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The red kangaroo powerful, comical

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engaging this is the desert
dwelling symbol of Australia

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But kangaroos can be found almost
anywhere down under

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They're up in trees

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...on the forest floor

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...and can even be found on the rocks

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But all the kangaroos face danger

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This is the story of a mother
and her Joey

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and how he comes into his own

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There is tenderness here
in the desert

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and the harsh reality of survival

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Persecuted by some, revered by others

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the red kangaroo has astonishing
tales to tell

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This is Australia, the driest
inhabited continent on earth

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Sixty million years ago

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this land began its final break
from the rest of the world

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evolving along a path all its own

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Today, its vast, open interior lies
naked in the sun

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a land from another place in time

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It's unforgiving here, not for
the faint of heart

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and survival means marching to
a different beat

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But this dry, hostile landscape
is not devoid of life

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it's home to one of the most
astonishing creatures on earth

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angaroos live in New Guinea
and Australia

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yet their name is known far and wide

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But while the world may know
a 'roo when it sees one

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to science, they're still
something of a riddle

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You might think nothing this big
is supposed to hop

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But kangaroos do it with speed
and agility

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Six-foot marvels of efficient
locomotion

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they emerged from the rain forest

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then spread over a continent
while adapting to desert heat

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This is the story of the
red kangaroo

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an amazing tale from the
land down under

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It's summertime in the outback

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And the 'roos can be found
where there is food

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Most red kangaroos are red
in name only the females

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and youngsters tend to be gray

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The 'roos look like they're
congregating in groups

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but it's food, not the company

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that draws them together

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For kangaroos

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the most powerful social bond is
between a mother and her young

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And like many of Australia's
astonishing mammals

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joeys are raised in a pouch

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They spend the first eight months
of their fascinating lives

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living in a built-in nursery

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This youngster needs a taste of
life outside the pouch

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his mother's nearly bursting
at the seams

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A wedgetailed eagle waits for his debut

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but it's not here to wish
him good luck

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Joey doesn't care who's in attendance

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He's not in a hurry to come out

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His mother has other ideas

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She dumps him out in a tangled heap

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For the first time
he sets foot in the world

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But the place is not to his liking

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The eagle watches his entrance
and exit

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It's following the show
with keen eyes

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A six-foot wingspan
and powerful talons

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make the wedgetail
a dangerous observer

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For young kangaroos that are
clumsy or careless

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death can descend from the sky

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Shade is precious in the desert heat

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To cool themselves, kangaroos
lick their skin

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where blood vessels run close
to the surface

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Getting comfortable can be a bigger
problem especially

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with a pouch full to the brim

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A joey's world revolves around
its mother relationships

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don't get much closer than this

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The kangaroos languish

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lt'll be nightfall before there's
any relief from the heat

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This old male decides to lay down
afternoon stakes

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he's digging a hollow to rest
his giant hips

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For the joey, a tail in the face is
worth the security of the pouch

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He's safe from predators

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and free to keep an eye on
the goings on

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His mother's portable nursery

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the hallmark of most marsupials

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originated in the dinosaur age

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One hundred million years ago
rain forest blanketed this land

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Only small slivers of green
still remain

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lush shrinking Edens clinging to
an island continent's edges

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In places no more than 30 miles wide

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these ancient rain forests
are endangered

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But it was in places like these

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that tiny marsupials first made
their Australian appearance

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Exactly how they lived in this
isolated world

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is a subject for debate

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But there's no dispute that evidence
of marsupial origins

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can still be found here today

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The kangaroo's ancestors started
out in trees much

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like this mountain brushtailed possum

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which moves through the branches
on all fours

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The first marsupials did raise
their young in a pouch

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but a tree-bound existence made
them different in many ways

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angaroo ancestors were probably
good climbers with long toes

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sharp claws, and prehensile tails

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They may have started out as
leaf-eaters

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but leaves are low in nutrition
and difficult to digest

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So perhaps Joey's ancestors ventured
out of the trees

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in search of sweeter stuff

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The dinosaurs were gone by then
but other

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deadly reptiles remained

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This carpet python is looking
for a meal

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And possums have long been a favorite

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The possum's keen hearing is no
match for such stealth

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The possum escapes with little
more than a good scare

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but next time, its luck may not hold

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It was 15 million years ago

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when the kangaroo's ancestors moved
down to the forest floor

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Here beneath the canopy
shaded from heat

