72 Cutest Animals (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Small and Tall - 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.
Swimming its way into the top of the
programme is a rather large animal
who loves to perform.
The humpback whale may not be the first
animal you think of when you hear
"adorable," but these big fellas have
their own unique way
of being totally delightful.
Oh, it's a over-awing experience.
They're just magnificent animals.
NARRATOR: Crashing, bashing,
gliding and diving,
these majestic creatures are incredible
gentle giants of the sea.
We were floating around in a couple of
bays in Antarctica and a couple of
humpbacks were feeding.
They knew we were there but they were
just gently coming to the surface,
diving for five or 10 minutes to get
a big mouthful of krill
then coming up and blowing.
The whales were very, very calm
and didn't try to avoid the boats at all.
We kept a safe distance away but it was
nice to be with them like that.
(CHUCKLES) Oh!
DR BOB HUMPHRIES:
We probably would have seen
20-odd humpback whales
over the whole trip.
They come down the coast of South America
to feed in the Antarctic waters
in summer after they've been up near the
tropics breeding earlier in the year.
NARRATOR: From the warm waters
in the tropics
to the northern and southern poles,
these magnificent creatures travel
thousands of miles every year to feed
and bring up their young. Dr Bob Humphries
knows too well how rare it is
to experience the magic of these
great animals up close.
HUMPHRIES: Towards the end
of our Zodiac cruise,
one of the humpbacks actually came in
to have a close look at us and he went
right along the side of the Zodiac
and turned his head so that his eye was
looking right at us.
He was close enough to touch and
then he was just gone.
But he was very gentle around the boat.
I mean, if he wanted to, he could have
tipped us out but he just kept going,
had a look and went, kept going.
NARRATOR: Humpbacks depart for their long
journeys at different times,
but the bond between mum and baby will
keep them side by side for about a year,
swimming very close together,
teaching them how to survive.
HUMPHRIES: When they're in Antarctic
waters, they're basically feeding.
They have to fast when they go north,
so the females go north pregnant,
they give birth to their calves
and both the males and females
just live off their body fat for close
to six months in the year.
So not really a gourmet lifestyle
in a sense they just have to whack down
huge amounts of krill.
NARRATOR: One way of gathering prey
is to bubble-feed.
Whales will release rings of bubbles
to capture schools of fish,
then surface, mouths wide,
gobbling them up.
MAN: Wow! Whoa!
NARRATOR: Humpbacks are named
for the motion they make
in preparation for diving,
accentuating the hump in front
of the dorsal fin.
Watching a whale dive or breach, throwing
all 15 to 20 metres of their bodies
through the air,
is nothing short of spectacular.
Particularly when no research has
yet revealed why they do it.
They may be doing it for
a couple of reasons.
They may be just having fun but
the other theory is that whales have got
parasites on their skin including things
called whale lice and they're smashing
into the water to try and dislodge these
irritating lice off their skin.
NARRATOR: Their behaviours are some of the
most captivating aspects and none more
so than their magical songs.
Their singing can last for hours and can
be heard up to 20 miles away.
They don't seem to mind a few tunes
of their own either.
In one of Greenpeace's Antarctic trips,
the communication
barrier took a new angle, as if the
humpbacks were keen to let the crew know
that not only were they were in harmony,
but playing a song they liked.
Singing and soaring, the humpback
whale's famous performance will resonate
across the ocean stage delighting
all who tune in.
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.
From a massive contender for the Cutest
Animal to one of our smallest,
it's time to meet a very sweet,
but rather prickly character.
My favourite animal would be Elle.
Elle's a short-beaked echidna and she
came to us from a mine site
in Kambalda about 23 years ago.
There was a man doing some bulldozing.
He saw this little pink thing
just off in the distance
and that was Elle and she
was a baby puggle.
So he gathered her up, tried looking for
Elle's mum but couldn't find her anywhere,
so he packed her up into his lunchbox,
got onto a plane, flew her
down to Perth where she was hand-raised
by our chair and founder June Butcher.
NARRATOR: Does the appeal of the
Australian echidna
lie in its solitary existence?
Is it the fact that it quietly goes about
its business without chasing the spotlight
even though it has one of the most
avant-garde hairstyles
in the animal kingdom?
Or is it that spiky
forest of spines that earns the echidna
a special place in our hearts?
I like echidnas because
they're so defensive.
They have no offensive measures,
they only defend themselves against
predators with these spines.
They can't attack you, or bite you,
or shoot quills at you and they're not
dangerous at all.
NARRATOR: Wildlife educator Cass Rowles
was seduced by the whole package and when
it comes to echidnas, there's nothing she
relishes more than spreading the love.
CASS ROWLES: Echidnas aren't generally
a social animal. They are solitary,
excepting when the females
are in breed mode.
