- 2 weeks ago
Vantara: Sanctuary Stories - Season 1 Episode 5 -
De-extinct
De-extinct
Category
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FunTranscript
00:00Hi, I'm Forrest Galante, wildlife expert and conservationist.
00:30And I'm here to take you on a journey, to a place you've probably never heard of, because
00:38until now, it has been kept a secret.
00:43It is unmatched by any other place on Earth.
00:48For those lucky enough to make it, it is a refuge, a sanctuary, a place to live their
00:55lives in safety and peace.
01:00In a world that has forgotten the importance of nature, a new Eden has been born.
01:11A place for animals to thrive.
01:16Because this isn't a zoo.
01:21This is an ark.
01:23This is Bantara.
01:28This is the world's largest animal rescue center.
01:40This is the world's largest animal rescue center.
01:523,500 acres and still growing.
01:59It has several thousand animals.
02:03And hundreds of species.
02:04The policy here, if there's an animal in need, is never say no.
02:15So Bantara is growing every day.
02:18Not just to provide a place for these animals without a home, but to provide a home for the
02:23future of our planet.
02:25Bantara hosts a wide variety of rescues from those with flippers to those with fur and those
02:46with neither.
02:46And this diverse population requires diverse habitats.
02:56But Bantara's youngest arrivals also require multiple habitats that evolve as they grow up.
03:03A perfect example of this need?
03:05Prince, the sun bear.
03:07Oh, look at him.
03:09Hey buddy.
03:10What's that?
03:10That's a camera.
03:16Oh, he's going to eat it.
03:17He's going to eat it.
03:23Come on, buddy.
03:26Don't fall.
03:26Don't fall.
03:27Don't fall.
03:27Easy.
03:27Don't fall.
03:28There you go, pal.
03:29Look at you.
03:31You're so cute.
03:34Yes, you are.
03:35Look at you.
03:36Bite the glove.
03:37Bite the glove.
03:38He's really a devilish little bugger.
03:39Oh, yeah.
03:40He loves to play with the glove.
03:41Prince came to us without a mother.
03:43He was pretty angry at me and he was very confused when he came in.
03:47So like any human child will be angry, confused at adults.
03:51I understood that from the get-go and I sat with him and I let him, went out his frustration
03:57to a point that he understood, you know, like he doesn't need to be angry anymore.
04:01And now he knows that if he's with me, nothing can happen to him.
04:05So they're kind of genetically tuned to start doing this when they come in.
04:08So if they have company, like if they have other siblings, they're going to be playing like this.
04:13Or if they don't have siblings, they kind of play the same way with their mothers.
04:18Okay.
04:19And that's what prepares them to face, you know, like dangers or threats, you know, like in the wild.
04:24It's okay.
04:25It's okay.
04:26It's okay.
04:27It's okay.
04:28Come here, baby.
04:29Come.
04:30Easy, easy, easy, easy.
04:31Oh, shh, shh, shh.
04:32Come, baby.
04:33Come, baby.
04:34Hey, sweetie.
04:36For cubs who are not raised by mothers, we have to teach them how to climb and be, you
04:41know, like, you know, even bears are scared of heights.
04:43So as they learn from their elders, I have to kind of teach him how to climb and how to get
04:49down, get those fears out.
04:51There he comes.
04:54Hey, buddy.
04:55What's this?
04:56What's this?
04:57Rawr.
04:58Rawr.
04:59He went for the camera again.
05:06Strong, huh?
05:07Yeah, yeah, really.
05:08Come here, baby.
05:09So right there, you can see the sun bear marking right there.
05:12That is exactly why they call sun bears is when they get up in that aggressive pose.
05:16Yeah.
05:17You see, like, orangish, you know, like white patch.
05:19Sure.
05:20And that is, that represents the rising sun.
05:23Ayushman has been side by side with Prince ever since the day the sun bear arrived at
05:29Vantara.
05:30But today is a big day for Prince.
05:33He's finally leaving quarantine and experiencing the great outdoors.
05:37Come on.
05:38Let's get you going.
05:39Come on.
05:40Prince has finished his quarantine.
05:41So I'm going to let him explore.
05:43I'm going to let him set the pace and use his, you know, hands, use his legs to, you know,
05:48climb, develop those muscles.
05:50Like, there are some things that he's going to pick up like this.
05:52And there are some things that he might take some time in.
05:54I'm just going to give him that, you know, like, push he needs.
05:57Come on.
05:58Hi.
05:59Hi.
06:00Prince, come here, baby.
06:02Ramu.
06:03It's okay, guys.
06:04Come a second.
06:05Come, baby.
06:06Easy, boy.
06:07Hey, you.
06:08What's out here?
06:09Hey, monster.
06:10Monster bear.
06:11Monster bear.
06:12Come on.
06:13Watch out here.
06:14There we go.
06:15There we go.
