announcer: jack hanna's "wild countdown" is sponsored by nationwide. jack: hi, everyone, i'm jack hanna, coming to you from my base camp here at the columbus zoo, and welcome to "wild countdown." why are there mysterious white black bears roaming the canadian rainforest? right through those alder branches is the white bear. why don't penguins freeze in all that snow? kathaleen, i don't see how anything survives out here. and why do male lions have long shaggy manes? wowee. looking right at me, too. today, we're out to solve the mysteries behind some of our favorite animals. oh, my gosh, what is that? adam: that is a rattlesnake.

jack: plus, my blooper of the week. oh! you've got questions, and we've got answers, today on "wild countdown." golly day. i ain't gonna start crying, but i'm close. we tried to leave our tents. not even to go to dinner, we couldn't get to dinner, the lions were everywhere. golly dang! [dogs barking] whoo! help! dolphin right there. holy mackerel! just like my life is devoted to the animal world, nationwide is devoted to their members, protecting what's important at every stage of their lives. that's why nationwide and i have been partners for over 30 years. learn more about nationwide at nationwide.com.

today, our goal is to find the answers to some puzzling questions about animals. for instance, why do lowland gorillas spend so much time in trees? and why do adult male gorillas have silver hair on their backs? we went to west africa to find out. the moukalaba doudou national park in gabon is one of the best places to see lowland gorillas in the wild. me, my wife sue, and my daughter kathaleen began our gorilla trek from a research camp deep in the jungle. our guide, professor lee white, felt this was a good place to start. lee: we're in the middle of their range, so they could be anywhere. apparently they're not too far from the camp today, so hopefully we'll be lucky. jack: since a large group of people could be threatening to the gorillas, i went on the first expedition, while sue and kathaleen stayed at camp. see y'all later. kathaleen: bye. jack: the biggest concern was upsetting the leader of

the troop, the alpha male. as a male gorilla begins to mature, around age 12, the dark hair on its back gets lighter in color, which is why they're called silverbacks. these powerful apes weigh up to 400 pounds and may charge if they sense they're being threatened. lee: men with silver hair are a threat because the silverback thing. so you've got to keep your hat on. you take your hat off, they're gonna see the silver hair and that's--you should probably close the shirt up there. jack: so they can't see it. lee: exactly, yeah. jack: is that a silverback or is that a silverback? i didn't want to show off, so i took lee's advice and we continued our search. lee: you see we're following the feeding trail. jack: oh, i see. they've been eating all of this here. that's how they're tracking them right now. we're tracking them. lee: we're getting close. just stick close with me. jack: i am, trust me. lee: up in that tree there. come here.

jack: golly day. wowee. that's all i wanted to see. that's it, right there. i ain't gonna start crying, but i'm close. this was my first encounter with lowland gorillas in the wild. i'd seen mountain gorillas in rwanda and uganda, but they tend to stay on the ground. i couldn't believe these huge primates were swinging through the trees like chimpanzees. lee: they're 60 feet up, maybe. jack: it looks like they live a lot more in the trees than mountain gorillas. lee: yeah, climbing the trees all the time to get food. jack: food, that's right. lowland gorillas will eat roots, shoots, and tree bark, but up to 2/3 of their diet is fruit. males may eat up to 40 pounds a day, so they need to cover a lot of territory. lee: up, up, up, up. jack: where? where? lee: yeah, there we go, yeah. jack: sure enough, the big silverback was watching us from way up in a tree. wow. boy, is that a big one. man alive. this family group had

22 gorillas. a very large troop. this is something else. lee: i tell you, once you come, you almost always come back. jack: oh, yeah. next up, the time we traveled to the african savannah to find out why lions have manes. but while we were there, we saw one of the rarest cats in the world, the white lion. sanbona wildlife reserve is 3 hours east of cape town, south africa. it's mostly arid savannah and open grassland dotted with shrubs, a few trees, and barely more rain than a desert. but for lions and hundreds of other species, it's the perfect home. sue and i joined geran ellish and jason friend for one of the most incredible sightings we've ever had. is that a white rock? geran: yeah. jack: is that a white lion? geran: yeah. jack: these rare white lions are not albinos. they have some black features, as well as blue

or gold color in their eyes. wowee. looking right at me, too. like albinos, they get their look from a recessive gene that's carried by common tawny lions. but for some reason, these lions are only found among specific populations in south africa. i just don't know how they make a kill, though. i really don't. i mean, you'd see them a mile away. jason: there's a lot of quartz deposits in these areas. so wherever you look, you'll see there's flakes of white. jack: right. jason: and only until it moves do you actually know that it's a white lion and not a big rock. jack: that's amazing. jason: we've been telling about how white they are and how easy they are to see. jack: right. jason: and yet we can't find the second one. jack: that's true. jason: yeah. here comes his brother. jack: yeah, i was gonna say, i just saw it. right behind the bushes, here it comes, right there. wow. look at that. white or tawny, a good hair day is essential for attracting females. but why do lionesses find a full, heavy mane irresistible? because it's a sign of strength. bigger manes are hotter and more physically exhausting, so only the fittest males can pull them off. seeing

