1
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[mysterious music playing]

2
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[Rebel Wilson]
For a quirky mix of creatures…

3
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look no further…

4
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[bellows]

5
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…than the marsupials.

6
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Those mammalian misfits

7
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with the pouch.

8
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They might seem a bit bizarre…

9
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but don't underestimate them.

10
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[shrieking]

11
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With unexpected superpowers

12
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and amazing adaptability…

13
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they have conquered a continent.

14
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[grunts]

15
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These high-altitude valleys

16
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are home to an iconic marsupial.

17
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The eastern grey kangaroo.

18
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[didgeridoo music playing]

19
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Today, a new roo
is being welcomed into the world.

20
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All kangaroo babies
start out the same way.

21
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Little more than an embryo.

22
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Blind, with hind limbs barely grown,

23
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he must scale a wall of fur
six times his height.

24
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His goal?

25
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Mum's pouch.

26
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The pouch keeps the young joey warm,

27
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fed,

28
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and safe…

29
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[upbeat music plays]

30
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…until he's ready to emerge.

31
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Fast forward six months.

32
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The eastern grey joey
takes his first look at the world.

33
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[grunting]

34
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To learn he's part of a group,

35
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known as a mob.

36
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Mum and a handful of females,

37
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jealously guarded by the boss.

38
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That's his dad.

39
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Joey is about to discover
the secret to his father's success.

40
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[growling]

41
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A lot of muscle,

42
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a lot of flexing.

43
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[growling]

44
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A challenger has arrived

45
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to contest Dad's mating rights.

46
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It's an exhibition of power…

47
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[growling]

48
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…urine…

49
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and there's a bit of scratching as well.

50
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Body language says, "I could fight you."

51
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"But you don't want to go there."

52
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"No, no, no."

53
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[growls]

54
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It seems to do the job.

55
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Until next time.

56
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One day, the joey will make his bid

57
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to be a kangaroo king.

58
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If he makes it that far.

59
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This valley is also home
to a pack of dingoes.

60
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[sinister music plays]

61
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And catching kangaroos is their specialty.

62
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[growls]

63
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At 25 miles an hour,
dingoes are pretty quick.

64
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But roos can go 40!

65
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[intense music plays]

66
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The pack looks for stragglers.

67
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[intense music continues]

68
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But no luck this time.

69
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For now, joey can relax
in the safety of Mum's pouch.

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It's just a simple fold of skin,

71
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but it's given marsupials a head start

72
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for millions of years.

73
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The marsupials first arose
alongside the dinosaurs

74
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on an ancient supercontinent.

75
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Today, in most places,

76
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they're being outcompeted
by placental mammals.

77
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But a number of opossums
still survive in the Americas.

78
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Including the monito del monte,

79
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the last remaining member of a family

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that gave rise to three-quarters
of marsupials alive today.

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It's thought that
as the supercontinent fragmented,

82
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a close relative
of this living fossil was cast away.

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Isolated in what is now Australia,

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with little competition
from other mammals,

85
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this pioneering possum's descendants
branched out across a land of opportunity.

86
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Over time, 200 different species evolved.

87
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Each with a fantastical name.

88
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Each with a unique way of life.

89
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Most are nocturnal…

90
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insectivores,

91
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or vegetarians.

92
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But some grew larger,

93
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fiercer,

94
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and developed a taste for meat.

95
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Filmed in 1936,

96
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the thylacine,
also know as the Tasmanian tiger,

97
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was once Australia's apex predator.

98
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This is the last time it was documented

99
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before human settlement
and bounty hunters wiped it out.

100
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Today, only a few
marsupial carnivores survive.

101
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The largest lurks in one
of the wildest corners of the continent.

102
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[sinister music plays]

103
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[squawking]

104
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[caws]

105
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A legendary beast…

106
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[caws]

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…with a fearsome reputation.

108
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The Tasmanian devil.

109
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[growls]

110
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A young imp might act tough…

111
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[growling]

112
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[growl echoes]

113
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…but he's probably
more anxious than aggressive.

114
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Like all devils, he prefers the dark.

115
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He's just eight months old,
only recently left Mum,

116
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and not had much to eat since.