06:16Look at that little gremlin face.
06:18See, he's trying to grab the...
06:20He wants the leaves.
06:21The fresh green leaves.
06:22Yeah.
06:23Cubs specifically loved the leaves.
06:25He's trying to grab the...
06:26He wants the leaves.
06:27The fresh green leaves.
06:28Yeah.
06:29Cubs specifically loved the green leaves.
06:31Cubs specifically loved to tear everything apart.
06:35And it's the curious face.
06:37It is something, like, they want to touch.
06:39They want to, you know, like, you know, bite into everything just to see.
06:44Come on, baby.
06:45I don't know how you're going to stop him, though.
06:47No, nothing.
06:48I'm going to let him figure out how to come down.
06:50Come.
06:51Prince, you crazy boy.
06:52Come, baby.
06:54Come on.
06:55Good boy.
06:56Good boy.
06:57Good boy.
06:58What a good climber.
07:00Very good.
07:01Very good.
07:02Wow.
07:03That is so agile.
07:04Very good.
07:05This is a very crucial time where I have to let him kind of do a little bit of mischief
07:09also so that he understands, you know, like, what not to do, what to do.
07:12You made it down, silly boy.
07:14Very unique personality, though.
07:15Yeah.
07:16Very adventurous, very independent.
07:17There he goes.
07:18Ah, he goes back inside.
07:19Oh, he's ready for a nap now.
07:21So initially when he came in, he didn't trust us.
07:24Yeah.
07:25Because the way that he was before, he's not really taken care of that much.
07:30And now we're all in this together.
07:33He seems pretty happy.
07:34Yeah.
07:35Hey, buddy.
07:36Hey, sweetie pie.
07:37Hey, baby.
07:38Oh, here comes the milk.
07:44Milk time.
07:45Look at him.
07:46Look at him.
07:47Look at him.
07:48He loves to do him.
07:49Oh, he's angry now.
07:50He says, give me my milk.
07:51Easy.
07:52Easy.
07:53He's attacking.
07:54There, there, there.
07:55Easy.
07:56There.
07:57Look there.
07:58Full attack mode.
07:59Given more time with us, he's going to calm down.
08:12It's a pleasure to, you know, kind of, to be able to do this.
08:15Yes.
08:16Absolutely.
08:17It's an absolute pleasure.
08:18Oh, he's so cute.
08:20As I see him grow, I see that, you know, my need in his life is diminishing.
08:24Slowly, slowly, he's getting more confident, so he doesn't need me to push him or to, you
08:28know, like introduce new things to him.
08:29He's doing it on his own.
08:30So I have to take a step back and it's always heartbreaking, but you have to always look
08:35what is good for that animal.
08:37And right now, me taking that step back is the, you know, like best thing for that animal
08:42and that is what needs to get done.
08:47As Prince grows up, he'll need less time with his keepers and more space to roam on his
08:52own.
08:53It's this attention to an animal's individual needs that makes Ventara work.
08:58And there's no greater example of this ethos than the care given to one of the rarest mammals
09:04on the planet, the okapi.
09:08An elusive animal only found in the dense rainforests of Central Africa.
09:14This female okapi arrived to Ventara suffering from a foot condition that could prove fatal
09:20if not treated.
09:23Look at this absolutely incredible creature.
09:26And these unbelievable animals are, to me, one of the most incredible and mythological
09:31creatures ever to be discovered and only discovered in the early 1900s.
09:36They're one of the newest known large animals.
09:39Look at how incredible this creature is.
09:41To me, this is like something that a child would draw.
09:44It's like a fabricated animal.
09:46It's some kind of cross between a horse and a zebra and a donkey and a giraffe.
09:50I mean, they're just magnificent animals.
09:53Really, truly one of the most incredible angelates on the planet.
09:56It's a very extraordinarily unique animal, in the sense that they are available in a very,
10:02very small section of the globe, in a Congo forest.
10:07They are also called the forest giraffe.
10:09I've been working with this okapi since the day she arrived.
10:14She came with a very bad feet and laminitic in all the forelegs, leading to disfigured hooves,
10:22constant pain and irregular hoof growth.
10:26The laminitis affects the foot of hoofed animals.
10:30How is it caused?
10:31Mutition.
10:32And it is very painful because this area of the foot is extremely sensitive to pressure.
10:39Ok.
10:40Touch, feel.
10:41Everything that we have in our palm is represented here in terms of neuronal inputs.
10:47Ok.
10:48So when that is inflamed, it's very painful.
10:50Sure.
10:51And the worst part is there's always a crooked hoof.
10:55It's like somebody twisting both the fingers away from each other.
10:59Sure.
11:00If we don't attend to this on a routine basis, the infection goes in and it forms a bunch
11:06of pool of pus here.
11:07Oh.
11:08So I'm going to start trimming her this feet and this overgrown stuff here.
11:14Ok.
