Introduction
The National Geographic documentaries have always been one of the most exciting films covering various topics about nature. Indeed, these movies provide an opportunity for spectators to enjoy high-quality stories and learn new information. One such documentary film is “The Wild West: Gold Rush,” which talks about the iconic world of the Pacific coast and its beautiful landscapes. In fact, Californian nature is rich in various animal species that live to survive and pass their genes to the offspring (“The Wild West: Gold Rush” 3:24-3:30). Moreover, they need to coexist in universal harmony with each other. This video presented a broad range of narratives about different species. Therefore, this essay aims to summarize the essence of this documentary, which can be divided into two parts that discuss marine creatures and terrestrial animals.
Main body
The unique aquatic species in this film were elephant seals and a giant pacific octopus. The Northern elephant seals spend time both in water hunting and at the coast breeding. Furthermore, these animals always live as hierarchical groups with one most robust leader that will mate with female seals to pass his genetic material to ensure the birth of the strongest and fittest progeny. In fact, newborns have to be fed by their mothers well to gain about a hundred kilograms within a short season and become resistant to harsh weather conditions (“The Wild West: Gold Rush” 4:15-4:17).
Another oceanic creature described in this documentary was the giant Pacific octopus, which is considered the biggest representative of this species in the world. Each of its eight legs is four meters long, and this animal consists of 90% of muscles without the skeleton (“The Wild West: Gold Rush” 18:27-18:30). Female octopuses lay more than 50,000 fertilized eggs and protect them, but only two young octopi usually survive (“The Wild West: Gold Rush” 18:03-18:05). Overall, this ultimate sacrifice preserves these species, preventing their extinction from the planet.
The terrestrial creatures described in this movie were black and brown bears, owls, mice, raccoons, banana slugs, arthropods, wild cats, and beavers. Indeed, owls and mice and banana slugs and raccoons, living in redwoods, are the exemplars of the perfectly working food chains. Moreover, bobcats, one of the smallest predators of this region, nurture their kittens until they develop muscle and nervous systems control and coordination to become good hunters (“The Wild West: Gold Rush” 33:57-34:16).
The only arthropods that were mentioned in this video were millipedes that are only found in California. These segmented creatures fluoresce at night and produce cyanide, which can poison their enemies. Lastly, beavers are believed to play an essential role in transforming the Wild West. In fact, these mammals form couples for a lifetime and raise their offspring with special care. Beavers also maintain their fur in a state to swim and build homes in water.
Summary
In summary, this documentary talked about various animal species that live on the Pacific coast. They include elephant seals, bears, octopi, owls, giant slugs, raccoons, bobcats, toxic arthropods, and beavers. These animals fight for survival by hunting, protecting their offspring, and sacrificing their lives. Moreover, some of these creatures are uniquely present on the Californian coast. Overall, this National Geographic video immersed the viewers into the world of the Wild West, demonstrating the dynamic and interconnected life of the inhabitants of this region.
Works Cited
“The Wild West: Gold Rush (Nat Geo Wild).” Dailymotion. 2016. Web.