Jungle survival food guide

Fire

Everything is likely to be damp. Take standing dead wood and shave off the outside. Use that to start your fire. Dry bamboo makes excellent tinder (store some), so does a termites nest.

Food

A large variety of fruits, roots and leaves are available. Banana,papaya,mango and figs are easily recognized. (Papaya is one of the few plants with white sap that is edible).

The large, thorny fruit of the Durian, of southeast Asia, smells disgusting, but is good to eat. Palms provide an edible growing point and manioc produces massive tubers- though they must be cooked before eating. Taro, wild potato and some kinds of yam. You must also be prepared to remove poisons before they are eaten. You may find the wealth of tropical foods hard to identify, if your not sure use the test described on the food page first.

Deer, pigs, monkeys and a wide range of animals can be hunted and trapped according to location. In primary jungle, birds spend most of there time in the tree canopy among the fruit and berries. Place traps in clearings and lure birds with fruit. Near river traps can be baited with fish or offal for Fish Eagles and similar species which patrol rivers for prey. Parrots and their relatives abound in the tropics- their mad screeching makes their presence known from early morning. They are cunning-get them used to taking bait before setting the trap.

Snakes are easier to catch- go for the nonpoisonous constrictor-and very tasty. Catch them using a forked stick. Rivers support all kinds of life: fish,plants,animals and insects. If you have no fishing tackle small pools can be dammed and then emptied with a bailer- fish and turtles in surprising numbers in mud . Fish from slow moving water are more likely to be infested with parasites. If suspect boil for 20 minutes .