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many animals are active all day

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And in this rich, green, jungle store

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there's something for everyone to eat

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The musky rat-kangaroo is the smallest

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and most primitive of Joey's
living relatives

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Weighing in at only one pound

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it's the only kangaroo
that doesn't hop

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Rat kangaroos live mainly
on the ground

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They don't use those tails
for climbing

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but for gathering nest-building
materials

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And those long, grasping toes are great

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for handling a fruit and
insect based diet

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Another ancient denizen of
the forest arrives

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and the little rat kangaroo beats
a hasty retreat

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The cassowary is an unusual animal

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that has changed little in millions
of years

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These large, flightless birds can
be over five feet tall

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and it's the males that look after
the young

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Shy birds, these giants shrink
from confrontation

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unless there's a threat
to their young

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Using their huge claws

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cassowaries have been known to kill
humans in defense of their chicks

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But this primeval world where
kangaroos evolved

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has been disappearing from Australia
for millennia

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And most kangaroos have long since
adapted to harsher stuff

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Out in the bush, the days of high
summer have passed

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The red kangaroos are more active
during the day

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But our joey still spends most of
his time in the pouch

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Older ones are venturing out to
enjoy the cooler weather

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Red kangaroos are affectionate mothers

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She grooms him every day

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always keeping her eyes peeled
for danger

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She knows he's still small enough
to lure unwanted attention

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There is reason for her caution

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The wedgetailed eagle is nearby

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When the bird takes off

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mothers fold their joeys back
into the pouch

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With no prospects in the offing

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the eagle returns to her nest to
see to her own family business

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Her chicks are voracious eaters

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They love kangaroo meat

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But there's competition in the
predatory arena

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Australia's wild dog, the dingo

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also lurks wherever kangaroos gather

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So the eagle must set out again

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Wedgetails are partial to young joeys

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but won't take on protective
mothers to get at them

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Soon, he'll be as much of a handful
as the other joey

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who's already out and about

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Once again, Joey's mother
senses trouble

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And her instincts are usually
on the mark

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Not far off, the eagle has claimed
a young kangaroo

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and Joey's mother decides to depart

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But wedgetailed eagles have families
to feed as well

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And these two are anxious to eat

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She brings them torn off slivers
of meat

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gently feeding the chicks from
a fearsome beak

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Nothing much has changed for the
rest of the kangaroos

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The young males play

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the adults relax

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Many settle in for a regular
daytime snooze

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But Joey's got other ideas

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He's up now, so his mother must rouse
herself to stand guard

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Joey looks big enough to be weaned

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He has taken to sticking just his
head in the pouch sometimes nursing

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sometimes only for comfort

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The kangaroos are having a
quiet afternoon

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For the most part, they just sit
around or dust-bathe

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For the first time

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Joey's mother allows him to wander
more than an arm's length away

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He's always been a fine scratcher

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But he's still an uncertain walker
at best

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angaroos are built for hopping

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They look ungainly moving
at slower speeds

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Young males play-fight for
hours each day

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This comical pair probably
won't hurt each other

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but someday, they may fight
in earnest for mating rights

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Though he's still nursing

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Joey wants to try a mouthful
of grass

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and gets a thorn in the nose
for his trouble

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It will be a while before he's
tuned to this landscape

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but he just learned a valuable lesson

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He turns to a more familiar source

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But Mother isn't her usual
welcoming self

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She controls her pouch with
powerful muscles

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and easily ejects her joey

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His weaning has begun

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From now on, he'll do more of his
feeding from outside

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In time, Joey will join these
sparring matches

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Using their tails for balance

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00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,126
the young kangaroos stand upright

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wrestling with forearms and pawing
at heads and shoulders

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They throw their heads back

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protecting themselves
from sharp claws

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A passing eagle, headed back
to a recent kill

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00:20:22,254 --> 00:20:24,518
stops to survey the scene

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00:20:30,562 --> 00:20:34,430
Her arrival sends Joey diving head
first into the pouch

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00:20:46,445 --> 00:20:48,743
All the kangaroos are wary

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00:20:50,549 --> 00:20:52,210
But with hungry chicks to feed

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00:20:52,317 --> 00:20:54,979
the eagle returns to the dead joey

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00:20:55,087 --> 00:20:56,884
Apart from human hunters

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only the eagle and the dingo now
regularly pursue red kangaroos

