THERE ARE MONSTERS IN THEM THAR HILLS! DESTINATION AMERICA'S "MOUNTAIN MONSTERS" IS BACK FOR A BEASTLY SECOND SEASON

(Silver Spring, MD) - Appalachia is a region known for its rough terrain, rich history, and distinct local flavor, but the age-old recipe for brewing moonshine isn't the only secret hiding in these hills. Destination America's breakout hit series MOUNTAIN MONSTERS is back, following a team of expert hunters and trappers as they defend their mountain brethren from mysterious monsters that have spawned countless sightings in the Appalachian wilderness for generations. Legendary local beasts like the Hellhound, Yahoo, Fire Dragon, and Hogzilla aren't just old wives tales, and the Appalachian Investigators of Mysterious Sightings (AIMS) is in hot pursuit to prove it. As native sons of West Virginia, AIMS and their leader John "Trapper" Tice have spent their entire lives navigating the backcountry, surviving off the land, and practicing do-it-yourself resourcefulness in a region where time stands still. Putting a lifetime of training to the test, the AIMS team investigates, tracks, and attempts to trap these evasive creatures in 14 all-new episodes. The second season of MOUNTAIN MONSTERS premieres Friday, April 4 at 10/9c on Destination America.

"America is as much about its open oceans and expansive prairies as it is about its valley nooks and mountain crannies, like the ones that are home to Appalachia's elusive MOUNTAIN MONSTERS," said Marc Etkind, general manager of Destination America. "Finding these mysterious creatures is serious business, but with their rough-and-tumble sensibility and brotherly love for the mountain community, Trapper and the AIMS team are perfectly suited for seeking out these dark corners of the backcountry and reinstating peace in the ongoing battle between man and monster."

The first season of MOUNTAIN MONSTERS was Destination America's Best Series Ever among all key demos in delivery and earned the network's Best Original Series Debut among P2+ and HH in delivery. Viewers can catch up on the first season starting Friday, March 21 at 9/8c and 10/9c with Mountain Monsters: Uncaged, offering a look back at AIMS' earlier adventures with new footage and behind the scenes extras.

New for the second season, Destination America indulges viewers' monster cravings with its Mountain Monsters: Behind the Hunt after show exclusively on DestinationAmerica.com. Go behind the scenes of each episode with Trapper and the gang as they answer questions about the monsters, their most terrifying moments on the hunt, and what goes on when the cameras aren't rolling.

The first two episodes are:

· Kentucky Hellhound of Pike County Premieres Friday, April 4 at 10/9c Decades of folklore and eyewitness encounters collide as AIMS travels to Pike County to investigate the Kentucky Hellhound. First spotted in 1939 in the western heart of Hatfield and McCoy territory, and originally written off as the delusion of backwoods moonshiners, this enormous 500-pound canine predator is in fact alive and well, menacing the local farming community. AIMS must act fast to capture the creature in a huge bamboo cage trap before the cornstalks are harvested and the Hellhound migrates for the winter season.

· Grafton Monster of Taylor County Premieres Friday, April 11 at 10/9c After obtaining a video of a strange and gigantic creature, AIMS travels east to Grafton, W.V., to investigate the Grafton Monster. This tiny town, once an epicenter of early American railroad transit, has been terrorized since the 1960s by a horrifying creature known to the locals as "The Headless Horror." Standing almost ten-feet tall and tipping the scales at more than half a ton, this beast carries its head just above its chest and has a reputation for intimidation that spans the hollers of Taylor County. The mountain investigators have their hands full as they witness this predator's vicious nature firsthand and construct their largest trap to date.

Other monsters featured include the Yahoo of Nicholas County (WV), Werewolf of Webster County (WV), Fire Dragon of Pocahontas County (WV), Sheepsquatch of Boone County (WV), Shadow Creature of Braxton County (WV), Hogzilla of Hocking Hills (OH), Death Cat of Cherokee County (GA), Bear Beast of Raleigh County (WV), Snallygaster of Preston County (WV), Cave Creature of Greenbrier County (WV), and Bloodless Howler of Harrison County (WV).

MOUNTAIN MONSTERS is produced for Destination America by American Chainsaws with Colt Straub, Duke Straub, Royal Malloy, Russell Geyser and Jay Bluemke as executive producers. For Destination America, Caroline Perez is executive producer, Marc Etkind is general manager, and Henry Schleiff is Group President of Investigation Discovery, Destination America, American Heroes Channel, and Discovery Fit & Health.

About Destination America

Destination America is the only network to celebrate the people, places, and stories of the United States. The inclusive network targeting Adults 25-54 is available in nearly 60 million homes, emblazoning television screens with the grit and tenacity, honesty and work ethic, humor and adventurousness that characterize our nation. Destination America features travel, food, adventure, home, and natural history, with original series like BBQ Pitmasters; A Haunting; Mountain Monsters; Buying Alaska; Buying the Bayou; and Railroad Alaska. For more information, please visit DestinationAmerica.com, facebook.com/DestinationAmerica, or twitter.com/DestAmerica. Destination America is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 2 billion cumulative subscribers in 220 countries and territories.