Question: what has six rows of razor-sharp teeth and is able to swallow a human being…whole? Answer: the monster-sized African rock python. Question: who would risk their life to get close to one of these deadly reptiles all for the sake of a great picture? Answer: Austin Stevens. Premiering with six all-new episodes, exclusively on Travel + Escape, Gemini Award-winning series AUSTIN STEVENS ADVENTURES delivers heart-stopping adventures and deadly encounters from around the globe beginning Thursday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT.

Travelling from the ancient reservoirs in Minneriya, Sri Lanka, in search of Asian elephants; and Western Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest in hopes of a dangerously close encounter; to the plains of Zambia, Africa, for a chance to snap the gapping jaws of a killer hippo, distinguished photographer, wildlife thrill-seeker and legendary snakemaster, Austin Stevens embarks on one of his most challenging adventures to date.

Each mission sees Stevens search out the deadliest, rarest and most venomous beasts in some of the most inhospitable locales on Earth, stopping at nothing to get close enough for the perfect photo. To survive these missions, Stevens needs his instincts, his expertise and the age-old knowledge of local people. But will it be enough to guarantee his safety as he pushes his limits – and his luck – to get the ultimate close encounter?

Highlights from the all-new episodes of AUSTIN STEVENS ADVENTURES include:

AUSTIN STEVENS ADVENTURES: “Grizzly Bear Stakeout”
Thursday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Stevens heads to Western Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest hoping to come face-to-face with a full-grown grizzly. He’s out of his element in this northern terrain, but after a helicopter drops him on a remote coastal island, he sets up a bear-proof camp and starts exploring…

AUSTIN STEVENS ADVENTURES: “Elephant Charge”
Thursday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Stevens is in Sri Lanka in search of Asian elephants. After spending years photographing their majestic African cousins, Stevens wants a shot of a rare, tusked Asian elephant charging straight towards him!

AUSTIN STEVENS ADVENTURES: “Killer Amazon Bats”
Thursday, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Stevens heads to the Amazon rainforest where he is determined to photograph the legendary vampire bat in action. After a jungle river adventure, he snaps the perfect photo…but won’t go home until he’s entered the vampire bats’ underground lair.

AUSTIN STEVENS ADVENTURES: “Monster Python”
Thursday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Hoping to track down one of the world’s biggest snakes, Stevens heads to a remote wilderness area of South Africa in search of the monster-sized African rock python.

AUSTIN STEVENS ADVENTURES: “Killer Lion Stakeout”
Thursday, Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Taking on one of his most difficult and dangerous missions yet, Stevens heads to Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains in search of lions, and is determined to capture photos of the mighty predator in action.

AUSTIN STEVENS ADVENTURES: “Hippo Face-Off”
Thursday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT
Stalking Africa’s most dangerous mammal, Stevens is in Zambia in search of hippos. He hopes to snap a shot of a mighty bull’s massive gaping jaws, but can he get close enough to the unpredictable giants without being charged?

Wildlife photographer Austin Stevens first earned the nickname “Snakeman” while serving as the South African army’s official reptile remover. After surviving a near-deadly snakebite – the first of many – Austin qualified as a herpetologist, and worked as curator for the two largest reptile and animal parks in Southern Africa, as well as Germany’s Nordharzer Slagenfarm, which he helped design and inaugurate.

The Gemini Award-winning series AUSTIN STEVENS ADVENTURES was produced for Discovery Channel by Tigress Productions Ltd., NF (Austin) Inc., and Cineflix Productions (Austin) Inc. Cineflix Productions (Austin) Inc. belongs to Cineflix, an international group of companies producing, acquiring and distributing innovative non-fiction television programming in the factual entertainment, factual and documentary genres.