The historic excavation is chronicled in "Raising the Mammoth," premiering on Sunday, March 12 at 8 p.m. ET on the Discovery Channel, sponsored by Ford Motor Company and Computer Associates International, Inc. The two-hour special, narrated by actor Jeff Bridges and carried on the Discovery network in 146 countries around the globe, traces the saga of the unearthed mammoth - from its initial discovery in 1997 to the dramatic 1999 airlift. The program also examines the prospects that lay ahead for the scientists who will begin studying the carcass this spring.

"Ford Motor Company is very proud to be a sponsor of this show because the discovery and excavation of this mammoth is certain to be a very newsworthy event to anyone interested in science or the whole topic of where we came from," says Michelle Cervantez, Trustmark Marketing Manager for Ford Motor Company.

The expedition to raise the mammoth from its frozen grave was spearheaded by French explorer Bernard Buigues. "Raising the Mammoth" recounts Buigues' early scouting of the site. The program also shows how Buigues, along with a team of international scientists, returned to the remote location - about 477 miles north of the Arctic Circle - in September of 1999 determined to raise the mammoth from its icy tomb. Earlier excavations on mammoth discoveries had taken place during summer months, with hot water used to melt away the ice. But Buigues wanted to be the first to remove the 23-ton specimen still frozen, complete with all the scientific data, so it could be studied in a controlled environment.

During the March 12 program, viewers will have the chance to see what mammoths may have actually looked like alive through state-of-the-art computer animation sequences which recreate life on the Siberian tundra as it may have appeared more than 20,000 years ago. In addition, the program includes background information on mammoths themselves, who first appeared in Africa more than 4 million years ago and later migrated north, adapting to the frigid temperatures by growing hair.

"Raising the Mammoth" marks the first time Ford Motor Company has sponsored a global program on the Discovery Channel. Ford Motor Company's global anthem will appear during the two-hour program.

(March 9, 2000)