Extreme angler Jeremy Wade back for third season of ‘River Monsters’ beginning April 10 on Animal Planet

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Extreme angler and biologist Jeremy Wade is back, tracking down and fishing for some of the most threatening-looking freshwater fish worldwide for season three of ‘River Monsters,’ premiering April 10 at 10 p.m. on Animal Planet.

‘This season, I get into even more unfamiliar territory,’ Wade said in a press release. ‘The destinations are diverse, the stories strange, and the fish every bit as fearsome but in unexpected ways. I encountered fish with invisible powers, others that live to a century, the largest true freshwater fish so far and the longest struggle I’ve had with a live fish to date.’

This season will feature seven new episodes plus two specials, ‘Tribal Fishing’ and ‘Most Bizarre.’

The ‘River Monsters’ series schedule and episode descriptions are after the jump.

Sunday, April 10, 10 p.m.: ‘The Mutilator’ Jeremy Wade travels to Papua New Guinea to investigate a spate of bizarre deaths on the Sepik River. One of the world’s last great unexplored rivers, the Sepik cuts through the heart of an island renowned for cannibalism, macabre rituals, headhunters and bitter tribal conflict. But now a new threat is ripping through this region -- a creature is tearing chunks from unsuspecting fishermen, and this lone hunter with vice-like jaws has so far taken the lives of two anglers. Wade has never fished in this part of the world and knows little of what might be there, and nothing could prepare him for what he discovers.

Sunday, April 17, 10 p.m.: ‘Flesh Ripper’

Wade is on the trail of a mysterious maneater described more than 200 years ago by a famous explorer. Is the eight-foot beast in question a mere legend, or could it be the same flesh-and-blood creature that has attacked divers, seized a child and devoured sheep alive? New Zealand’s fresh waters have been a safe place for swimmers but, as Wade finds out, its remote rivers and deep lakes provide refuge for an ancient and slippery predator that can stay hidden for more than a century. To flush one out, he must put himself on the menu.

Sunday, April 24, 10 p.m.: ‘Silent Assassin’

Wade travels to the Paraná River in the remote northeast corner of Argentina to investigate the death of a young girl, and once there discovers a second death. The people who live along this riverbank fear the creature they call ‘River Dog.’ This is a new species to Wade, a river monster that somehow got under his radar. This creature is not armed with bone-crunching jaws or razor-sharp teeth but instead has a razor-sharp, blade-tipped tail with tissue-destroying venom. His discovery is not only the most alien of all river monsters -- it’s also the largest totally freshwater creature Wade has ever caught.

Sunday, May 1, 10 p.m.: ‘Chainsaw Predator’

The extreme angler heads to a remote river in the Australian outback to try and catch the rare but fearsome freshwater sawfish. This shadowy predator is reputed to reach 18 feet and attacks boats -- but does the fact that it could slash Wade to shreds make it a killer? Wade roams into an ancient and beguiling landscape where he encounters Aborigines, scientists and a real-life ‘Crocodile Dundee’ before finally confronting the disturbing truth.

Sunday, May 8, 10 p.m.: River Monsters Special: ‘Most Bizzare’

Highlighting the biggest moments and catches in Wade’s career.

Sunday, May 15, 10 p.m.: ‘Electric Executioner’

Wade travels to Brazil’s ‘wild west’ in search of a river monster that has killed three cowboys. The search for the culprit sends him deep into prospecting cattle country, and there discovers the shocking truth about a fish he’s never caught before. Wade has to combat all his fears to catch this monster, and after a long chase finally corners his elusive prey in the most unexpected place. All he has to do then is catch it without getting killed.

Sunday, May 22, 10 p.m.: ‘Cold Blooded Horror’

Having never been to Japan, Wade is entering new territory -- in more ways than one. The river monsters there are like no others he has encountered -- from the devastating earthquake-causing catfish, the Namazu, to the sinister, child-snatching killer called the Kappa. But can the extreme fisherman uncover the truth behind these legends? And can he catch a monster in the rivers of Japan that reveals the reality behind these horrific tales?

Sunday, May 29, 10 p.m.: River Monsters Special: ‘Tribal Fishing with Jeremy Wade’

Wade works with indigenous tribes to learn their special techniques at angling, including fishing with spider webs and using only one’s voice to lure fish.

Monday, May 30, 10 p.m.: ‘Jungle Killer’

Wade sets out to discover the true river monster of South America. Piranha get all the press, but is there a more fearsome predator lurking in its rivers? Tipped off by an attack on a diver by a single fish, he soon discovers that there is a real monster to find. With conditions against him and lightning storms threatening him and his crew, the last pieces of the puzzle are put in place by the local Amerindian tribe. Wade heads deeper and deeper into the remote jungles of Suriname to come face to face with a jungle killer like no other.

-- Kelly Burgess
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