Saving the Endangered Species
Episodes
1. Vicuna: Guardians
of the Royal Fleece
High in the Andes lives the Vicuna, which dons the most valuable fur in the
world. Here at nearly 15,000 feet, the local community is prepared to do
whatever it takes to save this beautiful animal from the hands of poachers.
2. Battle for the
Black Rhino
The Kenya Wildlife Services and its fearless rangers battle to keep the Black
Rhino from extinction and here no holds are barred. Poachers face a lethal team
of armed rangers who are under orders to shoot to kill poachers if necessary.
Meanwhile, Daphne Sheldrick develops new techniques to rear orphaned Rhinos and
prepare them for their return to the wild.
3. Wolverine: The
Last Frontier
Dick Staiger and the kids of the Alta Wyoming 4H club dedicate their efforts to
saving this mysterious animal. Also, Jeff Copeland and the Wolverine foundation
stretch a shoestring budget attempting to complete the research necessary to
save this unique and maligned animal. In this episode viewers will see one of
the few Wolverine dens ever discovered.
4. Daphne
Sheldrick and the Orphan Elephants
Daphne Sheldrick lives on a secluded game reserve in Africa where she fights to
save baby elephants orphaned by poachers
5. Seychelles
Tortoise: The Giants of Silhouette
Living in the solitude of Silhouette Island, Twenty-eight year old Oxford
graduate Justin Gerlach has dedicated his life to saving the last of the thought
to be extinct giant Seychelles tortoise. Sir David Attenborough is featured in
this beautiful and uplifting show.
6. Distant Cry of the
Humboldt Penguin
On the coast of Peru lies a small outpost where scientists struggle to save what was once
one of the most plentiful animals on earth. This species of Penguin may prove to
be a barometer for future devastation facing our fragile ocean environments.
7. Prairie Dog: The
Living West
One of America's most valuable and least understood creatures, it has been
recklessly persecuted. Biologist John Hoagland rushes to learn more about this
animal's place in the environment while Susan Miller and her team relocates
whole colonies of prairie dogs before they face eradication due to mankind's
ceaseless expansion. Their efforts will decide the difference between the
prairie dog's continued existence and its extinction.
8. Swift Fox: Phantom
of the Plains
About the size of a house cat and capable of running up to thirty miles an hour,
this beautiful little animal has become the main course of an ecosystem that man
has taken upon himself to alter. Biologist Clio Smeton has decided it's time to
fight back. Combined with the aid of Ira Newbrest and the Blackfoot Tribe, Clio
and her team of biologists and wildlife advocates return the swift fox to its
native range in Montana.
9. Macaws: The Theft
of Beauty
This striking bird of the Amazon has been desecrated by mankind for our own
enjoyment. One man, Charles Munn, braving constant death threats, has taken on
the government and poachers in his effort to save the Macaw and the forest of Peru. In the United States,
Dr. Lorin Linder and others care for these birds abandoned by careless owners
while the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service fights a losing battle against the
rampant smuggling of these endangered animals.
10. The Gray Wolf:
Echoes of a Civilization
Misunderstood and hated, the Gray Wolf has been trapped, poisoned and hunted to
the brink of extinction. Now, concerned biologists seek a deeper understanding
of the wolves' behavior and innovative ranchers like Duke Phillips and Will and
Jan Holder learn to make peace with this
complex creature.
11. Birds of Prey:
Resurrection of the Raptor
Due to the combined efforts of dedicated biologists Dr. Tom Cade and Dr. Cal
Sandfort and concerned activists like Brian Walton, the birds of prey have
enjoyed an unparalleled renaissance that has set a historical precedent for
species recovery. These men and women are not merely preserving the remaining
birds, they are resurrecting the species
12. Amazon River
Dolphin: Angels of the Amazon
This fresh water dolphin dates back to the beginning of time, yet little is
known about it. It has been credited for saving the lives of sailors and is the
only dolphin that can turn its' neck 180 degrees. Unfortunately it is being
slaughtered for its mythological powers. However, Roxanne Kremer, one brave
woman, alone in the Amazon has taken up the cause and through education she is
challenging the locals and even the government.
13. Last Stand for
the Grizzly Bear
It can outswim an Olympian, outrun a horse and drag a thousand pound carcass for
miles. Unfortunately, feared and labeled a 'mankiller', the Grizzly Bear has
become the target of man's destructive nature. In this episode, biologists Dr.
Lance Craighead and Dr. Charles Jonkel work in conjunction with the Idaho
Department of Fish and Game to reintroduce the grizzly bear to the American
Northwest.
14. California
Condor: Edge of Extinction
Once this magnificent animal was nearly extinct. Now on the path to recovery,
the world's largest flying predator has more hurdles to cross to ensure its
survival. Dedicated biologist Cynthia Stringfield with the California Condor
Recovery Program at the Los Angeles Zoo works tirelessly to prepare captive
condors for the wild while game guardian Mike Stockton monitors their progress
in the wild.
15. The Sea Turtle:
Legend of a Navigator
The animals that time nearly forgot, they have navigated the oceans of the world
for millions of years. Today, these animals, history's forgotten children, face
devastation at the hands of humanity. Tireless rescuers, Todd Steiner and Jean
Beasley, work on separate coasts to save injured turtles and protect their
nesting grounds. Meanwhile, U. S. Fish and Wildlife officials attempt to stem
the tide of illegal turtle products smuggled into this country and shut down the
illegal markets supporting the slaughter of these rapidly disappearing species.
