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Life & Times Transcript
12/27/05 Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times -- What happens to America's wild horses when they no longer have a home on the range? Neda DeMayo>> Adopted wild horses go to slaughter. After title is transferred a year later, many horses go to slaughter just like thoroughbreds and any other horse that is unwanted. Slaughter is an outlet. Val Zavala>> And then, we send Cris Franco in search of the true Hollywood story of the Harbor City alligator. These stories and more next on tonight's Life and Times. Announcer>> Life and Times is made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Val Zavala>> Welcome to this special edition of Life and Times. Tonight we bring together our favorite stories, all dealing with animals, everything from alligators to orangutans, beginning with horses. There are still places in California where horses run free. A few years ago, a law was passed encouraging people to adopt these wild horses, but it hasn't turned out as expected and now many of these horses are being led back to the slaughter house. Stephanie O'Neill Noe takes us to the central coast where one sanctuary is working hard to save wild mustangs. [Film Clip] Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> Here at the Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary in Lompoc, California, more than two hundred mustangs roam free on three hundred acres of land, many of them living in their original family band just like they did in the wild. Neda DeMayo founded the sanctuary six years ago with her family's life savings. Neda DeMayo>> For many of the horses that have suffered through roundups and chases, etc., that's an incredibly traumatizing experience. When they arrive here, they're very herd-bound. They're very connected that way and we try to maintain that here. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> But the tranquility of their life at this nationally renowned sanctuary belies an intense battle on behalf of the wild horse, a battle that's become a top priority for DeMayo and her assistant, Jill Anderson. Jill Anderson>> "We'll have information on how to contact their legislators, sample letters. We'll update them on the trip to Washington, D.C. and all the lobbying efforts." Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> DeMayo is waging a war many thought was won thirty-four years ago with passage of the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act, a law intended to protect wild mustangs and keep them free. But now a new provision allows the sale and immediate transfer of captured horses to the highest bidder. The clause was quietly tacked on to this year's national spending bill by Montana Senator, Conrad Burns. In response to questions from Life and Times, Burns said of his amendment, "...many opponents of the legislation claim it only to be an attempt to slaughter wild horses, but as a man who understands their importance to the western way of life, this is simply not true. Animals not adopted are placed in the maintenance and long-term holding facilities costing Americans about nineteen million dollars per year. Funds generated from the sale of these animals will be used for the costs related to the adoption of wild horses and burros..." Nevertheless, in recent weeks, forty-one wild horses sold under the Burns amendment and transferred to new owners were immediately sold at a profit to slaughter houses. The slaughter houses, in turn, sell the horsemeat which ends up on dinner tables in Europe and Asia. Neda DeMayo>> It was very depressing and there was a sense of just complete -- how do I explain it? Deceit, I think, is the word, of betrayal, because even in countries where they eat horsemeat, the American wild horse is seen as an icon. Deanne Stillman>> Our country would not exist without the wild horse. The wild horse blazed our trails, plowed our fields, built this country. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> Deanne Stillman is a published author now writing a book called "Horse Latitudes: The Last Stand for the Wild Horse in the American West". Deanne Stillman>> Thousands and thousands and thousands of horses have perished in our wars and most of these horses were rounded up from the open range. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> But the Burns amendment and the slaughters it allowed are merely a symptom. Activists say the real problem is that of the overall management of wild horses on America's public land. While researching her book, Stillman says she witnessed firsthand the trauma and serious injuries wild horses suffered during capture. Deanne Stillman>> I went to several roundups in Nevada last summer. In one of them, I saw two foals being trampled in the pens. The horses are in a frenzy. They were herding them off the mountains down into this tiny corral, trampling foals. In the corral, they're sorted, divided into male and female. The foals are separated out, then they're herded into trucks and hauled off to holding pens several hours away. