72 Cutest Animals (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Fluff and Stuff - full transcript

NARRATOR: Cute is in
the eye of the beholder.

Revealing 72 of the world's cutest animals
is an eclectic list.

They're unique, possibly eccentric
with a touch of the unusual and of course,

totally adorable.

We explore a broad range
of the cutest animals across the world,

and in the process, define just how cute
even the quirkiest of animals can be.

(TRUMPETING)

Taking first spot in the countdown
of 72 Cutest Animals

is a hot favourite for the top 10.

RACHAEL THOMAS: I love ring-tailed lemurs.
They're really curious.

They're also very friendly
like this one here,



although it depends on each
individual's personalities.

We do have some that are very friendly
and others that are not so friendly.

NARRATOR: Inquisitive and very nosey,

Makai notices an unusual addition
to Rachael's shirt.

Caught in the act,

but way too adorable to be in any trouble.

Destined for the limelight,

Makai makes the most of being on camera.

Makai's very affectionate.
He loves lots of attention.

He loves lots of hugs and kisses.

A way these guys show affection
is by purring.

So he'll snuggle up into your neck
and start purring in your ear.

He also likes licking.

On occasion unfortunately
he does like to bite you as well.



It doesn't hurt yet,

but when his teeth grow in,
it will be very, very painful.

(MAKAI CHITTERING)

You're going for the mic again.

(MAKAI PURRING)

NARRATOR: At just six-weeks old,

Makai has taken to Rachael
as his surrogate mum.

Where she goes, so does he.

Basically, what happened is his mother's
no longer producing milk any more,

so we had to intervene and hand-raise him.
So we'll have him for a few more weeks

and then we'll try reintroducing him
back with Mum and Dad.

What are you doing?

NARRATOR: One of the perks of the job
while Makai is so little

is that Rachael gets to
take him home at night.

But the keepers are mindful

that Makai will have to return
to his family.

Ring-tailed lemurs
are highly sense-orientated,

so to keep his family in touch
with this little critter,

the keepers leave a blanket
that Makai has slept with in their den.

This way, the other animals
remain familiar with Makai's scent.

When we want to do introductions,
we'll take him up there

and we'll hold him up against the mesh
so they can sniff him,

they can lick him,
they can try and touch him.

Just so they get reacquainted
with him and his smell.

NARRATOR: Native to Madagascar,

these primates have adapted
well to zoo life.

A move which has also ensured
the longevity of the species,

as the dry forests where they live
are quickly disappearing.

Ring-tailed lemurs are omnivores,
which pretty much means they eat anything.

Here at the zoo, we feed them
mainly fruit and veggies.

(LEMURS YAPPING)

THOMAS: They do occasionally get protein,

so things like mealworms,
cheese, beans, peanuts.

We feed the lemurs roughly
about five times a day.

So they get a bulk feed in the morning,

a bulk feed in the afternoon
and then little snacks throughout the day

to keep them occupied.

NARRATOR: Ring-tailed lemurs are named

for the alternating
black and white rings on their tail,

the tip of which is always black.

Their tails are longer than their bodies

and are used for balance
as they jump through trees.

Their balance is quite incredible,

making these creatures the ideal
candidates for a primate trapeze.

(LEMURS YAPPING)

Their tails also play an important role
in attracting mates.

Lemurs are found in troops
of up to 30 animals.

Females are the dominant ones.

They maintain a matriarchal
hierarchy over males.

Males compete for female's attentions
via what we call "scent wafting."

They have scent glands on their wrists

and what they'll do is they'll impregnate
their tail with scents from their wrist

and from their chest glands,

and they'll waft it in front of other
male's faces to scare them away.

They'll also waft it in front
of female's faces

and obviously the smelliest one
wins her affections.

NARRATOR: For little Makai,

he's about a year or two from maturity
and is still exploring life

where he is the centre of attention.

He's definitely 10 out of 10 for cuteness.

(CHUCKLES) What are you doing?

Don't bite me.

Minus the biting.

(GIGGLING)

NARRATOR: There is more to being cute
than just having a pretty face.

Some animals instantly make us smile,

and while others may not be so attractive,

their quirkiness and relationship
with humans can be incredibly charming.

We explore the characteristics

that allows each animal
to claim the title of cute.

Who will be the cutest?

