Join host Jeff Corwin on an adventure across America to help save California condors and Massachusetts saltmarsh sparrows. First, Jeff travels to the spectacular coastline of Big Sur, California, to

Join host Jeff Corwin on an adventure across America to help save California condors and Massachusetts saltmarsh sparrows. First, Jeff travels to the spectacular coastline of Big Sur, California, to the renowned condor sanctuary of the Ventana Wildlife Society. Jeff helps prepare young condors for their new life in the wild and learns about how condors shape their environment - and how the environment shapes them. Later, Jeff travels to his home state to work alongside the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife on a mission to save a unique species of bird that only lives in salt marsh habitats of the East Coast. Video Transcript: Jeff Corwin: Our adventure begins along the central coast of the great state of California. Here, the Santa Lucia mountains rise from the Pacific ocean in a region named Big Sur. This pristine and undeveloped coastline has been described as one of the most stunning meeting points of land and sea on the planet. Circling high above is the mighty California condor. Today, the presence of wild California condors above the cliffs of this coastal state is a miracle of modern conservation.  Jeff Corwin: Look at that. Is that adult or sub-adult? Pamela Flick: Well, because we can see the white wing patch under the wing, that would be an adult condor that we see right now. Jeff Corwin: Now. So that's at least five or six years old. Pamela Flick: At least. Yeah. Jeff Corwin: Incredible. My friends, this is Pam Flick. She is of course, with Defenders of Wildlife. And what makes the story of the California condor is so remarkable? Pamela Flick: Well, Jeff, I think it's a special story because it's one of hope and one that demonstrates that it truly takes a village to save a species from extinction. Jeff Corwin: This is North America's largest flying bird. It's got nearly a 10 foot wing span, it's weighing 20 pounds plus in size. It takes a lot to keep these birds alive, doesn't it? Pamela Flick: It does. They can range over 200 miles in a single day on foraging missions. They need a lot of habitat. Jeff Corwin: So today we can come along this coast and have this spectacular moment. But this was a species that was in true jeopardy, wasn't it? Pamela Flick: Absolutely. In 1982, the entire population of California condors was just 22 individuals. At the time, the decision was made to pull all the condors from the wild to start a captive breeding program. Jeff Corwin: But they're a complex creature. It takes years and years for an adult to get to that point where it can replace itself. Pamela Flick: Yeah, at least six years. And that's one of the problems because they have such a slow population growth and they only breed once every two to three years and they only lay one egg per breeding attempt. Jeff Corwin: So Pam, how many condors do we have today? Pamela Flick: Well, the entire population in the world is roughly 500, and of that, about 300 are free flying today here in the central coast of California, in the mountains of Southern California in Baja, Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. And there are plans to reintroduce condors to the Yurok ancestral lands in Northwestern California within the next year.  Jeff Corwin: That's amazing. Jeff Corwin: Condors have been pulled from the brink of extinction, but the work has just begun. From the famous Pacific Coast Highway One, we're traveling to a protected mountain peak high above the clouds.  Well friends, get ready. You're about to experience one of my most favorite conservation projects in North America. We are working with the Ventana Wildlife Society. Their mission is to save what I consider the ambassador of the California sky. The Ventana Wildlife Society currently monitors more than 100 condors and 10 active breeding pairs. Today, senior biologist, Joe Burnett, and his team are preparing the next generation of condors for their new lives in the wild. Jeff Corwin: Joe, so what is our mission today? Joe Burnett: Today, we're going to get these tags on the birds. So this is how we'll visually identify each individual out in the field with this color number combination. But our first step, we got to get them in the nets and catch them. So let's go do it. Jeff Corwin: All right, let's go do it. This is going to be fun. Jeff Corwin: We enter an area called the flight cage. There are nine juvenile condors in this enclosure and all of them are the product of active breeding programs. Jeff Corwin: What we're trying to do is carefully trying to corral the condor. We don't want to stress it out. Jeff Corwin: But we can only work with one at a time.  Jeff Corwin: Look at the size of this bird. It's just amazing. This is a very young bird we're. Right now it has  probably an eight foot wing span. Just incredible.   Jeff Corwin: For this team, the safety of each condor is the highest priority. Jeff Corwin: I got a good grip... We've hit our character limit. Leave us a comment for the rest of the transcript.

