72 Cutest Animals (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Kicked-Back Cats - 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)

Flapping its flippers
into the top of our programme

is one of the cutest critters
in the southern hemisphere.

(SQUAWKING)

Cute, small, and a little bit smelly.



NARRATOR: That's right,
the little penguin.

Also known as the "fairy"
or little blue penguin,

these fellas traded
their wings for flippers

65 million years ago,

and now delight and excite all
who interact with them.

The little penguins,
what's not to like about little penguins?

They're the smallest
of the world's penguin species,

so they're very cute,

and they're just such fabulously
well-adapted birds for their life at sea,

they're fascinating.

The 10 penguins I work with,

if they were rescue birds,
they can't be released.

We look after those
in the Discovery Centre.

NARRATOR: At only
30 to 40 centimetres tall,



these seabirds are only found
in Australia and New Zealand.

One special spot is Penguin Island,

a large breeding colony
in Western Australia

managed and very well-cared for
by people like Jane.

JANE: This is a little penguin chick.

He was rescued,
so it's about eight or nine weeks old.

You can see it's still got
a little bit of fluffy down on it.

When they first hatch, they weigh
about 35 grams, so they're tiny.

They're very fluffy, very helpless
and incredibly cute.

(CAMERA CLICKING)

NARRATOR: The features we all find
so attractive are what in fact

help them to superbly navigate
their marine environment.

You can see the webbing on the toes.

Their feet they use as rudders
in the water,

they tilt from side-to-side
to change direction.

And you can see they have
these incredible flippers.

These flippers are used like
flying birds use their wings,

they use the same muscles to propel
themselves through the water.

NARRATOR: All very important traits

when you're spending 80 percent
of your life at sea.

And their famous beautiful coat
is more than meets the eye.

The little dinner jacket on the back,
white shirt front, is actually camouflage.

So when they're in the water underneath,
every part of their body is pale

and that blends in with the sunlight
coming from above.

NARRATOR: Even the famous
penguin waddle serves its purpose.

Oh, that wiggle.

They do shake themselves around
in the water,

but that isn't just to look cute.

The air trapped under their feathers
aides their insulation

and also makes them very buoyant.

So when they come up to the surface,
they tend to shake themselves

and that re-traps the air
under the feathers.

NARRATOR: Our friends at Penguin Island
like to show off their waddle

better than anyone
and we do mean, "show off".

Daily feedings at
Penguin Island's Discovery Centre

are the perfect time to get their
swagger on in front of a crowd.

They do all have
their own different personalities.

(SQUAWKING)

We have Lou, our oldest bird,
he loves having his photo taken.

(CAMERA CLICKING)

Geri, a little female who's very, very shy

and tends to come out to eat
after all the visitors have gone.

We have a few young birds,
they're very cheeky.

They run around,
bite the back of your ankles.

NARRATOR: But perhaps their most
endearing quality is their loyalty.

Little penguins do tend
to partner for life.

And as long as they continue
to be successful breeding together,

then they will stay together.

If though, the breeding is unsuccessful,

for instance,
if they fail to raise chicks,

they will divorce
and find a new partner, so...

On Penguin Island,
the divorce rate amongst the penguins,

is estimated to be
at around 20 percent per year.

Which I think is probably better
than the human visitors to the island.

NARRATOR: All in all,
these tiny bundles of pure joy

are just going to melt your heart
with any interaction.

I would have to say I probably,
do have the best job in the world.

It's pretty much perfect.

(CAMERA CLICKING)

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.

From little penguins
waddling around your ankles,

to the tallest creature in our series.

Graceful, elegant
and surprisingly sociable,

especially for dinner.

(ANIMALS CHITTERING)

Is there any more compelling reason
to make the trip to Africa than this?

We pretty much see giraffes every day
when we're there

and it's always just delightful
to see them.

-They're just beautiful.
-(CAMERA CLICKING)

NARRATOR: The giraffe
is an intriguing combination

of oddball proportions
and ingenious biology

neatly packaged into one of the most
beautiful, graceful animals on the planet.

Not all giraffes are the same.

There are nine subspecies in all
and some are becoming quite rare.

The Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya

is dedicated to preserving
the Rothschild subspecies,

and is funded through
admirers like, Joanne Harley,

staying on as house guests.

But staying is really fun
because at every meal,

they put giraffe biscuits on the table

and some of the giraffes are used to
coming to the windows to be fed.

NARRATOR: The appeal
of the giraffe is universal

and preservation efforts are
taking place all over the globe,

-even as far away as Australia.
-(CAMERA CLICKING)

SIOBHAN: Just had Muzungo arrive
a little bit earlier than Sharba.

He was really excited to meet Sharba
when he first arrived.

As soon as she saw him,
it was basically, love at first sight.

So she basically ran
straight up to him

and basically started nuzzling him
underneath the chin

and he wasn't overly
impressed with it at the time.

But love's blossomed
into something really amazing.

They're such a cute couple.

They're kind of just happy to be
and just enjoying their food basically,

is the best thing you can
give a giraffe is plenty of food

and plenty of water and plenty of space.

NARRATOR: And when it comes to hydration,

this is probably the giraffe
at its most adorable.

They have to really get down low

and they've got a couple of ways
they use their legs do that.

Sometimes they splay them,

sometimes they bend their front legs
and it looks very difficult.

NARRATOR: You might be wondering

why they simply don't sit
to be closer to ground level.

For a giraffe, that's just too risky.

With these guys, it can take up
to a minute for them to reach their feet,

so in the wild that could be
a catastrophic mistake.

SALLY: Very rarely
have we seen adults sitting.

We've seen some baby ones
sitting a few times

and they seem to go asleep sitting
but with their heads still fully up.

SIOBHAN: These guys only sleep over
about two hours a day

and that only ranges from about
30 seconds to two minutes at a time.

So when they do sleep,
they'll be standing up,

but they'll also have
their eyes wide open,

sometimes even chewing.

(CHUCKLING) So it's very difficult
to actually tell.

They're constantly on alert
and searching for danger.

NARRATOR: Phantom napping is just
one of a giraffe's natural gifts.

Their prehensile upper lip and tongue
are like a pair of hands.

JOANN: They can wend their way
through the thorns

on an acacia tree to get at the leaves.

And they have a really interesting
circulatory system,

so that when they put
their heads down,

there are valves in their blood vessels
so they don't end up stroking out.

NARRATOR: At almost six metres tall,
it needs a heart that's up to the task.

The giraffe literally has a big heart,

not to mention a permanent place
in the hearts of many.

They move beautifully when they walk,
incredible when they run.

Just lovely.

NARRATOR: In all its regal splendour,

the giraffe, even with its quirky
purple tongue and gangly drinking habits

is not going to surpass the delightfulness
of the little penguin.

The giraffe moves to number two,

but up next is one incredibly
cuddly forest dweller,

intent on winning its way
into the super cute stakes.

Look at this face, so cute.

Right, Bino? Your cheeky face.

Icky little face.

Aren't baby orangutans all really cute?

NARRATOR: For Kumaran Sesshe,

it's impossible to hide his affection
for the animals in his care.

This is Bino.
Bino is five-years-old

and he belongs to the
Sumatran species of the orangutan.

They have individual personalities.

Once they get attached to the keepers,
they're getting really attached.

Especially like Bino, he's a keeper's pet.

He likes to be cuddled by the keepers,
he likes to play with the keepers.

NARRATOR:
Kumaran doesn't miss any details

when it comes to the orangutans
in his care

and that's to be expected

after devoting much of his zoo-keeping
career to looking after them.

KUMARAN: I've been here with them
for close to 18-and-a-half years

and spending a lot of time with them.

I think I've bonded really well.

You want to give me a hug?
All right, you can to give me a hug.

All this bonding starts from the mothers,
passed on from mothers to babies.

(SNIGGERING)

So they see the keepers with the mum,
so they know the keepers are fine.

So they really enjoy,
you know, interacting with us.

NARRATOR: Going hand-in-hand
with this bond

is the sort of understanding of
primate behaviour that almost qualifies

these zookeepers as extended members
of the orangutan family.

KUMARAN: Young ones,
below the age of maybe five or six,

they've got really bad tantrum.

They see another orangutan
getting a bit more food,

even though if they
are going to get their food,

but it just takes some time, you know,
you can't give everyone at the same time.

