The top of Texas.
Guadalupe Peak.
It stands above a proud and diverse state.
Where the Rocky Mountains and harsh desert of the American West
converge with the vastness of the Great Plains.
To where the forests and swamps of the Deep South
give way to the Blackland Prairies and Post Oak Savannas.
From the spring-fed rivers that bless the Hill Country...
...to the tropical brush of the Rio Grande Valley.
Texas gives life to animals found nowhere else...
...and attracts migrations from across the hemisphere.
More headwater springs to the Gulf of Mexico.
It is a land sculpted by water.
Where nature has selected for the most adaptable...
...and to those willing to stake their claim.
This film celebrates the natural wonders of Texas.
It is a story about tragedies in our past...
...of recoveries against all odds...
...and is a call to action to conserve the wildlife
and wild places in our home.
This is a story for all who love Texas.
The history of our relationship with wildlife in Texas...
...is best told on the High Plains of the Panhandle.
For millennia, herds of Bison roamed across Texas by the millions.
Their grazing patterns shaped our landscapes,
and their meat and hides nourished the people who lived here.
They survived ice ages and mass extinctions.
But their ability to thrive...
...was no match for westward expansion.
Only three lifetimes ago,
30 million bison roamed the Great Plains of North America.
So many, they seemed limitless.
They attracted market hunters West
where an experienced buffalo hunter could often kill hundreds a day.
Their hides and tongues were sold to markets
along the East Coast and Europe.
The meat was left to rot
or was laced with poison to kill off predators.
Efforts to slow the killing were ignored...
...for the great Slaughter destroyed the food source of Native Americans...
...forcing many under reservations.
Commercial market hunting wasn't limited to bison.
Most abundant bird in North America,
passenger pigeon, was hunted to extinction.
Wild sheep, pronghorn, deer, and elk
were killed from all but the most remote locations.
Waterfowl and shorebirds were shot by the millions.
Jaguars, grizzlies, and wolves were killed from Texas.
By the late 1800s,
our wildlife was decimated.
Legend has it that Texas rancher Molly Goodnight heard
the last bison calves crying out for their slaughtered mothers.
Of the five million in Texas...
...only five remained.
She saved them and their numbers grew.
They lived in Palo Duro Canyon until the 1990s
when they were given to Texas Parks and Wildlife
and moved to Caprock Canyon State Park.
These are their descendants.
The survivors of the great Southern Plains bison herd.
The herd is over 300 strong.
And this is the future.
Learning to be a bison is hard work.
Especially when you have to walk on day one.
These wobbly legs will need to be strengthened.
And it's a good thing mom's here to help.
They have an entire prairie to explore.
And neighbors to meet.
Like all communities, there's always that one neighbor...
...coming out of their hole with their feathers all ruffled.
There's a diversity of creatures on these plains.
And this calf needs to learn how to run in order
to keep up with the herd one day.
Which will take some practice.
Maybe a little teamwork will help improve the coordination.
These calves may only be a few weeks old...
...but the blood of Texas survivors flows through their veins.
They were born to run.
These bison won't roam the same prairies as their ancestors.
But there is room to expand.
There are public lands across Texas
that can be restored with bison.
Many ranches have already answered their call.
Bison herds are expanding across the state.
And they aren't alone.
Following the Great Slaughter of the late 1800s...
...a series of laws were passed to recover our wildlife.
Commercial market hunting was put to an end
and conservation-minded sportsmen advocated
for hunting limits and seasons.
The creation of forest, parks, and refuges provided habitat.
And international agreements protected migratory birds.
The combined efforts to restore some animals
have been remarkably successful.
And many species that were killed out of an area
have been reintroduced.
In Texas today, elk bugle from mountaintops.
Pronghorn grace the prairie.
And desert bighorn have returned to their mountain homes.
These recoveries are largely due to people who have dedicated...
...and some who have given their lives to restore our wildlife.
But there is one specie that reign supreme on recovery.
The white-tailed deer.
At the end of each winter,
the buck shed their antlers and begin to grow a new set.
During the velvet stage,
antlers can grow a quarter inch a day
and under good rangeland conditions,
the bucks put extra resources into their antlers' growth.
As summer fades into fall,
their testosterone increases and they rub the velvet off.
Revealing a fresh new set...
...of weapons.
The rut, the breeding season, lasts for only a month...
...which they have spent all year preparing for.
Most fights are settled within seconds...
...for the risk of injury is high and the larger buck
typically exerts his dominance quickly.
But when opponents are evenly matched...
...a showdown...
...for breeding rights and territory is inevitable.
Each doe is in heat for only 24 hours.
The buck's bloodlines and territories are at stake.
These incredible dramas should not be taken for granted.
A century ago, white-tailed deer had been killed from most of the state
and only survived in isolated pockets.
Today, largely due to regulations
and conservation-minded sportsmen,
there are over five million.
Other species have not shared the same fate.
In a very few special parts of the South Texas brush country...
...lives a creature once thought to be lost.
An animal so rare, it has become nearly mythical.
An ocelot.
Fewer than 80 are known to exist in the entire country.
Ocelots were once found across much of Texas
and into Louisiana and Arkansas.
Much of their habitat has been lost.
Then they were historically trapped,
hunted and poisoned by government predator programs.
Today they exist in only two small populations,
where they are genetically isolated and inbred.
A catastrophic fire, hurricane
or disease could wipe them from the country.
Much is unknown, for many landowners have not allowed research
on their property because they are concerned that the Endangered Species Act
would impact their ranching operations.
Texas is 95% privately owned,
and recovering endangered species
is very difficult without landowners support.
A growing number of landowners have embraced ocelot research and recovery.
