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Defenders of the Wild

13 episodes 97%4KCC

See how bold conservation choices shape wildlife's future across continents.

Conservationist Ivan Carter examines the real challenges of protecting wildlife, from elephant management in Africa to habitat restoration and tracking studies in the United States. Each episode reveals how science, fieldwork, and community involvement can change the fate of entire ecosystems. Sign up to follow the hard decisions and practical solutions behind conservation in action.

Episode guide

13 episodes
1
1Elephants: Land of Tusks
Ivan Carter and his team work to translocate 100 elephants from overpopulated areas facing degradation. The goal of the ambitious project? To repopulate some of Africa's most depleted national parks.
23 min
2
2The Once and Future Kings
Dr. Dave Gaynor introduces lions and cheetahs into the Zambeze Delta to look at the role apex predators play in the ecosystem, and how prey adapts in terms of behavior and numbers.
23 min
3
3Bighorn Sheep: Banging Heads!
Ivan Carter heads to the United States to investigate how hunters' dollars fund sheep conservation across the country. Follow along through a hands-on translocation that will re-establish a historic home range for the species.
23 min
4
4Delta Defenders: Poachers Beware!
After poaching devastated native populations in the Zambezi Delta, wildlife is returning–thanks to upliftment initiatives, community meat drops and anti-poaching. Mark Haldane shares what it takes to restore an ecosystem.
23 min
5
5Bison, Not Buffalo
Once upon a time, there were millions of bison; now, there are less than 1,000. Ivan dives into the history of bison populations in the U.S., as well as the current state of their protection, and gets involved in collaring efforts in the Henry Mountains.
23 min
6
6Giraffes: Giants Never Sleep
The giraffe is an African icon facing a silent extinction. Ivan travels to Niger, West Africa, where the Giraffe Conservation Foundation is taking action across the continent to reverse this trend.
23 min
7
7Quail: The Health of the Land
Conservation efforts often focus on big, charismatic species, but without biodiversity, a landscape cannot truly thrive. Texas quail populations–a crucial indicator species–are the "canary in the coal mine" for ecosystem health.
23 min
8
8Lwiro Primates: Sanctuary
The Central African forests are home to chimpanzees, but human impact is threatening their populations. The Lwiro Sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates orphaned chimpanzees from the bushmeat and pet trade in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
23 min
9
9Rhinos: A Healthy Landscape
African rhinos are highly threatened, due to demand for their horns in Asia. Ivan heads to the frontlines, where poaching occurs weekly, to find what conservation measures must be used to protect the population.
23 min
10
10Elephants & Humans Sharing Spaces
Human-wildlife conflict is an issue throughout Africa. In an attempt to mitigate this, Ivan joins Roger Whittall to collar bull elephants in an effort to create an early warning system for the surrounding communities.
23 min
11
11The Bear Necessities
Research has informed biologists about how to protect bear species, but gathering this data requires collaring them. Biologists must crawl into their dens during hibernation and dart them.
23 min
12
12Game Capture: Snares & Tactics
Since some African countries allow for private ownership of wildlife, this generated an industry of trade that hoped to rejuvenate the fauna of the land. Join the team as they use unique high-stakes methods to capture various species.
23 min
13
13Deer in the Frigid Prairie
White-tailed deer are synonymous with America, yet conservationists go to great lengths to manage the populations. Ivan joins the team in South Dakota as they capture and collar whitetail deer to study their survival rates.
23 min
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