Zoo, PBS combine to bring film event to Sunset Theatre

ASHEBORO — PBS North Carolina and the North Carolina Zoo have worked together to pres-ent a Special Screening and Panel Discussion around the Ken Burns film, “The American Buffalo," on Wednesday, Nov. 8.

The in-person event at the historic Sunset Theater in down-town Asheboro, 234 Sunset. Ave., is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Visit www.pbsnc.org/events to reserve a seat.

“The American Buffalo” is the biography of an improbable, shag-gy beast that has found itself at the center of many of the country’s most mythic and heartbreaking tales. 

Doors will open at 6:30 pm. Guests will be privy to curated clips from Burns’ series that puts a spotlight on the captivating story of the buffalo and its significance to the Great Plains, Native Americans and American history. 

Following the showing will be a panel discussion with experts from the North Carolina Zoo.  

You can watch the film online or on the free PBS app through Nov. 30. 

America’s national mammal once numbered in the tens of millions, but by the 1880s the buffalo had been driven to the brink of extinction. A diverse col-lection of unforgettable characters rescued the species from disappearing forever and today there are approximately 350,000 buffalo in the U.S. with that number growing, most of them descendants of 77 animals from five founding herds at the start of the 20th century.