1 00:00:05,866 --> 00:00:08,766 -There's a strange animal living in the creek 2 00:00:08,766 --> 00:00:10,466 that runs through our city. 3 00:00:10,466 --> 00:00:15,433 One of the most extraordinary creatures on Earth... 4 00:00:15,433 --> 00:00:18,366 the platypus. 5 00:00:19,233 --> 00:00:23,266 For some reason -- it's not really a reason I understand -- 6 00:00:23,266 --> 00:00:26,400 it's like I've been granted this window into their world. 7 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:32,700 Sometimes, I think they live in paradise. 8 00:00:34,866 --> 00:00:37,400 [ Thunder crashes ] 9 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,500 Other times, it looks like hell. 10 00:00:42,533 --> 00:00:44,400 Over the next year, 11 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,866 I'll try to get to know some individual platypus. 12 00:00:47,866 --> 00:00:50,900 If I can understand their secret world, 13 00:00:50,900 --> 00:00:53,733 I might be able to help them. 14 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,066 Sometimes in life, you have those moments. 15 00:00:58,066 --> 00:01:01,100 You realize you just can't keep taking from nature. 16 00:01:01,100 --> 00:01:05,066 It's now time to give something back. 17 00:01:05,066 --> 00:01:29,233 ♪♪ 18 00:01:49,266 --> 00:01:51,766 -I love living in Hobart. 19 00:01:51,766 --> 00:01:54,000 There's nowhere else in Australia like it. 20 00:01:55,733 --> 00:01:59,566 It's a small city, surrounded by water, 21 00:01:59,566 --> 00:02:04,000 nestled in the foothills of a stunning mountain. 22 00:02:05,866 --> 00:02:07,533 And somehow, in spite of itself, 23 00:02:07,533 --> 00:02:10,933 it's remained connected to nature. 24 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,866 I think destiny probably drew me to the waterway. 25 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,866 It was a challenging time in my life. 26 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,966 I'd had a cracking headache for over a year. 27 00:02:32,966 --> 00:02:34,533 I didn't feel right. 28 00:02:36,166 --> 00:02:38,100 An escalation of X-rays... 29 00:02:39,166 --> 00:02:40,400 scans... 30 00:02:41,566 --> 00:02:43,200 ultrasounds... 31 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,300 and blood tests followed. 32 00:02:49,133 --> 00:02:52,400 The doctors found numerous lesions in my brain. 33 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,166 At some point, I won't be able to do anything. 34 00:03:00,166 --> 00:03:02,200 [ Heart beating ] 35 00:03:05,333 --> 00:03:08,366 It's a feeling that you're receding from your own life. 36 00:03:14,333 --> 00:03:17,433 I go to the rivulet to reconnect with something 37 00:03:17,433 --> 00:03:19,466 that I feel I'm losing. 38 00:03:26,733 --> 00:03:30,600 Everyone has tough times in life. 39 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,800 In one of these moments -- it was the middle of summer -- 40 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:35,800 she first appeared. 41 00:03:36,666 --> 00:03:53,366 ♪♪ 42 00:03:53,366 --> 00:03:54,866 I couldn't believe it the first time 43 00:03:54,866 --> 00:03:59,800 that this platypus just zoomed right up to me and put her bill 44 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,500 out of the water and started wiggling it, 45 00:04:02,500 --> 00:04:05,800 as if she was trying to say something. 46 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,900 The more I saw her, the more she'd zoom up to me. 47 00:04:15,066 --> 00:04:16,766 I named her Zoom. 48 00:04:16,766 --> 00:04:19,000 Hey, Zoom. 49 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,666 Throughout that summer, I'd go down to the waterway, 50 00:04:22,666 --> 00:04:26,433 and she'd just be there. 51 00:04:26,433 --> 00:04:29,133 And she would always come up and raise her bill 52 00:04:29,133 --> 00:04:31,966 out of the air and wiggle it around. 53 00:04:31,966 --> 00:04:34,066 I'm not sure what she was saying, 54 00:04:34,066 --> 00:04:36,066 but I did feel connected to her. 55 00:04:41,933 --> 00:04:43,333 I didn't really understand it, 56 00:04:43,333 --> 00:04:45,633 but it felt like a doorway had opened, 57 00:04:45,633 --> 00:04:50,000 a magical portal into the world of the platypus. 58 00:04:50,000 --> 00:05:00,100 ♪♪ 59 00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:01,966 The more I watched Zoom, 60 00:05:01,966 --> 00:05:05,666 the more I realized what an incredible animal she is. 61 00:05:05,666 --> 00:05:10,333 She's an aquatic mammal, a bit like an otter, 62 00:05:10,333 --> 00:05:12,733 but she lays eggs like a bird. 63 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:18,366 Platypus are famous for that wonderful bill. 64 00:05:18,366 --> 00:05:20,833 But it's not hard, like a duck's bill. 65 00:05:20,833 --> 00:05:22,733 It's soft and rubbery. 66 00:05:22,733 --> 00:05:24,666 It's extremely sensitive 67 00:05:24,666 --> 00:05:27,966 and filled with thousands of electrical receptors. 68 00:05:30,033 --> 00:05:35,333 So when she hunts, she shuts her eyes and ears and her nostrils, 69 00:05:35,333 --> 00:05:39,166 using electricity to find her prey. 70 00:05:46,433 --> 00:05:48,966 Her feet have webbing like a frog 71 00:05:48,966 --> 00:05:52,666 to propel her through the water. 72 00:05:52,666 --> 00:05:56,233 And she uses her tail, like a beaver, to steer. 73 00:05:57,900 --> 00:06:00,933 When she dives, she can slow her heartbeat 74 00:06:00,933 --> 00:06:06,533 right down, holding her breath for up to 10 minutes. 75 00:06:06,533 --> 00:06:19,766 ♪♪ 76 00:06:19,766 --> 00:06:24,866 Platypus don't have any teeth, but Zoom can grind up her prey 77 00:06:24,866 --> 00:06:27,766 between rigid plates in her bill. 78 00:06:37,233 --> 00:06:40,800 The males have spurs on their back legs... 79 00:06:42,466 --> 00:06:46,400 that can inject venom into their opponent. 