Nat Geo WILD Announces New & Returning Shows for Fall Season

This fall, NAT GEO WILD climbs bamboo stalks with giant pandas in China, monkeys around with apes in Tanzania, takes a dip with hippos in Africa, stomps with elephants in Namibia and hops around with kangaroos in Australia. Destination Wild Sunday nights has something for everyone in the family, offering an adventure of a lifetime every week! Viewers will travel to the four corners of the earth and back, experiencing wildlife in its natural habitat from locations around the world that are sure to bring "wow" moments to every home.

The network has greenlit new specials set to air this fall, including Wild Congo, Wild Namibia, Wild Nile and Wild Australia. And, previously announced Giant Pandas and Kingdom of the Apes will also air as part of the Destination Wild strand. The announcement was made today by Geoff Daniels, EVP and general manager, Nat Geo WILD.

"As specials highlighting our incredible planet become more and more scarce, we wanted to lean into this genre and officially dedicate every Sunday night on NAT GEO WILD to this important strand," said Daniels. "Our Destination Wild programs have something for everyone from grandma to dad to your teen. Our goal is to bring families together one night each week to enjoy the miraculous wonders of our world in new and visually stunning ways."

Full of awe-inspiring scenery and wildlife, Destination Wild specials feature the best, most innovative wildlife storytelling from some of the greatest filmmakers in the world. Sundays are one night of the week we guarantee you and your family's jaws will drop.

Premiere Specials Include:

KINGDOM OF THE APES with Jane Goodall (Two-Part Special - Previously Announced)

Premieres Sunday, July 13, 2014, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Primatologist Jane Goodall introduces Kingdom of the Apes, taking us into Tanzania's famed Gombe Stream National Park - where Jane Goodall began her pioneering work more than 50 years ago - to get a close look at the chimpanzee characters residing in this park. We witness the trials and tribulations of the animal kingdom as our cameras unveil not only the intricate personalities of the apes, but also the very distinct culture of a group.

GIANT PANDAS (Previously Announced)

Premieres Sunday, September 28, 2014, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

The giant panda is one of the world's most iconic bears. They are known for their black and white markings and loved for their doleful, bespectacled eyes, but they are also critically endangered. Now the race is on to save them from extinction. In the world-premiere special, Giant Pandas, NAT GEO WILD takes you on the incredible journey from breeding a panda in captivity to its dramatic release into the wild. We will witness firsthand the groundbreaking initiative to increase the panda population and raise awareness about this endangered species.

WILD CONGO

Premieres Sunday, September 14, 2014, at 9 p.m. ET/PT

The Congo is a sanctuary and home for some of the most wonderful creatures on earth. We follow the second-largest river in the world from its source in Zambia on its journey through marshland areas and rainforests. It is the most mysterious river in the heart of Africa and not many have traveled down it, but one thing is for sure: It is very much alive and thriving. As our cameras make the trip down The River, we'll encounter a plethora of wildlife including elephant fish, blind eel, hippopotamus bulls and sea turtles. You'll be surprised at what this waterway has to offer and why it is so important to the wildlife and people of Africa.

WILD NAMIBIA

Premieres October 2014

Dust and dunes, sun and sand. The conditions of Namibia in southwest Africa are extreme in every way. The animals of these parched landscapes must be creative to grasp a chance at survival. Resources are scarce, the water is buried, and competition is fierce. Remarkable scenery and an exciting narrative tell the fascinating story of how some of the largest creatures on our planet survive in one of the most inhospitable deserts on earth. A family of Lions struggles to find food along the Namib Desert's ephemeral river valleys. Namibia is also home to the largest land animal on earth, the African elephant. And, desert giraffes constantly fight a battle to find a mate, while meerkats anxiously stand guard to defend their lives. The brutal conditions incessantly linger, but life clings on.

WILD NILE

Premieres November 2014

From the Nile's mystical sources to its estuary on the Mediterranean coast, this majestic river measures over 4,000 miles and its natural wonders are only waiting to be discovered. Come along on an epic journey through the vast lakes, foaming rapids and last untamed landscapes of Africa. Along The River, the stars of Africa's animal world, including giraffes, elephants and lions, are joined by some of the rarest animals in the world - the Ethiopian wolf, Gelada baboon and Uganda Kob, to name a few. Traveling deep into this amazing river that has been flowing for centuries, we reveal why the Nile is home to so many creatures - big and small.

WILD AUSTRALIA

Premieres January 2015

Crikey! Australia is the kingdom of kangaroos, koalas and kookaburras. Explore the wild Down Under like never before as breathtaking aerial footage, riveting slow motion and extraordinary animal stories tell a tale you must see to believe. Each corner of this incredible continent offers something amazingly unique. From its impenetrable jungle in the distant northeast where bizarre native creatures like the cassowary and tree kangaroo reside, to the home of Australia's koala, there's no shortage of remarkable wildlife on this continent. We're bringing the Aussie way of life into your living room for an intimate look into one of the most fascinating destinations in the world.

GEO WILD

For more than 30 years, National Geographic has been the leader in wildlife programming. The networks NAT GEO WILD and NAT GEO WILD HD, launched in 2010, offer intimate encounters with nature's ferocious fighters and gentle creatures of land, sea and air that draw upon the cutting-edge work of the many explorers, filmmakers and scientists of the National Geographic Society. Part of the National Geographic Channels US, based in Washington, D.C., the networks are a joint venture between National Geographic and FOX Cable Networks. In 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) debuted, and 10 years later, Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NAT GEO WILD currently available in over 58 million U.S. homes. Globally, NAT GEO WILD is available in more than 144 million homes in 140 countries and 28 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeowild.com.

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