Animal Planet orders a new show, Frontier Earth with Dave Salmoni, and renews several other shows with further seasons.

Animal Planet (DStv 264) is starting a brand-new TV show, Frontier Earth with Dave Salmoni, as the channel also renewed several order shows.

Frontier Earth with Dave Salmoni willgo in search of nature's ''most elusive inhabitants'' according to the channel in 6 episodes, ranging from killer whales and Arizona badland ants, to komodo dragons, tigers as well as the slow loris and Sifaka lemurs.

The Afterlife: Hippo and The Afterlife: Elephant are new Animal Planet shows presented as beautiful and gripping ''time-reversed'' nature odysseys, with stories of animals told in reverse to show how life follows death.

Polar Bear family and Me is a film by the award-winning filmmaker Gordon Buchanan who follows a polar bear cub's struggle to survive against all odds.

Animal Planet has also ordered new seasons of the shows Pit Boss, My Cat From Hell and Pit Bulls and Parolees.

Animal Planet's Dave Salmoni to visit South Africa again this coming week at Wild Talk Africa 2011 outside Stellenbosch.

Dave Salmoni from the Animal Planet's (DStv 264) Into the Pride and other shows who visited South Africa at the end of last year, will be back this coming week when he will be attending the Wild Talk Africa Wildlife Festival and Conference 2011 taking place outside Stellenbosch.

The Wild Talk Africa Wildlife Festival and Conference will have about 500 local and international filmmakers, producers, wildlife documentary buyers, sellers and TV channels like National Geographic and Animal Planet converging on the Spier Estate outside Stellenbosch. The festival and conference that usually takes place in Durban has moved to Cape Town for the first time. Dave Salmoni is one of the international attendees this year.

TOLDJA! Animal Planet confirms that cat dude and big animal expert Dave Salmoni is on a South African safari.

File it under toldja's: The Animal Planet (DStv 264) just officially confirmed the news that I was first to tell RIGHT HERE yesterday: that Dave Salmoni is visiting South Africa for a few days. 

Yesterday afternoon I told you that the star of Animal Planet shows such as Into the Lion's Den currently on Mondays at 20:05 on the channel (and next month in Into the Pride and Rogue Nature) got down and dirty with some baby elephants at the Glen Afric lodge.

''I'm really excited to be back in South Africa - a place I regard as my second home,'' says Dave Salmoni in the press release. ''Every time I come here I'm struck by the incredible opportunity South African have to understand - and as a result protect their amazing wildlife. That's something I'm really passionate about and hope to convey to viewers through the shows being broadcast as part of Animal Planet's Heroes Season.''

Dave Salmoni's new show World's Deadliest Towns should be broadcast in South Africa in 2011.

BREAKING. Dave Salmoni got down and dirty with baby elephants today in the animal handler's surprise four day South African visit.

You're reading it here first.

Earlier today I told you RIGHT HERE that Animal Planet's big cat guy Dave Salmoni is in South Africa for a visit and now I can be first with the news that he's spend the day at the wonderful Glen Afric game reserve playing with big and small elephants.

Animal Planet (DStv 264) on which Dave Salmoni shows currently run (with another one, Into the Pride, starting next month) is celebrating ''Animal Heroes Season'' in September. I'm told that's part of the reason for Dave Salmoni being in South Africa (although he also has a TV production company here). I can tell you that Dave Salmoni will be staying until Friday after he jetted in on Sunday - without any bags. The big guy already did a photo shoot yesterday where his clothes were too small but he just laughed it off. ''The clothes would have fit me if I was 12,'' Dave Salmoni said.

Insider sources at the Glen Afric Country Lodge who saw the hunky animal handler today at the uber posh game reserve in Broederstroom, tells me that he was very friendly to everyone and seemed jovial and relaxed despite his jetsetting diary. ''Dave Salmoni went on an elephant walk with two baby elephants and their mother. The elephants really dirtied Dave up but it was all in good fun and he didn't seem to mind the bit of rough housing.''

Dave Salmoni can currently be seen in Into the Lion's Den on Mondays on Animal Planet (DStv 264) at 20:05. Into the Pride about a lion rehabilitation project and also starring Dave Salmoni starts on Animal Planet on Monday, October 11 at 20:05.

ALSO READ: Animal Planet big cat guy Dave Salmoni visiting South Africa for four days.

BREAKING. Animal Planet big cat guy Dave Salmoni visiting South Africa for four days.

You're reading it here first.

I can be first to exclusively break the news that lion man Dave Salmoni is visiting South Africa for four days.

I can report that massive buzz just erupted within the South African television fraternity (well, those who care anyway) with multiple sources telling me that the well-known, love-to-run-with-lions host and animal handler of shows on Animal Planet (DStv 264) and Discovery Channel (DStv 121) is in South Africa this week.

Dave Salmoni who just turned 35 at the beginning of the month, arrived in South Africa on Sunday without any bags and already fitted in a photo shoot on Monday where Dave Salmoni says his clothes didn't fit. [UPDATE 15:15: I hear there was a little mix-up between the American sizes and South African sizes.]

Dave Salmoni has a South African production company and can currently be seen in Into the Lion's Den on Mondays on Animal Planet (DStv 264) at 20:05. Into the Pride alabout a lion rehabilitation project and also starring Dave Salmoni starts on Animal Planet on Monday, October 11 at 20:05.

BREAKING. E! Entertainment's Chelsea Handler announces break-up with Animal Planet's Dave Salmoni.

Chelsea Handler of E! Entertainment (DStv 124) just announced her break-up with Dave Salmoni from the Animal Planet (DStv 264).

On her talk show, Chelsea Lately, Tuesdays to Fridays at 23:15 on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) Chelsea Handler (35) just started her monologue by basically saying - in not so many words - that she and Dave Salmoni (34) have called it quits and are no longer a couple.

''I have been working for the E! network for over three years now, and in addition to hosting this chucklefest of a show, I've given many suggestions on how to improve the quality of their entire network,'' Chelsea Handler said. ''Up until a couple weeks ago, I was working very intimately with the Animal Planet, but unfortunately, that contract was terminated,'' she said. ''However, I enjoyed being in bed with them and may hook up for an occasional project.''

Chelsea Lately with Chelsea Handler, Tuesdays to Fridays on E! Entertainment (DStv 124), 23:15
Into the Lion's Den with Dave Salmoni, starts Monday, 6 September on Animal Planet (DStv 264), 20:05
Into the Pride with Dave Salmoni, starts Monday, 20 September on Animal Planet (DStv 264), 20:05