“Survivor” winner Bob Crowley, a Gorham High School physics teacher, entertained a beyond-capacity crowd at the South Portland Community Center Tuesday night, telling tales of his adventures in Gabon, Africa, while answering questions from inquisitive fans.

Crowley, 57, a South Porltand resident, beat 17 other contestants on the CBS reality show late last year to win the $1 million prize. He spoke and answered questions for nearly two hours in front of approximately 300 men, women and children. While he mixed humor with insight, Crowley began his presentation on a somber note while fighting back tears.

“My mother couldn’t be here tonight because she slipped and fell and hit her head on the way over here,” said Crowley, whose father died in September. “She’s OK.”

Crowley also told the crowd that he is now known as a survivor, but reminded the audience that the real survivors are the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, the men and women who fought in Vietnam and the Americans who fought in World War II in his parents’ generation.

He arrived at the community center in a limousine with a police escort with his wife, Peggy, and their daughter, Page. He walked through the center’s hall, hugging fans and shaking hands. Shortly after, he captivated the audience with stories from his “Survivor” experience.

The tale that received the biggest laughs was about how the show’s zoologists taught the contestants how to defend themselves or look for animals, such as gorillas, elephants and hippos.

If an elephant charged with its ears back, the contestants were to run away in a zigzag pattern. If a gorilla charged, they were to screech like a chimpanzee and if they noticed large amounts of animal dung in the area, leave because it meant a hippo had marked its territory.

“After learning all of this, a leaf fell from a tree and slid down Sugar Kiper’s back,” Crowley said. “She jumped up and screamed, and I jumped up, screeched like a chimpanzee, ran in a zigzag pattern and spread dung all over the trees.”

After speaking for 20 minutes, Crowley fielded about 30 questions. Inevitably, one person wanted to know if he planned to give Sugar anything since her vote lifted Crowley into the finals.

“Sugar recently moved into an apartment in Los Angeles and is using inflatable furniture to furnish the apartment,” Crowley said. “My nephew, who lives in L.A., is taking her shopping tomorrow for a TV that Peg bought her for Christmas.”

One child wanted to know what Crowley most hated eating during the 35 days last summer when the show was being filmed.

“I would have to say the termites and maggots,” Crowley said as the crowd gasped. “They didn’t really have a taste to them.”

South Portland Mayor Tom Blake hosted the event. “I take great pride in how Bob represented Maine and himself on the show,” Blake said. “He won using a hard work ethic and his Maine ingenuity.”

The audience also got to look at several artifacts from the show, such as the two fake immunity idols Crowley made, a spear head the contestants used to cook fish and the exile island map.

Crowley also showed a bag of marbles.

“Before I left for the show my dad, who I never knew to lie, told me that bluffing in poker isn’t lying and that I should go for all the marbles while on the show,” Crowley said. “I dropped one marble in this bag every time someone was voted off the show. I now have 18 marbles in the bag.”

He also said his dad told him to compete well because he was representing Maine.

City officials also proclaimed Jan. 6 Bob Crowley Day and presented him the key to the city.

“You better remove all the items from the places this key unlocks,” he said. “I just might take something to make a fake immunity idol.”