[2] The channel was originally a joint venture with BBC Worldwide, and primarily focused on nature documentaries surrounding wildlife, targeting a family audience.

On January 1, 1997, Animal Planet's distribution grew as a result of Advance Entertainment Corporation selling the satellite transponder slot belonging to the WWOR EMI Service (a national superstation feed of Secaucus, New Jersey/New York City's WWOR-TV, that was implemented following the 1989 passage of the Syndication Exclusivity Rights Rule by the Federal Communications Commission) to Discovery Communications, replacing the feed with Animal Planet outright.

[4] In late 2005, as part of a multi-million dollar expansion, the National Aquarium in Baltimore opened an exhibit called "Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extreme".

Animal Planet and the National Aquarium in Baltimore announced a multi-year partnership the year prior, which produced an original orientation film that gives Aquarium visitors background on the Australian area which inspired the new exhibit and a dedicated area inside the expansion where visitors can learn about Animal Planet's conservation efforts and other programming.

The network also adopted a new logo, replacing its previous "elephant and globe" emblem with a stylized wordmark, and the new slogan "Same Planet, Different World".

The slogan reflected Animal Planet's increasing number of personality-based series following animal-related investigations and occupations, such as River Monsters.

Despite its fictitious content, the documentary was widely viewed, and a follow-up entitled Mermaids: The New Evidence set an all-time ratings record for the channel.

Additions to the channel in the late 2000s, such as Meerkat Manor and Orangutan Island, reflected its shift toward "predation programming" and more immersive storytelling.