117
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If that doesn't change soon, chances
of making it to adulthood are slim.

118
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[animal shrieking]

119
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[suspenseful music plays]

120
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His biggest problem?

121
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Other devils.

122
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[shrieking]

123
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The imp can't compete with the big boys.

124
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Two full-grown adults
scrapping over a carcass.

125
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[shrieking]

126
00:11:35,529 --> 00:11:36,405
[growling]

127
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But he could steal a quick snack…

128
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while they fight it out.

129
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[suspenseful music plays]

130
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[growling]

131
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[growling and shrieking]

132
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He'd better eat fast…

133
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[shrieking]

134
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…before trouble returns.

135
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[growling]

136
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All he can do is hope for some leftovers.

137
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[growling]

138
00:12:51,897 --> 00:12:56,819
But considering a devil can devour
almost half its body weight in a sitting,

139
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it could be a long wait.

140
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[Rebel sighs]

141
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[dramatic music plays]

142
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Come dawn, his patience has paid off.

143
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Well… kind of.

144
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Only skin and bone left,
but an imp can't afford to be picky.

145
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Devils do hunt sometimes,

146
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but they're just as happy to scavenge.

147
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This ability to eat the uneatable

148
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helped marsupials claim a continent.

149
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[waves crashing]

150
00:13:59,590 --> 00:14:04,511
Eucalyptus trees make up three-quarters
of Australia's native forest.

151
00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:09,057
Their leaves are so toxic,

152
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they're inedible
to almost every living thing.

153
00:14:17,524 --> 00:14:19,985
But one famous marsupial

154
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has found a way
to exploit this bountiful resource.

155
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[mellow music plays]

156
00:14:31,413 --> 00:14:34,750
This koala mum may look a little dozy,

157
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but she's feeding for two.

158
00:14:45,218 --> 00:14:47,262
And her body's working overtime.

159
00:14:49,681 --> 00:14:53,977
Her gut contains
a unique cocktail of microbes

160
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which neutralize the poisons
that would put us into a coma.

161
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[mellow music continues]

162
00:15:07,699 --> 00:15:11,078
But koalas aren't born
with such strong digestion.

163
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It has to be acquired.

164
00:15:18,418 --> 00:15:21,880
So baby is on a mix of milk and pap.

165
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Slushy droppings
that pass on the bacteria he'll need.

166
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Even with the toxins taken care of,
it takes almost all of the koala's energy

167
00:15:44,361 --> 00:15:47,030
to break down these low-nutrient leaves.

168
00:15:50,367 --> 00:15:55,414
It's no wonder
they spend 90% of their lives asleep.

169
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[mellow music continues]

170
00:16:11,221 --> 00:16:15,058
But not all marsupials
lead such laid-back lives.

171
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Meet nature's BASE jumper.

172
00:16:32,075 --> 00:16:33,535
The sugar glider.

173
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This palm-sized possum

174
00:16:43,754 --> 00:16:48,341
can glide half the length
of a soccer field in a single leap.

175
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[dramatic music playing]

176
00:17:01,521 --> 00:17:02,397
[squeaking]

177
00:17:03,690 --> 00:17:08,236
His fast-paced lifestyle
is fueled by sugary sap.

178
00:17:14,367 --> 00:17:17,913
But his teeth are too small
to cut through thick bark.

179
00:17:30,133 --> 00:17:33,720
Time to drop in
on his heavyweight cousins.

180
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The yellow-bellied gliders.

181
00:17:42,437 --> 00:17:47,359
Their stronger jaws are quick
to slice through the toughest trees.

182
00:17:51,863 --> 00:17:54,324
And when the yellow-bellies move on,

183
00:17:55,158 --> 00:17:57,661
the little fella takes his chance.

184
00:18:01,373 --> 00:18:02,791
[squeaking in distance]

185
00:18:02,874 --> 00:18:05,585
But gliders are social animals.

186
00:18:05,669 --> 00:18:08,463
[squeaking]

187
00:18:12,551 --> 00:18:14,719
More and more join the party.

