Earth Touch Insider (HD)

By Earth TouchNatural Sciences

Earth Touch Insider (HD) episodes

April 16, 2015The Plight of Asian Bears Part 2: The Horrors of Bile Farming
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, we get an inside look at the bear bile industry and what’s being done to stop it

If you missed Part 1 watch it here.
ANIMALS ASIA FOUNDATION
12 min
April 09, 2015The Plight of Asian Bears Part 1: The Pet Trade
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 that are working to rescue these creatures from a life of suffering.

Watch Part 2 here.
BORNEAN SUN BEAR CONSERVATION CENTRE
ANIMALS ASIA FOUNDATION
WFFT
8 min
November 07, 2014 Shark Finning vs Shark Fishing - Part 1
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 laws restricting international trade, is there hope for dwindling global shark populations?

Trophy Hunting Footage © NBC Sports Shark Hunters
7 min
October 17, 2014 Victims of the trade: Gibbon rescue in Thailand
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 Gibbons that have been saved from the cruel fate of the tourism trade.
8 min
October 02, 2014 Dissecting a dolphin to find cause of death
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 every part of the dolphin searching for an explanation.
7 min
June 23, 2014 Can social media help conservation?
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
10 min
May 21, 2014 Is there hope for the Sumatran rhino
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 tasked with saving the critically endangered species, and to find out firsthand whether the new declaration can bring this iconic animal back from the brink.
10 min
February 24, 2014 Operation elephant relocation
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 one huuuuge task!
3 min
February 19, 2014 Bali turtle conservation in action
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.
6 min
February 10, 2014 How goats and weaving saved the Bali starling
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 managed to establish a thriving new population on an island off the Bali coast. Here's their story!
Producer Kirsten Horne and cameraman Mark Thorpe take us onto the islands of Bali to track down this elusive bird.
6 min