You've got to go A, B, C, D.

And once A starts to get the food,
B and C starts to throw a tantrum.

Bino, especially,
has got a very bad tantrum.

You know, if he doesn't get his way,

he will just start running to the keepers,
running on the floor.

And these are the funny behaviours,

quirky behaviours
that little Bino has. Right?

Yeah, he says yes.

NARRATOR: Bino is very interactive,

and asking him
to sit in on an interview

really is an open invitation
to participate.

Stop biting near the mic.

You don't want to?
You little bugger, you.

You shy? Aw.

Something stuck in your teeth?
Yeah, okay.

Are you done with interview?
Two more minutes.

Look at this little tyrant face.

NARRATOR: Aside from eating
audio equipment,

orangutans are actually
very similar to humans.

They share 97 percent of DNA with us

so there are some qualities
that are remarkably similar.

My favourite thing would be their memory.

You know, you can be gone for very long,

uh, some of the ex-keepers
when they come back,

these animals kind of recognise them.

The older females like Anita,
she's got this habit of...

If she hasn't seen you for a while,

she likes to hold your hand
and just smell you

and know where have you been,
how have you been and all that.

So I think that's, that's what I like
about this cute little animal.

NARRATOR: You would
need to have a heart of stone

not to develop a very real
and lasting attachment

to these amazing creatures,

especially, after nearly
two decades of close contact.

KUMARAN: You want the truth?

(CHUCKLING) The honest truth?
Yeah, I love these animals.

I think that's why we are around here.

I think the reason I got a job
is because of these guys.

It's coming in the morning,

having a look
at the mothers and the babies.

They come up to you,
they touch you, they feel you.

Right? Not you, not you though,
you're a bit playful.

Look at his face, ain't he the cutest?

Number one. Right?

Yeah!

NARRATOR: Irresistible,
your best friend for life,

the orangutan is going to zoom
its way to number one,

seeing the little penguin
waddling into second

and the giraffe
meandering into third place.

But hoping to alter the line-up

is one of the most graceful
and sociable animals of the ocean.

With a perpetually sunny disposition,
boundless energy

and an endless commitment to fun...

UPSOT: Whoa!

The dolphin has to be one of the most
loved members of the animal kingdom.

UPSOT: (CHUCKLING) Whoa! Whoa!

I had a few key factors
that I wanted to make sure

that I, uh, I didn't want to do it.

And I didn't want to bring them
into the beach

and I didn't want to feed them.

NARRATOR: Terry Howson has spent
over a quarter of a century forming

an incredible bond with a dolphin pod
off the coast of Western Australia,

building up a level of trust
that's very rare

between humans and animals in the wild.

I went out to see them
from sunrise to sunset,

every day, seven days a week,

trying to work out where they went,
why they went there

and just started trying to interact
with them under their terms.

For many, many months, they would
just keep their distance from me,

until one dolphin, which is, um,
she's really special to me,

she came in and swam about a metre
away from me for a couple of minutes.

It was amazing.

What she started doing
was actually bringing over

a different dolphin every other day,
under her pectoral fins

and actually, introducing me.

KATIE: There's a dolphin
just over there, there's a few of them.

And I can see that darker patch.

NARRATOR: Terry's patience
and perseverance

has now made it possible
for others to swim alongside dolphins,

and he's assembled a team
to cope with the demand

for this incredible wildlife encounter.

KATIE: I think I've got
the best job in the world.

I enjoy working with the public

and I get to see amazing animals
every single day.

NARRATOR: For most of us,

swimming alongside dolphins
would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Even though I've done it
hundreds of times,

it's an amazing experience

and you never know
what to expect of them.

Their behaviour, you're unable
to predict it at all, it's amazing.

NARRATOR: Our fascination with dolphins

has a lot to do with what they have
in common with us.

Their social behaviour, using vocalisation
to communicate with each other,

their individual character
and their overall intelligence.

But interaction with these dolphins
has never developed into dependency.

TERRY: We're not in charge of them,

we don't really look after them
or anything like that.

They've got their own sort of
environment, and as do we,

and as much as we enjoy it,
I'm sure that they enjoy it as well.

