It may seem an odd match, but a special screening today of a documentary featuring the diverse wildlife of Texas will benefit University of Idaho students.
The two-hour film “Deep in the Heart” will be shown at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre in Moscow at 1 p.m. Funds collected from the $7 per-person admission fees will be donated to the University of Idaho chapter of the Wildlife Society.
Michael Tewes, of Texas A&M University’s Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Institute, will introduce the film directed by Ben Masters and narrated by actor Matthew McConaughey.
“It has a Texas focus, but anybody who likes wildlife diversity will appreciate it,” said Tewes who earned his Ph.D. at the UI’s Hornocker Wildlife Institute and still spends time in Idaho each fall.
He said “Deep in the Heart” is made for the big screen and includes amazing cinematography highlighting the diverse landscapes and wildlife of Texas.
“It’s a very diverse state. It’s not nearly as pretty as Idaho, but it’s much more diverse.”
He is especially fond of 10 minutes of ocelot footage. Tewes specializes in ocelots — endangered wild cats that weigh about 25 to 35 pounds and range from southern Texas and Arizona to northern Argentina.
Masters’ “American Ocelot” will be featured on the PBS show “Nature” on Nov. 9 and Tewes hopes to be able to show it at the Kenworthy next fall, also as a fundraiser for the Wildlife Society.
The film also features whitetail deer, bison and Bracken Cave, which is home to the world’s largest known concentration of mammals — Mexican free-tailed bats, cougars, rattlesnakes, alligators, black bears and dolphins.
Online ticket purchase options and a trailer are available at bit.ly/3TeNP1I.
Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.
