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The top of Texas.
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Guadalupe Peak.
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It stands above a proudand diverse state.
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Where the Rocky Mountainsand harsh desertof the American West
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converge with the vastnessof the Great Plains.
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To where the forestsand swamps of the Deep South
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give way to the BlacklandPrairies and Post Oak Savannas.
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From the spring-fed riversthat bless the Hill Country...
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...to the tropical brushof the Rio Grande Valley.
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Texas gives life to animalsfound nowhere else...
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...and attracts migrationsfrom across the hemisphere.
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More headwater springsto the Gulf of Mexico.
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It is a land sculpted by water.
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Where nature has selectedfor the most adaptable...
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...and to those willingto stake their claim.
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This film celebratesthe natural wonders of Texas.
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It is a storyabout tragedies in our past...
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...of recoveriesagainst all odds...
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...and is a call to actionto conserve the wildlife
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and wild places in our home.
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This is a storyfor all who love Texas.
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The history of our relationshipwith wildlife in Texas...
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...is best told on theHigh Plains of the Panhandle.
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For millennia,herds of Bison roamedacross Texas by the millions.
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Their grazing patternsshaped our landscapes,
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and their meat and hidesnourished the peoplewho lived here.
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They survived ice agesand mass extinctions.
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But their ability to thrive...
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...was no matchfor westward expansion.
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Only three lifetimes ago,
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30 million bison roamed theGreat Plains of North America.
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So many, they seemed limitless.
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They attractedmarket hunters West
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where an experienced buffalohunter could often killhundreds a day.
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Their hides and tongueswere sold to markets
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along the East Coast and Europe.
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The meat was left to rot
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or was laced with poisonto kill off predators.
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Efforts to slowthe killing were ignored...
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...for the great Slaughterdestroyed the food sourceof Native Americans...
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...forcing manyunder reservations.
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Commercial market huntingwasn't limited to bison.
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Most abundant birdin North America,
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passenger pigeon,was hunted to extinction.
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Wild sheep,pronghorn, deer, and elk
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were killed from allbut the most remote locations.
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Waterfowl and shorebirdswere shot by the millions.
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Jaguars, grizzlies, and wolveswere killed from Texas.
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By the late 1800s,
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our wildlife was decimated.
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Legend has it that Texas rancherMolly Goodnight heard
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the last bison calves crying outfor their slaughtered mothers.
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Of the five million in Texas...
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...only five remained.
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She saved themand their numbers grew.
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They lived in Palo Duro Canyonuntil the 1990s
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when they were givento Texas Parks and Wildlife
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and movedto Caprock Canyon State Park.
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These are their descendants.
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The survivors of the greatSouthern Plains bison herd.
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The herd is over 300 strong.
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And this is the future.
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Learning to bea bison is hard work.
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Especially when you haveto walk on day one.
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These wobbly legs will needto be strengthened.
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And it's a good thingmom's here to help.
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They havean entire prairie to explore.
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And neighbors to meet.
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Like all communities, there'salways that one neighbor...
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...coming out of their holewith their feathers all ruffled.
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There's a diversityof creatures on these plains.
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And this calf needsto learn how to run in order
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to keep upwith the herd one day.
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Which will take some practice.
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Maybe a little teamwork willhelp improve the coordination.
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These calves may only bea few weeks old...
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...but the bloodof Texas survivors flowsthrough their veins.
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They were born to run.
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These bison won't roam the sameprairies as their ancestors.
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But there is room to expand.
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There are public landsacross Texas
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that can be restored with bison.
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Many ranches havealready answered their call.
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Bison herds are expandingacross the state.
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And they aren't alone.
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Following the Great Slaughterof the late 1800s...
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...a series of laws were passedto recover our wildlife.
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Commercial market huntingwas put to an end
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and conservation-mindedsportsmen advocated
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for hunting limits and seasons.
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The creation of forest, parks,and refuges provided habitat.
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And international agreementsprotected migratory birds.
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The combined effortsto restore some animals
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have been remarkably successful.
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And many speciesthat were killed out of an area
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have been reintroduced.
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In Texas today,elk bugle from mountaintops.
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Pronghorn grace the prairie.
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And desert bighorn have returnedto their mountain homes.
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These recoveries are largely dueto people who have dedicated...
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...and some who have given theirlives to restore our wildlife.
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But there is one speciethat reign supreme on recovery.
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The white-tailed deer.
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At the end of each winter,
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the buck shed their antlersand begin to grow a new set.
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During the velvet stage,
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antlers can growa quarter inch a day
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and under goodrangeland conditions,
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the bucks put extra resourcesinto their antlers' growth.
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As summer fades into fall,
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their testosterone increasesand they rub the velvet off.
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Revealing a fresh new set...
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...of weapons.
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The rut, the breeding season,lasts for only a month...
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...which they have spentall year preparing for.
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Most fights aresettled within seconds...
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...for the risk of injuryis high and the larger buck
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typically exertshis dominance quickly.
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But when opponentsare evenly matched...
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...a showdown...
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...for breeding rightsand territory is inevitable.
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Each doe is in heatfor only 24 hours.
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The buck's bloodlinesand territories are at stake.
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These incredible dramasshould not be taken for granted.
