Nat Geo WILD Acquires New Series "Biggest & Baddest": Explorer and Biologist Niall McCann Tracks Down Jaw-Dropping Wildlife

Niall McCann Reveals the World's Fiercest Predators and Most Legendary Animals Known to Mankind for Conservation Research

Biggest & Baddest Premieres Friday, June 5, at 8 PM ET/PT on Nat Geo WILD

WASHINGTON -- This June, Nat Geo WILD will get up close and personal with the world's fiercest predators and most legendary animals. Our cameras will follow renowned explorer and biologist Niall McCann on his mission to find the Biggest & Baddest animals around the globe for conservation research. The series makes its debut on Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Nat Geo WILD. The announcement was made today by Geoff Daniels, EVP and general manager of Nat Geo WILD.

"Niall's genuine passion for animals and fearless attitude are on full display in this series, making his personal quest to bring the biggest and baddest animals on the planet into our families' living rooms such a thrill"

"Niall's genuine passion for animals and fearless attitude are on full display in this series, making his personal quest to bring the biggest and baddest animals on the planet into our families' living rooms such a thrill," said Daniels.

Niall has made it his mission to track down animals that have come in conflict with humans around the world, sometimes placing both in danger. His conservation work sheds light on the dilemmas the animals face. Climbing mountains, crossing jungle rivers, trekking across the outback and bushwhacking through dense wildernesses around the world, Niall courts adventure. And armed with his scientific knowledge and instincts, he does what others might be afraid to do - stare danger in the face without backing down.

"My passion is to track down formidable wildlife to learn more about their behavior and habitat," said Niall. "To be able to do this every day and share it with audiences is a dream come true."

As humans encroach on wildlife habitats, animals - including bats, tigers and pythons - are forced to live closer and closer to people, sometimes even terrorizing communities. Our cameras will wade through murky waters in the swamps of Venezuela to catch giant anacondas, follow fearsome predators like the royal Bengal tiger into the jungles of Nepal and wrestle with deadly saltwater crocodiles in Australia's Northern Territory. These animals have reputations for killing humans, but Niall will disregard danger and get close enough to learn more about these animals.

Biggest & Baddest is produced by Gryphon Productions Ltd. for Nat Geo WILD. Executive producer for Gryphon Productions Ltd. is Peter von Puttkamer. For Nat Geo WILD, senior vice president of development and production is Janet Han Vissering, and executive vice president and general manager is Geoff Daniels.

NAT GEO WILD

For more than 30 years, National Geographic has been the leader in wildlife programming. The networks Nat Geo WILD and Nat Geo WILD HD, launched in 2010, offer intimate encounters with nature's ferocious fighters and gentle creatures of land, sea and air that draw upon the cutting-edge work of the many explorers, filmmakers and scientists of the National Geographic Society. Part of the National Geographic Channels US, based in Washington, D.C., the networks are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Cable Networks. In 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) debuted, and 10 years later, Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with Nat Geo WILD currently available in over 58 million U.S. homes. Globally, Nat Geo WILD is available in more than 144 million homes in 140 countries and 28 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeowild.com.