They take great pride in conserving
both a ranching legacy and a wildlife legacy.
Inside one of these cattle ranches...
...new camera technology is revealing
the secretive lives of ocelot...
...and has given us a glimpse at the next generation.
These precious kittens have no idea
how crucial they are for the species.
Their survival depends on mom's ability...
...to hunt.
She has hidden her kittens to hunt alone.
A green jay warning others there's a predator on the prowl.
An armadillo.
Busted.
She'll have to keep hunting.
But she's not the only predator.
The brush can be a dangerous place for kittens
without their mother's protection.
Success.
Back to the kittens.
The worst sound a mother can hear.
Silence.
She has found one of her kittens.
Sadly... the other was never seen again.
She will now put her full effort into raising the survivor.
Her kitten needs to learn how to hunt on her own one day...
...which will take practice.
And a little hide-and-seek.
Hopefully, this kitten will establish her own territory one day
and play a part in the greater recovery of ocelots.
Scientists, landowners, and many organizations
are working together to introduce new genetics,
restore habitats and will hopefully start
new populations in their historic range.
Like many wildlife species, their future can be bright.
But they need our help.
Water... rarely comes peacefully to Texas.
Cold fronts from the north can collide violently
with warm air and moisture from the Gulf.
Tropical jet streams from the west bring thunderstorms each summer.
While El Ni?o and other weather systems
bring uncertainty from year to year...
...blue northers blanket the state in winter...
...while summer highs soar over 100 degrees.
Droughts are a cyclical part of our weather system.
As are floods.
Nearly all of our rivers are born here,
and they journey to the Gulf of Mexico.
But much of the rainfall seeps into the earth...
...into vast aquifers that cover 80% of the state.
In the poorest limestone of the Hill Country...
...the Edwards Plateau soaks up moisture like a sponge.
Below the surface, water and time
have sculpted a landscape as magnificent as the one above.
This karst ecosystem is so vast
and receives enough nutrients from the outside world...
...that life has evolved in the absence of light.
Inside this constant temperature climate...
...nature has selected for animals who conserve energy...
...and who lose traits that are no longer necessary.
This is an endangered Texas blind salamander.
They hunt the darkness by sensing small disturbances in the water pressure.
They breathe through their gills,
which change in size, depending on the available oxygen.
In this world below our feet...
...familiar creatures have become nearly alien.
A blind catfish.
There are three species in Texas
and they have been found 2,000 feet below the surface.
They are the size of your palm.
And their metabolism is so slow,
they can survive four years between meals.
We know little about them.
Yet their habitat is the foundation for our fresh water.
When the aquifers are full,
water bubbles to the surface through springs.
As springs combined together, they create creeks.
As the creeks converge, they form our Hill Country rivers.
It's water.
From stone.
In a select few rivers and creeks,
the state fish of Texas hunts the rapids.
The Guadalupe bass.
Each spring, the males begin preparations to attract a mate.
Step one is finding a suitable location for a spawning bed.
A gravel floor with surrounding protective structure is ideal.
He must choose wisely,
or he won't leave the bed for over a month.
"Ah, perfect."
The second step is to clean the gravel floor.
A difficult task with only fins,
but a necessary one.
Females don't find dirt on the bed attractive.
It's tidy.
But is it enough to impress a mate?
The females are searching for males
that will give their eggs the best chance of survival.
They will be judged on their spawning beds.
"Gross! Hey, don't mess with Texas.
Getting better.
Yuck! Hey, this ain't Oklahoma.
Now we're talking."
With up to 10,000 eggs to lay,
finding the right partner is worth searching for.
Sometimes they've been preparing a bed just for you.
During this courtship dance, the female releases her eggs,
which are fertilized by the male.
Exhausted, she has spent all her energy on reproduction.
But dad duty has just begun.
For a week straight, he aerates the eggs with his fins
until one day...
These baby bass have many predators.
And he will continue to protect them for the next few weeks.
Eventually, their responsibility passes on to us.
To ensure that our rivers stay healthy and the springs always flow.
Which is becoming increasingly difficult.
The Texas Hill Country is developing faster than any other region.
Per capita, each of us uses 138 gallons of water each day.
To meet this demand, we are taking water out
of the aquifers and pumping it to the surface.
When we remove more water than rainfall can refill,
the water table falls, and the springs go dry.
During the last century, one half of the major springs
in Texas have stopped flowing
because the aquifer was over-pumped.
Our rivers and wildlife depend on these springs.
As do we.
The people of Austin and San Antonio have taken action.
When water protection efforts were placed on city elections,
citizens voted overwhelmingly in support.
They voted to invest in water rights,
establish parks, and fund conservation easements.
They have conserved over 200,000 acres of their watersheds.
Because the future health of the land is tied to our own.
One of these conserved areas is also helping to protect...
...one of Earth's most remarkable wildlife spectacles.
Bracken cave.
This is a maternity colony of Mexican free-tailed bats.
The females migrate from Mexico to Texas each year
to feed on insects during the summer,
and to raise a new pup.
At five weeks old, the youngsters have already grown to adult size
and are preparing to take their first flight.
Airspace is crowded,
for Bracken cave contains
20 million Mexican free-tailed bats,
and is the largest congregation of mammals on Earth.
It's a difficult place to learn how to fly.
As the sun sets each summer evening,
the colony begins to emerge.
It is time for these young bats to spread their wings.
Bats experience the world much differently than we do.
They emit sounds too high for our ears to hear,
which bounce off objects, and return as echoes,
giving each bat an auditory map of their surroundings.
But with so many voices...
...their echolocation is hindered
and they must also rely on sight.
The new pups must navigate two rotations around the batnado...
...rise above the trees
and then fly to their hunting grounds.
