ANIMAL PLANET CELEBRATES WORLD ANIMAL DAY WITH A SPECIAL PROGRAMMING LINE-UP

New Delhi:  If you adore animals and love the planet, tune into Animal Planet to celebrate the World Animal Day on October 4^th.  Bursting with intriguing facts and enchanting animals, Animal Planet commemorates World Animal Day with a full day programming line-up from 12 noon to 12 midnight inspiring viewers of all ages.

Kicking off the day to celebrate all things wild and spotlight some of the rarest and greatest creatures on the planet, Animal Planet follows the lives of several unique species like River Dolphins in India, Hyenas in East Africa, Pygmy Elephants in the jungles of Borneo, Wild Wolves in Ethiopia, Bat-Eared Foxes in Namibia and Ferocious Crocodiles in Africa. 

Discussing the special Animal Planet Marathon on the World Animal Day,Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager (South Asia), Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific said, “We dedicate this special day of the year to highlight the wonderful animal kingdom and the amazing relationship it enjoys with humans. Over the years, we have witnessed a growing sensitivity and commitment amongst viewers for Animal Planet's breathtaking and awe-inspiring content. I am most excited to present this year’s 12 hours programming marathon which will do it all - inform, entertain and connect."

Viewers can immerse themselves in the jungle, the water and the desert to see their favourite animals - - swim in Ganges with river dolphin, a mythical creature endowed by local legend with mystical and healing powers; travel to Thailand to follow the gripping story of two monkeys who fall in love and face rival faction; join the race to save the pygmy elephant in Borneo’s deep forests; get stunning insight into the lives of bat eared foxes in Namibia; get privy to the mating rituals of the ferocious African crocodiles and team up with divers who live and breathe their passion for sharks in the islands of Polynesia.

Celebrate the World Animal Day with special programming marathon on Animal Planet, on Tuesday, October 04, from 12 noon to 12 midnight.

Animal Planet’s ‘World Animal Day’ programming line-up includes:

12 noon - Lions and Giants

For decades the Savuti pride on the western Boundary of the Chobe National Park in Botswana has ruled supreme. This pride of lion numbering up to 40 individuals has made hunting elephant their specialty.  A few breakaway lionesses and a group of elephants are forced to leave Savuti and travel north, to the Chobe River.

1 pm – Ghost of the Ganges

Seldom seen, the Ganges River Dolphin is a creature from another age, and a creature out of time. Constantly singing, almost completely blind, endowed by local legend with mystical and healing powers, the unseeing guardian of an ancient faith, it is a creature as elusive and mysterious as the Giant Squid or the Loch Ness Monster.    

2 pm - A Hyena Princess

This is the epic tale of a young spotted hyena as she struggles to reclaim her rightful place as queen of the largest clan in East Africa. Her life of dominance ends when her mother is killed and a rival female takes over. In this film we see the other side of hyena life; loyal, affectionate, playful and extremely skilled hunters.

3 pm – A Monkey’s Tale

In the mountains of Thailand, two young monkeys are falling in love. This is the story of their lives, as two rival factions of the local simian population declare war to keep them apart. This gripping, real life drama leads up to a dramatic and unimaginable ending of this familiar tale.

4 pm – Ethiopian Wolf

The programme follows the lives of the endangered Ethiopian wolf through the eyes of a young female wolf called Saba. Through Saba the viewer will learn about the various threats that face the Ethiopian wolf; human encroachment, disease, competition for food.

5 pm – Borneo’s Pygmy Elephants

The Pygmy Elephant is much more special and unique than anyone had ever thought possible. Now the scientist race is on to save the Pygmy Elephant before it's swept away by the wave of development that's overwhelming its forest home. Little is known about this fascinating creature because it lives a sedentary life deep in Borneo's forest.

6 pm – Namibia’s Bat-Eared Foxes

This programme gives a stunning insight into the lives of these remarkable creatures. Bat-eared foxes may be small, but they have huge ears sensitive enough to pick up sounds made by insects under the surface of the Kalahari Desert, thus providing their main source of nourishment.

7pm - Ferocious African Crocodiles

Ferocious African crocodiles - they inspire fear and even fascination.  They are said to kill nearly 3,000 people a year in Africa - the highest incidence being in Tanzania.  This film takes viewers face-to-face with the formidable killer, to witness its behaviour underwater and unique survival and predatory methods and meet those who share its habitat.  Viewers are privy to their mating rituals and will be moved by the tender care they give their young.

