Stamford, Connecticut —VERSUS Country, in conjunction with Orion Multimedia, today announced the premiere of the one-hour special Wyoming: Predators, Prey & People on March 13 at 7 p.m. ET. The documentary highlights the controversy surrounding wolf and grizzly management and the successful reintroduction of these two apex predators as they are removed from the endangered species list. This high-definition special is hosted by veteran actor Gerald McRaney and is a production of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department.
Once on the verge of extinction, both grizzly and wolf populations have made historic comebacks throughout the Northern Rocky Mountain range. With the recent delisting of both the gray wolf and grizzly from the Endangered Species Act, the release of the special comes at a time when the national debate is at its peak.
“VERSUS is the perfect forum to showcase such an important issue,” said Gavin Harvey, President of VERSUS. “Covering issues of national significance to sportsmen and others is integral to VERSUS’ mission to be the leader in outdoor television.”
It’s one of the greatest conservation stories in American history, but also one of the most controversial as both species garner immense interest across the country. Sportsmen, tourists, wildlife photographers and environmentalists travel to states like Wyoming hoping to catch a glimpse of these predators in the wild. Wyoming: Predators, Prey & People showcases some of the most stunning grizzly and wolf footage ever captured. The documentary explores the complicated nexus between hunters, hikers, ranchers, outfitters, and environmentalists and how these charismatic predators impact game herds throughout the region.
“It’s important for us to take a balanced look at this issue as we showcase its significance to a national audience,” said Eric Keszler, Public Information Officer for the Wyoming Game & Fish Department. “There’s plenty of heated rhetoric on both sides of the issue but we’ve chosen to present a balanced look at what it means to have grizzly bears and wolves living in Wyoming and the national implications of their comeback.”
“The visionary approach taken by the state of Wyoming to showcase the management challenges through the power of television comes as no surprise given the state’s long-standing reputation for far-sighted wildlife management approaches,” said Chris Dorsey, President of Orion Multimedia, the Denver-based producer of the special. “The state has simply extended that visionary thinking to their media outreach, for as we’ve seen for decades, wildlife management without communication to all stake-holders seldom succeeds.”
