1 00:00:00,267 --> 00:00:01,869 NARRATOR: Beavers, moose, and moths 2 00:00:01,869 --> 00:00:05,239 don't seem to share too much in common, 3 00:00:05,239 --> 00:00:08,308 but when these tree-eating animals come together 4 00:00:08,308 --> 00:00:10,177 it's triple trouble 5 00:00:10,177 --> 00:00:13,847 for one of Canada's oldest National Parks. 6 00:00:13,847 --> 00:00:17,184 On the jagged coast of Canada's Eastern shore. 7 00:00:17,184 --> 00:00:20,320 A delicate and diverse ecosystem 8 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,390 thrives on the fringes of the continent. 9 00:00:23,390 --> 00:00:24,124 Welcome 10 00:00:24,124 --> 00:00:31,732 Welcome to the Wild Wild East. 11 00:00:31,732 --> 00:00:33,233 The Cape Breton's Highlands 12 00:00:33,233 --> 00:00:38,872 is a vast and rugged landscape, 13 00:00:38,872 --> 00:00:40,407 Acadian forest 14 00:00:40,407 --> 00:00:46,113 bursting with Canada's trademark colorful leaves. 15 00:00:46,113 --> 00:00:47,381 An ancient plateau, 16 00:00:47,381 --> 00:00:52,419 blanketed by a boreal woodland, 17 00:00:52,419 --> 00:01:00,627 And surrounding it all, the rough Atlantic Ocean. 18 00:01:00,627 --> 00:01:03,797 This primeval forest is the home 19 00:01:03,797 --> 00:01:11,638 of over 1000 different animal species. 20 00:01:11,638 --> 00:01:14,708 But now in spite of conservationist's best efforts, 21 00:01:14,708 --> 00:01:25,719 the great north woods may disappear altogether. 22 00:01:25,719 --> 00:01:28,422 In the 17th century, Europe's great explorers 23 00:01:28,422 --> 00:01:29,823 began crossing the Atlantic 24 00:01:29,823 --> 00:01:36,530 in search of wealth and resources. 25 00:01:36,530 --> 00:01:39,466 They found beavers, moose and moths, 26 00:01:39,466 --> 00:01:45,272 and all the creatures of the great north world. 27 00:01:45,272 --> 00:01:47,441 The forests and oceans of North America 28 00:01:47,441 --> 00:01:49,676 were a vast new source 29 00:01:49,676 --> 00:01:53,347 for fish, fur and wood. 30 00:01:53,347 --> 00:01:54,815 During the industrial age, 31 00:01:54,815 --> 00:01:56,817 demand for timber to build ships, 32 00:01:56,817 --> 00:01:59,286 houses and railroads intensified. 33 00:01:59,286 --> 00:02:02,055 Deforestation spread across Cape Breton 34 00:02:02,055 --> 00:02:03,256 and endangered the animals 35 00:02:03,256 --> 00:02:07,627 that called the Highlands home. 36 00:02:07,627 --> 00:02:13,667 Today only 5% of Cape Breton's forests remain. 37 00:02:13,667 --> 00:02:14,768 Saw away long enough, 38 00:02:14,768 --> 00:02:24,177 and the ecosystem goes timber. 39 00:02:24,177 --> 00:02:29,416 The majestic moose is Canada's biggest four-legged celebrity. 40 00:02:29,416 --> 00:02:31,485 Size, strength, and perseverance 41 00:02:31,485 --> 00:02:32,786 make the moose synonymous 42 00:02:32,786 --> 00:02:39,092 with life in the harsh climate of the true north. 43 00:02:39,092 --> 00:02:41,128 Before the Europeans arrived, 44 00:02:41,128 --> 00:02:45,565 Moose roamed freely across Cape Breton Island. 45 00:02:45,565 --> 00:02:47,334 The exact number is unknown, 46 00:02:47,334 --> 00:02:50,871 but historic records show that in the late-1700s 47 00:02:50,871 --> 00:02:57,544 over 6,000 moose were hunted annually in Cape Breton. 48 00:02:57,544 --> 00:03:00,714 They weren't just killed for their meat and fur. 49 00:03:00,714 --> 00:03:03,083 moose fat was a hot commodity, 50 00:03:03,083 --> 00:03:07,120 used to make candles and lubricate steam engines. 