River Monsters: When Lampreys Attack ... And, Suck Jeremy's Blood!

 

On the Canadian-U.S. border lies a vast and brooding lake that hides a dark history. For Native Americans, it’s an ancient and sacred site home to underwater spirits.  But recently, something has risen up from the murky depths to attack swimmers and stories abound of a nightmarish invasion of primordial bloodsuckers.

Tune in Sundays @ 9PM e/p for all-new episodes of RIVER MONSTERS.

In a journey that took him to the heart of a thundering waterfall in the Pacific Northwest, Jeremy Wade  embarked on a punishing mission to battle the most ancient river monster he’s ever encountered to reveal the true identity of the Vampires of the Deep.

How did he catch this monster? Watch the How to Catch a River Monster series and see for yourself: 

 

Lampreys are extremely fast, extremely aggressive ... and, out for blood. Watch as Jeremy tries to rip this bloodsucker off this neck! It's DISGUSTING.

 

Visit the RIVER MONSTERS site for more photos and videos >>

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Betty Chu is a Digital Media Executive Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @beddychew or Facebook for the cutest animal posts EVER.

WATCH: Can You Identify This Monster?

Looking like something out of a prehistoric movie, a strange animal washed ashore the Pukehina beach area of New Zealand after some violent storms last week.

According to SunLive, experts believe the remains are that of a decomposed Orca whale, but that hasn't stopped the curious from believing the 9-meter remains were that of a prehistoric creature.

Check out the video below and let us know what you think the "monster" could be:

To see more "monsters," check out our playlist of mermaids and 15 other mythical creatures believed to be real!

Tune in for an action-packed Monster Week starting Monday, May 20 at 8PM E/P!

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Jodi Westrick is a Digital Media Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @jodilyn and/or Instagram @jodilynw for photos of and posts about her ridiculously cute cats, Otis and Etta.

Meet Lolong, the World’s Largest Croc!

It isn't an easy feat to say, "Hey! We caught the world’s largest crocodile on camera!" But, sure enough, it's been done!

"Lolong," a saltwater crocodile weighing just over one ton, was found in Mindanao (Philippines) last September. This croc, measuring in at 6.17 meters in length, has officially been declared by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "largest such reptile in captivity."

Everyone's Asking: Do Mermaids Really Exist? ...Well, Do They?

 

Charlie Foley, SVP of Development for Animal Planet, is Creator, Writer and Executive Producer of Mermaids: The Body Found. Get his answers to FAQs about the program.

 

How much of this is real and how much of this is made up?

The science really informs the fiction. The theory of Aquatic Ape mentioned in the program is real and has been studied for decades. Many events in the show have occurred – i.e. the whale beachings, Navy experimental sonar testing, The Bloop ...

We use the transitive property to further explore the possibility of mermaids – i.e. if polar bears evolved from the brown bear, isn’t it possible that a mermaid, which was reported in disparate civilizations for ages, evolved from a human-like creature that retreated into the water?

The scientists are actors who portray an authentic government organization (NOAA) who currently study phenomena like whale beachings and sonar testing. The imagined part of the show is our entry point into a new world of possibility rooted in science.

Birthing a Monster - Animal Planet's First Ever Monster Week

Monster Week is driven by the same creative spark that initially led us to make River Monsters. Monsters have always intrigued us - and have allowed us to tell tense, surprising and suspenseful stories, from shocking creatures of massive size to those that are microscopic (You may recall Monsters Inside Me, a show revealing how a vacation in paradise could suddenly lead to a horrible disease or worms that ate your flesh and brain) and Killer Aliens - about mega-pythons and poisonous lizards in Florida.

Everyone knows that the oceans are full of sharks and that these magnificent alpha predators swim in beautiful bright blue water. There is inherently something creepier and more terrifying about murky water with a bottom that squishes between your toes. As summer nears and we all venture into lakes, ponds and watering holes to cool off on these hot summer days, let’s ask ourselves: What if the places we thought were safe were actually just as scary as the oceans patrolled by sharks?

Monster Week was a simple idea, born in the dark primordial soup of a conference room. But as often happens with monsters, the idea took on a life of its own. It morphed and evolved into what will become be an annual event! What better way to kick off the summer than by celebrating the REAL MONSTERS that live in the great outdoors?