In the end,
it's more than just good looks.

Who wouldn't want to take home
a baby ring-tailed lemur?

A big tick for cuteness.

The question is,
will our next adorable critter

waddle its way to the top of the crown?

If you're looking for the king of cute,
these guys have got it covered.

Slipping, sliding, bundles of joy,

these super-social animals are found
in the northern reaches of Antarctica,

and in huge numbers.

SALLY ROBINSON: It was
a totally mind-boggling experience.

I will never forget it.

NARRATOR: Sally Robinson
had an enormous treat

visiting some of the
world's largest colonies,

on a truly spectacular Antarctic trip.

ROBINSON: I landed and I would have stood

on that beach for at least 40, 45 minutes

without taking a photograph.

I just had my mouth open

at the number of king penguins
that were there.

Very special.

NARRATOR: The king penguin
is not to be confused

with its larger relative, the emperor.

Having a much brighter, purer golden neck
to complement their perfect tuxedo.

ROBINSON: I just love the necks on them
which they mostly keep

sort of hunched into their bodies,

but then there are other times
they can stretch that neck

and it's absolutely, ridiculously long,
you've just got no idea.

The white is brilliant white,

and the yellow is a beautiful pure yellow,

and the black, and it just makes
lovely abstract sort of paintings.

Very, very beautiful.

NARRATOR: The king penguin's
breeding cycle keeps them

close to home for most of the year

and requires the family to
constantly come and go in a flap.

ROBINSON: They're doing
all sorts of things

because king penguins have got
an 18-month breeding cycle.

There'll be ones who are courting.

There'll be old ones who've come back
and found their old mate.

There'll be young ones who've just
come into their adult plumage

for the first time,
just learning how to court.

NARRATOR: If you're a penguin,
dating is easy.

A simple call lets everyone
know you're single,

and once you've found a partner,
the romance is on.

But courtship is not without competition.

ROBINSON: Think the chest
pushing out thing's a lot of it.

I'm not quite sure what
she goes for. (SNICKERING)

DR BOB HUMPHRIES: They will trumpet

and if they get really upset
with each other,

there'll be some...
Some slapping with the flippers.

It's very amusing to watch.

NARRATOR: As with any important date,

making sure you look good
is very important.

The king penguins
are fastidious about grooming.

And they have a special gland
that's at the base of the tail

which they use to smear oil
over their feathers

so that they're completely water-repellent
when they're in the water.

NARRATOR: Streamlined
to swimming perfection,

their grace in the water
is a vast contrast

to their famous awkward waddle on land.

They are little surfers.
They're very good.

When they come out of the water,

they tend to just surf in
and stand straight up if they can.

Otherwise it's a lot of trouble
to try and stand up later

using their flippers and their beak.

NARRATOR: Handsome looks and super surfing
skills are not the half of it.

Penguins have an incredibly
strong maternal side

that takes up nearly all their attention.

King penguins have a brood pouch
which is above the feet.

So they have the egg
and they stick it up there

under a sort of a big thick fold
of feathery skin

which is a very warm place to be.

They share that brooding.

So one will go out to sea and get food
and then come back,

feed the chick, then the other one
will go out to sea.

So there's a strong investment
by both of them in raising that chick.

NARRATOR: So strong is the bond

that parents are able to identify
their chicks' voice in the crowd.

In a family this size,
that's no mean feat.

The king penguin really is
the king of the penguins.

I don't have any need to see emperors.
I've seen kings in huge numbers.

NARRATOR: Dashing, charming,
these kings of the Antarctic

will certainly win a place
in everyone's heart.

But the lively little lemur of Madagascar

is going to hold its position
at number one,

so the king penguin sits at two.

But will they both hold their spots

against the playful antics
of our next cuddly quadruped?

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

(INDISTINCT ANIMAL SOUNDS)

AMBER CANESTRINI:
Just the most magnificent creature

I've seen with my very own eyes.

They're extremely adorable

and extremely frightening
at the same time.

They're so placid.

They are simply there to dine,

that's their whole life, to dine and mate.

They're just gentle animals
and they're really lovely to watch.

NARRATOR: You may trek for 20 minutes,
two hours or even six.

But however long it takes,

the quest for an up close
and personal experience

will be one you'll embrace forever.