51 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,656 But it was the moose's white-tailed cousin 52 00:03:09,656 --> 00:03:14,227 that dealt the final blow. 53 00:03:14,227 --> 00:03:16,263 Introduced to Cape Breton in the 1880s, 54 00:03:16,263 --> 00:03:18,698 the clear-cutting of the industrial age 55 00:03:18,698 --> 00:03:23,136 opened up new pastures for the deer to forage in. 56 00:03:23,136 --> 00:03:24,838 As they spread across the island 57 00:03:24,838 --> 00:03:29,142 they brought a nervous system parasite, 58 00:03:29,142 --> 00:03:34,781 harmless to the deer, but fatal to the moose. 59 00:03:34,781 --> 00:03:37,350 Finally, in the 1920s, hunting, habitat loss 60 00:03:37,350 --> 00:03:41,388 and disease took their deadly toll, 61 00:03:41,388 --> 00:03:43,256 And the moose disappeared completely 62 00:03:43,256 --> 00:03:48,195 from Cape Breton Island. 63 00:03:48,195 --> 00:03:56,236 The ecosystem was transformed. 64 00:03:56,236 --> 00:03:58,839 Trees lost to loggers, 65 00:03:58,839 --> 00:04:03,310 species gone extinct from Cape Breton Island, 66 00:04:03,310 --> 00:04:04,578 At the beginning of the 20th century, 67 00:04:04,578 --> 00:04:10,450 the fate of the forest looked bleak. 68 00:04:10,450 --> 00:04:17,057 But then, in 1930, a glimmer of hope, 69 00:04:17,057 --> 00:04:22,329 The Canadian government passed the National Parks Act. 70 00:04:22,329 --> 00:04:24,197 This legislation protected large pockets 71 00:04:24,197 --> 00:04:31,271 of Canada's wilderness from clear-cutting. 72 00:04:31,271 --> 00:04:33,073 And in 1936, 73 00:04:33,073 --> 00:04:36,743 the Cape Breton Highlands National Park was established, 74 00:04:36,743 --> 00:04:46,086 preserving this important animal habitat. 75 00:04:46,086 --> 00:04:47,687 This protected area is 20 times 76 00:04:47,687 --> 00:04:49,823 the size of Manhattan, 77 00:04:49,823 --> 00:04:51,658 with 1.5 million 78 00:04:51,658 --> 00:04:52,526 fewer people 79 00:04:52,526 --> 00:05:00,133 and more than 100 million more trees. 80 00:05:00,133 --> 00:05:01,768 With their natural habitat safe, 81 00:05:01,768 --> 00:05:04,771 the Park officials re-introduced the moose 82 00:05:04,771 --> 00:05:08,675 back to the boreal forest. 83 00:05:08,675 --> 00:05:12,279 In the 1940s, 18 moose from Alberta 84 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:15,448 were trucked across Canada. 85 00:05:15,448 --> 00:05:18,385 Soon a cow moose grazing for food with her calves 86 00:05:18,385 --> 00:05:24,124 became a familiar sight once again. 87 00:05:24,124 --> 00:05:26,693 Normally, moose are solitary animals, 88 00:05:26,693 --> 00:05:30,497 but mother and child share a special bond, 89 00:05:30,497 --> 00:05:35,368 and are never far apart. 90 00:05:35,368 --> 00:05:38,305 She stays with her calves through their first winter. 91 00:05:38,305 --> 00:05:40,407 Her instinct is to defend them 92 00:05:40,407 --> 00:05:45,679 until they're large enough to protect themselves. 93 00:05:45,679 --> 00:05:48,315 Mom uses her excellent sense of smell 94 00:05:48,315 --> 00:05:55,422 to detect danger, 95 00:05:55,422 --> 00:05:59,192 but there are no airborne alarms here. 96 00:05:59,192 --> 00:06:07,400 In Cape Breton, moose have no natural predators. 97 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,537 At one time, packs of wolves roamed the boreal forest, 98 00:06:10,537 --> 00:06:13,573 preying on calves and adults, 99 00:06:13,573 --> 00:06:15,242 but in the late-1800s, 100 00:06:15,242 --> 00:06:18,111 the wolf also fell victim to hunters 101 00:06:18,111 --> 00:06:23,350 and the almighty saw. 102 00:06:23,350 --> 00:06:24,451 Without any predators, 103 00:06:24,451 --> 00:06:33,526 these calves could live for 20 years. 