NARRATOR: It's fair to say that
Terry's early fascination with dolphins

has evolved into a privileged relationship
with remarkable access.

TERRY: When we found a little one,
probably about, you know, six-months-old.

She had the fishing line around
her rostrum, around her nose,

and down to her tail.

So she was actually bent up like that,
she couldn't stretch out.

And I was a bit concerned
about what she may do to us,

but also what the mother
may do because, you know,

I'm grabbing her little baby.

But the mother had realised I was helping,

not trying to hurt her at all.

And, um...

Eventually got all of that line off
and let her go

and she swam over to her mother
and just looked at me

and, um, I suppose just gave me

that thankful sort of look
and then just cruised off.

NARRATOR: With their phenomenal
level of understanding

and their inquisitive nature,
the potential for interaction

between dolphins and humans
will always intrigue us.

Even with the worldwide appeal,
the playfully energetic dolphin commands,

it's not going to be enough to infiltrate

the animals already in
the top three spots.

The dolphin comes in at number four.

However, a rather adorable creature
who loves attention

is ready to challenge the pack.

Despite one or two rather
questionable behavioural traits.

I love everything about them.

There isn't a single thing
I don't like about them.

Their personalities are beautiful.

They are the sweetest little things,

especially when you have one
just sitting on your lap

and curling up for a bit of a cuddle,
they're pretty darn cute.

NARRATOR: Yes,
you'd be forgiven for thinking

Mandy Chihab is the president
of the Red Panda fan club.

She even considers
some of the Himalayan native's

less than appealing habits endearing.

One of the weird quirks,
come to think of it,

is they love to do their business
in their food trays.

So after they've eaten all their food,

they will go to the toilet
on their food tray,

which I know sounds really, really gross,

but it makes my life really easy
because, you know,

I just pick up the tray
and there we go, it's clean.

NARRATOR: So the universal rule that says

"You shouldn't poo
where you chew"

is out the window
if you're a red panda

because apparently,
you're being considerate.

Well, when you're personally responsible

for the much of the red panda populations
across two countries,

you've probably earned a bit of latitude
when it comes to toilet geography.

MANDY: So Ilish is the mother
of about four litters of pandas

that we've had here at
the National Zoo and Aquarium.

They are solitary by nature,

but you will occasionally, really rarely
have them come into pairs

or sometimes little family groups
in the wild.

She likes her own space.

Once the kids are old enough,
she boots them out,

so she's happy
to be on her own.

But she also has a lot of children
all around Australian zoos.

And, um, I think even maybe
some went to New Zealand.

So yeah, she's a pretty famous
little panda in the region.

NARRATOR: Genetically, they're more
closely related to otters, badgers,

raccoons and skunks
than giant pandas,

and that distinctive bold colour scheme
is not so much to stand out,

but to go incognito.

MANDY: Red pandas, even though
they don't look like they would be

very camouflaged
in the wild and in the trees,

amazingly in China
and the regions that they're from,

they get a very red kind of moss
that grows along the trees

and that helps them stay
nice and camouflaged,

they blend in with that perfectly
and they're nearly impossible to see.

For a long time,
scientists classified them as cats

because they have
those semi-retractable claws.

When they're climbing up the trees,
it's quite amazing to watch them,

they make it look like it's so easy.

On top of that
they're nice and light,

they can go through the little
thin branches in the trees quite easily.

NARRATOR: But while their coat
and their climbing

are all about discreetly staying
undercover in the forest canopy,

it doesn't quite match the outgoing
personality of these plucky little pandas.

MANDY: They do love attention.

So when I come in here
and I clean, they are straight down.

So it's not necessarily food motivation,
it's definitely the attention.

NARRATOR: Well, the charming red panda
is definitely going to win a few hearts.

It's not quite at the same cute level
as the loveable orangutan,

but it's going to steal second place
from the little penguin

and as a result, bump the giraffe
to four and dolphin to five.

However our next woolly creature
may win the quirk appeal,

particularly, for its dental work.

(BLEATS)

When you wear a coat
as soft and lustrous as this,

it grants you access to all areas.

It's like a golden ticket that allows
alpacas automatic entry

into the good books of anyone
who encounters them.

