- [Coyote] Right now we're at Kids Saving the Rainforest
and we're about to work with a truly nocturnal creature.
Now, I just met it off camera a second ago.
And it is armed with razor-sharp claws
and some ferocious looking teeth.
But believe it or not, this creature,
eats fruit.
So if you guys are ready, I think I'm ready
to free the kinkajou.
(upbeat music)
While filming, Breaking Trail I've taken many intentional
bites and stings, however, it's the ones that you don't
plan for that can oftentimes be the scariest.
Oh, oh, oh.
Those are marshmallows.
These little squirrel monkeys love marshmallows.
Now the trick is going to be to get one
of the squirrel monkeys off of the branch
and onto my arm so that he eats the marshmallows.
(monkey chirps)
Hear that?
I think I'm coordinating a plan here.
- [Mark] Coordinating.
- [Coyote] Did you see that?
Oh, yeah, we're in.
Sorry.
- [Mark] Did it bite you?
- No, no, my arm hit its head.
Okay, it didn't like me with the marshmallows.
Just because we plan to film an episode
doesn't mean they always work out.
And this squirrel monkey mishap was a perfect example.
That's a monkey bite.
On the Pacific side of Costa Rica,
the crew and I spent time filming at Kids
Saving the Rainforest where we had a chance
to get the cameras p close with a rescue kinkajou.
A nocturnal mammal, it can deliver an incredibly
painful bite if you aren't careful.
All right, now what I want to do
is just get a little piece of fruit.
I'm going to open up this little crate.
Okay, hi.
Here we go.
Hello there.
Look what I've got.
Look, hey, oh boy, look at those teeth.
Come on out.
Oh, oh, oh.
Sorry, sorry, sorry.
Come on out.
Let's get you all the way out.
Oh, there it is.
Oh, you're going back in?
It's like, there are a lot of lights.
There.
That is a kinkajou.
You gonna go back in there?
Oh, you gonna roll over on your back?
All right, look at this creature.
Now, what I want to do is kind of keep the fruit
close by and you look at this animal
and you think to yourself, wow, it likes a mix
between something out of the weasel family,
maybe a monkey.
Look at this tail.
- [Mark] It's like a cat, too.
- [Coyote] A cat, this is like a combination
of so many different animals but believe it or not
it's related to the raccoon and the Coati Mundi.
You love papaya, don't you?
There you go, now you'll e able to get a little bit
of a better shot.
Oh, look at that, roll over on your back.
Can I pick ya up?
Well, maybe not.
This is not an animal that I want to just try
to pick up and handle because it is capable
of giving me a pretty good chomp.
I need to be as gentle as possible.
Here how bout you come up on the tree?
- [Mark] Yeah, you can hold it by the tail.
- [Coyote] Whoops, no, he doesn't want to do that.
Okay.
There you go.
Oh, that's, that's impressive.
Look at those claws at work there.
Here, I've got a whole bucket right here.
Come on this side.
Hi.
Going to eat right out of my hand.
Like, whoa, did you see those teeth?
- [Mark] Yeah.
- [Coyote] You can understand why I do not want
this animal to chomp onto my hand.
Wow, look at how it's able to just hold
onto the food and it's actually balancing itself
with its tail.
Now that tail works like a 5th hand
to be able to help it climb through the tree
and obviouisly hold itself upside down.
Look at that, it's completely supporting its weight
with its tail and its hind legs.
Not even holding on with the front legs at all.
And look at these little hands.
Five fingers on the front toes, it feels just like
the hand of a human.
Shake hands, there you go, here, try this.
You can get some fruit off there.
What about that--
- [Mark] Now is he being gentle with you or--
- Um, so far so good.
Now keep in mind that I just met this creature
so I need to be calm.
I need to be quiet.
And hopefuly it wants to hang out
for a few minutes, but again, I need to be very careful
because if it latches onto me with those claws
and those teeth, it's going to be a very bad end
to this episode.
Now their coat is very, very dense and notice
how short all of the fur is.
And you've got these coarser guard hairs
on the outside and underneath it's also pretty coarse.
Here Mark, look, this is a great chance
for us to look at the foot.
They're actually able to turn their feet 180 degrees
backwards which helps them move in reverse
up a tree trunk but let's come back down here
to the head.
Can you see the eye from right there?
- [Mark] Oh yeah.
Now those big eyes allow this creature to see
in the dark.
Now they are strictly nocturnal.
And during the day they will hide in either
a cavity inside of a tree or in a cluster of vines.
Look at that, it's just completely staying still.
Have you had enough to eat?
It may be full at this point.
He's eaten a lot of the fruit in this bucket.
- [Mark] He looks very curious about all these cameras--
- [Coyote] Yeah, well I have to imagine for a creature
that's use to being out in the darkness,
it must be pretty disorienting to have all
of these bright lights surrounding you.
But, you know, for a creature that came from the wild
and is being rehabilitated here
at Kids Saving the Rainforest,
I'd say it is pretty well behaved.
All right, well, this kinkajou has had one incredible
meal tonight.
It ate pretty much the entire bucket of fruit.
And I have to say, this is probably one of the most
interesting mammals we have ever gotten in front
of the cameras on, Breaking Trail.
I'm Coyote Peterson and be brave.
Stay wild.
We'll see ya on the next adventure.
If you thought the kinkajou was fascinating,
make sure you go back and watch the episode
where I got up close with another nocturnal
jungle creature, the ocelot.
And don't forget, subscribe to join me and the crew
on this season of, Breaking Trail.
Yeah, I hear you talking.
You got that pack?
Can you see her face?
Oh.
(nature sounds)