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00:21:07,532 --> 00:21:13,402
But huge lizards and even marsupial
lions may have fed on Joey's ancestors

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00:21:13,505 --> 00:21:16,633
Giants once roamed this landscape

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Their legacy today is a ferocious

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flesh-eating marsupial now found

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only on Australia's companion
island Tasmania

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Not known for their table manners

221
00:21:32,024 --> 00:21:34,652
Tasmanian devils snarl
and snap even

222
00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:36,751
when there's plenty to go around

223
00:21:44,136 --> 00:21:47,037
The devils are gorging on
a mid-sized kangaroo

224
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usually called a wallaby

225
00:21:49,174 --> 00:21:51,972
And the ruckus alerts another
kangaroo cousin

226
00:21:52,077 --> 00:21:54,511
that it's time to take cover

227
00:22:09,461 --> 00:22:12,259
This little hopper is
a Tasmanian bettong

228
00:22:12,364 --> 00:22:14,696
Her youngster, too large
for the pouch

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00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,394
keeps to the nest when
she forages

230
00:22:34,586 --> 00:22:36,486
The smaller devil, a female

231
00:22:36,588 --> 00:22:40,524
also has young who have grown
too large for her pouch

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From the safety of a hollow log

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the young ones wait impatiently
for their dinner

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As quiet settles on the forest

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00:23:03,815 --> 00:23:06,750
the sprightly bettongs get back
to business

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00:23:08,620 --> 00:23:12,181
Hopping probably originated
in kangaroos like these:

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00:23:12,290 --> 00:23:14,758
Perhaps the motion confused predators

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00:23:14,860 --> 00:23:18,159
giving the small 'roos a chance
at escape

239
00:23:21,900 --> 00:23:23,458
But it was on the open plains

240
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that the kangaroos' singular way
of getting

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about probably came into its own

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00:23:32,778 --> 00:23:36,976
Scientists know that hopping can be
far more efficient than running

243
00:23:43,455 --> 00:23:45,116
When a kangaroo hits the ground

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00:23:45,223 --> 00:23:49,057
its hind legs store energy like
compacted springs

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00:23:49,161 --> 00:23:53,621
The energy helps propel the kangaroo
upwards for the next hop

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00:23:55,667 --> 00:23:59,626
The motion also accordions the
'roo's lungs in and out

247
00:23:59,738 --> 00:24:02,935
so the animal wastes no effort
while breathing

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00:24:05,210 --> 00:24:08,941
Scientists haven't solved the mystery
of how kangaroos went

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from four legs to two

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00:24:11,283 --> 00:24:15,310
But the Aborigines have long had
their own explanations

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00:24:26,064 --> 00:24:27,258
One ancient myth holds

252
00:24:27,365 --> 00:24:30,698
that while making its four legged
way through the brush

253
00:24:30,802 --> 00:24:34,397
a kangaroo heard sounds it had
never heard before

254
00:24:41,179 --> 00:24:43,079
It followed the enchanting music

255
00:24:43,181 --> 00:24:46,173
until it came upon human
beings singing

256
00:24:46,284 --> 00:24:48,718
and dancing on two feet

257
00:24:53,558 --> 00:24:56,459
The kangaroo stood up on feet
of its own

258
00:24:56,561 --> 00:24:59,462
then began to copy their movements

259
00:25:03,435 --> 00:25:05,494
It burst from hiding in a frenzy

260
00:25:05,604 --> 00:25:08,869
intending to join the ceremony
around the fire

261
00:25:11,743 --> 00:25:12,937
But the people were angry

262
00:25:13,044 --> 00:25:16,673
They fell upon the proud animal
determined that it should die

263
00:25:16,781 --> 00:25:20,046
Then a spirit voice boomed
from the heavens

264
00:25:20,151 --> 00:25:24,679
telling them to release the kangaroo
and cherish him as a brother

265
00:25:29,394 --> 00:25:32,124
While hopping earned kangaroos
a special place

266
00:25:32,230 --> 00:25:34,391
in the Aboriginal Dreamtime

267
00:25:34,499 --> 00:25:38,799
it also propelled them into some
of the most unlikely places

268
00:25:42,774 --> 00:25:44,867
This beautiful little kangaroo

269
00:25:44,976 --> 00:25:47,740
is a yellow footed rock wallaby

270
00:25:50,615 --> 00:25:52,583
They show off their mountaineering
skills

271
00:25:52,684 --> 00:25:57,053
wherever cliffs jut out of
Australia's vast desert land