104 00:06:33,526 --> 00:06:35,195 At home in the protected Park 105 00:06:35,195 --> 00:06:37,230 and safe from their natural enemies, 106 00:06:37,230 --> 00:06:40,066 the moose's reintroduction in the 1940s 107 00:06:40,066 --> 00:06:45,572 got started on the right hoof. 108 00:06:45,572 --> 00:06:47,540 Weaving between the forest's hills, 109 00:06:47,540 --> 00:06:51,611 and its valleys, are rivers. 110 00:06:51,611 --> 00:06:53,546 They flow down the Highlands plateau, 111 00:06:53,546 --> 00:06:56,249 and bring water, the source of all life, 112 00:06:56,249 --> 00:07:03,623 to the creatures of the Highlands. 113 00:07:03,623 --> 00:07:06,559 The rivers here are home to the iconic beaver, 114 00:07:06,559 --> 00:07:08,428 the national animal of Canada, 115 00:07:08,428 --> 00:07:14,501 and role model for work-a-holics around the world. 116 00:07:14,501 --> 00:07:17,304 Beavers build dams across sections of the river, 117 00:07:17,304 --> 00:07:20,173 which flood large parts of the forest 118 00:07:20,173 --> 00:07:23,543 creating beaver ponds. 119 00:07:23,543 --> 00:07:28,548 The dams have major impacts on their environments. 120 00:07:28,548 --> 00:07:29,482 The largest on record 121 00:07:29,482 --> 00:07:32,652 is in Buffalo National Park in Alberta, 122 00:07:32,652 --> 00:07:35,288 discovered by a space satellite, 123 00:07:35,288 --> 00:07:40,226 it's twice the length of the man-made Hoover Dam. 124 00:07:40,226 --> 00:07:43,730 The beaver is the largest rodent in North America, 125 00:07:43,730 --> 00:07:48,802 and can grow as big as a medium-sized dog. 126 00:07:48,802 --> 00:07:51,371 Beavers and humans have a lot in common. 127 00:07:51,371 --> 00:07:54,140 Both are warm-blooded mammals, 128 00:07:54,140 --> 00:07:57,177 and both drastically alter their environment 129 00:07:57,177 --> 00:07:58,812 to suit their own needs 130 00:07:58,812 --> 00:08:04,017 and are quick to protect their turf. 131 00:08:04,017 --> 00:08:06,419 A beaver is generally docile, 132 00:08:06,419 --> 00:08:07,754 but threaten its kingdom, 133 00:08:07,754 --> 00:08:10,757 and the beaver will attack by snarling, biting 134 00:08:10,757 --> 00:08:15,261 and scratching with its powerful front legs. 135 00:08:15,261 --> 00:08:18,598 Its front legs have nimble paws and sharp nails, 136 00:08:18,598 --> 00:08:24,204 which it also uses to help build its home, 137 00:08:24,204 --> 00:08:26,606 Beavers' back feet are webbed, 138 00:08:26,606 --> 00:08:29,476 making them excellent swimmers. 139 00:08:29,476 --> 00:08:32,312 They are truly aquatic animals, 140 00:08:32,312 --> 00:08:35,315 with a protective membrane covering their eyes, 141 00:08:35,315 --> 00:08:37,283 and flaps of skin to keep water out of their ears 142 00:08:37,283 --> 00:08:41,054 and nose when underwater. 143 00:08:41,054 --> 00:08:44,290 Beavers have two layers of thick fur, 144 00:08:44,290 --> 00:08:46,760 which keep them warm as they swim underwater 145 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,829 during the winter. 146 00:08:49,829 --> 00:08:52,766 The extraordinary quality of the beaver's fur 147 00:08:52,766 --> 00:08:54,200 drove the colonization 148 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:59,205 and economy of North America in the 1600s. 149 00:08:59,205 --> 00:09:05,078 Beavers barely survived their brief foray into fashion. 150 00:09:05,078 --> 00:09:08,381 From 1670 onward, the Hudson's Bay Company 151 00:09:08,381 --> 00:09:10,183 loaded two or three ships a year 152 00:09:10,183 --> 00:09:14,621 with beaver pelts bound for England. 