Animal Planet Statement Regarding Sea Shepherd Society Activities in the Antarctic

March 7, 2008

(Silver Spring, Md.) Over the last several months, Animal Planet’s producers have been embedded with the Sea Shepherd Society for a new television mini-series entitled WHALE WARS, where the U.S.-based cable television network’s producers have followed the organization’s annual sojourn to stop Japanese whaling operations in the Antarctic Ocean. The organization uses unconventional and radical methods to eradicate controversial whaling operations and was founded by former Greenpeace member Paul Watson.

Several high-profile and internationally publicized incidents have unfolded since December 2007, including two Sea Shepherd crew members being temporarily held against their will by a Japanese vessel, and yesterday, when Paul Watson was hit with a gunshot, allegedly fired from another Japanese ship. Watson was unharmed in the situation as he was wearing a protective vest.

The events that have taken place were all captured by Animal Planet’s producers and will be presented through the documentary series WHALE WARS, slated for U.S. broadcast this fall. Animal Planet is thankful that all parties to these conflicts over the last three months to-date are safe and unharmed. The network will showcase these events with a strong journalistic lens that spotlights this global conservation issue that has several nations at odds over the practice of whaling in oceanic territories.

About 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 94 million homes in the U.S.; online assets 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; PetsIncredible, a major producer and distributor of pet-training videos and includes web service PetVideo.com; and other media platforms including a robust video-on-demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.