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A century ago,white-tailed deer had beenkilled from most of the state
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and only survivedin isolated pockets.
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Today, largely dueto regulations
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and conservation-mindedsportsmen,
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there are over five million.
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Other species havenot shared the same fate.
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In a very few special parts ofthe South Texas brush country...
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...lives a creatureonce thought to be lost.
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An animal so rare,it has become nearly mythical.
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An ocelot.
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Fewer than 80 are knownto exist in the entire country.
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Ocelots were oncefound across much of Texas
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and into Louisiana and Arkansas.
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Much of their habitathas been lost.
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Then they werehistorically trapped,
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hunted and poisonedby government predator programs.
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Today they existin only two small populations,
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where they are geneticallyisolated and inbred.
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A catastrophic fire, hurricane
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or disease could wipe themfrom the country.
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Much is unknown,for many landowners havenot allowed research
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on their propertybecause they are concernedthat the Endangered Species Act
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would impacttheir ranching operations.
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Texas is 95% privately owned,
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and recoveringendangered species
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is very difficultwithout landowners support.
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A growing numberof landowners have embracedocelot research and recovery.
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They take great pridein conserving
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both a ranching legacyand a wildlife legacy.
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Inside oneof these cattle ranches...
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...new camera technologyis revealing
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the secretive lives of ocelot...
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...and has given us a glimpseat the next generation.
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These precious kittenshave no idea
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how crucial they arefor the species.
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Their survival dependson mom's ability...
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...to hunt.
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She has hiddenher kittens to hunt alone.
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A green jay warning othersthere's a predator on the prowl.
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An armadillo.
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Busted.
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She'll have to keep hunting.
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But she's not the only predator.
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The brush can bea dangerous place for kittens
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without theirmother's protection.
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Success.
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Back to the kittens.
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The worst sounda mother can hear.
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Silence.
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She has foundone of her kittens.
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Sadly... the otherwas never seen again.
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She will now put her full effortinto raising the survivor.
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Her kitten needs to learn howto hunt on her own one day...
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...which will take practice.
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And a little hide-and-seek.
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Hopefully,this kitten will establishher own territory one day
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and play a part in the greaterrecovery of ocelots.
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Scientists, landowners,and many organizations
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are working togetherto introduce new genetics,
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restore habitatsand will hopefully start
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new populationsin their historic range.
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Like many wildlife species,their future can be bright.
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But they need our help.
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Water... rarely comespeacefully to Texas.
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Cold fronts from the northcan collide violently
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with warm airand moisture from the Gulf.
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Tropical jet streamsfrom the west bringthunderstorms each summer.
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While El NiƱoand other weather systems
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bring uncertaintyfrom year to year...
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...blue northersblanket the state in winter...
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...while summer highssoar over 100 degrees.
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Droughts are a cyclicalpart of our weather system.
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As are floods.
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Nearly allof our rivers are born here,
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and they journeyto the Gulf of Mexico.
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But much of the rainfallseeps into the earth...
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...into vast aquifersthat cover 80% of the state.
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In the poorest limestoneof the Hill Country...
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...the Edwards Plateausoaks up moisture like a sponge.
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Below the surface,water and time
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have sculpted a landscapeas magnificent as the one above.
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This karst ecosystem is so vast
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and receives enough nutrientsfrom the outside world...
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...that life has evolvedin the absence of light.
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Inside this constanttemperature climate...
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...nature has selected foranimals who conserve energy...
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...and who lose traitsthat are no longer necessary.
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This is an endangeredTexas blind salamander.
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They hunt the darknessby sensing small disturbancesin the water pressure.
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They breathethrough their gills,
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which change in size, dependingon the available oxygen.
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In this world below our feet...
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...familiar creatureshave become nearly alien.
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A blind catfish.
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There are three species in Texas
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and they have been found2,000 feet below the surface.
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They are the size of your palm.
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And their metabolism is so slow,
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they can survivefour years between meals.
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We know little about them.
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Yet their habitat is thefoundation for our fresh water.
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When the aquifers are full,
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water bubblesto the surface through springs.
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As springs combined together,they create creeks.
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As the creeks converge, theyform our Hill Country rivers.
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It's water.
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From stone.
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In a select few riversand creeks,
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the state fishof Texas hunts the rapids.
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The Guadalupe bass.
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Each spring, the males beginpreparations to attract a mate.
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Step one is finding a suitablelocation for a spawning bed.
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A gravel floor with surroundingprotective structure is ideal.
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He must choose wisely,
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or he won't leavethe bed for over a month.
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"Ah, perfect."
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The second step isto clean the gravel floor.
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A difficult task with only fins,
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but a necessary one.
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Females don't finddirt on the bed attractive.
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It's tidy.
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But is it enoughto impress a mate?
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The females aresearching for males
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that will give their eggsthe best chance of survival.
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They will be judgedon their spawning beds.
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"Gross! Hey,don't mess with Texas.
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Getting better.
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Yuck! Hey, this ain't Oklahoma.
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Now we're talking."
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With up to 10,000 eggs to lay,
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finding the right partneris worth searching for.
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Sometimes they've beenpreparing a bed just for you.
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During this courtship dance,the female releases her eggs,
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which are fertilizedby the male.
