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1
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The panther was alive
after contact,
2
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then it came over here and collapsed.
3
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Okay.
4
00:01:20,038 --> 00:01:22,373
So, let's have a look at it,
see what's going on.
5
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He's dead. This cat's just been hit
because he's not in rigor yet.
6
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He's still soft.
Some wounds on the feet.
7
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I think he must have gotten hit here
on this side of the body.
8
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Probably his internal injury
that actually is what killed him.
9
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You can see his teeth, Carlton.
10
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These guys, when they're older,
right, you get a ridge here.
11
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- And so his teeth look beautiful, right?
Perfect.
12
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Perfect, pearly white,
so I would say he's a young cat.
13
00:01:53,404 --> 00:01:55,573
I mean, just by size,
he's probably got to be a year old,
14
00:01:55,698 --> 00:01:58,868
but based on his teeth, I wouldn't say
he's much older than that at all.
15
00:02:00,620 --> 00:02:03,123
This is the number one
cause of death, right?
16
00:02:03,289 --> 00:02:07,544
Vehicle collision is number one.
But in the last two weeks we have three.
17
00:02:08,378 --> 00:02:11,589
Any time you're losing this number
of animals from a population this small,
18
00:02:11,798 --> 00:02:14,217
obviously, it's a huge dent, for sure.
19
00:02:19,013 --> 00:02:21,015
We're gonna reach a threshold,
or maybe we're already there,
20
00:02:21,015 --> 00:02:24,144
for this little bit of piece of land
that's left for them.
21
00:02:24,352 --> 00:02:28,523
And just a few years ago, this
spot right here would have been woods.
22
00:02:28,523 --> 00:02:29,691
Sure.
23
00:02:36,114 --> 00:02:39,033
The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission says
24
00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,163
another endangered panther died
because of a vehicle collision.
25
00:02:43,329 --> 00:02:46,040
It brings the total,
now, to 18 this year.
26
00:02:46,249 --> 00:02:48,918
Florida panthers once roamed
the entire southeast,
27
00:02:49,085 --> 00:02:50,712
but are now mostly confined
28
00:02:50,879 --> 00:02:54,674
to just a small region of Florida
along the Gulf of Mexico.
29
00:03:05,977 --> 00:03:07,520
These animals are like ghosts.
30
00:03:11,774 --> 00:03:13,651
{\an8}This is the Florida Everglades,
31
00:03:13,818 --> 00:03:16,029
{\an8}and a massive effort is underway to recover
32
00:03:16,029 --> 00:03:20,742
{\an8}one of the most endangered animals
on Earth, the Florida Panther.
33
00:03:21,117 --> 00:03:24,120
It's absolute stealth. It's quiet.
34
00:03:25,330 --> 00:03:26,456
It's lethal.
35
00:03:31,628 --> 00:03:33,630
{\an8}As Florida was settled, the Panther,
36
00:03:33,630 --> 00:03:36,007
{\an8}a kind of cougar or mountain lion,
37
00:03:36,007 --> 00:03:38,801
{\an8}was considered a threat
to people and cattle.
38
00:03:44,432 --> 00:03:48,895
{\an8}It's a pioneer
that can travel hundreds of miles.
39
00:03:48,895 --> 00:03:50,939
{\an8}At present, there are so few panthers
40
00:03:50,939 --> 00:03:53,441
that extinction could be
just around the corner.
41
00:03:53,608 --> 00:03:57,570
{\an8}We're destroying so many
of the natural habitats in the world
42
00:03:57,695 --> 00:04:00,031
{\an8}that the species extinction rate
43
00:04:00,031 --> 00:04:05,828
{\an8}is now estimated to have increased
to as much as one thousand times
44
00:04:05,995 --> 00:04:10,124
{\an8}over what it occurred
before humankind came along.
45
00:04:25,723 --> 00:04:29,936
{\an8}There could be a panther sitting
beneath this palm,
46
00:04:30,103 --> 00:04:34,107
{\an8}staring at us right now,
and we would have no idea that it's there.
47
00:04:43,449 --> 00:04:45,451
{\an8}There's considerable danger
and concern
48
00:04:45,451 --> 00:04:48,579
any time you capture and manipulate
a wild animal.
49
00:04:48,705 --> 00:04:51,291
{\an8}If we can cause one litter of kittens
to survive,
50
00:04:51,457 --> 00:04:54,168
{\an8}we've increased the population
by 10 percent.
51
00:04:54,294 --> 00:04:55,586
{\an8}Got it?
Yeah, go.
52
00:04:57,171 --> 00:05:01,884
The last survivors live deep in the swamp
in areas for which man had little use.
53
00:05:07,307 --> 00:05:12,186
{\an8}And it's an emblem of a wildness.
It has survived over millennia.
54
00:05:14,314 --> 00:05:19,027
{\an8}These truly wild spaces
that we need to help save ourselves.
55
00:05:38,629 --> 00:05:40,381
Morning, Betty.
Morning.
56
00:05:40,381 --> 00:05:42,091
Did you manage to keep the feet
dry?
57
00:05:42,216 --> 00:05:44,218
Yup. For now.
58
00:05:45,928 --> 00:05:51,351
We call this area "Kahayatle",
which is shimmering waters.
59
00:05:51,351 --> 00:05:53,394
The sun shining on the water,
60
00:05:53,561 --> 00:05:57,023
and with this wind blowing,
the water rippling,
61
00:05:57,190 --> 00:06:02,070
and the water just shimmering
and sparkling like little diamonds.
62
00:06:11,037 --> 00:06:14,207
You know, I'm in an airboat,
but what if I was in a dugout canoe,
63
00:06:14,332 --> 00:06:18,211
and this is what I saw
for miles and miles and miles.
64
00:06:21,172 --> 00:06:26,928
Because maybe, eventually, it could return
to what my ancestors saw.
65
00:06:28,805 --> 00:06:34,018
On a lot of these tree islands,
we put our ancestors to rest.
66
00:06:34,185 --> 00:06:37,647
So our ancestors' DNA is in that tree.
67
00:06:37,814 --> 00:06:41,567
That's what we mean,
we're a part of the land.
68
00:06:41,776 --> 00:06:44,445
It flows in your blood veins.
69
00:06:44,570 --> 00:06:47,365
It's crazy to think that there
was a panther right here.
70
00:06:47,365 --> 00:06:52,036
It is. There's not really
any land in there.
71
00:06:52,036 --> 00:06:52,954
Wow.
72
00:06:52,954 --> 00:06:57,458
You could tell that's supposed to
be high ground because of that tree.
73
00:06:57,917 --> 00:07:02,839
This is the video
from this exact spot.
74
00:07:08,052 --> 00:07:10,721
You could see here,
the dry ground in here,
75
00:07:10,721 --> 00:07:13,766
so the water was much lower
than it is now.
76
00:07:13,933 --> 00:07:15,935
So he wouldn't have any problems
77
00:07:16,144 --> 00:07:19,564
going from island to island
and making his way here.
78
00:07:20,314 --> 00:07:22,608
If I could find just a little
piece of dry land,
79
00:07:22,608 --> 00:07:24,068
I'd wanna put a camera trap there.
80
00:07:24,193 --> 00:07:27,029
Just ease your way in,
'cause you don't know what's down there.
81
00:07:27,196 --> 00:07:28,281
You can't see.
82
00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:34,078
If a big python gets me,
will you come rescue me?
83
00:07:34,245 --> 00:07:35,538
I'll film it.
84
00:07:45,339 --> 00:07:48,426
In 2016, there was a video
of a Florida panther,
85
00:07:48,593 --> 00:07:50,386
and I've got the GPS coordinates.
86
00:07:50,595 --> 00:07:53,723
I'm going to try to find my way
to that exact point
87
00:07:53,890 --> 00:07:58,102
to see if there's
any dry land left here.
88
00:08:01,314 --> 00:08:02,607
Did you find it?
89
00:08:05,193 --> 00:08:08,529
I know this is supposed to be
a tree island, but...
90
00:08:08,696 --> 00:08:11,073
I didn't really find any dry land.
91
00:08:11,073 --> 00:08:16,662
It shows you how hard it would be
to be a deer or a panther
92
00:08:16,829 --> 00:08:19,207
trying to live
in conditions like this.
93
00:08:20,583 --> 00:08:23,002
This whole island
is under three feet of water.
94
00:08:23,169 --> 00:08:27,673
So basically impossible.
Yeah. Yep.
95
00:08:27,798 --> 00:08:30,051
- Have to keep looking North.
Right.
96
00:08:39,018 --> 00:08:40,436
This is our home.
97
00:08:40,645 --> 00:08:44,607
Just like it's the home
to the panther, the deer, the frogs.
98
00:08:44,815 --> 00:08:46,609
This is our home.
99
00:08:49,278 --> 00:08:53,783
And on a spiritual level,
this is like our church.
100
00:08:56,702 --> 00:08:59,121
- And now it's underwater.
- Yes.
101
00:09:01,958 --> 00:09:03,125
This is the Everglades.
102
00:09:03,125 --> 00:09:07,630
This is one of the most widely
known natural treasures in the world.
103
00:09:07,797 --> 00:09:09,715
But we're letting it die.
104
00:09:11,092 --> 00:09:14,345
Our coastlines are pushing in,
the seas are coming up,
105
00:09:14,512 --> 00:09:20,893
it's ditched and diked, and actually
dammed by roads that cut across it.
106
00:09:21,978 --> 00:09:26,649
These green patches, which would normally
be stepping stones of dry land.
107
00:09:26,816 --> 00:09:29,151
They're now all underwater.
108
00:09:29,277 --> 00:09:33,281
And it's just a matter of time
before they're gone altogether.
109
00:09:35,449 --> 00:09:38,703
I really started caring a lot
about the panther
110
00:09:38,911 --> 00:09:41,747
once I started caring a lot
about wildlife corridors.
111
00:09:42,790 --> 00:09:47,128
If we look back, the panther
was across the entire continent,
112
00:09:47,336 --> 00:09:52,091
and over time, as we've fragmented
and broken up that land,
113
00:09:52,216 --> 00:09:56,470
the only remnant left
in the entire eastern United States
114
00:09:56,470 --> 00:10:00,558
has been this relatively small piece
of the Everglades,
115
00:10:00,766 --> 00:10:03,686
and not even
that island of habitat is safe.
