03x01 - Hippopotamus amphibius

[bunniefuu]

["One Step Closer" playing]

[Jane] "Hippopotamus amphibius."

[Greybeard chattering]

- They should be here.
- Who should?

One of the most dangerous animals
in all of Africa.

- Lions.
- No.

[chattering]

Elephants? Nope.

[honking]

[growling]

[David] A baby hippopotamus?

But they're so chubby and cute.
They can't be the most dangerous animal.

They aren't. Their moms and dads are.

[honks]

What's she doing?

Hippopotamus moms make huge honks

to let other hippos and predators know
to stay away.

[David] What do we do?

- [Jane] Listen to her.
- [honks]

I wonder what she's saying now.
And where are all the other hippos?

Hippo moms head out on their own
to have their babies.

Why?

[honking, growling]

Maybe because it's quieter?

Maybe. That's what we're here to find out.
Hippopotamuses are endangered.

Learning how they look after their babies
could help us learn how to--

Help other cute hippo babies?

Exactly.

- [David] Where's she going?
- [Jane] Uh-oh.

Hippo moms push off the river bottom
when they're going to charge.

Quick, start rowing.

- [Greybeard shrieking]
- [bellows]

[both scream, grunt]

- She knocked over our boat?
- [grunts]

Hippos weigh as much as a car.
More than enough to topple us over.

[Maria] Well, that explains
where the couch cushions went.

Come on, Jane,
you've still got chores to finish.

But, Mom,
we're tracking the Hippopotamus amphibius.

Finally, one I can get. Let me guess.
That is the scientific name for a hippo?

You got it.

They're called "amphibius"
because they live on land and in water.

- Interesting.
- [Jane] Isn't it?

- Now fix the couch and set the table.
- But, Mom.

Well, if you don't wanna set the table,
I could always cancel the pizza.

I'll set the table.

- Thanks, David.
- [Maria] That's not David's chore, Jane.

Coming. [grunts]

Your mom doesn't even need to honk
to get you to move.

[Jane strains]

- Back in, David.
- [grunts] I'm trying.

- [grunting] Something's stuck.
- [grunts]

- Keep backing up.
- What do you think I'm doing?

[baby crying]

You don't need to get upset about it.

[baby crying]

That's not me.

- [parent humming]
- Can I help you?

Oh. Uh, sure.

[baby crying]

- [Jane strains]
- [parent sighs]

Oh. Thanks, uh, um...

Jane. Greybeard is the chimpanzee,
and that's David with the boat.

I'm Jillian,
and this crying munchkin is Ren.

[crying]

More like Ren-dorable.

[chuckling]

[crying]

[door closes]

[crying continues]

Do you want me to try?
I'm really good with babies.

- [Jillian sighs]
- They love me.

[gasps]

Hi, Ren. [gasps]
You Ren? Yes. [exhales sharply]

See?

Wow. Ren really likes you, David.

They all do.

Why don't you try?

Oh.

Hi, Ren. [babbling]

[crying]

Is she okay?

Oh. Yeah. She just cries anytime
I'm not holding her.

Normally, her singing whale calms her down
in her stroller.

But the batteries died again.

So, she's been whale-ing the whole time?

Get it? Because of her whale.

- We all got it.
- [chuckles]

Thanks again for your help outside.

Bye, Ren.

Let me know if you ever need a babysitter.

We could do it together.

Yeah. Sure.

[Jillian] Okay. Thanks.

Bye.

But you're changing the diapers.

[elevator bell dings]

- Wait! No! You can't do that.
- [Ren crying]

- I don't think she heard you.
- [sighs]

We need to tell Jillian that
dead batteries don't go in the trash.

[chattering]

[Jane] This is more important than chores.

If those batteries go to the dump,

they'll rust and leak poisonous chemicals
into the ground.

- Which is not good.
- Super not good.

Even worse,
if we don't recycle our batteries,

then more need to be made,

which means more land gets dug up
looking for battery parts.

Which means more animals lose their homes.

Like hippos
and their adorably chubby baby hippos?

Exactly.

[dings]

I'll drop this off at your place.
Buy you some time.

[Greybeard chattering]

Come on. Go find those batteries.

- [chatters]
- You have longer arms.

[grunts]

Greybeard... [sighs]
...how would you feel if you lost your home?

[chatters]

If we don't do something about it now,
one day, there won't be any hippos left.