11:15So what I'm going to do is to let her get used to my presence here because she cannot
11:20be anesthetized or sedated for this.
11:22Yeah.
11:23In the past her life, three or four instances they have done that and she has had a cardiac
11:28arrest.
11:29Easy, big girl.
11:31Okay.
11:32And okapi, being one of the rarest mammal, was discovered only in the 1905.
11:38So where is the little knowledge or database is available about how much they can get lemonade,
11:45if they get what to do.
11:47So it is something, a path breaking every time you take a step.
11:52If I want to cut here, I try and give a mock over here, over here, over here, and then she
12:00would know what I'm going to do and I go for it.
12:04Oh yeah.
12:05Whenever I get time, I just try and be here, spend time with her because it's the one-on-one
12:13contact that gives the confidence to both of us.
12:16Sure.
12:17To accomplish, because very few copies you can pick at the feet.
12:20Very few copies you can touch.
12:21You can feel and touch.
12:22You can feel and touch.
12:23They're such shy animals.
12:24They're such shy animals.
12:25Yeah.
12:26It's impossible to know what an animal is thinking.
12:30But in a short time, it has become clear to me there is a deep, mutual understanding
12:35and respect between this okapi and Dr. Ramanathan.
12:39That's a good girl.
12:41And it seems possible this additional attention is why several months ago, the okapi that arrived
12:48from laminitis gave birth to a miracle.
12:55They're the only pair of Twino copies that have ever been birthed in captivity, that have
13:05been reared by the mother to sub adulthood.
13:07That's never been successful before in any facility in the world.
13:12But here at Ventara, they managed to succeed with the mama they rescued, whose feet we're
13:16working on.
13:17Look how beautiful they are.
13:19The circle of life is in constant motion here.
13:29So the Ventara staff always have newborns to care for.
13:34But one species has proven harder to breed in captivity than any other.
13:42Cheetah are famous for being the fastest land animal in the entire world.
13:47But did you know that until recently, they were widespread across India?
13:51The last one was shot in 1948.
13:54Now, Ventara is working to breed these animals in the hopes of one day reintroducing the species
14:00to the wild.
14:01However, cheetah are incredibly difficult to breed in captivity.
14:06Fortunately, one team has figured out just how to do it.
14:09Isn't that right, sweetie?
14:11Leading that team is Dr. Adrian Tortiff.
14:14Dr. Tortiff is a world-renowned cheetah veterinarian who has come to Ventara from South Africa
14:20to support and advise the team here.
14:22Today, he's doing a checkup on the cheetah cubs that were born here in Ventara.
14:27And he's invited me along to assist.
14:30Once mom is contained in her enclosure...
14:32She's inside.
14:33Okay, here we go.
14:34You can go.
14:35...we're off to find the cubs.
14:39You're going to be hiding in the long grass.
14:48I think they're here.
14:49I'm going to go look over here.
14:50Okay, you have a look at that side.
14:51Let me just see.
14:52Right.
14:53Don't stand on them.
14:54I won't.
14:55Putting the mother in a separate enclosure is the only way to do a medical checkup on the cubs.
15:01But with mom away, their first instinct is to play hide and seek.
15:05Here they are.
15:06Hi.
15:07Hello.
15:08Oh, my God.
15:09Look at that.
15:11Oh, hello.
15:12Hello, guys.
15:13Hi.
15:14I actually want to do...
15:15I know you're going to quickly have a look.
15:16Yeah?
15:17Yeah.
15:18Yeah.
15:19Somewhere in here.
15:20Oh, they're getting quite fast already.
15:21That's the problem, yeah.
15:22Wow.
15:23Hi.
15:24Here we go.
15:25Hello.
15:26Hello.
15:27Look at you.
15:28Look at you.
15:29So we're going to sex you, I believe.
15:30Yeah, let's just have a quick look.
15:31Yeah.
15:32Female.
15:33A little girl.
15:34Yeah.
15:35They're all three little girls.
15:36Good lord.
15:37She's beautiful, though.
15:38This generation may be the next generation to go back into the wild here in India.
15:41It's possible, yeah.
15:42So she is a wild mom, so if she keeps her distance from us when she gets released into
15:44the wild, that's a good thing.
15:45Right.
15:46We don't want her to be totally terrified, but we don't want her to become so familiar with
15:47people that she walks up to people in the wild and, um, um, get herself out of
15:48the wild.
15:49Right.
15:50So it's just a little bit of interaction.
15:51Yes.
15:52Yeah.
15:53All right.
15:54There we go.
15:55Go find your siblings.
15:56Go on.
15:57She peed all over me.
15:58Look at that.
15:59Covered.
16:00Covered in baby cheetah pee.
16:01I'll take it.
16:02Okay.
16:03Let's let them reunite with the mom.
16:04Yeah, yeah, yeah.
16:05Yeah.
16:06She's a wild mom.