80 00:06:49,300 --> 00:06:52,900 Most people have never even seen a platypus, 81 00:06:52,900 --> 00:06:58,466 so it's incredible to think Zoom lives on the edge of the city. 82 00:07:05,766 --> 00:07:09,133 But that also creates problems. 83 00:07:10,933 --> 00:07:15,966 One day, I came across Zoom, and everything changed. 84 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:19,933 She was tangled in plastic. 85 00:07:22,066 --> 00:07:25,066 [ Camera shutter clicking ] 86 00:07:25,066 --> 00:07:29,166 I knew I couldn't help her without adding to her distress. 87 00:07:31,300 --> 00:07:34,666 Luckily, she was able to break free. 88 00:07:34,666 --> 00:07:36,566 She had dodged a bullet. 89 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:43,400 It was as if the natural world was trying to deliver a message. 90 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,833 "You have to do something to help the platypus." 91 00:07:53,133 --> 00:07:57,866 There was so much rubbish in that part of the waterway. 92 00:08:09,666 --> 00:08:13,400 I realized one person would never change everything. 93 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:17,133 And I wanted to learn more about the platypus. 94 00:08:18,733 --> 00:08:23,266 I started reaching out to scientists and filmmakers. 95 00:08:24,066 --> 00:08:27,866 -Hello. Good to see you. It's been a while. 96 00:08:27,866 --> 00:08:29,500 -How are you? -Good, good. 97 00:08:29,500 --> 00:08:30,733 My name's Chadden Hunter. 98 00:08:30,733 --> 00:08:33,100 I'm an Australian wildlife biologist. 99 00:08:33,100 --> 00:08:36,666 And I've been fascinated by the platypus for many, many years. 100 00:08:36,666 --> 00:08:39,633 Yeah, I mean, it is a beautiful little section of waterway. 101 00:08:39,633 --> 00:08:40,833 -Gorgeous. 102 00:08:40,833 --> 00:08:43,366 -I first met Pete Walsh a few years ago. 103 00:08:43,366 --> 00:08:45,566 He's almost a local legend around here. 104 00:08:45,566 --> 00:08:47,266 -Whoa. [ Laughs ] 105 00:08:47,266 --> 00:08:50,600 -He's very quietly spoken, has no ego at all. 106 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,233 So, my goal was to find out if Pete's platypus 107 00:08:54,233 --> 00:08:58,900 were just random sightings or whether there really was 108 00:08:58,900 --> 00:09:02,433 a population on this creek that could sustain itself. 109 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,033 The health of the creek is the critical thing. 110 00:09:07,033 --> 00:09:09,933 I felt like we had about 12 months to work with. 111 00:09:09,933 --> 00:09:12,966 Unless those platypus could reproduce on that waterway, 112 00:09:12,966 --> 00:09:14,433 they were really in trouble. 113 00:09:17,166 --> 00:09:19,833 I think, for Pete, his medical diagnosis 114 00:09:19,833 --> 00:09:21,800 was a real wake-up call. 115 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,233 It gave him this heightened sense of awareness 116 00:09:24,233 --> 00:09:27,333 and, through that, a deeper connection with nature. 117 00:09:27,333 --> 00:09:30,500 -If there's a platy hiding over there somewhere, 118 00:09:30,500 --> 00:09:34,100 like deep under the bank, that might just be the tiniest 119 00:09:34,100 --> 00:09:35,566 sort of smoke signal. 120 00:09:35,566 --> 00:09:37,000 -Yeah. 121 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,933 -Like, the tiniest thing that wouldn't be there otherwise. 122 00:09:39,933 --> 00:09:41,966 -Yep. 123 00:09:41,966 --> 00:09:44,566 Pete started noticing things 124 00:09:44,566 --> 00:09:47,800 that even us wildlife biologists weren't noticing. 125 00:09:51,066 --> 00:09:54,066 -I've loved taking photos my whole life. 126 00:09:54,066 --> 00:09:57,166 [ Camera shutter clicking ] 127 00:09:57,166 --> 00:10:00,400 When I'm looking through the camera, 128 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:05,233 everything starts to happen in slow motion. 129 00:10:11,633 --> 00:10:16,466 It's an extension of your body and of yourself. 130 00:10:16,466 --> 00:10:21,833 It focuses your mind on that platypus. 131 00:10:27,900 --> 00:10:30,633 -As researchers, we realized that this waterway 132 00:10:30,633 --> 00:10:31,900 was in trouble. 133 00:10:31,900 --> 00:10:33,933 If these platypus were going to survive, 134 00:10:33,933 --> 00:10:36,066 we needed to engage the community 135 00:10:36,066 --> 00:10:38,600 and really change our ways. 136 00:10:41,700 --> 00:10:43,566 Oh, wow. 137 00:10:43,566 --> 00:10:46,833 This is the outfall from the city tip. 138 00:10:46,833 --> 00:10:49,566 So, in heavy rain, this is full of rubbish. 139 00:10:49,566 --> 00:10:52,200 And, you know, the rubbish gets pounded by the water 140 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:53,833 and forced out of the net. 141 00:10:53,833 --> 00:10:55,166 -Mm. 142 00:10:55,166 --> 00:10:57,166 -And quite often, the net breaks. 143 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,333 I guess it's the short-sightedness of humanity, 144 00:11:02,333 --> 00:11:06,266 really, you know, where, "Let's make a tip. 145 00:11:06,266 --> 00:11:09,133 Let's make it in a valley above a city, 146 00:11:09,133 --> 00:11:11,300 on top of a waterway, and it'll all be okay." 147 00:11:11,300 --> 00:11:12,600 -Yeah. 148 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,700 -Everything like that. -Yeah. 149 00:11:14,700 --> 00:11:16,166 -And that. 150 00:11:16,166 --> 00:11:20,333 All the stuff you see in there ends up out here. 151 00:11:20,333 --> 00:11:22,666 Obviously, someone's gonna eat that, 152 00:11:22,666 --> 00:11:26,466 whether it's a platypus or fish or whoever. 153 00:11:26,466 --> 00:11:28,566 There's so much of it. -I know. 154 00:11:28,566 --> 00:11:30,100 It's a miracle anything lives down here. 155 00:11:30,100 --> 00:11:31,566 -Yeah. 156 00:11:36,633 --> 00:11:39,100 Hobart's a fairly average-sized town. 157 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:44,566 But it's had a lot of heavy industry over the years -- 158 00:11:44,566 --> 00:11:47,800 logging and whaling and tanneries. 