ANIMAL PLANET EMBARKS ON A MAGICAL TRIP TO A LAND CLOAKED IN MYTH, RICHES AND DIVERSITY IN "WILD ARABIA"

--Spectacular Two-Hour Special Examines Extraordinary Wildlife & Region Whose Ancient Past is Colliding With its Future--

(Silver Spring, MD, July 16, 2013) - For the first time ever, Animal Planet journeys to the unfamiliar and mystical lands of the Arabian Peninsula in WILD ARABIA. This two-hour special premieres Tuesday, August 6, at 8 PM (ET/PT) and takes viewers deep into the region's dramatic and varied landscapes to explore its rich and extraordinary wildlife, ancient cultures and remarkable transformation into a modern and complex world.

WILD ARABIA begins at the region's heartland, the desert. This unforgiving terrain covers more than 90% of Arabia including the rocky wastelands of the north and the sand dunes of the south. In the desert's arid heat, temperatures soar to 120 degrees, making food scarce, the sand scorch and water difficult to find. In this extreme climate, the Arabian oryx, which inspired the myth of the unicorn, is the ultimate desert survivor. These creatures' impressive ability to smell out distant rain warrants their notable reputation and is crucial to their livelihood.

In stark contrast to the windswept desert dunes is the thriving region of Dhofar, where a variety of wildlife flourishes among rugged mountains and dense forests rises above the coastline along the Indian Sea. Here on land, WILD ARABIA utilizes night-vision cameras and captures a rare encounter between a tenacious hyena and a pack of wolves. Perhaps even more unique, for the first time ever, the special captures the mating call of the Arabian leopard. Then, under the sea, WILD ARABIA encounters one of the most unusual creatures in the world, the dugong, whose closest relative is the elephant.

Much like the complex wildlife, Arabia itself is changing due to the discovery of oil. This black gold brought unparalleled wealth and revolutionized the region, and now, oil rigs ring the coastline, skyscrapers in the gulf cities soar upwards into the clouds and man-made oases provide new habitats for both humans and wildlife alike. Times are changing, yet a deep affinity for the natural world remains, and WILD ARABIA illustrates the profound connection, interaction and struggle among humans, nature, and the landscape of this spectacular region of the world.

WILD ARABIA is a co-production between BBC and Animal Planet. Brian Leith is the executive producer for BBC. Mick Kaczorowski is the executive producer for Animal Planet.

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; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.