16. The Woodland
Caribou: Ghost In The Wild
For many years the Woodland Caribou has lived peacefully in the wilderness above
America. Now clear-cutting, hunting and civilization threaten to wipe it from
the face of the earth. Biologist Gray Jones is our guide into the troubled world
of this beautiful and mysterious animal.
17. The Wild Burro:
Orphan of the Desert
For generations, the burro has been our faithful companion in the Western United
States. Now, despite Federal protection, the burro is being systematically
removed from its historic range as the western deserts are drained of precious
resources by the greed and waste of human habitation. Wild Burro Rescue
18. Dog Wars: The Pit
Bull Tragedy
While man's best friend is not endangered, this cutting edge, undercover episode
shows the ongoing exploitation of animals by man. This time it is not in Africa,
Peru or some far off place, but in our own backyard. Officer Chris Sanford of
the L.A.P.D. cracks down on the ghastly sport of dog-fighting while pit bull
rescuers like Tia Torres nurse these mistreated and misunderstood animals back
to health and a hopeful future.
19. The American
Bison: Heart of the Plains
Once revered by the Plains Indians, the protected Bison of Yellowstone National
Forest are one of the greatest success stories in the history of wildlife
conservation. Now, fears surrounding the brucella abortus bacteria, which is
harmless to bison but causes cows to abort their calves and can cause undulant
fever in humans, may once again put these animals at risk to mass slaughter.
Endangered Species Productions joins bison rescuer, Mike Meese, in an attempt to
uncover the truth behind these claims and what this means to the ancient buffalo
of the American Northwest.
20. Spanish Barb:
Horse for the Ages
In the late 1980's, a herd of horses were discovered on the Wilbur-Cruce ranch
in Arizona that had the same characteristics as the long lost breed that the
Spanish first brought to America. When they were rescued, less than a hundred of
these horses remained. Now, Robin Keller, the guardian of the Cruce strain,
works tirelessly not only to save this unique and endangered breed, but also to
create a sanctuary that will maintain this animal in its natural habitat.
21. Wildebeest and
Hirola: The Endless Plain
We follow this moving feast of Africa as it migrates miles to follow the water.
On the way, it is eaten by just about every predator in Africa. Without this
enigmatic beast, which is described as created by Gods through the amalgamation
of spare parts, there would be no African wildlife as we know it.
Also, we see rare footage of the Hirola, an animal whose existence is so fragile
that the lightest contact with the human race may wipe it from the face of the
earth. Samuel Andanje with the Kenya Wildlife Service fights a lonely battle to
save this beautiful creature.
22. Cloud Forest:
Visions in a Dream
Dr. Nalini M. Nadkarni seeks to uncover the miraculous secrets of the Ecuadorian
Cloud Forest. Unfortunately, the poverty of this region forces the local culture
to devastate their own natural resources. Conservationists Michelle Kirby and
Andres Hammerman stand guard as the deforestation that has stolen millions of
acres of neighboring rain forests now threatens to claim the pristine beauty of
the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest.
23. The Masai:
Twilight of an African Tribe
This beautiful and fearless tribe of Africa is slowly disappearing as
man encroaches on their land. They have been blamed for killing lions, elephants
and even rhinos and drought threatens their traditions as they fight to sustain
their meager existence. Working with the African government, the children of the
Maasai are working to make a difference.
24. The Elephant:
Nature's Great Masterpiece
Misunderstood by most, the elephant is actually one of the most intelligent
mammals on earth. On a preserve in Tennessee, Carol Buckley provides ease and
comfort to retired circus elephants while in the Amboseli National Park in
Kenya, Joyce Poole studies the Elephant's language and struggles to keep this
miraculous animal from vanishing off the face of the Earth.
25. Wild Mustang:
Spirit of the West
Though federal law currently protects wild horses and rescuers work ceaselessly
to save the free roaming bands, America's mustangs still face decimation due to
incomplete land management policies, mercenary economic imperatives and severe
loss of habitat. Until wild horses are recognized as an integral part of our
national character, the mustang may become another lost legend of the American
west. Mustang activists Neda Demayo and Jim Clapp labor against impossible
conditions to save a herd of 400 horses from government slaughter while longtime
mustang rescuer Dayton Hyde proposes a new approach that may guarantee the
future of the Wild Mustang
26. Pronghorns:
Sentinels of Time
They have kept watch through the millennia: the Mammoths vanished, the humans
arrived, civilizations rose and collapsed. The pronghorns, mistakenly called
"antelope", witnessed it all. They evolved in North America and have remained
unchanged since the glaciers carved this continent. Today these mammals, the
second swiftest on Earth, are running a race against time. The desert pronghorn
is the only animal which met the challenges of these arid lands. Now one of the
rarest animals in North America, their fate may rest in the hands of biologists
Jorge Cancino. Working on a shoestring budget on the El Vizcaino Biosphere
Reserve in Baja, Mexico, Dr. Cancino combines traditional practices with modern
techniques to ensure that the desert pronghorns, crucial to our past and
present, will be part of our future as well.