Bindi the Jungle Girl - American Beauties (2007)
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00:00America is full of beautiful landmarks and icons like Mount Rushmore and we climb to
00:10the top of President Washington's head.
00:12There we go, there's Thomas Jefferson's nose.
00:15We did it.
00:16Did you ever think in your wildest dreams you'd be up here, sweetheart?
00:20Nope.
00:21It is a great honour, the greatest of great honours.
00:23Yes!
00:24This is the baby alligator.
00:25She's one of the many American beauties that you're going to see on this show.
00:56Come in!
00:59Hi, Blackie.
01:01Hey, Squeeze.
01:04Welcome to my treehouse.
01:06On this adventure, we're going to the USA to look at some American beauties.
01:12This is an American alligator, the biggest reptile and the master of the Everglades.
01:17And the bison used to be the master of the American plains.
01:22The bison is the icon of America's Wild West.
01:25They are so beautiful and this one is amazingly tame.
01:29This is Humphrey.
01:31He's a bison.
01:32Did you know that bison are one of the biggest land animals in America?
01:39Bison can weigh up to a ton.
01:42He's got really big, long, brown fur for keeping him warm in the cold winters.
01:48Look at those big horns.
01:51As you can see, Humphrey's got a big hump on his back.
01:54That's to store all this fat and I think it's got lots of muscle in it as well.
02:01There used to be millions and millions of bison, but now they're endangered.
02:07I think people hunted them for their really pretty fur and they used to eat them, which is really, really sad.
02:15But we're so lucky because we've got Humphrey.
02:19We're off to South Dakota to meet some of my favourite American beauties.
02:24On a recent trip across America with my family, we found a really special place in South Dakota.
02:31We're stopping here at Bear Country USA to go hands on with some of the gorgeous North American wildlife
02:39that you just can't get that personal with in the national parks.
02:43This is a drive through animal park.
02:46And we're lucky enough to get really close because the rangers are right there with us.
02:51Look at his tongue, Bob. Bob, you watch his tongue.
02:53Have a go at the size of that buffalo. He's massive.
02:57Being allowed this close is a great chance to see something really interesting about the American bison.
03:04Have a look at the size of his tongue and how he uses it to grab food.
03:10It is designed for life on the prairie.
03:13A bison can wrap his tongue right around long tufts of grass and pull them out really easily.
03:20Crikey! Crikey! Crikey!
03:24Did you know that bison don't moo like a cow? They grunt more like a deer.
03:30The American elk is a very big deer.
03:33My brother Robert thought they were cows with big horns.
03:37So he made noises just like a cow.
03:40Moo! Moo! Moo!
03:43Good boy! That was a good elk.
03:46And this one's a reindeer, known as a caribou here in America.
03:50Absolutely amazing species of deer. You can see the females actually have antlers.
03:55Poor old Spot over here, he's the big bull. He gets very naughty.
03:59He charges the cars, charges anything. So they just trim his antlers off and makes him a little less dangerous.
04:05He's very grumpy.
04:07Trimming his antlers doesn't do any harm at all to Spot because reindeer antlers fall off naturally once a year.
04:14And then they start growing a completely new set.
04:20This is called a koala, not a koala bear.
04:23In America, bears are right at the top of the food chain. They're the biggest predators in the USA.
04:29This one's a grizzly bear. They're one of the biggest, meanest and most dangerous bears in America.
04:36You should keep right away from them.
04:39But another kind of bear is a heap of fun.
04:43Never mind the different colours, they're all the same species.
04:47And my dad is right up close.
04:50Have a go at these gorgeous bears. American black bears, Ursus americanus.
04:55Fantastic. Now I'm in no danger whatsoever, but I'm in really, really good hands.
05:01The ranger's here, got a good close eye on me.
05:04Everyone should stay in their vehicle. I've got special permission so we can take a good close look at the black bear.
05:10Interesting, the black bear, black bear by name, but they come in a multitude of different colours.
05:15You've got your beautiful blonde ones, brown ones under here. Isn't that one gorgeous?
05:20And then your more typical colouration is that black.
05:24Bears are naturally pretty lazy animals, but by crikey, they can run fast too.
05:29Good bears.
05:31It's time for a treat, and my dad has special permission to help the rangers.
