Animal Planet Examines The Battle To Survive Ancient Nordic Lands In New Special VIKING WILDERNESS

Four-Part Mini-Series Showcases the Arctic North in Stunning HD

At the northern-most reaches of the world, a vast and primal wilderness plays host to nature's most spectacular wildlife and expansive landscapes. Beginning Tuesday, October 4, at 9 PM (ET/PT), Animal Planet transports viewers to the seemingly boundless countryside of Europe's far north and showcases the beauty and complexity of the species that inhabit it in the new mini-series VIKING WILDERNESS.

Each one-hour episode documents the skills that enable various species to thrive in the erratic Nordic lands, where frozen wastes and active volcanoes are present, and each day is a constant fight to survive. With ferocious winters and short summers, staying one step ahead of hungry and persistent assassins is the difference between life and death for most species that call Scandinavia home. VIKING WILDERNESS explores the brutal conditions and deadly duels that dominate the landscape and make it one of the most challenging locations in the world to thrive.

Highlights from the mini-series include the following:

* The ongoing battle for food between brown bears and wolf packs, pitting the bear's size and strength advantage against the cunning teamwork of the wolves.
* Extreme slow-motion footage of musk oxen duels that include bone crunching and spine-numbing head ramming
* Arctic fox cubs making their first foray into a wondrous but deadly world and attempting to learn the skills to survive. With famished survivors of the vicious winter on the hunt, it is race against time for the cubs.
* A visit to Scandinavia's vast and complex coastline, home to thousands of animal species. With nearly impregnable cliffs and immense shifting ice flows, these coastlines are the scenes of intense and deadly showdowns between walrus and seals hungry for food and searching for prime territory.
* Snapshots of a landscape prone to freezing winters and volcanic fires. The animals brave enough to call this area home must utilize the land's geothermal heat to survive deadly blizzards and fight for their food and territory under the threat of lava flow and ash clouds.