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00:40:56,588 --> 00:41:01,192
Exhausted, she has spentall her energy on reproduction.
260
00:41:03,502 --> 00:41:06,263
But dad duty has just begun.
261
00:41:08,139 --> 00:41:11,939
For a week straight, he aeratesthe eggs with his fins
262
00:41:12,475 --> 00:41:13,974
until one day...
263
00:41:22,854 --> 00:41:25,556
These baby basshave many predators.
264
00:41:26,092 --> 00:41:29,286
And he will continue to protectthem for the next few weeks.
265
00:41:34,460 --> 00:41:38,066
Eventually, their responsibilitypasses on to us.
266
00:41:39,703 --> 00:41:44,708
To ensurethat our rivers stay healthyand the springs always flow.
267
00:41:47,209 --> 00:41:49,641
Which is becomingincreasingly difficult.
268
00:41:55,752 --> 00:42:00,284
The Texas Hill Countryis developing fasterthan any other region.
269
00:42:04,197 --> 00:42:09,865
Per capita, each of us uses138 gallons of water each day.
270
00:42:14,467 --> 00:42:17,236
To meet this demand,we are taking water out
271
00:42:17,372 --> 00:42:20,139
of the aquifersand pumping it to the surface.
272
00:42:26,216 --> 00:42:29,950
When we remove morewater than rainfall can refill,
273
00:42:30,319 --> 00:42:34,120
the water table falls,and the springs go dry.
274
00:42:37,723 --> 00:42:41,091
During the last century,one half of the major springs
275
00:42:41,226 --> 00:42:43,129
in Texas have stopped flowing
276
00:42:43,264 --> 00:42:46,099
because the aquiferwas over-pumped.
277
00:42:49,502 --> 00:42:53,271
Our rivers and wildlifedepend on these springs.
278
00:42:55,281 --> 00:42:56,747
As do we.
279
00:43:02,121 --> 00:43:05,650
The people of Austin andSan Antonio have taken action.
280
00:43:06,853 --> 00:43:10,388
When water protection effortswere placed on city elections,
281
00:43:10,524 --> 00:43:13,557
citizens voted overwhelminglyin support.
282
00:43:16,165 --> 00:43:18,428
They voted to investin water rights,
283
00:43:18,564 --> 00:43:23,070
establish parks,and fund conservation easements.
284
00:43:26,574 --> 00:43:31,947
They have conserved over 200,000acres of their watersheds.
285
00:43:34,318 --> 00:43:38,888
Because the future healthof the land is tied to our own.
286
00:43:45,958 --> 00:43:49,565
One of these conserved areasis also helping to protect...
287
00:43:50,235 --> 00:43:53,837
...one of Earth's mostremarkable wildlife spectacles.
288
00:43:58,839 --> 00:44:00,377
Bracken cave.
289
00:44:08,848 --> 00:44:13,054
This is a maternity colonyof Mexican free-tailed bats.
290
00:44:18,329 --> 00:44:21,326
The females migratefrom Mexico to Texas each year
291
00:44:21,462 --> 00:44:23,763
to feed on insectsduring the summer,
292
00:44:23,899 --> 00:44:25,770
and to raise a new pup.
293
00:44:30,907 --> 00:44:34,506
At five weeks old,the youngsters have alreadygrown to adult size
294
00:44:34,642 --> 00:44:37,782
and are preparingto take their first flight.
295
00:44:41,851 --> 00:44:43,551
Airspace is crowded,
296
00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:45,251
for Bracken cave contains
297
00:44:45,387 --> 00:44:48,421
20 million Mexicanfree-tailed bats,
298
00:44:48,556 --> 00:44:52,324
and is the largest congregationof mammals on Earth.
299
00:44:58,764 --> 00:45:01,740
It's a difficult placeto learn how to fly.
300
00:45:15,988 --> 00:45:18,486
As the sun setseach summer evening,
301
00:45:18,955 --> 00:45:21,523
the colony begins to emerge.
302
00:46:26,326 --> 00:46:30,862
It is time for these youngbats to spread their wings.
303
00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:47,208
Bats experience the worldmuch differently than we do.
304
00:46:49,315 --> 00:46:52,616
They emit sounds too highfor our ears to hear,
305
00:46:53,319 --> 00:46:56,181
which bounce off objects,and return as echoes,
306
00:46:56,817 --> 00:47:00,452
giving each bat an auditory mapof their surroundings.
307
00:47:03,125 --> 00:47:04,824
But with so many voices...
308
00:47:05,526 --> 00:47:07,899
...their echolocationis hindered
309
00:47:08,034 --> 00:47:10,528
and they mustalso rely on sight.
310
00:47:16,508 --> 00:47:20,307
The new pups must navigate tworotations around the batnado...
311
00:47:21,109 --> 00:47:22,640
...rise above the trees
312
00:47:22,775 --> 00:47:25,411
and then flyto their hunting grounds.
313
00:47:32,824 --> 00:47:34,156
Their gravest danger...
314
00:47:34,824 --> 00:47:35,993
...is collision.
315
00:49:38,312 --> 00:49:43,219
The pups who are ableto free themselvesmust rejoin the colony.
316
00:49:44,523 --> 00:49:46,923
But they do not yet havethe strength or the skill
317
00:49:47,058 --> 00:49:48,785
to take off from the ground.