153 00:09:14,621 --> 00:09:16,156 In one year alone, 154 00:09:16,156 --> 00:09:18,725 over 130,000 beavers 155 00:09:18,725 --> 00:09:24,431 were killed for the fur trade. 156 00:09:24,431 --> 00:09:27,100 Beavers mostly eat leaves, buds 157 00:09:27,100 --> 00:09:29,702 and inner bark of young, woody plants 158 00:09:29,702 --> 00:09:32,071 that grow along their waterways. 159 00:09:32,071 --> 00:09:33,540 But they'll also eat water lilies 160 00:09:33,540 --> 00:09:36,676 and other aquatic vegetation. 161 00:09:36,676 --> 00:09:39,546 Beavers don't actually eat trees, 162 00:09:39,546 --> 00:09:41,281 though their tireless dam maintenance 163 00:09:41,281 --> 00:09:44,150 could give another impression. 164 00:09:44,150 --> 00:09:46,252 The beaver's work ethic is motivated 165 00:09:46,252 --> 00:09:50,390 by an unusual adaptation. 166 00:09:50,390 --> 00:09:54,828 Their teeth never stop growing. 167 00:09:54,828 --> 00:10:00,467 Chewing keeps them short and sharp. 168 00:10:00,467 --> 00:10:05,371 A beaver's most iconic, and useful feature, is its tail. 169 00:10:05,371 --> 00:10:07,707 Covered in scales and sparse hair, 170 00:10:07,707 --> 00:10:12,245 it serves many purposes. 171 00:10:12,245 --> 00:10:14,214 In the water, the tail primarily 172 00:10:14,214 --> 00:10:16,316 acts as a rudder. 173 00:10:16,316 --> 00:10:21,754 But it has another important function, 174 00:10:21,754 --> 00:10:24,724 Coyotes, bears, mountain lions and wolves 175 00:10:24,724 --> 00:10:29,262 are the beaver's main predators. 176 00:10:29,262 --> 00:10:31,564 But the beaver is only vulnerable 177 00:10:31,564 --> 00:10:39,472 when it ventures onto land. 178 00:10:39,472 --> 00:10:42,709 Safe in the water, he sounds an alarm bell 179 00:10:42,709 --> 00:10:48,414 to alert the rest of the beaver family. 180 00:10:48,414 --> 00:10:52,519 Danger lurks nearby. 181 00:10:52,519 --> 00:11:02,128 The coyote's cover has been blown, 182 00:11:02,128 --> 00:11:07,300 so it's off to stalk its next prey. 183 00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:09,836 This tail slapping can also serve as a warning 184 00:11:09,836 --> 00:11:13,706 for beavers from other colonies to stay clear. 185 00:11:13,706 --> 00:11:17,577 This pond is taken. 186 00:11:17,577 --> 00:11:21,848 Biologists refer to beavers as ecosystem engineers 187 00:11:21,848 --> 00:11:25,184 because the wetlands they construct, create a habitat 188 00:11:25,184 --> 00:11:26,719 for amphibians and other residents 189 00:11:26,719 --> 00:11:35,528 of the Highlands. 190 00:11:35,528 --> 00:11:37,196 And the beavers' wetlands 191 00:11:37,196 --> 00:11:38,831 are a favorite foraging ground 192 00:11:38,831 --> 00:11:40,433 for hungry moose, 193 00:11:40,433 --> 00:11:46,439 who eat water-lilies and other aquatic plants. 194 00:11:46,439 --> 00:11:50,710 They have adaptations to find food anywhere in their range, 195 00:11:50,710 --> 00:11:54,747 even underwater. 196 00:11:54,747 --> 00:11:58,251 Moose have a special valve that blocks the entrance 197 00:11:58,251 --> 00:11:59,252 to their nostrils, 198 00:11:59,252 --> 00:12:01,788 allowing them to submerge their mouths fully 199 00:12:01,788 --> 00:12:04,657 and pick-out the foliage underneath. 200 00:12:04,657 --> 00:12:07,594 Out of the water, a moose can strip bare 201 00:12:07,594 --> 00:12:11,264 any part of a tree it can reach. 202 00:12:11,264 --> 00:12:13,566 They have no upper front teeth. 