116
00:10:05,688 --> 00:10:09,525
So without saving a wildlife corridor,
117
00:10:09,692 --> 00:10:13,446
there is no hope for revival
for the Florida panther.
118
00:10:34,884 --> 00:10:37,011
All right, come on back.
119
00:10:38,721 --> 00:10:40,765
All right. Come on.
120
00:10:45,770 --> 00:10:46,812
It will be all right.
121
00:10:46,979 --> 00:10:48,731
It's been a full circle journey
122
00:10:48,898 --> 00:10:51,359
because I started
my photography career in Africa,
123
00:10:52,109 --> 00:10:57,239
but every time I came home to Florida,
the landscape was visibly changing.
124
00:10:59,408 --> 00:11:03,913
It took leaving for a few months
and coming home to see how fast,
125
00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:06,415
and it was a real wake-up call for me.
126
00:11:06,582 --> 00:11:08,918
One, two, three and up.
127
00:11:10,002 --> 00:11:11,379
Wonderful.
128
00:11:12,088 --> 00:11:13,839
That's what he was going for...
129
00:11:14,006 --> 00:11:18,302
My ancestors moved to Florida
in the early to mid-1800's.
130
00:11:19,845 --> 00:11:24,308
My great, great, great-grandfather
homesteaded in this county,
131
00:11:24,475 --> 00:11:27,353
in Hardee County, in the 1850's.
132
00:11:28,354 --> 00:11:31,482
And here we go. Here we go.
133
00:11:32,942 --> 00:11:37,113
As a kid, I came here
thinking about our ranch.
134
00:11:39,156 --> 00:11:42,243
As an adult, I come here thinking
about all ranches.
135
00:11:44,245 --> 00:11:49,083
In these places is the hope
for saving wildlife corridors,
136
00:11:49,792 --> 00:11:53,504
that can help the panthers
find their new territory.
137
00:11:55,381 --> 00:11:58,467
Here, we're in a strand of oak forest.
138
00:11:59,176 --> 00:12:02,638
Deep, dark green, pocket of woods.
139
00:12:03,305 --> 00:12:07,977
It's the type of place where,
if bears and panthers ever come back,
140
00:12:08,144 --> 00:12:10,104
where they might make a den.
141
00:12:11,939 --> 00:12:14,900
It was on a cattle ranch, in 1973,
142
00:12:15,025 --> 00:12:19,447
when the last female panther was seen
north of the Caloosahatchee River.
143
00:12:20,448 --> 00:12:24,326
Since then,
they've vanished from this landscape.
144
00:12:28,497 --> 00:12:30,541
But the ranches are still there.
145
00:12:30,666 --> 00:12:34,253
And there's hope that someday
a female panther will return.
146
00:13:03,991 --> 00:13:06,410
This is where the panther project
began for me.
147
00:13:06,577 --> 00:13:09,830
Where my path into trying to tell
the panther story,
148
00:13:09,997 --> 00:13:12,082
and I wanted to find the wildest,
149
00:13:12,249 --> 00:13:15,211
most representative
Florida panther habitat.
150
00:13:16,420 --> 00:13:20,841
You drop down out of the pine flatwoods,
into this cypress forest,
151
00:13:20,841 --> 00:13:25,137
it's like a sense of quiet
and wildness overcomes the place.
152
00:13:29,683 --> 00:13:31,310
It's like nowhere else I've been,
153
00:13:31,310 --> 00:13:34,980
and it's the heart
of this south Florida wilderness.
154
00:13:38,734 --> 00:13:40,152
You know that somewhere
155
00:13:40,319 --> 00:13:43,489
a Florida panther
is stalking through that forest.
156
00:13:53,958 --> 00:13:58,587
Moment of truth is whether the camera
fires here, when we try to cross.
157
00:14:01,841 --> 00:14:03,801
Nothing.
158
00:14:13,227 --> 00:14:14,270
Always something.
159
00:14:15,229 --> 00:14:19,233
So something's going on
with this deal.
160
00:14:20,401 --> 00:14:24,071
Trigger's dead. Battery 42 percent.
161
00:14:24,947 --> 00:14:27,283
One thousand,
nine hundred and fourteen shots.
162
00:14:31,453 --> 00:14:36,667
Got more than a thousand pictures
compressed in two days.
163
00:14:36,792 --> 00:14:38,168
Damn.
164
00:14:38,836 --> 00:14:41,672
Got the legs of a panther
flying through.
165
00:14:41,797 --> 00:14:44,508
He's like just a pair of feet
right here.
166
00:14:50,264 --> 00:14:54,226
This trigger may have picked him up,
but by the time the camera fired,
167
00:14:55,311 --> 00:14:56,729
he was already down here.
168
00:14:56,729 --> 00:14:59,231
Where's the first shot?
There's nothing.
169
00:15:00,691 --> 00:15:03,027
Makes no sense to me at all.
170
00:15:03,027 --> 00:15:08,073
I could try for two more years, and
I might not ever replicate that capture.
171
00:15:10,117 --> 00:15:13,287
The chance of me seeing
a Florida panther in the daylight
172
00:15:13,495 --> 00:15:16,874
with a camera in my hands
is next to nothing.
173
00:15:20,419 --> 00:15:22,004
But the camera trap,
174
00:15:22,004 --> 00:15:26,717
it's a way to actually have
the panther take its own picture.
175
00:15:28,052 --> 00:15:32,056
Your camera is one or two feet away
from a panther.
176
00:15:32,181 --> 00:15:34,892
And so it's giving us
access to this world.
177
00:15:35,059 --> 00:15:38,020
That's something we've never had
a chance to even see before.
178
00:15:45,986 --> 00:15:49,949
This project has been
the hardest thing I've ever attempted.
179
00:15:54,995 --> 00:16:01,877
It takes a tremendous amount of time,
energy, and luck to get these images.
180
00:16:05,422 --> 00:16:08,509
And it's so far from certain
that we're actually going to succeed.
181
00:16:14,014 --> 00:16:18,060
As much time as I spend obsessively
trying to photograph panthers,
182
00:16:18,060 --> 00:16:20,354
I think about the land
183
00:16:21,063 --> 00:16:27,444
because this panther is an emblem of
this land that is very much endangered.
184
00:16:36,996 --> 00:16:39,581
It's so hard to show the story.
185
00:16:39,581 --> 00:16:41,667
- Lights?
Yep.
186
00:16:41,667 --> 00:16:44,753
And you have to show people the animal
187
00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:49,299
in order to create that connection,
that love, that appreciation.
188
00:16:53,095 --> 00:16:57,599
It's all about setting the stage.
And waiting.
189
00:17:04,523 --> 00:17:07,276
{\an8}We're going to go out
and try to locate
190
00:17:07,276 --> 00:17:11,739
{\an8}ten to 12 radio-collared
Florida panthers.
191
00:17:12,406 --> 00:17:16,201
If all goes well, we'll come back in one
piece.
192
00:17:18,120 --> 00:17:20,831
Naples 4-4-1-0-0, Papa Mike.
193
00:17:20,831 --> 00:17:24,376
Right there, with Oscar, wait for taxi.
194
00:17:24,376 --> 00:17:29,840
1-0-0 Papa Mike, roger,
runway 1-4 taxi via bravo.
195
00:17:30,007 --> 00:17:34,636
Number 2-4 tango whiskey,
contact Fort Meyers departure. Good day.
196
00:17:36,472 --> 00:17:39,516
I'm glad I took my Dramamine this morning.
197
00:17:41,060 --> 00:17:42,936
Wow, you really do some turns.
198
00:17:42,936 --> 00:17:45,397
Yeah, sorry.
No, it's all good.
199
00:17:46,273 --> 00:17:51,820
Yeah, so we're on the western edge
of the Everglades, Big Cypress ecosystem.
200
00:17:51,820 --> 00:17:57,367
Why was the last puma, east of
the Mississippi, surviving here?
201
00:17:57,367 --> 00:18:00,662
It is the last breeding population
202
00:18:00,662 --> 00:18:03,624
of pumas east of the Mississippi River,
203
00:18:03,624 --> 00:18:09,588
and yeah, you just kind of get a feel for
how impenetrable some of the areas
204
00:18:09,588 --> 00:18:16,345
as you head farther east of Naples,
would be, especially a hundred years ago.
205
00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:19,765
I can imagine this is probably
the last frontier
206
00:18:19,765 --> 00:18:23,310
where settlers and people
wanted to go.
207
00:18:24,144 --> 00:18:25,187
Exactly.
208
00:18:27,606 --> 00:18:28,732
There he is!
209
00:18:30,192 --> 00:18:33,112
- I see him on the trail over there.
Oh, my gosh.
210
00:18:33,112 --> 00:18:35,155
He's heading south on that trail.
211
00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,451
Okay.
- Should be coming right over him, I think.
212
00:18:40,536 --> 00:18:41,995
There he is. There he is.
213
00:18:41,995 --> 00:18:44,123
- You see him?
I do.
214
00:18:44,331 --> 00:18:51,088
We just saw a wild Florida Panther.
Absolutely amazing, rare sight to see.
215
00:19:06,895 --> 00:19:09,022
If you're a female panther,
216
00:19:09,189 --> 00:19:13,360
and you strike out on your own
to try to find your own territory,
217
00:19:17,239 --> 00:19:20,868
You would only find a narrow ribbon
of forested land,
218
00:19:21,034 --> 00:19:24,121
that's getting chipped away at
year by year.
219
00:19:30,752 --> 00:19:32,379
This is a turning point.
220
00:19:32,546 --> 00:19:35,591
You can see green turning to concrete,
221
00:19:35,757 --> 00:19:38,844
and land is disappearing
before your eyes.
222
00:19:42,931 --> 00:19:46,727
As we've developed this state,
as we've developed this country,
223
00:19:46,894 --> 00:19:50,772
these wild places have been cut
into smaller and smaller pieces.
224
00:19:54,526 --> 00:19:58,864
These islands, for a wide ranging animal,
are a one way path to extinction.
225
00:20:04,703 --> 00:20:08,498
The panther needs that lifeline to the
north, it needs the northern Everglades,
226
00:20:08,665 --> 00:20:11,043
it needs the pine forests
of the Florida panhandle,
227
00:20:11,210 --> 00:20:15,297
it needs the southern Appalachians
and all the way beyond.
