02x08 - Kickboxing Kangaroos

[bunniefuu]

[Announcer]
live from australia,

Just southwest
of the great barrier reef.

Australia, that rough-and-tumble
country down under,

Home to the world's only
rocking, hopping, socking,

Tail-popping, kickboxing
marsupial--the kangaroo!

It's thekickboxing
extravaganza

Of the decade...

[Crowd cheering]

[Chris]
years in the making,
and it's finally here.

These two
contenders are here
for one thing only,

And I'm not talking
about writing
to grandma.

On the left,
the old man, king gray,

A grizzled veteran
protecting his title.

On the right,
the challenger,

An up-and-comer

With dreams
of taking the title.

Your thoughts,
martino.

He'll have
his hands full

On this clear,
sunny afternoon
here in australia.

Don't touch that dial.

It's a-going to be
a brouhaha

Of kickboxing kangaroos

On today's very
wild world of sports
edition of...

Kratts' creatures!

Last time I checked,
the guys were in africa,

So what's going on?

Accessing africa...

[Beep]

Hmm. How about...bahamas?

[Beep]

Getting a signal,

But I don't know
where it's coming from.

We're coming at you

From sunny
kangaroo island,
south australia...

Where we're
about to witness

One of the most
exciting

Physical battles
in the world,

And, mart-man,
you can almost
smell the tension.

See? The fans
are already packing
themselves in.

[Martin]
here they come,
fight fans--

Creatures curious to check out
the confrontation,

Like this wombat.

[Chris]
if wombats are leaving
the burrow,

Then this contest
will be good.

[Martin]
well, this bandicoot
sure thinks so...

[Chris]
and that kangaroo's hopped
all the way from the outback.

[Martin]
no doubt he's rooting

For tough mack
of the outback.

[Chris]
don't know who this guy
is pulling for.

[Martin]
and this sheepdog...

[Chris]
uh, he's crowd control,
martino.

Well, either way,
these creatures

Will be packed
to the rafters,

Getting ready
to view
the big brawl...

And that koala's
got the best seat
in the house!

[Announcer]
welcome to tdtv--

Tasmanian devil television!

All tasmanian devils
all the time.

This week--
tasmanian devils!

Tasmanian devils?

The guys were talking about
kangaroos, not tasmanian devils.

Man, when this creature screen
goes on the fritz,

It really
goes on the fritz.

There's always interference
from somewhere.

[Martin]
tough mack has been
working hard, christola,

And he's looking good.

I think he's ready
for the big fight!

What are you guys
talking about?

Kickboxing kangaroos
isn't a sporting event.

There's more to it
than that, isn't there?

Matter of fact,

There's more to all
the creatures of australia

Than meets the eye.

Hey, we know!

That's why we like
to hang out
with kangaroos.

We know
the australian
crowd comes

From all walks,
crawls, hops,
and swims of life...

And they each
have so many sides

To their
creaturnalities.

[Chris]
how about the platypus?

This is one
weird-looking animal.

[Martin]
it has a bill like a duck,

Has big, paddle-like feet,
stores fat in its tail,

And it lays eggs!

[Martin]
and then there's the echidna!

[Chris]
these spiny guys
are anteaters,

And they're found
in more places in australia

Than any other mammal.

[Martin]
how about the kookaburra?

This is one tough bird
with one strong beak.

[Chris]
you know, he even
eats other birds.

And check out
that goanna.

He's australia's
biggest, toughest lizard.

With one whack
of that tail,

He can break
a dog's legs.

[Martin]
and this is really
amazing to me.

I never knew that there
are 50 different kinds

Of parrots in australia.

A rosella!

Hey, a king parrot...

Another one...

A sulfur-crested
cockatoo!

Another rosella...

Wow! A rainbow
lorikeet...

Oh, my gosh!
Little lorikeets...

And an elegant parrot.

[Chris]
and then there's the koala.

[Chris]
his name means "man
who refuses water jug,"

Because koalas
rarely drink.

Platypus, echidna,
goanna, koala--

Australia has
cool creatures,

But according to this,

None of them really
came from australia.

As a matter of fact,

You could say australia didn't
really come from australia.

This is a map
of how earth looked



North america, south america,
antarctica, and australia

Were all joined together
in one continent,

And it was when this
one continent existed

That marsupials--which means
animals with pouches--started.