159 00:11:49,666 --> 00:11:52,600 This one waterway was so important 160 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,100 to the history of the town. 161 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:58,433 Sadly, it became an open sewer. 162 00:12:01,866 --> 00:12:06,233 But if you look close enough and spend enough time, 163 00:12:06,233 --> 00:12:08,066 there's surprising life down here. 164 00:12:25,866 --> 00:12:28,500 I think people associate the presence of platypus 165 00:12:28,500 --> 00:12:32,433 with pristine environments. 166 00:12:32,433 --> 00:12:34,466 So when I first saw a new platypus 167 00:12:34,466 --> 00:12:38,466 in this urban drain, I couldn't believe it. 168 00:12:38,466 --> 00:12:40,966 What was it doing there? 169 00:12:41,533 --> 00:12:52,566 ♪♪ 170 00:12:52,566 --> 00:12:55,400 It wasn't moving about like Zoom, 171 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,933 so we knew it was a different animal. 172 00:12:57,933 --> 00:12:59,400 It looked like a young male. 173 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:00,733 He's just up there. 174 00:13:02,166 --> 00:13:04,266 His territory seemed to be centered behind 175 00:13:04,266 --> 00:13:08,066 the city brewery, in a foamy pool. 176 00:13:08,066 --> 00:13:10,433 [ Whispering ] Try and get some video of him. 177 00:13:14,500 --> 00:13:15,800 It was the way this male 178 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,800 Platypus moved -- he never sat still. 179 00:13:21,733 --> 00:13:23,933 I decided to name him Scoot. 180 00:13:27,266 --> 00:13:28,866 Oh. 181 00:13:28,866 --> 00:13:30,733 Oh, dude, you're so close. 182 00:13:33,633 --> 00:13:35,400 He's over there. [ Laughs ] 183 00:13:38,766 --> 00:13:41,066 That's actually pretty cool. [ Laughs ] 184 00:13:44,900 --> 00:13:47,166 Platypus aren't designed for concrete. 185 00:13:49,266 --> 00:13:52,533 You can just see how vulnerable they feel. 186 00:13:52,533 --> 00:13:55,700 They sort of cower as they walk along it. 187 00:13:55,700 --> 00:13:58,700 It's just an area they need to transit. 188 00:14:16,733 --> 00:14:18,700 Males, during the breeding season, 189 00:14:18,700 --> 00:14:21,366 are extremely territorial. 190 00:14:23,033 --> 00:14:26,266 Scoot doesn't like anything in his territory. 191 00:14:29,900 --> 00:14:32,966 He even goes after the local ducks. 192 00:14:32,966 --> 00:14:56,733 ♪♪ 193 00:14:56,733 --> 00:14:58,733 [ Ducks quacking ] 194 00:14:58,733 --> 00:15:10,500 ♪♪ 195 00:15:04,633 --> 00:15:10,500 ♪♪ 196 00:15:10,500 --> 00:15:12,600 Oh! That's pretty funny. 197 00:15:14,300 --> 00:15:18,400 While we were watching Scoot chase the ducks around, 198 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:22,400 we noticed a second male platypus in this pool. 199 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,100 Scoot might be territorial, 200 00:15:25,100 --> 00:15:28,833 but he usually avoids other males. 201 00:15:28,833 --> 00:15:33,633 Venom from this intruder could leave him paralyzed. 202 00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:40,166 The males swim parallel to one another, sizing each other up. 203 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:07,300 The other male pinned Scoot under a metal ladder 204 00:16:07,300 --> 00:16:09,933 and seemed to ram his spur in. 205 00:16:21,966 --> 00:16:27,033 Perhaps there's not enough food in this territory for two males. 206 00:16:30,866 --> 00:16:34,233 I wanted to learn more about what platypus eat, 207 00:16:34,233 --> 00:16:39,433 so I got in touch with an expert who might be able to help. 208 00:16:44,700 --> 00:16:47,233 Today's all about learning more about the health 209 00:16:47,233 --> 00:16:49,166 of the Hobart rivulet, 210 00:16:49,166 --> 00:16:52,500 and one great way to do that is by counting water bugs, 211 00:16:52,500 --> 00:16:55,600 because as well as being the platypus' main food source, 212 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:58,933 they're also a really accurate indicator of waterway health. 213 00:17:00,700 --> 00:17:03,333 We're really lucky to have John here help us today. 214 00:17:03,333 --> 00:17:04,766 He is the water-bug wizard. 215 00:17:04,766 --> 00:17:08,333 He runs the national water-bug database. 216 00:17:08,333 --> 00:17:12,500 -Oh, how could you say no if you were a platypus? 217 00:17:12,500 --> 00:17:15,133 Just got one chomp, and, you know, that's brekky. 218 00:17:15,133 --> 00:17:25,966 ♪♪ 219 00:17:25,966 --> 00:17:28,733 -Water bugs themselves are fascinating. 220 00:17:31,100 --> 00:17:32,433 [ Crunch ] 221 00:17:32,433 --> 00:17:35,800 There's a whole miniature world down there. 222 00:17:39,500 --> 00:17:42,466 Some build their home from sand grains. 223 00:17:42,466 --> 00:17:45,200 Some build their homes from sticks. 224 00:17:49,933 --> 00:17:53,933 Zoom and Scoot's survival depends on them. 225 00:17:55,366 --> 00:17:57,866 Bizarrely, you have this little furry creature 226 00:17:57,866 --> 00:18:01,333 who is the apex predator of the waterway. 227 00:18:01,333 --> 00:18:03,566 The platypus is like the shark. 228 00:18:05,033 --> 00:18:07,266 They can detect electricity given off 229 00:18:07,266 --> 00:18:09,500 by the tiniest muscle movement, 230 00:18:09,500 --> 00:18:12,866 like the flick of a water bug's tail. 231 00:18:12,866 --> 00:18:15,166 But I think water bugs know they're in trouble 232 00:18:15,166 --> 00:18:17,133 when there's a platypus in the area. 233 00:18:17,133 --> 00:18:20,933 When you see underwater footage of a platypus foraging, 234 00:18:20,933 --> 00:18:24,300 what you do see is water bugs just bailing in every direction, 235 00:18:24,300 --> 00:18:26,033 trying to escape it. 236 00:18:39,033 --> 00:18:40,700 -There's lots in the main river up there, 237 00:18:40,700 --> 00:18:42,066 and there's not so much here. 238 00:18:42,066 --> 00:18:43,366 It's that simple. 239 00:18:43,366 --> 00:18:45,466 And I guess it's just going to get worse as we go 240 00:18:45,466 --> 00:18:47,133 in towards town. 241 00:18:47,133 --> 00:18:50,600 It's going to get less and less bugs, less and less food. 242 00:18:55,466 --> 00:18:56,866 Alright, go, go, go. 243 00:18:56,866 --> 00:18:59,066 Give me some slime. 