16:07She's a wild mom.
16:08So if she keeps her distance from us when she gets released into the wild, that's a good
16:09thing.
16:10Right.
16:11We don't want her to be totally terrified, but we don't want her to become so familiar with
16:12people that she walks up to people in the wild and, um, um, get herself into trouble.
16:15So it's just a little bit of interaction.
16:16Yes.
16:17Yeah.
16:18She's calling to her babies.
16:19That's what that sound is.
16:20She's going to take her food with her.
16:21Excellent.
16:22Yeah.
16:23Take it to the babies.
16:24Yeah, there we go.
16:25What a good mama, huh?
16:26Amazing.
16:27Professor Adrian and his team just might have solved the challenge of breeding cheetahs
16:47in captivity.
16:48But the work doesn't end when the new generation is born.
16:51New animals require new homes.
16:54And building these massive habitats requires substantial resources, construction materials,
17:01and millions of gallons of water.
17:04And the most finite resource of all is time.
17:09It's a resource some of these animal species, like the sphyx macaw, have almost run out of.
17:18If I seem distracted, it's because I am.
17:21Because I'm around sphyx macaws, which are one of the most rare, most incredible species
17:26of bird on planet Earth.
17:27Yeah, yeah.
17:28Perfectly understandable.
17:29Ow!
17:30And you see, in only 15 years, you know, you can actually save a species to the point
17:37that you release them just recently in the wild, yeah?
17:41The sphyx macaw was first documented in the early 1500s in Brazil.
17:46Now, sphyx already had it hard enough.
17:48It's a very harsh environment.
17:49But then all of a sudden, farmers come.
17:51They bring goats.
17:52The goats eat all the seedlings, which doesn't allow for as many trees to grow.
17:56Now, food is more scarce.
17:57Nesting sites are more rare.
17:59All of a sudden, there's nowhere left for the birds to reproduce.
18:02Thus, their population crashes.
18:05In addition to all of these environmental factors and human encroachment factors at play
18:10that were driving the birds toward extinction, they're stunningly beautiful.
18:14So guess what?
18:15People collected them.
18:16And that was the nail in the coffin for the sphyx macaw in the wild.
18:20All hope is lost.
18:21The species has now gone extinct.
18:23Well, turns out because of how beautiful they are and because of how rare they are,
18:27there were still three captive populations.
18:30So the species declined to 19 individuals.
18:34At that time, only one female was capable of reproducing offspring.
18:38But then all of a sudden, a whole bunch of organizations come together,
18:42and they push to make sure that this species continues to exist.
18:46And now, the species is thriving and flourishing and even being reintroduced back into the wild.
18:55Oh, is that good, buddy?
18:57What is it that Ventara is doing to support the ongoing survival of these species at this point?
19:02So the most important part of the project at the moment is the successful reintroduction of these birds,
19:09making sure that all the little pieces of the ecosystem have been restored and there is no pet trafficking.
19:17This is not their forever home?
19:19No, no, no.
19:20I mean, they are here just temporarily until there is the possibility to reintroduce them in the wild.
19:26So the reintroduction is something that you cannot simply go there and release birds.
19:31Right.
19:32You need to make sure that the environment has the capacity to absorb the quantity of animals that you plan to release.
19:40And the good thing about this is that when you save a speaks macaw, you save the entire ecosystem,
19:46and obviously all the species that that ecosystem provides a shelter for,
19:51because they are actually spreading the seeds around different parts,
19:55and they actually are the biggest contributors of the renovation of that forest.
20:01In my lifetime, and this is a magical thing to say, hi!
20:06In my lifetime, these animals, which were extinct in the wild when I was a kid, will flourish again in the wild.
20:14Yes.
20:15And it's thanks to people that have the resources, caring and putting in the efforts.
20:19Yes.
20:20That's a beautiful thing.
20:21It is, yes.
20:26Dr. Soares manages a wide variety of animals at Ventara.
20:32So it's no surprise when he is called to help out with an emergency.
20:35And in what's appearing to be a mistake, I've offered to lend him a hand.
20:40Jesus!
20:41Why am I doing this?
20:43Why am I doing this?
20:44Why am I doing this?
20:45Because you are the bravest among us.
20:50Dr. Soares has me entering the enclosure of a northern cassowary,
20:54also known as the most dangerous bird on the planet.
21:02Let's go, here we go.
21:03Come on, Mitch, you better stay close.
21:06This cassowary shares an enrichment enclosure with several jungle fowl,
21:10small chicken-like birds that live on the forest floor.
21:14Unfortunately, a female jungle fowl decided to lay her eggs here where they could be easily smashed by the cassowary's massive claws.
21:23So we're going to try and get them out.
21:24Oh boy, this shield's heavy too.
21:26Yes.
21:27As long as we start showing some aggression.
21:29Bop!
21:30Back up.
21:31Come on.
