Jungle Warfare Training Center, Camp Gonsalves, Okinawa, Japan -- World War II Spitfire pilot Fred Inger of the British Royal Air Force knew his chances of escape were slim after ejecting out of his aircraft behind enemy lines. Inger steered clear of a small village and ejected just above the thick canopy of jungle treetops on the island of Borneo in the South China Sea, southwest of the Philippines. He suffered minor injuries from tree branches and timber that broke his descent to the ground. Fortunately for him, he survived the fall.

Patrolling the skies at low altitudes searching for ground targets to pick-off was hazardous enough; now Inger had to survive alone in the jungle with enemy forces lurking nearby.

There were plenty of animals in the area to eat, but Inger, worried that a gunshot from his standard issue sidearm would give away his position, decided to endure without food.

Aside from the certainty that enemy forces were searching to capture him, surviving in the jungle forecast a slower, more gruesome death.

As one of Inger's comrades put it, "If you landed in the jungle, the chances of getting out were remote. You were briefed on what to do, but few made it."

Inger survived the ordeal and was later rescued, according to an article in www.spitfiresite.com's history archives, but the unforgiving threat posed by nature is ever present.

To this day, the jungle presents some of the harshest conditions and terrain for survival, according to Cpl. Derek Percival, a jungle survival instructor at the Jungle Warfare Training Center, Camp Gonsalves, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

With modern technology and amenities available almost everywhere, many people are far removed from nature's capacity to sustain life. Most people are clueless about surviving in nature alone, Percival added.

Human beings require shelter, fire, water and food to survive, Percival said.

Those are the basic necessities according to Percival.

"In the jungle, you are only as powerful as the knowledge and skills you have. It doesn't offer anything to you. The jungle is there for itself, it doesn't need you," he said.

Percival emphasized the importance of shelter saying without it, "Your survival chances decrease a lot because there is no barrier to separate yourself from the elements, leaving you exposed to rain."

Cpl. Cody Cunningham, Company C, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd MarDiv, agreed it rains a lot in the jungle, and staying dry is critical for survival.

"It's very humid in the jungle, and when it rains, everything gets wet. It can be hard to stay warm," explained Cunningham.

Cunningham, who trains a lot in the jungle, added shelter also provides cover from falling limbs and other decaying foliage.

Fire is another crucial tool for jungle survival, because it provides warmth and a method to cook food. Fire can be used to keep dry during rainy periods and helps keep dangerous animals away. But without modern technology, starting a fire can be difficult, adding to the jungle's unforgiving nature.

"You have to adapt to the jungle, not the other way around," said Lance Cpl. Richard Walbe, lead instructor at the Jungle Warfare Training Center. "The jungle is neutral, but we are not," he said.

Food is also necessary for survival, and catching wild animals can be difficult for the untrained. It is important to realize the wildlife knows the jungle terrain.

"You have to outsmart animals for food," Percival said. "You are out of your element. They are in theirs."

In addition, safety is important in the jungle, Cunningham said. Minor injuries can easily get infected if not properly treated.

"Infection in the jungle is very easy to get … even tiny cuts can begin to fester," he explained. "It's hard to keep things clean in the jungle, and without proper medical treatment, infection can spread to other parts of the body."

According to Cunningham, insects, animals and even vegetation threaten human survival in the jungle.

Many creatures indigenous to the jungle are poisonous.

"Even some plants have thorns or barbs that can injure you," Cunningham said.

In the jungle, movement and visibility is limited. Natural foliage can conceal pit holes and even cliffs, making it hard to move around.

"The jungle terrain is all up and down," he continued, explaining that, "It's hard to get around from place to place. Thick brush can restrict movement, and you have to fight for every piece of ground you want to get."

However, searching for sustenance is crucial to surviving in the jungle.

Finding drinkable water rates among the highest priorities and without water on tap, jungle dwellers must learn where to find it.

Although water is more abundant in the jungle than other geographical terrains, it doesn't mean that it is drinkable, Cunningham said.

"The jungle is far from a five-star hotel," he said. "Many of the jungle's animals are nocturnal. Food is hard to come by during the day. There are no supermarkets. You have to catch, gather and kill your food yourself."

Percival agreed, "The jungle doesn't help you in any way you can't help yourself.

"Even if you catch something, you have to know how to prepare it. You can end up killing yourself," he explained.

The jungle is unbiased, but it will provide for those who know how to help themselves, Percival said.