318
00:49:51,897 --> 00:49:56,397
Their only hope isto climb to a high pointto take off again...
319
00:50:04,941 --> 00:50:06,374
...undetected.
320
00:50:14,949 --> 00:50:18,683
The coachwhip is the fastestsnake in North America.
321
00:50:23,390 --> 00:50:24,821
They are waiting...
322
00:50:25,797 --> 00:50:27,065
...for movement.
323
00:51:44,543 --> 00:51:48,311
Alone, the bats are defenselessagainst the snakes.
324
00:51:51,446 --> 00:51:53,514
But others have also fallen.
325
00:52:17,571 --> 00:52:19,574
And when one is sacrificed...
326
00:52:21,011 --> 00:52:24,978
...it provides an opportunityfor the others... to escape.
327
00:53:40,089 --> 00:53:43,961
Flying within the colony,the young bats find safety...
328
00:53:44,830 --> 00:53:48,398
...for their greatest strengthis in their sheer numbers.
329
00:54:01,173 --> 00:54:04,144
Above the tree line,they fly as a river.
330
00:54:04,980 --> 00:54:08,550
Each individual hiddenamongst the multitude.
331
00:54:15,754 --> 00:54:17,620
They must blend into the group.
332
00:54:18,289 --> 00:54:20,694
The emergence hasattracted attention.
333
00:54:26,770 --> 00:54:30,166
Red-tailed hawks,Swainson's hawks,
334
00:54:30,301 --> 00:54:33,641
and peregrine falconshave come to hunt.
335
00:54:37,380 --> 00:54:38,613
They are looking...
336
00:54:39,416 --> 00:54:41,550
...for prey that stands out.
337
00:55:05,272 --> 00:55:09,347
Some of these bats haveover 15 years of experience.
338
00:55:10,710 --> 00:55:11,976
But the new pups...
339
00:55:13,345 --> 00:55:16,184
...don't yet know the dangersof flying alone
340
00:55:16,320 --> 00:55:17,949
or on the outskirts.
341
00:56:17,811 --> 00:56:20,081
Individuals fall each night.
342
00:56:22,085 --> 00:56:26,050
But as a colony...they overwhelm the predators.
343
00:56:40,004 --> 00:56:44,200
The bats of Bracken Cavesupport an entire ecosystem.
344
00:56:45,469 --> 00:56:48,906
But their biggest impactis up to 100 miles away,
345
00:56:49,175 --> 00:56:51,813
where they will consumeover 150 tons
346
00:56:51,949 --> 00:56:55,948
of agricultural pestsevery single night.
347
00:57:08,194 --> 00:57:11,095
There are 32 differentspecies in Texas
348
00:57:11,230 --> 00:57:13,801
and hundredsof millions of bats.
349
00:57:18,875 --> 00:57:21,304
Some night skiesthey fly under...
350
00:57:21,973 --> 00:57:23,877
...are more special than others.
351
00:58:12,590 --> 00:58:15,896
Of all the national parksin the Lower 48...
352
00:58:16,933 --> 00:58:20,131
...Big Bend hasthe darkest skies.
353
00:58:27,709 --> 00:58:30,108
Beneath this heavenly expanse...
354
00:58:30,944 --> 00:58:32,880
...are the signs of hope.
355
00:58:42,728 --> 00:58:46,828
These... are the marksof a black bear.
356
00:58:52,903 --> 00:58:55,536
Bears were oncekilled out of Texas.
357
00:58:56,206 --> 00:58:59,605
But across the border,in the high mountains of Mexico,
358
00:58:59,741 --> 00:59:01,744
a population thrived.
359
00:59:05,282 --> 00:59:09,779
In the 1980s, bears becamea protected species in Texas.
360
00:59:10,415 --> 00:59:13,591
And we waited...for their return.
361
00:59:26,399 --> 00:59:30,938
In 1987, a femaledispersed from Mexico...
362
00:59:31,708 --> 00:59:33,272
...crossed the Rio Grande,
363
00:59:33,407 --> 00:59:36,409
and made her homein Big Bend National Park.
364
00:59:42,687 --> 00:59:47,284
Her pioneering instincts flowthrough the veinsof our bears today...
365
00:59:49,659 --> 00:59:51,288
...and their offspring.
366
01:00:15,714 --> 01:00:18,349
This mama bear has taughther eight-month-old cubs
367
01:00:18,484 --> 01:00:21,186
how to find foodwith each passing season.
368
01:00:25,959 --> 01:00:28,292
In the fall, that means acorns.
369
01:00:32,432 --> 01:00:34,264
It's slim pickingson the forest floor,
370
01:00:34,400 --> 01:00:38,108
but... up above,there's a bounty.
371
01:00:51,418 --> 01:00:55,154
And these cubs,they have a size advantage.
372
01:01:30,623 --> 01:01:35,429
The very best acorns arethose the big bears can't reach.
373
01:02:26,679 --> 01:02:30,084
The higher the climb,the sweeter the reward.
374
01:03:04,452 --> 01:03:08,584
Life is goodin Big Bend National Park.
375
01:03:12,496 --> 01:03:15,899
A century ago, these bearswould have been hunted down.
