'Born to be Wild' opens 2012 with month-long special series

BORN TO BE WILD “Water Snakes and Whale Sharks” A month-long special series beginning January 4, 2012   Get ready as BORN TO BE WILD opens 2012 with its biggest series yet.   Tucked away in Cambodia’s countryside is Tonle Sap, a wetland with marsh-like qualities that nurse various species of fish. A fishing village rests on the quiet river. Doc Nielsen Donato explores Tonle Sap and discovers that for some fishermen here, it’s not only the fish that give them livelihood. As the fishermen retrieve their nets from the water, Doc Nielsen and his team encounter at least fifty heads of water snakes coiled in the nets. And that’s just the first harvest. These snakes are used to feed crocodiles in croc farms, or sold in markets to be cooked as local delicacies. Catching water snakes was an accepted practice in Tonle Sap for many years and was a means for villagers to meet their families’ needs. But after researchers discovered the declining population of water snakes, the Cambodian government has now prohibited fishing for snakes in Tonle Sap. But with so many of them ending up as by-catch, asking the villagers to give up the snakes that feed their families is not as easy as it seems. Doc Nielsen explores this Cambodian waterworld.   Meanwhile, back at home, Kiko Rustia travels to Cebu where there is news of “friendly” whale sharks that approach fishermen at sea. Whale sharks, although docile and often called “gentle giants” because of their mild behaviour, are still elusive and often swim away when approached by humans. But in Cebu, they congregate around fishing boats. When Kiko Rustia and whale shark expert Elson Aca arrive at the area, they discover that the whale sharks are actually being fed by the fishermen, causing the sharks to become accustomed to human interaction. Local fishers believe that they are helping the whale sharks by feeding them, but some experts fear that this would cause the sharks to lose their wild instincts. Kiko Rustia and his companions help to find a healthier understanding between the fishermen and the amazing whale sharks.   Don’t miss the latest series of BORN TO BE WILD. “Water Snakes and Whale Sharks” begins on Wednesday, January 4, after Saksi!