Australia broke away
and drifted off on its own.

It was
completely isolated

From the rest
of the world,

And marsupials started
evolving like crazy...

Bandicoots,

Red kangaroos,

Koalas,

Mountain pygmy possum,

Tamar wallabies,

Wombats,

Pademelon,

Rock wallabies,

And the tasmanian devil.

[Growling]

Can you believe
the tasmanian devil

And all those creatures
evolved from a little guy

Like this--
the pygmy possum!

Marsupials started out
small like this,

But they sure got big.

There's fossils of prehistoric
giant kangaroos

Clocking in at 650 pounds
and standing 10 feet tall!

But giant kangaroos
aren't around anymore,

And as you can see,

His modern relatives
aren't exactly colossal,

But in my book, they're
australia's most successful

And coolest marsupials.

And that's where kangaroos
came from.

See? So there's more
to the kangaroo story

Than just kickboxing.

We know that,
but I bet
you don't know

Where kangaroos
got their name.

That's probably
real easy to find out.

I bet I can find out more
than you guys.

We'll take that bet, al--
anytime, anywhere.

[Martin]
do you know how many

Different kinds
of kangaroos there are?

Most people think a kangaroo
is just a kangaroo,

But that's not
even close to the truth.

There are 57 species
of kangaroos in the world.

They all
have different names,

But they're all macropods.

[Chris]
wait. What's a macropod?

A macropod
has big feet and hops.

[Martin]
but macropods come
in all kinds of sizes--

Anywhere
from the red kangaroo,

Which can get as big
as a basketball player...

[Chris]
all the way down
to tiny little boogers

Like the wallaby,
pademelon, and bettong

That are about as small
as a rabbit.

[Martin]
hey, in between, you've got
all different kinds, like...

The gray kangaroo,

Featured in today's
kickboxing main event...

[Chris]
and the rock wallaby,

Who lives in rough,
rocky places.

[Martin]
hey, and the tamar wallaby,

One of the few creatures

Who can drink saltwater.

[Chris]
you ever notice
that the pademelon

Looks kind of like
a fat mouse?

[Martin]
do you know how

The bridled nail-tailed wallaby
got its name?

It's that nail-like spur
on its tail.

This guy is
hurling up his lunch

So he can eat it again.

What a great idea!

[Chris]
and then there's
the long-nosed potoroo,

One of australia's
creatures of the night.

[Martin]
if you thought
the potoroo was small,

Check out the bettong.

It's about the size
of a rat.

[Chris]
but did you know

That there are also kangaroos
who live in trees?

[Martin]
there's the lummoltz
tree kangaroo...

[Chris]
and the goodfellow
tree kangaroo.

[Martin]
so many different kangaroos.

They're all macropods,
and they're all related.

O.k. I got one
for you guys.

We all know
that kangas hop,

But did you know
that they also walk?

They use their tail
as a fifth leg

To balance on
when they shuffle around...

And that fifth leg
comes in handy

When you've got to
lean low for food...

Or for balance
when you kick.

But you guys still
haven't answered my question--

Where did kangaroos
get their name?

[Chris]
the cook channel--

History as it happens.

As the legend goes,
kangaroos got their name

From the aborigines
of australia,

But the joke was really
on captain cook,

One of the first european
explorers to land here.

Cook asked an aborigine,

"What's that weird
hopping animal over there?"

And the aborigine said...

[Chris]
"kangaroo."

Which means,
"I don't understand you."

So captain cook,
obviously not the sharpest
of guys, said...

I dub thee
kangaroo.

[Martin]
which goes to show

When you're
in a strange
and different land,

It's always good to have
a translating dictionary.

Hmm..."I don't
understand you"?

But the aborigines
had their own version

Of where kangaroos
came from.

Whoa!

[Didgeridoo playing]

[Martin]
aborigines are a really cool
group of people.

[Chris]
the aboriginal ancestors
came over to australia

A long time ago.

[Martin]
you know, the way
the aborigines think

About their land
and all its creatures

Is a lot like the way
the american indians think

About north america
and all of its creatures.

[Chris]
they respect the animals
that live around them,

And they celebrate animals
in their dances.

[Martin]
you know, aborigines
have their own beliefs

About where those animals
come from.

[Chris]
the aborigines believe
that kangaroos

Fell to the earth
from the sky.