Their gravest danger...
...is collision.
The pups who are able to free themselves must rejoin the colony.
But they do not yet have the strength or the skill
to take off from the ground.
Their only hope is to climb to a high point to take off again...
...undetected.
The coachwhip is the fastest snake in North America.
They are waiting...
...for movement.
Alone, the bats are defenseless against the snakes.
But others have also fallen.
And when one is sacrificed...
...it provides an opportunity for the others... to escape.
Flying within the colony, the young bats find safety...
...for their greatest strength is in their sheer numbers.
Above the tree line, they fly as a river.
Each individual hidden amongst the multitude.
They must blend into the group.
The emergence has attracted attention.
Red-tailed hawks, Swainson's hawks,
and peregrine falcons have come to hunt.
They are looking...
...for prey that stands out.
Some of these bats have over 15 years of experience.
But the new pups...
...don't yet know the dangers of flying alone
or on the outskirts.
Individuals fall each night.
But as a colony... they overwhelm the predators.
The bats of Bracken Cave support an entire ecosystem.
But their biggest impact is up to 100 miles away,
where they will consume over 150 tons
of agricultural pests every single night.
There are 32 different species in Texas
and hundreds of millions of bats.
Some night skies they fly under...
...are more special than others.
Of all the national parks in the Lower 48...
...Big Bend has the darkest skies.
Beneath this heavenly expanse...
...are the signs of hope.
These... are the marks of a black bear.
Bears were once killed out of Texas.
But across the border, in the high mountains of Mexico,
a population thrived.
In the 1980s, bears became a protected species in Texas.
And we waited... for their return.
In 1987, a female dispersed from Mexico...
...crossed the Rio Grande,
and made her home in Big Bend National Park.
Her pioneering instincts flow through the veins of our bears today...
...and their offspring.
This mama bear has taught her eight-month-old cubs
how to find food with each passing season.
In the fall, that means acorns.
It's slim pickings on the forest floor,
but... up above, there's a bounty.
And these cubs, they have a size advantage.
The very best acorns are those the big bears can't reach.
The higher the climb, the sweeter the reward.
Life is good in Big Bend National Park.
A century ago, these bears would have been hunted down.
Today... they can rest peacefully.
But the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend are relatively small,
and they are already filled to capacity.
Like their pioneer ancestors,
bears are dispersing from the national park.
They are seeking new mountain ranges in Texas.
A place to call home, where their ancestors once roamed.
But their path to recovery
is far from certain.
There are thousands of traps across Texas.
Set for our top predator.
The mountain lion.
Once found across the state,
populations now only exist in the remote canyons
and deep brush of South and West Texas.
Their territories are massive,
often over 100 square miles.
On average, they kill every seven to ten days.
Their prey can be several times their size.
And well-armed.
Some animals take shelter in the cliffs.
Or move as a herd to have more eyes on the lookout.
But water is scarce in the desert.
And prey must drink.
They must be wary...
...for they too...
...are prey.
On rare occasions, mountain lions will kill livestock.
And some hunters don't want another predator on the land.
But unlike other states,
where only problem cats are removed
and mountain lions are either protected or closely managed...
...in Texas, they can be trapped, snared,
and hunted year-round with no harvest limits
and no science-based management.
They can even be captured in cages
and sold in canned hunts.
In a West Texas study following 16 cats,
one was shot
and all of the remaining 15 were killed in traps.
It is not required to check the traps.
When caught,
it can take days to die
from dehydration and exposure.
Every step they take is a gamble.
And they are almost guaranteed...
...to lose.
This trap was dismantled by our camera team.
But there are thousands across Texas
that are armed right now.
Mountain lion traps do not discriminate...
...and can catch those...
...just searching for a new home.
The treatment of our mountain lions is from a bygone era.
In other states, they are either protected
or managed as a game animal
with controlled hunting seasons and harvest limits.
Texas can do the same.
There is no better proof of our ability
to change and live alongside the natural world...
...than in the Big Thicket and Piney Woods of East Texas.
One hundred years ago, this abandoned structure was a sawmill...
...where the old growth forests were cut apart and turned into lumber.
There are hundreds of sawmills like this.
By the early 1900s,
nearly all of the East Texas forest had been cut down.
As the last trees fell
and the top soil washed away,
small groups of bold Texans resolved to bring these forests back.
They shared a dream of a restored ecosystem
and were often met with ridicule and scorn.
Yet they persisted.
And their vision took root.
Over the course of decades, they slowly inspired landowners,
timber companies and our state and federal governments
to combine efforts and bring the forests back.
This... is their legacy.
Over a million acres of restored forest and preserves.
They have given us the greatest gift
a generation can leave behind.
A landscape healthier than they inherited...
...teeming with life.
The forests of East Texas average over four feet of rainfall a year.
So much that the rivers and creeks simply can't hold it all in.
As water spills over the banks,
it fills the oxbow lakes and sloughs.
Like a sponge, these wetlands
absorb the overflow and act as nature's flood control.
These are the conditions
that our largest freshwater fish have been waiting for.
This... is an alligator gar.
A female.
She is the size of an adult human and can live just as long.
She has left the safety of the river
and is following the floods.
These wetlands will provide the best opportunity for her offspring.
In a place free from other river predators.
She releases pheromones as she travels
for her suitors to follow.
And they have proven attractive.
With scales like a suit of armor,
she leads him further into the shallows.
She has likely waited five to ten years for the right conditions to spawn.
And she will release over 100,000 eggs
which the males fight to fertilize.
Her eggs will hatch in only two days
and the baby gar will be swept back into the river
as the floodwaters recede.
It is a life strategy so successful,
that alligator gar have lived here for 70 million years.