CANESTRINI: Once we got started,

it sunk in that we're in the middle
of this jungle in Rwanda,

with the guide who had massive rifles.

And he was communicating with

the trackers through nothing
but, like, a walkie-talkie.

NARRATOR: They were well and
truly immersed in gorilla country,

deep in the tropical rainforests
of Central Africa.

CANESTRINI: Just before we got there,

you can just hear this really faint
thudding in the distance

and the guide
turned around to us and said,

"Can you hear them? That's the gorillas
banging on their chests."

And then we spotted them
and it was incredible.

You can't get within seven metres of them.
You have to stay away.

But they can come
as close as they want to you.

The ones that were playful,
were keen to run around

and would often brush past you

while they're doing a sprint
chasing each other,

and it's just the most marvellous feeling.

I think, on two occasions
they came down and sat next to me.

And I've got photos of it and I was,
you know, just in awe of this animal,

it was half a metre from me.

It fed and then my guide said,
"Gently move away" and you do that.

But when you move away
and you watch and think,

"That animal came and connected with me."

NARRATOR: There is so much appeal
when it comes to gorillas.

It's like coming face to face
with a very hairy version of ourselves.

Their DNA is after all 98% identical
to that of humans.

What makes them cute is
their human-like behaviour,

the fact that they've got
opposable fingers.

They have palms, which have
a fingerprint but it's the whole palm

and their feet also have
a marvellous defined footprint.

And their fingernails, like ours,
horribly dirty.

But, um, so close to humans.

NARRATOR: Kym took this journey
to shoot photographs

for his book about safaris in Africa,

but got so much more.

Like Amber, he too found the experience

of sharing the same space
as a troop of gorillas

to be totally overwhelming
in the best and most extraordinary way.

CANESTRINI: There were
12 gorillas in our troupe.

One of them was a teeny tiny baby
who would rode around on its mum's back.

Then we had two little toddlers.
I think they were the highlight

because they just played,
and they played like human children,

like you'd imagine two
two year olds would play.

NARRATOR: The largest members
of the primate family,

male gorillas can hit the scales
up to 240 kilograms

and can tower at 1.7 metres
when fully upright.

However, these gentle giants
are quadrupedal,

meaning they move around on all fours.

Their arms have bigger muscles
than their legs

and are much longer
with a span of up to 2 metres.

Add that to a metre-wide chest
and the proportions become quite imposing.

ILLMAN: Gorillas are unique because
there's very few of them left in the wild,

they are hard to get to
and they're so much like a human.

A gorilla's in the top 10,
there's no doubt.

CANESTRINI: Especially the teeny tiny one,

couldn't believe that something
could be that cute and tiny.

And you do just want to
grab it and cuddle it.

So, yeah, I'd say one or two.

NARRATOR: Incredibly endearing,

it's ever so easy to fall in love
with the charisma of a gorilla,

but it's not going to bump out
the king penguin

or ring-tailed lemur from the top spots,

it sits at number three.

But ready to take on the challenge of
being cute is a rather unlikely contender.

PETER STRAIN: For me,
the octopus became significant

because it started hanging around with me.

It just turned up one day
when I was photographing

and continued to turn up each day.

And since I was working macro,
staying still, it just hung there.

NARRATOR: Underwater photographer,
Peter Strain,

has spent every day for six months
diving under the same pier.

And what started as a photographic record

soon became more about his relationship

with some of the least
understood animals in the world.

STRAIN: I learnt that
it maintains eye contact.

When it turns up, I'll turn and
it'll move to get eye contact.

There were times
when I'd look forward to it,

but what would happen,

I would start working
and I'd forget about it,

and then I'd look up and there
would be the octopus alongside me.

And it would move around
and get the eye contact.

And I came to understand
that the octopus' moods

are the way it communicated as well.

I could tell by what colours it was
flashing, or changing, what it wanted,

and I came to understand
how close I could get and whether...

When it was hunting,
it would flash ruby, you know,

when it'd feel a bit more okay
about me being there,

you'd see the white come in
when it was really content.

NARRATOR: Octopus are considered the most
intelligent of all the invertebrates,

and that is quite well known,

but this friendly little creature
has so much more that is fascinating.

For starters, they have
four pairs of arms, three hearts,

and can change their body shape
to mimic other animals,

and are the masters of disguise.

Their environment is often self-created.