21:32Come on.
21:33Back up.
21:34Back, back, back, back, back, back.
21:36Come on, Mitch.
21:37Stay with me now.
21:38Back, back, back, back.
21:40Back, back, back.
21:41Come on.
21:42Back up.
21:43Back.
21:44Back, back, back.
21:45Back, you go.
21:46You in, Mitch?
21:47Yeah.
21:48Stay nice and tight behind me, okay?
21:49Yep, my gosh.
21:50We're going to keep moving towards the eggs.
21:51Bop!
21:52Back up.
21:53Back up.
21:54Look at those claws.
21:55At any moment, he can kick Mitch.
21:56If he jumps, you get behind me, okay?
21:57And I'll lift the shield.
21:58Bop!
21:59Back up, back up.
22:00There we go.
22:01Back up, bird.
22:02You don't want this.
22:03Come on.
22:04Let's go.
22:05He's looking at me.
22:06Oh, God.
22:07Oh, God.
22:08He's starting to run.
22:09What are we doing here?
22:10What do I do here?
22:11I'm dead serious.
22:12What do we do here?
22:13He's coming to attack.
22:14Mitch, you okay there?
22:15This is the most dangerous thing I've ever done.
22:30Where are the eggs?
22:37Over there?
22:38By the end of this log.
22:39Okay.
22:40Cha!
22:41So this is a northern cassowary.
22:44Beautiful bird.
22:45Cha!
22:46But it's also literally the most dangerous bird in the entire world.
22:49Responsible for killing more people than any other bird on the planet.
22:52As you can see, it is literally a living velociraptor.
22:55Don't be fooled.
22:56Those claws will kill you in a heartbeat.
22:59He's got you like a fish.
23:00And in addition to those crazy claws, he's got a helmet that he can headbutt you with
23:04and knock you straight out.
23:05So we have to get through him.
23:08Stay behind me, Mitch, because I've got the shield.
23:10Cha!
23:11Stay behind me, Mitch.
23:20I'm moving in.
23:22Now, this is a rescue northern cassowary.
23:25And the reason he's here is because he killed his last keeper.
23:28So doing this is literally crazy.
23:30What would matter?
23:31Oh, I see the eggs.
23:32Okay.
23:33So look at this.
23:47He's totally cued in on me.
23:49I have to watch him at all times.
23:50So, that we've got.
23:55I'll put one in this hand.
23:56And one there.
23:57Look at that beautiful leg.
23:58So, now that we've got those, let's start to back out.
24:02Backing out.
24:03Don't break eye contact with him, Mitch.
24:05Okay.
24:06Back up, Mitch.
24:07Back up.
24:08Keep going.
24:09Starting to come over.
24:11Okay, so let's go out.
24:12Out.
24:13Oh, here he comes.
24:14Let's go.
24:15Back up.
24:16Back up.
24:17Back up.
24:18Back up.
24:19Back up.
24:20Back up.
24:21Back up.
24:22Back up.
24:23Back up.
24:24Back up.
24:25Back up.
24:26Nice.
24:27Back up.
24:28There we go.
24:30Whew.
24:32That was, um, surprisingly terrifying being in there.
24:50But look at that.
24:51Two big, beautiful, jungle fall eggs.
24:54So, now these can go into an incubation.
24:56They can get ready to be hatched.
24:58And luckily nothing happened.
24:59Because that, that dinosaur, that cassowary, was glued to us the whole time.
25:04But there you go.
25:05We got our beautiful prizes and nobody got hurt.
25:09But of everything I've done at Ventara, that was, uh, that was definitely the scariest.
25:18It might seem foolish to dance with a cassowary to save a couple of eggs.
25:23But eggs are just the beginning of an amazing life cycle that's on full display here at Ventara.
25:31A perfect example, the palm cockatoo.
25:36Look at this.
25:37This is something that no one in the world gets to see.
25:40So, this is every single life stage of the critically endangered palm cockatoo.
25:51So, starting over here with this amazing little hatchling, which is mere days old.
25:55These infant palm cockatoos are hatched from a singular egg in a nest that is made during monsoon season.
26:02Which is why it's born completely naked with no feathers at all.
26:06Because if it were to have feathers in the monsoons, it would get soaking wet and it would quickly die.
26:11Now, as they develop into these funny little noisy critters over here with these spiky little hairs,
26:17they are capable of eating an amazing diet.
26:20Unlike almost any other parrot species in the world.
26:22They require whole nuts very, very early on.
26:25So, as you come from about three weeks old to around five weeks old,
26:29they begin to develop feathers, their face becomes that brilliant red color,
26:33their feathers start to develop, and they start to build musculature by flapping their wings
26:38and getting ready to leave the nest.
26:40Then, as you get to a nearly fully formed sub-adult,
26:43you can see they remain a featherless bird on the feet and on the cheeks.
