CuriosityStream Preps Original New Series: ‘Rescued Chimpanzees of the Congo with Jane Goodall’

December 2, 2020
CuriosityStream Preps Original New Series: 'Rescued Chimpanzees of the Congo with Jane Goodall'

Series features never seen and archival footage spanning three decades of the Jane Goodall Institute's harrowing efforts to rescue and rehabilitate victim chimpanzees of illegal wildlife trafficking

CuriosityStream to premiere the 5×60 original series in spring 2021 with Dr. Jane Goodall, the Jane Goodall Institute & Off the Fence Productions

Series to provide intimate portraits and stories documenting the hopeful second chances and new families that chimpanzees find at the Jane Goodall Institute's Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of the Congo

(Silver Spring, Md.) - CuriosityStream Inc., (NASDAQ: CURI), the leading global factual streaming service and media company, today announced production on the original new series, Rescued Chimpanzees of the Congo with Jane Goodall (working title), coming to CuriosityStream in spring 2021. The five-part series plus one-hour special is executive produced by CuriosityStream and the award-winning Off The Fence Productions in conjunction with Dr. Goodall's namesake organization, the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI).

The Rescued Chimpanzees of the Congo 5×60 series and accompanying 1-hour special are filmed in a combination of 4K Ultra HD and HD plus historical archive and will feature:

• Unprecedented access into the daily life and work of JGI's Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center;
• Interviews with and never-before-seen archival footage of Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace as well as her expert staff including the primatologists, scientists and caregivers who dedicate their lives to understanding and protecting these fascinating creatures;
• More than 10 years of untold stories, revealing rare and intimate insight into the heart- warming journeys of rescued wild chimps as they receive a second chance, return to health, and find their new home and forever family at Tchimpounga.

Examples of some of the figures and characters appearing in the series include:

• Chimpanzees like Wounda, known around the world after her release on Tchimpounga's island sanctuary and her embrace with Dr. Goodall went viral;
• Dr. Goodall herself discussing her experiences in founding Tchimpounga as an early impact of her chimpanzee welfare activism;
• Dr. Atencia's critical work to provide care to Tchimpounga's chimpanzees and other wildlife and manage all of JGI's work in Congo; and
• The caregiving staff of Tchimpounga and other researchers, many of whom are from Republic of the Congo themselves.

For the first time ever, these stories and several others will be told in full in the series.

'The behind the scenes access to Dr. Goodall's teams trailblazing work at Tchimpounga combined with the insightful, emotional stories told in every episode will keep our viewers coming back for more,' said Rob Burk, Head of Original Content for CuriosityStream. 'We're thrilled to deliver unique perspectives and groundbreaking content, and we're proud to collaborate with our longtime partners at Off the Fence to bring this series to CuriosityStream.'

'It's compelling viewing with all the hallmarks of an epic CuriosityStream series - emotional, inspiring, educational, and ultimately, uplifting,' said Andrew Zikking, Creative Director for Off The Fence. 'Working with the Jane Goodall Institute to bring this series to the screen has been an absolute passion-project for everyone involved. Just like Tchimpounga itself, this series is truly unique.'

Allison Bean, Andrew Zikking, and Debbie Hinnigan are executive producers for Off The Fence Productions. Debbie Hinnigan is also series producer. Jorge Franzini is executive producer for CuriosityStream. The Jane Goodall Institute USA Communications & Policy team will provide production support along with Dr. Rebeca Atencia as scientific advisor and creative consultant to the series and Fernando Turmo as wildlife videographer and producer.

About Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, is an iconic voice for holistic, compassionate, and sustainable solutions. Through her global advocacy as an ethologist and environmentalist, she is shaping attitudes and policy on issues ranging from human rights to the climate crisis, and inspiring action through the power of hope. Jane Goodall was born on April 3rd, 1934, in London, England. At the age of 26, Jane followed her passion for wildlife and Africa to Gombe, Tanzania. There, under the mentorship of paleoanthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey, she began her landmark study of chimpanzees in the wild. Her revelatory observation in 1960 that chimpanzees make and use tools rocked the scientific landscape and forever redefined our understanding of the relationship between humans and other animals. In 1977, Dr. Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global community-led conservation, research, and animal welfare organization to advance her vision of a better future for all. In 1991, Dr. Goodall created Roots & Shoots, JGI's international youth program, now active in more than 60 countries, to develop the compassionate changemakers our world needs. From scientist to world-renowned activist, Jane has been a leader in the community-led conservation and animal welfare movements for decades.

About the Jane Goodall Institute and Tchimpounga

The Jane Goodall Institute is a global community-conservation organization that advances the vision and work of Dr. Jane Goodall. By protecting chimpanzees and inspiring action to conserve the natural world we all share, we improve the lives of people, other animals and the environment. Founded in 1977 by Dr. Goodall, JGI makes a difference through community- centered conservation and the innovative use of science and technology. We work closely with local communities around the world, inspiring hope through the collective power of individual action. Through Roots & Shoots, our youth-led community action and empowerment program, young people in over 60 countries are acquiring the knowledge and skills to become compassionate changemakers in their communities.

JGI's Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center, featured in this series, was founded in 1993 and has provided rescue, rehabilitation and daily care for more than 200 chimpanzees in the last nearly three decades. Under the leadership of Dr. Rebeca Atencia, executive director of JGI Congo and Tchimpounga head veterinarian, JGI works to provide world-class care for the chimpanzees, fight illegal trafficking of Congo's wildlife, especially chimpanzees, and advance public awareness and environmental education with communities and young people throughout the country.

Learn more at janegoodall.org and follow us @janegoodallinst. You can support the work of the Jane Goodall Institute at janegoodall.org/donate.

About CuriosityStream

Launched by media visionary John Hendricks, CuriosityStream is a leading global independent factual media company. CuriosityStream's documentary series and features cover every topic from space exploration to adventure to the secret life of pets, empowering viewers of all ages to fuel their passions and explore new ones. With thousands of titles, many in Ultra HD 4K, including exclusive originals, CuriosityStream features stunning visuals and unrivaled storytelling to demystify science, nature, history, technology, society, and lifestyle. CuriosityStream reaches over 13 million subscribers and is available worldwide to watch on TV, desktop, mobile and tablets. Find us on Roku, Apple TV Channels and Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, T-Mobile, Google Chromecast, iOS and Android, as well as Amazon Prime Video Channels, YouTube TV, Sling TV, DISH, Comcast Xfinity on Demand, Cox Communications, Altice USA, Suddenlink, Sony, LG, Samsung and VIZIO smart TVs, Liberty Global, Com Hem, Tata Sky, MultiChoice, StarHub, Totalplay, Millicom, Okko and other global distribution partners and platforms. For more information, visit CuriosityStream.com.

About Off The Fence

Off the Fence is a leading non-fiction content company of global scale and reach, producing and distributing exceptional factual programming. Owned by ZDF Enterprises since 2019, and established in 1994, Off the Fence is a 360 factual content company. OTF develops, finances, produces and co-produces international non-fiction programs across a range of genres including natural history, science, travel & adventure, lifestyle, history, people & culture, crime and feature docs.

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