Animal Planet Follows the Wildlife of America's Most Extraordinary Wilderness in Breathtaking New Documentary YELLOWSTONE: BATTLE FOR LIFE

- The Demanding Landscape and Inhabitants of America's First National Park are explored on March 22 -

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 6 -- Yellowstone National Park is a place of changing, but never-ending, beauty. From the delicate flowers that bloom in spring to the saturated colors of autumn and even to the barren sublimity of winter, its picturesque landscape has made it a world icon. Ironically, one of the most beautiful backdrops in the world has one of the harshest environments, making life a constant struggle for the wildlife that roam its mountains, grasslands, rivers and valleys. Over 640,000 years ago, a massive supervolcano, which lies just beneath the surface of Yellowstone, was the source of a cataclysmic eruption, covering half the U.S. in debris and ash. The lasting effect of that volcanic blast is the extreme and unpredictable weather that plagues Yellowstone to this day. Yet, despite its brutality, the park is home to countless wildlife, including such symbols of the American west as the grey wolf, buffalo, elk, and grizzly bear.

Premiering Sunday, March 22, at 8 PM (ET/PT), Animal Planet's new documentary YELLOWSTONE: BATTLE FOR LIFE captures the essence of this bitter and mercurial environment as it follows the animals that struggle for life in the midst of this treasured wilderness. Filmed over the course of a year, the documentary explores how, by virtue of pure instinct, the creatures of Yellowstone find food, protect their young, reproduce and survive the severe winters and everyday struggles of our most famous national park. Both a documentary and a work of art, YELLOWSTONE tells the story of these hardy animals and simultaneously illustrates the beauty of this American landscape in amazing HD.

"YELLOWSTONE exemplifies Animal Planet's unfaltering dedication to truly beautiful natural history television," says Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet. "This gorgeous special celebrates life and survival as it pays homage to an iconic American landscape."

Buried between the peaks of the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone National Park is an American gem. However, what makes Yellowstone so unique is also what makes it so dangerous; the park is the biggest geothermal area on Earth with forces of unimaginable power controlling its future from just below its surface. The effect of Yellowstone's last volcanic blast is a crater so big that it controls the weather of the park even today, acting as a giant funnel as it brings cold air and precipitation into the park's valleys. Due to the crater's presence, Yellowstone's temperatures can vary from 99 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer to -66 degrees in the winter with a range of 10 to 80 inches of precipitation every year.

Throughout YELLOWSTONE: BATTLE FOR LIFE viewers will find a new appreciation for the animals that struggle to survive this extreme weather. Cameras follow a plethora of creatures, both on land and underwater, as their lives are constantly imperiled by the very land they inhabit; a land that could unleash destruction at any moment.

YELLOWSTONE was produced for Animal Planet by the BBC. Mike Gunton is the executive producer for the BBC, and Kelly Lueschow is the executive producer for 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 95 million homes in the US; online assets www.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.