There is such a place
as an octopus' garden.

I think I was lucky enough to photograph
the quintessential octopus' garden.

NARRATOR: Crustacean shells, shiny objects
and other salvaged pieces

are used to construct a fortress, lair,
or a beautiful underwater garden.

They have been known to play with a toy,

and to have individual responses
and temperaments,

so much so that many scientists believe
they have unique personalities.

The octopus is extremely intelligent,
that's the thing.

It's been described as having intelligence
of, say, like a six-year-old child.

And I believe that.

The things that it does,
are quite extraordinary.

It will lead me to places, it plays,
it even seems to have a sense of humour.

You know, there were times when it would
get in my way and I'd try to push it away,

and it would come back and...

Yeah, I felt like it was having
a bit of fun with me at times.

My work is mostly anthropomorphic.

That is looking for, or attributing,
human values in nature,

trying to show
that animals are very similar to us.

But cuteness isn't just about appearance,
it's about behaviour as well.

Yeah, I definitely find the octopus cute,

in the way he responds to me,
the whole eye contact,

and the way that he communicated
with me by changing his colour.

And he is interested
in spending time with me,

therefore I see him as,
like me, my kind, you know.

NARRATOR: Who would've thought the octopus
would be a winner in the 72 stakes,

but it's hard to deny its cuteness.

However, it's not going to knock out
the current top three.

But you may find our next whiskered beast
an unusual inclusion in our cute list.

When you tell people you've got rats,
sometimes they freak out,

they just are afraid of them.

I've told some people or showed them,

and they get really afraid,

especially of the dark one,

I think because
he looks like a street rat.

NARRATOR: Ah, yes, the street rat.

The carrier of disease,

the decimator of
native animal populations,

and rampant reproducer.

If there's an animal that needs
a public relations makeover,

this would be the guy.

I think some people just think of them
as being very germy and dirty,

but actually they're really clean.

Like, they always will go to the toilet
in the same corner,

and you don't have to train them
to do that, they just do it.

NARRATOR: Who would have thought?

Usually unwanted guests in the home,

these two have been invited
by Cara Phillips into her apartment,

and she couldn't be happier
with their manners.

This rat's name is Percival,

and we also have Quixote.

Percival is probably
the more dominant one.

And Quixote's kind of
a more gentle rat actually,

and he's more affectionate.

And often he'll... He likes to cuddle,
he'll just like to sit and just cuddle.

It's okay, come here.

So they're brothers, and they always
sleep next to each other.

And actually that's something
I have found out,

that I think is a really
lovely thing about rats,

is that they're very communal animals.

If you keep one rat on its own,
it will not live as long

because they love to be with other rats,

and so they'll always, like,
curl up together and sleep.

NARRATOR: Apartment living seems
to suit Quixote and Percival,

who have made themselves
very much at home here.

By the way, did you know the
collective noun is a "mischief of rats?"

Definitely the right description
for this playful pair.

PHILLIPS: They like to hide,
as you can see.

They always hide under things,
like scarves or anything like that.

They walk on each other's heads,
they have no sense of personal space.

It's... It's quite sweet.

NARRATOR: Cara makes sure
they want for nothing,

especially when it comes to food.

There's no rummaging
through rubbish bins for these fellows.

Apparently, rats traditionally
like a lot of sweet foods,

but ours love spinach and kale and things.

NARRATOR: Can you feel the love?

The only thing that's infectious
around here is affection.

Disease-ridden, sewer-dwelling pests?

No way.

In fact, in some parts of the world,

rats enjoy a very
elevated position in society.

We're in Deshnoke in Rajasthan, India,

and the temple of rats is home
to around 20,000 holy rats,

supposedly descendants of the reincarnated
sons of the Hindu god Karni Mata.

Every day, Hindus flock to
the Karni Mata Temple

to offer tokens of worship to the rats.

And as luck would have it,
these tokens are usually food.

It goes to show that no matter which rung
on the social ladder a rat occupies,

food will always keep them happy.

Mischievous, worshipped,
it's a rat's life,

if they're lucky enough
to be in the right spot at the right time.

But we're guessing
ratty is not a popular choice,

so it's going to the bottom of our list.

But vying for top spot is an animal
who defines the word "cuddly."