05:37Bears are omnivores. They'll eat just about anything.
05:41The black bear menu includes vegetables, leaves, fruit, weeds, insects and meat.
05:47But they really love our food, like bread rolls and bagels.
05:52Thanks Eric.
05:54OK, you've got to throw it to the bear.
05:56Bears are really common American beauties.
05:59Good boy.
06:01There are 800,000 American black bears, and they live wherever there is enough natural habitat.
06:08We love them because black bears are a great American icon.
06:17Sarah from Oklahoma wants to know if I've ever seen snow.
06:22Yes, I have, and made my first snowman in Rocky Mountain National Park.
06:32One of the greatest times I've had in America was in the snow.
06:37We built a snowman and I had a snow fight with my family.
06:41I live in the subtropics in Australia.
06:44It gets really hot and we never get snow, so this is a great change.
06:52I'm very lucky I get to carry my joey on my back.
06:56This is Matilda and Missy.
06:59They're a marsupial, and little Missy, when she gets too big for her pouch,
07:04like now, she has to get out of her pouch,
07:07and then she gets to ride on her mama for about one year.
07:11How cool is that?
07:13But not black bears, they have to be able to run after their mama.
07:18Black bear cubs are very, very naughty.
07:21They are known for being rough and tough, and they bite.
07:25Say, now you can pat him on the back.
07:27Adults can almost stand up to these naughty young bears, but kids need help.
07:31Who are these naughty bears here?
07:33Look at you.
07:36You've got sharp claws.
07:38Who's that sneaking up behind?
07:40Have a go at this. Aren't they just gorgeous?
07:43They're pretty interested in what's in here, aren't they?
07:45The way they get up on their back feet.
07:47You know, each of their toes are like my fingers,
07:50and so their claws can actually, they can use each one independently.
07:54You can't chew that, sweetheart.
07:56Hey, no biting.
07:59Who's a big naughty bear?
08:01Naughty.
08:03They're just playing like they do with each other,
08:06but when there is food involved, you just can't trust a bear.
08:10They don't hurt each other when they play rough because they are covered in thick fur.
08:17But humans are more fragile than bears,
08:20and I have to make sure I pat him on the back where he can't bite or scratch me.
08:25Do you think they smell like dog poo?
08:27That was a good one.
08:28You can't have that.
08:31How would you like to be a mother bear, though?
08:33No, thank you.
08:34They are so naughty.
08:35Whether they are black, brown or blonde, black bears are the best.
08:42Hi there, Peru.
08:46One of the greatest icons in the world is the American bald eagle.
08:51But this is Amelia, and she's an Australian wedge-tailed eagle.
08:55She's got very good eyes to see everywhere.
08:59She's got a very good beak to tear apart the meat that she wants to eat,
09:04and she has a very good wingspan so she can fly up very, very high.
09:10She's got really good claws to tear through meat as well.
09:14The bald eagle is one of many American icons.
09:18Now we are off to Washington State in America's northwest.
09:23Medical science is helping save an American bald eagle.
09:27It's a very young eagle,
09:28and she will grow white feathers on her head and tail when she's a little bit older.
09:33My dad's taking her for an MRI to make an image of her wing bones.
09:38You're going to have a bit of a sleep, sweetheart.
09:41The scan shows a broken bone that the vets can fix.
09:45Isn't it great that medical technology for humans is helping this American icon to fly again?
09:58I love beavers, you skunks.
10:00Some people think they're pests, but I don't. I love them.
10:04We're going to Florida to meet nature's great engineer.
10:09Here's an excellent example of an active beaver lodge.
10:13By building a dam, cutting off the water, holding all this water back, it creates biodiversity.
10:20The animals that live in and around the beaver's habitat flourish with this permanent water source.
10:26The beaver that built this dam has been to the vet hospital.
10:31Have a look at this little beaver.
10:34Get him out without getting tagged.
10:39Come on, mate. You're all right.
10:41Don't panic. Don't panic. You're all right.
10:43Let him roll over. Settle down.
10:45You're all right, boy.
10:49Crikey! Crikey! Crikey! Crikey!
10:53Did you know that beaver's teeth never stop growing?
10:57These are the Australian dingoes.
10:59They like to prowl around on the prairie, but they're nothing like the American prairie dog.