So that's when you get an echidna train.
An echidna train is when you get
one female echidna
followed by male after male
after male after male.
NARRATOR: Who knew echidnas
were so saucy?
As if to underline how few and far
between these opportunities are,
the echidnas are equipped accordingly.
The females having a two-branched
reproductive tract
and the males sporting a four-headed
weapon of mass reproduction.
Yes, you heard right. Four.
And this tiny bundle
of joy is the end result.
This is a baby echidna, which is also
called a puggle and you can see
the little belly, that's because he's had
a feed this morning.
So they actually have about eight mills
per feed at this age,
so get nice and big and then we sleep
for the rest of the day.
So we also do have some bristles just
starting to come through,
so the start bits of the hair are coming
and very soon you'll also going to have
the spines coming through and that's
when mum's going to put them into a
burrow and then they're only fed once
every five days at that stage.
NARRATOR: This little puggle will mature
into an adult echidna that will,
in its very own understated way,
have a set of physical
assets quite unique in the animal kingdom.
These feet, they don't actually face the
right way, they face backwards.
So they have these long grooming
claws at the back.
They can scratch themselves
anywhere they please.
They've got this long, long beak,
which has electroreceptors in it.
They can find ants underground.
They can sense them out before digging
them up with their strong claws
and eating them right up.
NARRATOR: Just on that.
Table manners are not up there on
an echidna's priority list.
You might not invite her to dinner, but if
you need some furniture moved...
She's really, really strong. She can
shift about 10 kilos, just with her hands.
If you locked her in a bathroom
overnight, she is so strong she would be
able to rip doors off your cupboards,
she would be able to rip tiles off the
wall and she would destroy
your bathroom overnight.
NARRATOR: Sure, the echidna may be capable
of demolishing a bathroom,
so the lesson here is a simple one.
Don't lock an echidna in a bathroom.
Give it plenty of open space
and the gentle nature of this
spiky little pacifist
will always shine through.
The echidna, a superbly equipped
and very occasional lover,
but never a fighter.
(ROWLES LAUGHING)
NARRATOR: The adoringly eccentric echidna,
with its backward feet and unusual
reproductive system may be small,
but it's taking on the might of the
humpback whale and is going to waddle
its way to number one,
bumping the whale to two.
But planning to outrun anyone in its way
is our next super chilled challenger.
This is Elsa, she is a three-and-a-
half-year-old cheetah and she is
the sweetest cheetah in the world.
She's quite a cheeky but fearful little
cat, which is normal for cheetah.
NARRATOR: She resides at the National Zoo
in Australia's capital Canberra where
visitors often draw parallels between
Elsa and their own cats at home.
Being a cat, she does like things her
way and it's my job to make sure that
she's happy and things are being done
in the way that she likes it.
NARRATOR: Much like Mittens the cat
at your place, cheetahs purr.
They simply don't have the capacity
to roar like a big cat.
She loves her food, she loves to play,
she loves a cuddle.
NARRATOR: Instead of all out intimidation,
cheetahs use stealth to get results.
Skills learned from a young age in the
African savannah. Once fully grown,
it's simply a case of combining desire
with some stretching exercises to spark
an extraordinary transformation.
Imagine that instead of becoming hangry,
that awful cross pollination of hunger
and irritability, a rumbling stomach
instead triggered you to become
the quickest mammal on
the face of the Earth.
MANDY CHIHAB: Everything about this cat
is designed for speed.
They accelerate zero to 100
in 2.6 seconds.
Enlarged nostrils, as well as a big heart,
to pump all that oxygen through her body.
You can see how her claws are
very similar to dog claws.
They're not very sharp,
she can't retract them and that's
to help her with running.
So that gives her, her grip and traction
as she's running.
That tail acts like a rudder. It helps
her as a counter balance as well,
so when she's changing direction running
after antelope, she can literally change
direction mid-air with that tail.
NARRATOR: But these incredible
capabilities are only revealed
when cheetahs are hungry.
Aside from hunting, they're not
particularly aggressive.
In fact, they'll avoid any confrontation
that could harm them
and their ability to run.
CHIHAB: Cheetah aren't built for fighting,
they're built for speed.
So you don't want to be a confrontational
cat like a lion or a tiger.
You want to be smart and get ready to run
whenever the opportunity arises.
NARRATOR: Yes, this might be cool cat
with some serious swagger,
but it's an elaborate deception.
A cheat if you will, because when
it's time to go to work,
the cheetah is all business in an instant,
transforming into a red-hot cat with the
quickest ground coverage on the planet.
(PURRS)
This cool cat, elegant, graceful and
playful, is taking its spots
to the top spot, forcing the echidna
to shuffle its way to second
and the humpback whale
to cruise into third.
