Nature: The Platypus Guardian

Photo: Pete Walsh heads deep into the urban wilderness to uncover the secret lives of platypus. Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

 

Credit: Courtesy of Oliver Berlin / © WildBear Entertainment

Witness the story of Pete Walsh, a Tasmanian man who befriends a platypus he names Zoom.

With the help of experts, Pete learns more about the platypus’s secret world in a mission to protect them from the dangers of urban development. Nature: The Platypus Guardian airs Wednesday, October 25 at 4 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Pete Walsh is a Tasmanian obsessed with one of nature’s least understood creatures, the platypus. An egg-laying, duck-billed, venom-spined, furry-coated underwater mammal, the platypus’ natural environment is in danger from urban development in the capital city of Hobart. With the help of experts, Pete embarks on a mission to rally his community and save the species before it is too late.

uring this endeavor, Pete befriends one particular female platypus he names “Zoom.” She lets him into her secretive world, and Pete learns more about the life of this enigmatic species, capturing unique footage of their behavior. Zoom's behavior sheds light on platypus survival techniques and offers insight into how the species might be protected. Pete will reveal the life of this enigmatic creature, but his time is precious as he manages with his MS diagnosis.

This program is part of Move to Include, a partnership between WXXI and the Golisano Foundation designed to promote inclusion for people with developmental, intellectual, and physical disabilities. This Move to Include model expands nationally this year to five additional communities with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.