"There's something intrinsically fascinating about the animals that are either the largest or the most dangerous in the world," says Niall McCann.
Clear about his motivations, the British/Canadian biologist travels the globe in search of the world's largest and most dangerous animals. He is the star of "Biggest and Baddest" which premieres for the first time on U.S. television this week on the Velocity Channel.
Along with trying to uncover "a sense of the reality behind the legends of all of these iconically dangerous animals," according to McCann, the series also aims to "shine a spotlight on the issues facing them. And to show what both threatens them and how much of a threat they are to us."
The premiere episode takes McCann to South America, where he tracks a giant anaconda to "Investigate the myths behind the stories of giant snakes and try and find out whether there's any reality behind these stories."
McCann also travels to Nepal where people have "a tumultuous relationship with wild elephants," he says. He draws attention to the issues that arise where human populations overlap with wild elephant habitats. Along with retaliations for crop losses and attacks on humans, elephants -- along with rhinos and other large animals -- are also the victims of wildlife trafficking.
Beyond highlighting the potential danger to both humans and animals when their habitats overlap, McCann says he wants to "Try and just shine a spotlight on the incredible lives of some of the most fascinating animals in the world."
"Biggest and Baddest," produced and directed by Peter von Puttkamer, premieres on the Velocity Channel at 8PM EST on January 5 and 12.
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