203 00:12:13,566 --> 00:12:15,602 They have eight sharp incisors 204 00:12:15,602 --> 00:12:17,170 on their lower jaw, 205 00:12:17,170 --> 00:12:18,605 and a dozen pairs of molars 206 00:12:18,605 --> 00:12:20,773 that they use to chomp up the trees, 207 00:12:20,773 --> 00:12:25,712 the twigs, bark, pine cones and also shrubs. 208 00:12:25,712 --> 00:12:27,847 Unlike deer, cows and horses, 209 00:12:27,847 --> 00:12:33,119 these grazers don't eat grass. 210 00:12:33,119 --> 00:12:36,289 To survive, moose need the forest 211 00:12:36,289 --> 00:12:39,258 and the wetlands. 212 00:12:39,258 --> 00:12:42,161 In the decades following their re-introduction, 213 00:12:42,161 --> 00:12:44,797 the moose population began to grow, 214 00:12:44,797 --> 00:12:49,602 and their range began to spread beyond the Park itself. 215 00:12:49,602 --> 00:12:51,437 It looked like the forest was ready 216 00:12:51,437 --> 00:12:54,140 to turn over a new leaf. 217 00:12:54,140 --> 00:12:57,276 But then, a new threat emerged 218 00:12:57,276 --> 00:13:00,046 from another voracious herbivore. 219 00:13:00,046 --> 00:13:04,550 This one is smaller than your pinky-finger. 220 00:13:04,550 --> 00:13:11,057 The spruce budworm. 221 00:13:11,057 --> 00:13:14,093 Every summer adult moths lay eggs 222 00:13:14,093 --> 00:13:18,097 on spruce and balsam fir, 223 00:13:18,097 --> 00:13:23,836 two of the most common trees in the Highlands. 224 00:13:23,836 --> 00:13:28,675 The larvae spend the winter in their cocoons, 225 00:13:28,675 --> 00:13:30,777 and when they emerge in the spring, 226 00:13:30,777 --> 00:13:34,480 they're hungry. 227 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:36,616 The newly born caterpillars 228 00:13:36,616 --> 00:13:39,218 feed off the tree's needles to fuel 229 00:13:39,218 --> 00:13:41,754 their metamorphosis into a moth. 230 00:13:41,754 --> 00:13:44,123 During outbreaks, there could be 231 00:13:44,123 --> 00:13:47,226 over 200 hungry spruce budworms 232 00:13:47,226 --> 00:13:50,430 feeding on one branch. 233 00:13:50,430 --> 00:13:53,232 Normally, their population is kept low 234 00:13:53,232 --> 00:13:55,334 by weather conditions, parasites 235 00:13:55,334 --> 00:13:58,571 and predators like spiders and birds. 236 00:13:58,571 --> 00:14:00,173 But it's a delicate balance, 237 00:14:00,173 --> 00:14:02,742 and sometimes it goes off kilter. 238 00:14:02,742 --> 00:14:06,679 That's exactly what happened in the 1970s 239 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:09,182 when the spruce budworm destroyed a section 240 00:14:09,182 --> 00:14:10,817 of the Nova Scotian forest 241 00:14:10,817 --> 00:14:15,488 half the size of the State of Vermont. 242 00:14:15,488 --> 00:14:20,827 The worst hit area was right here in the Highlands. 243 00:14:20,827 --> 00:14:24,163 Spruce budworm outbreaks are cyclical. 244 00:14:24,163 --> 00:14:30,169 Ecologists believe they occur every 30 to 40 years. 245 00:14:30,169 --> 00:14:32,672 The forest should have recovered by now, 246 00:14:32,672 --> 00:14:35,141 but the burgeoning moose population 247 00:14:35,141 --> 00:14:37,443 feasted on the young trees, 248 00:14:37,443 --> 00:14:41,514 which slowed the forest's re-generation. 249 00:14:41,514 --> 00:14:43,249 The landscape of the Highlands 250 00:14:43,249 --> 00:14:46,352 was an all-you-can-eat buffet of saplings 251 00:14:46,352 --> 00:14:51,524 for the moose. 252 00:14:51,524 --> 00:14:57,597 In turn, their population exploded. 253 00:14:57,597 --> 00:15:01,467 Since their re-introduction between 1947 and '48, 254 00:15:01,467 --> 00:15:04,437 the number of moose inside the Park 255 00:15:04,437 --> 00:15:10,109 has grown from 18 to 1800. 