However, always needing
to know what's going on,
our next slinky fur ball, is keen to
investigate its options for number one.
CATHY CAHILL: I always say they're a cross
between a puppy and a kitten.
They're loyal. A bit more loyal like a
dog, not so aloof as a cat.
NARRATOR: Could there be such an animal
as adorable as a puppy-cat?
It's definitely quirky, rather unusual.
But one thing's for certain, this little
critter knows how to turn on the charm.
This is Annabel. She's a, yeah,
she's a ferret. She's pretty cute.
She's about three years old. She's
actually a Valentine's Day present.
So, yes, she wasn't planned,
but I walked in the house,
a couple of years ago and she was
in a cage in my lounge room
from my fiance Josh.
NARRATOR: However, it may not be
love at first sight.
I bought my first ferret from a pet shop
and I had no idea and all I got home and
saw were teeth and claws and I thought,
"Uh-oh, what have I done?"
I had one ferret for five years and then
I joined a rescue organisation
and ended up with lots.
NARRATOR: For new ferret owners,
it's often quite a surprise
how much these critters warm your heart.
They're inquisitive,
loving and ever so mischievous.
Their name means "smelly, furry,
thief." So they, they do steal.
If you come home with shopping,
you'll lose half of it.
You have to go hunting.
ROBYN PELL: Car keys,
lip glosses, candles, plugs.
Anything. Oh, and Nerf gun bullets.
That's her favourite.
She loves the remote.
It's gone missing for like a week before.
That's happened twice actually.
NARRATOR: If you own a ferret, you'll be
too well aware that these little thieves
are responsible for relocating, well,
an amazing number of objects,
often ending with a look of, "Who, me?
I don't know what you're talking about."
They may like to laze around and they are
known to sleep for up to 18 hours a day.
But when they're awake, it's game on.
They never stop playing.
They play for their life.
NARRATOR: And when you love
as many ferrets as Cathy,
playtime means these friendly
ferrets have the run of the house.
It's actually like having a house
full of two-year-olds.
But they like things that are noisy.
The more noise it makes, the better.
NARRATOR: Satisfying a ferret
with noise is easy.
Give them a plastic bag and this equates
to the most wonderful,
never ending playground.
Each ferret's different. This little boy
likes to have cuddles.
If you don't cuddle him, he'll lie behind
you so every time you step back,
you fall over him. He's like a speed hump.
PELL: They've got a lot of personality.
It takes a little while to read, I think,
and get used to, but they're just a good
little companion, I think. Aren't you?
In terms of cuteness on
a scale of 1 to 10,
she's at least a nine and a half, I think.
But that might just be me. She's kind
of an acquired taste, I think.
NARRATOR: Maybe not everyone's cup of tea,
the ferret, endearing as it is,
is not going to alter the pack at all,
sitting at number four,
the ferret takes its place behind
the majestic humpback whale,
the eccentric echidna
and the playful cheetah.
But now it's time for the wild card.
It's said that cute may be in the eye
of the beholder
and our next four-legged friend may
just put that to the test.
CHRIS O'HORA: They're the most un-evolved
animal I've ever worked with.
They've been around predominantly
unchanged since
the time of the dinosaurs.
NARRATOR: With compliments like that,
you wouldn't
want to be on the receiving end of any
criticism from Chris O'Hora, but he's
actually shining a light on one of the
star qualities of his favourite animal.
It may sound like a very
backhanded compliment,
but what Chris is saying is that
the purity of the bloodline means
the modern camel has retained
the toughness and resilience
it's always been famous for.
When it comes to camels,
you've just met a lifelong fan.
I had a little bit to do with horses
when I was a kid.
Used to do station work or stock work
with horses and I realised that horses
were high maintenance and a friend
of mine who was this great horse lover,
good horseman, suggested,
had I considered camels?
What I discovered when getting my first
camel is that they have wonderful
personalities, they're as loyal as puppy
dogs. Extremely curious.
Reasonably intelligent.
They can be
protective, but also affectionate.
Camels are the lowest requirement for
maintenance and survive
weeks without food and water.
They are so personable. We have camels
that fit every personality of a human
that you would be able to describe.
So from the short, curly, long, energetic
to the quiet, reserved,
to the teacher's pet.
NARRATOR: Known as ships of the desert,
the one-humped dromedary was imported from
the Middle East into Australia to open
up the harsh interior.
Chris' admiration for this living
four-wheel drive
and its role in the country's development
was such that he opened
a farm dedicated to spreading
the good word about these amazing animals.
So camels are actually companion
animals. When you have a breakdown
in the hierarchy or the social structure
of a camel,
the camel will seek a companionship,
whether it's a goat,
a donkey, a cow or goose,
to feel part of the family.
