DISCOVER THE LESSER KNOWN FACTS ABOUT ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR WITH ANIMAL PLANET'S RENOWNED PRESENTER NIGEL MARVEN

Zoologist, wildlife adventurer, filmmaker and television presenter Nigel Marven has travelled corners of earth in search of animals, observing their behaviour in their natural habitats. This October, Animal Planet brings viewers closer to the natural world with Nigel Marven Month, a selection of wildlife programmes in which Nigel encounters some of the world’s most interesting and sometimes misunderstood creatures. Dedicating the full month to Nigel Marven, Animal Planet will bring his captivating journeys every night at 9 pm.

Come along on an adventure with Nigel Marven as he journeys into the animal kingdom to track down and interact with some of its most fascinating stars. From the slithery serpents and brazen bullsharks to ferocious fish and mischievous meerkats, Nigel gets up close and personal with these amazing animals to better understand their behaviour.

Kicking off the Nigel Marven Month line-up is spectacular series Untamed China which sees Nigel explore one of the largest and most diverse countries in the world. He unveils creatures, scenery and customs never seen on our television screens before. On this incredible journey, Nigel crosses China’s great deserts and encounters sand swimming snakes and the rare Bactrian camel. In its steamy jungles, he comes face-to-face with China’s largest lizard and the world’s biggest species of moth and in Sichuan’s Heavenly Mountains he tracks down one of China’s most captivating wild animals; the red panda and gets up close and personal with giant panda cubs at Chengdu’s world famous breeding centre.

Further, in the episodes of Jaguar Adventure, Animal Planet follows Nigel Marven to the Pantanal in Brazil, the world’s biggest wetland and home to the planet’s largest population of jaguars – the least known of the big cats. During his journey, he wrestles with caiman and anacondas, swims with capybara and giant otters, and realises his childhood dream of meeting jaguars in the wild. Comparatively little is known about the jaguar because they are notoriously difficult to film. With their brilliantly effective camouflage, they blend into the foliage.

During the month long journey, viewers can catch Anacondas with Nigel Marven, which sees the intrepid zoologist going in search of the world’s most massive snake in the jungles of South America. In Meerkats With Nigel Marven, which features never-seen-before footage on meerkat behaviour, Nigel observes these darlings of the animal kingdom for a whole year and discovers that there is a different – perhaps darker – side to these cuddly creatures. Travelling through the scenic waterways of South America, Nigel goes on a Piranha Adventure and uncovers the truth behind the infamous fish’s fearsome reputation. Finally, Nigel visits South Africa and India for Rhino Adventure to explore five species of majestic rhino which exist on the planet today.

The Nigel Marven Month programming line-up includes Nigel’s visits to India. To track down the one horned Asian rhino, Nigel travels to Kaziranga, Assam. With its armour-like hide and one horn, the Asian rhino really is a throwback to prehistoric times. Nigel also visits the Bandhavgarh Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to catch glimpses of the most majestic and charismatic of all the predators – Bengal Tiger. Bandhavgarh covers a 150 square miles and is home to highest density of tigers.

About Animal Planet
Animal Planet is the world’s only brand that immerses viewers in emotional, engaging and passionate content devoted to animals – from wildlife to pets. Animal Planet connects humans and animals with rich, deep content and offers animal lovers access to entertainment, information and enrichment via multiple platforms including television, online and merchandising extensions. Animal Planet is available to 369 million cumulative subscribers worldwide. Animal Planet launched in Asia Pacific in 1998 and is currently distributed to more than 167 million subscribers in 29 countries and territories in the region. For more information, visit Animal Planet at www.animalplanetasia.com.

For more information, please contact:

Angika Sharma Nupur Bhardwaj
Discovery Networks Asia Pacific LINOpinion –The Lintas PR Division
T: +91 9873178646 T: +91 9818166416
angika_sharma@@discovery.com nupur.bhardwaj@loweandpartners.com