tonight on "nightline," when animals attack. police release 911 tapes of yesterday's deadly grizzly bear attack. >> we have someone that has been attacked and bitten pretty badly by a bear. >> so what does it feel like to wake up in the jaws of a predator? and how do we stop it from happening again? border war. as drug violence escalates in northern mexico, we visit one texas town where the call to arms has been issued. illegal immigrants, beware. these citizens are ready to defend what's theirs. and, perfect tv? it has little people -- >> my dog, do what the hell you have to [ bleep ] do.

>> it's got pit bulls, and there are plenty of angry showdowns. have producers finally found the perfect formula for reality tv? tonight, we meet shorty lrossi, star of the hit show "pit boss." >> announcer: from the global resourr resourr resources of ab b kr nubc news york city, this is "nightline," july 29th, 2010. >> good evening. it began in the early hours of wednesday morning at a campground in montana, when a grizzly bear started tearing into tent after tent, mauming the sleeping occupants, eventually killing one. the horror of the attack was captured in frantic calls to the emergency services, and by the accounts of survivors that you're about to hear. meanwhile, the wildlife officials have trapped the bear they believe to be responsible, and are conducting dna tests to be certain. and are conducting dna tests to be certain. ryan owens now reports from the

fatal scene of a showdown between man and beast. >> reporter: tonight, steel cages dot this usually busy campground on the edge of yellowstone national park. inside one of them, a nearly 400-pound grizzly bear that wildlife officers say mauled a 48-year-old man to death as he slept in his tent. >> 911. where is your emergency? >> hi, i'm in cooke city right now, and we have someone that's been attacked and bitten pretty badly by a bear. >> reporter: it turned out three campers had been attacked earlier this week, each asleep in separate tents. ronald singer was the bear's first victim. he woke up to the grizzly biting his leg. >> it was on my leg and i punched it a couple of times, and then it was gone. >> reporter: the 21-year-old was on vacation with his girlfriend and her parents. >> my daughter's boyfriend got bit by a bear just a little bit ag ago there's another lady town there that's screaming.

i don't know that she got bit or not. >> reporter: she certainly did. lifelong camper deb freele awoke to the animal sinking its teeth into her arm, its powerful jaws crushing several bones. >> i remember thinking, something's not right, and then crunch, and it was a very hard crunch. i couldn't hit him, because he had me from the back, so i just, afternoon i realized that he was getting more aggravated with the screaming, that's not working, and i just said, you got to play dead or you are dead, and so i did. and he let go. >> back up. good. >> reporter: even grizzly trainers say there is no sure fire way to save yourself if you're attacked. the bears are so strong and so often erratic. >> i think, you know, these

people were probably very startled. there was probably screaming. there was probably a lot of panic and moving around. and i think that that would motivate that prey instinct that these animals do have. you know, bears are known for eating berries and things like this, but they also do kill animals, if they need to. you know, they will. they can kill. >> reporter: randy miller should know. he runs predators in action, providing bears and other wild animals for movies and tv shows. one of the bears he trained, rocky, who appeared with will ferrell, killed randy's cousin two years ago. >> the bear was doing what he was trained to do. he moved in to wrestle my cousin, caught him aufd off guard, grabbed him, got him in a vital spot. we got the bear off of him in four seconds flat, i mean, fast. and it was still too late.

>> reporter: after those three attacks here in montana, one fatal, officials had no choice but to evacuate the campground and set traps. one of them, right next to the mangled tent where that camper lost his life. bear expects suspected the animal would return to the scene of the crime in search of more food. they were right. less than 24 hours later the grizzly was back, and trapped. but she wasn't alone. officers were determined to capture her three cubs, each just a year old. they fear they, too, will have to be put to death, since they only know what they learned from their mother. >> we won't be satisfied until we prove that we have the right bear and we catch all the cubs. we've got everyone. >> reporter: because the stakes are so high, officials here are determined to make sure they have the right bears. they've even taken saliva samples from the bite wounds. hair evidence from the tents and the clothes of the victims. by tomorrow, they expect to know for sure if the dna is a match. extraordinary measures ahead of