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> The Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, estimates there are about thirty-one thousand wild horses now roaming free on federal land. The agency uses helicopters to round up thousands of horses in order to accommodate other land uses like cattle grazing. This year alone, the Bush administration has directed the agency to remove from the range ten thousand more mustangs. Neda DeMayo>> By the time a single horse is captured and in a holding facility, it's cost the taxpayers is about thirty-two hundred dollars per horse. You've got, you know, contractors, helicopters, helicopter pilots, wranglers, brand inspectors, vets, etc. Very expensive endeavor. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> This year, the BLM will spend about thirty-nine million dollars on the removal and management of wild horses and burros. Half of that will go to caring for the captured horses and another eleven million dollars will go to the Adopt-a-Mustang program intended to help the BLM relocate some of the wild horses into the backyards of private citizens. And while adoption success stories do exist, so too do tales of tragedy. Neda DeMayo>> Adopted wild horses go to slaughter. After title is transferred a year later, many horses go to slaughter just like thoroughbreds and any other horse that is unwanted. Slaughter is an outlet. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> Many other adopted mustangs are doomed to lives of neglect by well-intentioned, but misguided, adopters. Some horses like this malnourished stallion that was brought to the Return to Freedom Sanctuary died early deaths. Neda DeMayo>> Managing wild horses in the wild like they're supposed to be managed is a lot cheaper. We would save millions and millions of dollars a year by managing horses where they are. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> DeMayo says the Return to Freedom Sanctuary provides a working model for managing wild horses without capturing them. A key part of her program is annual birth control shots that are given to mares through a dart gun. [Film Clip] Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> Keeping wild horses in the wild will also require support from cattle ranchers who graze their herds for only part of the year. Neda DeMayo>> But when they remove the cattle, the water is shut off. Well, you know, keeping the water on and paying the state for the water for the horses is a lot cheaper than removing the horses. The public needs to tell the government that we want our wild horses out there. There are other solutions. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> Helping to alert the American public about the mustangs' plight is this soon to air public service announcement featuring actor, Viggo Mortensen, from the film "Hidalgo". Viggo Mortensen>> "Hello, I'm Viggo Mortensen. I'm here to talk to you because I'm concerned about the recent gutting of the historic 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act." Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> In response to the forty-one horse death, the BLM has, for now at least, stopped the delivery of more than nine hundred horses sold under the Burns amendment. Meanwhile, Virginia Congressman Nick Rahall has introduced H.R. 297 which would reverse the Burns amendment. Neda DeMayo>> I think what we have now is an opportunity and I think now, more than ever, we need the public's support. This is not the time to get complacent. This is not the time to relax. Stephanie O'Neill Noe>> For Life and Times, I'm Stephanie O'Neill Noe in Lompoc. Kcet.org is the place to look for the very latest on Life and Times. You'll find previews of upcoming stories, transcripts and audio of past episodes and links to some of our most interesting features. Just go to kcet.org and click on "Life and Times". Val Zavala>> We all know what lengths human couples will go to to get pregnant, but few stories of conception can rival what's happened at the Los Angeles Zoo between two orangutans. Trainers there used everything from sonograms to plastic surgeons to stuffed animals to get this couple ready for parenthood and the result? Hena Cuevas has the story. Hena Cuevas>> She's the newest addition to the Los Angeles Zoo. [Film Clip] Hena Cuevas>> Baby Berani, which means "courage" in Indonesian, was born on February 22, becoming the first baby orangutan in the Los Angeles Zoo since 1987. Jennie McNary>> It doesn't matter if it's an ape baby or a cat baby or something, but babies are just so much fun. Hena Cuevas>> Jennie McNary is one of the zoo keepers and says getting to Berani's birth was no easy task. Not only was the potential father, Minyak, gravely ill, but the mother, Kalim, needed help becoming a new mom. Still, says McNary, the zoo was willing to give it a shot. They felt Minyak's background as a Malaysian orangutan would be an asset to their ape population. Jennie McNary>> His parents were wild-caught. He's not related to anybody else in the captive population of Borneon orangutans. That makes him genetically very valuable. Hena Cuevas>> His lineage was perfect, but his health wasn't. Since the age of six, Minyak has been suffering from a severe respiratory infection. When they heard about Minyak's condition and that the Atlanta Zoo was looking for a new home, zoo officials thought Los Angeles would be the perfect place for an orangutan with a respiratory condition. The