NOVA Season 28 Episode 9 Vanished!

In season 28 episode 9 of NOVA, entitled "Vanished!", viewers join a team of scientists and technicians on a thrilling journey into the depths of the rainforest in search of some of the world's most elusive and mysterious creatures. Armed with the latest technology and scientific techniques, they set out to discover what happened to several species that were once thought to wander the Amazon basin but have not been seen for decades.

The team's first target is the Jambato toad, a critically endangered species that was last spotted by a herpetologist in the 1980s. Experts believe the toad's disappearance may be linked to a deadly fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis that has decimated amphibian populations worldwide. With this in mind, the team heads to a remote village in Ecuador to search for any surviving Jambato toads. Armed with microscopes and DNA sequencing equipment, they plan to collect and analyze samples from any toads they can find in the hopes of identifying whether the fungus played a role in the toad's disappearance.

Next, the team turns its attention to the ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird that was once thought to be extinct until a series of alleged sightings drew national attention in the early 2000s. To investigate whether the bird truly still exists, the team heads to a remote wilderness area in Arkansas, where the last confirmed sighting of the bird took place in 1944. Using advanced audio and visual recording techniques, including drone technology, they scour the area for any sign of this elusive bird.

Following this, the team heads deep into the heart of the Amazon rainforest in search of the puma. Once common across the region, the puma has become increasingly rare in recent decades, and experts believe that deforestation and habitat loss are to blame. The team sets up camera traps to capture footage of the puma and other elusive creatures, hoping to gain a better understanding of the factors that are driving their disappearance.

Throughout the episode, the team encounters a variety of challenges and setbacks, including intense weather conditions and the difficulty of navigating through dense, uncharted rainforest terrain. Viewers will be on the edge of their seats as the team faces unexpected obstacles and races against the clock to find the elusive creatures they seek.

"Vanished!" is a thrilling and thought-provoking episode of NOVA that will appeal to nature lovers, science enthusiasts, and anyone who is interested in the ongoing struggle to preserve some of the world's most vulnerable species. With stunning cinematography and a talented team of experts, this episode offers a rare and fascinating glimpse into the world of wildlife conservation and the fight to prevent further extinctions.