228
00:20:18,425 --> 00:20:21,220
The wildlife corridor is a way
229
00:20:21,386 --> 00:20:27,935
that we can save a path
for the panther, or it's going to be lost.
230
00:20:39,947 --> 00:20:41,240
All new at 4:30.
231
00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,076
Florida panthers are dying at
record-breaking rates.
232
00:20:44,243 --> 00:20:48,580
Nearly a dozen hit by cars on Lee County
roads, three in just the last week.
233
00:21:13,438 --> 00:21:15,941
It was obvious that this guy
had multiple broken legs,
234
00:21:15,941 --> 00:21:17,818
but it wasn't until we got him
to the vet clinic
235
00:21:17,818 --> 00:21:20,570
that we really knew
the full extent of his injuries.
236
00:21:27,869 --> 00:21:29,579
We think he actually was hit twice.
237
00:21:29,579 --> 00:21:32,332
So once we got the X-rays,
and we could look at those injuries
238
00:21:32,499 --> 00:21:35,502
and actually palpate and feel the area
where it was fractured,
239
00:21:35,669 --> 00:21:38,463
the back legs
I think were broken in one time,
240
00:21:38,630 --> 00:21:42,426
but probably, the front leg
was hit even a day or two before.
241
00:21:42,426 --> 00:21:45,304
My options are fix the animal
and hope that that stretch
242
00:21:45,304 --> 00:21:48,181
from surgical repair, and rehab goes well,
243
00:21:48,181 --> 00:21:50,809
with all the things that could go wrong,
or euthanasia.
244
00:21:50,809 --> 00:21:54,354
There's not a whole lot
of in-betweens for wild animals.
245
00:21:55,897 --> 00:21:57,399
And I'm not sure even,
246
00:21:57,566 --> 00:21:59,943
in terms of large carnivore rehab
that anybody has done,
247
00:22:01,361 --> 00:22:03,905
three long-bone fracture repair
on a large carnivore
248
00:22:03,905 --> 00:22:06,241
and then had successful rehab
and release.
249
00:22:06,241 --> 00:22:08,702
I'm not even sure that anybody
has done two long-bone fractures.
250
00:22:08,869 --> 00:22:11,997
I think a lot of vets and a lot of people
would look at me, individually,
251
00:22:11,997 --> 00:22:14,041
as making the decision,
and maybe collectively us as a group,
252
00:22:14,041 --> 00:22:15,334
like we're crazy.
253
00:22:17,919 --> 00:22:22,424
{\an8}- Five cc's b-vits.
- Okay.
254
00:22:23,759 --> 00:22:26,428
{\an8}The panther team was originally formed
255
00:22:26,428 --> 00:22:29,056
when the population
was down to 20 to 30 animals
256
00:22:29,056 --> 00:22:31,266
to try to bring these animals back.
257
00:22:31,391 --> 00:22:34,561
This particular kitten
is the very first Florida Panther kitten
258
00:22:34,561 --> 00:22:37,647
we've ever had the opportunity
to capture and put a collar on.
259
00:22:37,814 --> 00:22:41,693
We know that we have a problem
with survival of young kittens.
260
00:22:41,818 --> 00:22:44,780
And the factors
that appear to be important
261
00:22:44,905 --> 00:22:47,074
and may all be tangled together
related to this,
262
00:22:47,074 --> 00:22:49,868
are diseases and parasites,
possibly nutrition.
263
00:22:50,035 --> 00:22:54,623
And a real clincher, one thing we're very
concerned about, is the genetics.
264
00:22:56,541 --> 00:22:59,878
If you look back
in the history of the panther project,
265
00:23:00,045 --> 00:23:01,963
we learn collectively as a group,
266
00:23:02,130 --> 00:23:06,051
with this tiny little population
of an endangered sub-species,
267
00:23:06,176 --> 00:23:11,473
the info we get from this cat, to me is
critically valuable for this population.
268
00:23:11,598 --> 00:23:14,643
Really close to the joint, but obviously,
they didn't hit it, which is great.
269
00:23:14,643 --> 00:23:17,938
Yeah, I know, the joint spaces
look pretty nice there.
270
00:23:19,398 --> 00:23:21,191
As you can see, he's got the
double-plate
271
00:23:21,191 --> 00:23:24,653
to counter those mechanical forces
of being a panther
272
00:23:24,820 --> 00:23:28,865
and all the things he needs to do
is just to really reinforce those bones.
273
00:23:33,703 --> 00:23:35,205
He's gone through surgery.
274
00:23:35,372 --> 00:23:39,042
The surgery's gone amazing, and somewhere
along the way, he gets coined "Tres"
275
00:23:39,167 --> 00:23:41,086
{\an8}for his three broken legs.
276
00:23:41,795 --> 00:23:44,881
{\an8}There is a spirit to it, right?
This animal truly wanted to survive.
277
00:23:45,048 --> 00:23:47,217
I think we see that in animals
the same we do in people
278
00:23:47,384 --> 00:23:49,261
is that there is a fighter spirit.
279
00:24:42,898 --> 00:24:46,401
Hey, Brian.
Look, we might have one.
280
00:24:46,568 --> 00:24:48,778
It's small enough to be a female.
281
00:24:48,904 --> 00:24:52,824
A total of three tracks found.
One was a nice complete track.
282
00:24:53,033 --> 00:24:54,743
The other two were partial tracks.
283
00:24:54,743 --> 00:24:58,497
And she'd walked there
within the last two days.
284
00:24:58,622 --> 00:25:02,000
Okay. Thanks.
We'll scramble and see you there.
285
00:25:02,667 --> 00:25:04,044
Okay.
- All right. Bye.
286
00:25:12,969 --> 00:25:15,347
For years, we thought
it's only a matter of time
287
00:25:15,347 --> 00:25:17,390
before a female crosses the river.
288
00:25:26,691 --> 00:25:30,111
The photo's only two days old.
Small enough to be a female.
289
00:25:30,278 --> 00:25:34,407
It builds the excitement,
but it's not enough to say for certain.
290
00:25:41,540 --> 00:25:43,625
It's been before my lifetime
291
00:25:43,625 --> 00:25:46,211
since the last female panther was documented
292
00:25:46,336 --> 00:25:48,296
north of the Caloosahatchee River.
293
00:25:50,966 --> 00:25:53,718
You can think of the Caloosahatchee River
as the dividing line
294
00:25:53,885 --> 00:25:57,180
{\an8}between the northern Everglades
and the southern Everglades.
295
00:25:57,305 --> 00:25:59,182
{\an8}And it looks like a line across a map
296
00:25:59,349 --> 00:26:02,060
{\an8}because it's been dredged
into a straight canal.
297
00:26:04,604 --> 00:26:08,108
{\an8}And that river has been
the northern limit
298
00:26:08,233 --> 00:26:10,944
{\an8}to the breeding population
of female panthers
299
00:26:11,152 --> 00:26:13,154
{\an8}for the past 50 years.
300
00:26:15,073 --> 00:26:19,744
{\an8}It's a formidable barrier
across that landscape,
301
00:26:19,911 --> 00:26:22,414
but you could imagine
standing on the edge of that
302
00:26:22,622 --> 00:26:25,208
and deciding to put your foot in
and take that swim.
303
00:26:27,085 --> 00:26:29,588
If we can capture the right image,
304
00:26:29,754 --> 00:26:32,841
we can show the world
who that panther is.
305
00:26:33,049 --> 00:26:34,718
That's going to be the spark
306
00:26:34,718 --> 00:26:38,680
that lights a much bigger fire
to save this whole corridor.
307
00:26:47,355 --> 00:26:51,818
The tracks never lie.
'Cause tracks that small, for a panther,
308
00:26:51,943 --> 00:26:54,237
it's either gonna be a female or a kitten,
309
00:26:54,404 --> 00:27:00,285
and either way, it's evidence of potential
breeding behavior north of the river.
310
00:27:02,370 --> 00:27:04,289
Maybe we can pick up
some tracks somewhere.
311
00:27:04,289 --> 00:27:06,791
See where
they might be cutting across.
312
00:27:06,958 --> 00:27:10,587
Florida panther is the most
difficult cat I've ever tracked.
313
00:27:11,296 --> 00:27:15,008
Because of the terrain, also because of
the huge home ranges that panthers use.
314
00:27:15,175 --> 00:27:19,137
You need a lot of luck, or you need to be
able to follow a trail for a long time.
315
00:27:35,278 --> 00:27:39,324
I think this could be the spot.
It's a shortcut.
316
00:27:39,449 --> 00:27:42,577
It's shady, so if they're walking during
the day, they're gonna like the shade.
317
00:27:42,702 --> 00:27:46,122
If I only had one camera to put anywhere
in Babcock, this would be it.
318
00:27:53,713 --> 00:27:56,424
To be able to pick a spot in the woods
319
00:27:56,424 --> 00:27:59,803
to have a chance
of even seeing a panther,
320
00:28:01,304 --> 00:28:03,056
the odds are tough.
321
00:28:03,223 --> 00:28:05,642
You come north
of the Caloosahatchee River,
322
00:28:05,850 --> 00:28:11,189
where there might be fewer
than a dozen panthers in total existence,
323
00:28:11,356 --> 00:28:16,319
across the mid-section of the state,
and maybe one female.
324
00:28:17,904 --> 00:28:20,907
Then the odds are going up
almost exponentially.
325
00:28:36,297 --> 00:28:39,300
I have a lot of anticipation
of this particular shot,
326
00:28:39,426 --> 00:28:41,469
it's the most important of my efforts
327
00:28:41,469 --> 00:28:43,346
'cause it will place a panther
in a landscape
328
00:28:43,346 --> 00:28:47,726
that could be nowhere else in the country
other than south Florida.
329
00:28:48,643 --> 00:28:51,771
I'm getting kind of anxious
to see what's on here now.
330
00:28:51,896 --> 00:28:53,273
Like, the anticipation.
331
00:28:54,983 --> 00:28:57,277
This camera's been bumped.
332
00:28:57,444 --> 00:29:01,030
More than I just did.
Okay, let's see what we have here.
333
00:29:04,617 --> 00:29:09,706
Oh, yeah, there's a bear.
Bear cub. Kickass backlight.
334
00:29:10,498 --> 00:29:12,751
Come on, cub, stick your nose up.
335
00:29:17,464 --> 00:29:19,007
Dammit.
336
00:29:30,977 --> 00:29:32,979
The camera's pointed straight
at the ground.