188
00:18:15,637 --> 00:18:17,931
[squeaking]

189
00:18:21,685 --> 00:18:23,603
[high-energy music plays]

190
00:18:27,774 --> 00:18:30,694
This many uninvited guests
are hard to ignore.

191
00:18:35,532 --> 00:18:37,284
The yellow-belly's had enough.

192
00:18:37,367 --> 00:18:38,952
[dramatic music plays]

193
00:18:40,203 --> 00:18:42,247
[squeaking]

194
00:18:45,750 --> 00:18:46,918
It's fight

195
00:18:47,836 --> 00:18:48,962
or flight.

196
00:18:52,382 --> 00:18:54,426
An easy choice for a sugar glider.

197
00:19:00,557 --> 00:19:02,559
[birds chirping]

198
00:19:04,394 --> 00:19:06,396
[Australian instrumental music]

199
00:19:09,191 --> 00:19:14,154
Back in the Australian Alps,
the joey is now one big baby.

200
00:19:14,237 --> 00:19:15,655
[drums play]

201
00:19:15,739 --> 00:19:16,781
[cymbal crashes]

202
00:19:21,703 --> 00:19:25,165
Nine months old
and well on course to adulthood.

203
00:19:30,795 --> 00:19:33,215
Well, almost.

204
00:19:34,633 --> 00:19:36,635
[bouncy music plays]

205
00:19:38,887 --> 00:19:42,974
He'll continue to hop in and out
of the pouch for the next few months.

206
00:19:49,064 --> 00:19:51,358
Following in his father's footsteps,

207
00:19:51,441 --> 00:19:54,319
he's working on his tough guy image.

208
00:20:01,868 --> 00:20:03,703
And sparring with Mum.

209
00:20:09,084 --> 00:20:10,835
Lucky she's long-suffering.

210
00:20:11,378 --> 00:20:12,212
[growls softly]

211
00:20:13,797 --> 00:20:16,925
She'll put up with this
until he's a year and a half.

212
00:20:18,051 --> 00:20:19,552
Then he'll be on his own,

213
00:20:21,346 --> 00:20:23,014
fighting his way to the top.

214
00:20:28,853 --> 00:20:32,148
Because only the mob boss
is allowed to mate…

215
00:20:34,234 --> 00:20:36,027
and right now, that's Dad.

216
00:20:46,371 --> 00:20:48,123
The rival male is back.

217
00:20:48,206 --> 00:20:49,541
[growling]

218
00:20:49,624 --> 00:20:53,461
And now it's time. Time for a showdown.

219
00:20:53,962 --> 00:20:55,964
[dramatic music plays]

220
00:21:01,511 --> 00:21:02,345
[grunting]

221
00:21:08,852 --> 00:21:10,145
[growling]

222
00:21:11,229 --> 00:21:12,605
Fights are brutal.

223
00:21:14,149 --> 00:21:15,775
Sometimes fatal.

224
00:21:18,403 --> 00:21:19,946
[growling]

225
00:21:25,827 --> 00:21:27,829
[dramatic music continues]

226
00:21:36,796 --> 00:21:38,048
Rival defeated,

227
00:21:39,507 --> 00:21:41,134
Dad claims his reward.

228
00:21:45,430 --> 00:21:47,432
A little kangaroo courtship.

229
00:21:50,643 --> 00:21:51,895
His caresses…

230
00:21:54,606 --> 00:21:55,899
and sniffs

231
00:21:57,484 --> 00:21:59,069
are well-received.

232
00:22:00,945 --> 00:22:03,365
Seems joey will soon have a sibling.

233
00:22:05,325 --> 00:22:06,534
But when it arrives,

234
00:22:06,618 --> 00:22:09,579
he'll lose the security of Mum's pouch.

235
00:22:16,336 --> 00:22:18,838
[ominous music plays]

236
00:22:18,922 --> 00:22:22,926
From then on, he'll have to count
on his own turn of speed.

237
00:22:31,935 --> 00:22:35,563
The challenge of surviving
Australia's vast desert interior

238
00:22:36,314 --> 00:22:38,942
has shaped the fastest marsupial of all.

239
00:22:41,027 --> 00:22:42,404
The red kangaroo.

