Going Wild

On the edges of the Serengeti National Park, wild animals and human beings are clashing in a struggle for territory. Now, the Frankfurt Zoological Society is supporting locals to help establish self-administered reserves along the border of the park.

The rare Dalmatian Pelican lives on Lake Skadar in Montenegro – one of the species’ last refuges in Europe. Conservation and sustainable tourism are now giving them a chance of survival

Peruvian conservationists are working to secure the survival of the giant manta ray. Local fishermen are playing a key role in the project.

Sharks and are disappearing from the Adriatic Sea. Researchers are now trying to find out why 85 percent of them are gone. They suspect water pollution might be to blame – many places in this popular holiday region have inadequate sewage treatment plants.

The Zinave National Park in Mozambique was almost emptied of wildlife by poachers. Now, it’s hoped that 7,500 wild animals will bring the park back to life. It is the largest resettlement of wild animals ever to take place.

More than 90 percent of Suriname's territory is virgin rainforest. But this paradise is under threat from logging. The habitat of wildlife like the sloth is also being eradicated.

The river turtle in the Peruvian region of Madre de Dios is threatened with extinction. Conservationists are now fighting to save the rare reptiles.

Birds, fish and crocodiles are returning to the Diawling National Park after the area appeared to have been deserted by both animals and humans. The situation was improved by a nature protection zone and water management system.

The Amazonian pink river dolphins are under threat. Hydroelectric power stations block their routes and mercury from gold mines is poisoning their organs. To this day, little is known about the state of the region’s dolphin population. The WWF now aims to change this.

Dzanga-Sangha in the Central African Republic is guarding a treasure. The park is home to gorillas and forest elephants threatened with extinction. Administrators are trying to protect the animals from this, and the impact of a civil war.

Orangutan schools are part of a conservation project run by the Frankfurt Zoological Society. It is fighting to save the apes at the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in Sumatra and establish a new population.

There are no more wild rhinos in Uganda. For years now, the Rhino Fund has been breeding the animals in a protected area so that one day, they can be reintroduced to the wild in Uganda.

For farmers in Madagascar, the sea cucumber is a good source of income. It’s an expensive delicacy: Gourmets in China pay up to 1,000 US dollars for a kilo of dried sea cucumbers. But sea cucumbers also play a key safeguarding role in the marine ecosystem.

There are only around 7,000 cotton-top tamarins left in the rainforests of Colombia. Their habitat has been depleted by logging. The NGO Proyecto Tití campaigns to safeguard the monkey’s habitat. It is working to reforest the area and offering alternative sources of income to people living in the region.

The elephant population in the South African bush is on the rise. This is resulting in new problems. The pachyderms flatten so many plants including the native marula tree. Conservationists have been trying out a deterrent high up on an elephant’s list of dislikes: bees.

Raika traditions are disappearing in Rajasthan. For centuries, the semi-nomadic communities roamed the nation with their camel herds. But the lifestyle is now under threat. An initiative is trying to help find new sources of income for the Raika pastoralists.

African wild dogs are one of the most threatened carnivores in Africa. There are only a few thousand left. The Savé Valley Conservancy in southeastern Zimbabwe is one of the dogs’ only remaining sanctuaries.

Its flesh is said to taste like a delicious steak. That's why manatees, a species of sea cow, have become very rare in the Amazon. In the Peruvian city of Iquitos, the Amazon Rescue Center helps protect animals that are vital to the eco-system.

Golden monkeys are an endangered species. The animals’ habitat is also being encroached on by a growing human population. People enter the region of the Virunga volcanos to gather wood. An NGO aims to protect the forest – with energy-efficient stoves.

It’s rare to see tapirs in the wild. This is because the animal is nocturnal and usually out and about alone in the tropical forests of America and Southeast Asia. The commercial hunting of wild animals is officially banned in Peru, but both the tapir and other animals can be found on sale at Iquitos market.

In the Solomon Islands, hawksbill turtles hatch in their thousands. But the tiny creatures have many enemies. See for yourself!

American conservationist Marisa Tellez is crazy about crocs. She says: crocodiles aren’t bloodthirsty monsters! They’re actually quite vulnerable.

Costa Rica is home to 15,000 species of butterfly. Some are specially bred for botanical gardens all over the world. As well as providing a source of income for poorer families, it protects the forest too!

Even at the southern tip of Argentina, the environment is polluted with plastic trash. It has even found its way into penguin nests! Find out more.

Belize Zoo is home to many endangered species. During the coronavirus pandemic, the animals sense that something is different. Find out more!

Check out this spectacular drone footage of reindeer! But climate change is threatening this habitat in the icy Russian north: for animals and humans alike.

How can migratory birds be returned from captivity to the wild? Watch this episode to see how one of the world's rarest birds is reintroduced to its former habitat.

It’s a decades-old tradition in Nigeria: eating and selling wildlife, including endangered species. But at what point should nature take priority over culture?

Thailand's working elephants often lead a miserable existence. See how animal welfare activist Lek Chailert changes their lives in northern Thailand.

The spectacled bear is the only bear species in South America! Let’s find out about efforts to protect this animal native to the Colombian Andes.

In Kenya, female scouts are protecting endangered Grevy's zebras. Let’s find out how the women are creating a sustainable coexistence.