256 00:15:10,109 --> 00:15:12,578 Compared to other areas, 257 00:15:12,578 --> 00:15:14,447 there's now four times the number of moose 258 00:15:14,447 --> 00:15:15,782 in the Highlands, 259 00:15:15,782 --> 00:15:22,121 and no wolves to reduce the population numbers. 260 00:15:22,121 --> 00:15:24,724 Moose are voracious herbivores. 261 00:15:24,724 --> 00:15:27,794 In total, all the moose in the Highlands 262 00:15:27,794 --> 00:15:30,129 eat four and a half dump trucks worth 263 00:15:30,129 --> 00:15:35,434 of vegetation every day. 264 00:15:35,434 --> 00:15:47,613 And now the forest is transforming once again. 265 00:15:47,613 --> 00:15:52,785 Fall is the most active harvesting season for beavers. 266 00:15:52,785 --> 00:15:54,287 With winter on its way, 267 00:15:54,287 --> 00:15:57,456 they work overtime to fix up dams and lodges 268 00:15:57,456 --> 00:16:01,394 before their pond freezes. 269 00:16:01,394 --> 00:16:03,262 A recent rainfall has compromised 270 00:16:03,262 --> 00:16:05,798 the beaver's territory, 271 00:16:05,798 --> 00:16:09,735 and the dam has struck a leak. 272 00:16:09,735 --> 00:16:15,208 If it's not patched, the beaver's pond will drain. 273 00:16:15,208 --> 00:16:16,742 This will expose the lodge, 274 00:16:16,742 --> 00:16:18,177 and it will no longer protect the beaver 275 00:16:18,177 --> 00:16:23,549 and its family from terrestrial predators. 276 00:16:23,549 --> 00:16:26,452 Rushing water is the beaver's alarm bell, 277 00:16:26,452 --> 00:16:30,389 the sound triggers their instinct to build. 278 00:16:30,389 --> 00:16:33,125 An experiment where a recording of rushing water 279 00:16:33,125 --> 00:16:36,162 was played on dry land resulted in the beaver 280 00:16:36,162 --> 00:16:39,765 covering a stereo with sticks and mud 281 00:16:39,765 --> 00:16:47,206 in an attempt to silence the disturbance. 282 00:16:47,206 --> 00:16:49,242 The coming winter means more trees are needed 283 00:16:49,242 --> 00:16:53,312 to secure the beaver's lodge. 284 00:16:53,312 --> 00:16:55,448 Mud dredged up from the bottom of the river 285 00:16:55,448 --> 00:16:57,550 is used to hold the branches in place 286 00:16:57,550 --> 00:16:59,585 and acts as a sealant, 287 00:16:59,585 --> 00:17:03,289 keeping the lodge water-tight. 288 00:17:03,289 --> 00:17:06,259 The beavers may be the hardest workers in the Wild Wild East, 289 00:17:06,259 --> 00:17:08,294 but their non-stop construction 290 00:17:08,294 --> 00:17:10,329 is also reducing the survival 291 00:17:10,329 --> 00:17:16,369 of the trees and saplings surrounding their ponds. 292 00:17:16,369 --> 00:17:18,738 As beavers transform rivers into wetlands, 293 00:17:18,738 --> 00:17:21,374 they flood the forest, 294 00:17:21,374 --> 00:17:23,709 Meaning beavers don't just chop down trees, 295 00:17:23,709 --> 00:17:27,346 they suffocate them too. 296 00:17:27,346 --> 00:17:30,683 But when the beavers leave, and the pond drains, 297 00:17:30,683 --> 00:17:34,553 a fertile meadow remains in its place. 298 00:17:34,553 --> 00:17:38,257 Here young trees bloom, but before they can mature, 299 00:17:38,257 --> 00:17:41,294 they're eaten by moose. 300 00:17:41,294 --> 00:17:44,363 As the moose population becomes more concentrated, 301 00:17:44,363 --> 00:17:47,667 a new danger has hit the Highlands. 302 00:17:47,667 --> 00:17:50,636 Since an adult moose weighs about as much 303 00:17:50,636 --> 00:17:52,104 as a small car, 304 00:17:52,104 --> 00:17:58,411 collisions can be fatal, for man and beast. 