California's Wild Justice
These Crime Fighters Patrol Hundreds of Miles of Land, Coastline, Rivers and Streams Throughout California, With Backup Often Miles Away
New Series from the Makers of Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch, Wild Justice Kicks Off Sunday, November 28, 2010, at 10 p.m. ET/PT; Moves to Regular Night and Time, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT Beginning December 1, 2010
Outmanned and outgunned, they patrol hundreds of miles of land, coastline, rivers and streams throughout the state of California. These are the California Game Wardens, and they’re on duty around the clock to ensure Wild Justice is brought to California residents and its animal inhabitants.
In the nation’s most populous state, people must coexist with wildlife, much of which is critically endangered, and protecting what remains is a primary mission. But more than just crimes against nature, these law officers also take on illegal drugs, dangerous fugitives and urban gangsters on a beat that stretches from residential backyards to rugged back country. The real-life bravery of the California Game Wardens is now brought to light as Nat Geo cameras ride along in the new series Wild Justice, premiering Sunday, November 28, 2010, at 10 p.m. ET/PT before moving to its regular night and time, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, beginning December 1 on the National Geographic Channel.
Whether working alone or with a canine companion, the California Game Wardens must be resourceful and self-sufficient as they patrol rural areas on foot, horseback, plane, boat or pickup truck, where backup can be miles away. And protecting endangered animals means stopping criminals before they strike in a deadly game that can play out anywhere from San Francisco’s Chinatown to the deserts, mountains and coastlands that make up one of the most diverse terrains in the nation.
Episodes include:
Wild Justice: Marijuana Mountains
Sunday, November 28, 2010, at 10 PM ET/PT
Illegal drugs and poaching often go hand in hand. Intel leads Lieutenant Nores and the Marijuana Eradication Team to a marijuana grow site near a children’s camp. A few hundred miles north, Wardens Beals and Martignoni find drug paraphernalia after searching a parolee’s vehicle. And Captain Castillo and his squad hunt down a man suspected of poaching deer, then trading the meat for methamphetamines.
Wild Justice: Outgunned
Wednesday, December 1, 2010, at 10 PM ET/PT
Warden Boyd and his team take an unorthodox approach to catching poachers who kill bears just to harvest their gall bladders for folk medicine. Using real bear paws to mask his tracks and scent in order to fake a bear presence, Boyd hopes to lure poachers into a trap and catch them red-handed. While in San Francisco, Warden O’Brien organizes a saturation patrol of Chinatown, known as a hotbed for illegal trading in exotic species and animal parts.
Wild Justice: Deer Meat for Meth
Wednesday, December 8, 2010, at 10 PM ET/PT
Poachers often operate under cover of darkness, and so do the wardens. Wardens Beals and Martignoni are on the hunt for a serial poacher illegally killing pregnant does. And on Halloween night, it’s a deadly serious game of trick or treat as a special operations unit apprehends a suspect caught with a stash of illegal deer meat and marijuana. Then, in an upscale community of Grass Valley, residents have discovered stray arrows outside their homes, and the wardens rush in hoping to avert an accidental death.
Wild Justice: Felony Friday
Wednesday, December 15, 2010, at 10 PM ET/PT
The wardens head out to sea in search of illegal fishermen loaded with guns, knives and drugs. The team makes several stops along the way checking for fishing permits and marijuana possession. But even as they enjoy wildlife they have sworn to protect when they spot dolphins, they’re immersed in an investigation involving a sea lion shot in the face. Then, in the remote woods of Feather Falls, Lieutenant Castillo must rally his team to take down a mountain lion poacher with a history of violence.
Wild Justice is produced by Original Productions for the National Geographic Channel. For Original Productions, executive producer is Thom Beers. For NGC, executive producer is Kathleen Cromley, senior vice president of production is Michael Cascio, executive vice president of content is Steve Burns. www.natgeotv.com.
