>> THE AWARD FOR BEST
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE AT OSCARS
WENT TO MY OCTOPUS TEACHER ABOUT
THE RELATIONSHIP A MAN DEVELOPS
WITH AN OCTOPUS.
THAT GOT JAY SHEFSKY THINK BEING
A CROSS SPECIES ENCOUNTER OF HIS
OWN LAST FALL.
HERE'S JAY.
>> THIS STARTED LIKE A LOT OF MY
FAVORITE DAYS.
IN A KAYAK ON A QUIET RIVER.
BUT SOON, IT WOULD GET A LOT
MORE INTERESTING.
I WAS ALONE ON THE PAW-PAW RIVER
PADDLING OUT OF MICHIGAN.
WAIT, WHAT IS ON THAT LOG?
IS THAT A PRAYING MANTIS?
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN A
PRAYING MANTIS IN PERSON.
IS IT TURNING ITS HEAD TO WATCH
ME PASS?
I MUST BE IMAGINING THAT.
I'VE GOT TO GET A CLOSER LOOK SO
I TURN AROUND AND SIDLE UP TO
THE FALLEN TREE THAT IS THE
PRAYING MANTIS' PERCH.
AND THIS TIME NO DOUBT ABOUT IT,
IT TURNS ITS HEAD TO FACE ME.
IT IS WATCHING ME.
THIS GIANT INSECT THAT MUST HAVE
BEEN THE INSPIRATION FOR THE
CLASSIC CARTOON ALIEN IS
WATCHING ME.
AND IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE
SCARED.
AT LEAST NOT ENOUGH TO FLY AWAY.
OR WALK AWAY.
OR WHATEVER IT WOULD DO.
I'M A LITTLE SCARED.
SO BEFORE I GET ANY CLOSER I
GOOGLE ARE PRAYING MANTIS'
DANGEROUS?
WHILE THEY CAN BE ROUGH ON THEIR
PREY THEY ARE HARMLESS TO
HUMANS.
SO I GET IN CLOSER.
HOPING TO GET A FEW SHOTS BEFORE
I SCARE IT OFF.
BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM SCARED AT
ALL.
IT SEEMS CURIOUS.
I KNOW, I KNOW, I SHOULDN'T
ANSWER, BUT AM I WRONG TO SAY IT
SEEMS EVERY BIT AS INTERESTED IN
ME AS I AM IN IT?
SOON, I'M FEELING READY TO TAKE
OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE NEXT
LEVEL.
WILL IT READ THIS GESTURE AS A
SIGN I CAN BE TRUSTED?
DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
BUT THEN AFTER HALF AN HOUR OF
JUST LOOKING AT EACH OTHER, AN
AMAZING THING HAPPENS.
IT BEGINS TO APPROACH.
TENTATIVELY AT FIRST AND THEN
WITH A LITTLE MORE SWAGGER.
I'M GLAD I ALREADY CONFIRMED
THAT IT IS NOT A THREAT TO ME.
BECAUSE IT'S COMING ABOARD.
AND THEN FOR ANOTHER HALF HOUR,
IT EXPLORES ME AND MY KAYAK.
[LAUGHTER]
THIS IS TOTALLY WILD.
[LAUGHTER]
THERE IS A PRAYING MANTIS ON THE
BOTTOM OF MY SHOE THAT I CANNOT
SEE IT BECAUSE IT'S ON THE
BOTTOM OF MY SHOE.
IT MAKES ITSELF QUITE AT HOME ON
THIS NEW PERCH.
AND SOON IT'S READY TO MAKE THE
MOVE TO MY HAND.
THAT IS THE WILDEST THING!
BUT NOW, I AM IN BE CAREFUL WHAT
YOU ASK FOR TERRITORY.
BECAUSE WHILE I KNOW THAT THIS
THING WON'T HURT ME IT'S TOUGH
TO KEEP MY COOL AS IT MOVES FROM
MY HAND TO MY ARM.
CREEPY.
GEEZ.
EVEN THOUGH I GET IT BACK TO
MORE COMFORTABLE TERRITORY THIS
GIANT INSECT STILL WANTS TO BE
BETTER FRIENDS.
AND THEN AS IT EXPLORES ME, IT
MANAGES TO FIND THE ONE PLACE I
CAN'T FILM IT.
ON MY HAND THAT IS HOLDING MY
PHONE.
[LAUGHTER]
THIS IS INCHES FROM MY FACE
SITTING ON THE PHONE.
IT'S TAKING [INAUDIBLE]
IT IS MAGNIFICENT.
>> WHEN HAVE I EVER SPENT THIS
MUCH TIME THIS CLOSE TO A
CRITTER I ENCOUNTERED IN THE
WILD?
AND WHICH I THINK HAS COME TO
TRUST THAT I MEAN IT NO HARM.
UNFORTUNATELY, I BETRAYED THAT
TRUST.
AND I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT THE
REST OF THE STORY HAPPENED OFF
CAMERA.
THERE ARE PHOTOS AS I TELL YOU
HOW IT PLAYED OUT.
THE PRAYING MANTIS SPENT SEVERAL
MORE MINUTES ON MY HAND AND THEN
STARTLED ME BY QUICKLY WALKING
UP MY ARM TOWARD MY FACE.
I INCITIZEN ACTIVELY CONFLICTED
IT OFF IT LANDED IN THE WATER
WHERE I WATCHED IT FLAIL AS THE
CURRENT CARRY TO DO DOWNSTREAM.
I WAS HORRIFIED AND I COULDN'T
LET MY NEW FRIEND DROWN SO I
TOOK OFF AFTER IT.
USING THE KAYAK PAZLE TO SCOOP
IT OUT OF THE WATER.
THEN SOMEHOW WITH THAT SAME
PADDLE, I MADE MY WAY TO THE
SHORE AND HERE IS MY STUNNED END
FRIEND ON THE PADDLE.
JUST BEFORE I RETURNED IT TO
SAFETY AND WATCHED IT QUICKLY
TAKE OFF INTO THE BRUSH.
DID I TEACH IT THAT HUMANS CAN'T
BE TRUSTED?
MAYBE THAT'S NOT A BAD LESSON.
AND WHAT DID IT TEACH ME?
SOMETHING PRETTY SIMPLE
REALLY...
THE BENEFITS OF QUIET, PATIENT
OBSERVATION.
FOR "CHICAGO TONIGHT" THIS IS
JAY SHEFSKY.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE
BEEN THAT PATIENT BUT JAY TELLS
US HE LEARNED THERE ARE 2400
SPECIES OF MANTIS AROUND THE
WORLD.
THEY COME IN A WILD VARIETY.
A FEW OTHER FACTS.
MANY SPECIES CAN TURN THEIR
HEADS 180°.
OUCH.
THE FEMALES ARE THE HABIT OF
BITING OFF THE MALE'S HEAD AFTER
MATING.
DOUBLE OUCH.
THE DARK SPOTS IN THEIR EYES
MOVE TO FOLLOW THEIR PREY AND IT
IS NOT UNCOMMON TO KEEP MANTIS
AS PETS.