Michaela Strachan came perilously close to losing her life in a terrifying wildlife incident she described as a "whale threesome" off the coast of South Africa. The beloved television wildlife presenter no stranger to dangerous situations, once had to fire a tranquiliser dart at a charging buffalo to rescue a vet stranded in a tree.
Currently, Michaela co-presents the BBC favourite Springwatch alongside her long-time colleague and fellow wildlife enthusiast Chris Packham. The duo also fronted the nostalgic CBBC nature programme The Really Wild Show between 1993 and 2006.
In a recent interview, Michaela revealed another life-threatening moment from her career that nearly proved fatal, prompting her to imagine the unusual engraving that might have appeared on her gravestone. The incident occurred in the waters off South Africa, where she lives with her husband, Nick Chevallier, and their son, Olly.
Michaela narrowly avoided being "squashed" by two southern right whales trying to mate with a female. Speaking to The i Paper, she said: "Squashed in a whale threesome. That would have made for an interesting gravestone."
She is not alone in facing such hazards. Chris Packham has also endured perilous encounters with wildlife, once suffering painful bites from army ants while filming in Kenya.
Michaela has also shared a close call in Madagascar, where she was bitten by a lemur and feared she might have contracted a fatal disease.
Speaking to Bella magazine, she recalled: "I was bitten by a lemur in Madagascar, and they thought it might have rabies, so I went to A&E for a jab, and I said to the nurse, 'Out of interest, why are you laying a bed out for me?'"
The nurse reportedly replied: "She looked at her notes and said, 'Oh - bitten by a lemur! I thought it said, 'broken femur!'"
Away from wildlife perils, Michaela recently celebrated becoming a grandmother for the second time. Last October, the 59-year-old shared on social media the arrival of her second grandson, Marley. She wrote: "My 2nd grandson! Little Marley Chevallier Manning arrived into the world last week. So adorably cute. So precious.
"Unbelievably proud of my step daughter @jadiealice & @dale_manning, they are the most awesome parents already. 2 grandchildren in 5 months. Feeling very blessed."
Fans were quick to congratulate Michaela and her family. One commented: "What an adorable little baby - he's a real sweetie - congratulations all." Another added: "Beautiful congratulations. For us we have our first great granddaughter in July and a second great grandchild in a few weeks time."