376
01:03:17,002 --> 01:03:20,035
Today... they canrest peacefully.
377
01:03:33,419 --> 01:03:37,515
But the Chisos Mountains inBig Bend are relatively small,
378
01:03:37,650 --> 01:03:40,253
and they are alreadyfilled to capacity.
379
01:03:44,829 --> 01:03:46,997
Like their pioneer ancestors,
380
01:03:47,132 --> 01:03:50,329
bears are dispersingfrom the national park.
381
01:03:52,303 --> 01:03:55,099
They are seekingnew mountain ranges in Texas.
382
01:03:55,968 --> 01:04:00,471
A place to call home, wheretheir ancestors once roamed.
383
01:04:12,054 --> 01:04:14,190
But their path to recovery
384
01:04:14,726 --> 01:04:16,454
is far from certain.
385
01:05:08,247 --> 01:05:11,346
There are thousandsof traps across Texas.
386
01:05:11,916 --> 01:05:14,116
Set for our top predator.
387
01:05:24,091 --> 01:05:25,354
The mountain lion.
388
01:05:46,445 --> 01:05:48,515
Once found across the state,
389
01:05:48,651 --> 01:05:51,516
populations now only existin the remote canyons
390
01:05:51,651 --> 01:05:54,486
and deep brushof South and West Texas.
391
01:06:26,089 --> 01:06:28,018
Their territories are massive,
392
01:06:28,487 --> 01:06:31,424
often over 100 square miles.
393
01:06:48,347 --> 01:06:52,643
On average, they killevery seven to ten days.
394
01:07:23,745 --> 01:07:27,282
Their prey can beseveral times their size.
395
01:07:29,116 --> 01:07:30,214
And well-armed.
396
01:07:43,830 --> 01:07:46,296
Some animals take shelterin the cliffs.
397
01:07:47,166 --> 01:07:50,602
Or move as a herd to havemore eyes on the lookout.
398
01:08:01,550 --> 01:08:03,846
But water is scarcein the desert.
399
01:08:04,582 --> 01:08:06,519
And prey must drink.
400
01:10:10,411 --> 01:10:11,908
They must be wary...
401
01:10:14,117 --> 01:10:15,450
...for they too...
402
01:10:16,250 --> 01:10:17,485
...are prey.
403
01:10:22,519 --> 01:10:26,121
On rare occasions, mountainlions will kill livestock.
404
01:10:26,524 --> 01:10:29,992
And some hunters don't wantanother predator on the land.
405
01:10:33,071 --> 01:10:34,667
But unlike other states,
406
01:10:34,802 --> 01:10:36,904
where only problem catsare removed
407
01:10:37,039 --> 01:10:40,469
and mountain lions are eitherprotected or closely managed...
408
01:10:41,271 --> 01:10:45,042
...in Texas,they can be trapped, snared,
409
01:10:45,177 --> 01:10:48,281
and hunted year-roundwith no harvest limits
410
01:10:48,416 --> 01:10:50,683
and no science-based management.
411
01:10:53,491 --> 01:10:55,758
They can evenbe captured in cages
412
01:10:56,227 --> 01:10:58,493
and sold in canned hunts.
413
01:11:03,831 --> 01:11:07,166
In a West Texasstudy following 16 cats,
414
01:11:07,301 --> 01:11:08,567
one was shot
415
01:11:09,002 --> 01:11:13,376
and all of the remaining15 were killed in traps.
416
01:11:25,216 --> 01:11:27,984
It is not requiredto check the traps.
417
01:11:29,158 --> 01:11:30,119
When caught,
418
01:11:30,722 --> 01:11:32,392
it can take days to die
419
01:11:32,527 --> 01:11:34,892
from dehydration and exposure.
420
01:11:42,507 --> 01:11:45,903
Every stepthey take is a gamble.
421
01:11:50,482 --> 01:11:52,514
And they arealmost guaranteed...
422
01:11:53,281 --> 01:11:54,450
...to lose.
423
01:14:02,208 --> 01:14:05,174
This trap was dismantledby our camera team.
424
01:14:09,050 --> 01:14:11,449
But there arethousands across Texas
425
01:14:11,752 --> 01:14:13,754
that are armed right now.
426
01:14:21,558 --> 01:14:24,359
Mountain lion trapsdo not discriminate...
427
01:14:25,062 --> 01:14:26,530
...and can catch those...
428
01:14:27,133 --> 01:14:29,033
...just searchingfor a new home.
429
01:15:44,908 --> 01:15:48,651
The treatment of our mountainlions is from a bygone era.
430
01:15:50,481 --> 01:15:52,685
In other states,they are either protected
431
01:15:52,820 --> 01:15:54,351
or managed as a game animal
432
01:15:54,487 --> 01:15:57,759
with controlled huntingseasons and harvest limits.
433
01:16:01,366 --> 01:16:03,798
Texas can do the same.
434
01:16:42,499 --> 01:16:44,632
There is no better proofof our ability
435
01:16:44,768 --> 01:16:48,144
to change and livealongside the natural world...
436
01:16:49,213 --> 01:16:52,742
...than in the Big Thicketand Piney Woods of East Texas.
437
01:17:01,656 --> 01:17:06,026
One hundred years ago,this abandoned structurewas a sawmill...
