NOVA

S47E13 Nature's Fear Factor

In Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park, the delicate equilibrium of predator and prey was disrupted by a devastating war that eliminated the apex predators. As a result, the surviving wildlife not only thrived in numbers but also began to exhibit strange behaviors, straying into unfamiliar territories and altering their feeding habits. This raises an intriguing question: does the presence of predators regulate prey populations through fear rather than just predation? NOVA teams up with researchers to reintroduce wild dogs to Gorongosa, investigating whether restoring this “landscape of fear” can bring harmony back to the ecosystem. (Premiered October 14, 2020)