This document proposes a 4-part documentary series for Animal Planet Canada about raccoon rabies. It aims to educate viewers about the ecological role of small mammals and question the brutal control methods used by the Ministry of Natural Resources, which kills over 9,000 animals per year, including orphaned babies. The series would air weekly in October to coincide with animal welfare events and explore the issue from humanitarian, ecological, and financial perspectives through interviews with experts and filming control programs. It provides a production schedule and budget plan with the goal of raising awareness of the minimal human health risk while significant impact on local ecosystems and taxpayer costs.

1. Raccoon Rabies
A Documentary Series
Documentary Series idea for Animal planet Canada
By
Kimberly Robb and Zaheen Hussain

2. Introduction
• Raccoon Rabies- Discovered in the 1950’s
• A strain that affects several small and medium
mammals
• MNR kills infected animal, as well as every
other animal in a 15 km radius
• Since 2006, 9700 raccoons, minks, skunks
, foxes and other small animals have been
killed.

3. The Documentary Idea
• The documentary aims to serve a two-fold
purpose-
a) To show the audience the role the above
mentioned small mammals play in Canada’s
delicate ecosystem.
• b) To bring to the audience’s attention the
insignificant threat raccoon rabies poses to
humans and the brutal methods used to
combat it.

4. Target Audience
• The target audience would be the citizens
of Canada, with a special emphasis on the
residents of Ontario.
• The aim is to spread the message across
a wide (or several) demographic(s) rather
than concentrate on any single one.

5. • Why should the audience care?

6. Humanitarian Reasons
• 9000 Raccoons and other mammals killed in
3 years.
• Majority were rabies free
• Orphaned babies are left to die by the MNR
• http://helpbabywildlife.ca/videos/baby_raccoo
n_resting.html
• http://helpbabywildlife.ca/videos/baby_skunks
.html
• http://helpbabywildlife.ca/videos/baby_minks.
html

7. Ecological Reasons
• They are highly valued as ‘furbearers’
(Carry pollen on their fur, thereby helping
plants reproduce.) and are hence vital to
Canada’s ecology.
• The creatures scavenge as well as prey
on pests such as mice, rats and insects.

8. Monetary Reasons
.
• Lots of taxpayers money is spent on this very expensive
method
• Raccoon rabies has been responsible for only one
human death in the 50 years since the disease was
discovered.
• Despite this, Ontario stands alone in North America for
using the most-expensive approach to raccoon rabies
control.

9. Broadcaster
• Animal Planet Canada is
a Canadian English language specialty
channel.
• Started November 2000.
• Programming related to animals and
animal conservation

10. Airing Schedule
• This show will be four 1hour episodes over
the span of a month.
• That is one episode per week.
• The first show will air on October 4th which
is World Animal Welfare Day, and October
1st- 7th is World Wildlife Week.
• Will conclude on October 25th.

11. Schedule
• December to February is
Pre-production
• Finalize and hire crew
• Finalize funds
• Investigate story further
• Take care of legal issues
• Story board
• Music

12. • February to April- Interviews
• Interview MNR
• Film Baby Raccoon Rosie story
• Interview PETA
• Interview other animal right organisations

13. • May to July- filming (45 days of filming, 15
days buffer)
• Film MNR’s depopulation programme (if
possible)
• Animals
• Peta, Zoo, etc

14. • August to September- Post-Production
• Editing
• Marketing
• Promotion

15. Budget
• Hotel
• General Liability
• Editing Equipment
• Publicity Expenses
• Parking
• Videotape/ negative
• Medicare
• Closed captioning
• Camera
• Camping gear etc

16. Funding
• World Wildlife Foundation
• PETA
• Grants: National Endowment for the
arts, Science Foundation
• Foundation Centre
• Companies
• Zoo
• Other animal rights organizations
• Private donors