New Netflix series features an 11-year-old 'koala whisperer'

Like a lot of young people, 11-year-old Izzy Bee has a special bond with animals. Unlike a lot of young people, she shares it with one of the planet's most cuddly — koalas.

“It’s hard to explain,” she says from her home in Australia. “When I’m with them, it’s just sort like really calming. They sort of like understand me in a way.”

Izzy is showing that unusual bond in the new Netflix series “Izzy's Koala World,” which follows the girl as she helps her veterinarian mom and takes care of the tree-climbing marsupials. It premieres Sept. 15.

This image released by Netflix shows Ali Bee, right and Izzy Bee in a scene from "Izzy's Koala World," which follows an 11-year old girl as she helps her veterinarian mom take care of koalas. (Netflix via AP)

"They all seem to gravitate towards her,” says her mom, Ali. “They’re wild animals, they’re terrified. They need that calming, gentle, quiet, loving presence.”

Izzy and her family live on Magnetic Island, which sits off the east coast of Australia and is home to hundreds of koalas. The animals rely on the eucalyptus tree for both habitat and food. They sleep for 18-22 hours a day.

When koalas on the island need help, Izzy and her family welcome them into their animal sanctuary and nurture them until they’re ready to be released back into the wild.

This image released by Netflix shows Izzy Bee with a koala bear in a scene from "Izzy's Koala World," which follows an 11-year old girl as she helps her veterinarian mom take care of koalas. (Netflix via AP)

“Do you need cuddles this morning?” she will ask one in her care. She's also learned some tricks to discover how they're feeling. “You can learn a lot from looking at their poop.”

In an interview with her dad and mom, Izzy cradled the family's latest patient, a 14-month old girl koala they've named Pumpkin. Like most of the koalas they care for, Pumpkin was orphaned and needs help eating and maturing.

Izzy checks on the koalas every day, feeds them and plays with them. She plays with them in her bed, hugs them while brushing her teeth and helps them climb. Her dad calls her “the koala whisperer.”

This image released by Netflix shows Ali Bee, from left, Izzy Bee and Tim Bee in a scene from "Izzy's Koala World," which follows an 11-year old girl as she helps her veterinarian mom take care of koalas. (Netflix via AP)

Izzy's bond with animals began early. Five weeks after being born, she was in mom's clinic. “She grew up with whatever come through the door. Seeing the connection between people and their animals was always something that she was very aware of,” her mom says.

The series follows Izzy as she cares for a procession of koalas — Chompy, Juliet, Twinkle, StormBoy and a favorite, Leia, named after her very tufty ears, which reminded Izzy of the “Star Wars” heroine Princess Leia. When it's time to release them, Izzy is sad but ready.

“I miss them sometimes," she says. “They feel happy and safe in care. But I know that they’ve got more of a life outside of the koala hospital.”

Her mom adds that the whole reason is to release them so they can sustain the population. “We hope not to see them again,” mom says.

The show, which adds small sound effects and animated hearts and stars to show how the koalas are feeling, is co-produced by digital media brand The Dodo, which featured Izzy in a segment of its “Dodo Heroes” show on Animal Planet.

“Izzy is this Doc McStuffins come alive character who cares with every ounce of her body about koalas,” says Dave Glauber, the creative lead for Dodo Kids. "She will give medicine to a koala and she’ll also calm them down when they’re feeling scared.

“So when we saw this, we knew we wanted to lean into it and really develop a whole series where we get to showcase this over and over with many different kids of koalas.”

The Bee family hope the series can remind viewers of how precious wildlife is, especially following devastating brush fires that recently swept through Australia.

“At the moment, the world needs koalas just as much as koalas need the world. They are beautiful symbols of our native wildlife,” says Ali Bee.

While “Izzy’s Koala World” focuses on one animal, mom believes it makes the case that looking after animals and the planet are intertwined.

“We’ve all got to be aware that people, animals and planet — we’re all so much interconnected. A prime example is pandemic at the moment,” she says. "My hope to get future generations to look after the planet and the critters that live here.”

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed the pioneering hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit to reclaim ownership of their master recordings from Universal Music Group.

U.S. District Judge Denise Cote on Thursday sided with the recording giant, arguing that the Grammy-winning group never owned the copyrights to their sound recordings and didn't transfer them to anyone else.

“Plaintiffs can only terminate copyright transfers that they executed,” the judge wrote. “None of the contracts identified by Plaintiffs indicate that they ever owned the Master Tapes.”

UMG argued that the recordings were “works made for hire,” which would not allow for the reclaiming of rights. Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit said their agreements with the label made it clear that they were not.

“Even with the court’s complete rejection of their claims, we remain open and willing to find a resolution to the matter and turn the page so we can focus our efforts on working together to amplify Salt-N-Pepa’s legacy for generations to come,” UMG said in a statement.

Representatives for Salt-N-Pepa said in a statement that they disagreed with the judge's decision and “fully intend to pursue our rights on appeal,” adding: “We remain committed to vindicating and reclaiming our rights as creators under the Copyright Act."

The Queens, New York, duo of Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton became Salt-N-Pepa in 1985. They were later joined by DJ Spinderella, who was not part of the early agreements under dispute and is not involved in the lawsuit.

Salt-N-Pepa signed with Next Plateau Records and released their debut album "Hot, Cool & Vicious" in 1986. Next Plateau was an independent label at the time, and it’s now under the banner of Universal’s Republic label. Some of the group's hits include 1993’s “Shoop” and 1987’s “Push It.”

In 1995 they became the first female rap group to win a Grammy, and in 2021, they received a Grammy lifetime achievement award. In November, they followed Missy Elliott as the second female hip-hop act in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, handed the Influence Award.

At the podium during the induction ceremony, James noted the group's legal fight: "This is the Influence Award. We have to keep using our influence until the industry honors creativity the way the audience does — with love, respect and fairness.”

In their lawsuit, Salt-N-Pepa claimed that the 1976 Copyright Act gives artists the right to reclaim ownership of master recordings and terminate past agreements after 35 years.

But the judge sided with UMG's argument that there is no evidence that James and Denton granted the label copyright that they can now reclaim.

FILE - Sandra Denton, from left; DJ Spinderella and Cheryl James of Salt-N-Pepa arrive at the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Nov. 8, 2025, at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Missy Elliott, from left, and Sandra Denton with Cheryl James, right of Salt-N-Pepa, react during the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Nov. 8, 2025, at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)