Our waterways are home to nearly 200 native Texas fish.
Over a dozen are found nowhere else.
They have evolved for natural water flow,
which has been disrupted.
We have lost one half of our wetlands in Texas,
which act as nature's flood control.
They are often replaced by concrete,
which increases the flooding downstream.
To mitigate flooding,
over 7000 dams have been constructed...
...which also irrigate crops,
generate electricity, and supply our cities.
The reservoirs dams create are exposed to the sun.
During the drought of 2011,
more water was lost to evaporation
than was used by all of our cities combined.
The impact to our watersheds is so great
that hundreds of miles of our rivers no longer flow.
And one half of our native fish species are imperiled.
We depend on the same water.
And we are making progress.
In the last 30 years, the average water use per Texan
has been cut by a quarter.
Landscaping with native plants,
improving irrigation technology, storing water underground,
and increasing efficiency has potential to save much more.
Scientists are finding ways to release water from dams
that allow our native fish to spawn.
And some dams that are no longer useful can be taken down.
Conserving water is crucial...
...for flowing rivers are the arteries of Texas...
...and the lifeblood of our bays and estuaries.
Our coastline is unique due to a distinctive geography.
Texas is protected by barrier islands and peninsulas.
When salt water from the Gulf passes through them,
it combines with the fresh water and nutrients from our rivers...
...creating an underwater prairie of grass
that attracts life from across the hemisphere.
The migrations that come through our coastline are so vast
that the second highest passage rate
of migratory birds on Earth,
was recorded right here in Texas.
These coastal marshes are also home to a master of ambush.
Alligators.
Islands along the coast provide crucial habitat for colonial waterbirds
to build nests and raise their chicks.
As the youngsters grow,
they begin to explore their surroundings...
...creating an opportunity for those with patience.
Below the surface,
the mixture of fresh and salt water
creates a nursery for the Gulf.
Like many coastal species,
redfish are born as eggs in the ocean
and swept into the bays by incoming tides.
As juveniles, they hunt these shallows
until they grow large enough for life at sea.
In September of their third year,
a biological urge triggers them to congregate,
and to begin their migration.
Driven by instinct and following the tides,
they are swimming to the ocean to live out their adult lives.
With them, flow nutrients from across Texas.
Transported by our rivers,
the gift of fresh water reaches the Gulf of Mexico.
For the first few leagues offshore, sediment clouds the water.
But with distance and depth,
the Gulf reveals her true color.
This deep blue world seems far from our own,
yet nutrients from our bays and estuaries
fuel much of the plankton...
...which are the building blocks of life in the Gulf.
In a few very special places,
salt domes have risen from the seafloor
and combined with tropical currents from the south.
Here, this plankton fuels the Texas Caribbean...
...the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
Each of these corals is composed of millions of polyps.
Each polyp feeds on the plankton.
It is an oasis of life...
...in a desert of blue.
We are still unraveling the mysteries that abound here.
What we've learned thus far...
...is nearly beyond imagination.
Shortly after the sunset,
during the week after the full moon in August,
one of nature's most remarkable events unfolds.
The corals...
...are spawning.
We do not know how they communicate,
but in unison, millions of coral polyps
release and fertilize their offspring.
This seemingly alien world exists far from our daily consciousness.
Yet it is connected in ways that we are just beginning to understand.
In the next 30 years, our population is projected
to increase from 30 million to 50 million Texans.
Urban areas are expanding,
landscapes are subdividing
as ranches split with the generations.
And energy demand is consuming millions of acres.
Climate change will bring more severe droughts,
weather variability, and hurricanes.
Some of our rivers are entirely consumed
and no longer flow to the sea during drought years.
We've lost a quarter of our birds in the last 50 years.
And there are 69 species that are state endangered
and 148 that are threatened.
Their future is our choice.
And there is reason for hope.
From the Piney Woods to the Trans-Pecos,
there is living proof
that we have the ability to recover
and live alongside wildlife.
There is proof that our votes can conserve landscapes and water,
that our backyards can be habitat for incredible migrations,
and that endangered species can thrive on working ranches.
Every single Texas river has advocates.
And every ecoregion has land owners and organizations
working to improve the habitat.
Thousands of Texans have dedicated their lives, careers,
and money to restore our wildlife
and preserve our wild places.
Yet there is still so much to be done.
There has never been a greater need or opportunity...
...to conserve our unique ecosystem.
And there's never been a people...
...who love their home...
...as much as Texans.
德克萨斯州之巅。
瓜达卢佩峰。
它矗立在一个自豪而多元化的国家之上。
落基山脉和美国西部严酷的沙漠
与广袤的大平原交汇。
到深南的森林和沼泽的地方
让位于布莱克兰大草原和后橡树稀树草原。
来自祝福丘陵国家的泉水河流......
...到里奥格兰德河谷的热带灌木丛。
得克萨斯州为其他地方找不到的动物提供生命……
...并吸引来自整个半球的移民。
更多的源头泉水流向墨西哥湾。
这是一块被水雕刻的土地。
大自然选择了适应性最强的地方......
...以及那些愿意提出要求的人。
这部电影庆祝德克萨斯州的自然奇观。
这是一个关于我们过去的悲剧的故事......
......不顾一切地恢复......
...并呼吁采取行动保护野生动物
和我们家的荒野。
这是一个适合所有热爱德克萨斯的人的故事。
我们与德克萨斯州野生动物关系的历史......
...最好在狭长地带的高原上讲述。
几千年来，成群的野牛在德克萨斯州漫游，数以百万计。
他们的放牧模式塑造了我们的风景，
他们的肉和兽皮滋养了住在这里的人们。
他们在冰河时代和大规模灭绝中幸存下来。
但他们茁壮成长的能力...
