Season in Review: Heartwarming Animal Stories
We're looking back at some of the highlights from Season 6 of "SoCal Connected." Over the past year, our team captured and shared more than a few stories about our relationships with animals and our role in caring for them. How we relate to animals can tell us a lot about who we are as a society. Here are some of our favorite animal stories from this past season:
Tortoise Adoption: Cute, Slow, and Listed Under the Endangered Species Act
The desert tortoise, a threatened species, poses a particular challenge to conservationists. The combination of long life spans and uncontrolled breeding has led to an overpopulation of desert tortoises in captivity. Releasing captive tortoises back into the wild is not only dangerous to the indigenous population, it's illegal.
In this segment of "SoCal Connected," reporter Nick Hardcastle chats with the California Turtle & Tortoise Club about the process involved with tortoise adoption, and visits the home of a SoCal family that has recently adopted Rocky, a 25-year-old desert tortoise.
Baby Elephant Seals Rescued and Released
After an arduous three months in rehabilitation, two young elephant seals are finally ready to be released back into the ocean by a team at the California Wildlife Center. Find out more as reporter Cara Santa Maria explores rehabilitation and release.
DonkeyLand: Protecting and Rescuing Wild Burros
Grazing on the open land of Moreno Valley are hundreds of wild donkeys. No one knows exactly how they got there, but they do know that several have been killed by passing cars. Reporter Derrick Shore visits a rescue group called DonkeyLand, whose job is made harder when humans befriend the wild donkeys.
Sheepherding: A Home Away From Home for Dogs
In this episode of "SoCal Connected," reporter Nick Hardcastle enrolls his dog Maggie in an instinct evaluation class to figure out if his dog has what it takes to become a skilled sheepherder. You'll also hear from dog owners on the many reasons why sheep herding has contributed to the health and wellness of their dogs.