what appears will be the ultimate punishment. i'm ryan owens for "nightline" in cooke city, montana. >> and we'll continue to monitor developments. our thanks to ryan owens. and when we come back, a hard turn, toward the border. where violence is on the rise. illegal immigrants arrive by the day, and the residents of one texas town are taking matters into their own hands. atters into their own hands. host: could switching to geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance? did the little piggy cry wee wee wee all the way home? piggy: weeeeeee, weeeeeee, "weeeeeee, weeeee weeeeeeee. mom: max. ...maxwell! piggy: yeah? mom: you're home. piggy: oh,cool, thanks mrs. a. anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more.

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mexican officials announced

today that ignacio nacho coronel, one of that country's most dangerous drug traffickers was killed in clashes with state security forces. the border with mexico has been ablaze with drug feuds, multiple murders and of course on the illegal immigration. and for some residents on the american side, as we first reported last month, their patience has run out. here's my co-anchor terry moran. >> reporter: if you want to see what life is really like along the broken border between the united states and mexico, come to ft. hancock, texas. >> i would not hesitate to fire this through these windows. >> reporter: this is a town where citizens are armed and ready. >> morning, morning, morning. >> good, sir. how are you doing? >> reporter: and if you stop in at angie's restaurant, as pretty much everyone does, you'll hear why. >> this violence is bleeding over and it's bleeding over

fast. >> i got people coming across on my land. and i have caught quite a few on my land. >> you know the great wall of china? we need a big old wall, you can see it from the moon, man. the space shuttle, huh? and i mean a big wall. >> reporter: about 1,700 people live in ft. hancock, which sits right on the banks of the rio grande river, but a stream here. 55 miles southeast of el paso. they grow some cotton, some ja potely here. they grow some cotton here. do a little bit of this and that. it looks like a small, texas town right out of the movie "no country for old men." but it is under siege, as the sheriff, arvin west, told us. >> absolutely. >> reporter: sheriff west has 5,000 square miles of texas to patrol. and 98 miles of it along the border. he's got 17 deputies. you know, the way you describe it, sheriff, it sounds like a low-intensity war. >> oh, it's war.

>> reporter: and on january 23rd, 2006, a war came to him. on that day, west and his deputies were involved with a fierce fire fight with suspected mexican drug runners, who were using a humvee and weapons. >> they put out a contract on me all of the guys, all of the deputies. >> reporter: they put out a contract? >> uh-huh. at one time, i would work probably quarter of a million dollar hit. >> reporter: some things have gotten so badly on that border and just across the mexican town, gave hancock a simple message, arm yourselves. >> the saving grace here in america versus mexico is americans are allowed to arm themselves. mexicans aren't. the bad guys don't know who can shoot back and who is not going to shoot back, because everybody can carry a gun in the united states that's not a convicted felon. >> reporter: that makes a difference? >> it makes a big difference.

i don't need to reach out to the federal government for reinforcement. i put the word out to the local citizens. they'll come armed and ready. >> reporter: maybe that sounds melodramatic or excessive to you, but this border is broken. every day, there are illegal crossings, mostly mexicans just looking for a better life. but more and more, with so much of mexico overrun by drug cartels, what people here see is something far more sinister. this guy getting over the bashed wire fence with some difficulty there. >> right. he got caught on the fence. >> reporter: we visited a local couple, that didn't want their identities revealed, just outside of town. they've installed a security camera on their roof, equipped with night vision. this is night? >> this is at night. i just happened to be doing work on my computer, so i just happened to see this person. >> reporter: they see a lot of people. sometimes in ones and twos, sometimes groups. >> a lot of the people that cross the border are drug dealers or gang members, and so