244 00:18:59,066 --> 00:19:00,866 -Nice. -Alrighty. How's that? 245 00:19:00,866 --> 00:19:02,233 -That's heaps of slime. 246 00:19:03,466 --> 00:19:06,233 The nutrients and the sunlight and everything means 247 00:19:06,233 --> 00:19:11,233 that all we've got here really is lots and lots of green slime. 248 00:19:11,233 --> 00:19:14,266 From the water testing I've done here with John this afternoon, 249 00:19:14,266 --> 00:19:18,000 you know, we found one water bug, you know, in total. 250 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:22,533 The quality of the waterway degrades the further you travel 251 00:19:22,533 --> 00:19:25,333 from the mountain down towards the city. 252 00:19:31,500 --> 00:19:33,833 -It was clear that Scoot's home range 253 00:19:33,833 --> 00:19:36,366 was a hard place for a platypus to live. 254 00:19:43,833 --> 00:19:48,200 Further upstream, it was like platypus paradise. 255 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:54,100 I love autumn in Tasmania. 256 00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:55,433 [ Bird chirping ] 257 00:19:55,433 --> 00:19:58,466 There's a lot of animal activity. 258 00:19:58,466 --> 00:20:19,300 ♪♪ 259 00:20:19,300 --> 00:20:23,066 I hadn't seen Zoom in a while, so I headed upriver. 260 00:20:23,066 --> 00:20:42,433 ♪♪ 261 00:20:42,433 --> 00:20:45,733 The moment Zoom leaves the water directly in front of you, 262 00:20:45,733 --> 00:20:49,900 your heartbeat just goes up straightaway. 263 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:52,700 You're trying to stay calm. 264 00:20:52,700 --> 00:20:54,766 It's like, "What is she going to do? 265 00:20:54,766 --> 00:20:57,066 Is she just coming out for a look?" 266 00:20:57,066 --> 00:20:59,666 But then, you know, she keeps getting closer and closer 267 00:20:59,666 --> 00:21:02,500 and closer, till she's right beside you. 268 00:21:10,766 --> 00:21:12,466 And then does a poo. 269 00:21:15,066 --> 00:21:17,066 It's pretty awesome. 270 00:21:17,066 --> 00:21:19,900 It's kind of weird and awesome at the same time. 271 00:21:19,900 --> 00:21:21,533 Did you get that? 272 00:21:21,533 --> 00:21:24,366 After spending so many hours with Zoom, 273 00:21:24,366 --> 00:21:27,400 I'm guessing that she's beginning to trust me. 274 00:21:32,166 --> 00:21:36,533 I wanted so desperately to remain in that platypus bubble. 275 00:21:36,533 --> 00:21:40,133 But sometimes, there are startling reminders 276 00:21:40,133 --> 00:21:42,900 that the city is never far away. 277 00:21:42,900 --> 00:21:58,166 ♪♪ 278 00:21:58,166 --> 00:22:01,000 So, up until a few days ago, this was a beautiful pond, 279 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,066 full of leaf litter and branches, 280 00:22:03,066 --> 00:22:05,966 somewhere the platypus would often come and rest and forage 281 00:22:05,966 --> 00:22:08,166 before they headed upstream. 282 00:22:08,166 --> 00:22:11,766 And now, basically, it's a massive gravel pit. 283 00:22:14,533 --> 00:22:16,866 But to actually see it in the waterway, 284 00:22:16,866 --> 00:22:20,533 it's a catastrophic amount of gravel. 285 00:22:20,533 --> 00:22:30,466 ♪♪ 286 00:22:30,466 --> 00:22:34,000 It's difficult to understand. 287 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:40,033 You know, it's so distressing. Really, there's no words for it. 288 00:22:46,833 --> 00:22:50,033 Just when you think nothing else can happen... 289 00:22:50,033 --> 00:22:53,066 [ Chainsaws whirring ] 290 00:22:53,066 --> 00:22:56,000 ...we hear chainsaws in the distance. 291 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:05,333 Massive willow trees were being chopped down. 292 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:11,866 They're not native trees, 293 00:23:11,866 --> 00:23:14,666 so I understand why they need to be removed. 294 00:23:15,766 --> 00:23:18,900 But the river was looking like a war zone. 295 00:23:18,900 --> 00:23:33,666 ♪♪ 296 00:23:33,666 --> 00:23:38,100 [ Wind howling ] 297 00:23:38,100 --> 00:23:40,100 [ Thunder rumbling ] 298 00:23:40,100 --> 00:23:46,700 ♪♪ 299 00:23:46,700 --> 00:23:48,700 [ Thunder crashing ] 300 00:23:48,700 --> 00:23:59,933 ♪♪ 301 00:23:59,933 --> 00:24:02,233 -Another thing that happens to this river in autumn is, 302 00:24:02,233 --> 00:24:05,866 we get heavy rain, causing severe flash floods. 303 00:24:08,533 --> 00:24:12,266 They wash logs down and they create dams, 304 00:24:12,266 --> 00:24:14,700 debris gets built up. 305 00:24:30,300 --> 00:24:32,966 All of a sudden, the platypus will wake up 306 00:24:32,966 --> 00:24:36,533 with a very, very different habitat around them. 307 00:24:40,233 --> 00:24:45,600 The water level can rise 2 meters overnight, 308 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,466 and you realize what a struggle this is for the platypus. 309 00:24:49,466 --> 00:24:56,100 ♪♪ 310 00:24:56,100 --> 00:24:58,100 [ Thunder crashes ] 311 00:24:58,100 --> 00:25:26,200 ♪♪ 312 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,633 All this floodwater rushes down stormwater drains 313 00:25:28,633 --> 00:25:32,266 and under the city. 314 00:25:32,266 --> 00:25:36,333 But for us, the single most dramatic thing about this flood 315 00:25:36,333 --> 00:25:38,100 is that Zoom went missing. 316 00:25:42,366 --> 00:25:45,400 Zoom might've been washed underneath the city, 317 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:47,366 maybe out into the harbor, we don't know, 318 00:25:47,366 --> 00:25:50,966 but I think Pete just couldn't let this go, 319 00:25:50,966 --> 00:25:55,500 and he had to go looking for her. 320 00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:58,766 This is really where our creek changes personalities 321 00:25:58,766 --> 00:26:00,766 from heaven to hell. 322 00:26:00,766 --> 00:26:02,933 This is like entering the underworld. 