26:48Unlike any other cockatoo in the entire world.
26:51So, because these guys live in an area that is so dense with flies in far northern Australia,
26:57they're constantly shaking their heads.
26:59And they've evolved that to keep flies from bothering them around the eyes.
27:03In addition to that, they have these red cheeks that will turn brilliant red during May,
27:07or courtship, or even battle.
27:09And in order to make that mating or that battle,
27:12they wiggle their tongues from treetop to treetop with their brilliant sight
27:16to communicate to each other while looking around.
27:18From this stage, they move on and they become adult birds that go out into the aviaries
27:23where Ventara can study how their relationship with other animals from their environment works
27:29and why they're in such severe decline.
27:32But this is an absolutely incredible thing to see,
27:37where you have every single life stage of a bird on the verge of extinction.
27:41And without this diversity, without this strive to combat genetic bottlenecking,
27:46this species could very easily be driven towards extinction.
27:50Many of the animals that arrive at Ventara haven't known a peaceful life for a very, very long time.
28:03Especially if they were rescued from the smuggling trade.
28:07The wild animal trade is pervasive around the globe and notoriously hard to stamp out.
28:13This is partially due to the fact that there's a lot of money to be made.
28:18Up to $10 billion per year.
28:21Smuggling can also greatly reduce the wild population.
28:25Unfortunately, that's exactly what's going on with the critically endangered red-shanked duke.
28:31This story is one that's truly, truly incredible.
28:45They were captured from the wild somewhere in the Mekong River basin that they're from.
28:50Illegally transported to the Middle East and then found by smugglers in the Middle East trying to sell them for a very low price
28:58because nobody even knew what species of monkey they were.
29:01They were confiscated and brought here to Ventara.
29:03And now they live this amazing life right here in this enclosure where they pick all the leaves away.
29:10Right, Vinod?
29:11Yes, yes.
29:12For me, this is a real dream come true.
29:14I've always thought that these are the most beautiful monkey species on Earth.
29:18And here we are interacting with them.
29:20And you can see that they've been around people for so long from being captured from the wild
29:24that they're this habituated, this friendly.
29:27But boy, look at that face. Look at the colouring.
29:29I mean, truly a spectacular species of primate.
29:46Okay.
29:47Watch out, Vinod.
29:49Yes, sir.
29:50There we go. That's perfect, Vinod. That's great.
29:56Take a look at this enclosure here.
29:59Look at all these fully barren sticks.
30:02Hello, you beautiful little creature.
30:04And that's because they are big time leaf eaters.
30:07So they have picked every single leaf off of these treetops.
30:10So Vinod over here...
30:11Yes.
30:12...and myself, we've brought them fresh trees.
30:14And this is something they're doing daily here.
30:16So these are fresh mulberry trees.
30:17And you can see how quickly this beautiful little queen of the primates,
30:22as they call the red shank duk, has got into eating the mulberry leaves.
30:27Now, how many trees per day are you bringing in?
30:29Ten. Ten pairs.
30:30Ten pairs? Yes, sir.
30:31Ten mulberry trees grown in these hessian sacks and brought in daily,
30:35hey, you naughty little monkey,
30:37for these naughty little buggers to come and eat the foliage.
30:40It's amazing.
30:55Just like nature itself, Ventara is always changing and evolving.
31:00So after being away for some time,
31:02I'm excited to come back and check on a few friends.
31:05The first on my list?
31:07The family of cheetah cubs.
31:09They're growing healthy and strong.
31:11But today, they're due for a checkup.
31:18Mom is on the carcass with the little ones now.
31:21And we're gonna move in and try and get as close as we can.
31:24Obviously, Adrian has built a relationship and a bond with these ones.
31:28So mom trusts him.
31:29He's a good girl.
31:30He's a good girl.
31:31He's very good.
31:34But it's still a mother.
31:35She has motherly instincts.
31:36Come on.
31:37So he's gonna bring me in as much as he can.
31:39But just to be in here with these little puffballs is truly an honor.
31:43Okay.
31:44He's a good girl.
31:47Good girl.
31:48She seems pretty relaxed, which is awesome.
31:51Okay, so if you can just come around this side.
31:53Let's just see how she responds.
31:58And once you get down, just get down because they don't like you standing over them.
32:01Hovering over them.
32:02Yeah.
32:03Okay.
32:04Look at that.
32:05So how cool is it to think that these babies right here could be the future of cheetahs
32:12reintroduced into India, fixing that hole in the ecosystem.
32:16Yeah, absolutely.
32:17They're looking really great at the moment.
32:18All nice and healthy and fit.
32:20I mean, it's really important that they, if they're eating goats here, they will get
32:25exposed to the same kinds of parasites that they would get exposed to if they were hunting
32:29wild.
32:30Sure.
32:31Antelope in the wild.
32:32And it's very important that they develop the immunity against those range of parasites
32:35as well.