the pair of white lions seemed like a once in a lifetime experience, but later that same day, we were amazed to see a pride of white and tawny lions right beside the road. golly, sue. sue: oh, my gosh. jack: look at this one. you can't--the regular one is next to 'em. geran: i mean, this is an incredible sighting just for the fact--quite a few things. you know, first of all, the point of view that we have, the perspective that we have on it. but also, look at how that tawny female has gotten up, and you see that white female is following her. so you can see very much the dynamics of--of the movement together. i think the tawnies want to get into a better position for hunting, and you see the white females are moving with them. jack: white lions are extremely rare. scientists didn't officially document their existence until 1975. but legends of the big cat have been told for centuries. sue: i heard that these are the only free roaming white lions in the world. is that true? geran: there's two known free ranging populations in

the world. so if you take that, two in the world, that's still pretty spectacular, for us to be sitting, watching one of them. jack: coming up... the only thing i can compare this to is when i saw the gorilla in rwanda for the first time. plus, the blooper of the week. next on "wild countdown." phil! oh no... (under his breath) hey man! hey peter. (unenthusiastic) oh... ha ha ha! joanne? is that you? it's me... you don't look a day over 70. am i right? jingle jingle. if you're peter pan, you stay young forever. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. ♪ you make me feel so young... it's what you do. ♪ you make me feel ♪ so spring has sprung.

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jack: welcome back to "wild countdown," everybody. i am jack hanna here at my base camp, the columbus zoo. today we're exploring why animals live where they do. lee: right in that tree there. jack: and why they look the way they do. wow, look at that. do you know why a rattlesnake shakes his rattle? it's to scare away reptile researchers. luckily, sue and i don't spook that easy. at dinosaur provincial park in alberta, canada, sue and i caught up with snake researchers adam and burke. the park's snakes were preparing to hibernate for the winter, so they were out hunting, making this an ideal time to conduct research. what kind of rattlesnakes are up here? adam: well, we're looking for-- they're prairie rattlesnakes and they're found all the way from southern alberta, where we are now, to north central mexico. sue: that's pretty far. adam: yeah, you know, they're dealing with a mexican summer and a canadian winter, all the same species. so that's quite a range. jack: snakes are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature changes with their environment. they can survive for long

periods without eating because they don't use energy to regulate their body temperature like we do. that means they can live where food and water are scarce. oh, shoot. sue: what? jack: see there, look at this. adam: oh, nice. jack: whoa, this is not bad. i'd found a skin that had been shed by a big prairie rattlesnake. unlike human skin, a rattler's skin doesn't grow as the snake does. so several times a year they shed their entire outer layer, right up to their rattle. oh, my gosh, what is that? adam: that's a rattlesnake. jack: when a rattler shakes its tail, the hard rings of keratin knock against each other. the sound is a warning to predators, back off, or else. golly day. sue: how'd you see that? it blends in so well. jack: man, i could step right on that thing. sue: oh. jack: he's fast. you better get--you better get--no, let him get it. in a few weeks, he'll be going to sleep here in the wintertime. adam: yeah, yeah. he's probably out looking for his last meal or two, and then he'll be, uh-- jack: can you hear him? adam: he's not rattling too much right now. jack: now you do research. what do--can you show us what you do? adam: yeah, for sure. we'll, uh, take this guy and weigh and

measure him and get some, you know, data on him. jack: all right. adam: so we'll go do that now. jack: all right. to handle the rattler safely, adam and burke secured it in a snake tube. look at that rattle. look at this rattle here, sue. this is what i find fascinating. sue: yeah, how many rattles? about 6? adam: yeah, each time they shed, they get a new one. so he's just about to shed. so he's got 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. and he'll have, uh, 7 after he sheds. jack: burke wrote down the number of the microchip that adam injected into the snake. that way they could identify it if it's ever found again. how many feet is he? inches or feet, everybody? adam: uh, 5, 6, 8. we measure in uh, millimeters. jack: ok, i'm gonna put research done by an american, so-- adam: metric, not-- jack: if this thing migrates over to montana, then this is going to be valuable. adam: exactly, yeah. jack: when we were done recording all of the data, we carefully placed the snake in its den. populations of the prairie rattlesnake appear to be falling. hopefully this research will help identify their habitats so wildlife managers can find new ways to protect them.

