Wild ChroniclesSeason 3, Episode 25 of 42
News from Nature - Collaborating with National Geographic magazine and NPR for this Climate Connections report, Wild Chronicles examines the fate of Alaska's guillemots. As global warming tears apart their icy home, these cold-loving Arctic seabirds struggle to find food and survive while fighting off new competition and predators. The heat is on. Stories from the Wild - In Mexico, tourists aid an innovative conservation program with a simple click of their camera. Using photographs sent to him by amateur divers, National Geographic Emerging Explorer Brad Norman tracks and identifies individual whale sharks with sophisticated computer recognition software. The photo ID program helps scientists study the far-ranging shark's migratory behavior while encouraging ecotourism that may save the species. GeoCast - In Spain, a burst dam releases toxic mining waste into nearby Donana National Park, sparking widespread recovery efforts. Lead by WWF conservationist Guido Schmidt, renewed local appreciation for the park motivates additional clean-up and renewal projects to ensure the park will forever remain a peaceful retreat for visitors. More than 120,000 elephants crowd the nation of Botswana. In neighboring Angola there is plenty of room to roam, but years of civil war has left the countryside littered with landmines. To alleviate the pachyderm traffic jam, the United Nations is backing an ambitious plan to clear the mines, creating a pathway so the elephants can stretch their legs safely across the border. Accidentally brought to the United States decades ago from South America, fire ants are voracious predators and intrepid invaders. The tiny soldiers are enemies to animals, humans and even each other in their search for food and battle for turf. Every year thousands of wild baby parrots are poached and sent illegally across United States borders to feed a lucrative black market for exotic birds. While authorities remain on the lookout for smugglers, conservationists hope captive breeding programs can help satisfy demand and lessen the illegal trade.