323 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:16,033 ♪♪ 324 00:26:16,033 --> 00:26:17,500 -I'm looking for two things. 325 00:26:17,500 --> 00:26:20,700 I'm looking for places where platypus might shelter 326 00:26:20,700 --> 00:26:22,100 in an emergency. 327 00:26:22,100 --> 00:26:24,200 And the second thing I'm looking for is any sign of 328 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:27,500 Platypus scats just by the waterway. 329 00:26:27,500 --> 00:26:29,800 For Platypus, there's very little food 330 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,900 and there's very few places to shelter. 331 00:26:32,900 --> 00:26:35,533 It's not really where they want to be. 332 00:26:35,533 --> 00:26:49,566 ♪♪ 333 00:26:49,566 --> 00:26:52,200 Amongst all of these plaster baby heads, 334 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:57,766 it's almost like a tombstone or memorial to the platypus, 335 00:26:57,766 --> 00:27:01,033 which is kind of cool and kind of bizarre at the same time. 336 00:27:01,033 --> 00:27:04,533 I'm not sure exactly what the intention was of the artist. 337 00:27:12,100 --> 00:27:13,900 And this is an example 338 00:27:13,900 --> 00:27:17,400 of how great our disconnect is with nature, 339 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,333 where we turn what was a beautiful waterway into a drain, 340 00:27:21,333 --> 00:27:23,733 just out of our own convenience, with no regard 341 00:27:23,733 --> 00:27:27,300 to anything that was, 342 00:27:27,300 --> 00:27:28,900 you know, whether that was platypus 343 00:27:28,900 --> 00:27:32,633 or just whatever the habitat that would've been here. 344 00:27:32,633 --> 00:27:36,500 This really is the graveyard of the Hobart Rivulet. 345 00:27:39,700 --> 00:27:42,033 We're only really here to look for Zoom. 346 00:27:44,166 --> 00:27:46,366 She could've been washed out. She could've drowned. 347 00:27:46,366 --> 00:27:48,300 She could be injured somewhere. 348 00:27:48,300 --> 00:27:54,400 You know, that's just the reality of this situation. 349 00:28:05,033 --> 00:28:06,500 It was clear the flood 350 00:28:06,500 --> 00:28:09,833 threw a lot more than rubbish into the mix. 351 00:28:16,333 --> 00:28:18,566 -He's coming towards the hole. 352 00:28:18,566 --> 00:28:22,566 -The first platypus I saw after the flood wasn't Zoom. 353 00:28:22,566 --> 00:28:24,200 -Oh, you got him? 354 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,766 -It was a female, and she was tangled in twine. 355 00:28:28,266 --> 00:28:30,466 Hey, buddy, we got you safe. 356 00:28:30,466 --> 00:28:31,800 -Ooh, there's a bit of blood. 357 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:34,300 -Oh, it's cut right in, hasn't it? It's cut into it. 358 00:28:34,300 --> 00:28:38,133 Once we'd caught the platypus and started removing the twine, 359 00:28:38,133 --> 00:28:41,333 you could really see the depth of the injuries. 360 00:28:41,333 --> 00:28:43,433 -Can we see the muscle? The red? 361 00:28:43,433 --> 00:28:45,033 -Yeah. -Yeah, we can. 362 00:28:45,033 --> 00:28:46,366 -Yes. 363 00:28:46,366 --> 00:28:50,466 -It really took a community to catch one animal. 364 00:28:50,466 --> 00:28:53,666 The care was incredible there. 365 00:28:53,666 --> 00:28:55,233 Took the platypus in. 366 00:28:55,233 --> 00:28:58,733 They took X-rays and checked her over, 367 00:28:58,733 --> 00:29:01,766 gave her a physical, cleaned out the wounds, 368 00:29:01,766 --> 00:29:04,900 put in fluids, painkillers, antibiotics, 369 00:29:04,900 --> 00:29:06,566 and then put her to bed. 370 00:29:06,566 --> 00:29:08,933 -Yeah, we'll start sort of putting some stitches in this 371 00:29:08,933 --> 00:29:10,766 and get it closed up. 372 00:29:10,766 --> 00:29:14,300 -Over a couple of hours, they stitched up the two wounds. 373 00:29:17,100 --> 00:29:19,066 [ Laughs ] 374 00:29:19,066 --> 00:29:23,200 It really did take the animal quite a while to wake up. 375 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:25,900 I think there were a couple of concerned looks. 376 00:29:25,900 --> 00:29:27,300 There's a yawn. -Did you get that? 377 00:29:27,300 --> 00:29:28,766 -I got that. 378 00:29:28,766 --> 00:29:31,400 -Finally, her eyes opened, and she started wriggling around. 379 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:32,866 You know, that was a relief. 380 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:37,966 Come on, bubba. Wake on up, please. 381 00:29:37,966 --> 00:29:39,433 -A bit woozy. 382 00:29:39,433 --> 00:29:43,166 -So, we're down here at the rivulet 383 00:29:43,166 --> 00:29:45,100 to collect some goodies to make the platypus 384 00:29:45,100 --> 00:29:46,700 feel like it's at home. 385 00:29:46,700 --> 00:29:51,733 We're getting some fine gravel, some pebbles, leaf litter. 386 00:29:51,733 --> 00:29:53,933 Hopefully there'll be some water bugs 387 00:29:53,933 --> 00:29:55,433 amongst all of that, as well. 388 00:29:57,966 --> 00:29:59,200 Alright. 389 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,533 -It was a phenomenal thing to see 390 00:30:01,533 --> 00:30:05,500 how much passion was burning inside him at this stage 391 00:30:05,500 --> 00:30:07,966 to really try and help the platypus 392 00:30:07,966 --> 00:30:10,366 in a much more proactive way. 393 00:30:10,366 --> 00:30:12,866 -Oh, look at that. 394 00:30:12,866 --> 00:30:14,733 So, what I'm doing with my hand the platypus 395 00:30:14,733 --> 00:30:16,466 does with its rubbery bill, 396 00:30:16,466 --> 00:30:19,566 except after just a couple of minutes, 397 00:30:19,566 --> 00:30:21,666 my hand is getting ground down. 398 00:30:21,666 --> 00:30:24,133 Yeah, I think that's probably enough. 399 00:30:24,133 --> 00:30:26,333 I might just start loading this stuff in the car 400 00:30:26,333 --> 00:30:29,266 so we can get this stuff to the platypus. 401 00:30:32,066 --> 00:30:43,566 ♪♪ 402 00:30:43,566 --> 00:30:45,566 -It's just such a lovely thing to come in here 403 00:30:45,566 --> 00:30:47,466 and find her curled up asleep. 