though black bears are the most common bear in north america, very few people have ever seen a white black bear. but why are they white? and why are they so rare? to solve this mystery, we went to a mysterious place, an ancient rainforest on a remote island in canada. my daughter kathaleen and i traveled to princess royal island in hopes of seeing the white black bear, commonly called the spirit bear. scientists believe that these black bears have been isolated from other populations for over 350,000 years. they evolved separately, allowing the white bear subspecies to develop and eventually thrive. to cover more ground, kathaleen went searching with guide chris hudson while i headed farther up stream. kathaleen: good luck. jack: i don't need luck, you will. ha ha! the old growth trees in this temperate rainforest are key to the bears' survival. enormous trees provide shelter in such a rainy region. and their root system stabilizes the soil, preventing landslides that can

destroy salmon streams. to see a bear, a lot of times you've got to act like a bear. it wasn't long before i spotted some black bears on the bank. heavy rain had turned this stream into a raging river, so the bears were out searching for a good spot to fish. since winter was approaching, they needed to fatten up before heading into the mountains to hibernate. there he is. you won't believe it. right through those alder branches is the white bear. like the white lion, spirit bears are not albinos. but they are rare. only one in ten of the area's black bears are born white, making their total population around 1,000. only thing i can compare this to is when i saw the gorilla in rwanda for the first time. you know, very few left in the world. but our best sighting was yet to come. chris: oh, turn around, turn around, turn around. kathaleen: oh, my god, that white bear's right there. they are beautiful. look at that, he's not even bothered by us being here. jack: over the last 10 years,

a campaign to protect the spirit bear's habitat has become reality. more than half a million acres are now safe from logging and development, benefiting not only the spirit bear, but the entire ecosystem. why are snakes' tongues forked? the answer is coming up next on "wild countdown." the uncertainties i don't wantof hep c.with or wonder... ...whether i should seek treatment. i am ready. because today there's harvoni. a revolutionary treatment for the most common type of chronic hepatitis c. harvoni is proven to cure up to 99% of patients... ...who've had no prior treatment. it's the one and only cure that's... ...one pill, once a day for 12 weeks. certain patients... ...can be cured with just 8 weeks of harvoni.

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i have a massive heart attack oright in my driveway.d the doctor put me on a bayer aspirin regimen. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. go talk to your doctor. you're not indestructible anymore. ♪ snowmen with buttons, snowflakes with icing ♪ ♪ candy corn feathers, sure look enticing ♪ ♪ rice krispies treats, the fun doesn't stop - ♪ ♪ how many ways can you snap, crackle, pop? ♪ make the holidays a treat with kellogg's rice krispies. don't even think about it. cough if you can hear me. i took mucinex dm for my phlegmy cough. yeah...but what about mike? it works on his cough too. cough! it works on his cough too. mucinex dm relieves wet and dry coughs for 12 hours. let's end this.

jack: why are snakes' tongues forked? a snake's tongue picks up chemical scents in the air. the two sides help them detect which direction the smell is coming from. welcome back to "wild countdown," everyone, i'm jack hanna. the question of the day

is, why? as in, why do rattlesnakes shake their rattle? and why are there white black bears on remote islands in canada? there he is, the white bear. to find out why penguins don't freeze in sub-zero temperatures, my daughter kathaleen and i set sail for the south pole. at least we went over the summer. i nearly froze my khakis off. about 75 miles north of the antarctic peninsula are the south shetland islands. considering the harsh conditions, it was amazing to see so much activity on the beach. but we'd come 7,000 miles to see the islands' most famous resident, the chinstrap penguin. the bird's name comes from the distinctive line of black feathers that runs under its neck. since it was late summer, the adult chinstraps were busy caring for their new chicks. kathaleen, look at all the funny hairdos those things have. kathaleen: isn't that funny, all that downy--those downy feathers. you can see the difference in their ages. most of these penguins were born in november, december. so

the ones just covered in those downy feathers are probably about two months old. jack: golly day. kathaleen: and then the other ones are a little older. they're getting ready to go into the water, so they have to get rid of all that down. jack: the chicks' waterproof feathers would allow them to join their parents as they hunt for krill and small fish. even the adults were molting, replacing worn feathers with a new warm, waterproof layer. not only are these birds graceful swimmers, chinstraps are excellent climbers as well. they do go right up to the highest point, don't they? kathaleen: isn't that funny? you'd think they'd try to stay away from the wind, but instead they all try and vie for that tallest spot on the rocks. jack: it's possible they build their nests at a high point on the terrain because it's the first spot to become free of snow. this gives parents the maximum amount of time to raise their chicks. after our frigid tour of the chinstraps' rookery we joined penguin expert rob yordi. hey, rob. rob: hey, jack and kathaleen. you getting a little cold? jack: yeah. tell me something, how do these animals survive out here? rob: they have actually a very

unique insulation system. they have a very thick layer of blubber, and then a layer of down feathers like you see on the little chicks, and then a layer of outer feathers that are real tight together, and they actually insulate them very well. they love weather like this. jack: you know something, we ain't got the blubber that those penguins have. rob: they can actually handle this temperature much better than we can. jack: well, i can't. let's get back to the ship, i'm freezing. rob: all right, sounds like a good plan. jack: coming up... oh, these are beautiful ones. there's a blue one right here behind you. a blue one. plus, the blooper of the week. next on "wild countdown." [ horn honks melody ] well, well. if it isn't the belle of the ball. gentlemen. you look well. what's new, flo? well, a name your price tool went missing last week. name your what, now? it gives you coverage options based on your budget. i just hope whoever stole it knows that it only works at progressive.com. so, you can't use it to just buy stuff?

