ALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — When Apple TV+ invited ABC4 Film Critic and Celebrity Interviewer Patrick Beatty to interview the cast of “The Wild Ones, he had one burning question: what would these globe-trotting adventurers think of our wild, Utah’s raw red rock, endangered species, and the very real threat of lawmakers like Senator Mike Lee trying to carve it up and auction it off?

So he asked them. In these interviews with Declan Burley, Aldo Kane, and Vianet Djenguet, they didn’t just talk about leaping from helicopters or surviving snake-infested jungles. They dug into conservation, land politics, and why protecting wild spaces, whether in the Congo Basin or Capitol Reef, matters now more than ever.

When you’re in those moments where you’re about to track something down, is there a hype-up jam that you play? A routine you go through to mentally prep for what I assume is a serious adrenaline rush?

Aldo Kane:
You know, I’ve spent my entire career, especially the last two years, working in extreme, remote, hostile environments. But there’s something really special about being out there with Declan and Vianet. Knowing you’re walking the same trail as a silverback gorilla or a big male tiger, that’s intense.

But the reason we’re chosen for this kind of work is because we’re good at what we do. Managing that adrenaline, keeping your emotions in check, that’s part of the job. Honestly, I think the biggest challenge for all of us was emotional. It was dealing with failure. These animals are incredibly elusive, endangered, and rare. About 90 percent of our efforts led to no results. So I think the hardest part was setting realistic expectations and learning to sit with that.

Watching this series, I kept thinking about Utah. Back home, Senator Mike Lee is pushing to sell off 2.2 million acres of federal land. We’ve got endangered species like the Utah prairie dog and the endangered Utah mountain lion. What kind of impact would development near these critical habitats have on species like ours?

Declan Burley:
A massive, massive impact. I mean, you’re basically changing their entire world. If you’re digging up land, bringing in noise, traffic, and people, none of that is good for the animals. It would absolutely take a toll.

If you start digging up prairie dog holes, yeah, that would be devastating. Honestly, it would be sad to see. So if that’s the case, go out and enjoy it now while it’s still there. And hopefully, they don’t go through with that.

Aldo Kane:
We’ve seen it firsthand. Habitat loss is one of the biggest drivers of extinction, especially for the animals we’ve been following. That’s really what this series is about: highlighting issues like poaching and habitat destruction, and showing how they’ve become an existential crisis for wildlife.

You touched a little on this, but as development keeps pushing into wild areas, based on your experiences filming the show, what are the most urgent threats endangered species are facing when it comes to human and animal habitats overlapping?

Vianet Djenguet:
Habitat encroachment is definitely one of the biggest factors pushing these animals toward extinction. Especially in forest environments like the Congo Basin or the Amazon, humans are creating villages and expanding into areas that used to be untouched. That shift is really, really critical. When we talk about extinction, that is one of the biggest drivers.

Declan Burley:
It all comes down to balance. People deserve to move around, to grow, to build communities, but so do animals. So it’s about making sure we’re not taking too much and leaving enough space for wildlife to actually thrive.

For those of us in Utah or across the western United States, what is one thing we can take away from this show? Whether it’s political action, working with lawmakers, or just making our voices heard, what is step one?

Aldo Kane:
There are two things we really hope this series inspires. First, action, on any level. It’s not too far gone. There is hope. Anyone and everyone can and should step up in whatever way they can.

The second is harder, policy change at the top. We have got to protect the wild spaces we still have left. We should not be developing more. We need to stop pushing into what little untouched land remains. That is my take.

Catch “The Wild Ones” streaming now on Apple TV+

For more exclusive interviews and reviews, check out “See It or Skip It” with ABC4 Film Critic Patrick Beatty. New episodes drop weekly on abc4.com and the News4Utah+ app.