404 00:30:47,466 --> 00:30:51,400 -I'm surprised at how kind of slow her breathing is and deep. 405 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:52,666 -It's kind of -- -Yeah. 406 00:30:52,666 --> 00:30:53,866 -Yeah. 407 00:30:53,866 --> 00:30:56,933 -She's had a good 10 hours' sleep, 408 00:30:56,933 --> 00:31:00,133 so it'll be safe to let her feed now. 409 00:31:00,133 --> 00:31:02,000 -Yep. 410 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:03,500 Okay. 411 00:31:03,500 --> 00:31:12,966 ♪♪ 412 00:31:12,966 --> 00:31:17,133 -Straightaway, there's that behavior of nosing around. 413 00:31:17,133 --> 00:31:20,900 She's had a big operation, and even we wouldn't eat well 414 00:31:20,900 --> 00:31:22,700 for the next couple of days. 415 00:31:22,700 --> 00:31:26,233 The main thing is to just offer her as much as she'll take 416 00:31:26,233 --> 00:31:29,766 and give her as much time as she needs to feed. 417 00:31:35,366 --> 00:31:37,100 -Yeah. That was amazing. 418 00:31:37,100 --> 00:31:42,300 Yeah. That's been a beautiful thing, you know, this morning. 419 00:31:42,300 --> 00:31:49,966 ♪♪ 420 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:57,066 -Come on, guys. 421 00:31:57,066 --> 00:31:59,700 Hey. Look at that, little plat. 422 00:32:02,766 --> 00:32:04,400 You know where you are. 423 00:32:07,066 --> 00:32:09,233 Good to be back, I reckon. 424 00:32:09,233 --> 00:32:12,233 We'd released the platypus into a downstream flow, 425 00:32:12,233 --> 00:32:14,466 and while we were talking, I had half an eye on her, 426 00:32:14,466 --> 00:32:16,700 and she sort of kept popping in and out of the waterway, 427 00:32:16,700 --> 00:32:19,333 which was really peculiar. 428 00:32:23,633 --> 00:32:25,733 And then she did seem to disappear. 429 00:32:25,733 --> 00:32:28,033 I guess that was goodbye. 430 00:32:28,033 --> 00:32:31,833 Standing around, sort of being like a successful release. 431 00:32:33,633 --> 00:32:38,400 Yeah, she's really getting in and out a lot. 432 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:40,633 And then her little head popped over the concrete. 433 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:45,600 And she hobbled past us, clearly not able to walk properly. 434 00:32:47,300 --> 00:32:49,000 So we followed her. 435 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:52,066 Why's she doing that, mate? 436 00:32:52,066 --> 00:32:55,000 That's a really unusual behavior. 437 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,166 She doesn't want to be in there. 438 00:32:57,166 --> 00:32:59,066 And every time she'd touch the water, 439 00:32:59,066 --> 00:33:03,233 it was almost like she was repelled by it. 440 00:33:03,233 --> 00:33:07,466 Whether that was pain or the cold or not being able to swim. 441 00:33:08,866 --> 00:33:11,300 Why is she walking so broken? 442 00:33:11,300 --> 00:33:12,866 Is it actually injured, mate, or... 443 00:33:12,866 --> 00:33:17,233 Clearly, she was much worse than all of us thought. 444 00:33:17,233 --> 00:33:21,400 -I think probably the best thing for her 445 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:23,666 at this point would be to take her back into care again, 446 00:33:23,666 --> 00:33:24,833 as hard as that is. 447 00:33:28,033 --> 00:33:31,033 -Luke took the platypus back to Bonorong that night 448 00:33:31,033 --> 00:33:34,833 and actually spent a bit of time checking her over. 449 00:33:36,466 --> 00:33:39,533 And he noticed, like, she'd really lost control 450 00:33:39,533 --> 00:33:43,366 of that right claw, like she couldn't knuckle down. 451 00:33:43,366 --> 00:33:45,400 [ Dog whimpers ] 452 00:33:47,633 --> 00:33:50,266 And then, the next day, Luke messaged me 453 00:33:50,266 --> 00:33:51,700 letting me know that she'd died. 454 00:33:53,833 --> 00:33:57,066 I think even just the response has been 455 00:33:57,066 --> 00:33:58,366 sort of really beautiful, 456 00:33:58,366 --> 00:34:03,733 you know, that people were touched... 457 00:34:03,733 --> 00:34:05,666 you know, by it. 458 00:34:05,666 --> 00:34:07,066 Sorry. 459 00:34:12,133 --> 00:34:14,666 It's a waste of an amazing life. 460 00:34:14,666 --> 00:34:18,533 It's like, you know, this can't be for nothing. 461 00:34:22,100 --> 00:34:24,266 Yeah, I think we have to honor her life 462 00:34:24,266 --> 00:34:26,033 and the lives of all of the other animals 463 00:34:26,033 --> 00:34:29,800 that have died in that way and do something. 464 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:33,566 ♪♪ 465 00:34:33,566 --> 00:34:35,600 [ Wind howling ] 466 00:34:40,366 --> 00:34:42,100 It was a tough winter. 467 00:34:47,466 --> 00:34:50,466 When we lost that one platypus, 468 00:34:50,466 --> 00:34:52,733 it was a real turning point for me. 469 00:34:52,733 --> 00:34:54,966 -...and these incredible animals 470 00:34:54,966 --> 00:34:56,733 that are in the waterway that have somehow... 471 00:34:56,733 --> 00:34:58,900 -I'm normally a shy guy, 472 00:34:58,900 --> 00:35:02,733 but I realized I needed to step out of my comfort zone. 473 00:35:02,733 --> 00:35:05,933 So, I'd like to introduce Pete Walsh 474 00:35:05,933 --> 00:35:08,433 for our next section of the evening. 475 00:35:08,433 --> 00:35:09,866 So thanks, Pete. [ Applause ] 476 00:35:09,866 --> 00:35:12,533 -I started to talk to the public about the challenges 477 00:35:12,533 --> 00:35:14,433 platypus face in our city. 478 00:35:14,433 --> 00:35:18,466 So, are we the greatest enemy of the platypus? 479 00:35:18,466 --> 00:35:21,466 And if we are, are we okay with that being our story? 480 00:35:21,466 --> 00:35:24,466 Sadly, Australia's treatment of the natural world 481 00:35:24,466 --> 00:35:27,466 continues to make news for all the wrong reasons. 482 00:35:27,466 --> 00:35:32,366 The community reacted in a way I'd never seen before. 483 00:35:34,766 --> 00:35:39,400 More and more people wanted to help save the platypus. 