240
00:22:54,082 --> 00:22:56,626
Named for the males' distinctive coat,

241
00:22:58,586 --> 00:23:02,966
the red kangaroo is also
the largest marsupial in the world.

242
00:23:07,470 --> 00:23:11,224
Food sources here are few and far between,

243
00:23:12,142 --> 00:23:14,102
and water is even scarcer,

244
00:23:15,854 --> 00:23:19,774
so red kangaroos
need to keep moving to stay alive.

245
00:23:26,197 --> 00:23:29,159
They spend their lives chasing the rains.

246
00:23:36,958 --> 00:23:38,960
[dramatic music plays]

247
00:23:45,300 --> 00:23:48,511
They can cover eight meters
in a single leap.

248
00:23:50,889 --> 00:23:53,766
[uplifting music plays]

249
00:23:56,394 --> 00:24:00,899
Tendons in their hind legs
work like giant springs,

250
00:24:02,233 --> 00:24:05,778
recycling up to 70%
of the energy in every hop.

251
00:24:11,409 --> 00:24:16,206
And this rhythmic bounce also pumps
more oxygen through their lungs…

252
00:24:20,084 --> 00:24:23,338
allowing them to cruise
at 30 miles an hour.

253
00:24:24,130 --> 00:24:26,132
[uplifting music continues]

254
00:24:46,444 --> 00:24:48,738
Fast and efficient,

255
00:24:48,821 --> 00:24:52,408
red kangaroos migrate vast distances.

256
00:24:56,204 --> 00:24:58,540
When they finally reach greener pastures…

257
00:25:01,167 --> 00:25:05,797
they extract almost all the water
they need from the plants they eat…

258
00:25:10,510 --> 00:25:13,304
and can go for weeks
without drinking at all.

259
00:25:16,432 --> 00:25:18,810
With incredible specialization,

260
00:25:18,893 --> 00:25:22,522
red roos can thrive
in Australia's arid regions.

261
00:25:24,065 --> 00:25:27,569
But most marsupials
are tied to permanent water.

262
00:25:37,787 --> 00:25:41,291
Agile wallabies
are smaller cousins of red kangaroos.

263
00:25:46,170 --> 00:25:50,091
They graze around the billabongs
and creeks of Northern Australia…

264
00:25:52,927 --> 00:25:56,222
and have to regularly
come down to the water to drink.

265
00:26:07,483 --> 00:26:12,405
Saltwater crocodiles prey on the thirsty.

266
00:26:15,074 --> 00:26:17,410
[sinister drum beats]

267
00:26:25,668 --> 00:26:30,923
An ancient foe that's haunted these waters
since the time of the dinosaurs.

268
00:26:31,007 --> 00:26:32,800
[sinister music continues]

269
00:26:46,731 --> 00:26:48,733
[sinister music ends]

270
00:26:52,278 --> 00:26:54,280
[sinister music resumes]

271
00:27:09,420 --> 00:27:12,715
Collective vigilance and fast reactions

272
00:27:14,384 --> 00:27:18,763
mean, more often than not,
the wallabies get away.

273
00:27:25,561 --> 00:27:29,148
They've had millions of years
to adapt to this danger.

274
00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:33,820
But now, marsupials face new threats,

275
00:27:34,362 --> 00:27:36,280
and they're struggling to cope.

276
00:27:43,162 --> 00:27:48,710
Two hundred years ago, humans introduced
new predators to Australia.

277
00:27:51,504 --> 00:27:56,175
Feral cats kill
nearly 1.5 billion native animals a year.

278
00:28:00,471 --> 00:28:06,394
And they've played a major part
in the extinction of 22 marsupial species.

279
00:28:17,071 --> 00:28:20,950
The greater bilby
is in danger of going the same way.

280
00:28:21,993 --> 00:28:23,995
[suspenseful music plays]

281
00:28:26,164 --> 00:28:30,543
These timid creatures rely on acute senses
to navigate the night.

282
00:28:32,628 --> 00:28:38,217
Their elongated noses allow them
to sniff out seeds and fruit in the dark.

283
00:28:43,431 --> 00:28:46,184
And oversized ears help detect danger.