NARRATOR: And like any therapist will
tell you, the key to a healthy family life
is communication and camels love a chat.
They communicate with voice.
They will roar like a lion.
(GROWLS)
They will use their voice to indicate
to other animals in the herd
that they need to relocate.
They'll also purr which shows affection
or communication that
"I'm happy and I'm quite comfortable."
All of those noises, from fear
through to aggression,
through to even questioning,
is the way that the animals communicate.
NARRATOR: Camel whisperer. Camel champion.
Chris O'Hora has devoted his professional
life to showcasing how special and full of
personality these incredibly intuitive
creatures are.
O'HORA: They're quite gentle.
They're very inquisitive
and given the opportunity,
people get a great response from them.
NARRATOR: Even with the loyalty of
a giant puppy dog,
the carefree camel is not going
to impact the line-up,
coming in at fifth behind
the ever inquisitive ferret.
But hopping into the mix is a wee little
creature that's happy to take
its fair share of attention.
Patience and tolerance. Those are the
characteristics you need in domesticated
animals so they can cope with the
poking, prodding and handling that is
inevitable when sharing their habitat
with people, especially little people.
Usually shy, skittish and seemingly
wanting to be anywhere but here,
frogs probably aren't at
the top of the list.
Try telling that to a tree frog.
Two varieties that will compete
for your affections
are the magnificent or splendid tree frog
complete with contrasting spots,
or its much more common relative,
the Australian green tree frog.
HUMPHRIES: It's an incredibly
accommodating frog.
It makes a great pet that lives in your
toilet cistern and things like that.
And is very, very calm. If you just pick
one up they'll just sit in your hand.
NARRATOR: Comfortable being handled?
Check.
Happy to live in your toilet? Check.
A housemate that is low maintenance
and has low expectations,
what more could you ask for?
HUMPHRIES: It's a tree frog, so that means
it has sticky discs on the fingers
and it can climb up glass.
It's got a big fold along the side of
the head and a nose like an army boot.
It's got a very obvious eardrum
on the side of its head.
It's got a deep sort of
crawk, crawk, crawk type call.
NARRATOR: Another interesting
aspect of the tree frog
is the way it tackles the very
important business of eating.
They don't chew their prey at all.
The teeth are simply for holding it.
So they eat more like birds do.
You'll see sort of pond-dwelling frogs
often jumping for their prey,
grabbing it in their mouth
and then splashing back into water
and then sort of ramming it down.
And in fact when they do have it in their
mouth, the frog's skull has the holes
for the eyeballs going right through
to the top of the palate
in the mouth and the eyeballs actually
help push the prey down their throat.
NARRATOR: The notion of eating with your
eyes usually refers to the way a dish
is presented on the plate.
Obviously not of a fan of metaphors,
the tree frog is more your literal
and practical kind of frog.
It won't turn into a prince if
you kiss it, but it's one of the few
varieties of frog that will
at least let you try.
The tree frog may not be Prince
Charming, but he has enough charm
to punch his way into
the middle of the line-up.
He's claiming third spot,
nudging the whale, ferret and camel
down the list leaving the jaunty echidna
at second and the sleekly stylish cheetah
surveying its competition from number one.
Whilst you may feel you'd like to get up
close and personal with all of the
wonderful animals featured in this
programme, the top 10 already listed in
our state of play look pretty safe
in their chosen spots.
The newly introduced creatures may just
struggle to infiltrate the current pack.
The sleepy koala, that everyone would
love to cuddle,
holds on tight to number one
and the equally huggable but way
friskier ring-tailed lemur
remains locked into two.
Ever ready for a dance of romance,
the king penguin is way too occupied
preening and fussing in third position
to even consider changing its place
in the line-up.
The agile white-cheeked gibbon and
fun-loving gorilla may have noticed
there's a change in the air but they're
also too busy playing to pack their bags
and move camp to another place.
They're hanging in at four and five.
Similarly happy to hang out with its
family at number six
is the loveable elephant.
Ever vigilant to keep a watchful eye on
the crazy antics of the children,
this gentle giant has better things
to do than consider a move.
But enter the Speedy Gonzales
of all animals,
the remarkably chilled out cheetah.
It races its way into seventh spot,
tumbling the rather quirky tree kangaroo
to eight, the friendly little
quokka to nine,
followed by resilient echidna sliding
down and tenuously holding on at 10,
all effectively dumping the giddy goat
out of the state of play.
And that's where we settle our list.
The coolest of cats being the only animal
to move into the ranks,
but in the next episode there's
a shake-up in the wings
as we introduce
another six adorable contestants,
all ready to change the state of play
and super keen to challenge
the top spot of cutest.