[chatters]

Pee-ew! What is that smell? Diapers?

[rustling]

[Maria] David?

This is kind of hard to carry.

- Where's Jane?
- Um. [chuckles]

Did you know hippos weigh
as much as-- [stammers]

David.

Did you find them?

[Greybeard chatters]

[gasps] Good job.

Greybeard! Are you okay?

- Jane?
- [Jane] Hi, Mom.

[Maria] What are you doing?

Saving hippos.

And where are you doing that?

[Jane] The garbage room.

Of course you are.

[chuckles]

Stay there. I'm coming down.

I-- I'll get these back on your couch.
[strains]

[straining]

[chattering]

Don't worry. She'll understand
once I explain it to her.

[Maria] Jane?

Did you pick those out of the garbage?

What did I say
about going through other people's trash?

I didn't. Greybeard did.

[sighs] Let's go.

But we need to find where Jillian lives

so we can tell her
to stop throwing out her batteries.

[sighs] Sure.
After you finish your chores.

She probably doesn't even know how bad
not recycling can be for the environment.

[David] Mmm.

"Above all,
we must try to educate young people

to be better stewards of this planet
than we have been."

Jane Goodall said that.

Yes. I know that pillow very well.

Thanks for fixing the couch, David.
That's one of Jane's chores done.

[sighs] But it's not just young people
that need to learn,

grown-ups do too.

It's everyone's chore
to take care of the planet.

Fine. Find Jillian,
then straight back up here.

- Hmm.
- Thanks, Mom.

- Come on, David.
- [sighs]

[David] I don't think
Jillian lives in the storage lockers.

No, but I have something down here
that will help her.

[clattering]

[David] Did you hear that?

I know it's in here somewhere.

[clattering]

- Jane.
- One second.

- [clattering]
- [growling]

[Jane] Found it.

And I found something else.

[honks]

How dangerous are hippos again?
Like, on a scale of one to ten.

- Eleven.
- Oh. So, off the charts then.

Especially when they're defending
their babies.

[grunting]

[David] Uh, like that baby?

[honks]

No, baby. Go back to your mom.

Told you babies love me.

- [honks]
- [Jane] She's making those noises again.

If the mom sees us near her baby,
she's not gonna like it.

[gasps] Why am I so lovable?

- [honks]
- [David groans]

[screaming]

Run!

[crying]

Hold on, kiddo. I'll find some.

Oh. [exhales sharply]

Uh, no batteries in here either. [sighs]

Okay, okay, okay. Don't worry.

I'll get Whaley working.
[inhales deeply, sighs]

Aha.

Oh. Guess I did that last time.

[David screams] They're so fast.

[Jane] They may have stubby legs,
but hippos are surprisingly fast on land.

[David] Now you tell me?

[Jane] Thanks, Greybeard.

This way.

[grunting]

[baby hippo honking]

- [David] Her baby's leaving.
- [Jane] Oh, no.

We've got to get her back to her mom.

But aren't we trying
to get away from her mom?

If we don't get the baby back to her mom,
she might not make it.

Baby animals need their moms
to protect them from predators.

Come on.

- [clattering]
- [hippo grunting]

Keep her here, Greybeard.
We'll be right back.

Here, baby hippo, hippo, hippo, hippo.

Here, baby hippo, hippo, hippo.

- [vocalizing]
- [Ren crying]

Nice moves.

Oh. Thanks.

Sometimes dancing in the hallway

is the only way to get Ren
to calm down and fall asleep.

[Ren babbling]

[chuckles]

Come on, Jane.

I don't feel sleepy, but you're one
of the two things we're looking for.

- Well, what's the other?
- A baby hippo.

A baby hippo?

I thought just cats and small dogs
were allowed in the building.

She got separated from her mom, so now
we're trying to get them back together.

So we can see why hippo moms have their
babies away from other hippos.

Big finish.

I wish we had more family around.

Actually, we have something that might
help you. Where can we plug this in?

Oh. Um. [chuckles]

[Ren crying]

[grunting, honking]

- Here you go.
- What is it?

Ooh, let me guess. I love guessing.

Okay. Give me one hint.

A rechargeable battery kit.

You have to work on your hints, Jane.

[Jane] There's a few rechargeable
batteries powered up already.

Now you can just recharge those instead
of throwing regular ones in the trash.

You saw that, huh?

Yeah. It's not good for the environment.

Or baby hippos.

Or baby people.

