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HOST BRANDON MCMILLAN CREEPS AND CRAWLS HIS WAY INTO THE NIGHT IN SEARCH OF THE WORLD'S MOST ELUSIVE NOCTURNAL ANIMALS
­- Brand new series premieres on Animal Planet this month -

It's a moonless night in the desert. You're alone and so far from civilization that the Milky Way seems within reach. A barn owl screeches; a musky scent fills the air. Suddenly there's a rustle behind you. Is it a jackrabbit - or is it the only clue that a mountain lion is ready to pounce? In the distance, a coyote howls, and the panic starts to set in... Animal Planet's new series NIGHT, is a shocking and sometimes terrifying journey into the depths of night's darkness - and an up-close look at the creatures that lurk there. From sunset to sunrise, follow animal expert and host Brandon McMillan, on a global search for answers: What does it mean to be nocturnal? Where do nocturnal creatures exist? And are they really as scary as we think?

Since the dawn of time, man has feared what happens when the lights go out. From the shivers down our spines when coyotes howl to the involuntary jumps when snakes hiss and the uncontrollable urge to run when confronted with a pair of gleaming eyes, nighttime is about the unknown, and it scares some of us to death. Tapping into these primal fears, NIGHT takes viewers into the darkness to experience the wonder and terror of nocturnal nature and all its animal activities.

Host Brandon McMillan is an animal trainer and behaviourist who has spent the better part of his 31 years learning about and working with all types of animals - from household pets to the wildest of untamed beasts. On each episode of NIGHT, Brandon goes on a global quest through jungles, forests and savannahs to capture rarely seen animal behaviours at night. At each location, Brandon works with local animal experts to help him track down and study animals that thrive after dark. Drawing from his years of experience training animals, coupled with the adrenaline of youth and adventure, Brandon faces every situation head on as he swims with sharks, comes face to face with a pride of hungry lions and is cornered by a protective hippo - all with the added intensity of utter darkness.

"I think it's in our nature to be afraid of the dark," says Brandon. "When we're kids, we're taught that monsters such as werewolves and vampires come out at night, but this show examines the real nocturnal animals - and sometimes they're just as frightening."

Although humans lack the keen senses that allow animals to be active and productive at night, fortunately, science can make up for what nature forgot. Brandon utilizes several technologies that are vital to the success of his nighttime excursions. Night vision, thermal imagery, parabolic microphones, infrared beacons and other custom-designed devices help him navigate the pitch-black habitats, uncovering animals that could never be seen in the dark with the naked eye.

From giant Humboldt squid cannibalizing each other to the evasive nature of the Amazon's most poisonous snake and the nighttime blood baths of the mythological vampire bat, grab those night vision goggles and come along on a journey with Brandon to find out what comes alive when the sun goes down.

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