272
00:26:33,959 --> 00:26:35,722
Living in large colonies

273
00:26:35,827 --> 00:26:39,285
the rock wallabies shelter
in caves along the rocks

274
00:26:39,397 --> 00:26:43,299
Shady crevices harbor vegetation
year-round

275
00:26:47,372 --> 00:26:49,135
But water can be a problem

276
00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:53,404
To get it, they sometimes descend
to where rain collects below

277
00:26:55,914 --> 00:26:59,281
Wedgetailed eagles prey on rock
wallabies, too

278
00:27:01,786 --> 00:27:06,018
Youngsters waiting on the cliffs
sometimes wander into the open

279
00:27:14,599 --> 00:27:16,692
Only adults descend to drink

280
00:27:16,801 --> 00:27:20,862
Young ones too big for the pouch
must stay behind

281
00:27:26,011 --> 00:27:27,035
In just a few minutes

282
00:27:27,145 --> 00:27:29,841
she'll drink a tenth of her weight
in water

283
00:27:29,948 --> 00:27:32,576
Then she'll hurry back to her joey

284
00:27:47,399 --> 00:27:50,630
Thirsty joeys drink straight
from mother's mouth

285
00:28:01,012 --> 00:28:03,105
Like their big red cousins
on the plains

286
00:28:03,214 --> 00:28:06,843
young rock wallabies spend hours
in mock battle

287
00:28:12,624 --> 00:28:14,091
And while the children play

288
00:28:14,192 --> 00:28:16,854
some adults engage in courtship

289
00:28:21,566 --> 00:28:25,297
But this male's gentle ardor is
getting him nowhere

290
00:28:32,944 --> 00:28:35,674
The children, oblivious, play on

291
00:28:41,820 --> 00:28:43,515
He's nothing if not persistent

292
00:28:43,621 --> 00:28:45,646
But she'll have none of it

293
00:29:08,413 --> 00:29:12,281
Other adults bask lazily in the
early morning light

294
00:29:21,459 --> 00:29:24,758
Long eyelashes my help screen
out the harsh sun

295
00:29:24,863 --> 00:29:26,490
and discourage flies

296
00:29:36,641 --> 00:29:39,303
Before retreating into the cool
caves for the day

297
00:29:39,410 --> 00:29:41,435
the wallabies sunbathe

298
00:29:54,726 --> 00:29:56,694
As the sun warms the cliff face

299
00:29:56,795 --> 00:29:59,355
they head for their midday hideouts

300
00:30:05,403 --> 00:30:08,566
The eagle will have no more chances
at them today

301
00:30:08,673 --> 00:30:11,437
It wheels and heads for the plains

302
00:30:11,543 --> 00:30:13,977
and its larger kangaroo fare

303
00:30:22,587 --> 00:30:24,578
Joey's growing like a desert weed

304
00:30:24,689 --> 00:30:27,021
and sporting a much redder coat

305
00:30:32,497 --> 00:30:35,330
Each day he spends less time
in the pouch

306
00:30:35,433 --> 00:30:38,402
and no longer clings to his mother
when out

307
00:30:41,873 --> 00:30:44,171
This is a dangerous time for Joey

308
00:30:44,275 --> 00:30:47,472
He's too big for his mother to carry
if she has to run away

309
00:30:47,579 --> 00:30:50,673
and reason to run is never far off

310
00:30:53,284 --> 00:30:55,809
A hungry dingo is slinking about

311
00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:58,480
while Joey's busy grooming himself

312
00:31:13,938 --> 00:31:16,498
His mother calls Joey to her side

313
00:31:19,410 --> 00:31:23,039
Neither one sees the dingo approaching
through the brush

314
00:31:35,593 --> 00:31:38,426
For a moment, a young male freezes

315
00:31:39,497 --> 00:31:41,397
His panic proves contagious

316
00:31:41,499 --> 00:31:44,093
Mother and Joey make their getaway
too

317
00:31:57,815 --> 00:32:00,375
The dingo's no slouch when it comes
to speed

318
00:32:00,451 --> 00:32:03,943
but the 'roos reach 35 miles
per hour

319
00:32:12,597 --> 00:32:14,929
Dingoes have better luck hunting
in packs

320
00:32:15,033 --> 00:32:17,126
when they're after large kangaroos

321
00:32:17,235 --> 00:32:19,135
But when smaller game are plentiful

322
00:32:19,237 --> 00:32:21,102
they tend to hunt alone

323
00:32:24,442 --> 00:32:26,501
Safely away from the wild dog

324
00:32:26,611 --> 00:32:30,012
Mother lets Joey back into the
comforting pouch