11:10Here I am at the prairies of South Dakota, where all these prairie dog mounds are here.
11:17It's called a prairie dog town.
11:19In every one of these mounds, there's different chambers, like the toilet, the hearing room to hear if there's any danger, and there's the sleeping room.
11:30So it's really amazing to see what's in the mound.
11:34Let's see if we can take a look and see if we can find one.
11:37Nope, not one home.
11:39I can hear one, though.
11:40When you come to these national parks, you can see how instrumental the prairie dog is in having a good habitat.
11:47Have a look here, for example.
11:49Righty-o, we're right in the middle of a prairie dog town.
11:51That's where the pronghorn are, the buffalo, the big horn sheep come up here to eat.
11:56Everything comes to eat at the prairie dog towns.
11:59Oh, wow, look at that prairie dog there.
12:02Yeah, he's onto us, isn't he?
12:04Now, when he's up like that, he's actually a sentry.
12:06He's looking for danger.
12:08He thinks that that Indy Irwin might be danger.
12:10Prairie dogs are only in America, so if we lose them here, they're gone forever.
12:16Bindi!
12:20Here we go.
12:21These are baby lambs, or baby sheep.
12:24They have big horn sheep in America, and their babies are just like these.
12:29My dad is amazing at sneaking up on animals.
12:33These big horns were brought into the Badlands of South Dakota after the originals were hunted to extinction a long time ago.
12:41Another American beauty we saw was a really pretty variety of whitetail deer.
12:46These are a beautiful animal roaming right across the prairies,
12:50but kind of in the national parks is the only place that you'll find really good strongholds of them.
13:00The city of New York is called the Big Apple because there's apple trees growing on every corner.
13:07You're it!
13:12This is Flower. She's an American alligator.
13:15I've been with her for two years.
13:18One time I had to take her home, and we watched TV together,
13:23and when she got a chance, she would nibble on my feet.
13:27And they've got really razor-sharp teeth, they've got really pretty frog-like eyes,
13:33they've got really good hands and feet for swimming in the water,
13:37they've got a good tail to balance them, and that helps them swim.
13:41She virtually eats anything that's smaller than her.
13:44She eats frogs, crabs, they love crabs, fish, bugs, any bugs when they're smaller?
13:51Yeah, they can eat anything like that.
13:54And this is one rule you should never forget.
13:57Alligators grow really, really big, and they can bite,
14:01so never, ever go in the water with an alligator.
14:05American alligators are very common, just like the American elk.
14:10Our next stop is the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
14:14Crikey, have a look at these elks.
14:16The females are called cows, and the males are called bulls.
14:20You see, this one over here has a bunged leg, which is sad, but true.
14:25Have a look at these two, they're fighting!
14:27Sometimes when they fight, their antlers get cut off,
14:33and their antlers get stuck together,
14:36and they can carve their way through all the trees and things,
14:40because they know where their antlers end,
14:43which is very, very cool, unlike the rhinoceros.
14:47This is the biggest herd of elk I've ever seen, there's got to be about 200 or more.
14:55When I was in America recently, I became a Junior Ranger seven times,
15:00and I got the badges to prove it.
15:02This is Big Bend National Park in Texas,
15:05and we're on the American side of the famous Rio Grande.
15:09This side is USA, and this side is Mexico,
15:12and the Rio Grande River is the border between the two.
15:16I promise to protect and respect all national parks.
15:20I also promise to continue learning
15:22cultural, historic and natural places
15:25about cultural and historical national places.
15:29Very good, congratulations. Give her a hand, folks.
15:34And then I got another one after my dad and I visited the Badlands National Park.
15:43I promise to help protect national parks.
15:46Here's your Badlands Junior Ranger badge.
15:48Oh, thank you.
15:53And another one came from Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.
15:59You're an official Junior Ranger.
16:01Oh, thank you.
16:03I'm a Junior Ranger here at Rocky Mountains National Park,
16:07which is incredibly beautiful, and also at Wind Cave National Park.
16:11Here's your Ranger badge.
16:14Congratulations, baby. Here's your badge.
16:17The National Park's Junior Ranger program
16:20is great for learning about America's wild places.
16:24I love American Indians, and I love American museums.
16:29They preserve past cultures forever.