(KOALA BELLOWING)

Once you've had a soft, warm,
fluffy hug from one of these little guys,

you'll probably never be satisfied again.

You often hear people
call them koala bears,

but unless you're counting
the cuddly teddy kind,

they're not even close.

In fact, these Aussies are actually
related to the kangaroo and wombat,

and they've got the personality
to go with it.

BRETT MCKECHNIE: He's the boss of me.
I'm not the boss of anyone around here.

Barry here is our youngest koala.

He makes his big bellowing sounds when
he wants to try and be a big tough boy,

but as soon as Mummy comes near him,
he's straight onto her back.

NARRATOR:
Wildlife guardian Brett McKechnie

has been at Gorge Wildlife Park
since he was two,

playing and looking after the animals,

and above all, keeping them happy.

MCKECHNIE: They do get the strops on.

Little Barry here,
if he's not happy, he's not happy

and he really lets you know about it.

Sharp claws and sharp teeth,

you've got to keep them pleased,
otherwise it's no fun for anyone.

Put that down. Thank you.

All right, I'll bring you
a couple more, don't bite.

Hurry up, take that one.

Do you not want these leaves,
is that what it is?

Here's the little baby ones.

Thought so.

Koalas all look the same,
but in saying that,

they are the most individual animal
that I've ever came across.

Some are really, really cheeky,
like Barry here,

who clings on at any moment he can get.

When he's not asleep, he's eating,
all day, every day.

NARRATOR: To say they're fussy eaters
is an understatement.

And while they're all different
in personality,

stubbornness definitely
runs in the family.

MCKECHNIE: You need to learn the koala.

These guys will turn their nose up
at any second if they don't like something

and look for the next one
'cause they know it's coming.

NARRATOR: In fact, all they do is eat,

and, well, sleep.

(SNORING)

MCKECHNIE: Koalas will sleep
18 hours a day.

They're awake for about four or five
with little bits in between for snacks.

(SNORING)

The rest of the time they're awake,

if they're male,
they're making mating calls,

if they're female,
they're waiting for the mating calls.

At 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning,

if one of the boys is up and about
and he's making a sound,

it will wake the entire neighbourhood up.

It is really loud, and it's...

You don't expect it from
such a cute little fluffy thing.

NARRATOR: If you were ever going
to try and move a koala

from his luxury home tree,

you're going to have a hard time,

and not just because
of their tenacious disposition.

A little known fact, koalas have...

...two thumbs, three fingers.

So to keep their grip in the trees
without falling out, these guys have...

(EXHALES)

Three fingers, one, two and three,

and on the opposable side there,
two thumbs.

So we've got that on all four feet,

uh, that will cause them to stay
in the trees under any circumstances.

It also enables them to be able to
climb up a tree very, very fast.

If they feel under threat
and they're on the ground,

they will shoot up a tree quicker
than almost anything else in Australia.

NARRATOR: Useful though
their thumbs may be,

Brett has discovered other ways
his fuzzy friends come in handy.

MCKECHNIE: I was about three,
or grade three or four in primary school,

my arch nemesis at the time,
I'm pretty sure his name was Rhys,

brought his dog for show-and-tell.

And he became the most
popular person in school

and I couldn't deal with it whatsoever.

So the following week, I spoke to my dad,
we talked a little bit,

and I brought a little baby koala
for show-and-tell.

Nobody remembered the dog or Rhys

and I was the most popular kid
in school for months.

NARRATOR: These adorable fur balls
aren't simply growing on trees though.

Their population has dwindled in the wild
to less than 100,000.

MCKECHNIE: So they are
an endangered species.

The deforestation is the main issue.

By doing the work that we do,

we can release these guys into the wild
and keep their numbers up,

which is the most rewarding part.

It's nice. (CHUCKLES)

NARRATOR: So the current top five
have been holding tight to their spots,

but they're all about to tumble

with the koala soaring its way
to number one,

albeit rather slowly, as we know
koalas aren't going to rush for anyone.

This brings the ring-tailed lemur
to number two,

and the knock-on effect sees the
king penguin, gorilla, octopus and rat,

all moving a rung down the ladder.

Everyone's idea of cute is different,

and we're going to find it hard
to rank the quirky, fluffy and adorable

in our list of 72 Cutest Animals.

But no matter what spot they take,

they'll all win a special place
in your heart.