325
00:32:37,555 --> 00:32:41,321
Nearby, a big male paces nervously

326
00:32:42,627 --> 00:32:45,494
He's caught the scent of yet
another danger

327
00:32:49,534 --> 00:32:51,092
Drifting smoke

328
00:32:58,776 --> 00:33:03,179
Again, the action of one kangaroo
triggers the flight of others

329
00:33:03,281 --> 00:33:05,681
This time they've been frightened
by fire

330
00:33:05,783 --> 00:33:07,683
and they're racing to get away

331
00:33:19,364 --> 00:33:22,424
But this is no wildfire
lt' a weapon

332
00:33:26,504 --> 00:33:30,702
The Aborigines have been using fire
to hunt for thousands of years

333
00:33:33,378 --> 00:33:37,940
They are after a favorite delicacy
a lizard called a goanna

334
00:33:54,232 --> 00:33:57,258
Some seek refuge from the flame
in trees

335
00:33:58,403 --> 00:34:00,394
others go underground

336
00:34:09,414 --> 00:34:12,611
Here, women use sticks to locate
escape tunnels

337
00:34:12,717 --> 00:34:16,175
then unearth the lizards using
tin cans

338
00:34:24,729 --> 00:34:28,324
A goanna for the barbie is reason
for celebration

339
00:34:28,433 --> 00:34:31,231
but these old ways are disappearing

340
00:34:37,909 --> 00:34:41,345
Today fewer Aborigines use fire
to hunt and

341
00:34:41,446 --> 00:34:45,405
ironically, some kangaroos are
paying the price

342
00:34:45,516 --> 00:34:49,452
The little rufus-hair wallaby depends
on spinifex bushes

343
00:34:49,554 --> 00:34:51,351
that the Aborigines burn

344
00:34:51,456 --> 00:34:54,186
It needs their fires to thrive

345
00:35:03,401 --> 00:35:05,892
They use the old bushes for shelter

346
00:35:06,003 --> 00:35:09,700
But fire promotes the new growth
that feeds the wallaby

347
00:35:09,807 --> 00:35:12,367
and these little spinifex mice

348
00:35:18,416 --> 00:35:21,112
The wallaby eats the bushes'
young leaves

349
00:35:26,124 --> 00:35:28,217
The mice take the seeds

350
00:35:37,068 --> 00:35:39,628
The wallaby burrows into older bushes

351
00:35:39,737 --> 00:35:42,262
which bristle with spiky defenses

352
00:35:42,373 --> 00:35:45,365
But these thorny refuges have
been no match

353
00:35:45,476 --> 00:35:48,445
against the upheaval of the last
two centuries

354
00:35:54,552 --> 00:35:57,180
Since Europeans arrived in 1788

355
00:35:57,288 --> 00:36:02,351
almost half of Australia's kangaroo
species have been declared extinct

356
00:36:02,460 --> 00:36:05,224
endangered, or vulnerable

357
00:36:06,197 --> 00:36:09,428
The whites brought foreign animals
by the boatload

358
00:36:20,545 --> 00:36:23,343
They converted vast areas of land
to grazing

359
00:36:23,447 --> 00:36:25,938
changing the landscape forever

360
00:36:33,257 --> 00:36:35,487
Unlike the soft-footed kangaroos

361
00:36:35,593 --> 00:36:40,189
hard-hooved sheep and cattle wore
away the desert scrub and soil

362
00:36:40,298 --> 00:36:43,995
Livestock paths quickly eroded
into ravines

363
00:36:44,101 --> 00:36:46,797
pastures became wastelands

364
00:36:56,881 --> 00:36:59,475
Rabbits, introduced for the benefit
of hunters

365
00:36:59,584 --> 00:37:01,142
bred out of control

366
00:37:01,252 --> 00:37:05,188
Miles of fences went up in a vain
attempt to contain them

367
00:37:05,289 --> 00:37:09,248
Today, those same fences bewilder
migrating herds of

368
00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:11,590
native animals like the emu

