KIDS SPEAK OUT ABOUT HUMAN AND ANIMAL CONFLICTS ON NICK NEWS WITH LINDA ELLERBEE “DANGEROUS CROSSROADS: HUMAN ANIMAL VS. WILD ANIMAL,”
PREMIERING SUNDAY, NOV. 13, ON NICKELODEON
NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2011 – In a world where humans keep expanding their territory — what happens when humans and wild animals increasingly try to occupy the same space? Nick News with Linda Ellerbee hears from kids about human conflicts with wild animals including prairie dogs, coyotes, geese, deer, bears and antelope in the half-hour special, “Dangerous Crossroads: Human Animal vs. Wild Animal,” premiering Sunday, Nov. 13, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. Beginning Monday, Nov. 14, the special will be available on Nick.com.
“Human animal conflict with wild animals will likely continue,” said Linda Ellerbee. “But there’s no argument on this point: relations between people and animals are not equal. Wild animals can’t fix these problems. Maybe humans can’t either, but some kids are trying.”
Shelby, 12, lives in Anaheim, Calif. where there’s a problem with coyotes. “Now they’re coming into Anaheim and killing our pets.” “We alerted everyone and we raised enough money to hire our own trapper and the humane society will come and put them to sleep.”
Lily, 16, from Calabasas, Calif. believes the coyote trappings are cruel and somewhat useless. “If you trap one, more coyotes actually move in to take its place so you never actually solve the problem,” said Lily.
In suburban New Jersey, the black bear population is growing, but there’s not much land left for the bears, which were there first. “People are scared because they think bears are going to attack,” said Christian, 12, of Kearny, NJ. “It’s too bad, but if it’s between humans and the bears, some of the bears are going to have to go.”
In an attempt to ease the co-existence of humans and wild animals, Isabel (14) and Sierra (13) with the National Parks Conversation Association in Yellowstone National Park work with other kids to take down or modify fences to make it easier for pronghorn antelope to roam more freely and get to their food resources. “Animals can’t speak,” said Sierra. “We have the voice and we have that power to make a difference.”
“It’s not only pronghorn being affected by people who are putting stuff in their way, it’s animals all around the word being obstructed by people’s actions,” said Sierra. “I definitely think animals should have rights,” said Isabel.
Nick News, produced by Lucky Duck Productions, is now in its 20th year and is the longest-running kids’ news show in television history. It has built its reputation on the respectful and direct way it speaks to kids about the important issues of the day. Over the years, Nick News has received more than 21 Emmy nominations and recently won its ninth Emmy Award for Under the Influence: Kids of Alcoholics in the category of Outstanding Children’s Nonfiction Program. Additional Emmy wins for outstanding children’s programming include: The Face of Courage: Kids Living with Cancer (2010); Coming Home: When Parents Return from War (2009); The Untouchable Kids of India (2008); Private Worlds: Kids and Autism(2007); Never Again: From the Holocaust to the Sudan (2005); Faces of Hope: The Kids of Afghanistan (2002) and What Are You Staring At? (1998). In addition, in 1995, the entire series won the Emmy. In 2009, Nick News was honored with the Edward R. Murrow Award for best Network News Documentary for Coming Home: When Parents Return from War — thefirst-ever kids’ television program to receive this prestigious award. Nick News has also received three Peabody Awards, including a personal award given to Ellerbee for explaining the impeachment of President Clinton to kids, as well as a Columbia duPont Award and more than a dozen Parents’ Choice Awards.
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