LOVE BITES IN THE NEW SEASON OF FATAL ATTRACTIONS, RETURNING THIS FALL ON ANIMAL PLANET

Six New Episodes of Accursed Attractions Premiere Friday, November 11, at 9 PM

Just last week, an Ohio man committed suicide immediately after he released dozens of lions, tigers, bears and other wild beasts he kept as pets, admitting he was way in over his head. For an entire afternoon, 50-some wild animals roamed the streets and terrorized the town, making suburbia look like a dark twisted scene from Noah's Ark. Confounded, the police shot down most of the animals in an attempt to restore a sense of order and peace to the community. Some of the animals still are reported on the loose and may be lurking close by.

This story - which made news everywhere - sounds like an urban legend, but it's real; shockingly, similar situations occur throughout the country. Most cases lead to a tragic, untimely demise - for the animals and people involved.

Beginning, Friday, November 11, at 9 PM ET/PT, Animal Planet launches its new season of FATAL ATTRACTIONS, a six-part series about people who invite danger into their homes - literally. The series recounts dozens of stories of people united by a deadly obsession - they are compelled to live with beasts that easily could kill them, including wild cats, chimps, venomous snakes and alligators. This fall, this fatal trend continues with cautionary stories you must see to believe, including the following:

Hyenas are considered one of the ugliest, most unlikeable animals in the kingdom, but Florida male model Bryan Hawn fell in love with the species and scrounged $5,000 for the illegal purchase and housing of a baby spotted hyena.

When he was a boy, Dean Ripa hid some of the world's deadliest snakes in his parents' home. Now, at 54, his obsession with serpents is even greater, having spent the last several decades catching and selling snakes. Does Dean's luck run out when he's bitten a seventh time, when there's no anti-venom in his grasp?

Whatever happened to adopting a kitten or opting for a puppy? "I was interested in unique animals," Hawn previously explained to a Miami paper. "I didn't want a dog. I wanted something on a huge scale that would make people's mouths drop open."

The people portrayed in FATAL ATTRACTIONS believe they can develop unconditional, loving relationships with exotic animals, which most of us wouldn't get near...even with chain-link fences separating us.

"You may develop a love for wild animals, but you have to remember that wild animals are wild," says Dave Salmoni, Animal Planet's large-predator expert. "They are born with an instinct to attack, kill and stay alive, despite how much love they may get from humans. These people feel lucky to bond emotionally with a dangerous animal, but it's only a matter of time until their luck runs out."

FATAL ATTRACTIONS is produced for Animal Planet by Oxford Scientific Films. Executive producer for Oxford Scientific Films is Caroline Hawkins; Clare Birks is CEO for Oxford Scientific Films. Erin Wanner is executive producer for Animal Planet. Vice President of Development for Animal Planet is Charlie Foley.

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.