News from Nature - In the 1960s, the takhi horse disappeared from its native Mongolia and was declared extinct in the wild. Determined to repopulate takhi in the Mongolian wild, conservationists hope an ambitious captive breeding program can save the species. So far reintroducing the horse has been a success, but the takhi, considered the only true wild horse left in the world, still faces many challenges to its comeback. Stories from the Wild - Saved from overfishing by an act of Congress, striped bass now face the threat of a disease rarely seen in the wild: mycobacterium. Researchers believe the combined stress of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, rising water temperatures due to climate change, shrinking habitats and poor nutrition are the cause of the diseased bass. Conservationists hope a multi-pronged approach encompassing the entire Chesapeake ecosystem will create a healthier environment not only for striped bass, but for all the Bay's inhabitants. Field Reports - Today's Sahara is a blistering expanse of desert that is one of the most hostile places on Earth. But occasionally over the course of time, periodic changes in the Earth's orbit and wobble have transformed the Sahara from sandy brown to lush green. National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Paul Sereno examines a green Sahara site known as Gobero that supported two distinct civilizations thousands of years apart. Adventure and Exploration - Zambia's Luangwa River Valley is rich with wildlife, but it hasn't always been that way. Just a few decades ago illegal hunting threatened the area's wildlife. But thanks to an innovative program called COMACO (Community Markets for Conservation), conservationists are transforming poachers into farmers. Now, communities enjoy a food surplus, and poaching is on the decline.