284
00:28:53,608 --> 00:28:56,861
But they don't have
the agility to outrun a cat.

285
00:29:02,033 --> 00:29:05,870
Greater bilbies have disappeared
from 80% of their range.

286
00:29:07,538 --> 00:29:11,751
Some wilderness areas
are now protected by cat-proof fences.

287
00:29:16,464 --> 00:29:17,673
And here,

288
00:29:17,757 --> 00:29:19,801
bilby numbers are on the rise.

289
00:29:25,556 --> 00:29:30,686
But the greatest threat facing marsupials
is even harder to control.

290
00:29:32,939 --> 00:29:34,190
In recent years,

291
00:29:34,273 --> 00:29:39,737
Australia's natural bushfires have become
more destructive than ever before.

292
00:29:48,329 --> 00:29:53,292
Climate change means occasional burns
have become regular firestorms.

293
00:30:05,221 --> 00:30:07,223
[birds squawking]

294
00:30:11,686 --> 00:30:16,816
Almost every year, thousands
of koalas and other marsupials die.

295
00:30:18,276 --> 00:30:20,278
[somber music plays]

296
00:30:28,536 --> 00:30:29,745
In the aftermath,

297
00:30:31,247 --> 00:30:33,916
it seems nothing could survive.

298
00:30:46,721 --> 00:30:50,099
But eucalyptus trees
are protected by thick bark.

299
00:30:51,726 --> 00:30:55,396
Within weeks of a burn,
they spring back to life.

300
00:30:59,108 --> 00:31:01,193
[waves crashing]

301
00:31:01,277 --> 00:31:04,447
And soon, all across Australia,

302
00:31:05,448 --> 00:31:07,658
the survivors are fighting back.

303
00:31:20,713 --> 00:31:23,132
Come the koala breeding season,

304
00:31:23,215 --> 00:31:26,427
the usually sleepy animals
are raring to go.

305
00:31:26,510 --> 00:31:29,847
[koala bellowing]

306
00:31:34,101 --> 00:31:36,771
A male's bellow carries for miles…

307
00:31:37,605 --> 00:31:39,857
[bellowing continues]

308
00:31:40,942 --> 00:31:43,444
[bellowing echoes]

309
00:31:50,409 --> 00:31:52,328
…broadcasting his location…

310
00:31:54,705 --> 00:31:56,457
showing off his size.

311
00:31:56,540 --> 00:31:59,669
[bellowing continues]

312
00:32:00,252 --> 00:32:02,254
It's an invitation to females.

313
00:32:02,338 --> 00:32:05,841
[bellowing continues]

314
00:32:05,925 --> 00:32:06,759
[grunting]

315
00:32:08,135 --> 00:32:09,512
A response.

316
00:32:09,595 --> 00:32:11,722
[grunting continues]

317
00:32:11,806 --> 00:32:13,724
But not the one he wanted.

318
00:32:19,230 --> 00:32:21,399
Disputes between males are rare…

319
00:32:26,529 --> 00:32:29,115
and pretty quickly, they turn ugly.

320
00:32:32,034 --> 00:32:33,786
[intense music plays]

321
00:32:33,869 --> 00:32:40,209
[koalas squealing]

322
00:32:43,587 --> 00:32:45,840
[squealing continues]

323
00:32:48,467 --> 00:32:53,222
[squealing continues]

324
00:32:54,807 --> 00:32:56,350
Rival dispatched.

325
00:32:58,436 --> 00:32:59,520
[koala grunts]

326
00:33:00,146 --> 00:33:02,440
Time to get back to finding a female.

327
00:33:03,149 --> 00:33:06,318
[koala bellows]

328
00:33:09,989 --> 00:33:12,783
[bellowing continues]

329
00:33:12,867 --> 00:33:16,954
At long last, his love song is heard.

330
00:33:24,837 --> 00:33:25,963
[koala squeals]

331
00:33:27,673 --> 00:33:29,091
[koala squeals]

332
00:33:29,967 --> 00:33:32,470
Well, she's in no rush to commit.

333
00:33:33,304 --> 00:33:34,764
Mm-mm-mm.