337
00:29:39,319 --> 00:29:41,738
This is gonna be under water
any month now,
338
00:29:41,738 --> 00:29:45,116
so my chance to get this shot
could be over for another year.
339
00:29:46,659 --> 00:29:50,914
To put out a camera and to wait a full
month to go back to check the pictures
340
00:29:50,914 --> 00:29:53,291
to realize that bears came
and wrecked the camera
341
00:29:53,416 --> 00:29:56,294
the day after you changed
the battery 29 days ago.
342
00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,589
It's the type of thing that makes you
want to just throw in the towel.
343
00:30:03,927 --> 00:30:06,429
Nothing. Nothing.
344
00:30:13,144 --> 00:30:14,979
Getting emotional.
345
00:30:26,324 --> 00:30:32,956
Sorry. It's been a long couple years.
A long few months. Um...
346
00:30:34,916 --> 00:30:41,214
Thinking about all the time...
347
00:30:45,927 --> 00:30:48,680
Left flash not firing.
348
00:30:49,973 --> 00:30:54,394
Rebuild lens hood for next visit.
Pray for panther.
349
00:31:17,292 --> 00:31:20,920
There's a few along here.
Tracks?
350
00:31:22,297 --> 00:31:27,260
Here's one. Some nice tracks.
That's awesome.
351
00:31:30,221 --> 00:31:33,308
I don't know what it is,
but I'm just fascinated by them.
352
00:31:33,474 --> 00:31:36,144
I knew when I was a little kid
that I wanted to work with cats.
353
00:31:36,269 --> 00:31:39,856
I mean, it was just something
that draws me to them.
354
00:31:39,981 --> 00:31:44,277
It sounds odd, but like I do feel
like I have this connection.
355
00:31:44,444 --> 00:31:45,987
I think this road looks good.
356
00:31:46,112 --> 00:31:49,324
It's a lot of wet area still
on either side,
357
00:31:49,324 --> 00:31:55,413
so it's really the best way to travel east
and west through this side of the swamp.
358
00:31:56,748 --> 00:32:00,001
Which one did you want to check first?
We got how many here? Four?
359
00:32:00,209 --> 00:32:02,545
- Let's check the video camera.
- Okay.
360
00:32:07,383 --> 00:32:09,761
There we are.
361
00:32:09,761 --> 00:32:13,514
So we've had nothing break
the beam since last Friday.
362
00:32:16,225 --> 00:32:20,146
- Oh, my gosh.
Look at that. Oh, my gosh.
363
00:32:26,486 --> 00:32:30,615
- She's amazing.
- She's a pioneer.
364
00:32:30,782 --> 00:32:35,495
- She swam the river.
- Yup. The hope.
365
00:32:38,957 --> 00:32:43,044
She has this graceful elegance to her.
366
00:32:43,211 --> 00:32:45,672
This female who had the tenacity
367
00:32:45,838 --> 00:32:50,802
to cross that barrier and set up
a territory in this new place.
368
00:32:51,928 --> 00:32:56,724
All of a sudden, it's happening in real
time, the stakes could not be higher.
369
00:32:57,433 --> 00:33:01,729
Since this female's on Babcock Ranch,
we've been referring to her as Babs.
370
00:33:06,025 --> 00:33:08,277
Eleven in the morning. 2:00 a.m.
371
00:33:10,154 --> 00:33:11,906
- Panther!
Yes.
372
00:33:17,161 --> 00:33:21,457
The male up here at Babcock Ranch
has this big, blocky head.
373
00:33:22,667 --> 00:33:26,421
He's impressive. And you just see
the rippling of the muscles.
374
00:33:27,338 --> 00:33:30,758
An unimaginable strength in that animal.
375
00:33:37,015 --> 00:33:38,224
They know how to sense each other,
376
00:33:38,224 --> 00:33:40,685
and they know how to smell
the marks that they leave.
377
00:33:40,685 --> 00:33:43,146
So she knew there was
at least one male here.
378
00:33:43,354 --> 00:33:45,231
So, she's got potential mates.
379
00:33:46,024 --> 00:33:51,696
To have a breeding female and new
generations of panthers being born here,
380
00:33:52,405 --> 00:33:55,616
would bring this whole system back
into balance.
381
00:34:24,979 --> 00:34:31,778
{\an8}As Miccosukee, we are taught to care
382
00:34:33,654 --> 00:34:36,157
for all wildlife.
383
00:34:36,949 --> 00:34:42,413
When the land was new,
384
00:34:43,664 --> 00:34:48,836
the panther's role
was to nurture and protect all things.
385
00:34:50,338 --> 00:34:56,761
This is what
386
00:34:57,053 --> 00:35:02,391
the Elders told us.
387
00:35:02,391 --> 00:35:06,062
When the panther exists,
388
00:35:06,062 --> 00:35:09,565
it takes care of the land
389
00:35:09,565 --> 00:35:13,903
and watches over other wildlife.
390
00:35:15,571 --> 00:35:18,699
Myself, I am of the Panther Clan.
391
00:35:18,699 --> 00:35:23,579
I was taught by my Elders
392
00:35:23,579 --> 00:35:28,126
that you are supposed to be
393
00:35:29,544 --> 00:35:31,504
like the panther.
394
00:35:32,672 --> 00:35:35,258
When we were younger,
395
00:35:36,926 --> 00:35:41,806
we were taught
396
00:35:42,306 --> 00:35:45,977
to be still.
397
00:35:46,644 --> 00:35:51,649
When a panther was going to pass through,
398
00:35:53,609 --> 00:35:58,823
we were not to harass it
or make it afraid,
399
00:35:59,782 --> 00:36:04,996
You would not be afraid of it.
400
00:36:05,872 --> 00:36:12,170
And it would not be afraid of you.
401
00:36:20,261 --> 00:36:22,805
Just as we have room to exist,
402
00:36:22,805 --> 00:36:28,686
Creator also gave the panther
room to exist.
403
00:36:30,396 --> 00:36:34,358
If they no longer exist,
404
00:36:34,567 --> 00:36:37,069
the other animals will also suffer.
405
00:38:20,506 --> 00:38:23,884
As a kid you think, they don't know
what they're talking about,
406
00:38:23,884 --> 00:38:25,845
these are just stories, made up.
407
00:38:25,845 --> 00:38:27,888
But now, as a grandmother,
408
00:38:30,433 --> 00:38:33,436
you know, I see that they weren't
just stories made up.
409
00:38:33,436 --> 00:38:37,273
It's a wonderment of the panther itself.
Somehow, it's still here.
410
00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:42,695
It's still surviving and hanging on.
And reclaiming that homeland.
411
00:38:45,031 --> 00:38:51,454
Because it's like a seed
waiting to be replanted,
412
00:38:51,620 --> 00:38:54,790
so it can grow and branch out.
413
00:39:11,098 --> 00:39:16,437
This is wild citrus, and I don't know
if it goes back to an early homestead here
414
00:39:16,437 --> 00:39:21,484
or whether some animals brought
the seeds in a long time ago.
415
00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:33,371
When my grandad would peel these,
416
00:39:34,580 --> 00:39:37,249
the whole skin would come off
in one perfect piece.
417
00:39:39,627 --> 00:39:41,462
I'm not quite so good.
418
00:39:43,881 --> 00:39:45,758
It brings back memories.
419
00:39:59,355 --> 00:40:01,399
We'd go stand up
on the back of the horse.
420
00:40:01,565 --> 00:40:03,442
or stand up on the back of the jeep
421
00:40:03,609 --> 00:40:06,862
and reach all the wild oranges
and the wild citrus.
422
00:40:07,405 --> 00:40:09,323
And he had his favorite spots.
423
00:40:09,740 --> 00:40:12,618
It stands too far.
424
00:40:18,666 --> 00:40:22,837
This section of oak hammock and swamp
is definitely one of my favorite places
425
00:40:22,837 --> 00:40:26,841
on our ranch,
it's because it's one of the wildest.
426
00:40:30,511 --> 00:40:33,889
I think it's really easy to walk
into a place like this
427
00:40:34,098 --> 00:40:36,767
and feel like
it's going to be here forever.
428
00:40:36,934 --> 00:40:42,356
But in Florida, this place
could be wiped clean just like that.
429
00:40:42,523 --> 00:40:46,610
I mean, I admit, my whole life
I've taken for granted that this ranch
430
00:40:46,777 --> 00:40:50,948
would always be here.
But all that changed this week.
431
00:40:53,409 --> 00:40:55,202
This is so hard to believe.
432
00:40:57,413 --> 00:40:59,248
Three new toll roads
433
00:40:59,415 --> 00:41:02,751
and one that's proposed
to come right through here.
434
00:41:05,796 --> 00:41:09,467
We have the first Florida panther
documented in the northern Everglades
435
00:41:09,467 --> 00:41:13,095
in my lifetime, and here comes a proposal
for three new toll roads.
436
00:41:13,220 --> 00:41:17,141
One of them would cut right
into the heart of her territory.
437
00:41:18,642 --> 00:41:21,353
What this road would do
is basically destroy the heart of Florida.
438
00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:23,481
This morning,
we're learning about a new bill
439
00:41:23,481 --> 00:41:25,483
that would add three major toll highways
in our state.
440
00:41:25,649 --> 00:41:28,402
There's a proposal for more
toll roads all around the state.
441
00:41:28,569 --> 00:41:30,654
It's not just them that are
going to be paying the price.
442
00:41:30,654 --> 00:41:34,325
The Governor signed one of
Florida's largest road projects
443
00:41:34,325 --> 00:41:36,660
in decades, a new toll road.
444
00:41:36,660 --> 00:41:38,621
We're talking about
three separate toll roads,
445
00:41:38,787 --> 00:41:42,666
running through some of our most rural
and undeveloped areas in Florida.
446
00:41:44,502 --> 00:41:47,296
Look at... Warm and toasty.
447
00:41:48,047 --> 00:41:52,426
Mama, look at all the smoke.
Look how high up it goes.
448
00:41:53,552 --> 00:41:55,137
Time to go to sleep!
449
00:41:59,808 --> 00:42:00,976
This is it.
450
00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:04,939
This is really nature's last stand.
451
00:42:07,399 --> 00:42:09,485
And it's going to happen
in our lifetimes.
452
00:42:45,688 --> 00:42:48,190
Down here,
we do things a little slower.
