Battling Dense Jungles, Sub-Zero Temperatures and Shifting Sea Ice Isn't Epic Adventure - It's Everyday Life If You Want to "Survive the Tribe"

National Geographic Channel's New Series Tracks Wilderness Guide Hazen Audel as He Joins the World's Most Remote Tribes on Their Quest for Survival

Survive the Tribe Premieres Thursday, July 24, at 10 PM ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel

(WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 1, 2014) When it comes to enduring dense Amazonian jungle or the unrelenting Kalahari Desert sun, it isn't modern technology but ancient know-how that can mean the critical difference between life and death. Reading a single, broken blade of grass ... echoing a subtle animal call - these are tribal survival skills refined over centuries and mastered over a lifetime. In places where survival depends on bonding with a majestic golden eagle or interpreting the movements of constantly shifting sea ice, it's time to leave domesticated life behind to Survive the Tribe.

Premiering Thursday, July 24, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on National Geographic Channel, Survive the Tribe tracks wilderness guide and survival instructor Hazen Audel as he journeys to some of the world's most remote and inhospitable places, immersing himself into local cultures to learn survival skills that have kept tribal people alive against the odds for thousands of years. He has 10 days to study each tribe's skills before taking on the toughest tribal challenges that will force him to the very limit. In order to survive, Audel must rely on natural instinct, ancient wisdom and a high tolerance for drinking cow's blood.

Survive the Tribe will also air internationally on National Geographic Channels in 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit natgeotv.com and follow us on Twitter (@NGC_PR or @natgeochannel).

Along the way, Audel experiences first hand the incredible perseverance, rugged beauty and amazing fortitude that only come from living on the edge. In Survive the Tribe, he must build shelters, construct weapons and forge metal using the skills imparted to him from tribal elders before joining traditional hunts that have been an integral part of the tribes' survival for generations.

In the Kalahari Desert, Audel joins an elite group of San Bushmen, hunting for game with bows and poison arrows. Braving sub-zero temperatures in Mongolia, Audel has only days to bond with a majestic golden eagle before tackling harsh mountains in search of prey for his Kazakh clan. And, embarking on an Inuit crash course in Arctic Canada, Audel must harvest for food beneath shifting sea ice while braving a barren landscape.

Upcoming episodes include:

Survive the Tribe: Blood Warriors (Kenya) Thursday, July 24, 2014, 10:00 PM Survival of the fittest takes on a whole new meaning as Hazen Audel embeds with the Samburu tribe and learns valuable lessons about thriving on the edge. In the arid Kenyan mountain and desert, the Samburu share space with some of the world's most dangerous predators, and often rely on a diet of milk, meat - and blood. Collecting cow's blood requires patience, a steady hand and pinpoint accuracy, and Audel's first attempt fails to deliver. He will need to pick this up fast; blood is his main food for the entire journey. In a culture that values stoic courage, Audel's next challenge is to endure painful bites from ants and harvest honey from volatile bees. Before venturing out with the tribe's precious livestock, Audel must build his own club to protect his cargo. Taking 70 cows to distant mountain pastures across leopard territory will be no small undertaking, but Audel is up for the challenge.

Survive the Tribe: Rainforest Masters (Ecuador) Thursday, July 31, 2014, 10:00 PM Forging through the dense jungles of the Ecuadorian Amazon, Hazen Audel joins the Waorani Tribe, where he must learn to live off nothing more than the invaluable tools found in nature. To survive the life-threatening dangers of the jungle - venomous snakes, stealth predators and the frighteningly real possibility of getting lost in the forest labyrinth - Audel must master the Waorani's incredible ability to navigate this lush and treacherous land. Along the way, he has close encounters of all kinds with the incredible creatures that call the Amazon home. Learning to manipulate plants into sharp knives, construct and shoot a blowgun with poisonous darts, and scale the thinnest trees with bound feet, Audel is ready to join the tribe on an extraordinary hunt from forest floor to canopy with a surprisingly emotional end.

Survive the Tribe: Eagle Assassins (Mongolia) Thursday, August 7, 2014, 10:00 PM In Mongolia's stark Altai Mountains, Hazen Audel quickly learns that the greatest ally to a Kazakh hunter is another stealth predator: the golden eagle. For the Kazakhs, who raise the eagles from a young age and release mature birds back into the wild to breed, eagle hunting means survival. The birds take down wolves and foxes - vital food supplies for the Kazakhs who also use the fur as an essential tool for battling the long, harsh Mongolian winters. Audel has 10 days to strengthen his bond with one spectacular bird, which requires spitting into the bird's mouth to gain trust. Before heading out on his first hunt, Audel will need to master riding a semi-domesticated horse along the near-vertical mountain slopes ... all while balancing a massive eagle on his arm in sub-zero temperatures. The feat proves to be one of his most difficult challenges yet, as he misses out on capturing prime prey. Can he perfect his skills, or will the tribe go home empty-handed?

Survive the Tribe is produced for National Geographic Channel (NGC) by Icon Films. For Icon Films, executive producers are Harry Marshall and Laura Marshall, and the series producer is Nicholas White. For NGC, executive producers are Kevin Mohs and Carolyn Payne; vice president of production and development is Noel Siegel; and executive vice president, programming and strategy is Heather Moran.

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National Geographic Channels

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in over 85 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.