In a world losing one species every three minutes, habitat protection is vital. But simply preserving islands of refuge in a sea of human development ignores a fundamental fact of biology: animals need to roam. They roam to hunt; they roam to breed; they roam to seek water and shelter. Animals know no borders. What’s more, many existing parks and preserves are just too small to sustain viable ecosystems.
WildWays, a set of stunningly photographed wildlife television specials now in development, will explore the cutting-edge worldwide movement to create conservation corridors - safe passageways linking existing wildlife sanctuaries. From the Himalayan Mountains to the Amazon rainforest, from the Serengeti plains to the Australian outback, corridors can provide a lifeline for animals so often bottled up in designated areas too small to sustain viable populations. From zebras who starve up against cattle fences, to an African elephant trampling a farmer’s fields, to wolves shot as they leave Yellowstone Park, we will show heartbreaking scenes of animals losing habitat to humans. But WildWays will also document a promising new approach: By connecting protected areas, natural systems can function as they did before humankind carved up the earth with roads, farms, cities, homes and fences to accommodate nearly seven billion people. This is a new vision of conservation - on a continental scale.
In each episode of WildWays, we venture to the last strongholds of nature where gorillas, tigers, grizzlies, jaguars, elephants, cassowaries, and turtles once dominated the landscape. In every continent we will meet the men and women on the frontlines of conservation who are coming up with innovative solutions. Fences can be breached at crucial points of migration; dangerous highways can be bridged; ranchers can manage their land so wildlife can pass through in safety. It’s hoped that the linked landscapes that result will be large enough to enable animals and plants to flourish—to mend the web of life that all creatures, including humans, rely on. These linkages will also allow plants and animals to move in response to a warming climate, instead of remaining trapped on islands of diminishing habitat that can no longer support them.
Conservation corridors around the world provide an unparalleled filmmaking opportunity. We will focus on the keystone species in each continent. We will show:
Jaguars This top predator is an indicator of the health of large landscapes from Mexico to Chile. Several corridor projects aim to protect the large ranges and uninterrupted landscapes the jaguar needs. From the central highlands of Peru, to the Amazon jungle of Bolivia, biologist Eduardo Forno is championing the Vilcabamba Amboro Conservation Corridor. We’ll also look at jaguars in their northern range, through Costa Rica, Belize, and into the borderlands of the U.S. and Mexico, where seven governments are cooperating to establish the Meso American Biological Corridor.
Grizzly bears and Grey Wolves In 1925, there were grizzly bears in 23 areas of the U.S. outside of Alaska. Now there are only two places with grizzlies – Yellowstone Park and the Bob Marshall wilderness in Montana. Lawyer and environmentalist Harvey Locke has a dream: the Yellowstone to Yukon initiative can reconnect wilderness islands and enable bears to repopulate some former habitats. That’s starting to happen with the grey wolf, whose reintroduction to Yellowstone has dramatically restored the whole ecosystem. It turns out that wolf predation keeps elk from overgrazing sensitive wetlands, young willows and aspen, so now there are more birds, beavers, and the whole range of species that live in these revitalized habitats. Healthy ecosystems need predators, and predators need large landscapes.
Elephants In Kenya, zoologist Iain Douglass-Hamilton has tracked elephants through surprisingly large seasonal movements. He has discovered that they run non-stop from one protected area to the next. The elephants know where it’s safe, and need protection through these vital corridors.
Tigers The foothills of the Himalayas represent a last chance for one of the world’s most endangered animals, the Bengal Tiger. Big cats need a lot of territory, so ecologist Ghana Gurim is linking the parks of northern India with preserves in his native Nepal. He is also teaching villagers how to live with tigers.
Brown bear, ibex, and lynx Linking the Cantabrian Mountains, Pyrénées, the Massif Central, and the Alps – biologist Miguel Rafa has a vision of restoring connections between the great mountain ranges of south central Europe, and saving the last European populations of brown bear, lynx, Alpine ibex, and chartreuse chamois.
Lions, zebra, and wildebeest There is no greater movement of animals on earth than the great migration of Tanzania and Kenya. Safari guide James Robertson, of the Kenya Wildlife Trust, will guide viewers to the vast herds of wildebeest and zebra, and the great predators that accompany them as they follow the seasonal rains and food supply. The key to the survival of this wildlife spectacle is the connected landscapes of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and Kenya’s Masai Mara. But as human populations grow and occupy more of the surrounding lands, the ecosystem is becoming smaller and more fragmented. Biologists are urgently trying to understand: How much protected land is really enough?
Cassowaries, koalas, and wallabies are important species that will benefit from the revitalization of the Great Eastern Ranges – one of several corridors proposed under Australia’s “Natural Defense Strategy”. Numerous habitats within this region provide a home for the greatest concentration of endemic wildlife on the planet. We’ll hear from biologist Graeme Worboys, whose passion has inspired this “whole of nation” vision. And we’ll meet all manner of creatures -- great and small – from saltwater crocodiles to tiny mountain pygmy possums, whose futures hang in the balance.
Mountain Gorillas A few mountain gorillas live on the brink of extinction. Their last stronghold is on the slopes of Mt. Virunga, a tropical volcano that straddles three war-torn countries. Park wardens from Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda are working together under the leadership of former warden Tom Selengama to create the Greater Virunga Landscape, a network of protected areas and wildlife corridors that may give the mountain gorilla a new lease on life.
Sea Turtles Connectivity can be just as important in the ocean. Sea turtles need coastal beaches for nesting and breeding, and protection for their migration to deep water, where they feed and grow. The Tri-national Sea Turtle Corridor, 7.8 million hectares spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines offers extensive mangrove forests, seagrass beds and coral reefs. However, the area is increasingly subjected to serious man-made threats such as destructive overfishing, siltation from deforestation, and poorly planned coastal development. Resort owner Ken Chung is helping an international effort to restore the connected habitat of the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape.
WildWays will give viewers a vivid look at animals on the move, from panthers negotiating the U.S. Mexico border to howler monkeys swinging through rainforest canopies, from elephant families migrating across African savannahs, to the vast caribou herds heading for their calving grounds in the Yukon. WildWays offers a set of inspiring stories about the cutting edge of conservation, a new vision of restoring connections on a fragmented planet.