369
00:37:13,764 --> 00:37:17,632
Inevitably, rats and mice accompanied
the Europeans

370
00:37:17,735 --> 00:37:20,135
as did the domestic cat

371
00:37:20,238 --> 00:37:24,334
...which quickly developed a taste
for small kangaroos

372
00:37:24,442 --> 00:37:26,034
So did the fox

373
00:37:26,744 --> 00:37:30,510
They continue to take a dreadful
toll on the kangaroo

374
00:37:30,615 --> 00:37:35,917
Now many of the smaller species
face uncertain futures

375
00:37:44,061 --> 00:37:48,225
But for some kangaroos, the Europeans
provided a bonanza

376
00:37:48,733 --> 00:37:53,193
They dug water bores throughout the
desert to supply their livestock

377
00:37:53,938 --> 00:37:57,635
and the red kangaroo has benefitted
ever since

378
00:38:08,619 --> 00:38:13,579
One 19th century naturalist spotted
so few red kangaroos

379
00:38:13,691 --> 00:38:16,285
that he predicted their
ultimate demise

380
00:38:16,394 --> 00:38:18,794
But thanks to the permanent
water supply

381
00:38:18,896 --> 00:38:21,091
the population boomed

382
00:38:31,142 --> 00:38:33,872
When water is readily available
to red kangaroos

383
00:38:33,978 --> 00:38:36,378
they breed like there's no tomorrow

384
00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:39,813
Joey's only been out of the pouch
for two days

385
00:38:39,917 --> 00:38:43,409
but his mother is about to give
birth again

386
00:38:48,826 --> 00:38:51,317
A pink embryo, the size of a bean

387
00:38:51,429 --> 00:38:53,727
makes its first appearance

388
00:38:55,533 --> 00:38:56,727
Blind and deaf

389
00:38:56,834 --> 00:39:01,771
it must somehow find its way to
the mother's pouch or perish

390
00:39:05,810 --> 00:39:09,177
lts hind limbs, destined for
enormity someday

391
00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:11,646
are now just useless buds

392
00:39:11,749 --> 00:39:15,082
It must use its tiny forelimbs
to drag itself

393
00:39:15,186 --> 00:39:18,349
through the tangled forest of
its mother's fur

394
00:39:18,456 --> 00:39:23,086
Instinct keeps it moving up
against the pull of gravity

395
00:39:29,734 --> 00:39:34,364
The epic, six-inch journey
takes over three minutes

396
00:39:58,562 --> 00:40:02,362
Once inside the pouch
it searches out the nipples

397
00:40:06,003 --> 00:40:09,370
Joey's brother was actually
conceived many months ago

398
00:40:09,473 --> 00:40:11,839
but remained in suspended animation

399
00:40:11,942 --> 00:40:14,604
while Mother tended to Joey himself

400
00:40:16,714 --> 00:40:21,276
It is a miraculous process
the key to reproductive success

401
00:40:21,385 --> 00:40:24,582
While a mother raises one joey
out of the pouch

402
00:40:24,688 --> 00:40:26,679
a tiny one grows inside it

403
00:40:26,791 --> 00:40:29,988
and a third waits on hold in the womb

404
00:40:37,234 --> 00:40:41,364
It's time for her to put yet another
embryo in reserve

405
00:40:41,472 --> 00:40:43,406
Just two days after the birth

406
00:40:43,507 --> 00:40:49,742
the big reds start sniffing around
again a sign she's already in heat

407
00:40:57,855 --> 00:41:00,323
Mother won't let Joey into
the pouch anymore

408
00:41:00,391 --> 00:41:03,121
but she still nurses him
occasionally

409
00:41:03,227 --> 00:41:08,790
Amazingly, she now produces two kinds
of milk one for the embryo

410
00:41:08,899 --> 00:41:10,730
another for Joey

411
00:41:18,976 --> 00:41:22,241
Her condition sets some of the
males to jousting

412
00:41:30,421 --> 00:41:31,581
A big newcomer

413
00:41:31,689 --> 00:41:34,419
collared by scientists to track
his wanderings

414
00:41:34,525 --> 00:41:36,493
has thrown his hat into the ring

415
00:41:36,594 --> 00:41:41,293
He's over six feet tall and
clearly dominates the contest

