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WILDLIFE
DOWN UNDER (2000)
Join Nick on his six-week quest as
he searches the reefs, rainforests and rivers in search of Australia's
most unusual animals. He lets a blood-sucking leech feast on his blood,
comes face-to-face with a giant Manta Ray, and tracks down one of the
Australia's heaviest birds - the elusive Cassowary, which has been known
to kill humans with slashing blows of its feet.
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Green Python |
Nick's quest sends him to one of
the most remote areas of northern Australia's Cape York Peninsula, the
Iron Range National Park, in search of one of the most striking snakes in
the world, the green python. Unique to Australia and Papua New Guinea, the
green tree python is at increasing risk from poachers. An alarming number
of these endangered snakes are being taken illegally from national parks
like Iron Range, and are appearing in zoos and animal parks around the
world. Nick meets conservation biologist, Daryn Storch, who monitors and
tags green tree pythons in Iron Range National Park to better track the
population size and movements of this special species.
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| Duck
Billed Platypus |
Nick
goes in search of one of the world's strangest mammals - the duck-billed
platypus. When the first complete platypus coat and bill arrived in 18th century
England, the animal was dismissed as a hoax, with skeptics certain that such a
strange looking creature could not possibly exist. The platypus is one of the
world's few venomous mammals; the adult male's poisonous spurs on its hind legs
can inflict intense pain. But scientists are still researching the exact purpose
of the spur, as well as other unanswered questions about the extraordinary
design of the platypus and its role in the animal kingdom. With Nick's
infectious enthusiasm for wild and wonderful creatures, he jumps at the chance
to let a blood-sucking leech feast on his blood.
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| Tree Kangaroos
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There are more than 45 different species of kangaroo in Australia, and few of
them look anything like 'Skippy'! Nick Baker goes to Northern Queensland to find
the tree kangaroo and meets local residents who raise orphaned kangaroos to
release back into the wild.
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Cassowary |
In the rainforest of
north Queensland Nick Baker searches for the rarely seen cassowary, Australia's
heaviest bird and one of the largest in the world. With an average height of
five feet, its striking appearance should mean it is hard to miss, but this
creature has developed some pretty elusive behaviour.
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| Sea
Snake |
Sea snakes are found in the waters
all over the Great Barrier Reef, but Nick travels to one of the more
promising locations to see them, Snake Pit, off the coast of Lizard
Island. Nick's particular target is the beautiful but deadly olive sea
snake. Nick also visits another well-known haunt of this creature, the
waters around Great Keppel Island. There he joins forces with Russell
Kelley, a marine biologist, as they attempt to capture two olive sea
snakes for Kelley to breed in captivity.
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Manta Ray |
At the southern extreme of the Great Barrier Reef, Lady Elliott Island is
regarded as one of the best dive sites in the world. Nick Baker goes in search
of the manta ray, a giant of the ocean, which can only be found in a reef this
large. Be prepared to meet a few other underwater inhabitants along the questing
trail.
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