00:01Hello and welcome, Chi Hanna Teimo. Welcome to the sovereign nation of the Miccosukee
00:08Tribe of Indians in Florida. We're only an hour out of Miami but here the buildings are low and
00:15the only objects scraping the sky are eagles and hawks. During the 20th century the US government
00:21tried to move this tribe out of central Miami to Mississippi but the Miccosukee refused to surrender
00:27instead retreating deep into the wilderness. They finally won their battle to secure this corner of
00:33the Everglades as their homeland in 1962. We jumped on board the tribe's airboat to get an insight into
00:41this stunning and challenging environment. The Everglades is the only place in the world where
00:47both crocodiles and alligators cohabit. You could even argue that learning to wrestle and live
00:52alongside their sharp-toothed neighbours set the Miccosukee up well to wrestle the White House.
00:58The United States is famed for its national parks but nothing quite as unique as this watery
01:03wonderland that remarkably covers one and a half million acres. We can only give you a glimpse of
01:10the expanse of the Everglades in this report because recent droughts mean the water level is too low in
01:15places even for these custom airboats but where the river runs deep the wildlife is stunning and
01:22somewhat menacing. We spotted turtles who sadly dove away from our cameras but the alligators are not so
01:29shy. Adults in this region can grow up to 15 feet in length and their bite can crush through bones
01:35exerting 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. All the alligators in the Everglades are native to their
01:43habitat and are protected from poachers due to strict population management laws. The alligator though
01:49is the ultimate survivor earning the title of living fossil because the species has been around for over
01:5537 million years. People think of the alligator as the king of the swamp but the heron you see
02:02is actually one of the greatest predators to young gators and that's why this mother alligator comes out of
02:09the river banks as we pass. She's closely guarding her young offspring in her nest. This is the furthest
02:16we could venture into the vast landscape. We later drove another 25 miles into the Everglades to find a
02:23vantage point which should be a vast expanse of water and grass but right now it's just an arid orchard.
02:30The wet season began in May in Florida but the rain is too little and all too rare. At this
02:37World Cup
02:37there is an expectation that lightning storms and monsoons could interrupt play. If that happens
02:43at least it will bring some comfort to the inhabitants of the Everglades that their rain dance was finally answered.
03:24there is nothing but one day after being transported being able to get the crowds.
03:27so
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