Kangaroos
coming from the sky?

Hilarious humans!
Ha ha ha!

You want to know
where kangaroos come from?

There's one easy answer.

Hey, that's right!

If you want to get
technical about it,

If you want to get
technical about it,

Kangaroos
come from their
mother's pouches.

[Chris]
you got that wrong.

What do you mean?
Oh, hey, you're right!

Kangaroos aren't
born in their
mothers' pouches.

They go there
after they're born.

It's a dramatic race
against the clock.

The newborn
gives it his all

In a courageous climb
up and into
the mother's pouch.

The baby joey makes
the 7-inch climb

In three minutes.

Imagine climbing
to the top

Of this cliff
that fast.

O.k. Ready, martin? Go!

Wait, wait,
wait a minute!

I almost forgot--
the baby joey has
an added disadvantage.

His legs aren't yet
fully developed,

So he's got to use
only his arms.

Are you kidding me?

O.k. Go.

Wait, wait, wait!
There's one more thing.

The baby joey
can't see yet,

So he makes his journey
guided only by gravity.

O.k. Go ahead.

That looks
like some tough trip,

But it actually is
a pretty good illustration.

The baby joey climbs
on his own.

The only help
he gets from mom

Is a path she licks
to make the going easier.

I'm b*at. This is a lot
harder than I thought.

[Chris]
once the baby gray kangaroo
makes it into the pouch,

He attaches himself
to a nipple.

He's safe and warm
in there,

And there's
plenty of milk.

[Martin]
he calls the pouch home

Until he's ready
to head out on his own.

[Chris]
did you know
a baby gray kangaroo

Will stay in the pouch
for nine months?

If you're trying to figure out
what it feels like

To be
in a kangaroo's pouch,

Try jumping
in your sleeping bag.

The baby gray stays there
for about 300 days.

Yeah, but how do
joeys turn around

Once they jump
headfirst
into the pouch?

[Allison]
"the kangaroo's pouch
can contract and expand."

That's how they do it!

The mom
keeps the joey in,

And he can only get out
when she lets him out.

So you can see
there's a lot more

To kangaroos
than just kickboxing.

Hold your horses!

Kangaroos aren't the only
creatures who fight.

There's seals,

Stallions,

Howler monkeys,

Vultures,

Laughing hyenas.

That's something I never
thought about before,

But it's a good question.

Why does anyone fight?

Since a lot of fighting
goes on here,

This hockey arena might be
a good place to start.

It's sport, mostly,
or competition.

But competition
for a puck?

That seems
kind of stupid to me...

Because it is,

And it doesn't have anything
to do with why animals fight.

[Chris]
you got to realize
that creature fights are rare.

When they happen, it's because
there's no alternative.

[Martin]
and different creatures
fight in different ways.

[Chris]
there's horn hitting...

[Martin]
crab claw clutching...

[Chris]
then there's elephant
tusk tussling...

[Trumpeting]

[Martin]
hey, and giraffe
neck knocking...

[Allison]
and then there's
half-fights,

Like humanoid
brother bashing.

[Martin]
don't forget about
hippo jaw jousting.

[Chris]
but there's nothing
like this...

The bighorn channel.

[Martin]
bighorn sheep have been
known to bang heads

For up to 20 hours!

[Chris]
whoa! You'd think their
brains would turn to mush,

But they have
a double-layered skull.

[Martin]
the purpose to all
creature fighting

Is not to hurt
the opponent.

[Chris]
it's to settle conflict.

[Announcer]
and tasmanian devils

Love to tussle
over their dinner.

But I still
can't find the answer.

Why do kangaroos fight?

That's what we're
going to find out

On today's special
sporting edition

Of kratts'
creatures.

Why do kickboxing
kangaroos kickbox?

[Martin]
to answer that question,

Let's look at the life story
of our fighters.

[Chris]
tough mack started
where all kangaroos start--

By climbing into the warm safety
of his mother's pouch--

But he didn't stay
for long.

Soon, this precocious
youngster

Was heading out
to explore on his own.

[Martin]
tragically,
on one of his forays

Away from the mob,
he was lost.

[Chris]
but fortunately,
he was whisked away

To a joey orphanage.

But he yearned to return
to life in the mob.

When young mack
was ready,

He streaked off
into the wild.

