♪

I love you all.

Narrator: Loury sets
off for the final trial.

His body has never
known such exhaustion,

and dangers still
lurk at every corner.

Loury: I try to keep
a fast, steady rhythm,

all the while
breathing carefully.

There is this fierce,
aggressive determination,

a nameless determination.

All I achieved these past
three weeks is being put at risk

by this sweltering hike
to the extraction point.

It's brutally hot,

but I just keep focusing
on the extraction point.

I'm being extra careful
with every step I take.

Narrator: Two
miles into his trek,

the terrain
dramatically changes.

Plants have covered
the ground entirely,

which hinders visibility
and multiplies the risks.

Loury: A lot of snakes,
most notably black mambas,

live in reeds like this.

I watch my every step.

I would hate to make a
fatal last-minute mistake.

Narrator: A snakebite
is not the only risk

hovering over Loury's head.

He's been walking
under the scorching sun

for two hours now with no water.

Loury: I think I'm
about halfway.

I found some water, but
it's not really drinkable.

I need to stay hydrated.

I'm starting to feel
this lack of water.

The sun is stifling, too, so
I need to drink something.

Narrator: Loury only has
access to stagnant water.

The risk that it is
contaminated is high.

He opts for a radical solution.

Ahh.

Loury: I know I can drink urine

a few times
without overdoing it.

♪

This is really the
extreme last push.

It's the ultimate thing I must
do to push through to the end.

I ignore the taste
and the smell.

I do my best to disregard it all

and simply push on
just as I had planned.

Narrator: Drinking urine
can indeed help offset

early-stage dehydration.

But it's a risky and
controversial survival tactic

that could have
dire consequences.

♪

♪

Oh, finally.

I can finally see
the extraction point.

There's one last hill to
climb before the home stretch.

I'm being carried by adrenaline

and things that aren't
even physical anymore.

It's all in my head.

[ Exhales sharply ]

Yes!

Ha!

It's finally over.
I'm superhappy.

[ Sighs contentedly ]

♪

Yes!

I made it. I survived
three weeks with nothing.

I'm ready to go home.

Yeah! [ Laughs ]

There were moments
where it was really hard.

Some days seem unending.

You can get on the back,
or you can get in the front.

Back. Back?

Yeah, like a king. Like a king?

Yeah.

[ Engine starts ]

I want to have a
warrior's victory

because I feel like a warrior.

For me, this is a victory.

There's no doubt I'm going
to remember this forever.

♪

Let's go home.

♪

Narrator: After three weeks
surviving in the African savanna,

Loury, originally
weighing 179 pounds,

has lost more than 14 pounds.

On his own after four days

because his partner withdrew,

Loury demonstrated unusual
strength of body and character.

In this hostile environment,

he managed to find a
sustainable food source.

His PSR rises from 7.6 to 8.1.

Géraldine tapped
out after four days.

She lost four pounds.

By thoughtlessly exposing
her body to the sun

during those first few hours,

she overestimated herself
and succumbed to her pain.

Her PSR falls from 6.7 to 5.8.

Loury has proven
that a steely mind-set

and an unwavering determination

can overcome the
toughest conditions.

Recognized as a
veritable solitary warrior,

Loury has shown that he can take
on the harshest of environments

Naked and Afraid.