The Hindu : New Delhi News : Focusing on wildlife conservation

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Saturday, Oct 04, 2008
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Focusing on wildlife conservation

Madhur Tankha

Animal Planet to celebrate Animal Day with special show

Lyndal Davies

NEW DELHI: To celebrate World Animal Day, Animal Planet will telecast a special programme dedicated to wildlife conservation and awareness on Saturday.

The 12-hour-long programme that intends to celebrate human relationship with the animal kingdom will begin at 12 noon.

The programme will focus on endangered species from around the world including India. Focusing on a variety of animal species including the tiger, orangutan, gorilla and whale, the “World Animal Day” programme line-up will provide a valuable insight into unique characters of each species, their habitat and their contribution to and inter-play with the environment.

It will also focus on conservation efforts made by wildlife experts and celebrities. Shows in the line-up include “Animal Instincts,” “Animals of the Chinese Zodiac,” “Talking with Lions,” “Gorillas on the Brink,” “Hurricane Reunion” and “Tiger Zero.”

Giving details of the programme, Rahul Johri of Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific says: “The refreshed and new Animal Planet is committed to entertaining, informing and engaging viewers through its exciting range of programmes and experts. On World Animal Day, we would like to focus on the grave challenges that wildlife is facing around the world.”

The event will take off with “Animal Instincts” where conservationist Lyndal Davies will uncover the secrets of animal behaviour during disasters. “World Animal Day” will take a look at the private world of orangutans and explore their complex social network in its episode “Orangutans — The High Society.”

Viewers will also travel with primatologist Chloe Cipolletta on her mission to save the lowland gorillas in the Central Africa Republic and create awareness about threats to their habitat.

The journey will continue with Hollywood actor Natalie Portman (of Star Wars) transversing deep into Rwanda’s rainforest in search of the mountain gorilla.

In another engaging episode, “Gorillas Revisited With Sigourney Weaver,” actor Sigourney will recount the extraordinary tale of gorilla conservationist Dian Fossey and the endeavour of those who continue to save these animals from extinction.

The line-up will also uncover the cause of India’s tiger crisis. Across the sub-continent, tigers are being poached in snares, shot or electrocuted. In recent years, several tigers have gone missing from the Ranthambore National Park and in a bid to stop numbers from dwindling further, tiger expert Valmik Thapar confronts leading national politicians about the issue.

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