484 00:35:44,466 --> 00:35:48,233 To raise more awareness, we managed to get 485 00:35:48,233 --> 00:35:52,633 a big mural of Zoom painted on a coffee-shop wall. 486 00:35:52,633 --> 00:35:55,966 I even started getting calls about pollution in the waterway. 487 00:35:57,466 --> 00:36:00,500 I mean, that spill, at a bad time of the year, 488 00:36:00,500 --> 00:36:01,733 in a bad spot. 489 00:36:01,733 --> 00:36:07,300 That's pretty awful, whatever that is. 490 00:36:07,300 --> 00:36:09,500 With this kind of pollution and rubbish, 491 00:36:09,500 --> 00:36:12,466 the best way to understand it is not just see it, but to feel it, 492 00:36:12,466 --> 00:36:14,133 put your hands in it. 493 00:36:14,133 --> 00:36:16,100 That's what the animals are doing. 494 00:36:16,100 --> 00:36:18,366 You know, that's what we're forcing them to do. 495 00:36:18,366 --> 00:36:22,566 If no one reports a spill, from the point of view of the people 496 00:36:22,566 --> 00:36:25,666 who manage the waterway, the spill never happened. 497 00:36:25,666 --> 00:36:30,266 Super-important -- if you see something bad happening, 498 00:36:30,266 --> 00:36:33,500 you know, let somebody know so there's a written record of it. 499 00:36:40,266 --> 00:36:42,800 It was clear these urban platypus 500 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:45,466 were living right on the edge. 501 00:36:47,966 --> 00:36:51,466 It was such a relief to see Scoot again. 502 00:36:53,733 --> 00:36:57,533 But his behavior seemed to be changing. 503 00:36:57,533 --> 00:37:01,533 He seemed more energetic... 504 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:04,533 more adventurous. 505 00:37:13,700 --> 00:37:18,033 We watched him climb up and out of his cement world. 506 00:37:23,566 --> 00:37:27,066 There must be something drawing him up the waterway. 507 00:37:27,066 --> 00:37:28,866 He's on, like, a supercharged patrol. 508 00:37:28,866 --> 00:37:41,566 ♪♪ 509 00:37:41,566 --> 00:37:44,200 When Scoot travels up a concrete slab in the water, 510 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:47,266 he creates this amazing effect, like a giant bow wave. 511 00:37:49,766 --> 00:37:53,100 He's like a dinosaur crossed with a Formula 1 car. 512 00:37:53,100 --> 00:37:57,266 It's just this beautiful fan of water. 513 00:38:05,066 --> 00:38:08,900 Scoot was clearly on a mission. 514 00:38:13,500 --> 00:38:15,533 During the breeding season, 515 00:38:15,533 --> 00:38:18,633 male platypus virtually give up on feeding. 516 00:38:25,033 --> 00:38:27,966 They can travel miles out of their home range. 517 00:38:27,966 --> 00:38:44,633 ♪♪ 518 00:38:44,633 --> 00:38:48,500 It's amazing to see an animal that's built for swimming 519 00:38:48,500 --> 00:38:50,833 actually try to climb a waterfall. 520 00:38:53,266 --> 00:38:56,066 Scoot tucks away the webbing on his feet 521 00:38:56,066 --> 00:38:58,733 and uses his claws to climb up rocks. 522 00:39:05,066 --> 00:39:07,366 It doesn't always go to plan. 523 00:39:07,366 --> 00:39:30,500 ♪♪ 524 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:43,766 -There we go. 525 00:39:43,766 --> 00:39:46,233 Right on the edge. 526 00:39:48,100 --> 00:39:50,600 -It was a relief to see Scoot finally make it 527 00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:53,500 into the pristine part of the waterway, 528 00:39:53,500 --> 00:39:55,900 you know, above the suburbs, above the city. 529 00:40:00,900 --> 00:40:03,133 The only problem was that Scoot 530 00:40:03,133 --> 00:40:06,800 had wandered into the territory of a much bigger male. 531 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:23,333 ♪♪ 532 00:40:23,333 --> 00:40:27,133 The males twist and turn to avoid each other's weaponry. 533 00:40:27,133 --> 00:40:51,966 ♪♪ 534 00:40:51,966 --> 00:40:56,166 Scoot managed to wedge his spur into the other male's rump. 535 00:40:56,166 --> 00:41:22,300 ♪♪ 536 00:41:22,300 --> 00:41:27,700 This was the first fight we'd seen Scoot win. 537 00:41:34,666 --> 00:41:37,533 I was following Scoot upriver, 538 00:41:37,533 --> 00:41:41,333 and we came across a female grooming. 539 00:41:46,500 --> 00:41:49,633 She was lying back, scratching, 540 00:41:49,633 --> 00:41:52,466 releasing her scent into the water. 541 00:42:00,333 --> 00:42:03,300 And then I realized... 542 00:42:03,300 --> 00:42:06,100 it was Zoom. 543 00:42:09,300 --> 00:42:14,800 All that time she was missing, but here she was upriver. 544 00:42:18,166 --> 00:42:21,800 Scoot had been following the smell of a female 545 00:42:21,800 --> 00:42:23,833 he'd never met. 546 00:42:23,833 --> 00:42:27,600 And he'd taken me along as his wingman. 547 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:52,266 ♪♪ 548 00:42:52,266 --> 00:42:54,766 Mating doesn't happen immediately. 549 00:42:58,300 --> 00:43:02,333 There's a fair bit of foreplay for platypus. 550 00:43:02,333 --> 00:43:05,700 The females are really testing the males. 551 00:43:09,533 --> 00:43:13,000 Scoot might've been from the wrong side of the tracks, 552 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:16,700 but it felt like Zoom had finally met a male 553 00:43:16,700 --> 00:43:18,766 that she was happy to mate with. 554 00:43:18,766 --> 00:43:36,400 ♪♪ 555 00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:39,266 They put their bill on each other's tail, 556 00:43:39,266 --> 00:43:40,733 like they're in a trance. 557 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:44,666 I call it the platypus love doughnut. 558 00:43:44,666 --> 00:43:59,266 ♪♪ 559 00:44:07,033 --> 00:44:13,033 It's now the height of spring, the peak of the breeding season. 560 00:44:16,500 --> 00:44:17,966 It was soon after mating 561 00:44:17,966 --> 00:44:21,166 that Zoom seemed to go on her own mission. 562 00:44:27,866 --> 00:44:31,633 She's trying to find a burrow that is high enough 563 00:44:31,633 --> 00:44:34,233 to be above the flood levels. 564 00:44:36,233 --> 00:44:38,766 She might dig up to 10 meters into the dirt 565 00:44:38,766 --> 00:44:44,066 to find a safe place to lay her eggs. 566 00:44:44,066 --> 00:44:53,433 ♪♪ 567 00:44:53,433 --> 00:44:58,500 She has to get it exactly right for the young to survive. 