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Join host Jeff Corwin as he connects with a collection of amazing mammals that face difficult conservation challenges. First, Jeff travels into the remote forests of New England to help care for a

Join host Jeff Corwin as he connects with a collection of amazing mammals that face difficult conservation challenges. First, Jeff travels into the remote forests of New England to help care for a rowdy group of orphaned baby black bears. Jeff learns about bear conservation and discovers the unique and friendly behaviors bear cubs have towards each other. Later, Jeff travels to Florida to meet orphaned baby manatees. Jeff learns about the threats to manatee habitat and what biologists are doing to save them. Finally, Jeff assists veterinarians to help two adorable opossums heal from their wounds and return to the forest. Video Transcript: Jeff Corwin: Mammals come in splendid variety, from the massive blue whale to the tiny deer mouse. Nearly all mammal mothers have live birth and all produce milk for feeding their young. At least some part of their bodies are typically covered with hair or fur at some point in their lives, and all mammals are endotherms, which means they can generate heat to maintain their warm-blooded body temperatures. Jeff Corwin: But tragically, today, nearly one quarter of all mammals are threatened with extinction, including at least 65 species in the United States alone. Scientists have estimated the total mass of all mammals on earth. They discovered that human beings make up 34% of this biomass, domesticated mammals account for 62%, which means only the remaining 4% are wild species. In the forests of New England, wild American black bears live in close proximity to humans. These bears are constantly threatened by pollution, vehicles and habitat loss, and black bear cubs are increasingly becoming orphaned. Jeff Corwin: Today, I'm visiting the Kilham Bear Center, where some of these bear cubs are given a second chance of survival.   Jeff Corwin: So this very precocious, absolutely adorable black bear cub is Marlow. This is Ethan Kilham and essentially Ethan, you are Marlow's stepmom, aren't you? Ethan Kilham: Yes. I'm the primary caregiver for the cubs, so basically I'm trying to be the best facsimile to a mother bear that I can be, so I'm feeding them, I'm introducing them to wild foods, wild things from the environment, stuff that they can play with. Jeff Corwin: Hi Marlow, no nibble. No, that's not ... No, please. No, Marlow, no. So your instinct is to interact, but we don't want to interact. We want this bear to discover that human beings aren't a  part of his future success in life, right, Ethan? Ethan Kilham: Right. Jeff Corwin: We want him to be wild. Ethan Kilham: He'll be released at about 18 months of age and then he'll have all the tools to be a perfectly wild bear. Jeff Corwin: Marlow, what are you doing? Marlow, please get off the cameraman. Jeff Corwin: Marlow is still too young to be released, but today is a special day for two cubs named Flower and Dover. Today, they're going back in the wild and that's what we are about to do right now. For both our safety and the safety of these cubs, Flower and Dover will need to be sedated. To do this, Ryan will use a long pole fitted at the end with a small syringe of fast-acting sedative. Jeff Corwin: So what Ryan needs to do is get close to these bears, give them a quick poke, they'll go to sleep and all will be good. Jeff Corwin: No one likes getting a shot, especially a bear cub. Jeff Corwin: Success, Ryan? Ryan Smith: I think so. Jeff Corwin: Going to wait until he starts to get a little tipsy, which he is right now. We want to be there so when the bear goes to sleep, he doesn't fall and hurt itself.  Jeff Corwin: The sedative works very fast and makes Flower a little dizzy, but don't worry. We won't let him get hurt.  Jeff Corwin: There we go. There we go.  Jeff Corwin: We take Flower outside where the wildlife team will give him his final checkup. Jeff Corwin: So our first bear is nicely situated. Now let's go get the next bear. Jeff Corwin: All right. Okay. Now it's time for bear number two. Ryan's going to get in position. Thankfully, Dover's found a little corner to curl up in, so getting him outside will be much easier. Jeff Corwin: All right, if you just lower it down. Okay. I got him. All right. They are just such beautiful, beautiful creatures, so precious, such an important part of our wild legacy and to be a part of this program, it's amazing. Jeff Corwin: So what we have to remember is that these bears are no longer in control in the way their head is angled, their airway has opened or closed, and we have to constantly be vigilant to make sure these creatures aren't overheating, aren't stressed and are sleeping safe and sound. The team carefully records the cubs' temperatures, heart rate and size, what we call biometrics. Finally, it's time to give these cubs a small tag on each ear so they can be identified in the future... We've hit our character limit. Please leave us a comment for the rest of the transcript.

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