8 pm - Secrets of the Serpents

This programme uncovers the secrets which have made snakes such a highly efficient group of predators surviving over 100 million years. It shows how cobras, vipers, pythons and sea snakes catch their prey, escape predators themselves and find a mate - even under water.

9 pm - Snakes on the Menu

In this programme, viewers journey across Cambodia to witness the illegal wildlife trade.  From restaurants serving pangolins and snakes, to poachers hunting tigers, the programme follows the trail in a hard-hitting look at a disturbing practice.

10 pm – Cheetah: The Winning Streak

Cheetahs, the elegant hunters of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, are a species at risk -- even within the boundaries of one of their last sanctuaries Following the journey of several young mothers and cubs, the film shows why certain cheetahs possess a distinct edge over others in the game of survival, and how some male and female cubs develop the skills and instincts that make them winners while others perish.

11 pm - Smile of the Shark

The programme tells the incredible story of the divers who live and breathe their passion for sharks. In the islands of Polynesia, the people believe that the sharks were reincarnations of their ancestors.

About Animal Planet

Animal Planet is the world’s only brand that immerses viewers in emotional, engaging and passionate content devoted to animals – from wildlife to pets. Animal Planet connects humans and animals with rich, deep content and offers animal lovers access to entertainment, information and enrichment via multiple platforms including television, online (at discoverytv.com) and merchandising extensions. Animal Planet is available to 349 million cumulative subscribers worldwide. Animal Planet launched in Asia Pacific in 1998 and is currently distributed to more than 163 million subscribers in the region. For more information, visit Animal Planet at www.animalplanetasia.com.

Independent group should oversee FIFA reform

Transparency International (TI), the anti-corruption organisation, calls on world football's governing body, FIFA, to carry out comprehensive governance reforms overseen by a group composed of representatives from outside FIFA (elder statesmen, sponsors, media and civil society) and inside football (federations, clubs, professional leagues, players, women’s football, referees, supporters) in a way that ensures its independence.

The proposed group would watch over an independent investigation of existing corruption allegations and the introduction of new procedures to ensure transparency and good governance, such as term limits for senior positions and a conflict of interest policy, with external figures present in bodies that make major decisions.

TI has called on FIFA to take similar steps before, but developed its advice more specifically after FIFA showed a new willingness to change: asking for advice on anti-corruption policies and providing more information about its financial management and governance structures. This has allowed TI to provide detailed recommendations on governance issues targeted to the highest echelons of FIFA.

“FIFA says it wants to reform, but successive bribery scandals have left public trust in it at an all-time low. Working with an oversight group – taking its advice, giving it access, letting it participate in investigations – will show whether there is going to be real change. The process has to start now,” said Sylvia Schenk, senior advisor on sport to TI.

TI's eight-page recommendation document, Safe Hands: Building Integrity and Transparency at FIFA, is based on years of experience providing tools for companies and institutions that want to become more transparent and less vulnerable to corruption.

Reforms should have global backing

Because of the special nature of FIFA, meaningful reform requires everyone who has a stake in the game to join the debate and increase the pressure for reform, including supporters, bodies representing clubs and players, and the sponsors.

With its unprecedented reach, political clout and enormous worldwide social influence, FIFA is answerable only to national football officials from 208 countries. TI is therefore also sending the recommendations to national football federations in countries where it has chapters, calling upon those federations to support reform.

“Leaders in the world of sport have a particular responsibility to behave with integrity, not just because sports like football face corruption challenges such as match-fixing, but because sport provides role models for people everywhere, especially young people,” said Schenk.

TI prepared the FIFA recommendations after bribery allegations and a lack of transparency marred FIFA’s presidential elections in June 2011, as it did the selection of the host nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in December 2010.

“When an organisation says it wants to change, TI stands ready to provide constructive advice. Now that we have laid out clear, straightforward steps, it’s up to FIFA to prove its commitment to transparency and accountability,” said Schenk.

TI’s recommendations reflect good practice in the business world, and are drawn from existing documents such as TI's Business Principles for Countering Bribery and reporting guidance drawn from the section of the United Nations Global Compact related to fighting corruption.