SOPHIE: Here we have Miranda Kerr,

Moonlight Serenade,
Prunella sitting down,

Sashimi, Prende, Annalise,
Emeline, Melanie.

I love their individuality,
they all have got their own personalities.

NARRATOR: When it comes to alpacas,

Australian breeder Sophie Stacey
wears her heart on her sleeve.

In fact, sometimes alpacas
are her sleeves.

So they grow a very high quality,
highly process-able,

luscious, soft fibre,
and that's their main purpose,

but they are also great pets
and companion animals.

(SNIFFING)

There is no wild alpacas any more,
they are completely domesticated.

But they are found in most countries now.

They started in South America
with Peru and Chile,

but they've exported them
into many countries like,

Europe, New Zealand and Australia.

Alpacas make great herd guards.

They're a naturally inquisitive animal.

So whenever there's a fox
around your lambs,

they come up and investigate

and will even chase the fox
and possibly kill him if he persists.

NARRATOR:
For the unsuccessful predator,

you'd think death-by-alpaca
isn't exactly a noble demise.

It's a bit like being stoned to death
by marshmallows,

especially when you see
alpacas with their young.

So these two are currently
humming to each other,

just letting each other know it's okay,
and sometimes when the...

If the baby gets lost from the mum
and wants to find her,

they'll let out a little cry,
which is just a little hum.

And the mum will respond with a hum.

NARRATOR: Sweetness and light
and a dash of mischief,

something alpacas indulge in very early.

SOPHIE: Alpacas only have
one baby at a time

and the mothers will only feed their baby.

But sometimes we get
little clever alpacas.

While the baby of the mother is drinking,

they'll sneak up behind
between the back legs maybe

and to have a little suckle,

and when the mum thinks
it's a bit odd,

she turns around and sniffs,

but she can only sniff her baby
because that's the one closest to her,

so she thinks it's normal
and let's it go on.

NARRATOR: As they mature,

not all of them are destined to win
an alpaca beauty contest,

but somehow any quirks
only add to their charm.

Take for instance the fact that
they only have a bottom row of teeth.

For alpacas, that's not a problem,

but more an opportunity
to be even more adorable.

SOPHIE: This is Hot Tamale,
and she's a perfect example of

what happens when their teeth
don't line up with their dental pad

and they continuously
grow straight past it.

But with her quirky teeth,
she's still very cute.

NARRATOR: Imperfections may be offensive
in the eyes of natural selection,

but somehow alpacas
turn these foibles

into more ammunition
for their charm offensive.

How can other creatures compete when
alpacas seem to have delightfulness

all sewn up and wrapped around them
like a luxurious coat?

The alpaca, with its quirky imperfections,
is no match for the rest of the list,

it's just going to slide into number six,

leaving the rest of the pack untouched

and allowing
the totally-engaging orangutan

to bask in the limelight
of number one.

With such an adorable list
of playful creatures,

there's certainly going to be a mix up
in the state of play.

The cuddly koala has held its spot
for three episodes,

but it's time for this
two-thumbed critter to let go

and slip down to number two,

allowing the mischievously
delightful orangutan

to burst its way into top spot.

This hairy orange beast
is one very charming individual

and may be hard to knock
from its newly acquired throne.

However, this strategic manoeuvre
by the clever orangutan

sees the inquisitive ring tailed lemur

and the rather dapper king penguin

settle in at three and four,

but the white cheeked gibbon
is heading further down the list

as the sweet-faced red panda
pushes its way into number five.

This takes the cheeky
white cheeked gibbon into number six,

the gregarious gorilla into seven

and the enormously
loveable elephant into eight.

Trying to hold tight to nine and ten
is the "too cool for school" cheetah

and the unusual,
but delightful tree kangaroo.

However, the news isn't good.

The ever smiling quokka
and the quirky echidna have already

tumbled out of the top ten

and it seems the cheetah and tree kangaroo
are headed in the same direction.

In waddles the small but adorable
little penguin happy to nestle in at nine,

and the tall loping giraffe
claims the spot at number ten.

A bit of a shake-up
but an extremely good-looking top ten.

For now.

However in our next episode,
we meet another six hot contenders

for the much-coveted title 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.