warm temperatures combined with the low humidity could help improve his condition, but it didn't. Minyak arrived in Los Angeles in December 2001 and his health continued to worsen and, on top of everything, he was depressed. According to Dr. Leah Greer, Minyak started taking antidepressants together with antibiotics. Dr. Leah Greer>> But even with that, just this horrible infection that lived in the throat sac was when we the veterinarians were researching that very unusual surgery that had only been done three times and we said we really kind of were there. That's the last hope for this guy because he's not going to live much longer, so that's how the surgery came about. Hena Cuevas>> Minyak's problem was with an infected air sac located just over his lungs. Because he was in his twenties, older than any other animal having had a similar surgery, removing the air sac would be difficult. So zoo veterinarians enlisted the help of doctors from Cedar Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Leah Greer>> Before the surgery, we worked very well together because they didn't understand an air sac because people don't have air sacs, so I had to get out all the anatomy books and show them how it related and what type of tissue to even expect what it would be so they knew tissue handling skills. Hena Cuevas>> For eight hours in January of 2003, vets and doctors worked side by side to remove the infected air sac. Dr. Leah Greer>> I had four surgeons actually. We had a thoracic surgeon, a plastic surgeon, a facial surgeon, and a general surgeon all come together to help us for all the intricacies of how big this air sac was. Hena Cuevas>> Once the operation was completed, Minyak was kept under observation to make sure he was healthy enough to breed. Dr. Leah Greer>> We wanted to make sure that the disease that Minyak had couldn't be passed on to a female if he were to be intimate, so we made sure he was really healthy and his condition with the residual scarring in his lungs really only affects him and he's not contagious to the females. Hena Cuevas>> After a year of recovery, Minyak had a clean bill of health and was ready to be introduced to his new girlfriend, Kalim. The only problem was that Kalim had never been a mother and had to be trained. So using a stuffed toy orangutan from the zoo gift shop, trainers showed her the proper way to hold the baby. Jennie McNary>> And in case she wasn't really sure exactly how to nurse, they actually trained her to take this baby and hold it correctly and place it on her own nipple so that she would know what the correct position was. Hena Cuevas>> After six months of mom training, Kalim and Minyak finally met last June. Jennie McNary>> She was nervous at first, but after a couple of months of them being together when she was cycling, she settled in and they bred and she was very comfortable with him then. Hena Cuevas>> All the preparations paid off when they found out Kalim was expecting. Jennie McNary>> For me, I didn't want to admit it at first. You don't want to jinx it. You don't want to tell everybody that she's pregnant and then find out that she's not, but we were just so excited. Hena Cuevas>> Trainers had also taught Kalim how to place her belly against the enclosure's mesh so they could scan her. Dr. Leah Greer>> She would push up against the mesh and we'd get this tiny little window to stick the ultrasound probe in. So after a few months of pregnancy, we could tell she was pregnant, but it wasn't equivalent to a human ultrasound scan where you can look at everything, see the heartbeat and all that. So we would ultrasound her regularly to make sure it was still a healthy looking uterus and maybe an arm would go by or an umbilicus would go by, so that's how we just kind of monitored her pregnancy that way. Hena Cuevas>> Finally on February 22, Kalim started labor pains. After two years of intense human intervention, as the moment of birth arrived, zoo officials decided to do something they hadn't done before: leave Kalim alone. Dr. Leah Greer>> We had already decided as a whole group. The whole zoo decided the best thing is for nature to take its course. So despite everybody so excited and wanting to help and wanting to see, we all agreed that we'd just back off. Hena Cuevas>> It was a very private moment. But on the day after the birth, Kalim seemed happy to present her new baby to the world. John Lewis>> She really seems to enjoy the attention because, when she's out for the public, you know, she'll actually go over and like show off the baby. It's like her way of getting attention again too, you know. Hena Cuevas>> For director, John Lewis, this recent birth fulfills one of the missions of a modern zoo. John Lewis>> Because there's still kind of a feeling about zoos being, you know, just for showing animals and there's so much more to modern zoos. So when we can show successes like this where so many things had to come together for success for this species and for this animal, we like to talk about that from a conservation standpoint, from an education standpoint and then to let people see something that they'll probably never in their lifetime see again and it's a baby Borneon orangutan. Hena Cuevas>> There's another female, Rosie. The zoo hopes she will also