……不适合向西扩张。
就在三世前，
3000 万头野牛在北美大平原漫游。
如此之多，它们似乎是无限的。
他们吸引了西方的市场猎人
一个有经验的水牛猎人通常每天可以杀死数百人。
他们的兽皮和舌头被卖到市场上
沿东海岸和欧洲。
肉任其腐烂
或者被毒药杀死捕食者。
减缓杀戮的努力被忽视了......
...因为大屠杀摧毁了美洲原住民的食物来源...
...迫使许多人持保留态度。
商业市场狩猎不仅限于野牛。
北美数量最多的鸟类，
旅鸽，被猎杀灭绝。
野羊、叉角羚、鹿和麋鹿
除了最偏远的地方外，其他地方都被杀。
数以百万计的水禽和水鸟被射杀。
美洲虎、灰熊和狼在德克萨斯州被杀。
到 1800 年代后期，
我们的野生动物被摧毁了。
传说德克萨斯牧场主莫莉·古德奈特听到了
最后的野牛小牛为他们被屠杀的母亲哭泣。
在德克萨斯州的五百万...
……只剩下五个了。
她救了他们，他们的人数增加了。
他们住在帕洛杜罗峡谷直到 1990 年代
当他们被送给德克萨斯公园和野生动物时
并搬到卡普洛克峡谷州立公园。
这些是他们的后代。
南部平原大野牛群的幸存者。
牛群有300多头。
这就是未来。
学习成为野牛是一项艰苦的工作。
尤其是当您必须在第一天步行时。
这些摇摇晃晃的腿需要加强。
妈妈来帮忙是件好事。
他们有一整片草原要探索。
和邻居见面。
像所有社区一样，总是有一个邻居......
...从他们的洞里出来，他们的羽毛都皱了起来。
这些平原上有各种各样的生物。
而这头小牛要学会按顺序跑
总有一天跟上牛群。
这需要一些练习。
也许一点团队合作将有助于改善协调。
这些小牛可能只有几周大...
...但是德克萨斯幸存者的血液流经他们的血管。
他们为跑步而生。
这些野牛不会像它们的祖先一样在草原上漫游。
但是还有扩展的空间。
德克萨斯州有公共土地
可以用野牛恢复。
许多牧场已经响应了他们的号召。
野牛群正在全州范围内扩张。
他们并不孤单。
在 1800 年代后期的大屠杀之后……
...通过了一系列法律来恢复我们的野生动物。
商业市场狩猎结束
和有保护意识的运动员提倡
狩猎限制和季节。
森林、公园和避难所的创建提供了栖息地。
国际协议保护候鸟。
共同努力恢复一些动物
已经非常成功。
许多物种在一个地区被杀死
已重新引入。
今天在得克萨斯州，山顶上的麋鹿号角。
叉角羚为草原增光添彩。
沙漠大角羚已经回到了它们在山上的家园。
这些复苏主要归功于那些致力于...
...以及一些为恢复我们的野生动物而献出生命的人。
但是有一个物种在复苏中占主导地位。
白尾鹿。
在每个冬天结束时，
雄鹿脱掉了鹿角，开始长出新的鹿角。
在天鹅绒阶段，
鹿角一天可以长四分之一英寸
在良好的牧场条件下，
雄鹿队将额外的资源投入到他们的鹿角的成长中。
随着夏天逐渐进入秋天，
他们的睾丸激素增加，他们擦掉天鹅绒。
揭示了一个全新的集合...
……武器。
车辙，繁殖季节，只持续一个月……
...他们花了整整一年的时间来准备。
大多数战斗在几秒钟内就解决了......
...因为受伤的风险很高，而且更大的钱
通常会迅速发挥他的统治地位。
但当对手势均力敌时……
……摊牌……
...因为繁殖权和领土是不可避免的。
每只母鹿受热仅 24 小时。
雄鹿的血统和领土处于危险之中。
这些令人难以置信的戏剧不应该被认为是理所当然的。
一个世纪前，该州大部分地区都杀死了白尾鹿
并且只在孤立的口袋里幸存下来。
今天，主要是由于法规
和有保护意识的运动员，
有超过五百万。
其他物种没有经历同样的命运。
在德克萨斯州南部灌木丛国家的极少数特殊地区......
...生活在曾经被认为迷失的生物中。
这种动物如此稀有，几乎成了神话。
一只豹猫。
整个国家已知不到80个。
曾经在德克萨斯州的大部分地区发现过豹猫
进入路易斯安那州和阿肯色州。
他们的大部分栖息地已经丧失。
然后他们被历史困住了，
被政府捕食者计划猎杀和毒害。
今天它们只存在于两个小种群中，
它们是基因分离和近交的。
一场灾难性的火灾，飓风
或者疾病会把他们从这个国家抹去。
很多是未知的，因为许多土地所有者不允许研究
因为他们担心濒危物种法
会影响他们的牧场经营。
德克萨斯州 95% 为私有，
和恢复濒危物种
没有地主的支持是非常困难的。
越来越多的土地所有者接受了豹猫的研究和恢复。
他们以保护为荣
既是牧场遗产，也是野生动物遗产。
在这些养牛场之一...
...新的相机技术正在揭示
豹猫的秘密生活……
...并让我们瞥见了下一代。
这些珍贵的小猫不知道
它们对物种的重要性。
他们的生存取决于妈妈的能力......