453
00:42:48,357 --> 00:42:51,193
And my granddaddy
had a famous saying that,
454
00:42:51,318 --> 00:42:53,362
"Don't ever get in too big a hurry
455
00:42:53,529 --> 00:42:56,407
because you'll always run past
more than you'll ever catch up with."
456
00:43:02,204 --> 00:43:04,415
Is that Kuta?
That's you, buddy.
457
00:43:04,582 --> 00:43:06,500
Might wanna just double-check your cinch.
458
00:43:06,500 --> 00:43:08,919
You should be tight,
but just double-check it.
459
00:43:10,170 --> 00:43:13,007
- Everybody good?
Yes, sir.
460
00:43:19,513 --> 00:43:21,724
Thanks for letting me ride along
with you guys this morning.
461
00:43:21,724 --> 00:43:27,146
Yeah, man. My pleasure.
I just needed some free help.
462
00:43:28,105 --> 00:43:30,816
Hopefully, it won't turn
into free entertainment.
463
00:43:34,361 --> 00:43:36,572
Have you actually got the female
yet?
464
00:43:36,739 --> 00:43:38,616
With her cubs yet?
Have you got any of her yet?
465
00:43:38,616 --> 00:43:42,578
I haven't gotten the cubs,
so their survivorship is
466
00:43:42,786 --> 00:43:44,747
- one in three on average.
- Really?
467
00:43:44,913 --> 00:43:48,250
And a first time mother
might be lower, so...
468
00:43:49,585 --> 00:43:50,794
So what's the plan here?
469
00:43:50,919 --> 00:43:54,757
We'll throw them back there out on
that grass patch right there behind them.
470
00:44:29,708 --> 00:44:31,669
The first female panther
471
00:44:31,835 --> 00:44:37,132
in more than 40 years
is right here on Babcock Ranch.
472
00:44:37,132 --> 00:44:41,303
You take a piece of land this size,
that panther's got a lot of roaming to do,
473
00:44:41,470 --> 00:44:44,640
and you stop worrying about it getting hit
by a Cadillac or a Buick
474
00:44:44,807 --> 00:44:48,060
trying to cross the road
to try and find something to eat, so...
475
00:44:48,227 --> 00:44:51,105
You look around
at all the big ranches that was here
476
00:44:51,230 --> 00:44:55,401
back in the 60s and 70s and 80s,
and even some of them into the 90s,
477
00:44:55,609 --> 00:44:58,362
you know, these places
are starting to disappear.
478
00:44:58,362 --> 00:45:01,824
It is a dying breed,
and I've been hearing that all my life,
479
00:45:01,990 --> 00:45:05,119
and I always thought it was baloney,
but now that I'm the age that I'm at,
480
00:45:05,285 --> 00:45:08,580
and I see the things
that are happening now, it is dying out.
481
00:45:15,713 --> 00:45:20,134
The Florida cowboy
is an endangered species as well.
482
00:45:20,134 --> 00:45:22,928
Yeah, kind of like the panther, yup.
483
00:45:44,867 --> 00:45:49,496
You expect to have complications.
You expect something to go wrong.
484
00:45:49,621 --> 00:45:52,249
Or you're at least ready for it,
especially with something like this,
485
00:45:52,249 --> 00:45:55,210
where you have three broken legs,
three surgeries,
486
00:45:55,377 --> 00:45:59,590
and you're waiting for that next step,
when we give them the clear.
487
00:45:59,757 --> 00:46:03,218
Alright, let me go load that real quick
into the car, so that's ready to go.
488
00:46:03,427 --> 00:46:06,096
Then I will drop our drugs,
and we'll get ready to dart.
489
00:46:06,221 --> 00:46:08,640
- I'll go run and make sure I've got drugs.
- Okay. Perfect.
490
00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:12,478
This cat is an amazing patient
and healing really well.
491
00:46:12,603 --> 00:46:15,522
Now, we're going to introduce him
into a bigger enclosure
492
00:46:15,647 --> 00:46:19,610
and we're gonna give him a place
to exercise and see if he can do that.
493
00:46:24,698 --> 00:46:26,700
Yeah, I think he's fine. Alright.
494
00:46:26,867 --> 00:46:30,245
What you're trying to do at any time
is make sure that you don't give them
495
00:46:30,454 --> 00:46:33,373
too much in terms of a hurdle
where basically, they reinjure themselves.
496
00:46:33,373 --> 00:46:35,042
We just can't close the door yet.
497
00:47:00,901 --> 00:47:03,487
One, two, three, out.
498
00:47:05,239 --> 00:47:06,740
Okay, in.
499
00:47:06,740 --> 00:47:07,658
- Yup.
- Yup.
500
00:47:07,658 --> 00:47:10,702
Now, you got to lift her
from the metal bar.
501
00:47:14,498 --> 00:47:18,377
They've let us set up a couple
of remote cameras and our blinds.
502
00:47:18,544 --> 00:47:23,173
So there's going to be a moment here
where this cat
503
00:47:24,132 --> 00:47:26,844
steps on dirt for the first time
in a couple of months.
504
00:47:32,057 --> 00:47:37,062
They're just now releasing
this panther
505
00:47:37,271 --> 00:47:39,606
into this larger enclosure.
506
00:47:52,202 --> 00:47:53,996
Here he comes.
507
00:48:13,515 --> 00:48:18,103
His surgeries and rehailitation
look pretty successful.
508
00:48:20,689 --> 00:48:25,277
This panther is now one step closer
to going back to the wild.
509
00:49:39,476 --> 00:49:43,146
{\an8}So much of these lands are
underwater most of the year.
510
00:49:50,028 --> 00:49:52,406
And the water
is what defines this place,
511
00:49:52,406 --> 00:49:55,450
and it's what brings
the vitality and the life.
512
00:49:58,078 --> 00:50:02,290
In fact, water has been a reality
for the survival of the Florida panther.
513
00:50:02,457 --> 00:50:04,584
And these swamps deep in the Everglades,
514
00:50:04,751 --> 00:50:09,548
where cats have been for thousands
of years, have been the last refuge.
515
00:50:16,054 --> 00:50:20,058
One panther's come through.
Whoa, that's a big alligator.
516
00:50:20,058 --> 00:50:21,393
Check that thing out.
517
00:50:22,978 --> 00:50:25,105
That's a big alligator.
518
00:50:26,773 --> 00:50:33,321
Got one panther walking away.
One bear walking toward the camera.
519
00:50:33,488 --> 00:50:36,116
And then two or three alligators
before the waters came up
520
00:50:36,283 --> 00:50:38,493
and drowned out
my entire camera system.
521
00:50:57,387 --> 00:51:01,600
So we have one more test.
There's a still photo system here.
522
00:51:01,767 --> 00:51:04,519
And there we go. We got flashes.
523
00:51:05,854 --> 00:51:07,647
It's exciting.
524
00:51:14,029 --> 00:51:17,783
Oh, yeah, here comes
a bear straight at the camera.
525
00:51:20,077 --> 00:51:23,747
Long walk into the water.
526
00:51:27,584 --> 00:51:29,878
Up to his elbows.
527
00:51:31,546 --> 00:51:33,840
Getting a little deeper.
528
00:51:35,258 --> 00:51:39,554
Oh, gosh. He stops for a second.
He's sitting down, in the water.
529
00:51:49,940 --> 00:51:54,111
I bet that feels good
when you're 300 pounds and covered in fur.
530
00:52:00,033 --> 00:52:03,703
He's chilling in the water. Wow.
531
00:52:06,039 --> 00:52:08,041
Florida still has this wild heart.
532
00:52:08,166 --> 00:52:11,169
And there's this sense
of exploration and discovery
533
00:52:11,169 --> 00:52:13,296
happening right here, right now.
534
00:52:21,888 --> 00:52:26,726
Oh, here's a panther,
walking straight towards me.
535
00:52:57,549 --> 00:52:58,592
Oh, my gosh.
536
00:53:00,802 --> 00:53:04,222
Cautious maybe because
who knows what's in that water?
537
00:53:05,640 --> 00:53:07,058
Maybe that panther's thinking
about alligators,
538
00:53:07,058 --> 00:53:09,060
maybe that panther's hungry
for alligators,
539
00:53:09,060 --> 00:53:12,981
maybe that panther's scared of alligators?
Who knows? It's all a mystery out here.
540
00:53:15,358 --> 00:53:18,320
Here he is again. Whoa!
541
00:53:39,633 --> 00:53:43,553
A male Florida panther in mid-air.
542
00:53:43,720 --> 00:53:47,849
Raindrops are bouncing off the surface
of the dark water.
543
00:53:52,145 --> 00:53:55,565
In this project
there is so much disappointment,
544
00:53:56,149 --> 00:53:57,943
there's this image of hope.
545
00:54:00,195 --> 00:54:03,198
It gives me the energy to go on.
546
00:54:04,282 --> 00:54:07,953
And I also see that this animal
547
00:54:09,037 --> 00:54:13,166
can persevere
in this harshest of environments.
548
00:54:14,334 --> 00:54:16,044
I have a glimmer of hope.
549
00:54:30,892 --> 00:54:36,439
Morning, Joe. Okay. Ten-four.
You got all that done last night?
550
00:54:36,606 --> 00:54:39,484
Down there? Okay.
Good deal. Good deal.
551
00:54:40,694 --> 00:54:44,364
{\an8}All right. Well, good,
then that'll make everybody happy.
552
00:54:44,531 --> 00:54:46,324
{\an8}Yeah, for a day or two anyway.
553
00:54:46,533 --> 00:54:51,746
{\an8}All right, buddy. Okay. Yes, sir.
See ya tomorrow. All right, bye.
554
00:54:54,291 --> 00:54:56,751
I guess we're going
to be fact-finding and...
555
00:54:58,795 --> 00:55:01,172
kind of making recommendations
back to the Governor
556
00:55:01,172 --> 00:55:06,928
on a proposed toll road
running north through the state.
557
00:55:08,388 --> 00:55:10,724
Yeah, I'm not sure exactly
where the road's going to go,
558
00:55:10,890 --> 00:55:15,812
but if it goes through the center of the
state, it's definitely going to open up
559
00:55:16,688 --> 00:55:20,775
a part of this state
that's still pretty much untouched.
560
00:55:20,775 --> 00:55:25,613
That's one of my fears
that it will open up that opportunity.