32:36So do you vaccinate for those things or not?
32:38No.
32:39We vaccinate mainly against viruses like rabies, leukopenia, calicivirus, herpesvirus.
32:44These are things that they will be exposed to, especially by domestic dogs and domestic
32:48cats.
32:49So Adrian, how were you able to reproduce this female?
32:52Biggest problem in cheetahs in captivity is that they get this condition called gastritis,
32:56which is an inflammatory condition of the stomach lining.
32:59What we've discovered really that diet probably plays the most important role.
33:03And of that, the amount of collagen that they eat.
33:06So very important that they get skin and bone and the whole carcass, not just the muscle
33:10meat.
33:11But over the last few years, we found that it's really important that they don't get fed more
33:16than two or three times at most per week.
33:18Oh, interesting.
33:19So we give them these really large meals.
33:21So they gorge and then they fast.
33:23And that is not only beneficial in terms of the gastrointestinal health, but it also seems
33:29to have a psychological benefit to them.
33:31And of course, that's what would happen in the wild.
33:33They'd make a kill.
33:34Exactly.
33:35They wouldn't waste an ounce of it because they just put in all of this energy to make
33:38that kill.
33:39Yeah.
33:40And then they'd eat everything they could physically tolerate and move on.
33:43But that must be a revolutionary thing that you guys have found here.
33:46Well, we've seen it certainly change the way in which we can maintain these cheetah in
33:50perfect health, you know, before you constantly struggling with gastritis in, you know, multiple
33:56animals.
33:57But I think, you know, with these cubs, we start feeding them correctly from day one.
34:01Yeah.
34:02And the chances that they ever gain to develop gastritis, I think, are close to zero.
34:05And hopefully we'll be able to demonstrate that.
34:07That's incredible.
34:08I mean, you've solved the largest issue in cheetah husbandry the globe over just by doing
34:13what they do naturally.
34:14Yeah.
34:15She doesn't like the boom.
34:17Pull that back.
34:18It's okay.
34:19It's okay.
34:20Just roll on everything there.
34:21No, no, no.
34:22Okay.
34:23Damn it.
34:24Sorry.
34:25It's not the first time that's happened this month.
34:31Based on their checkup with Dr. Tortiff, these cheetah cubs are healthy and well on their
34:36way to adulthood.
34:37But they're not the only animals at Ventara growing up fast.
34:41Prince the sun bear is also on his way to adulthood.
34:45So it's been how long since we last saw Prince?
34:48Since I last saw Prince.
34:49About one month now.
34:50Has he been out in this yet?
34:51No, no, no.
34:52This is literally the first time.
34:53This is the first time.
34:54Oh, that's lovely.
34:55So that is why we are prepping it so that, you know, like we can interest him to explore
34:57the right way.
34:58Yeah.
34:59We've seen a very rapid, you know, like change in Prince.
35:03He started growing muscles.
35:04He started climbing up.
35:06Suddenly you see his legs, you know, like are taller.
35:09His body is growing.
35:10His weight is increasing.
35:11His personality is now becoming more independent.
35:14And we're going to slowly release him here.
35:17We're going to monitor him very closely.
35:19Whoa.
35:20This whole thing is for Prince?
35:22Yeah.
35:23This is crazy, Ayushman.
35:24So because these sun bears are arboreal and they like to hide, they're very shy animals.
35:29Yeah.
35:30So I made him very exclusive tree house over there.
35:32I gave him very nice, you know, connections of real wood.
35:35Oh, this is awesome.
35:38Oh my goodness.
35:39He's going to love this.
35:41And then I've made a small perching area for him down also.
35:44I see that.
35:45Now these guys like to bust the sun.
35:46Uh-huh.
35:47And when they sleep, they like to hide.
35:49So I've given him enough platforms where he can, you know, like just lounge around.
35:53Yeah.
35:54Enjoy his day.
35:55And in the night I've given him enough obstacles to kind of keep him busy.
35:59Imagine coming from his life and then he gets opened up to this.
36:02So the thing is now it can be too stimulating for him also.
36:05He might take a little bit of time to adjust to this.
36:08I'm actually, you know, like waiting to see his reaction, how he reacts to this particular place.
36:13Sometimes we have to understand the psychology of the animal and how that animal was housed before.
36:19For certain animals that come through the rescues, they've been cramped into a very small space for such a long time that their value of space gets distorted.
36:29So when you leave them into such a large enclosure, it panics them because they don't know how to process that information that quickly.
36:37That is why these gradual steps are taken.
36:39And that is why during the quarantine time, we slowly, slowly increase their space so that they are okay with it.
36:46Okay.
36:47So we're going to take the honey and the fruit and we're just going to put it around?
36:49Yeah.
36:50Yeah.
36:51Is this a bittersweet thing for you?
36:53Because today is your last day touching him and feeling him.
36:56This is it.
