Today I found out that we’re a big deal in Japan. Perhaps I should be more specific and say that wild horses from the Black Hills are big in Japan.

In April, Japan’s largest content television producer, NHK, will air a documentary featuring indigenous tribes, wild horses and buffalo of the Northern Plains area. Part of the filming occurred at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, also present in the films Hidalgo and Into the Wild.

So why the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary? As you can probably imagine, wild herds of horses don’t commonly roam freely anymore in the United States. Today we have sanctuaries and wildlife refugees to protect and house these mustangs. This includes the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary near Hot Springs, started in 1988 by Dayton O. Hyde, a rancher from Oregon. His sanctuary now houses 100’s of wild horses.

Besides three-person Japanese production crews, anyone is welcome to visit the sanctuary. The site provides 2-3 hour bus tours and a more privatized Adventure Tour, but reservations are necessary. For tour descriptions and a complete schedule, look here.

If you happen to be tuned into Japanese Public Broadcasting in April, keep your eyes open for a little glimpse of the Black Hills. If you’re not part of NHK’s international broadcasting, you might just want to make your own venture to Hot Springs and see this internationally renowned wildlife in its natural habitat.