become a mother, so she's spending time with Kalim and Berani to learn some maternal skills. Jennie McNary>> Every time she's with them, she gets a little bit more comfortable. She isn't to the point where she's really comfortable to be bred yet, but she is more comfortable with him. So we think that will be successful eventually. Hena Cuevas>> Baby Berani will stay with her mom nursing for five to six years and Minyak's health will continue to be monitored. For Dr. Greer, it's been a rewarding experience. Dr. Leah Greer>> I have pictures of the baby and Minyak at my home, in my office, everywhere because just when you're feeling blue about anything, just to think of this fabulous little life history of these three little orangutans, it just picks you up right away. It's a great feeling, yeah. Hena Cuevas>> There will be no shortage of baby pictures for this little girl. Berani has proven to be one of the zoo's most popular attractions. I'm Hena Cuevas for Life and Times. Announcer>> To send a comment or a question to our program, you can reach us by mail at this address: Life and Times 4401 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90027 You can also call our viewer comment line (323) 953-5555) or contact us the fast way by e-mail at kcet.org. Val Zavala>> He's attracted around the clock coverage and television crews from across the country. We're talking about the alligator lurking in a lake in Harbor City. So we thought we would dive into the waters and send our own Life and Times commentator, Cris Franco, who filed this hard-hitting report about the reptile with the reputation. Cris Franco>> Scotland has Nessie. Oregon has Big Foot. And for the sizzling summer of 2005, Harbor City had a monster all its very own. But unlike Nessie and Sasquatch which are myths, the creature residing deep inside Lake Machado was all too real. This is the true Harbor City story of Reggie, the alligator. [Film Clip] Cris Franco>> Only a few people had ever really seen him. Have you at all seen the alligator? >> Just on the news. Janice Hahn>> I looked at him with my bare eyes and I also looked with night vision binoculars and saw his red eyes glow at night. Cris Franco>> Oh, spooky. Janice Hahn>> I know, so it was kind of creepy. Cris Franco>> But exciting, and for weeks the residents of Harbor City could only speculate as to how a man-sized alligator got into their murky shallow lake. >> I think someone put him in there. Cris Franco>> Perhaps he left home because he'd just seen too many of his family members end up as high-priced shoes. However he got here, Reggie made a big splash. [Film Clip] Janice Hahn>> When I came out here the first night, I realized that it was sort of like looking for a needle in a haystack. This is a very large lake. This is not a pond that has distinct parameters. This guy could be anywhere. He could be hiding in the willows. He could be hiding in the primrose. He could be hiding in the tullies. Cris Franco>> Yes, he was tiptoeing through the tullies. And for a while there, Reggie was the undisputed king and he literally ate up the attention. These are tortillas, the same snacks that frenzied fans chucked into Lake Machado in their effort to lure Reggie and get a good look at him. Oh, Reggie! Reggie! It's far away. Crowds multiplied. Merchants prospered, and the press and paparazzi descended on Harbor City like fans for Gator games, spreading the news nationwide. Everyone was wild about Reggie. [Film Clip] Cris Franco>> It seemed that nothing could stop Reggie's ascending star, or could it? See, there was trouble in Harbor City. That's trouble with a capital T and it rhymes with C and that stands for crock. Reggie had a dark, dirty secret. He was a carnivore. The city fathers decided that Reggie, their star attraction, had to go, but they couldn't just run him out. He was a media darling now and they wanted him alive, kicking and snapping, but no one knew exactly how to catch him. The tortillas and the doughnuts didn't work? Janice Hahn>> Actually, the tortillas worked. He actually came closer to the shore the night we were throwing tortillas in there. Cris Franco>> But corn or flour? Janice Hahn>> Well, that's a very excellent question. Cris Franco>> Because I brought flour. Janice Hahn>> It was corn. Cris Franco>> Realizing that they needed a professional, Harbor City leaders recruited Jay Young and his two assistants from Gator Farm and Reptile Park in Colorado. For forty-eight hours, the trio tried a variety of gator-getting tactics and, for two days to the delight of his fans, Reggie outsmarted them, leaving their nets and traps a torn, tattered, pathetic mess. The disappointed Crocodile Dundee wannabes decided that they would leave, take a break, vowing to come back. And just when the town thought that Reggie might be making the park here his permanent digs, a stranger stepped up to the plate, Florida's gator guru. So Tim Williams from Gator Land, tell me how do you plan on catching Reggie, the alligator? Tim Williams>> What we hope to do is get a noose around his neck and then we can pull him out. If he's in shallow enough water, one of the guys will jump on his back and grab him. Then we'll put some tape around his mouth. Cris Franco>> Now what do you do if he like starts fighting you, like