no. i'm sorry, gustav. we have to go back to the pet store. [ gustav squawks ] he's gonna meet us there. the name your price tool. still only at progressive.com. let's get these dayquil liquid but these liquid gels are new. mucinex fast max. it's the same difference. this one is max strength and fights mucus. mucinex fast max. the only cold and flu liquid gel that's max-strength and fights mucus. let's end this.

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that's why there's delsym. delsym's advanced time release formula helps silence coughs for a full 12 hours. all night... or all day. jack: just like my life is devoted to the animal world, nationwide is devoted to their members, protecting what's important at every stage of their lives. that's why nationwide and i have been partners for over 30 years. learn more about nationwide at nationwide.com. welcome back, everybody, to "wild countdown," i'm jack hanna. you know, i've traveled around the globe to learn why each of today's animals is truly unique. number 6, the high climbing lowland gorilla in gabon's tropical rainforest. 5, the statuesque white lion on the south african savanna. 4, the prairie rattlesnake in the badlands of alberta, canada. 3, the elusive spirit bear in british columbia's temperate rainforest. and two, the chinstrap penguin on antarctica's frozen ice

fields. our final question of the day relates to one of the strangest animals i've ever encountered. the jellyfish. why are they so colorful? why do they sting? and why are they even called animals? since they don't have a heart, blood, or a brain, it may seem like jellyfish are in a class all their own. but they're actually related to corals and sea anemones. it's believed they've been roaming the ocean for over 500 million years, making them one of the oldest animals on earth. if you've ever seen jellies at an aquarium, you know how fascinating they are to watch. so sue and i jumped at the chance to see a unique species in the wild. the upside down jellyfish can be found in the warm, shallow waters off the coast of panama. our guide jim kimball led us to a mangrove lagoon, the perfect habitat for the jellies. ooh, hoo hoo hoo! it didn't take long to find them. unlike jellyfish that live in deeper water, upside down jellyfish often stick to the sea

floor, making them look like a water flower. they actually grow a plant in their tentacles, an algae that provides the jellyfish with valuable nutrients. sue: they are everywhere. jack: there must've been hundreds covering the floor of the lagoon. while the bodies of jellyfish are clear, many jellies take on the color of microorganisms living inside them. upside down jellies get their coloration from the algae that grows on their bodies. oh, there's a beautiful one. look, there's a blue on right here behind you. a blue one. sue: it's so worth it just to see this. they have that clear look to it, and then all of a sudden these blue tentacles. jack: most jellyfish have stinging cells in their tentacles, which they use to capture prey like plankton. they can also sting predators or people if they feel threatened. so you should never go near jellyfish in the wild. even though these jellies are relatively harmless, we were careful to swim above them.

unfortunately, the upside down jellies' mangrove habitat is rapidly disappearing. human development, commercial fishing, and pollution have wiped out one-third of the world's mangroves in less than 50 years. considering the future of so many species are at risk, we need to act fast to save these valuable habitats. and now my blooper of the week. back in panama, sue and i were invited by the indigenous people to go tubing. i'm a master at piloting most watercraft, but something about the design of this vessel threw me off. i'll tell you something, those things should come with lifeboats. how's that? janet? cough if you can hear me. don't even think about it. i took mucinex dm for my phlegmy cough. yeah...but what about mike?

it works on his cough too. cough! it works on his cough too. mucix dm relieves wet and dry coughs for 12 hours. let's end this. so now i'm not being perky, telling you that drivers that switch to progressive save an average of $548! whoo! i mean, whoo. digestive core.r so choose ultimate flora by renewlife. it has 30 billion probiotic cultures. feel lighter and more energized. ultimate flora. more power to your gut. jack: why end the show here when there are so many more creatures out there? even i can't answer that one. if you have questions of your own, visit us at wildcountdown.com and on our facebook page, wild countdown tv. from the columbus zoo, i'm jack hanna, reminding you that every creature counts, especially my buddy petey the penguin here. announcer: promotional consideration provided by nationwide and the columbus zoo and aquarium.

now because president obama is about to speak to the nation from the oval office for only the third time in his presidency. and after the terrorist attack in san bernardino, california. tonight, the president will explain his strategy for prevents more attacks here at home, and