16:32In North Dakota, we visited museums
16:35to rediscover the Wild West and American history.
16:39The museums are a heap of fun,
16:41especially when I've got my family with me.
16:45That's President Teddy Roosevelt.
16:47And this is my dad, who's just like a big kid.
16:50He can't help mucking around when we're trying to be very serious
16:55as important museum exhibits.
17:04Great Sand Dunes National Park is a real treasure trove.
17:09Great Sand Dunes National Park is a really fun place,
17:13and that's because any marks you leave in the sand
17:16will be gone the next day.
17:21Are you ready for a big sand roll?
17:23Yep.
17:24All right, I'm going.
17:25Ah!
17:31I'm OK.
17:32Ah!
17:34Ah!
17:35Ah!
17:41Alligators are the coolest reptile in America.
17:44I once met a famous celebrity alligator in Hollywood.
17:48His name was Baba, and he took me for a ride.
17:52Just off Sunset Boulevard,
17:54my dad fell in love with an alligator from Chicago.
17:57Look at him cuddling up close
17:59and kissing an alligator right on the lips.
18:03Oh, Baba, you haven't been kissing someone else, have you?
18:06How about me?
18:08And this is the only alligator I've ever met.
18:12Yes, you can kiss right on the lips.
18:15It is so rare to find an alligator just like Baba,
18:18and my dad trusted him so much, he let me take a ride on his back.
18:23Baba and his owner, Jim Nessie,
18:25are always meeting kids all over America
18:28to teach them about alligators.
18:30He's done more than anyone
18:32to help the cause of alligators in the wild.
18:35You would never do this with any other alligator,
18:38but Baba really is a true American beauty.
18:47Hello, Akka.
18:49This is Corny. She's an American corn snake.
18:52Isn't she pretty?
18:54She's got really pretty orange
18:56and a little bit of black and a little bit of light orange
18:59and under her, if you can see,
19:02it's a little bit of square and white, white and black.
19:06She's a constrictor snake
19:08and that means that she can constrict all her prey.
19:12So she bites them, then she twirls around them and she pushes.
19:17She gets really, really tight and that crushes them
19:21and makes all the air go out of the animal
19:24and then they swallow them whole.
19:26And these snakes love to eat mice or rats or things like that.
19:30They love rodents.
19:32America is full of beauties just like this corn snake.
19:36I love you, Corny.
19:40Have a look at this.
19:44Settle down.
19:46I tell you what, these snakes have got some character.
19:49This is a hognose snake and he's mimicking death.
19:53He's like opening up his mouth and now he's got himself belly up
19:58and what he's trying to do is he's trying to convince me that he's dead.
20:04Just as well, this is a non-venomous species.
20:08Whoa!
20:10This is a pine snake and they often get killed
20:13because they're easily confused with a big old eastern diamondback.
20:17Rattlesnakes are my dad's favourites because they make a noise.
20:21He handles them really well but they are dangerous.
20:24OK then, away you go, mate.
20:27Away you go.
20:28Hey, thank you for spending such quality time with me.
20:31What a snapper!
20:38My dad is just a big kid most of the time.
20:41We're always mucking around together
20:44and if there's one thing we love to do together
20:47it's dress up and have a gunfight.
20:49Pow!
20:54This town's not big enough for the both of us, amigo.
20:57Ready to draw?
20:59I don't think there's enough of you to take me out.
21:01Well, if we don't get you, little Roberto will.
21:04I'm willing to take the risk.
21:07Draw!
21:10Get him!
21:11I'm running out of ammo!
21:15Come on, Roberto, let's get him!
21:17Roberto!
21:18It's not Roberto!
21:19It's Roberto!
21:31Roberto, only you can finish him off.
21:38What the heck was that?
21:39He may be short but he packs a punch.
21:44Ready!
21:47One thing I like about America is that they have corn snakes.
21:51They're one of my favorite animals.
21:54America has a lot of beautiful animals
21:56like the majestic bald eagle
21:58to the endangered bison from the prairies
22:00to the spectacular herds of elk
22:03the cutest little prairie dogs in town
22:05and the awesome power of the bears.
22:08They're all American beauties.
22:10But the best American beauty is my mom.
22:13Hi, sweetie.
22:14Join us next time for more Fun in the Jungle.
22:17Bye!