416
00:41:48,272 --> 00:41:50,331
By kangaroo Queensberry rules

417
00:41:50,441 --> 00:41:53,308
only the subdominant male kicks

418
00:41:53,410 --> 00:41:56,106
giving away his inferior position

419
00:42:07,057 --> 00:42:10,424
Mother, now eating for three and
ready to make it four

420
00:42:10,528 --> 00:42:12,621
grazes continuously

421
00:42:17,268 --> 00:42:21,364
But fortunately, Joey increasingly
fends for himself

422
00:42:30,247 --> 00:42:35,150
The very biggest of the males now
finds Mother irresistible

423
00:42:45,229 --> 00:42:46,423
He's huge

424
00:42:46,530 --> 00:42:49,727
She appears to ignore his
persistent attentions

425
00:43:14,091 --> 00:43:16,719
Then, her scent attracts
another suitor

426
00:43:18,462 --> 00:43:22,159
But the dominant old male scoffs
at competition

427
00:43:30,674 --> 00:43:31,538
From a distance

428
00:43:31,642 --> 00:43:34,611
Joey watches the proceedings

429
00:43:41,652 --> 00:43:44,644
The result of this mating will
grow for a few days

430
00:43:44,755 --> 00:43:49,715
then become dormant until Joey's
brother is out of the pouch

431
00:43:49,827 --> 00:43:51,886
With such an ingenious breeding scheme

432
00:43:51,996 --> 00:43:55,261
it is no wonder red kangaroo
numbers exploded

433
00:43:55,366 --> 00:43:58,858
once humans supplied a permanent
source of water

434
00:44:04,808 --> 00:44:08,676
Every year, survey teams take to
the air to count the reds

435
00:44:08,779 --> 00:44:11,179
Their reports will determine the
number of 'roos

436
00:44:11,281 --> 00:44:14,375
that can be hunted legally
the following year

437
00:44:28,032 --> 00:44:31,798
Strewn over the vast harsh desert
at the center of Australia

438
00:44:31,902 --> 00:44:36,066
red kangaroos now number close
to ten million

439
00:44:41,311 --> 00:44:41,868
Out in the open

440
00:44:41,979 --> 00:44:46,040
Mother and Joey quickly recover
from their fright at the plane

441
00:44:48,218 --> 00:44:52,086
Others inevitably encounter the
thousands of miles of fencing

442
00:44:52,189 --> 00:44:54,885
that crisscross the desert...
and sometimes

443
00:44:54,992 --> 00:44:57,426
these encounters are deadly

444
00:45:08,439 --> 00:45:11,135
Australia's kangaroo population
is booming

445
00:45:11,241 --> 00:45:14,369
and several million are culled
each year

446
00:45:27,057 --> 00:45:30,993
Mother and Joey freeze
caught in the hunter's lights

447
00:45:35,466 --> 00:45:37,559
But they're not the quarry
he seeks

448
00:46:03,494 --> 00:46:07,225
The hunter has his sights
on huge red males

449
00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:18,572
Culling kangaroos strikes
many people as cruel

450
00:46:18,675 --> 00:46:22,042
Others argue it's no crueler
than slaughtering livestock

451
00:46:22,146 --> 00:46:25,138
Given Australia's delicate
desert ecology

452
00:46:25,249 --> 00:46:28,548
the kangaroo harvest may prove
more sustainable

453
00:46:28,652 --> 00:46:30,950
than raising sheep and cattle

454
00:46:37,294 --> 00:46:38,989
Aside from hunters' bullets

455
00:46:39,096 --> 00:46:42,156
kangaroos face another
nighttime hazard

456
00:46:42,266 --> 00:46:46,066
thousands are killed each year
on desert highways

457
00:46:58,982 --> 00:47:01,450
Mother and Joey are safe
the next day

458
00:47:01,552 --> 00:47:04,385
but picking up dangerous habits

459
00:47:06,790 --> 00:47:10,521
Strips of green growth parallel
Australia's roads places

460
00:47:10,627 --> 00:47:14,586
where the runoff from occasional
rain nurtures fresh grasses

461
00:47:21,405 --> 00:47:23,202
Feeding along roadsides at night

462
00:47:23,307 --> 00:47:27,266
kangaroos often blunder into
oncoming vehicles

463
00:47:39,389 --> 00:47:41,619
The sheer numbers of red kangaroos

464
00:47:41,725 --> 00:47:44,819
makes this an all too common sight

465
00:47:46,563 --> 00:47:49,054
But in a very different part
of Australia

466
00:47:49,166 --> 00:47:53,865
there are still rare kangaroos
that few people have ever seen