334
00:33:35,931 --> 00:33:36,766
[koala squeaks]

335
00:33:37,516 --> 00:33:40,770
But when it comes
to actually making babies,

336
00:33:41,353 --> 00:33:42,938
koalas don't hang around.

337
00:33:43,773 --> 00:33:46,609
In just 35 days, she'll give birth.

338
00:33:48,903 --> 00:33:50,321
So long as he gets his way.

339
00:33:58,746 --> 00:34:01,874
Such rapid reproduction
has helped marsupials

340
00:34:01,957 --> 00:34:06,420
to exploit every corner of the continent,
no matter how extreme.

341
00:34:08,714 --> 00:34:11,675
[majestic music playing]

342
00:34:14,345 --> 00:34:17,932
These are some of Australia's
tallest trees.

343
00:34:19,433 --> 00:34:24,063
Now, you might wonder
what a kangaroo joey is doing up here.

344
00:34:30,528 --> 00:34:33,030
But he's a tree kangaroo.

345
00:34:35,658 --> 00:34:39,161
His ancestors evolved out on the plains,

346
00:34:40,830 --> 00:34:42,414
but six million years ago,

347
00:34:43,082 --> 00:34:46,043
one daring roo took to the trees.

348
00:34:47,086 --> 00:34:50,923
Slowly but not so surely,

349
00:34:51,006 --> 00:34:54,051
its descendants
are making the canopy their home.

350
00:35:01,892 --> 00:35:04,228
They've developed stronger front limbs,

351
00:35:04,937 --> 00:35:06,480
curvier claws

352
00:35:07,106 --> 00:35:09,984
and shorter hind feet than a regular roo.

353
00:35:17,199 --> 00:35:20,119
But evolution is a slow process.

354
00:35:21,078 --> 00:35:25,916
Compared to other tree dwellers,
they're not the most graceful.

355
00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:31,505
And that's just the adults.

356
00:35:31,589 --> 00:35:32,715
[rustling]

357
00:35:37,052 --> 00:35:39,180
After seven months in the pouch,

358
00:35:39,263 --> 00:35:41,932
it's time for the joey to go it alone.

359
00:35:44,768 --> 00:35:46,770
[suspenseful music plays]

360
00:35:50,316 --> 00:35:51,609
No experience,

361
00:35:52,610 --> 00:35:53,611
under-equipped,

362
00:35:54,361 --> 00:35:55,779
and seven floors up.

363
00:36:12,087 --> 00:36:14,048
Ooh, Mum can only watch.

364
00:36:37,196 --> 00:36:38,280
[grunting]

365
00:36:38,364 --> 00:36:40,574
[rustling]

366
00:36:42,284 --> 00:36:44,286
[tense music plays]

367
00:37:00,386 --> 00:37:03,973
But the kangaroo gods
are smiling on this little joey.

368
00:37:08,811 --> 00:37:11,272
So long as his luck holds,

369
00:37:12,147 --> 00:37:15,693
he'll spend another year in Mum's care.

370
00:37:24,702 --> 00:37:30,291
Though the day comes when all marsupials
have to leave the protection of the pouch.

371
00:37:44,513 --> 00:37:49,601
Now 15 months old,
joey's taken a big leap forward.

372
00:37:52,479 --> 00:37:55,274
He spends his days
sparring with his peers.

373
00:37:55,858 --> 00:38:00,070
[grunting]

374
00:38:04,199 --> 00:38:06,368
[grunting]

375
00:38:07,119 --> 00:38:09,538
Mum's pouch has been taken over…

376
00:38:11,582 --> 00:38:12,583
by a sister.

377
00:38:16,337 --> 00:38:20,758
She's just six months old,
and hasn't set foot outside.

378
00:38:27,139 --> 00:38:31,018
[howling]

379
00:38:31,101 --> 00:38:34,188
But roos aren't the only ones
in the valley with young.

380
00:38:35,272 --> 00:38:36,982
[barking]

381
00:38:38,901 --> 00:38:39,818
[barking]

382
00:38:41,987 --> 00:38:46,075
The dingo pack
have left their pups to go hunting.

383
00:38:55,751 --> 00:39:01,548
Early human settlers introduced dingoes
to Australia around 3,500 years ago.