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.
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.
Swimming its way into the top of the
programme is a rather large animal
who loves to perform.
The humpback whale may not be the first
animal you think of when you hear
"adorable," but these big fellas have
their own unique way
of being totally delightful.
Oh, it's a over-awing experience.
They're just magnificent animals.
NARRATOR: Crashing, bashing,
gliding and diving,
these majestic creatures are incredible
gentle giants of the sea.
We were floating around in a couple of
bays in Antarctica and a couple of
humpbacks were feeding.
They knew we were there but they were
just gently coming to the surface,
diving for five or 10 minutes to get
a big mouthful of krill
then coming up and blowing.
The whales were very, very calm
and didn't try to avoid the boats at all.
We kept a safe distance away but it was
nice to be with them like that.
(CHUCKLES) Oh!
DR BOB HUMPHRIES:
We probably would have seen
20-odd humpback whales
over the whole trip.
They come down the coast of South America
to feed in the Antarctic waters
in summer after they've been up near the
tropics breeding earlier in the year.
NARRATOR: From the warm waters
in the tropics
to the northern and southern poles,
these magnificent creatures travel
thousands of miles every year to feed
and bring up their young. Dr Bob Humphries
knows too well how rare it is
to experience the magic of these
great animals up close.
HUMPHRIES: Towards the end
of our Zodiac cruise,
one of the humpbacks actually came in
to have a close look at us and he went
right along the side of the Zodiac
and turned his head so that his eye was
looking right at us.
He was close enough to touch and
then he was just gone.
But he was very gentle around the boat.
I mean, if he wanted to, he could have
tipped us out but he just kept going,
had a look and went, kept going.
NARRATOR: Humpbacks depart for their long
journeys at different times,
but the bond between mum and baby will
keep them side by side for about a year,
swimming very close together,
teaching them how to survive.
HUMPHRIES: When they're in Antarctic
waters, they're basically feeding.
They have to fast when they go north,
so the females go north pregnant,
they give birth to their calves
and both the males and females
just live off their body fat for close
to six months in the year.
So not really a gourmet lifestyle
in a sense they just have to whack down
huge amounts of krill.
NARRATOR: One way of gathering prey
is to bubble-feed.
Whales will release rings of bubbles
to capture schools of fish,
then surface, mouths wide,
gobbling them up.
MAN: Wow! Whoa!
NARRATOR: Humpbacks are named
for the motion they make
in preparation for diving,
accentuating the hump in front
of the dorsal fin.
Watching a whale dive or breach, throwing
all 15 to 20 metres of their bodies
through the air,
is nothing short of spectacular.
Particularly when no research has
yet revealed why they do it.
They may be doing it for
a couple of reasons.
They may be just having fun but
the other theory is that whales have got
parasites on their skin including things
called whale lice and they're smashing
into the water to try and dislodge these
irritating lice off their skin.
NARRATOR: Their behaviours are some of the
most captivating aspects and none more
so than their magical songs.
Their singing can last for hours and can
be heard up to 20 miles away.
They don't seem to mind a few tunes
of their own either.
In one of Greenpeace's Antarctic trips,
the communication
barrier took a new angle, as if the
humpbacks were keen to let the crew know
that not only were they were in harmony,
but playing a song they liked.
Singing and soaring, the humpback
whale's famous performance will resonate
across the ocean stage delighting
all who tune in.
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.
From a massive contender for the Cutest
Animal to one of our smallest,
it's time to meet a very sweet,
but rather prickly character.
My favourite animal would be Elle.
Elle's a short-beaked echidna and she
came to us from a mine site
in Kambalda about 23 years ago.
There was a man doing some bulldozing.
He saw this little pink thing
just off in the distance
and that was Elle and she
was a baby puggle.
So he gathered her up, tried looking for
Elle's mum but couldn't find her anywhere,
so he packed her up into his lunchbox,
got onto a plane, flew her
down to Perth where she was hand-raised
by our chair and founder June Butcher.
NARRATOR: Does the appeal of the
Australian echidna
lie in its solitary existence?
Is it the fact that it quietly goes about
its business without chasing the spotlight
even though it has one of the most
avant-garde hairstyles
in the animal kingdom?
Or is it that spiky
forest of spines that earns the echidna
a special place in our hearts?
I like echidnas because
they're so defensive.
They have no offensive measures,
they only defend themselves against
predators with these spines.
They can't attack you, or bite you,
or shoot quills at you and they're not
dangerous at all.
NARRATOR: Wildlife educator Cass Rowles
was seduced by the whole package and when
it comes to echidnas, there's nothing she
relishes more than spreading the love.
CASS ROWLES: Echidnas aren't generally
a social animal. They are solitary,
excepting when the females
are in breed mode.
