Biggest and the Baddest on Animal Planet

Are there really animals as huge as dragons, creatures longer than the total height of nine men, enormous beasts so elusive that they have never been photographed, or birds that are so fierce that they are labeled as man-killing beasts? This February, join adventurer and biologist Niall McCann, as he heads out on one of Animal Planet’s most exciting global adventures; to track down the BIGGEST AND BADDEST creatures on the planet. From the killer Cassowaries of Australia, to the largest wild hogs in Texas and Florida, from legendary Anacondas in exotic Guyana, to the hugest Asian elephants in Nepal and much more, Niall goes to the extremes on this ultimate quest to seek out these fantastic animals in the far corners of the earth. The hunt for the BIGGEST AND BADDEST will be every night at 9 pm from 1st to 14th February.

In this fantastic series, BIGGEST AND BADDEST, Niall goes all out and goes where few would set foot to get as physically close as possible to the world’s hugest and most fearsome creatures. From forging streams, to climbing mountains and trees, to canoeing through treacherous rapids, and even travelling on an elephant’s back, join Niall on his gripping escapades to pursue and uncover the globe’s most amazing creatures in their individual environments. On BIGGEST AND BADDEST, witness as Niall wrestles with Anacondas to measure them, tracks through dangerous snake-infested jungles and faces a potential thunderous onslaught of enraged wild elephants while attempting to unravel the truth of the existence of the bewildering Raja Gaj, takes deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples of giant wild hogs, assists with the re-location of ferocious crocodiles, and much more.

On BIGGEST AND BADDEST, Niall also works closely with locals, attack victims, big game hunters and experts who have spotted these creatures, seeking out famous legends and investigating animal attacks to bring viewers an even more intimate understanding of these misunderstood beings. Just what makes Tigers tick? Are the Cassowaries as nasty as reports claim? Could the massive water snake reported by villagers throughout the Amazon be more than a legend, a prehistoric holdover, or an entirely different sub-species of Anaconda? You may have heard of some of these marvelous animals and seen their photos on the Internet, but which of it is true?

Nial encounters the following biggest & baddest animals in the series:
BIG TIGERS
A huge ferocious man-eating tiger is on the loose in Nepal’s western region. It’s killed two people so far, and Niall has come here to find out what makes a wild animal a man-eater. He’s going to investigate the origins of tigers that attack humans in the region and track down the fearsome tiger in the bush. If it kills another human, it will be branded a confirmed man-eater and will be destroyed. Poachers have reduced the number in tigers throughout Nepal in recent years and now there are only 350 tigers in the wild in Nepal. Niall believes the more we understand what makes Tigers tick, the more we will be able to avoid human-tiger conflict and help the big cats.

SALTY: THE ESTUARY CROCODILE
In Northern Territory, Australia, Niall pursues tales of the world’s largest crocodile. The average saltwater crocodile weighs between 1,300-1700 lbs and can measure 13-18 ft. in length.  Recently, a giant "Salty" weighing a ton and over 20 ft. long, was captured in the Philippines after it had devoured two people. Residents of Northern Queensland and Northern Territory have reported similar sized monsters.  Now reports are coming in from Shady Creek, Australia.   There is a monster out there, reported to be a record size, and it’s killing people. Niall will pursue this beast, following its trail of bodies and attacks: to speak to people who lived to tell the tale. Homing in on the big crocodile for re-location, Niall measures and weighs it. Is it a world record?

CASSOWARY BIRD: FEATHERED VELOCIRAPTOR
Standing over 6 ft. and weighing over 180 lbs, the Cassowary has a reputation for being a formidable foe in the Australian jungle, often maiming and even killing people it encounters in its territory. It’s been called the most dangerous bird on the planet. Now, after the recent hurricane in Queensland much of the giant bird’s habitat has been destroyed and reports of human-Cassowary conflicts are on the rise. Cassowaries are in fact an endangered species, so balancing the safety of humans, with the future of this ancient bird species in Australia is a prime concern. Niall penetrates the dangerous bush of Queensland to locate the largest and fiercest example of a living dinosaur: the Cassowary.  He wants to find out if their reputation is as nasty as reports claim.

