The elements that Survivor castaways endure to can be extremely dangerous. While the show is still going strong over two decades since its debut, many have questioned the environments some contestants have been put in.
In the early 2000s, the show chose Kenya as its location for Season 3, entitled Survivor Africa. To this day, that is still among the toughest 39 days any castaways have ever gone through. Executive Producer Mark Burnett is opening up about how close they were to a complete calamity on that season.
A lion got “within 12 inches” of Survivor Season 3 contestants
The show is often pegged as surviving the elements and each other. In Africa, the former was probably truer. Speaking with Variety, Mark discussed a frightening moment which happened during Season 3. “A real lion came within 12 inches of the contestants, through the fence,” said Mark. He adds that while he laughs a little about it now, it was a little foolish to think one electric wire around the camp was enough to keep everyone safe. Mark says that one night at dusk, “an antelope jumped the fence, followed by a lion, and ran right through camp and out the other side.”
At the time, Mark admitted that he and the crew kept that moment quiet for a long time. He believes CBS would have freaked out had they shared what transpired. The show had become hugely popular, and it sounds like there was a real fear that if that leaked, it might get cancelled.
Ethan Zohn wound up winning that season, defeating the elderly Kim Johnson in the end. The runner-up passed away in 2024. Ethan and Kim’s family announced the sad news on social media. Survivor is nearing the conclusion of Season 50 with seven contestants remaining in the hunt for $2 million.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK SURVIVOR WOULD HAVE BEEN CANCELLED HAD CBS KNOWN ABOUT THAT INCIDENT YEARS AGO?
