FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ANIMAL PLANET TAKES AUDIENCES BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE BRONX ZOO IN ALL-NEW DOCUSERIES "THE ZOO"

(New York, NY) - Animal Planet takes audiences on a first-ever, in-depth look behind the scenes at the Bronx Zoo, a New York institution and global leader in animal care and species conservation. With full access to the Bronx Zoo's 265-acre campus, located a mere ten miles from New York's Times Square, Animal Planet shines a light on a wondrous world of more than 6,000 animals and the 500-plus people dedicated to their care and well-being. THE ZOO premieres Saturday, February 18th at 10PM ET/PT.

THE ZOO, filmed over an 8-month period, focuses on the stories of dozens of animals and experiences at the Bronx Zoo, and its critical mission to conserve wildlife around the globe. It also highlights the diverse community of people who work at the zoo, and how their expertise and varied skills come together to provide the highest quality care for the animals.

In the premiere episode, Ntondo, a silverback gorilla is diagnosed with glaucoma and staff devise a strategy to keep him comfortable, two keeper-raised Malayan tiger cubs are prepared for their introduction to their exhibit at Tiger Mountain and a zookeeper methodically orchestrates the introduction of two endangered maleo birds to form a pair bond, breed - and eventually, produce a chick. Other storylines include how the Bronx and Toledo Zoos worked to prevent the extinction of the Kihansi spray toad; the rescue of an orphaned snow leopard cub from a remote region in Pakistan; and the history of the Bronx Zoo's conservation efforts with the American bison.

"The Zoo is an inspiring and eye-opening first ever look at the diverse animals residing at the Bronx Zoo and the passionate caretakers working at the zoo. Our series gives amazing access for our viewers to get a first-hand look at the conservation efforts of the Wildlife Conservation Society," said Patrice Andrews, General Manager of Animal Planet.

Jim Breheny, Director of the Bronx Zoo and WCS Executive Vice President of Zoos and Aquarium said, "THE ZOO highlights the role of how the Association of Zoos and Aquariums provide excellent care to individual animals and work to sustain species for the future. We are really happy to be sharing this series with the Animal Planet audience as the series emphasizes that today's zoos must do more than exhibit animals; they must have a higher purpose and that purpose is conservation of species in the wild."

Added Pat Thomas, General Curator of the Bronx Zoo and WCS Vice President, who managed the production for the zoo, "We gave Animal Planet total access so that viewers could see, feel and be part of what we do every day at the Bronx Zoo."

THE ZOO is produced for Animal Planet by Left/Right Productions and Copper Pot. Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver are the executive producers for Left/Right Productions. David LaMattina and Chad Walker are the executive producers for Copper Pot. Lisa Lucas is the executive producer; Patrick Keegan is supervising producer for Animal Planet.

About Animal Planet

Animal Planet, a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the network of hit franchise series RIVER MONSTERS, PIT BULLS & PAROLEES and TREEHOUSE MASTERS and the home of provocative and award-winning specials and documentary films presented under the banner ANIMAL PLANET PRESENTS. Animal Planet's programming also includes quarterly tent pole TV events PUPPY BOWL, the largest non-sports TV on Super Bowl Sunday, and MONSTER WEEK. Animal Planet is the premiere TV, digital and social community for animal lovers and pet owners, providing immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment across all Animal Planet assets including: Animal Planet television network, available in more than 94 million homes in the US, that is complimented with a deep Video On Demand offering; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; Animal Planet L!VE, the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock, unfiltered access to the animal kingdom; Animal Planet social including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

About the Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo, a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is the flagship zoological park of the Wildlife Conservation Society. It opened in 1899 and is one of the most well-known and respected zoos in the world. It is a leader in animal care and in the conservation of species in the wild.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) satisfies curiosity and engages superfans with a portfolio of premium nonfiction, sports and kids programming brands. Reaching 3 billion cumulative viewers across pay-TV and free-to-air platforms in more than 220 countries and territories, Discovery's portfolio includes the global brands Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports content across Europe. Discovery reaches audiences across screens through digital-first programming from Discovery VR, Seeker and SourceFed Studios, as well as over-the-top and TV Everywhere offerings including Eurosport Player, Dplay, Discovery K!ds Play and Discovery GO. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.