Animal rescues in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina.

They're the flood victims who were left behind - the tens of thousands of household pets separated from their owners in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This special episode of NATURE takes viewers to the front lines of the battle to rescue these helpless animals - before it's too late. Animal rescue teams travel by small boat through the flooded streets of the devastated city, searching for survivors - a dog stranded on a rooftop, a kitten trapped in the branches of a tree - all without food and water for days or weeks. With the odds against them, rescuers use any means necessary, including a National Guard tank, to reach these animals in distress. Amidst all the chaos and destruction, they reunite the lucky few with their owners. Viewers see what happened to the other animal inhabitants of New Orleans - from the zoo and aquarium to the wildlife of Lake Pontchartrain.