...打猎。
她把她的小猫藏起来单独打猎。
一只绿松鸦警告其他人有捕食者在四处游荡。
一只犰狳。
破获。
她必须继续打猎。
但她并不是唯一的掠食者。
刷子对小猫来说可能是一个危险的地方
没有妈妈的保护。
成功。
回到小猫身上。
母亲能听到的最糟糕的声音。
安静。
她找到了她的一只小猫。
可悲的是……另一个再也没有见过。
她现在将全力以赴抚养幸存者。
她的小猫有一天需要学习如何自己打猎......
...这需要练习。
还有一点捉迷藏。
希望有一天这只小猫能建立自己的领地
并在豹猫的更大恢复中发挥作用。
科学家、土地所有者和许多组织
正在共同努力引入新的遗传学，
恢复栖息地，并有望开始
历史范围内的新种群。
像许多野生动物一样，它们的未来可能是光明的。
但他们需要我们的帮助。
水......很少会和平地来到德克萨斯州。
来自北方的冷锋可能会猛烈碰撞
来自海湾的温暖空气和水分。
来自西部的热带急流每年夏天都会带来雷暴。
而厄尔尼诺和其他天气系统
年复一年带来不确定性...
...蓝色的北方人在冬天覆盖了整个州...
...而夏季高点飙升超过 100 度。
干旱是我们天气系统的周期性组成部分。
就像洪水一样。
我们几乎所有的河流都在这里诞生，
他们前往墨西哥湾。
但是大部分降雨都渗入了地球......
...进入覆盖该州 80% 的巨大含水层。
在丘陵地区最贫瘠的石灰岩中……
...爱德华兹高原像海绵一样吸收水分。
在地表之下，水和时间
雕刻出与上面一样壮丽的景观。
这个喀斯特生态系统如此广阔
并从外界获得足够的营养……
...生命在没有光的情况下进化。
在这恒温的气候中...
...大自然选择了保存能量的动物...
......谁失去了不再需要的特征。
这是濒临灭绝的德克萨斯盲蝾螈。
他们通过感知水压的微小扰动来猎杀黑暗。
它们用鳃呼吸，
大小的变化取决于可用的氧气。
在我们脚下的这个世界...
......熟悉的生物几乎变成了外星人。
一条盲鲶鱼。
德克萨斯州共有三种
他们在地表以下 2,000 英尺处被发现。
它们有你手掌那么大。
而且他们的新陈代谢很慢，
他们可以在两餐之间存活四年。
我们对他们知之甚少。
然而，它们的栖息地是我们淡水的基础。
当含水层充满时，
水泡通过泉水浮出水面。
当泉水结合在一起时，它们会形成小溪。
当小溪汇合时，它们形成了我们的山区河流。
是水。
从石头。
在少数几条河流和小溪中，
得克萨斯州的州鱼在急流中捕猎。
瓜达卢佩鲈鱼。
每年春天，雄性开始准备吸引配偶。
第一步是为产卵床寻找合适的位置。
带有周围保护结构的砾石地板是理想的。
他必须明智地选择，
否则他一个多月都不会下床。
“啊，完美。”
第二步是清理碎石地板。
只有鳍的艰巨任务，
但一个必要的。
女性不觉得床上的污垢很有吸引力。
它很整洁。
但这足以给伴侣留下深刻印象吗？
女性正在寻找男性
这将使它们的卵有最好的生存机会。
他们将在产卵床上受到审判。
“恶心！嘿，别惹得克萨斯了。
越来越好。
呸！嘿，这不是俄克拉荷马州。
现在我们在谈。”
可以产下多达 10,000 个鸡蛋，
寻找合适的合作伙伴值得寻找。
有时他们一直在为你准备一张床。
在这场求爱舞中，雌性释放她的卵，
由雄性受精。
精疲力竭，她把所有的精力都花在了繁衍上。
但爸爸的职责才刚刚开始。
连续一周，他用鳍给鸡蛋充气
直到有一天...
这些小鲈鱼有许多捕食者。
在接下来的几周里，他将继续保护他们。
最终，他们的责任转嫁给了我们。
确保我们的河流保持健康，泉水源源不断。
这变得越来越困难。
德克萨斯山国家的发展速度比任何其他地区都快。
按人均计算，我们每个人每天使用 138 加仑水。
为了满足这一需求，我们正在取水
含水层并将其泵送到地表。
当我们排出的水量超过降雨量时，
地下水位下降，泉水干涸。
在上个世纪，一半的主要泉水
在德克萨斯州已经停止流动
因为含水层被过度抽水。
我们的河流和野生动物依赖于这些泉水。
我们也一样。
奥斯汀和圣安东尼奥的人们已经采取了行动。
当水保护工作投入城市选举时，
公民以压倒性多数投票支持。
他们投票决定投资水权，
建立公园，并资助保护地役权。
他们保护了超过 200,000 英亩的流域。
因为这片土地的未来健康与我们自己息息相关。
这些保护区之一也有助于保护……
...地球上最引人注目的野生动物奇观之一。
蕨菜洞穴。
这是墨西哥无尾蝙蝠的产科聚居地。
雌性每年从墨西哥迁移到德克萨斯州
夏季以昆虫为食，
并抚养一只新的小狗。
在五周大时，这些幼鸟已经长到成人大小
并准备进行他们的第一次飞行。
空域拥挤，
蕨菜洞穴包含
2000万只墨西哥无尾蝙蝠，
并且是地球上最大的哺乳动物群。
这是一个很难学习如何飞行的地方。
每年夏天的傍晚，随着太阳落山，
殖民地开始出现。
是时候让这些年轻的蝙蝠展开翅膀了。
蝙蝠对世界的体验与我们截然不同。
它们发出的声音太高了，我们的耳朵听不见，
它从物体反弹，并作为回声返回，
给每只蝙蝠一个他们周围环境的听觉地图。
但是有这么多的声音...
