Guardians of the Wild: Wings in Crisis
1st Episode: In Production
When Wildlife Cries for Help, Who Answers?
“This is not just a story of loss — it’s a story of second chances.”
Tom Gaccione
In the heart of Southern California, a quiet emergency is unfolding. Pelicans, once icons of the coast, are arriving at wildlife centers starving, injured, and poisoned. The cause? A perfect storm of human-wildlife conflict and environmental strain, from disappearing fish stocks and supercharged algae blooms to misguided violence from those who see these birds as competition.
Biological Oceanographer
Meet the Guardians: The People Who Refuse to Give Up
Supporting Experts & Helpers
Coming SoonDebbie McGuire
Ocean Defenders Alliance
John Villa
Jaret Davey
Newt Likier
The Crisis Is Manmade — But So Is the Solution
This Film Is a Call to Action
At the center is Zoli Téglás, a punk-rock frontman turned wildlife EMT, who races across beaches and oceans rescuing injured birds and getting them to safety.
His destination: the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center, where Dr. Lizzie Wood, a relentless wildlife veterinarian, leads a dedicated team treating & caring for over 1,000 animals at any given time, from pelicans and owls to raccoons & squirrels, caught in the crossfire of human impact.
Whether it’s glue traps aimed at rodents, poisons that ripple up the food chain, or toxic runoff that seeps into the ocean, these threats are the result of human choices.
But every day, this team is proving something important:
“Change is possible — and it starts with care, action, and awareness.”
Because the deeper story is about us.
About the decisions we make — and the chance we have to make better ones.
This isn’t just a film about rescue. It’s a film about responsibility, resilience, and the growing movement of people rising to protect what’s wild and fragile.
“This is our moment to protect what’s still wild. And it starts now.”
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