it's just very scary. >> reporter: like everyone else who lives here, this couple lives in a very different america from the rest of the country. so you are, in part, our nation's border security. >> i guess so. we're the first responders. >> reporter: you're the first responders. certainly on this day, you were, and your sense is that those four guys were, what, migrants looking for work or bad guys? >> either one. you don't know. see, that's the biggest problem. >> reporter: what's happening in this rural texas area is that the federal government has lost control of the border at the exact moment a lot of mexico seems to be on the verge of turning into a narco state. in juarez, mexico, it's a state of war. 5,000 murders in the past two years. police chiefs, judges and city officials, assassinated a city living in terror and grief. and now, that violence is moving down the border. >> storm's coming. shut the windows, shut the doors, because you're fixing to get wet. the storm's coming.

>> reporter: and i notice you got your deputies out here. >> we can't see what's on the other side of the levy over there. i'm sure they're watching every move that we're walking over here. >> reporter: sheriff west and i walked along the river, accompanied by armed deputies. and while we were standing there, homes on the mexican side of the border went up in flames. a frequent occurrence as drug gangs torch the houses of anyone that resists their control. but there is a fence here. or, some fence. so, the american taxpayer spent money, put up this fence. >> lots of money they spend here. >> reporter: and it runs right to here. >> the only thing missing is a bunch needles or a "welcome" sign on top of this. >> reporter: one of the big complaints you hear from locals is that the federal government, the border patrol, especially, has essentially abandoned them. on one of the larger farms in the region, we spoke with jim and craig. >> we grew up with livestock, and obviously we misunderstood how fences work.

we thought they had to be contiguous and surrounding the area. didn't know you should just put up a little piece and it would work. >> reporter: jim, ed and craig have spent their whole lives here. they offered me mountain lion stew they picked up at angie's. >> tastes like chicken or pork to you? >> reporter: little more like pork. but the miller brothers feel their way of life is changing, and changing fast. >> greetings. >> i feel like if we don't establish a definite border at the rio grande, if we retreat 50, 100 miles in, once this -- that area's saturated with illegals, are they going to retreat another 50 miles? retreat, that's a pretty strong word? >> well, that appears to be what they've done here. >> reporter: at the high school, we spoke with a group of students, and they're pretty much like teens everywhere. good kids. but they've endured experiences your kids haven't. how many of ever heard gunfire from across the border? raise your hand.

a few. this is something you've heard? >> it's scary hearing it. like, we're far away, but it's still scary, because you never know what could happen. >> some of our friends have family over there and it's kind of sad that almost every month, we have to say "sorry for your loss." >> reporter: so this is life in ft. hancock, a town on a broken border, a town here calls, almost america. armed citizens, watches in the night. the fires of a drug war across the border. a sheriff on the front lines. >> here's our next move is to try to come over hor? you have to ask that question. is that what they're after next? don't know. don't have answers to that one. >> reporter: that's a serious question. >> it is. >> an issue at the top of the national conversation, for sure. our thanks to terry moran. and when we come back, it's the latest hit reality show, featuring little people, pit

bulls, ugly scuffles and an unorthodox employment agency. we enter the bizarre world of "the pit boss." welcome to the world of lovaza, where nature meets science.

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can help lower cholesterol. [ bob ] makes you feel ageless. brrrbb! [ male announcer ] it's simple, love your heart so you can do what you love. what do you love? see how cheerios can help you do it. [ bob ] squak! >> announcer: "nightline" continues from new york city with martin bashir. >> in the world of reality television, where casting is crucial, one show seems to have found an unbeatable form lachlt an ex-con host who is just over four feet tall, and a group of pit bulls in need of a good home. it's called "pit boss," and is already a hit on animal planet. it's called "pit boss," and is already a hit on animal planet. vicki mabrey caught up with its charismatic ring leader on a recent trip to new york. >> there's a whole group of them >> there's a whole group of them back there. >> no, way. >> reporter: shorty rossi, all four feet and one half inches of him, is about to get his butt kicked. >> get back in the car. >> reporter: as a rescuer of pit