[fussing]

I know you're supposed to take them
to the recycling depot.

But honestly, who has the time?

The other day
I ate a frozen Toaster Strudel.

I didn't even have time to heat it up
before Ren started crying.

Sometimes doing the right thing
just takes a little extra work.

We have a bin for our used batteries,

so we only have to take them in
once in a while.

[Ren crying]

Oh. [chuckles]

[Jillian singing
in native language through toy]

Is that your voice?

Yeah. [chuckles] My mom used to sing me
this when I was a baby.

I'm not the greatest singer, but babies
love hearing their parent's voice.

I wonder if that's true
for baby hippos too.

Hmm, I don't see why not.

I have an idea. Come on.

Bye, Ren.

[yawns]

- [grunting]
- [Greybeard chattering]

- [Greybeard shrieking]
- [hippo grunting]

I know what the mama hippo was doing
in the river and in the storage unit.

She was teaching her baby hippo her voice.

She was?

It's just like
how Ren knows Jillian's voice.

Is that why hippo moms go off
on their own to have their babies?

I bet it's tough
to teach your baby your voice

if you're surrounded by other loud hippos.

- [Greybeard chattering through radio]
- [hippo honking through radio]

Oh, no.

Everything okay, Greybeard?

- [chattering]
- [hippo grunting, honking]

That honking doesn't sound good.

- But look. The baby hippo's back.
- [honking]

She must have heard her mom
through the walkie.

[David] Oh, I think she misses her.

You keep an eye on her.
And I'll go get her mom.

- I'm coming, Greybeard.
- [Greybeard shrieks]

[grunting]

[shrieking, cackles]

Hi, baby. You're so cute.

Do you miss your mom?
Does this calm you down?

- [baby hippo honks]
- How about this?

♪ Little chubby baby
You'll see your mom soon ♪

♪ Hopefully
Before she smashes the baboon ♪

♪ I know he's a chimp
But that doesn't rhyme with soon ♪

♪ So-- ♪

Wait! Where are you going?
Come back, baby!

[hippo growling]

[Jane] Greybeard, are you still down here?

[Greybeard chatters]

[chatters]

[hippo grunting]

[Greybeard chatters]

[chatters]

[honks, growls]

David, where are you? Over.

Outside. She's really getting upset.

And I'm getting a little upset
she keeps running away from me.

And don't ask, I've already tried
singing and dancing for her.

Staying away from the pod
lets the baby learn their mom's voice.

But I bet it also helps the mom
learn her baby's voice.

David,
I know how to get the mom out there,

but I need you to get the walkie close
to the baby.

I'll try singing and dancing together.

♪ Little chubby baby
You'll see your mom soon ♪

♪ Hopefully
Before she smashes the baboon ♪

[honks]

[cackling]

[Jane] Greybeard!

[honks]

[chattering, shrieks]

- [chattering]
- [honks]

[baby hippo honking through radio]

It's working.

- She wants her baby. Run!
- [Greybeard screeches]

♪ See the baboon ♪

Hide!

[whimpers]

[grunting]

Look! She sees her baby.
And now they're talking.

It's funny how an animal
could be so scary one second,

so sweet the next.

Kind of like my little sister.

[Jane] That baby hippo was a lot of work.

It's not easy being a hippo mom.

They have to teach their babies
their voice

while protecting them from predators.

Which must be extra hard
if they're losing their homes.

- Exactly. Which means--
- Jane!

I said find Jillian, not play outside.

[Jane] Sorry, Mom.

Which means anything we can do for hippos...

Would go a long way.

[Jane] Yeah.

Well, we didn't just find Jillian.

We also got the mom and baby hippo
back together.

What an odd adventure.

Thanks for calling Delivery Debbie.

- Thank you.
- Bye.

What toppings did you get?

Veggie, obviously.

Which we will eat
after you finish your chores.

- Or we could share?
- Your chores?

[Jane chuckles] No, the pizza.

Oh, my gosh.
You beautiful, greasy, cheesy goodness.

Did you know hippos can open their mouth
as big as a pizza box?

And they can open them straight up.
Like this. Ah.

Honestly, I do the same for pizza.

- I'm Jane's mom, Maria.
- [chuckles] I'm Ren's, Jillian.

Thank you for this.
I really appreciate it.

I remember what it was like.

