CRYPTIC CREATURES AND LOCAL LEGENDS LURK IN DESTINATION AMERICA'S NEW SERIES "MONSTERS AND MYSTERIES IN AMERICA"

(Silver Spring, MD) - Mysterious shadows. Screams in the night. A hair-raising sense that something is watching. Stories of the unknown capture our imagination and curiosity in Destination America's new series MONSTERS AND MYSTERIES IN AMERICA, premiering Sunday, March 24 at 10 PM E/P. From all across the country emerge tales of close encounters with legendary creatures, from horrific monsters and ancient spirits to alien sightings and unexplained paranormal phenomena. Thirty percent of Americans believe that a beast such as Bigfoot is living in our forests*; in a quaint Montana town, reports of an elusive lake serpent have persisted every year since 1889; last year, UFO sightings were reported in 36 of 50 states in one week alone.** Featuring first-person accounts with everyday people who believe they have come face to face with real-life folktale fiends, MONSTERS AND MYSTERIES IN AMERICA travels our country's untamed wilderness to tell of its storied past.

"Each legend in MONSTERS AND MYSTERIES IN AMERICA, including those of Sheepsquatch, Batsquatch, Skunk Ape, and Mothman, may have been passed down from generation to generation but these aren't your average scout master's campfire tales," said Marc Etkind, SVP of Content Strategy for Destination America. "Local legends are a product of their environment and no country is a better muse for this kind of fear than America, with its dense forests, desert wasteland, and hundreds of miles of uninhabitable wilderness where any evil could hide."

Each episode focuses on a different American region and features stories of people who claim to have encountered creatures of local legend. The first two episodes include:

Appalachia premieres Sunday, March 24 at 10 PM E/P

· Sheepsquatch (Breckenridge County, KY) - The border between southwest Virginia and West Virginia is an area shrouded in mystery and folklore, but few mysteries are more unusual and intriguing than that of the Appalachian white beast known to the locals as Sheepsquatch. Dakota Cheeks and his best friend Ricky Joyce become prey to the legendary white beast during a weekend hunting trip.

· UFO/Little Green Men (Kelly and Hopkinsville, KY) - One quiet summer evening in 1955, the Sutton family farm is invaded by unexpected visitors. The family is hardly prepared for what they encounter - a small, green creature with glowing yellow eyes, about 3.5 feet tall with pointed ears and long arms raised high in the air. And he's not alone. At first, the family is captivated by this transcendental moment... but evil quickly takes over.

· Mothman (Point Pleasant, WV) - An innocent drive down a country road turns into a nightmare for Faye LaPort and her siblings as they come face to face with the legendary Mothman. Sightings of the Mothman began in 1966 and continued for more than a year, electrifying and baffling the entire region of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Although the hype has died down since then, the sightings have not.

Pacific Northwest premieres Sunday, March 31 at 10 PM E/P

· Sasquatch (Sierra Mountains, CA / Olympic Mountains, WA) - Within the region's dark, tightly packed interior, wildlife is so abundant that it's become the rumored home of an elusive wild creature known as Sasquatch. Many adventurers are drawn to these mountains in hopes of encountering the famed hairy giant, but some confront the monster purely by chance, like Justin Smeja who encountered a family of Sasquatch during a routine hunting trip.

· Shanghai Tunnels (Portland, OR) - Deep underneath the city of Portland lies a maze of underground tunnels. At one time, they were used for transporting goods between businesses and the Willamette River, but recently the possibility of a far more sinister purpose has come to light. Residents claim these underground chambers remain turbulent from the horrors that took place a hundred years ago and visitors claim to see spirits and phantom wolves.

· Flathead Lake Monster (Flathead Lake, Polson, MT) - Resting on the edge of the Pacific Northwest region, Polson is a quaint lakeside town with a mysterious monster resident. For decades, people from all around the world have flocked to Flathead Lake in the hope of spotting an elusive aquatic creature living below the surface. Sightings occur every year, dating all the way back to 1889. Skeptics have questioned the authenticity of these sightings, but to those who have seen it, this monster is very, very real.

Other episodes will features mysteries in the Ozarks, Badlands, Bayou, and Desert.

MONSTERS AND MYSTERIES IN AMERICA is produced by M2 Pictures for Destination America. For M2 Pictures, Mike Sinclair is executive producer. For Destination America, Fay Yu is executive producer, Sara Kozak is SVP of production, Marc Etkind is SVP of content strategy, and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.

About Destination America

Destination America is the only network to celebrate the people, places, and stories of the United States. The inclusive network targeting Adults 25-54 is available in nearly 60 million homes, emblazoning television screens with the grit and tenacity, honesty and work ethic, humor and adventurousness that characterize our nation. Destination America features travel, food, adventure, home, and natural history, with original series like BBQ Pitmasters, United States of Bacon, A Haunting, Cheating Vegas, and Buying Alaska. For more information, please visit DestinationAmerica.com, facebook.com/DestinationAmerica, or twitter.com/DestAmerica. Destination America is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 209 countries and territories.

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* SOURCE: Angus Reid Public Opinion Poll: http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/44419/americans-more-likely-to-believe-in-bigfoot-than-canadians/

** SOURCE: Mutual UFO Network: http://www.mufon.com/