Unleash your innate human instincts to explore the world of wildlife in Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller

Animal aficionado and educator Jarod Miller is on a mission to inspire kids and their families to follow their natural-born instincts to discover our world including the animals that live with us. 

 

And what better way to learn about animals than to jump right in to the heart of the animal kingdom! Discovery Kids’ newest animal documentary series Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller takes viewers around the globe with zoologist Jarod Miller to meet animals, chat with experts and share discoveries about the special traits and lifestyles of friendly and not-so-friendly critters every weekday starting August 14 at 4:00 p.m. Catch the encore episodes the following weekday at 8:30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. 

 

Hand-feed crocodiles, dangle sticks in front of snapping turtles, handle venomous snakes, and enter a shark cage for a meet-and-greet with fearsome fishes alongside Jarod and his zookeeper friends. But it’s not just the positively wild you’ll see – the show features an equal amount of milder animal interaction and loads of kid-friendly humor, such as kissing monkeys and punching kangaroos. 

 

As a lifelong animal lover, Jarod utilises his zoology and animal behavior background to highlight the quirks and amazing talents of animal species. The energetic and humorous Jarod also shares stories of his crazy adventures (like how he got sprayed by the baby skunks he smuggled into his mother’s car!) with young viewers to keep them coming back for more exploration fun.  

 

Each episode of the series runs with a theme from animal giants to the lightning fast ones, the creatures with odd human habits to the creepiest-looking critters out in the wilderness. But apart from revealing to kids what lies in the world around them, Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller also helps them identify positive role models and values that will encourage them to be environmentally responsible. The show’s “Did You Know?” segment will also give viewers fast facts that they can use in their own backyard.

 

Get in on some hands-on experience and gain new respect for the diversity of the animal world in the following episodes of the sometimes tense, sometimes funny, but always amazing Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller:

 

Need For Speed

 

Speed is the name of the game.  In the first episode of Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller, Jarod meets with fast animals and learns how their speed helps them survive. Get up close with the white-handed gibbon, squirrel monkey, red kangaroo, prepona butterfly, cheetah, cassowary and many more.

 

Animal Giants
 

Size matters - especially when it comes to survival.  Join Jarod as he heads to the Florida everglades to interact with large animals like the alligator snapping turtle and reticulated python to understand how their size contributes to their ability to survive. 

 

Camo, Ammo and Other Amazing Skills
 

Animals have adapted over time to either protect or disguise themselves well. From nauseating scents to armour of quills, Jarod explores animals that use different methods of protection and camouflage to help them survive.

 

Family Ties
 

In this episode, Jarod counts down animals with characteristics and behaviours that share an uncanny resemblance to humans’ and investigates the type of human habits and anatomy animals like the Hamadryas baboons and ring-tailed lemurs have. From an interest in shiny objects to opposable thumbs, Jarod will show how these animals are really not that different from us.

 

Survival of the Fittest
 

Throughout time animals not only develop characteristics that make them unique – they also give them a natural advantage to survive. In this episode, Jarod explores animals that have evolved to be particularly well-suited to their environments.  From rapidly changing animals to those that have changed little over millions of years, these animals are an excellent fit for their environment.

 

Creepy Critters
 

Grab a blanket to hide behind because this episode is all about the creatures that’ll make you squirm! Jarod explores animals people tend to think of as creepy and looks at how their distinctive appearances and habits help them to survive in nature.

 

Animals in the Extremes
 

From the bitter cold to scorching heat, there are animals that are uniquely suited to their unusual habitats. To better understand how animals can survive in extreme environments, Jarod heads to the Jenkinson’s Aquarium in the Jersey Shore, the Aark Wildlife Center and the Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania to meet with some amazing animals. 

 

Great Animals with Weird Habits
 

From eating carrion to projectile poop, the snot otter, pygmy marmoset and llama r are just some animals that have some unusual behaviors. Go on an exploration with Jarod as he tries to figure out the grossest habits, lifestyles and mannerisms in the animal kingdom! 

 

Unusual Alias
 

The code name for today’s show is unusual aliases and Jarod is eager to find out how some animals earn their names.  Which animal is known as “Earth Lion”? Why is a Bearcat named so when it’s neither a bear nor a cat? Find out on this episode of Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller.

 

Animal in the Nose
 

Jarod explores animals that have distinctive noses - be it for their great sense of smell, the unusual uses, or simply the size or shape of their nose. Learn about the Hampshire cross pig, chestnut-mandibled toucan, Vietnamese long-nosed snake and more in Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller.

Press release and photos from Discovery Kids