DR. RAE WYNN-GRANT WINS 2025 GRACIE AWARD

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Ask yourself this question. Why is conservation so important? For over 60 years, we've explored stories of hope from across the animal world. Hi. Join us on new adventures for a new generation. There's all different ways to do field work, and this is actual fieldwork. Ready? Set these

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traps. I'm amongst the sloths. This is pretty cool. All right Honey. You did it. This is one of those really wonderful conservation success stories. Okay, we got the mother bear anesthetized. I can already see a little cub. I I got to get in there. Checking on bears in their hibernation dens is

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something I've done many times in my work as a wildlife ecologist. We have three newborn cubs to this mama. I'm going to pass them off to some of our crew to keep them warm. They are too little to thermoregulate right now, which means they cannot produce their own body heat. This is science, but it's

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also magical. The frozen zoo is the largest, most diverse collection of its kind, and it's a collection of skin cells from mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. That's really incredible. The skin cells can be used for all kinds of genetic rescue of a species and we

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can also clone from these cells. So that sounds like science fiction, but it is actually science, proper science that can save some of these species from extinction. I mean, the first cloned black-footed ferret originated from cells that were housed right in this room. Exactly. Yes. That's amazing.

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So, you're holding living cells of an animal that has passed away, but these cells have the genetic diversity that will help the population. Honestly, it feels like hope is what it feels like. It's cells are alive and useful. It's really hopeful. The sloth should be at this house right

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here. Oh, look. I see it. I see it right in the tree. Oh, wow. Okay. I've got one leg. I've got the other leg. Oh, that's a tight grip. You're okay. Now, we're going to bring you to the right spot. Okay. He's going to go where he belongs. Back to the trees. Oh, that's cool. Okay. Off we go.

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This is the face of a champion who had a setback. He's turning it into a comeback. Here you go. This is really truly back into the wild. I have to say my heart is so full. It's what conservation is about. We tracked in after sunset to search for these nocturnal reptiles. And

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we have special permission from Fish and Wildlife to catch and release any other creatures we discover as well, like a brown water snake. Check that out. Oh my god. Hello, honey. Huge river frog tadpoles. Look how massive they are. Awesome. A Swani River cter. This is the largest

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basking turtle in North America. And a slimy salamander called a siren. I got to say, this is weird, but it's cool, right? All right, let's go on a brush crawl. All right, let's do it. I want to see these traps of yours. And you can see Oh, I see it. Very well hidden. Take a look at

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this one. Okay. All right. Well, maybe maybe you never know with these things. Hello. And look at that. It's a kitten. Is that a kitten? That's a kitten. You did not get so lucky to get a kitten on day one. Look. Look. Oh my. Yes. Yes. After 2 years of rehabilitation at
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the Columbus Zoo, it's finally time to release her into the wild where she belongs. Believe it or not, she is a juvenile female. She arrived at the SeaWorld Rescue Center at only 66 lb. Today, we've learned that she's close to 1,000 lb. How many people does it take to move a nearly 1,000 lb

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manity? Well, a lot. Hey, everybody. We're lifting and we're going on three. One, two, three. The team takes great care to be as gentle as possible. Okay, here we go. This girl is headed in the water. As soon as she feels the spring water on her skin, it seems as if she knows she's

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home. It's so special. It's really moving. And it's uh kind of dirty work, too.