438
01:17:07,730 --> 01:17:11,998
...where the old growth forestswere cut apart and turnedinto lumber.
439
01:17:20,208 --> 01:17:22,637
There are hundredsof sawmills like this.
440
01:17:23,173 --> 01:17:24,806
By the early 1900s,
441
01:17:24,941 --> 01:17:29,015
nearly all of the East Texasforest had been cut down.
442
01:17:36,824 --> 01:17:38,626
As the last trees fell
443
01:17:38,761 --> 01:17:40,726
and the top soil washed away,
444
01:17:40,861 --> 01:17:45,427
small groupsof bold Texans resolvedto bring these forests back.
445
01:17:53,208 --> 01:17:56,307
They shared a dreamof a restored ecosystem
446
01:17:56,442 --> 01:17:59,474
and were often metwith ridicule and scorn.
447
01:18:01,783 --> 01:18:03,247
Yet they persisted.
448
01:18:04,050 --> 01:18:06,019
And their vision took root.
449
01:18:20,865 --> 01:18:24,700
Over the course of decades,they slowly inspired landowners,
450
01:18:24,835 --> 01:18:27,669
timber companies and our stateand federal governments
451
01:18:27,805 --> 01:18:31,374
to combine effortsand bring the forests back.
452
01:19:05,781 --> 01:19:08,449
This... is their legacy.
453
01:19:09,385 --> 01:19:13,383
Over a million acres ofrestored forest and preserves.
454
01:19:16,489 --> 01:19:18,561
They have given usthe greatest gift
455
01:19:18,696 --> 01:19:20,962
a generation can leave behind.
456
01:19:22,397 --> 01:19:25,461
A landscape healthierthan they inherited...
457
01:19:26,164 --> 01:19:27,764
...teeming with life.
458
01:20:19,384 --> 01:20:23,920
The forests of East Texasaverage over four feetof rainfall a year.
459
01:20:25,190 --> 01:20:29,526
So much that the riversand creeks simplycan't hold it all in.
460
01:20:38,137 --> 01:20:40,272
As water spills over the banks,
461
01:20:40,407 --> 01:20:43,440
it fillsthe oxbow lakes and sloughs.
462
01:20:46,817 --> 01:20:48,745
Like a sponge, these wetlands
463
01:20:48,880 --> 01:20:52,449
absorb the overflow andact as nature's flood control.
464
01:20:54,725 --> 01:20:56,157
These are the conditions
465
01:20:56,559 --> 01:21:00,028
that our largest freshwaterfish have been waiting for.
466
01:21:08,399 --> 01:21:11,435
This... is an alligator gar.
467
01:21:12,510 --> 01:21:13,569
A female.
468
01:21:15,105 --> 01:21:19,542
She is the size of an adulthuman and can live just as long.
469
01:21:23,582 --> 01:21:25,655
She has leftthe safety of the river
470
01:21:25,790 --> 01:21:27,924
and is following the floods.
471
01:21:30,256 --> 01:21:34,192
These wetlands will providethe best opportunityfor her offspring.
472
01:21:34,627 --> 01:21:37,626
In a place freefrom other river predators.
473
01:21:43,503 --> 01:21:45,869
She releases pheromonesas she travels
474
01:21:46,305 --> 01:21:48,175
for her suitors to follow.
475
01:21:50,913 --> 01:21:53,213
And they have proven attractive.
476
01:22:00,784 --> 01:22:02,586
With scaleslike a suit of armor,
477
01:22:02,721 --> 01:22:05,489
she leads him furtherinto the shallows.
478
01:22:10,496 --> 01:22:14,797
She has likely waited fiveto ten years for the rightconditions to spawn.
479
01:22:15,767 --> 01:22:19,170
And she will releaseover 100,000 eggs
480
01:22:19,539 --> 01:22:22,242
which the malesfight to fertilize.
481
01:22:44,135 --> 01:22:45,928
Her eggs will hatchin only two days
482
01:22:46,063 --> 01:22:49,001
and the baby gar willbe swept back into the river
483
01:22:49,137 --> 01:22:51,172
as the floodwaters recede.
484
01:22:54,311 --> 01:22:56,608
It is a life strategyso successful,
485
01:22:56,743 --> 01:23:01,512
that alligator gar havelived here for 70 million years.
486
01:23:09,427 --> 01:23:13,561
Our waterways are hometo nearly 200 native Texas fish.
487
01:23:14,297 --> 01:23:17,066
Over a dozen arefound nowhere else.
488
01:23:18,896 --> 01:23:21,803
They have evolvedfor natural water flow,
489
01:23:21,939 --> 01:23:23,164
which has been disrupted.
490
01:23:27,643 --> 01:23:30,978
We have lost one halfof our wetlands in Texas,
491
01:23:31,447 --> 01:23:34,182
which actas nature's flood control.
492
01:23:35,780 --> 01:23:38,153
They are often replacedby concrete,
493
01:23:38,288 --> 01:23:40,584
which increasesthe flooding downstream.
494
01:23:46,897 --> 01:23:48,262
To mitigate flooding,
495
01:23:48,397 --> 01:23:51,496
over 7000 damshave been constructed...
496
01:23:52,464 --> 01:23:54,028
...which also irrigate crops,
497
01:23:54,163 --> 01:23:57,535
generate electricity,and supply our cities.