MAMMOTH OR ELEPHANT? WORLD'S LARGEST ASIAN ELEPHANT
Niall goes on a quest for the largest Asian Elephant in the world. The average height of Asian elephants is 9 ft. at the shoulder. The giant elephants of West Nepal which were reported to be over 11 ft. tall were a legend until in 1992 when an expedition discovered two of these enormous beasts living in a remote corner of this Himalayan kingdom. Deep inside Bardian National Park is said to live Raja Gaj (King Elephant) estimated to stand 11 ft. 3 inches at the shoulder and weighing 8 tons. The beast was sighted infrequently over the years and in 2007, it was rumoured that this animal had died. In 2010, reports have surfaced of Raja Gaj sightings by locals. Is it still alive and what can it tell us about elephant evolution? Is it related to ancient Stegodon elephants which lived some 20,000 years ago? Tracking with local guides through dangerous snake-infested jungle, facing a potential thunderous onslaught of enraged wild elephants, Niall is here to find out the truth about the existence of Raja Gaj. He also wants to find out what makes elephants so large here and whether there is indeed a connection to ancient mammoths and Stegodons.

FERAL HOGS
First there was Hogzilla in 2004, then Son of Hogzilla. In 2007, an 11-year-old boy in Alabama claimed he used a pistol to shoot the largest wild hog ever found; 1,051 lbs and over 9 ft. long. In 2009, a 1800 lbs wild boar is apparently shot and killed in Conroe Texas by a medical radiology worker. You’ve heard the legends; you’ve seen the photos on the Internet. What’s true and what’s Photoshop?  Niall travels through Texas and Florida with the good ol’ boys to pursue the latest legendary hog sightings and find out what is true and what’s hogwash. He joins a team of trackers on a dangerous hunt for a recently reported huge porker.

ANACONDAS: HEAVIEST SNAKE IN THE WORLD
Niall’s research uncovers tales of legendary Anaconda over 60 ft long. Could the massive water snake-reported by villagers throughout the Amazon be more than a legend, a prehistoric holdover, or an entirely different sub-species of Anaconda? Niall returns to Guyana, where he worked with Anacondas in 2009. He wants to follow up on stories by locals about true giants-reptiles 25 feet in size or more, living in the high mountain black water tributaries of Guyana’s Amazon jungle. The dangers are real but Niall has no fear, he will take his canoe through treacherous rapids, dangerous portages and into the realm of the giant serpent. Anacondas have eaten people here. He wants answers. Why does the Anaconda grow so large in this part of the Amazon? His goal: find the biggest Anaconda on record, and compare its size, shape and food supply to other snakes throughout the Amazon.

About Nial McCann
TV Presenter, Explorer, Adventurer, Biologist

Niall McCann is a bona fide Explorer Scientist, the likes of which has rarely been seen since the great era of Victorian Exploration. He is a travel/adventurer by nature and is completely at home in 

the jungle and on the road. It was Niall’s father who first presented him with a large boa constrictor to handle, at the age of 15. As a result, Niall jumps at the chance to tackle any snake- from small, fast and venomous to huge giant constrictors like Anacondas.

At 31, Niall McCann is an extraordinary young man, who’s crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a row boat, crossed Greenland’s polar ice cap, traversed slack lines over 2500 ft chasms at Yosemite and ventured on jungle research expeditions around the world. Niall has just finished shooting a Gryphon Productions Wildlife/Adventure series called “Biggest & Baddest” for Animal Planet, which will premiere in India on 1st February.

In 2010-11, Niall made his television debut as the host of a one hour award-winning PBS Television special “Lost in the Amazon” produced by Gryphon Productions. He’s currently completing his PhD (University of Cardiff) on Baird’s Tapir in the Honduran jungle. Niall is in the process of creating a Wildlife Preserve in Guyana and has petitioned the Honduran Government to protect and patrol his study site- the domain of the Tapir and other wildlife. In his work on Biggest & Baddest (2011-2013), pursuing large and formidable creatures worldwide, he has been promoting animal conservation and the dilemmas facing many of these species seen in the series.

Niall has his BSc. degree from Bristol in Zoology and will be graduating with his Doctorate in Zoology from Cardiff University next Spring. This year he can also add “Fellow Explorer of the Royal Geographical Society” to his list of prestigious accomplishments.

Niall McCann was born in Victoria, Canada, into a family of adventurers and grew up in Shrewsbury, in England’s most rural county: Shropshire.