Discovery Press Web United States

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(New York, New York, June 26, 2009) -- Bringing more of the most incredible animal encounters ever caught on tape, UNTAMED & UNCUT debuts a new season of 20 hour-long episodes, beginning Sunday, July 5 at 9 PM (ET/PT).  Every week, Animal Planet takes viewers on a journey around the world to meet the people whose lives are forever changed by their amazing, heart-pounding, moving encounters with animals.  Detailed computer graphics break down these video flashpoints even further to show exactly what happened during the encounter and complete these awe-inspiring stories.  The new season of UNTAMED & UNCUT also features viewer submissions and user-generated content both on-air and online - some of which have never been seen before anywhere in the world.

During the season premiere, called "Teeth, Talons, Terror," viewers will see these five amazing stories and the footage that tells their tale:

• An 18-foot, great white shark crashes into a shark cage off the coast of Baja, California, trapping two divers just inches away from the man-eating creature.
• A raging bull bucks cowboy Robson Polermo in the air, knocking him cold.
• A beloved horse gets stuck in the mud while on a trail ride, and the only way fire fighters can rescue him is to airlift him by helicopter.
• During a show at the Los Angeles Zoo, a hawk escapes from his cage and attacks a cockatoo and its handler, who puts her body between the two birds to save both of them.
• A frightened dog is trapped and freezing on a chunk of melting ice in Indianapolis. A lone fireman braves the ice but his rescue attempt puts his own life in danger.

"The proliferation of digital cameras, camcorders and cell phone cameras means a world where a huge volume of incredible flashpoint moments are being caught on tape. Animal Planet viewers crave these stories, where the immediacy of the human and animal interaction is palpable," noted Rick Holzman, senior vice president of programming and scheduling.  "UNTAMED & UNCUT has secured the most incredible heart-stopping and heart-warming stories from around the globe."

UNTAMED & UNCUT is a production of Cheri Sundae Productions for Animal Planet. Cheri Brownlee is the executive producer for Cheri Sundae Productions, and Erin Wanner is the executive producer for Animal Planet. Marc Etkind is the vice president of development 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 95 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; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

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