561
00:55:25,780 --> 00:55:30,827
Investors and their wheels get to
spinning and turning, and here you go.
562
00:55:34,956 --> 00:55:39,002
In two miles,
take exit seven towards downtown west.
563
00:55:42,922 --> 00:55:46,801
Y'all know which state in the
US has the most toll roads?
564
00:55:47,010 --> 00:55:50,305
It is not California, it is not Texas,
it is Florida.
565
00:55:50,472 --> 00:55:55,352
We have 734 miles of toll roads. We don't
need more, and we don't want more.
566
00:55:55,477 --> 00:55:59,397
Toll road to nowhere!
Toll road to nowhere!
567
00:55:59,522 --> 00:56:01,191
Toll road to nowhere!
568
00:56:01,358 --> 00:56:04,069
Florida is a vibrant state
that continues to grow
569
00:56:04,235 --> 00:56:07,280
and requires the development of
an adequate infrastructure network.
570
00:56:07,447 --> 00:56:10,742
These infrastructure improvements
will be built with great sensitivity
571
00:56:10,742 --> 00:56:12,827
towards the protection
of the environment.
572
00:56:18,458 --> 00:56:20,585
Here's the other picture.
573
00:56:21,836 --> 00:56:24,547
That's what we're contending with.
574
00:56:24,672 --> 00:56:27,842
- That was one of your traps you set up?
- Yeah.
575
00:56:27,842 --> 00:56:31,471
Here's my favorite one
that no one's seen until yesterday.
576
00:56:31,971 --> 00:56:34,933
- That's neat.
- I'll send you this.
577
00:56:37,310 --> 00:56:40,897
Commissioner Mike Thompson,
DeSoto County.
578
00:56:40,897 --> 00:56:43,358
- Commissioner Elton Langford.
- Here.
579
00:56:43,483 --> 00:56:46,528
Highlands County,
Commissioner Ron Hamblin.
580
00:56:46,528 --> 00:56:49,531
One thing I know, I researched
the website you guys have,
581
00:56:49,656 --> 00:56:53,326
read some of the documentation.
It said, "to revitalize rural communities"
582
00:56:53,493 --> 00:56:57,080
was one of the goals of this project.
And that kind of stuck out to me.
583
00:56:57,247 --> 00:57:00,542
The word revitalize, that's a pretty
strong word, and when I hear that word,
584
00:57:00,708 --> 00:57:03,128
I think that means
there's something wrong with it.
585
00:57:03,336 --> 00:57:04,754
It needs to be fixed.
586
00:57:04,921 --> 00:57:07,507
That being a rural community
is inherently bad, maybe,
587
00:57:07,507 --> 00:57:11,052
is kind of what I'm thinking when I hear
"revitalize," I think development.
588
00:57:11,052 --> 00:57:14,347
I think rural communities
have a place in our state.
589
00:57:14,556 --> 00:57:15,974
Thank y'all for your time, today.
590
00:57:16,141 --> 00:57:18,435
And then there's this big dark area
591
00:57:18,601 --> 00:57:23,773
in the heart of Florida where people
can see the stars at night.
592
00:57:23,982 --> 00:57:29,654
That is exactly
where the highway's supposed to go.
593
00:57:29,821 --> 00:57:31,281
We're at a really pivotal time.
594
00:57:31,406 --> 00:57:34,576
The first breeding panthers
in nearly 50 years
595
00:57:34,742 --> 00:57:38,538
are showing up north
of the Caloosahatchee River.
596
00:57:38,663 --> 00:57:41,541
What people from this group
are ultimately doing is
597
00:57:41,541 --> 00:57:44,252
deciding the future of wild Florida.
598
00:57:45,295 --> 00:57:47,297
On the road again.
599
00:57:50,175 --> 00:57:52,635
The good Lord
set it up to work a certain way
600
00:57:52,802 --> 00:57:56,347
and we come in
and try to change all that and it...
601
00:57:56,473 --> 00:58:02,437
It don't work. You know,
it causes more problems, and um...
602
00:58:04,647 --> 00:58:07,192
I don't know. It's just a...
603
00:58:10,153 --> 00:58:15,909
seems like the more we mess with stuff
the worse we make it sometimes.
604
00:58:38,097 --> 00:58:41,142
Damn. It's talking
about Irma right now.
605
00:58:41,267 --> 00:58:43,811
On the Safir-Simpson
hurricane wind scale.
606
00:58:43,978 --> 00:58:48,066
Fluctuations in intensity are likely
to continue in the next day or two.
607
00:58:48,233 --> 00:58:51,152
Irma is expected to remain a powerful
Category Four Hurricane
608
00:58:51,152 --> 00:58:52,779
as it approaches Florida.
609
00:58:52,946 --> 00:58:55,698
- It's getting close.
- Central pressure is...
610
00:58:55,823 --> 00:58:59,327
Good thing is that my family is
safe, in the Florida panhandle.
611
00:58:59,494 --> 00:59:00,912
Far ahead of this storm.
612
00:59:00,912 --> 00:59:06,084
I've got about 12 to 18 hours
to decide if I'll evacuate.
613
00:59:06,209 --> 00:59:10,797
And in about 24 hours
this entire place could be underwater.
614
00:59:14,050 --> 00:59:17,971
I feel like this powerful context
that this hurricane creates
615
00:59:18,137 --> 00:59:21,933
adds a whole another layer
to the wildness of the panther story.
616
00:59:22,725 --> 00:59:26,020
Maybe we'll capture an image
that brings all that together.
617
00:59:33,403 --> 00:59:36,447
I really worry about
the female panther out here.
618
00:59:36,573 --> 00:59:39,659
I've been moving cameras
around hoping to get a glimpse
619
00:59:39,659 --> 00:59:43,037
and to figure out if she's still here,
and we don't know.
620
00:59:43,037 --> 00:59:45,665
We just don't have the information.
621
00:59:47,667 --> 00:59:50,295
Now we've got a hurricane,
a Category Five,
622
00:59:50,461 --> 00:59:53,006
Irma, heading straight towards us,
623
00:59:53,131 --> 00:59:55,800
looking like she's going to come
right up the peninsula.
624
00:59:56,551 --> 00:59:59,762
Basically, the only population
of Florida panthers occurs right
625
00:59:59,929 --> 01:00:03,016
where this hurricane looks like
it's gonna come through.
626
01:00:03,016 --> 01:00:07,687
I just wonder if they have any feeling
of this kind of thing coming.
627
01:00:19,907 --> 01:00:23,369
The trail is totally washed out.
628
01:00:25,121 --> 01:00:29,083
I'm doing my best to make sure
my equipment is secure
629
01:00:29,250 --> 01:00:31,294
and safely above the water.
630
01:00:32,128 --> 01:00:36,341
We haven't seen Babs
in more than two months
631
01:00:36,507 --> 01:00:39,260
and there's a chance
we won't see her again.
632
01:00:39,427 --> 01:00:42,847
Maybe she survives the storm.
Maybe she moves on.
633
01:00:51,230 --> 01:00:58,071
I think the cameras and flashes
are safely above the high-water mark,
634
01:00:59,489 --> 01:01:01,157
but it's still uncertain.
635
01:01:03,451 --> 01:01:08,039
Nature's incredibly resilient.
But there are limits.
636
01:01:08,206 --> 01:01:12,835
We can't expect increasingly smaller
and smaller patches of nature
637
01:01:12,835 --> 01:01:15,380
to function and to survive.
638
01:01:16,464 --> 01:01:18,633
Those hurricane force winds
now stretch
639
01:01:18,758 --> 01:01:22,929
across the whole state of Florida
from Sarasota over to the Space Coast.
640
01:01:23,096 --> 01:01:24,847
It was a harrowing day here.
641
01:01:24,972 --> 01:01:28,017
And it was devastating
from the moment it hit.
642
01:02:04,387 --> 01:02:08,641
It was crazy coming in here.
Power poles snapped over,
643
01:02:08,766 --> 01:02:11,519
pine trees cracked like matchsticks.
644
01:02:27,118 --> 01:02:31,164
The last photo we got of Babs
was the beginning of July
645
01:02:31,372 --> 01:02:35,042
and it looked like she was alone.
You know we say all the time,
646
01:02:35,209 --> 01:02:38,546
"They're super resilient
and they're adapted to hurricanes."
647
01:02:38,755 --> 01:02:40,923
And it's true. But like still.
648
01:02:42,341 --> 01:02:45,386
When we get to where the camera is,
we're on the edge of Telegraph.
649
01:02:45,553 --> 01:02:47,972
So that's why I fear
about his camera.
650
01:02:48,181 --> 01:02:52,518
If Telegraph spilled its boundaries,
it's just going to be coming off.
651
01:02:59,901 --> 01:03:02,195
This looks like the end
of the trail for the truck.
652
01:03:10,453 --> 01:03:13,539
This is the highest driest habitat
on this ranch
653
01:03:13,706 --> 01:03:17,752
and we're still covered
to our ankles in water.
654
01:03:20,129 --> 01:03:21,964
It's a lot of water.
655
01:03:22,131 --> 01:03:26,469
I hadn't seen water go off
into that side portion yet.
656
01:03:26,469 --> 01:03:29,138
Oh, gosh. Okay. So there's my...
657
01:03:31,015 --> 01:03:34,936
There's my trigger system submerged.
There's my flashes.
658
01:03:39,023 --> 01:03:41,526
This is not what you want to see.
That's my camera.
659
01:03:56,874 --> 01:04:03,214
This camera has seen its last picture.
That hurts.
660
01:04:08,135 --> 01:04:10,638
How many of these are going to make it?
How many of my cameras?
661
01:04:10,638 --> 01:04:12,932
I could be totally wiped out.
662
01:04:17,311 --> 01:04:20,439
This was the last high dry spot
663
01:04:20,606 --> 01:04:24,527
that was in good habitat
on this side of the swamp.
664
01:04:24,527 --> 01:04:28,531
So there's nowhere to hide.
There's no one bit left untouched.
665
01:04:28,531 --> 01:04:32,326
The female she's in an area
that's still relatively new.
666
01:04:32,326 --> 01:04:34,579
Now you throw a hurricane in the mix.
667
01:04:35,580 --> 01:04:41,168
This female will be not just the first
north of the river in 43 years,
668
01:04:41,335 --> 01:04:44,463
she'll be the first to survive
a hurricane north of the river.
