WILD AUSTRALIA to Debut 2/15 on Nat Geo WILD

This year, when the weather is too cold to bare, grab the kids and park yourselves in your family room for an amazing once-in-a-lifetime getaway to sunny Wild Australia premiering Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Nat Geo WILD. Warm beaches, gorgeous rain forests and deserts that are surprisingly full of life: this is the Australia you haven't seen. NAT GEO WILD features a four-hour journey across the continent to reveal not only the beauty of the land, but also the amazing wildlife that makes Australia a heaven for ANIMAL lovers. (For more information, visit natgeowild.com and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/NGC_PR.)

Part of Nat Geo WILD's Destination WILD strand, we're traveling to the four corners of the world to bring you an unprecedented look at wildlife in the most pristine locations. Our cameras are going summer down under to bring you kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles, exotic parrots and snakes, to name a few. Traveling from rain forests to deserts, this is a complete look at a paradise few have had the chance to see in its entirety.

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.

Premiere episodes include:

Wild Australia: Realm of the Wombat Premieres Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015, at 9 p.m. ET/PT In the dramatic dry southern plains of Australia, wombats - short-legged, muscular marsupials native to Australia - seem to spend most of their time sleeping, but they are experts of survival, resting to conserve energy to help beat the heat. Their lives have gotten harder in recent times because of toxic plants and killer bunnies that breed so fast they eat people out of house and home. The wombats share the plains with deadly bulldog ants who scour the desert killing any insects they find. Their wasp-like stings have even killed humans. Additionally, packs of dingoes work together to take larger prey. They hunt wombats and kangaroos, but even they can struggle in times of drought. It's survival of the fittest to the max.

Wild Australia: Desert of the Red Kangaroo Premieres Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015, at 10 p.m. ET/PT Their KINGDOM is the desert: in the heart of Australia lives the largest marsupial on earth, the red kangaroo. We see babies living in their mother's pouches for months. Our cameras capture footage from within the pouch to show how comfortable - or not - life "on the inside" can be. Budgerigars - bright green mini-parrots - also call Australia home as they storm scarce watering holes by the hundreds of thousands. With such huge flocks, birds of prey need laser-sharp focus in order to pick out single budgerigars to attack. But THE HUNT in the wild begins. Australia is not only famous for marsupials; when it comes to the unremarkable-looking brown snake, prey such as small lizards and mice should exercise caution - but so should humans, as a single bite can be deadly. In the outback, not only wild animals need to watch their back.

Wild Australia: Jurassic Jungle Premieres Monday, Feb. 16, 2015, at 9 p.m. ET/PT The most concealed area remains perhaps the most mysterious on the continent: the tropical rain forest in the northeast of the country is home to kangaroos that climb in the trees. The southern cassowary is the size of a human and is one of the largest birds on earth, with a strong beak and huge, clawed dinosaur feet that are deadly weapons. This is not your average bird. The largest crocodiles in the world, "salties," are waiting for unsuspecting prey. They are huge reptiles that can grow up to 20 feet long and go without food for several months. Less menacing, but all the more bizarre, is a cuddly resident of the rain forest tops: the tree kangaroo! Rather than springing across the wide expanse of Australia, tree kangaroos jump through the rain forest from branch to branch - a sight that takes some getting used to.

Wild Australia: Koala Forest Premieres Monday, Feb. 16, 2015, at 10 p.m. ET/PT The eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia are famous as home to cuddly-looking koalas. However, when mating season comes around it turns out they are not as cuddly as they first appear! The males make as much noise as an elephant to attract the ladies and keep rivals at bay. But it's not exactly a romantic love song. Males are short on foreplay and will force themselves on any female they can get close to. But the strangest creatures of all are harder to spot in the forest. Unique to Australia are two types of mammals that lay eggs: platypuses and echidnas, which look like walking pincushions. The echidna's long beak houses a whiplash tongue for scooping up termites. And the platypus lives in the forest's rivers, routing out crayfish and other small creatures underwater. He looks harmless enough, but the male platypus has poisonous spurs on his hind legs to fend off any attackers.

Wild Australia is produced by Doclights for Nat Geo WILD. For DocIights, executive producer is Susanne Lummer. For Nat Geo WILD, executive producer is Ashley Hoppin, senior vice president of production & development is Janet Han Vissering, and executive vice president and general manager is Geoff Daniels.

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