384
00:39:08,305 --> 00:39:12,893
Since then, they've become
the grey kangaroo's worst enemy.

385
00:39:23,278 --> 00:39:25,280
Other youngsters head for safety.

386
00:39:28,117 --> 00:39:29,868
But joey's got nowhere to go.

387
00:39:30,702 --> 00:39:33,539
[tense music playing]

388
00:39:36,750 --> 00:39:37,584
[grunting]

389
00:39:39,378 --> 00:39:42,923
If he can't keep up with the mob,
he's in trouble.

390
00:39:50,013 --> 00:39:52,015
[dramatic music plays]

391
00:39:54,601 --> 00:39:55,936
[growling]

392
00:40:03,902 --> 00:40:04,903
[growling]

393
00:40:15,456 --> 00:40:17,749
-The dingoes rush the roos…
-[dingoes howling]

394
00:40:19,418 --> 00:40:21,003
…searching for the slow.

395
00:40:22,337 --> 00:40:25,466
[grunting]

396
00:40:26,300 --> 00:40:28,302
[dramatic music continues]

397
00:40:38,770 --> 00:40:40,063
[grunting]

398
00:40:44,902 --> 00:40:48,071
A heavily-laden Mum is lagging behind.

399
00:40:48,155 --> 00:40:49,531
[shrieking]

400
00:40:52,201 --> 00:40:54,203
[suspenseful music plays]

401
00:41:02,252 --> 00:41:03,712
The hunters close in.

402
00:41:06,131 --> 00:41:08,133
[dramatic music plays]

403
00:41:20,187 --> 00:41:21,021
[grunt]

404
00:41:29,363 --> 00:41:30,364
[squealing]

405
00:41:37,663 --> 00:41:41,041
Fewer than half of all joeys
make it to adulthood.

406
00:41:47,339 --> 00:41:50,342
But on the far side of the valley,

407
00:41:51,009 --> 00:41:54,638
joey, Mum and his sister
have all survived.

408
00:41:58,809 --> 00:42:00,978
With pioneering spirit,

409
00:42:01,562 --> 00:42:03,939
amazing adaptability

410
00:42:04,523 --> 00:42:08,860
and, let's face it, not much competition,

411
00:42:09,778 --> 00:42:12,906
Australia's marsupials
have risen to the challenges

412
00:42:12,990 --> 00:42:15,117
of this unforgiving land.

413
00:42:18,912 --> 00:42:22,374
But this wonderful collection
of eccentric animals

414
00:42:22,457 --> 00:42:26,211
is struggling to adapt
to the threat of new predators…

415
00:42:26,295 --> 00:42:27,963
[howling]

416
00:42:28,046 --> 00:42:30,591
…and the chaos of climate change.

417
00:42:40,183 --> 00:42:42,936
But there are some
who are fighting for their future.

418
00:42:46,523 --> 00:42:51,570
Across Australia, people are devoting
their lives to rescuing…

419
00:42:53,822 --> 00:42:54,948
releasing…

420
00:43:00,078 --> 00:43:03,957
and protecting
the marsupials most in need.

421
00:43:04,041 --> 00:43:06,418
[hopeful music plays]

422
00:43:17,804 --> 00:43:21,183
And some species
are proving remarkably resilient.

423
00:43:22,601 --> 00:43:26,480
Eastern grey kangaroos
still thrive in their millions.

424
00:43:28,523 --> 00:43:30,400
Thanks to the might of the mob,

425
00:43:30,984 --> 00:43:33,195
one seriously dedicated mum

426
00:43:34,321 --> 00:43:36,073
and her amazing pouch,

427
00:43:37,032 --> 00:43:39,493
joey's had a great start.

428
00:43:41,703 --> 00:43:43,121
Now it's time to grow up.

429
00:43:43,830 --> 00:43:44,956
[grunting]

430
00:43:46,792 --> 00:43:48,001
And just maybe,

431
00:43:49,294 --> 00:43:50,712
maybe one day,

432
00:43:51,713 --> 00:43:53,965
become a kangaroo king.

433
00:43:57,135 --> 00:44:00,222
[closing theme music playing]