669
01:04:45,673 --> 01:04:49,385
I don't want to interrupt you
but there are fish around your leg.
670
01:04:49,552 --> 01:04:50,845
Oh, my gosh.
671
01:05:01,480 --> 01:05:03,858
I'm driving down the road at--
holy crap.
672
01:05:03,858 --> 01:05:05,401
It's waking towards me.
673
01:05:05,401 --> 01:05:08,988
There's a Florida panther
walking right towards me.
674
01:05:08,988 --> 01:05:12,241
Holy crap here it comes.
Here it comes.
675
01:05:12,241 --> 01:05:15,328
I'll flip the video around
and then I'll get my real camera.
676
01:05:21,250 --> 01:05:22,543
Holy crap.
677
01:05:24,045 --> 01:05:26,088
I can hardly believe this.
678
01:05:27,214 --> 01:05:29,008
I'm staring at a Florida panther
679
01:05:29,175 --> 01:05:33,930
that's right out
in the middle of the road right here.
680
01:05:34,096 --> 01:05:36,474
Oh, ... . He's walking
toward me again.
681
01:05:36,641 --> 01:05:40,561
Why's he do it every time
I make a video? Put this camera down.
682
01:05:44,774 --> 01:05:48,444
I can't freaking believe it.
I cannot freaking believe it.
683
01:05:48,444 --> 01:05:50,488
Freaking crazy.
684
01:05:51,822 --> 01:05:55,201
There's a Florida panther
right under those trees.
685
01:06:17,431 --> 01:06:18,724
Right.
686
01:06:40,830 --> 01:06:47,044
Wow. It's crazy because I haven't looked
at these all in sequence like this.
687
01:06:47,169 --> 01:06:53,175
And so one frame is the best panther
portrait I've ever taken.
688
01:06:54,260 --> 01:06:59,098
The next frame, the panther
turns its head off to the side.
689
01:06:59,390 --> 01:07:02,351
The next frame is a kitten
struggling out of the woods.
690
01:07:02,351 --> 01:07:08,149
And then I heard a ruffling coming
from these palms over in this area.
691
01:07:08,315 --> 01:07:15,114
And sure enough the kitten came hobbling
out of the palms into plain view here.
692
01:07:17,199 --> 01:07:22,329
I went from like intimidated. Excited.
693
01:07:24,749 --> 01:07:27,501
To like a feeling
of pure exhilaration staring
694
01:07:27,668 --> 01:07:31,630
into the wild eyes of this panther
staring back at me and then
695
01:07:31,797 --> 01:07:37,136
just seconds later, like heartbreak
that this kitten is struggling across.
696
01:07:37,261 --> 01:07:39,346
Across the sand.
697
01:07:40,306 --> 01:07:44,060
It's a pretty swift transition from...
698
01:07:44,226 --> 01:07:47,229
this gift of a panther
staring right at me
699
01:07:49,648 --> 01:07:53,778
to this heartbreak
of seeing this little fella just
700
01:07:54,695 --> 01:07:57,615
barely walk across this clearing.
701
01:08:00,201 --> 01:08:04,288
This picture right here...
kills me.
702
01:08:06,874 --> 01:08:12,296
His mother's within reach and you
can see him connecting to her and...
703
01:08:13,631 --> 01:08:19,053
pulling himself closer.
Getting back up and struggling on.
704
01:08:28,312 --> 01:08:32,775
And then it all made sense.
This is why that mother panther
705
01:08:33,901 --> 01:08:37,947
walked down that road
so slowly for 30 minutes
706
01:08:38,114 --> 01:08:41,992
because she was waiting
for her injured kitten to keep up.
707
01:08:42,868 --> 01:08:46,622
Biologists have announced that
this has happened and been observed
708
01:08:46,789 --> 01:08:49,875
in eight different cases
around southwest Florida.
709
01:08:50,042 --> 01:08:52,461
It's probably caused by us.
710
01:08:52,461 --> 01:08:56,048
Something that we've put out
into nature.
711
01:08:57,967 --> 01:09:01,011
We're following up on a story we
first brought you yesterday
712
01:09:01,011 --> 01:09:06,225
about new video showing a mysterious
health problem affecting Florida panthers.
713
01:09:06,433 --> 01:09:09,895
The Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission
714
01:09:09,895 --> 01:09:13,315
recently released
the footage from trail cameras
715
01:09:13,482 --> 01:09:15,860
that show the endangered cats stumbling
716
01:09:15,860 --> 01:09:18,821
and now investigators are working
to figure out just why.
717
01:09:21,991 --> 01:09:25,369
So, Lara, I'm going to go grab
the vaccines, if you're good.
718
01:09:25,536 --> 01:09:27,037
I think we're good.
719
01:09:29,373 --> 01:09:35,004
My thought process is they likely were
exposed to a milder exposure or dose
720
01:09:35,004 --> 01:09:38,382
of whatever is causing this,
which we still don't know.
721
01:09:38,549 --> 01:09:42,219
and hopefully, they'll remain static and
there'll be no progression.
722
01:09:42,344 --> 01:09:45,890
So that bit of sign that we see is
hopefully all we'll see in these guys.
723
01:09:46,515 --> 01:09:49,226
- This one are all right?
- Yeah.
724
01:09:49,226 --> 01:09:52,855
I'm so glad
that they are not so badly affected.
725
01:09:52,855 --> 01:09:56,025
That kitten that you got photos
of was the most severely affected.
726
01:09:56,609 --> 01:10:00,696
Well, maybe these guys are going
to give you some answers.
727
01:10:00,696 --> 01:10:04,742
When you have an animal isolated,
one big storm,
728
01:10:04,909 --> 01:10:09,330
one new disease can bring this cat
back to brink of extinction.
729
01:10:09,455 --> 01:10:13,250
This is why Babs is so important
to the future of her species.
730
01:10:13,792 --> 01:10:18,214
What the panthers need, and the whole
ecosystem needs the lifeline to the North.
731
01:10:29,266 --> 01:10:31,727
We are probably seven months
of rehab now.
732
01:10:31,936 --> 01:10:35,272
I think he was June of last year
so we're just about seven months.
733
01:10:35,689 --> 01:10:37,733
And today we're releasing him.
734
01:10:42,029 --> 01:10:46,617
{\an8}We moved him from the small enclosure
to a larger one which is about 11 acres
735
01:10:46,784 --> 01:10:51,705
and after transition of a few small
items like armadillo-sized animals,
736
01:10:51,872 --> 01:10:56,126
raccoons he could catch, he was
offered live deer in that enclosure.
737
01:10:56,293 --> 01:11:00,506
And it wasn't until he kind of
"went missing" off of camera
738
01:11:00,506 --> 01:11:03,217
for a few days,
the introduction of the deer
739
01:11:03,384 --> 01:11:06,303
that we knew he was doing
what he needed to do.
740
01:11:06,470 --> 01:11:09,223
He had hunted the deer, killed it,
and was feeding on it.
741
01:11:09,431 --> 01:11:12,893
It really was sort of the end point for us
realizing that he was ready to go.
742
01:11:21,986 --> 01:11:23,654
All right. Showtime.
743
01:11:33,122 --> 01:11:36,292
When we're looking at decisions
in terms of where we release Tres,
744
01:11:36,292 --> 01:11:39,837
You're looking at a map, saying my
options are not what they should be.
745
01:11:40,004 --> 01:11:45,342
Where do I enough green space that's truly
wild to put a wild animal back into it?
746
01:12:09,700 --> 01:12:14,330
High five on that one. Good job.
747
01:12:14,330 --> 01:12:16,623
- Walking...
- Well done.
748
01:12:16,790 --> 01:12:18,751
That was awesome.
749
01:12:18,917 --> 01:12:20,669
- Great, right?
- Yeah.
750
01:12:20,669 --> 01:12:25,007
- That's awesome. Right over the top.
- He is fast.
751
01:12:55,371 --> 01:12:59,666
Everything is so
completely interconnected.
752
01:12:59,875 --> 01:13:03,212
We've got to be aware of it
or those lands won't be there.
753
01:13:03,379 --> 01:13:06,465
You can't have wildlife
if they have nowhere to live.
754
01:13:19,478 --> 01:13:22,106
Got a lot of game here already.
755
01:13:22,272 --> 01:13:27,027
Telling me they're mad at me
because they tore my little feeder up
756
01:13:27,194 --> 01:13:29,530
and got all the corn out of it.
757
01:13:31,323 --> 01:13:36,120
Set our feeder up just to find out
what's coming in, what's going on,
758
01:13:36,328 --> 01:13:38,831
and we got a few old hogs
sneaking in here
759
01:13:38,956 --> 01:13:43,669
but mostly just deer and cranes.
And whooping cranes love corn.
760
01:13:45,212 --> 01:13:48,006
Just an old muddy camera.
761
01:13:48,173 --> 01:13:52,469
I'm seeing if I've got any panthers
or bears on it so I can show Carlton
762
01:13:53,220 --> 01:13:56,432
how to take a real picture without having
to spend all that money.
763
01:13:58,058 --> 01:14:02,896
And I've even got some
high-tech stuff that I found.
764
01:14:03,021 --> 01:14:05,399
I don't know if you can see my stick.
765
01:14:05,607 --> 01:14:10,195
That's a stick there to keep it leveled
up because the tree leans a little bit.
766
01:14:14,366 --> 01:14:18,454
There's only so many pieces
of unspoiled paradise left, you know.
767
01:14:19,496 --> 01:14:22,541
You know they get you
squeezed down to a certain spot,
768
01:14:22,708 --> 01:14:25,919
it really ain't worth your time
and effort to farm.
769
01:14:53,614 --> 01:14:57,201
It's hard to believe this pasture
is going to be covered in rooftops.
770
01:15:09,046 --> 01:15:10,797
What's our plan today?
771
01:15:10,964 --> 01:15:13,842
We slip out here around these
heifers and move them,
772
01:15:13,842 --> 01:15:16,094
put 'em in a new field. We're going to
rotate them,
773
01:15:16,678 --> 01:15:18,597
and move them over to another pasture.
774
01:15:27,022 --> 01:15:30,526
Always got me when I see development
going on I look, and I say,
775
01:15:30,651 --> 01:15:35,531
"That will never be productive
for agriculture again."
776
01:15:37,783 --> 01:15:40,577
But you've got to leave places
for people to farm.