biting, biting? Tim Williams>> I scream and holler and run like crazy. Cris Franco>> Okay, Tim, have you ever been bitten? You've got all your fingers, but do you have everything else? Tim Williams>> Everything else that I can show you, I have, yes. Cris Franco>> Very good answer. I want to know if you can do some gator wrestling for me. Tim Williams>> You mean wrestle the alligator? Cris Franco>> Yeah, I'm gonna -- [Film Clip] Cris Franco>> Tim Williams loves gators, but not everyone does. In fact, most people agree that, overall, Reggie the alligator has been good for the people of Harbor City. >> We see a lot of people talking to each other and what you wouldn't normally have. >> He's like a lucky charm around here, you can say, because you can't catch him and that's a good thing (laughter). Janice Hahn>> I was down here when we had close to seventy-five to a hundred people right here and people were seeing high school buddies, people they hadn't seen for years. It was like -- Cris Franco>> -- big old home week, right? Janice Hahn>> It was like a home week reunion for people that hadn't seen each other for a while, so it was kind of fun. Cris Franco>> Do you think that they should change the name of Harbor City to Alligator City? Because you don't have a harbor, but you do have an alligator, at least right now. >> Right. Well, I think it would be good to put it Alligator Alley or (laughter) -- Cris Franco>> -- Alligator Alley is not bad. >> Yeah. Cris Franco>> We said goodbye with our new Alligator Alley gang handshake dedicated to the gator that won the hearts and tortillas of the South Bay. At the time of this taping, Reggie the alligator had not yet been caught. You know, although civilization may want to capture Reggie, it is he who has already captured us and our imaginations, bringing a sense of the wild into our asphalt and cement curbed lives and, if anyone tells you that Harbor City won't miss Reggie the alligator, you tell them it's a crock. I'm Cris Franco and this is just one of the many stories from the harborless city. [Film Clip] Val Zavala>> If you think it takes patience to teach your dog to roll over, imagine how you teach birds to perform in front of a live audience. Well, the Los Angeles Zoo has done it and we thought we'd take our camera there to get a behind-the-scenes look at how they get our feathered friends to cooperate. John Guenther>> My name is John Guenther and I've been in charge of the bird show here for about seven years. I've been at the zoo for almost ten. I've got the greatest job. [Film Clip] John Guenther>> We have people coming to the show just hoping that they're in the show that the condor is going to be at, so it's pretty impressive and it gives -- you know, if we could do something that really impresses the audience and the kids, that they take away with them and remember, you know, that's what we're after. [Film Clip] John Guenther>> I can remember being a child, being at a bird show, and going up afterwards and talking to the guy that has just flown his Prairie Falcon and in just awe, you know. Now to have that role be reversed for me, I feel very fortunate. [Film Clip] John Guenther>> The raven routine is a great example of a routine that just allows us to demonstrate the intelligence of a raven being the smartest bird in the world and also give the children a chance to come up on stage and interact and be a part of demonstrating how smart these ravens are. >> "Okay, Alex. You find a good hiding place, whichever side you want. Tuck it way back into the bushes where we can't see it because, if we can see it, then Blackjack for sure can see it. Oh, he's looking for it, Alex. I don't know. I think he may have spotted it. He's got it. There's no stumping him." John Guenther>> Cheeks is our Goffin cockatoo and she's been doing the show for so long. >> "I need the help of an adult volunteer with a dollar bill." John Guenther>> She gets a dollar from one of the audience members. >> "Keep your arm nice and level for me. Most importantly, for this whole routine, keep your eyes on me. All right. Everyone else, please keep your hands in your laps and your eyes focused on top of the temple. Appearing will be Cheeks, our Goffin cockatoo." [Film Clip] >> "Grab the cash, Cheeks. What do you do with it? Thank you. You enjoy the rest of the show (laughter). I need an adult volunteer with a twenty dollar bill who would like to work with . . ." John Guenther>> Learning about some of the natural behaviors that these birds possess just gives you a greater appreciation for how unique they all are. >> "All the way back up to Mimi. Thank you very much for helping us out. One more time, folks. That's Cheeks, our Goffin cockatoo." John Guenther>> We can all go home and realize that we're not on this planet by ourselves and that we do have to share it and, hopefully for generations to come, this planet will still be here for the wildlife as well as ourselves. [Film Clip] >> "And beautifully done." Val Zavala>> And that's our program. I'm Val Zavala. For everyone at Life and Times, thanks for watching. We'll see you next time. Announcer>> Life and Times was made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Sponsored in part by:  | |
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