[Martin]
it was here, christola,

He honed his fighting skills
and prepared himself

For his confrontation
with this veteran...

[Chris]
the king gray,

Who's reigned as leader
of the mob for years.

He's a tough,
grizzled veteran

Straight from the school
of hard kicks...

[Martin]
and he was a gutsy
little scrapper,

Taking on kangaroos
twice his size.

[Chris]
he would go head to head
with any kangaroo,

And he was able to avoid
the kangaroos' great enemies,

The deadly dingo

And the menace from above,
the wedge-tailed eagle.

Kangaroos have
some really cool ways

Of dealing with predators.

Check it out.

When wedge-tailed eagles
are around,

The baby joey jumps
right into the mother's pouch.

Hey, and there's a wedgie.

Wait! What's this guy doing?

He's got to get back
to mom.

Go, dude, go!

Whew! The wedgie's
foiled again,

And the joey is safe
in his mother's pouch.

Threats like wedge-tailed
eagles and dingoes

Are one of the reasons
kangaroos live in mobs.

[Chris]
it's safety in numbers.

The more eyes and ears
on the lookout, the better.

A roo would rather run
than fight,

And when danger's around,
they thump the ground...

Danger like a dingo.

Dingoes are the number-one
predator of the kangaroo.

[Martin]
and when kangaroos hear
a dingo's howl, they take off.

[Chris]
you never know where
a dingo is lurking,

So you have to
keep your guard up.

[Martin]
king gray, today's
leader of the mob,

Overcame all these threats,

And he defended his title
in these memorable bouts...

Wagga wagga...

Woolgoolga...

Wallaroo...

Woolongong...

Winamagobo.

[Announcer]
tazzy devils--

These timid little guys
love to come out at night.

Welcome back to the wild world
of kickboxing kangaroos.

Marto, it looks
like we're getting

Some activity
on the kickboxing front.

I'm here
with the king gray.

It's not easy
being leader of the mob.

You're not appointed
for life.

You have to deal
with constant challenges

From young up-and-comers.

And to be the boss
as long as this fellow has--

You're looking
at a true champion.

[Chris]
hey, martin, check out
these future hopefuls.

[Martin]
yeah, these young guys
are practicing,

Honing
their fighting skills.

[Chris]
they got to work
on the kick.

[Martin]
whoa! Nice one, chris.

[Chris]
check out the old
kangaroo face scratch.

That's a move
they have to master.

Wait a minute.

This sounds to me
like a guy thing.

That's where
you're wrong, al.

What it's about is
survival of the fittest.

To be king gray,
you got to be

Strong enough
and smart enough to survive

So that those genes
will be passed down,

Which increases the odds

Of the survival
of the whole species.

The leader of the mob sires
the next generation of joeys.

It's about survival
of the fittest?

That can't really
be it, can it?

Sure. Kickboxing...

[Punching noises]

Is the way they make sure
only the strongest survive

So they can all survive.

Wow! So it really is
a big deal.

It's a serious big deal.

[Martin]
hey, al, king gray's
spotted something.

[Chris]
it's tough mack.
He's making his challenge...

[Martin]
and they're squaring off!

There they go!

This is intense.

[Chris]
ooh, wow! What a hit!

King gray has
the uphill advantage.

[Martin]
whoa! Tough mack's
spun him around!

What a move!

[Chris]
look at how they stand
on their tails to kick.

It looks
like king gray's tiring.

[Martin]
yeah. Tough mack's
got him on the run.

[Chris]
oh, my gosh!
King gray's quitting.

Tough mack,
the challenger,

Is the new leader
of the mob.

Kickboxing kangaroos
really isn't

Just about clobbering
each other.

It's not
just a sporting event.

It's about survival.

And for these amazing
kangaroos of australia,

We hope it's a battle
they keep winning...

For a long time
to come.

Kickboxing isn't
just two kangaroos

b*ating each other up.

It's about survival,
and survival for marsupials

Is a struggle
from the moment they're born,

From the journey
to the mother's pouch

To the battle they face
from outside threats

Every day as adults to--

Hey, guys,
didn't we make a bet

About who could find out
more about kangaroos?

We never decided who won.

[Martin]
well, we all won,
especially tough mack.

And king gray?

He doesn't have to
lead the mob anymore,

So he's got
no worries, mate.