305 00:17:58,411 --> 00:17:59,845 But the overpopulation of moose 306 00:17:59,845 --> 00:18:02,348 is an even greater threat to the health of the Highlands, 307 00:18:02,348 --> 00:18:08,120 and the other animal species that call the forest home. 308 00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:10,122 Most of the animals of the Highlands 309 00:18:10,122 --> 00:18:12,124 could not survive anywhere else in Cape Breton, 310 00:18:12,124 --> 00:18:17,296 they have adaptations to live in the forests here. 311 00:18:17,296 --> 00:18:18,731 Perched on low branches, 312 00:18:18,731 --> 00:18:21,701 an adult male spruce grouse blends 313 00:18:21,701 --> 00:18:23,736 perfectly into the background. 314 00:18:23,736 --> 00:18:28,708 Its plumage acts as camouflage. 315 00:18:28,708 --> 00:18:31,677 This is the grouse's only form of protection, 316 00:18:31,677 --> 00:18:34,747 and like the moose, budworm and beaver, 317 00:18:34,747 --> 00:18:37,216 it feeds off the forest, 318 00:18:37,216 --> 00:18:40,453 mostly eating needles from fir trees, 319 00:18:40,453 --> 00:18:43,489 If the great north woods can't recover, 320 00:18:43,489 --> 00:18:47,460 the spruce grouse is just one of over a thousand species 321 00:18:47,460 --> 00:18:51,831 set to lose its home. 322 00:18:51,831 --> 00:18:54,367 And so Park officials are taking action 323 00:18:54,367 --> 00:18:58,838 to restore the balance of the Highlands. 324 00:18:58,838 --> 00:18:59,972 Atop North Mountain, 325 00:18:59,972 --> 00:19:05,678 a strange structure stands in the middle of the Park. 326 00:19:05,678 --> 00:19:08,114 It's called an exclosure. 327 00:19:08,114 --> 00:19:10,116 The opposite of an enclosure. 328 00:19:10,116 --> 00:19:15,121 It's designed to keep moose out. 329 00:19:15,121 --> 00:19:17,123 The trees inside are saplings, 330 00:19:17,123 --> 00:19:21,193 which a moose would devour in single sitting. 331 00:19:21,193 --> 00:19:22,395 By fencing the moose out, 332 00:19:22,395 --> 00:19:24,463 Park officials hope the trees inside 333 00:19:24,463 --> 00:19:25,698 will grow tall enough 334 00:19:25,698 --> 00:19:29,101 to survive the moose's appetite. 335 00:19:29,101 --> 00:19:31,537 The Park currently has two exclosures, 336 00:19:31,537 --> 00:19:36,042 both built in 2007. 337 00:19:36,042 --> 00:19:38,644 The one on the Skyline Trail is the largest, 338 00:19:38,644 --> 00:19:46,719 covering an area the size of nine football fields. 339 00:19:46,719 --> 00:19:49,255 It's estimated that over the next five years, 340 00:19:49,255 --> 00:19:52,324 plant life will grow seven times as dense 341 00:19:52,324 --> 00:19:56,429 inside the protected areas. 342 00:19:56,429 --> 00:19:58,731 But the outcome is uncertain. 343 00:19:58,731 --> 00:20:00,399 It will be decades before the effects 344 00:20:00,399 --> 00:20:04,103 of the exclosures on the Park can be measured. 345 00:20:04,103 --> 00:20:05,137 And in the meantime, 346 00:20:05,137 --> 00:20:09,842 the rest of forest will continue its struggle. 347 00:20:09,842 --> 00:20:10,976 With the exclosures only covering 348 00:20:10,976 --> 00:20:15,714 a small area of the Park, their effect is contained. 349 00:20:15,714 --> 00:20:18,250 In the end, there's still too many moose 350 00:20:18,250 --> 00:20:29,628 in the Cape Breton Highlands. 351 00:20:29,628 --> 00:20:33,165 Fall for the moose is a special time of year, 352 00:20:33,165 --> 00:20:35,501 mating season. 353 00:20:35,501 --> 00:20:38,571 And it's called the rut. 354 00:20:38,571 --> 00:20:42,174 The scent of a female cow draws the bull moose 355 00:20:42,174 --> 00:20:46,445 from across the Highlands. 356 00:20:46,445 --> 00:20:49,748 Cows are only in heat for one to two days a year. 357 00:20:49,748 --> 00:20:55,688 After that they quickly lose interest. 