So that's when you get an echidna train.
An echidna train is when you get
one female echidna
followed by male after male
after male after male.
NARRATOR: Who knew echidnas
were so saucy?
As if to underline how few and far
between these opportunities are,
the echidnas are equipped accordingly.
The females having a two-branched
reproductive tract
and the males sporting a four-headed
weapon of mass reproduction.
Yes, you heard right. Four.
And this tiny bundle
of joy is the end result.
This is a baby echidna, which is also
called a puggle and you can see
the little belly, that's because he's had
a feed this morning.
So they actually have about eight mills
per feed at this age,
so get nice and big and then we sleep
for the rest of the day.
So we also do have some bristles just
starting to come through,
so the start bits of the hair are coming
and very soon you'll also going to have
the spines coming through and that's
when mum's going to put them into a
burrow and then they're only fed once
every five days at that stage.
NARRATOR: This little puggle will mature
into an adult echidna that will,
in its very own understated way,
have a set of physical
assets quite unique in the animal kingdom.
These feet, they don't actually face the
right way, they face backwards.
So they have these long grooming
claws at the back.
They can scratch themselves
anywhere they please.
They've got this long, long beak,
which has electroreceptors in it.
They can find ants underground.
They can sense them out before digging
them up with their strong claws
and eating them right up.
NARRATOR: Just on that.
Table manners are not up there on
an echidna's priority list.
You might not invite her to dinner, but if
you need some furniture moved...
She's really, really strong. She can
shift about 10 kilos, just with her hands.
If you locked her in a bathroom
overnight, she is so strong she would be
able to rip doors off your cupboards,
she would be able to rip tiles off the
wall and she would destroy
your bathroom overnight.
NARRATOR: Sure, the echidna may be capable
of demolishing a bathroom,
so the lesson here is a simple one.
Don't lock an echidna in a bathroom.
Give it plenty of open space
and the gentle nature of this
spiky little pacifist
will always shine through.
The echidna, a superbly equipped
and very occasional lover,
but never a fighter.
(ROWLES LAUGHING)
NARRATOR: The adoringly eccentric echidna,
with its backward feet and unusual
reproductive system may be small,
but it's taking on the might of the
humpback whale and is going to waddle
its way to number one,
bumping the whale to two.
But planning to outrun anyone in its way
is our next super chilled challenger.
This is Elsa, she is a three-and-a-
half-year-old cheetah and she is
the sweetest cheetah in the world.
She's quite a cheeky but fearful little
cat, which is normal for cheetah.
NARRATOR: She resides at the National Zoo
in Australia's capital Canberra where
visitors often draw parallels between
Elsa and their own cats at home.
Being a cat, she does like things her
way and it's my job to make sure that
she's happy and things are being done
in the way that she likes it.
NARRATOR: Much like Mittens the cat
at your place, cheetahs purr.
They simply don't have the capacity
to roar like a big cat.
She loves her food, she loves to play,
she loves a cuddle.
NARRATOR: Instead of all out intimidation,
cheetahs use stealth to get results.
Skills learned from a young age in the
African savannah. Once fully grown,
it's simply a case of combining desire
with some stretching exercises to spark
an extraordinary transformation.
Imagine that instead of becoming hangry,
that awful cross pollination of hunger
and irritability, a rumbling stomach
instead triggered you to become
the quickest mammal on
the face of the Earth.
MANDY CHIHAB: Everything about this cat
is designed for speed.
They accelerate zero to 100
in 2.6 seconds.
Enlarged nostrils, as well as a big heart,
to pump all that oxygen through her body.
You can see how her claws are
very similar to dog claws.
They're not very sharp,
she can't retract them and that's
to help her with running.
So that gives her, her grip and traction
as she's running.
That tail acts like a rudder. It helps
her as a counter balance as well,
so when she's changing direction running
after antelope, she can literally change
direction mid-air with that tail.
NARRATOR: But these incredible
capabilities are only revealed
when cheetahs are hungry.
Aside from hunting, they're not
particularly aggressive.
In fact, they'll avoid any confrontation
that could harm them
and their ability to run.
CHIHAB: Cheetah aren't built for fighting,
they're built for speed.
So you don't want to be a confrontational
cat like a lion or a tiger.
You want to be smart and get ready to run
whenever the opportunity arises.
NARRATOR: Yes, this might be cool cat
with some serious swagger,
but it's an elaborate deception.
A cheat if you will, because when
it's time to go to work,
the cheetah is all business in an instant,
transforming into a red-hot cat with the
quickest ground coverage on the planet.
(PURRS)
This cool cat, elegant, graceful and
playful, is taking its spots
to the top spot, forcing the echidna
to shuffle its way to second
and the humpback whale
to cruise into third.