...他们的回声定位受到阻碍
他们还必须依靠视力。
新的幼崽必须绕着 batnado 进行两次旋转……
...从树上升起
然后飞到他们的狩猎场。
他们最大的危险...
……是碰撞。
能够解放自己的幼崽必须重新加入殖民地。
但他们还没有力量或技能
从地面起飞。
他们唯一的希望就是爬到一个高点再次起飞……
...未被发现。
马鞭草是北美最快的蛇。
他们在等待...
……为了运动。
独自一人，蝙蝠对蛇毫无防备。
但其他人也倒下了。
当一个人被牺牲...
……它为其他人……提供了逃跑的机会。
在殖民地内飞行，年轻的蝙蝠找到了安全...
...因为他们最大的优势在于他们的数量。
在树线之上，它们像河流一样飞翔。
每个人都隐藏在人群中。
他们必须融入这个群体。
这一出现引起了人们的关注。
红尾鹰，斯温森鹰，
游隼来捕猎了。
他们正在寻找...
...对于突出的猎物。
其中一些蝙蝠拥有超过 15 年的经验。
但是新的小狗...
...还不知道独自飞行的危险
或在郊区。
个人每晚跌倒。
但作为一个殖民地......他们压倒了掠食者。
Bracken Cave 的蝙蝠支撑着整个生态系统。
但它们最大的影响是在100英里之外，
他们将消耗超过 150 吨
每晚都有农业害虫。
德克萨斯州有 32 种不同的物种
和数亿只蝙蝠。
他们飞过的一些夜空……
...比其他人更特别。
在下 48 州的所有国家公园中...
...大弯拥有最黑暗的天空。
在这广阔的天地之下……
...是希望的迹象。
这些……是黑熊的印记。
熊曾经在德克萨斯州被杀。
但越过边境，在墨西哥的高山上，
人口繁荣。
1980 年代，熊成为德克萨斯州的受保护物种。
我们等着……等他们回来。
1987年，一名女性从墨西哥流散...
...越过格兰德河，
并在大弯国家公园安了家。
今天，她的开拓本能在我们熊的血管中流淌……
...和他们的后代。
这只熊妈妈教她八个月大的幼崽
如何在每个季节寻找食物。
在秋天，这意味着橡子。
这是森林地面上的细枝末节，
但是......在上面，有一个赏金。
而这些幼崽，它们具有体型优势。
最好的橡子是大熊够不到的。
爬得越高，奖励越甜。
大弯国家公园的生活很美好。
一个世纪前，这些熊会被猎杀。
今天……他们可以安息了。
但是大弯的奇索斯山脉比较小，
他们已经满员了。
像他们的先驱祖先一样，
熊正从国家公园散去。
他们正在德克萨斯州寻找新的山脉。
一个可以称之为家的地方，他们的祖先曾经游荡过的地方。
但他们的康复之路
远非确定。
德克萨斯州有数千个陷阱。
为我们的顶级捕食者设置。
山狮。
一旦在全州发现，
人口现在只存在于偏远的峡谷中
以及德克萨斯州南部和西部的深刷。
他们的领土很大，
通常超过 100 平方英里。
平均而言，它们每七到十天就会杀死一次。
他们的猎物可能是他们的几倍。
并且装备精良。
一些动物在悬崖上避难。
或者像一群人一样移动，以便更多地关注瞭望台。
但是沙漠中的水是稀缺的。
猎物必须喝水。
他们必须警惕...
……他们也……
……是猎物。
在极少数情况下，美洲狮会杀死牲畜。
有些猎人不想在这片土地上再出现一个捕食者。
但与其他州不同的是，
只有问题猫被移除的地方
山狮要么受到保护，要么受到严密管理……
...在得克萨斯州，他们可能会被困、被圈套、
全年狩猎，没有收获限制
也没有科学管理。
它们甚至可以被关在笼子里
并在罐头狩猎中出售。
在一项针对 16 只猫的西德克萨斯研究中，
一个被枪杀
其余 15 人全部死于陷阱。
不需要检查陷阱。
抓到时，
可能需要几天时间才能死去
脱水和暴露。
他们走的每一步都是一场赌博。
他们几乎可以保证......
...失去。
这个陷阱被我们的摄影团队拆除了。
但是德克萨斯州有数千人
现在全副武装。
山狮陷阱不歧视...
......并且可以抓住那些......
...只是在寻找新家。
我们对美洲狮的治疗是从过去的时代开始的。
在其他州，他们要么受到保护
或作为游戏动物管理
有控制的狩猎季节和收获限制。
德克萨斯州也可以这样做。
没有更好的证明我们的能力
改变并与自然世界并存...
...比在德克萨斯州东部的大丛林和松树林中。
一百年前，这个废弃的建筑是一个锯木厂……
......古老的生长森林被砍伐并变成木材。
有数百个这样的锯木厂。
到 1900 年代初，
几乎所有的东德克萨斯森林都被砍伐了。
当最后一棵树倒下
表层土壤被冲走，
一小群勇敢的德州人决心把这些森林带回来。
他们分享了一个恢复生态系统的梦想
并经常遭到嘲笑和蔑视。
然而他们坚持了下来。
他们的愿景生根发芽。
几十年来，他们慢慢地启发了地主，
木材公司以及我们的州和联邦政府
共同努力，恢复森林。
这……是他们的遗产。
超过一百万英亩的恢复森林和保护区。
他们给了我们最好的礼物
一代人可以留下。
一个比他们继承的更健康的景观......
