MNN - Mother Nature Network

"Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush isn't the first person I would equate with conservation issues, but when the World Wildlife Fund and Nat Geo Wild first started talking about a television special focused on animal poaching, the entertainment reporter was apparently at the top of their list. All of this comes courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, which published first details of the new project this morning. 

 

“The participation of World Wildlife Fund and especially someone as well known as Billy Bush gives this project the gravitas it needs to shed light not only on the plight of the Asian one-horned rhino, but also on the vast and majestic landscapes of Nepal," Janet Han Vissering, Nat Geo Wild senior vp of development and production. 

 

Nat Geo Wild is planning on sending Bush to Nepal where he will report first-hand on the crisis faced by the endangered white rhinoceros and the efforts underway to curb poachers. 

 

“This will truly be a journey of a lifetime,” says Bush. “The trip to Nepal will be a huge departure from my daily routine in Hollywood, but I am excited to visit such a beautiful place and to come face to face with remarkable creatures that desperately need the world’s help.”

 

According to the network, the choice of Bush was also made as a way to leverage "Access Hollywood's" diverse and large audience; something that will help enormously in raising awareness of the crisis facing endangered animals. 

 

Filming of the special is expected to start next month.