This Saturday, NBC 7's Dagmar Midcap will take viewers inside the wolf’s den!
The next Down To Earth: The Extinction Crisis special follows two of the most critically endangered mammals on earth.
Wolves, are fearsome creatures of the night, shrouded in legend and myth that pose a danger to us all right? Not even close! Dagmar explains the misinformation and even public campaigns that have pushed these Apex predators to the brink of extinction.
Their survival as a species now depends on captive breeding programs.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Dagmar goes to the California Wolf Center for a nose-to-nose vet check of one of the rarest creatures on earth.
Dagmar's team tracked the progress of Mexican Grey wolf pups and their very first vet check through one full year of their lives culminating in the addition of medically implanted contraceptives! Few than 600 Mexican Wolves remain in the world so why would we not want these wolves to breed? They'll also explore the reasons behind this procedure.
Local
The ultimate goal is to release them into the wild – but legal red tape prevents the release of adults so Dagmar will show you a very delicate plan for introducing the pups to nature.
But as critical as their status is something far more alarming is occurring in the Southeastern U.S.: The rarest wolf on earth.
Dagmar and her team began filming this documentary in 2019 when there were fewer than 22 American Red Wolves in the wild and as they finished in 2021only 10 remained. The primary reason was gunshot mortality.
Red wolves were only ever found in the United States. The American Red Wolf truly is America’s wolf.
Dagmar will take you through physical exams of the most endangered wolf on this planet. And dispel the myths and fear surrounding this misunderstood creature and why they are so important for our health.
The Down To Earth: The Extinction Crisis airs on Saturday, March 13 at 4:30 p.m.
To find more information and links to the wolf centers, here:
If you missed Down to Earth, The Extinction Crisis on NBC 7, catch up below: