MUMBAI: Animal Planet aims to bring viewers closer to the natural world with ?Animal Planet A-Z?. This is a selection of wildlife programmes in which the viewers follow some of the world?s most interesting and sometimes misunderstood creatures. Airing every night at 10 pm, ?Animal Planet A-Z? will showcase one animal per week.

From 21 - 27 January, every night at 10 pm, viewers can learn about the lives and behaviours of deadly predators ?Anacondas? in the ecosystem that they share.

Anaconda, or Water Boa, is a giant water snake that dwells in the marshlands across Central and topical South America. Capable of growing to more than five metres in length and over 100 kilogrammes, the anaconda is a powerful animal, feared by man and beast alike. Lords of the marshes and guardians of the lakes, these elusive snakes are usually the apex predators of their aquatic habitats. However, deep within the Ibera marshes in Northern Argentina, the yellow anacondas must share their kingdom with another group of reptiles: the caimans. With a preference for the same prey, tussles at the top of the food chain are unavoidable - ending, sometimes, with fatal consequences for both reptiles.

Anacondas kill their prey-birds and small reptiles and mammals-by squeezing them until they suffocate, or by drowning them. The female anaconda retains her fertilized eggs in her body until they hatch. Ten to more than 70 young are born at a time. Like most snakes, anacondas are shy. They usually defend themselves from enemies by retreating. If cornered, anacondas will bite. This, along with their great size and weight, can make anacondas dangerous to people.

Kicking off the line-up is, ?In Search Of The Giant Anaconda? which sees the snakemaster Austin Stevens search for the Green Anaconda in the Amazon rainforest. In the following episode ?Anacondas with Nigel Marven? the zoologist goes in search of the world?s most massive snake in the jungles of South America.

MUMBAI: Animal Planet has announced its upcoming programming line-up with the launch of a 52-week series titled ?Animal Planet A-Z?.

Starting 7 January, the show will air every night at 10 pm.

This line-up of Animal Planet A-Z will take viewers onto a wild expedition that features the details of one particular animal every week, covering from A to Z of varied species. A for Anaconda, B for Bears, C for Crocodiles, D for Dog, E for Elephants and many more - each week will encapsulate the animal?s habitat, nature, wild attacks.

The programmes will also include aquatic creatures like Fish and untamed participants in the list - the monstrous bugs found in the forests.

Discovery Networks APAC SVP and GM Rahul Johri said, "Animal Planet A-Z brings a comprehensive hour of ultimate wildlife programming which will appeal to the viewers with its exciting content. With viewers getting multiple choices of entertainment, the best quality programming will get the biggest traction from them."

Viewers will also join Animal Planet?s renowned wildlife explorers like Nigel Marvin, Jeff Corwin, Dave Salmoni, Austin Steven as they travel to different countries, observing different wildlife.

MUMBAI: Animal Planet celebrates the wildlife of India this month with a series called ?India: Wild Encounters?.

From Ranthambhore to the Western Ghats, the series seeks encounters with India?s wildest and rarest animal species like the fabled Bengal Tiger, the wild dogs (dholes), the rare Asiatic Lion and many more. Viewers meet some fascinating people and track animals that make any visit to India such a rich experience. Travel with wildlife explorers - Jeff Corwin, Austin Stevens and Dave Salmoni as they set out on their adventures to learn more about the wild animals of the country.

The show airs every Sunday at 8 pm on Animal Planet. In the episode, ?Shola- India?s Jungle of Rain?, wildlife filmmaker Shekhar Dattatri captures the India?s ancient mountain range the Western Ghats - which is a hub of fire ants, elephants, pythons, giant squirrels and wild cattle.

Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, ?India?s Wild Dogs? travels to Khana National Park to follow the lives of unique pack of dogs ? the dholes who share the same jungle space as elephants. The series also covers the exotic stories on survival of black bear; the ibex and the snow leopard from the treacherous slopes of the world?s highest mountain range - the Himalayas.

MUMBAI: Animal Planet will be airing a two-hour special programme titled ‘Mermaids: The Body Found‘ on 22 September.

‘Mermaids: The Body Found‘ is a science fiction based on some real events and scientific theory and will air at 8 pm. It will repeat telecast on 23 September at 9 pm.

In the show, Animal Planet details the first-hand accounts of a team of government scientists who testify to have found the remains of a never-before-identified sea creature with ties to human origins. In a story about evolutionary possibility grounded in scientific theory, experts reveal the natural history of mermaids and how they may look like and why they‘ve stayed hidden?until now.

With compiled amateur footage, including photos and video shot by deep-sea fishermen that never have been shown in the US, as well as cinema-quality CGI, ‘Mermaids: The Body Found‘ argues how a mythical creature - one of humankind‘s most enduring legends - may be real. It depicts how mermaids may have evolved from the early human family tree and persisted into the present day.

The show also raises questions about whether the government is involved in a massive cover-up, hiding information about the possible survival of these creatures and if they exist today.