777
01:15:40,744 --> 01:15:43,288
You've got to leave areas
for these wildlife.
778
01:15:47,834 --> 01:15:50,420
If you was to put a big road
through the middle,
779
01:15:50,587 --> 01:15:52,798
it may entice folks to say,
780
01:15:52,965 --> 01:15:56,635
"Look at all this land, here,
they're doing nothing with
781
01:15:56,802 --> 01:15:59,179
but have a few cows
or they're farming.
782
01:15:59,179 --> 01:16:02,224
You know we can pick that up
fairly cheap."
783
01:16:04,309 --> 01:16:07,062
Land went from $2500 an acre
784
01:16:07,062 --> 01:16:10,065
to $20,000 an acre
within six to eight months.
785
01:16:10,190 --> 01:16:14,778
We had people coming here buying big
tracts of land. 20,000 bucks an acre.
786
01:16:15,904 --> 01:16:19,241
There's no way I can put enough cows
on it, farm crops,
787
01:16:19,408 --> 01:16:23,495
and even plant some marijuana
on the edges and pay for this thing.
788
01:16:23,495 --> 01:16:26,415
But yet these people are coming here
and spending all that money.
789
01:16:27,708 --> 01:16:29,209
I talked to them guys I said,
790
01:16:29,209 --> 01:16:34,631
"Man, how in the world
do you recoup your money back."
791
01:16:34,798 --> 01:16:38,010
And the guy told me,
"Well, you're looking at it wrong.
792
01:16:38,176 --> 01:16:40,804
You're looking
at what the land can produce.
793
01:16:40,971 --> 01:16:45,017
I'm looking at how many houses
can I put on that acre?"
794
01:16:49,813 --> 01:16:52,816
I don't know the answer
to it to be honest with you.
795
01:16:52,816 --> 01:16:57,487
I know that they're not spending a million
dollars to buy a piece of land to preserve
796
01:16:57,654 --> 01:17:00,032
a farmer what he does for a living
797
01:17:00,032 --> 01:17:02,284
but they'll spend that money
on that cat.
798
01:17:02,993 --> 01:17:06,496
But if me and that cat can get along,
we all benefit from that.
799
01:17:06,663 --> 01:17:12,377
Yo, man. Come here, buddy.
What are you doing?
800
01:17:13,170 --> 01:17:15,505
We need to protect them
as much as we can
801
01:17:15,672 --> 01:17:20,469
because if we've got habitat for them
that leaves habitat for us.
802
01:17:31,188 --> 01:17:35,817
So I had actually gotten
to be kind of numb almost.
803
01:17:36,026 --> 01:17:39,112
It had been so many months
of not getting anything
804
01:17:39,279 --> 01:17:41,281
and I see an alert pop up on my phone.
805
01:17:41,448 --> 01:17:44,034
Here's another empty photo, or a pig, or something.
806
01:17:44,201 --> 01:17:48,163
And I open it up and it's this
lo-res picture that looks like her.
807
01:17:50,082 --> 01:17:54,252
Okay, we're going to walk
in this trail to where my camera is.
808
01:17:56,088 --> 01:18:00,175
She was just here like two hours ago.
809
01:18:10,686 --> 01:18:15,190
Just trying to see if there's tracks.
There's a lot of vegetation on the ground.
810
01:18:23,657 --> 01:18:26,493
So I got your text
at like 6:15 this morning.
811
01:18:26,660 --> 01:18:30,664
Sorry. I got a little excited.
He came through on the tenth.
812
01:18:30,831 --> 01:18:33,709
So the male was here
just a couple days before.
813
01:18:33,875 --> 01:18:39,214
- Yup. See.
- Getting close.
814
01:18:40,841 --> 01:18:43,719
Oh, yeah,
I figured we'd find one of these.
815
01:18:43,719 --> 01:18:47,347
- If she came across this scrape.
- She'd probably come by and sniff it.
816
01:18:47,514 --> 01:18:49,516
She'd check it out. That's exciting.
817
01:18:49,683 --> 01:18:52,686
- It's like 20 feet from the camera so.
- Yeah.
818
01:18:52,811 --> 01:18:54,896
- That's a good spot they chose.
- Yup.
819
01:18:57,065 --> 01:19:00,193
Cameras going. That's a good thing.
820
01:19:00,193 --> 01:19:03,405
The question is which direction
was the camera facing?
821
01:19:03,613 --> 01:19:07,033
Yeah. System is go.
822
01:19:07,200 --> 01:19:09,828
Five hundred
and sixty-one beam breaks.
823
01:19:09,995 --> 01:19:11,204
This thing has been knocked
824
01:19:11,371 --> 01:19:14,750
but it didn't break the alignment enough
to where it stopped working.
825
01:19:14,916 --> 01:19:19,337
But here's to hoping.
Yeah, this camera is...
826
01:19:20,422 --> 01:19:25,719
pretty much perfectly composed for a
picture of the oak canopy above us.
827
01:19:26,553 --> 01:19:29,848
There's no chance it'd be able
to get a picture of an animal
828
01:19:29,848 --> 01:19:32,434
unless it was standing above it
looking down.
829
01:19:34,895 --> 01:19:37,814
The question is
when did it get knocked?
830
01:19:38,690 --> 01:19:43,528
And when did the panthers come?
Sky, sky, sky on the 19th.
831
01:19:43,528 --> 01:19:46,323
Wouldn't it be nice
if she had walked over it?
832
01:19:46,490 --> 01:19:49,284
Would've been nice if the cows hadn't
knocked this camera.
833
01:19:49,493 --> 01:19:53,580
Because that was the first time,
and there's the culprit right there.
834
01:19:53,747 --> 01:19:57,042
Big old floppy ears on that Angus.
835
01:19:57,042 --> 01:19:59,586
This is where
I'm starting to get pretty anxious.
836
01:19:59,795 --> 01:20:04,257
We just had about 200 pictures of cows
but we're back to a level horizon.
837
01:20:06,092 --> 01:20:10,096
There's a panther. There's a
panther at 3:30 in the morning.
838
01:20:12,224 --> 01:20:13,600
It's her.
No.
839
01:20:13,767 --> 01:20:16,603
It's a kitten it's got spots.
No. That's a panther kitten.
840
01:20:16,770 --> 01:20:17,896
Oh, my gosh.
841
01:20:17,896 --> 01:20:21,107
- And look, look. Look behind her.
Oh, my God.
842
01:20:21,274 --> 01:20:23,527
Right there.
- That's two kittens.
843
01:20:23,652 --> 01:20:26,655
Oh, dude.
- Look, they're sniffing the scrape.
844
01:20:27,989 --> 01:20:34,246
Look at her face.
She does look like an annoyed mom.
845
01:20:34,412 --> 01:20:35,664
Oh, dude.
846
01:20:35,664 --> 01:20:40,752
If one or both of these are females,
like, that's just even a bigger deal.
847
01:20:40,752 --> 01:20:43,922
- Here's to hoping these are females.
- Yes.
848
01:20:48,677 --> 01:20:52,389
This right here, is showing you a picture
of the first verified female
849
01:20:52,556 --> 01:20:55,642
north of the river in 43 years but now
she's got two kittens behind her.
850
01:20:55,642 --> 01:20:56,685
What are they sniffing?
851
01:20:56,852 --> 01:21:00,438
They're sniffing the scrape of a male
panther that's been up here for awhile.
852
01:21:00,438 --> 01:21:04,651
Yeah. So we've got a Florida panther family.
853
01:21:04,651 --> 01:21:07,696
We've got the future.
This is a big deal.
854
01:22:07,756 --> 01:22:13,053
Nature is a great teacher.
And the animals, the plants, the water,
855
01:22:13,261 --> 01:22:16,473
they're part of nature's way
of teaching you.
856
01:22:23,104 --> 01:22:26,232
The animals,
they don't see those lines.
857
01:22:26,399 --> 01:22:30,153
Those divisions that are created.
These imaginary lines.
858
01:22:30,320 --> 01:22:32,822
For them,
they still see that system connected
859
01:22:33,031 --> 01:22:37,035
and they are trying to get
to the areas that they knew.
860
01:22:38,036 --> 01:22:40,914
It's still there.
That knowledge is there somewhere.
861
01:22:41,081 --> 01:22:45,377
It's waiting for you to bring it back
forward to the present.
862
01:22:50,298 --> 01:22:55,470
There is that possibility to have those
corridors throughout the United States.
863
01:23:07,315 --> 01:23:10,026
You guys ready to see my first story
in National Geographic magazine?
864
01:23:10,026 --> 01:23:14,990
Sure.
That's awesome.
865
01:23:15,782 --> 01:23:19,828
How in the world
did you take that picture?
866
01:23:20,036 --> 01:23:22,163
That's a camera trap.
867
01:23:33,383 --> 01:23:36,928
That panther, that's a mommy panther
with three kittens.
868
01:23:36,928 --> 01:23:41,725
- What's that remind you of?
- Mommy and the three of us.
869
01:24:11,129 --> 01:24:15,258
{\an8}A bill to be entitled an "Act
Relating to the Protection of Ecosystems."
870
01:24:15,717 --> 01:24:19,804
{\an8}Thank you Mr. Speaker.
This is the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act.
871
01:24:20,847 --> 01:24:23,975
{\an8}Have all members voted?
Have all members voted?
872
01:24:24,184 --> 01:24:26,061
{\an8}The clerk will lock the machine
and announce the vote.
873
01:24:26,061 --> 01:24:28,354
{\an8}One hundred and fifteen yeas
and zero nays, Mr. Speaker.
874
01:24:28,354 --> 01:24:30,231
{\an8}The bill passes.
875
01:24:39,491 --> 01:24:42,786
{\an8}The panther is showing us
that it's not too late.
876
01:24:42,952 --> 01:24:46,956
{\an8}It's showing us that these remnants
of nature can still be reconnected.
877
01:24:47,957 --> 01:24:50,585
{\an8}And if we do that, there's no limit
878
01:24:50,752 --> 01:24:55,548
{\an8}to the scale of life and balance we can
bring back across this entire continent.
879
01:24:56,341 --> 01:25:01,179
{\an8}To see the way this story can unify
and bring people together,
880
01:25:02,222 --> 01:25:05,642
{\an8}I have tremendous hope
of what wildlife corridors can do
881
01:25:05,809 --> 01:25:09,229
{\an8}to bring people together
across the entirety of this country.
79427
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