bulls in l.a., he's heard about a dog fighting ring. he's supposed to just check it out, but laid back is not shorty's style. >> take your car and go. get in the car. >> reporter: shorty rossi is the animal planet channel's newest star. host of the show "pit boss." >> production company said, wait a minute, little people, pit bulls, come on. animal planet loved it and we've been doing it for over a year been doing it for over a year now. >> reporter: each episode -- >> that's my dog. >> reporter: alternating between trying to save pit bulls -- >> taking my dog. >> reporter: and running an employment agency for little people. >> we're looking for a mini barack obama. >> reporter: on this season's first episode, the team saves vita and poppa, a shy pit found wandering the neighborhood. with his six, shorty's got to find homes for the new rescues. >> like, literally, we just have

no space -- >> i mean, temporarily? >> reporter: we met up with shorty here in new york at a shelter in soho full of rescued animals. deem in the basement, we find a whole litter of pit puppies how sweet they are. >> they don't know no wrong, no evil, nothing. >> reporter: so, how do they grow up to be these tough, urban dogs that we hear about? >> humans. >> reporter: humans? >> reporter: humans? it's not their nature? >> never their nature. >> reporter: cute as they are, they'll still be hard to adopt occupant, because of the stigma. >> we have pit bulls all the time. some how, some way, there's pit and almost every dog that comes through, you know, the shelter. >> pit bulls are misunderstood, just like little people. people don't take us serious. people don't believe that we have people that are doctors, lawyers, business owners. and the same thing. people misunderstand pit bulls. they don't believe they can be loving dogs, good companions.

>> reporter: shorty's biography reads like from a james cagney movie. he says he ran away at age 14. >> i had a rough childhood. violent father, who i ran away from a young age and ran away to another family and grew up in california, which is, in like south central and projects. but i was actually more happier living in the projects than living in a middle class white neighborhood. >> reporter: why? >> i was accepted there. neighborhood. >> reporter: why? >> reporter: he took up with a tough crowd, owned a pit bull, of course, and wound up in prison. for what? >> attempted murder. got into a little gang activity involvement, got into an argument, shot somebody. >> reporter: so you wound up argument, shot somebody. serving? >> ten years, ten months and ten days. >> reporter: when we came out, he says he worked as an irs claims adjuster an a personal banker at bank of america until they discovered his criminal background. after he was fired, he fell into

acting. >> i got a call from some friends at universal studios theme park and they wanted me to do a stage show. and i'm like, oh, cool. they're like, well, alvin and the chipmunks. the chipmunks. i'm like, get the [ bleep ] out of here, really? and they told me the pay per day and wait a minute. i just got out of jail for ten years, i have no job. have nothing. that's how i got into entertainment. >> reporter: from there, if he figured he could entertain, others could, too. >> you want to be an actor? learn to be one. >> reporter: he started shortywood, his talent management company that hires out little people for everything from movies to corporate events to pranks. but are you reinforcing stereotypes? >> no, i'm reinforcing comedy. i'm reinforcing fun. and i'm employing little people all across the country. >> reporter: "pit boss" is one of many shows about little

people this year. shorty rossi says it's about time. shorty rossi says it's about >> finally we're getting recognized for different things. >> reporter: so what happened to those docks shorty and the crew rescued? well, vita found a home. but poppa is still looking. >> reporter: nothing wrong with having a seventh pit bull. >> yes, it is. it's going to be called pit hoarders. >> reporter: this is vicki mabrey for "nightline" in new york. >> and you can catch new episodes of "pit boss" every saturday at 10:00 on animal planet. and when we come back, arizona immigration protests, and that's the subject of tonight's closing argument. first, here's jimmy kimmel. >> jimmy: tonight, matthew fox, josh hutcherson. music from the swell season. jake byrd, lind said lohan and "the jersey shore." "jimmy kimmel live" is next. can i eat heart healthy without giving up taste?

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