467
00:47:56,673 --> 00:48:00,734
Here, in one of the remaining slices
of primeval forest

468
00:48:00,844 --> 00:48:04,177
the kangaroo story comes full circle

469
00:48:07,551 --> 00:48:11,749
This is Mount Finnigan a place of
reverence for Aborigines

470
00:48:11,855 --> 00:48:13,720
and one of the last strongholds

471
00:48:13,824 --> 00:48:17,487
of one of Joey's most
extraordinary relatives

472
00:48:20,697 --> 00:48:23,928
It takes patience to catch a glimpse
of this elusive creature

473
00:48:24,034 --> 00:48:26,366
and a healthy measure of luck

474
00:48:28,305 --> 00:48:31,297
An experienced woodsman recognizes
telltale claw

475
00:48:31,408 --> 00:48:33,899
marks leading up into the canopy

476
00:48:38,615 --> 00:48:42,608
There it is... Bennett's tree kangaroo

477
00:48:50,494 --> 00:48:54,692
Millions of years after kangaroos
came down out of trees

478
00:48:54,798 --> 00:48:57,198
the Bennetts went back up

479
00:49:01,305 --> 00:49:04,832
In evolutionary terms, they haven't
been up there very long

480
00:49:04,942 --> 00:49:09,504
And those big hind feet seem ill
suited to life among the leaves

481
00:49:20,891 --> 00:49:22,017
While a mother forages

482
00:49:22,125 --> 00:49:25,652
her joey clings uncertainly to
a nearby vine

483
00:49:31,134 --> 00:49:33,864
They look awkward and out of
place up here

484
00:49:33,971 --> 00:49:36,667
but tree kangaroos are very acrobatic

485
00:49:36,773 --> 00:49:41,142
They can make spectacular leaps
of 20 feet from limb to limb

486
00:49:41,244 --> 00:49:44,907
and can safely catapult 60 feet
down if startled

487
00:49:48,418 --> 00:49:51,649
Remarkably, another kind of
kangaroo has also

488
00:49:51,755 --> 00:49:53,882
taken to life in the treetops

489
00:49:53,991 --> 00:49:56,960
This is Lumholtz's tree kangaroo

490
00:49:57,060 --> 00:49:58,823
and like their ground-based cousins

491
00:49:58,929 --> 00:50:01,864
Mother and joey are quite affectionate

492
00:50:12,342 --> 00:50:15,869
As they walk, they move their hind
legs independently

493
00:50:15,979 --> 00:50:18,504
something most 'roos don't do

494
00:50:44,841 --> 00:50:47,605
But nothing compares to big reds
in the desert

495
00:50:47,711 --> 00:50:50,680
where the hop still reigns supreme

496
00:50:52,182 --> 00:50:55,447
Joey's quickly approaching
his mother's size

497
00:51:02,659 --> 00:51:07,289
Her younger joey has recently started
taking his first peak at the world

498
00:51:07,397 --> 00:51:11,959
and will soon outstrip his brother
in the quest for Mother's attention

499
00:51:19,309 --> 00:51:21,834
Joey must now look after himself

500
00:51:21,945 --> 00:51:25,210
and begin mixing it up with other
young males

501
00:51:34,624 --> 00:51:35,648
Right on schedule

502
00:51:35,759 --> 00:51:38,284
he has taken an interest in jousting

503
00:51:45,435 --> 00:51:48,336
Tentatively, he approaches the fray

504
00:52:03,153 --> 00:52:04,814
And while his mother looks on

505
00:52:04,921 --> 00:52:07,549
he gets into his first dust-up

506
00:52:25,509 --> 00:52:27,875
Joey is beginning to look the part

507
00:52:27,978 --> 00:52:30,845
He has all the makings of a big red

508
00:52:37,687 --> 00:52:39,712
Turning adversity into advantage

509
00:52:39,823 --> 00:52:43,884
the red kangaroo has flourished
even as its kangaroo cousins

510
00:52:43,994 --> 00:52:46,929
have struggled or disappeared altogether

511
00:52:47,030 --> 00:52:52,024
This pouch-raised powerhouse is
a marvel of natural engineering

512
00:52:52,135 --> 00:52:56,231
It inherited the harsh expanse
of Australia's desert

513
00:52:56,339 --> 00:52:59,536
and made the landscape its own