498
01:23:59,070 --> 01:24:02,672
The reservoirs dams createare exposed to the sun.
499
01:24:04,311 --> 01:24:06,478
During the drought of 2011,
500
01:24:06,613 --> 01:24:08,580
more water was lostto evaporation
501
01:24:08,715 --> 01:24:11,852
than was used by allof our cities combined.
502
01:24:22,861 --> 01:24:25,665
The impactto our watersheds is so great
503
01:24:25,801 --> 01:24:29,367
that hundreds of milesof our rivers no longer flow.
504
01:24:30,036 --> 01:24:34,275
And one half of our nativefish species are imperiled.
505
01:24:41,282 --> 01:24:42,945
We depend on the same water.
506
01:24:43,614 --> 01:24:45,484
And we are making progress.
507
01:24:48,691 --> 01:24:51,387
In the last 30 years,the average water use per Texan
508
01:24:51,523 --> 01:24:53,327
has been cut by a quarter.
509
01:24:55,526 --> 01:24:57,466
Landscaping with native plants,
510
01:24:57,601 --> 01:25:01,503
improving irrigation technology,storing water underground,
511
01:25:01,638 --> 01:25:05,372
and increasing efficiencyhas potential to save much more.
512
01:25:08,371 --> 01:25:11,411
Scientists are finding waysto release water from dams
513
01:25:11,547 --> 01:25:13,715
that allowour native fish to spawn.
514
01:25:14,618 --> 01:25:18,286
And some dams that are no longeruseful can be taken down.
515
01:25:22,224 --> 01:25:24,493
Conserving water is crucial...
516
01:25:25,629 --> 01:25:28,489
...for flowing riversare the arteries of Texas...
517
01:25:29,259 --> 01:25:32,800
...and the lifebloodof our bays and estuaries.
518
01:26:02,566 --> 01:26:07,236
Our coastline is uniquedue to a distinctive geography.
519
01:26:09,673 --> 01:26:13,374
Texas is protected by barrierislands and peninsulas.
520
01:26:16,405 --> 01:26:19,140
When salt water from the Gulfpasses through them,
521
01:26:19,276 --> 01:26:22,977
it combines with the fresh waterand nutrients from our rivers...
522
01:26:25,786 --> 01:26:28,357
...creating an underwaterprairie of grass
523
01:26:28,626 --> 01:26:31,458
that attracts lifefrom across the hemisphere.
524
01:26:54,377 --> 01:26:58,353
The migrations that come throughour coastline are so vast
525
01:26:58,488 --> 01:27:00,319
that the second highestpassage rate
526
01:27:00,454 --> 01:27:02,456
of migratory birds on Earth,
527
01:27:02,591 --> 01:27:05,294
was recordedright here in Texas.
528
01:27:16,003 --> 01:27:21,305
These coastal marshes arealso home to a master of ambush.
529
01:27:34,056 --> 01:27:35,456
Alligators.
530
01:28:22,535 --> 01:28:27,376
Islands along the coastprovide crucial habitatfor colonial waterbirds
531
01:28:27,511 --> 01:28:29,972
to build nestsand raise their chicks.
532
01:28:51,762 --> 01:28:53,228
As the youngsters grow,
533
01:28:53,363 --> 01:28:55,702
they begin to exploretheir surroundings...
534
01:28:56,939 --> 01:29:01,003
...creating an opportunityfor those with patience.
535
01:29:47,817 --> 01:29:49,355
Below the surface,
536
01:29:49,824 --> 01:29:52,094
the mixtureof fresh and salt water
537
01:29:52,229 --> 01:29:54,095
creates a nursery for the Gulf.
538
01:30:00,304 --> 01:30:02,471
Like many coastal species,
539
01:30:02,606 --> 01:30:04,870
redfish are bornas eggs in the ocean
540
01:30:05,005 --> 01:30:08,103
and swept into the baysby incoming tides.
541
01:30:12,143 --> 01:30:14,011
As juveniles,they hunt these shallows
542
01:30:14,147 --> 01:30:16,947
until they grow largeenough for life at sea.
543
01:30:23,924 --> 01:30:26,055
In Septemberof their third year,
544
01:30:26,424 --> 01:30:29,757
a biological urgetriggers them to congregate,
545
01:30:30,059 --> 01:30:33,062
and to begin their migration.
546
01:31:03,426 --> 01:31:06,133
Driven by instinctand following the tides,
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01:31:06,268 --> 01:31:09,934
they are swimming to the oceanto live out their adult lives.
548
01:31:11,908 --> 01:31:15,269
With them, flow nutrientsfrom across Texas.
549
01:31:18,041 --> 01:31:20,012
Transported by our rivers,
550
01:31:20,148 --> 01:31:24,212
the gift of fresh waterreaches the Gulf of Mexico.
551
01:31:31,527 --> 01:31:36,191
For the firstfew leagues offshore,sediment clouds the water.
552
01:31:37,863 --> 01:31:39,694
But with distance and depth,
553
01:31:39,963 --> 01:31:42,598
the Gulf reveals her true color.
