Animal Planet to air deadliest animals on earth

Following on from the amazingly successful Deadly 60 series, adventurer Steve Backshall embarks on an epic journey that takes him and his trusty crew from the Arctic to the Antarctic in search of the deadliest animals on earth.

For the first time ever in a Deadly series, Steve circumnavigates the planet, tracking down the world’s greatest predators. Experiencing new countries and new adventures, he discovers animals like the lobster munching goliath groupers of Cuba, the much feared and respected oceanic white tip shark, and the world’s only carnivorous caterpillars in Animal Planet’s new series Deadly Pole to Pole , to air every night at 9 pm in September.

Starting at the top of the world, Steve ventures into one of the most inhospitable places on earth – the Arctic. From here he explores the frozen north in search of polar bears, walrus, Arctic foxes and seals. Steve then embarks on a 20,000 kilometre journey that sees him pass through North, Central and South America.
Multiple cameras capture every aspect of the action, while ground breaking time slice technology reveals the world of sharks and birds of prey as never seen before on Deadly series. And, for the first time ever, Steve looks at deadly forces of nature, from red hot molten lava and unexplored underwater caves to exploding super volcanoes and mighty glaciers.

Steve and the crew continue on their epic Pole to Pole journey towards Somerset Island high in the Canadian Arctic.  They witness some extraordinary behaviour of a rock climbing polar bear scale a huge sea cliff in search of food. Steve also goes in search of a musk ox (an Arctic fox) and beguiling Arctic beluga whale. In West Columbia, Steve and the Deadly team rig underwater CCTV cameras to catch sight of a rare beast - the mysterious sixgill shark.

Steve Backshall heads into Yellowstone national park in the USA, home to the continent’s most iconic beasts like the grey wolf and the one tonne bison.  Further in North Caroline, Steve manages to film the infamous timber rattlesnake whose tail vibrates with one of the fastest moving muscles in the whole vertebrate world. They also track down one of the rarest creatures on earth - the red wolf. Steve lowers himself into the depths of one of the most inhospitable environments on earth in order to literally hang out with a mega swarm of Mexican free-tailed bats.

In California’s West Coast, Steve dives with an underwater speedster, the mako, the fastest shark in the seas. He also encounters an aquatic acrobatic, the California sea lion, which shows off its underwater agility that makes it such a formidable hunter. Steve is also mesmerised by a huge beautiful, but deadly, jellyfish before emerging from the kelp to come face to face with one of the most bizarre looking predators he has ever seen, the sunfish.

Steve’s new adventure takes him from the bitter cold of the frozen tundra of the Arctic to the steaming jungles of South America, as he embarks on his new deadly mission. Airing every night at 9 pm on Animal Planet, each episode of DEADLY POLE TO POLE sees Steve on an action packed adventure, as he sets about tracking down his next deadly animal. Some use their weapons for defence, and some for attack, however, one thing remains, and that is that whatever their size, these animals are truly deadly.

Episode 1 – Arctic :

Steve Backshall begins his global journey at the top of the world when he boards an Arctic icebreaker and goes in search of the Arctic’s top predator, the polar bear. Paddling in his kayak Steve gets first- hand experience of what it’s like to be a ringed seal, the polar bears favourite food, when an inquisitive bear starts to stalk Steve and gets much closer than he dares hope for. One polar bear is frightening enough but when a bunch of boisterous walruses, with their dagger-like tusks also decide to investigate Steve in his bright orange kayak, it’s time to move on in search of Arctic predators.

Episode 2 - Somerset Island :

Steve and the crew continue on their epic Pole to Pole journey and head south to Somerset Island high in the Canadian Arctic, but as they leave Svalbard there is one last deadly encounter to be had. Steve witnesses some extraordinary behaviour as he watches a rock climbing polar bear scale a huge sea cliff in search of food. With the Svalbard part of their journey finished it’s off to Somerset Island where Steve goes in search of some head banging musk ox, a rather curious Arctic fox still in its pristine winter coat and also the ghostly white whale. But it seems the weather is against them, as for the first time in 40 years the ice hasn’t melted. Will Steve and the team succeed in their mission to see the beguiling Arctic beluga whale…