……充满生机。
德克萨斯州东部的森林平均每年降雨量超过四英尺。
如此之多，以至于河流和小溪根本无法容纳它。
当水溢出堤岸时，
它填满了牛轭湖和沼泽。
像海绵一样，这些湿地
吸收溢出并充当大自然的洪水控制。
这些是条件
我们最大的淡水鱼一直在等待。
这……是鳄鱼皮。
一个女性。
她和成年人一样大，可以活得一样长。
她离开了河流的安全
并跟随洪水。
这些湿地将为她的后代提供最好的机会。
在没有其他河流掠食者的地方。
她在旅行时释放信息素
让她的追求者追随。
事实证明，它们很有吸引力。
像盔甲一样的鳞片，
她带领他进一步深入浅滩。
她可能已经等了五到十年才能产生合适的条件。
她将释放超过100,000个鸡蛋
雄性为受精而战。
她的卵将在两天内孵化
宝宝会被卷回河里
随着洪水退去。
这是一个如此成功的人生策略，
那只鳄鱼已经在这里生活了7000万年。
我们的水道是近 200 条德州本土鱼类的家园。
在其他地方找不到十几个。
它们已经进化为自然水流，
这已经被打乱了。
我们失去了德克萨斯州一半的湿地，
作为大自然的洪水控制。
它们经常被混凝土取代，
这增加了下游的洪水。
为了减轻洪水，
建造了7000多座水坝……
...也灌溉庄稼，
发电，为我们的城市供电。
水坝形成的水库暴露在阳光下。
在 2011 年大旱期间，
更多的水因蒸发而流失
比我们所有城市的总和还要多。
对我们流域的影响如此之大
我们数百英里的河流不再流动。
我们一半的本地鱼类濒临灭绝。
我们依赖同一种水。
我们正在取得进展。
在过去 30 年中，每个德克萨斯人的平均用水量
已经削减了四分之一。
用本土植物美化环境，
改进灌溉技术，将水储存在地下，
提高效率有可能节省更多。
科学家们正在寻找从大坝中释放水的方法
让我们的原生鱼产卵。
一些不再有用的水坝可以拆除。
节约用水很重要...
...因为流动的河流是德克萨斯的动脉...
...以及我们海湾和河口的命脉。
由于独特的地理位置，我们的海岸线是独一无二的。
得克萨斯州受到屏障岛和半岛的保护。
当海湾的咸水经过它们时，
它结合了我们河流中的淡水和养分......
...创造一个水下草丛
吸引了来自整个半球的生命。
穿越我们海岸线的迁徙是如此巨大
第二高通过率
地球上的候鸟，
是在德克萨斯州录制的。
这些沿海沼泽地也是伏击大师的家园。
鳄鱼。
沿海岛屿为殖民地水鸟提供了重要栖息地
筑巢并饲养它们的小鸡。
随着年轻人的成长，
他们开始探索周围的环境……
...为有耐心的人创造机会。
在表面之下，
淡水和盐水的混合物
为海湾创建苗圃。
像许多沿海物种一样，
红鱼在海洋中以卵的形式诞生
被潮水冲进海湾。
作为少年，他们狩猎这些浅滩
直到它们长得足以在海上生活。
在他们第三年的九月，
生理冲动促使他们聚集，
并开始他们的迁移。
在本能的驱使下，随波逐流，
他们正在向大海游泳，以度过他们的成年生活。
与他们一起，从德克萨斯州各地输送营养。
被我们的河流运送，
淡水的礼物到达墨西哥湾。
在离岸的最初几个里格，沉积物使水变得浑浊。
但随着距离和深度，
海湾露出了她的真面目。
这个深蓝色的世界似乎离我们很远，
来自我们海湾和河口的营养物质
为大部分浮游生物提供燃料……
...它们是海湾地区生活的基石。
在一些非常特别的地方，
盐丘从海底升起
并与来自南方的热带气流相结合。
在这里，这种浮游生物为德克萨斯加勒比海提供燃料……
...花园银行国家海洋保护区。
这些珊瑚中的每一个都由数百万个珊瑚虫组成。
每个息肉都以浮游生物为食。
这是一片生命的绿洲……
...在一片蓝色的沙漠中。
我们仍在解开这里的谜团。
到目前为止，我们所学到的...
……几乎超乎想象。
日落后不久，
在八月满月后的那一周，
大自然中最引人注目的事件之一正在展开。
珊瑚...
...正在产卵。
我们不知道他们是如何交流的，
但同时，数以百万计的珊瑚虫
释放和施肥他们的后代。
这个看似陌生的世界远离我们的日常意识。
然而，它以我们刚刚开始理解的方式联系在一起。
未来 30 年，我们的人口预计
德州人从 3000 万增加到 5000 万。
城市面积不断扩大，
景观正在细分
就像牧场随着世代而分裂。
能源需求正在消耗数百万英亩的土地。
气候变化将带来更严重的干旱，
天气变化和飓风。
我们的一些河流被完全消耗
旱年不再流向大海。
在过去的 50 年里，我们失去了四分之一的鸟类。
国家濒危物种69种
148 人受到威胁。
他们的未来是我们的选择。
并且有理由抱有希望。
从松树林到跨佩科斯，
有活生生的证据
我们有能力恢复
和野生动物一起生活。
有证据表明我们的投票可以保护景观和水资源，
我们的后院可以成为令人难以置信的迁徙的栖息地，
濒临灭绝的物种可以在工作牧场上茁壮成长。
德克萨斯州的每条河流都有拥护者。
每个生态区都有土地所有者和组织
努力改善栖息地。
成千上万的德州人奉献了他们的生命、事业、
和钱来恢复我们的野生动物
并保护我们的荒野。
然而，还有很多事情要做。
从未有过更大的需求或机会……
...保护我们独特的生态系统。
而且从来没有人...
...谁爱他们的家...
......和德克萨斯人一样多。