554
01:31:50,979 --> 01:31:54,141
This deep blue worldseems far from our own,
555
01:31:54,610 --> 01:31:57,451
yet nutrientsfrom our bays and estuaries
556
01:31:57,586 --> 01:31:59,287
fuel much of the plankton...
557
01:32:00,090 --> 01:32:03,691
...which are the buildingblocks of life in the Gulf.
558
01:32:09,026 --> 01:32:11,128
In a few very special places,
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01:32:11,263 --> 01:32:13,395
salt domes have risenfrom the seafloor
560
01:32:13,531 --> 01:32:16,497
and combined with tropicalcurrents from the south.
561
01:32:17,700 --> 01:32:22,270
Here, this plankton fuelsthe Texas Caribbean...
562
01:32:33,484 --> 01:32:37,890
...the Flower GardenBanks National Marine Sanctuary.
563
01:33:02,249 --> 01:33:06,215
Each of these corals iscomposed of millions of polyps.
564
01:33:08,285 --> 01:33:10,956
Each polyp feedson the plankton.
565
01:33:14,058 --> 01:33:16,291
It is an oasis of life...
566
01:33:16,961 --> 01:33:19,096
...in a desert of blue.
567
01:33:27,406 --> 01:33:30,877
We are still unravelingthe mysteries that abound here.
568
01:33:33,176 --> 01:33:34,980
What we've learned thus far...
569
01:33:35,716 --> 01:33:38,313
...is nearly beyond imagination.
570
01:33:45,925 --> 01:33:47,661
Shortly after the sunset,
571
01:33:48,097 --> 01:33:50,965
during the weekafter the full moon in August,
572
01:33:51,101 --> 01:33:55,000
one of nature's mostremarkable events unfolds.
573
01:34:15,919 --> 01:34:17,220
The corals...
574
01:34:17,954 --> 01:34:19,189
...are spawning.
575
01:34:27,135 --> 01:34:29,164
We do not knowhow they communicate,
576
01:34:29,499 --> 01:34:32,499
but in unison,millions of coral polyps
577
01:34:32,634 --> 01:34:36,041
release and fertilizetheir offspring.
578
01:35:03,640 --> 01:35:08,943
This seemingly alien worldexists far from our dailyconsciousness.
579
01:35:10,613 --> 01:35:14,844
Yet it is connectedin ways that we are justbeginning to understand.
580
01:36:50,038 --> 01:36:53,313
In the next 30 years,our population is projected
581
01:36:53,448 --> 01:36:57,182
to increase from 30 millionto 50 million Texans.
582
01:37:03,221 --> 01:37:05,018
Urban areas are expanding,
583
01:37:05,421 --> 01:37:07,093
landscapes are subdividing
584
01:37:07,228 --> 01:37:09,693
as ranches splitwith the generations.
585
01:37:10,729 --> 01:37:14,034
And energy demand isconsuming millions of acres.
586
01:37:23,544 --> 01:37:26,277
Climate change willbring more severe droughts,
587
01:37:26,412 --> 01:37:29,445
weather variability,and hurricanes.
588
01:37:35,422 --> 01:37:37,619
Some of our riversare entirely consumed
589
01:37:37,755 --> 01:37:41,127
and no longer flowto the sea during drought years.
590
01:37:47,402 --> 01:37:50,837
We've lost a quarter ofour birds in the last 50 years.
591
01:37:51,473 --> 01:37:55,036
And there are 69 speciesthat are state endangered
592
01:37:55,438 --> 01:37:57,671
and 148 that are threatened.
593
01:38:08,550 --> 01:38:11,421
Their future is our choice.
594
01:38:12,928 --> 01:38:14,721
And there is reason for hope.
595
01:38:19,598 --> 01:38:22,336
From the Piney Woodsto the Trans-Pecos,
596
01:38:22,772 --> 01:38:24,071
there is living proof
597
01:38:24,206 --> 01:38:26,070
that we havethe ability to recover
598
01:38:26,205 --> 01:38:28,471
and live alongside wildlife.
599
01:38:34,081 --> 01:38:38,344
There is proofthat our votes can conservelandscapes and water,
600
01:38:38,480 --> 01:38:43,323
that our backyardscan be habitatfor incredible migrations,
601
01:38:43,626 --> 01:38:47,721
and that endangered speciescan thrive on working ranches.
602
01:38:54,402 --> 01:38:57,637
Every single Texasriver has advocates.
603
01:38:58,573 --> 01:39:01,907
And every ecoregion hasland owners and organizations
604
01:39:02,042 --> 01:39:04,276
working to improve the habitat.
605
01:39:12,718 --> 01:39:16,419
Thousands of Texans havededicated their lives, careers,
606
01:39:16,555 --> 01:39:19,090
and moneyto restore our wildlife
607
01:39:19,225 --> 01:39:21,557
and preserve our wild places.
608
01:39:27,435 --> 01:39:30,137
Yet there isstill so much to be done.
609
01:39:34,905 --> 01:39:39,074
There has never beena greater need or opportunity...
610
01:39:39,777 --> 01:39:43,183
...to conserveour unique ecosystem.
611
01:39:46,321 --> 01:39:48,254
And there'snever been a people...
612
01:39:49,024 --> 01:39:50,489
...who love their home...
613
01:39:51,058 --> 01:39:52,720
...as much as Texans.
54754
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