358 00:20:55,688 --> 00:20:57,890 The stakes are high for the bull. 359 00:20:57,890 --> 00:20:59,492 If he doesn't manage to find a mate 360 00:20:59,492 --> 00:21:00,759 in the next few weeks, 361 00:21:00,759 --> 00:21:13,706 he'll have to wait another year. 362 00:21:13,706 --> 00:21:17,143 It's a rare social moment, 363 00:21:17,143 --> 00:21:19,178 this is the only time the solitary animals 364 00:21:19,178 --> 00:21:22,515 seek out company. 365 00:21:22,515 --> 00:21:24,650 But their union means that the moose population 366 00:21:24,650 --> 00:21:29,388 is set to grow again in the spring, 367 00:21:29,388 --> 00:21:31,457 So Park officials are exploring every option 368 00:21:31,457 --> 00:21:33,659 to restore the natural balance 369 00:21:33,659 --> 00:21:36,562 of the moose population. 370 00:21:36,562 --> 00:21:40,366 There's even talk of bringing back an old nemesis, 371 00:21:40,366 --> 00:21:42,568 the wolf. 372 00:21:42,568 --> 00:21:44,637 But the effects of that management strategy 373 00:21:44,637 --> 00:21:47,206 still need to be studied. 374 00:21:47,206 --> 00:21:49,642 In places like Yellowstone National Park, 375 00:21:49,642 --> 00:21:52,344 wolves re-introduced in 1995 376 00:21:52,344 --> 00:21:55,648 had quadrupled in numbers by 2004, 377 00:21:55,648 --> 00:21:59,518 but numbers have leveled off since then. 378 00:21:59,518 --> 00:22:03,122 Wolf re-introduction may be considered again in the future, 379 00:22:03,122 --> 00:22:06,292 but Park officials feel they need to take immediate action 380 00:22:06,292 --> 00:22:08,460 to reign in the number of moose 381 00:22:08,460 --> 00:22:11,497 in the Cape Breton Highlands. 382 00:22:11,497 --> 00:22:13,766 In the fall of 2015, 383 00:22:13,766 --> 00:22:17,102 the Park licensed hunters from the Mi'Kmaq First Nation 384 00:22:17,102 --> 00:22:20,472 to kill 37 moose in the area of the forest 385 00:22:20,472 --> 00:22:24,243 most affected by hyper abundance. 386 00:22:24,243 --> 00:22:26,712 This cull has been a subject of controversy, 387 00:22:26,712 --> 00:22:29,114 but officials believe it's necessary 388 00:22:29,114 --> 00:22:35,521 to protect all the animals of the Highlands. 389 00:22:35,521 --> 00:22:37,590 With a new year on its way, 390 00:22:37,590 --> 00:22:40,392 the future remains uncertain for the animals 391 00:22:40,392 --> 00:22:45,164 of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. 392 00:22:45,164 --> 00:22:47,866 It's still not known what, if any, impact 393 00:22:47,866 --> 00:22:50,402 the moose cull will have. 394 00:22:50,402 --> 00:22:52,605 And there are signs 395 00:22:52,605 --> 00:22:54,607 that another spruce budworm outbreak 396 00:22:54,607 --> 00:22:57,876 may be on its way. 397 00:22:57,876 --> 00:23:01,814 But there's a glimmer of hope, 398 00:23:01,814 --> 00:23:04,250 The Park's protected status 399 00:23:04,250 --> 00:23:07,519 keeps out the clear-cutters, 400 00:23:07,519 --> 00:23:09,622 And exclosures secure a small piece 401 00:23:09,622 --> 00:23:13,692 of the forest's future. 402 00:23:13,692 --> 00:23:16,395 The ultimate goal is simple, 403 00:23:16,395 --> 00:23:19,531 return the forest to its former glory 404 00:23:19,531 --> 00:23:24,303 and restore this important animal habitat. 405 00:23:24,303 --> 00:23:26,238 It's a balancing act 406 00:23:26,238 --> 00:23:30,109 in the Wild Wild East. 407 00:23:30,109 --> 00:23:36,815 ♪ THEME MUSIC ♪ 408 00:23:36,815 --> 00:23:42,821 ♪ THEME MUSIC ♪ 409 00:23:42,821 --> 00:23:48,827 ♪ THEME MUSIC ♪ 410 00:23:48,827 --> 00:23:54,700 ♪ THEME MUSIC ♪