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Where the trees have to tough out long, freezing winters. forests filled with a host of miraculous creatures. many found nowhere else on earth. today though, these ancient woodlands are under siege, sometimes from surprising threats. these are patagonia's most iconic trees. because of their intricate branching, they're known as monkey puzzles.
The mapuche, indigenous people who have lived here for almost 3,000 years. they rely on these seeds for food, grinding them into flour to make bread. the mapuche's unique bond with the trees was almost broken. for hundreds of years, european colonizers stole their land and forests, stripping them for lumber. and the devastation continued through the 1990s.
The forests are tender dry. all it takes is a spark. devastating fires are all too common in patagonia's drier forests. though lightning starts a few of them, more than 90% are caused by humans, either accidentally or to clear land for grazing. every year tens of thousands of acres of forest are turned to
In a groundbreaking partnership, the governments of chile and argentina have teamed up with a charity, tompkins conservation. their mission, to re-wild vast areas of former farmland. cristian is in charge of the project, hoping to save the huemul. >> since the beginning the huemul as an endangered species has been a very important species. our reports for conservation have been focused on huemul because protecting huemul, you are protecting forests and other species. >> to do this, cristian must take drastic measures.
In the biodiversity that you see in rivers in this part of the world. >> species that play vital roles in the forests are worth seeking out and saving. >> all the evidence that i am finding doing my field work leads to conservation. if you don't know what's out there, you cannot preserve those species. if it's been around for millions of years, that means they are hugely important for this ecosystem. we just don't know about it yet. >> esai isn't the only one hunting for extraordinary creatures. further south a man is on a mission to see one of patagonia's most elusive predators. whether it's ...