568 00:44:58,500 --> 00:45:37,366 ♪♪ 569 00:45:37,366 --> 00:45:39,000 This is the first time 570 00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:41,900 I've discovered a nesting burrow. 571 00:45:41,900 --> 00:45:45,900 The nest building is like a miracle of nature, 572 00:45:45,900 --> 00:45:47,933 in my opinion. 573 00:45:51,366 --> 00:45:56,633 I didn't know that Zoom could curl up her tail like that. 574 00:45:56,633 --> 00:46:01,900 Her grip needs to be strong to hold on to that vegetation. 575 00:46:01,900 --> 00:46:17,700 ♪♪ 576 00:46:17,700 --> 00:46:19,533 To see Zoom come out of the water 577 00:46:19,533 --> 00:46:23,900 with her full load of nesting materials 578 00:46:23,900 --> 00:46:30,300 and then disappear into a tiny burrow, it's incredible. 579 00:46:30,300 --> 00:46:32,333 How does all that stuff even fit in the burrow? 580 00:46:32,333 --> 00:46:35,766 The platypus can hardly fit through that hole. 581 00:46:35,766 --> 00:46:40,900 Well, she's constructing that nest in 100% darkness. 582 00:46:40,900 --> 00:46:51,433 ♪♪ 583 00:46:51,433 --> 00:46:54,600 We were super-fortunate to find Zoom's burrow, 584 00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:58,333 so my strategy is to place a number of trail cameras around 585 00:46:58,333 --> 00:47:02,966 that burrow, out of her way, and just leave them running. 586 00:47:02,966 --> 00:47:06,100 When they see something happen, they'll send me an alert. 587 00:47:16,533 --> 00:47:20,533 So many people had heard of Zoom by now. 588 00:47:20,533 --> 00:47:26,566 This one platypus was really inspiring the whole community. 589 00:47:26,566 --> 00:47:31,600 Locals were now coming out to help protect the platypus' home. 590 00:47:31,600 --> 00:47:35,433 -It's just really inspiring to see you all out here 591 00:47:35,433 --> 00:47:39,300 today to help regenerate this area. 592 00:47:39,300 --> 00:47:41,600 -Seeing the community come together 593 00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:43,700 to do the replanting along the rivulet, 594 00:47:43,700 --> 00:47:45,166 you know, was a beautiful thing. 595 00:47:48,400 --> 00:47:50,433 It takes a community to care. 596 00:47:50,433 --> 00:47:52,000 -If you want to look after native wildlife, 597 00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:53,633 plant Tasmanian native plants. 598 00:47:53,633 --> 00:47:57,600 -One person can never do it all. 599 00:47:59,533 --> 00:48:02,033 And, also, one person won't be around forever. 600 00:48:04,133 --> 00:48:05,666 That is the critical thing -- 601 00:48:05,666 --> 00:48:08,400 that the community takes ownership of their waterway 602 00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:10,333 and caring for their waterway. 603 00:48:12,166 --> 00:48:13,766 If the work that I've done with platypus 604 00:48:13,766 --> 00:48:18,600 has sparked something in people and driven them to act, 605 00:48:18,600 --> 00:48:20,433 I think that's a great thing. 606 00:48:28,600 --> 00:48:32,300 When I woke up one morning and looked at my phone, 607 00:48:32,300 --> 00:48:33,800 I saw two or three alerts 608 00:48:33,800 --> 00:48:36,300 from the trail cameras around that nesting burrow. 609 00:48:36,300 --> 00:48:39,333 It was like, "Something's gone down." 610 00:48:39,333 --> 00:48:41,633 Mm-hmm. 611 00:48:41,633 --> 00:48:45,700 Alright. The moment of truth. 612 00:48:49,900 --> 00:48:52,933 To a see a youngster come out of Zoom's burrow 613 00:48:52,933 --> 00:48:55,300 was such a magical feeling. 614 00:48:55,300 --> 00:48:57,200 [ Laughs ] 615 00:48:57,200 --> 00:49:00,233 And the next day, I'd come down to the pond here, 616 00:49:00,233 --> 00:49:02,566 and I've just been walking around for a few minutes 617 00:49:02,566 --> 00:49:04,166 looking for him. 618 00:49:04,166 --> 00:49:06,933 There's me walking around, looking for him everywhere, 619 00:49:06,933 --> 00:49:10,266 but the whole time, he'd been behind me. 620 00:49:20,766 --> 00:49:23,300 Young platypus are so vulnerable... 621 00:49:26,133 --> 00:49:29,000 and so clumsy. 622 00:49:38,366 --> 00:49:42,533 But Zoom's work as a mother is done. 623 00:49:42,533 --> 00:49:45,933 Now her baby's out of the burrow, 624 00:49:45,933 --> 00:49:48,566 he'll have to find his own way in the world. 625 00:50:00,133 --> 00:50:01,966 Zoom's youngster gives me hope 626 00:50:01,966 --> 00:50:04,700 that platypus can continue living in this city. 627 00:50:21,700 --> 00:50:25,266 You know the odds are stacked up against a young 628 00:50:25,266 --> 00:50:27,133 platypus surviving, really. 629 00:50:27,133 --> 00:50:30,233 Like, he has to find his home in the platypus world. 630 00:50:34,366 --> 00:50:36,933 But you really want to do whatever you can... 631 00:50:39,400 --> 00:50:42,866 to give him the best chance of surviving. 632 00:50:42,866 --> 00:50:55,133 ♪♪ 633 00:50:55,133 --> 00:50:58,866 It's been a beautiful journey. 634 00:50:58,866 --> 00:51:01,800 If I died tomorrow, I'd be pretty sweet, you know? 635 00:51:01,800 --> 00:51:09,366 ♪♪ 636 00:51:23,666 --> 00:51:28,500 I think the rivulet's come a long way from what it once was. 637 00:51:28,500 --> 00:51:31,033 But if we were to come back in, say, five years' time, 638 00:51:31,033 --> 00:51:35,433 hopefully we'd see a much cleaner waterway. 639 00:51:38,300 --> 00:51:40,666 So, when you look back at your own life... 640 00:51:44,666 --> 00:51:48,166 is your legacy that you lived and enjoyed nature... 641 00:51:50,700 --> 00:51:52,966 or lived and cared for nature? 642 00:51:52,966 --> 00:52:12,200 ♪♪ 643 00:52:12,200 --> 00:52:16,700 I thought I was going there to look after nature, 644 00:52:16,700 --> 00:52:20,900 but, really, it was nature looking after me. 645 00:52:25,100 --> 00:53:03,000 ♪♪ 646 00:53:03,000 --> 00:53:06,333 To learn more about what you've seen on this "Nature" program, 647 00:53:06,333 --> 00:53:09,000 visit pbs.org.