You don’t just need to be a wildlife enthusiast or a conservationist to marvel at the recently aired PBS series, Earth a New Wild. Dr. Sanjayan along with scientists and researchers who for many years have studied our planet’s eco-system, bring a wealth of expertise and findings to our screens. It’s a five part series covering the diverse natural habitats of the earth, featuring a number of different countries which includes the African region. It touches on the countries of Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi, Burkina Faso.
Through scientific study and observation of our planet, the human interdependence with nature has evolved, changed and we’ve learned to adapt. Some of the advancements have been through human intervention and technological assistance, to better harness the natural resources. What’s fascinating to see, is in some instances counter intuitive thinking and action have been used for the recovery and regeneration of nature. The findings reveal that the natural order and balance of prey and predator, are important to a healthy eco-system.
A few African highlights are Elephant hooves acting like agricultural equipment, breaking down the soil. A longtime researcher who started with a love for elephants and lives in Southern Africa has learned that predators keeping prey on the move are good for land conservation. He has mimicked some of these habits and transformed the land. In Tanzania, renowned Jane Goodall and her work with the chimpanzees. Through her years of observation, she helps the locals to plant trees which protects them and at the same time, has allowed new pathways for other chimps to cross into new territory. If you want to see a fish that pretends to play dead in order to catch a feed, it lives in the largest freshwater lake in Malawi, which’s twice as deep as The Empire State Building. The Maasai, who exist alongside lions and how they manage to protect their cattle with a little technical help.
Highlights from other regions: The endangered Panda and how the Chinese have invested in breeding and reintroducing them back into the wild.
A lemon shark giving birth
The amazon rainforest and its healing benefits to all, a substantial amount of our medications can be traced to this region.
A snow goose from North America with its evading tactics and its capture by a bald eagle