Get an inside look at day-to-day life in one of South Africa’s closely guarded rhino orphanages. As poaching continues to decimate rhino populations, some particularly vulnerable victims are left behind: calves orphaned when their mothers are killed. It takes a dedicated team of wildlife heroes to save these traumatised youngsters. Special thanks t…

The Tasmanian devil is a tough creature with a fearsome reputation. In its natural habitat it has no predators, yet devil numbers are plummeting. Cancerous facial tumours caused by devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) are decimating wild populations of these carnivorous marsupials. But there is hope! In this Earth Touch Insider, we discover how the S…

It is inconceivable to imagine Africa without its elephants. Yet as poaching reaches critical levels, we are heading ever-closer to that grim reality. We take an in-depth look at why the demand for ivory skyrocketed, how the illegal wildlife trade is a threat to global security and what is being done to save Africa’s elephants from extinction. EIA:…

Africa’s vultures are in trouble. The poisoning of poached elephant carcasses means that these birds are dying in huge numbers. Here’s an inside look at what it takes to rehabilitate these truly remarkable animals.Av Earth Touch

They’ve been called the world’s most trafficked animal you’ve never heard of. Pangolins are notoriously difficult to rehabilitate and release, but one woman in Namibia is getting it right, thanks to lessons learned from one of these scaly anteaters. Meet Katiti! Rare and Endangered Species Trust, Namibia: http://www.restafrica.org/…

We’re going behind the scenes this week to film groundbreaking beak surgery that will give an African penguin a second chance at life in the wild. After being hit by a car and left with a fractured, disfigured beak, the bird will get a prosthetic replacement – but there’s a catch. It needs to make a 900-mile journey to a specialist centre first.…

Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, but that isn’t stopping humans from exploiting these apes to devastating levels. In this episode of Insider, we take a look at the pet and bushmeat trades, and visit a sanctuary for those chimps lucky enough to be rescued from this fate.Av Earth Touch

Meet Dr Angelo Lambiris, one of the few people in the world who perform intricate surgery on reptiles and amphibians. In this episode of Insider, Dr Lambiris operates on an obese Bosc monitor lizard and discovers an inoperable cancerous tumour in its intestine.Av Earth Touch

We take our cameras inside two Thailand sanctuaries for rescued and injured slow lorises to meet the vets and volunteers dealing firsthand with the consequences of the illegal trade in these threatened primates. They might be some of the most adorable creatures on earth, but that cuteness has put slow lorises at serious risk from the exotic pet ind…

We took our cameras into the field recently to film an innovative surgery on a lioness: a hysterectomy. Lion populations in small game reserves need to be closely regulated – but how do you manage this without upsetting the natural balance or resorting to culling? Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa is solving this problem by performing par…

Follow conservationists on a rescue mission to free bears imprisoned in a bear bile farm in China. Kept in tiny cages and mutilated by horrific surgical procedures, the animals have endured a life of immeasurable suffering. As the team, headed by Dr. Jill Robinson, races to save the bears’ lives and relocate them to the sanctuary of Animals Asia, w…

Asia's bears are in trouble. Habitat loss, the pet trade, a demand for their body parts and the cruel practice of bear bile farming for traditional medicine are threatening their survival. In part 1 of this Insider on Asian bears, we delve into the horrors of the illegal pet trade in Thailand and Malaysia and take a closer look at the sanctuaries t…

Shark finning is a hot topic in marine conservation but it is also one rife with inaccuracies and misconceptions. In Part 1 of this special Insider on shark conservation, we take a closer look at the wasteful and cruel practice of shark finning and what is being done to regulate this multibillion-dollar industry. From a team of marine CSIs to new l…

It’s no holiday for the gibbons of Thailand. Habitat loss, poaching for traditional medicine and the cruel capture of baby gibbons for both the pet and tourism trade have left all but one species threatened or endangered. Luckily the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project in Phuket is looking to change this. Join us as we tour the sanctuary and meet the Gib…

Marine biologists must undertake the gory task of dissecting a spinner dolphin when it washes up on a beach in Thailand. Finding a cause of death in important as dolphins are an indicator species - a barometer of the ocean’s health. Be warned, it is a bloody affair as Dr. Patcharaporn Kaewong of the Phuket Marine Endangered Society scrutinizes ever…

In the digital age, it’s easier than ever to get involved in conservation. But social media has a dark side too … the power to bring out the worst in us. Do Facebook and Twitter trolls just get in the way? Or can social media help save the animals that desperately need our help? Producer: Kirsten Horne Camera & Editor: Tyrone Marcus…

With fewer than 100 individuals left on earth, the Sumatran rhino is teetering on the brink of extinction. But a newly signed agreement could provide light at the end of the tunnel. Producer Kirsten Horne and cameraman Mark Thorpe head into the humid rainforests of Indonesia's Way Kambas National Park to meet a team of hardworking conservationists …

Ever seen the world’s biggest land animal hanging upside down from a crane? Well, you’re about to. The astonishing spectacle was part of a massive relocation effort involving more than 80 elephants in one of the most remote corners of Namibia. From cranes and massive trucks to powerful tranquilisers, relocating that many elephants to a new home is …

Marine turtles have it rough. They're eaten, caught in fishing nets, and have a bad habit of mistakenly eating plastic which makes them seriously ill. Fortunately, there's rehab for turtles - like the Turtle Conservation and Education Centre on Serangan island in Bali. Producer Kirsten Horne and cameraman Mark Thorpe recently visited the centre.…

Just a few years ago, the illegal pet trade was decimating Bali starling populations in the wild, with fewer than ten of the birds clinging to survival. That's when NGO Friends of the National Parks Foundation stepped in to help the species. Using some unconventional methods (involving goats and the traditional art of weaving), the organisation has…

Can infusing rhino horns with a toxic dye help to save South Africa's rhinos from a gruesome fate at the hands of poachers? This innovative and controversial new approach is being spearheaded by the Rhino Rescue Project, and those involved hope it will deter both poachers and consumers by rendering the horn useless. Earth Touch rides along on one h…

It's one of South Africa's most endangered amphibians and its habitat is rapidly shrinking. Earth Touch has been tracking the work of conservationists who are racing against time to save the critically endangered Pickersgill's reed frog (Hyperolius pickersgilli). Here's an inside look at what it takes to save a species.…