However, always needing
to know what's going on,
our next slinky fur ball, is keen to
investigate its options for number one.
CATHY CAHILL: I always say they're a cross
between a puppy and a kitten.
They're loyal. A bit more loyal like a
dog, not so aloof as a cat.
NARRATOR: Could there be such an animal
as adorable as a puppy-cat?
It's definitely quirky, rather unusual.
But one thing's for certain, this little
critter knows how to turn on the charm.
This is Annabel. She's a, yeah,
she's a ferret. She's pretty cute.
She's about three years old. She's
actually a Valentine's Day present.
So, yes, she wasn't planned,
but I walked in the house,
a couple of years ago and she was
in a cage in my lounge room
from my fiance Josh.
NARRATOR: However, it may not be
love at first sight.
I bought my first ferret from a pet shop
and I had no idea and all I got home and
saw were teeth and claws and I thought,
"Uh-oh, what have I done?"
I had one ferret for five years and then
I joined a rescue organisation
and ended up with lots.
NARRATOR: For new ferret owners,
it's often quite a surprise
how much these critters warm your heart.
They're inquisitive,
loving and ever so mischievous.
Their name means "smelly, furry,
thief." So they, they do steal.
If you come home with shopping,
you'll lose half of it.
You have to go hunting.
ROBYN PELL: Car keys,
lip glosses, candles, plugs.
Anything. Oh, and Nerf gun bullets.
That's her favourite.
She loves the remote.
It's gone missing for like a week before.
That's happened twice actually.
NARRATOR: If you own a ferret, you'll be
too well aware that these little thieves
are responsible for relocating, well,
an amazing number of objects,
often ending with a look of, "Who, me?
I don't know what you're talking about."
They may like to laze around and they are
known to sleep for up to 18 hours a day.
But when they're awake, it's game on.
They never stop playing.
They play for their life.
NARRATOR: And when you love
as many ferrets as Cathy,
playtime means these friendly
ferrets have the run of the house.
It's actually like having a house
full of two-year-olds.
But they like things that are noisy.
The more noise it makes, the better.
NARRATOR: Satisfying a ferret
with noise is easy.
Give them a plastic bag and this equates
to the most wonderful,
never ending playground.
Each ferret's different. This little boy
likes to have cuddles.
If you don't cuddle him, he'll lie behind
you so every time you step back,
you fall over him. He's like a speed hump.
PELL: They've got a lot of personality.
It takes a little while to read, I think,
and get used to, but they're just a good
little companion, I think. Aren't you?
In terms of cuteness on
a scale of 1 to 10,
she's at least a nine and a half, I think.
But that might just be me. She's kind
of an acquired taste, I think.
NARRATOR: Maybe not everyone's cup of tea,
the ferret, endearing as it is,
is not going to alter the pack at all,
sitting at number four,
the ferret takes its place behind
the majestic humpback whale,
the eccentric echidna
and the playful cheetah.
But now it's time for the wild card.
It's said that cute may be in the eye
of the beholder
and our next four-legged friend may
just put that to the test.
CHRIS O'HORA: They're the most un-evolved
animal I've ever worked with.
They've been around predominantly
unchanged since
the time of the dinosaurs.
NARRATOR: With compliments like that,
you wouldn't
want to be on the receiving end of any
criticism from Chris O'Hora, but he's
actually shining a light on one of the
star qualities of his favourite animal.
It may sound like a very
backhanded compliment,
but what Chris is saying is that
the purity of the bloodline means
the modern camel has retained
the toughness and resilience
it's always been famous for.
When it comes to camels,
you've just met a lifelong fan.
I had a little bit to do with horses
when I was a kid.
Used to do station work or stock work
with horses and I realised that horses
were high maintenance and a friend
of mine who was this great horse lover,
good horseman, suggested,
had I considered camels?
What I discovered when getting my first
camel is that they have wonderful
personalities, they're as loyal as puppy
dogs. Extremely curious.
Reasonably intelligent.
They can be
protective, but also affectionate.
Camels are the lowest requirement for
maintenance and survive
weeks without food and water.
They are so personable. We have camels
that fit every personality of a human
that you would be able to describe.
So from the short, curly, long, energetic
to the quiet, reserved,
to the teacher's pet.
NARRATOR: Known as ships of the desert,
the one-humped dromedary was imported from
the Middle East into Australia to open
up the harsh interior.
Chris' admiration for this living
four-wheel drive
and its role in the country's development
was such that he opened
a farm dedicated to spreading
the good word about these amazing animals.
So camels are actually companion
animals. When you have a breakdown
in the hierarchy or the social structure
of a camel,
the camel will seek a companionship,
whether it's a goat,
a donkey, a cow or goose,
to feel part of the family.