36:57Once he's out in here.
36:58Yeah, that's it.
36:59That's big boy life now.
37:00Yes, that's it.
37:01You might look at it one way that it's being sad, but for me, he's growing up.
37:05He'll be responsible soon enough.
37:07I only want to be close to that animal to the point that the animal needs me.
37:12I don't want to, you know, like encroach on their area and to, you know, like add my existence in their life unnecessarily.
37:19And I just want to take them on that journey and then let them be bears.
37:23Oh, he's going to love this.
37:24Oh, yeah.
37:25It's exciting.
37:26I'm excited.
37:27Very curious to see how he reacts to it though.
37:30Prince.
37:31I mean, it's a big day.
37:32Yeah.
37:33Oh, look at him.
37:34He's coming.
37:35Oh, that worked.
37:39Oh, he says, but that's, that's the place I know.
37:42It's okay, bud.
37:43It's going to be great out here.
37:44You're going to love it.
37:46Dad's here.
37:47So that's comforting.
37:48I'm crazy.
37:49Hi, remember me?
37:50You do remember me.
37:51Come on.
37:52He's just getting his bearings.
37:53Yeah.
37:54His bearings.
37:55Yeah.
38:00Princey, look, tree house is up here.
38:02Oh, you found the honey trail.
38:04Yeah, yeah.
38:05That's it.
38:06That's exciting.
38:07It's a good day for a bear.
38:08It's a good day for a little bear, huh, buddy?
38:11This is going to be such a great life here.
38:13Hey.
38:14There you go.
38:15Go all the way up to your tree house.
38:17Look at that.
38:18He's figuring it out.
38:19Yeah.
38:20Let him climb up.
38:21Come, sweetie.
38:22Come, come.
38:23Come, come.
38:24Come, come.
38:25Come on, Princey.
38:26Look up here, bud.
38:27Look, there's a whole honey trail up here, pal.
38:28Look.
38:29Look, Prince.
38:30Oh, dad.
38:31It's scary up here.
38:32I've never climbed a tree before.
38:33Uh-oh.
38:34Look.
38:35It's like, what am I going to do?
38:36That's okay.
38:37That's okay.
38:38Let him figure it out.
38:39Let him figure it out.
38:40Oh, man.
38:41A bear doesn't know how to be a bear yet.
38:42Yeah, that's what we are here for, right?
38:43Thanks.
38:44No, no, no, no, no.
38:45Look at him.
38:46It's like, get me out of here.
38:47No, no, no, no, no.
38:48No, no, no, no, no, no.
38:49No, no, no, no, no, no.
38:50Oh, man.
38:51A bear doesn't know how to be a bear yet.
38:53Yeah.
38:54That's what we are here for, right?
38:55Yeah.
38:56No, no, no, no.
38:57Look at him.
38:58It's like, get me out of here.
38:59No, no, no, no, no.
39:00Oh, man.
39:01That's really funny.
39:02You have to come here.
39:03Come.
39:04Prince, come.
39:05Oh.
39:06He's got this, like, terror in his eyes when he's like, ah.
39:09I don't know what's happening.
39:11That's how we made it off.
39:12Yeah, there you go.
39:14That's how we made it off.
39:15Yeah.
39:16There you go.
39:17That's how you get off.
39:24He said, that's it.
39:25I'm going back.
39:26All right, well, there he goes.
39:27He headed back into his cell.
39:29But that's one of the cool things.
39:30He's allowed to go back into his nighttime room.
39:32Yeah, yeah, yeah.
39:33And that's his comfort place.
39:34Once I see Prince having control of his life,
39:36knowing now he's free, now he's independent,
39:40and now he's going to make something of himself,
39:42it's just a very warm glow in the heart.
39:44He's going to be so happy.
39:45I love it.
39:46I love it.
39:47Good job, man.
39:49That's great.
39:50So much honey.
39:51Prince isn't the only animal that has found a new home.
39:566,000 miles away, a group of spix macaw raised in Ventara
40:01are headed to their ancestral homeland, the Katinga forests of Brazil.
40:08These birds will be winged pioneers reclaiming the home they were once wiped out from.
40:14Their mental state affects their physical health, like in humans.
40:18What we eat is what we think, and what we think is what we do.
40:23What we do is what we are.
40:25If you are in a comfortable environment, if you do not have extra stress factors,
40:30you will feel very comfortable and you will enjoy that life a little bit.
40:34So it's the same concept here with the animals.
40:36We want to provide things that they are built to do.
40:39Even if they do not choose to do it, they should have that option to do it.
40:43It's not just about keeping animals.
40:46It's about how you keep animals.
40:53Every day, a thousand tiny steps are taken towards the conservation of the planet.
41:01A new generation is prepped for the wild.
41:07An orphan finds a family.
41:09And a species returns from the brink.
41:16It's all in a day's work here at Ventara.
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