january of 2021, they took a big step, cutting open a passageway to freedom for two of the cubs. they are nw roaming free, their helicopter parents watching from afar. and they are proving themselves to be successful hunters, here feasting on a capybara, an overgrown guinea pig. in the midst of covid, kris tompkins andebastian de martino savored the moment remotely. >> it's so emotional and it's-- and it shows that it can be done and this was always, it seems so obvious now, but it was such was such a big question. >> we are completely happy. you cannot describe how happy and also kind of emotional. >> reporter: since then, they have released five more jaguars. the hope: there will be a hundred of them roaming free in ibera before too long they and the other species are the missing pieces in nature's exquisite puzzle. if all goes as planned, it might be an example of how humans can change their spots. for the pbs newshour, i'm miles o'brien in corrientes, argentina. >> woodruff: a hedge fund has been acquiring scores of u.s. newspapers across the country-- and then gutting the ne

the cubs learn to hunt by tapping into their instincts and from their mothers' examples. the team takes great pains to avoid getting anywhere near the cubs, for fear they might lose their natural desire to steer clear from humans once set free. >> we look from afar, so we never look at the cubs directly. they don't look at us. and we have several devices which we enter live prey inside the pen and they don't relate us with food provision. so that way we produce a kind of , jaguar that can be released. >> the jaguars are the marquee species in the rewilding project, but there is a strong supporting cast as well. in fact, the team is focused on repairing several other broken links in the food chain. they have nurtured red-and-green macaws, bringing them back here for the first time in 150 years. they have also succeeded in returning pampas deer, and collared peccary to the ecosystem. they use radio and gps signals to carefully track them. >> even when we release them, we still watch them a lot to see if they are doing okay. miles: so you're helicopter , parents? >> yes. som

and i've been thinking back when you were just a cub reporter. you were in new york city. and cover it -- there was a meeting about who was going to run for mayor. and you were listening through a vent? >> yep, >> in a hotel. >> that's called journalism that's hard-hitting journalism. they insisted that i bug the room. when in fact, by happen answer the, it was in a hoe the conference room. i was in the next room. and i heard lourdes coming through the vent. and those nelson, nelson rockefeller's raspy voice and john lindsay's very patricianian yale accent. you couldn't miss. you knew who was saying what. i was taking notice. >> you were still a young man back in the united states, robert kenzy assassinated. and you get the word. you're in jerusalem. and you're told that the person who they believe has done this is sir hand sir hand who has family in the west bank. >> his father. >> you go and find his father. >> so i go to his father's house at 10:00 at night. it's dark i knock on the door. i go in. i explain who i am. a reporter for "new york times." and i ask him if he'

there are so many great stories in this book, and i'm thinking back to when you were just a cub reporter. you were in new york city, and covered-- there was a meeting about who was going to run for mayor. and you were listening through a vent. yeah, in a hotel >> that's called journalism. that's-- that's hard-hitting journalism. but they insisted that i had bugged them, when, in fact, by happenstance, it was in a hotel room-- hotel conference room. i was in the next room, and i heard, "my lord, it's coming through the vent!" and those voices, nelson rockefeller, raspy voice, and john lindsay's very patrician yale accent. you couldn't miss-- you knew who was saying what. i was taking notes furiously. >> woodruff: so then, a few years later, you're in the middle east already. still-- it is still a young man, of course. back in the united states, robert kennedy is assassinated, and you get the word. you're in jerusalem. >> yeah. and you're told that the person who they believe has done this is sirhan sirhan, who has family there in the west bank. father. you go and find his father. >> so i