It gets easier, but... [sighs]
...it also doesn't get easier. [sighs]

[chuckles] Come in. I'll get plates.
[chuckles]

Oh, Jane, I forgot.
I wanna show you something.

I thought maybe it could go in the lobby

so everyone
could put their old batteries in too.

And when it's full, we could do some
sort of drop-off at the recycling depot.

I love that idea.
It'll really help animals like the hippo.

[Jillian gasps]

[Ren crying]

Don't worry. I've got it.

♪ Little cutie baby, let your mom eat ♪

♪ And if you do
I'll try to give you a treat ♪

- [Jillian chuckles]
- Come on.

[both]
♪ Little cutie baby, let your mom eat ♪

♪ And if you do
I'll try to give you a treat ♪

[all laugh]

Love that song. Love this pizza.

[hippos growling]

Look, our mama hippo is introducing
her baby to the rest of the pod.

It sounds like they like her.

Yeah. And now they'll protect,
teach and babysit her.

Will they dance for her?
Hippo-party-mus style.

I think I've seen enough dancing.

Which means you haven't done
enough dancing. Come on.

[chattering rhythmically]

[both chuckle]

[honking]

- [Jane] Help save the hippos.
- [Greybeard chatters]

[David] Hey, Jane,
did you see the hippo video I sent you?

I'm watching it right now.

- The hippo kinda looks like a--
- A ballerina.

Right?
It kind of looks like she's dancing.

I was thinking more like a beluga whale.
See?

- Let's let Kabelo Kgafela settle this.
- Deal.

He sees hippos almost every day as a
wildlife photographer and a safari guide.

- [monitor chimes]
- There he is now.

[both] Hi, Kabelo.

Hi, Jane. Hi, David.

Thanks for talking to us
about hippos today.

As you know,
I'm a big fan of hippopotamuses.

Can you first take a look at this video?

Do you think this hippo
looks more like a ballerina or a beluga?

Oh, definitely a beluga ballerina.

[chuckles] It's a tie, David.

Did you know one of hippos'
closest living relatives are whales?

- Really?
- What?

[Kabelo] Yep. Weird, huh?

Especially since adult hippos
can't swim or float.

But they do spend a lot of time
under water.

They even sleep under water.

See here? They can only hold their breath
for a few minutes

and surface to the water when they need to

and sink back to the bottom
without waking up.

- They should be named hippo-bottom-us.
- [laughs] Nice one, David.

- Were you on a safari today?
- A few days ago. Let me show you.

In front of us is one of the hippo pods.

And the moms and their calves were
just enjoying themselves in the water.

You have an awesome job.

[Kabelo] As a safari guide,

I love showing people our wildlife
and to also connect with nature.

Hippos are one of the keystone species.

They play an important role.

The movement of hippos clear new paths,

giving animals and plant species
access to the water.

Also, hippos' poop is filled with seeds

which feed the fish
and help grow new vegetation to graze.

- Hippos plant seeds just by pooing?
- Yep.

- Cool and kinda gross.
- [Kabelo chuckles]

[Kabelo]
Recently, there was less rainfall.

That impacted the Delta.
Parts of the Delta was dry as a bone.

What happened to the hippos?

200 were stranded
and they got helped by wildlife groups.

Why did it rain so little?

Global climate change
affects waterways all over the world,

like the Okavango River.

Hundreds of species, including people,
rely on this fresh water.

What can we do to help from here?

[Kabelo] The good news is, like water,
we are all connected.

There are many ways to help hippos
and wildlife from where you are.

- How?
- Check this out.

These are the photos that I took.

I share the importance of the hippos
and the Okavango Delta with art.

So, find creative ways to share
what you've learned today with others.

And try to reuse plastic products

because most of it ends up
hurting hippos and all wildlife.

I'm guessing Jane has an idea.

I do.

We can collect used plastic
from our building

and make an art sculpture in the lobby
for everyone to see.

- And let everyone know about hippos.
- [Kabelo] Brilliant ideas!

And I cannot wait
to see your hippo sculpture.

We'll send you a photo.

- Thank you, Kabelo.
- Bye, Jane.

Bye, David.

- Bye.
- Bye, Kabelo.

I'll check my recycling bin for plastic
stuff we could use for our art hippo.

Me too. And we can ask our neighbors
for more recyclables.

[David] Jane, hurry. I found a stash of
pudding containers in our recycling bin.

They'll make great hippo feet.

Awesome. I'll be right there.

["One Step Closer" playing]