NARRATOR: And like any therapist will
tell you, the key to a healthy family life
is communication and camels love a chat.
They communicate with voice.
They will roar like a lion.
(GROWLS)
They will use their voice to indicate
to other animals in the herd
that they need to relocate.
They'll also purr which shows affection
or communication that
"I'm happy and I'm quite comfortable."
All of those noises, from fear
through to aggression,
through to even questioning,
is the way that the animals communicate.
NARRATOR: Camel whisperer. Camel champion.
Chris O'Hora has devoted his professional
life to showcasing how special and full of
personality these incredibly intuitive
creatures are.
O'HORA: They're quite gentle.
They're very inquisitive
and given the opportunity,
people get a great response from them.
NARRATOR: Even with the loyalty of
a giant puppy dog,
the carefree camel is not going
to impact the line-up,
coming in at fifth behind
the ever inquisitive ferret.
But hopping into the mix is a wee little
creature that's happy to take
its fair share of attention.
Patience and tolerance. Those are the
characteristics you need in domesticated
animals so they can cope with the
poking, prodding and handling that is
inevitable when sharing their habitat
with people, especially little people.
Usually shy, skittish and seemingly
wanting to be anywhere but here,
frogs probably aren't at
the top of the list.
Try telling that to a tree frog.
Two varieties that will compete
for your affections
are the magnificent or splendid tree frog
complete with contrasting spots,
or its much more common relative,
the Australian green tree frog.
HUMPHRIES: It's an incredibly
accommodating frog.
It makes a great pet that lives in your
toilet cistern and things like that.
And is very, very calm. If you just pick
one up they'll just sit in your hand.
NARRATOR: Comfortable being handled?
Check.
Happy to live in your toilet? Check.
A housemate that is low maintenance
and has low expectations,
what more could you ask for?
HUMPHRIES: It's a tree frog, so that means
it has sticky discs on the fingers
and it can climb up glass.
It's got a big fold along the side of
the head and a nose like an army boot.
It's got a very obvious eardrum
on the side of its head.
It's got a deep sort of
crawk, crawk, crawk type call.
NARRATOR: Another interesting
aspect of the tree frog
is the way it tackles the very
important business of eating.
They don't chew their prey at all.
The teeth are simply for holding it.
So they eat more like birds do.
You'll see sort of pond-dwelling frogs
often jumping for their prey,
grabbing it in their mouth
and then splashing back into water
and then sort of ramming it down.
And in fact when they do have it in their
mouth, the frog's skull has the holes
for the eyeballs going right through
to the top of the palate
in the mouth and the eyeballs actually
help push the prey down their throat.
NARRATOR: The notion of eating with your
eyes usually refers to the way a dish
is presented on the plate.
Obviously not of a fan of metaphors,
the tree frog is more your literal
and practical kind of frog.
It won't turn into a prince if
you kiss it, but it's one of the few
varieties of frog that will
at least let you try.
The tree frog may not be Prince
Charming, but he has enough charm
to punch his way into
the middle of the line-up.
He's claiming third spot,
nudging the whale, ferret and camel
down the list leaving the jaunty echidna
at second and the sleekly stylish cheetah
surveying its competition from number one.
Whilst you may feel you'd like to get up
close and personal with all of the
wonderful animals featured in this
programme, the top 10 already listed in
our state of play look pretty safe
in their chosen spots.
The newly introduced creatures may just
struggle to infiltrate the current pack.
The sleepy koala, that everyone would
love to cuddle,
holds on tight to number one
and the equally huggable but way
friskier ring-tailed lemur
remains locked into two.
Ever ready for a dance of romance,
the king penguin is way too occupied
preening and fussing in third position
to even consider changing its place
in the line-up.
The agile white-cheeked gibbon and
fun-loving gorilla may have noticed
there's a change in the air but they're
also too busy playing to pack their bags
and move camp to another place.
They're hanging in at four and five.
Similarly happy to hang out with its
family at number six
is the loveable elephant.
Ever vigilant to keep a watchful eye on
the crazy antics of the children,
this gentle giant has better things
to do than consider a move.
But enter the Speedy Gonzales
of all animals,
the remarkably chilled out cheetah.
It races its way into seventh spot,
tumbling the rather quirky tree kangaroo
to eight, the friendly little
quokka to nine,
followed by resilient echidna sliding
down and tenuously holding on at 10,
all effectively dumping the giddy goat
out of the state of play.
And that's where we settle our list.
The coolest of cats being the only animal
to move into the ranks,
but in the next episode there's
a shake-up in the wings
as we introduce
another six adorable contestants,
all ready to change the state of play
and super keen to challenge
the top spot of cutest.
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.