Kangaroos: Faces in the Mob

Husband-wife filmmaking team Jan Aldenhoven and Glen Carruthers spent over two years in a remote part of Eastern Austria recording some of the most extraordinary footage of kangaroos ever documented. From the births of two joeys, through the rigorous in-the-pouch, out-of-the-pouch, back into-the-pouch training they must master (as 80% of joeys are taken by predators), to the sad demise of one of the babies, this program is rich in drama and an excellent showcase for these amazing marsupials. I can not tell you how weird fighting kangaroos look. While balancing on their thick tails they can not only boot-kick their opponent into next week, but will execute a faster one-two punch than John Woo could capture on film. But climbing the ladder of social hierarchy is all in a days work and worth it when the winner gets first mating rights to the mob's forty or more female members. Here's the kicker: in order to mate, he must check each female to see if she's in season, which means Boss Roo spends most of his non-boxing time literally running around taste-testing the ladies' urine checking for the right hormone levels. You may be shaking your head but, apparently, the sex is worth it (and teacher's should note that it's pretty graphically presented). Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: J, H, C, P. (N. Plympton)