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After London Zoo’s silverback Western
Lowland Gorilla dies unexpectedly, their three females
are left without a leader. Dublin Zoo’s adolescent
male Kesho seems the ideal candidate to replace him, but
first he’ll have to pass a rigorous examination
from some visiting zookeepers…
After 16 long months Suki the White Rhinoceros is finally
ready to give birth. It’s been a long wait for Helen
Clarke Bennett and her team and they’ve made all
the preparations they can to help her, but at this stage
it’s all up to Suki…
With their powerful tails and bone-crunching jaws, getting
close enough to examine a Nile Crocodile can be tricky.
When zookeeper and reptile expert Garth de Jong suspects
one of Dublin Zoo’s crocodiles is nursing a hidden
injury, there’s only one way for him to have a peek
under those scales, and that’s by wrestling the
crocodile into position…
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With the inspection over, it’s
time for Kesho to say goodbye to his home in Dublin Zoo
and join a new band of Western Lowland Gorillas in London
Zoo. But how will the three adult females take to their
young suitor...
When a rare Snow Leopard gives birth to twin cubs in Dublin
Zoo only one of them survives and it looks dangerously
weak. UCD veterinary hospital do everything they can,
but its chances of survival are slim. With 24 hour care
required, zookeeper Gerry Creighton takes on the difficult
task of hand-rearing the little cub at home….
Zookeeper Peter Phillips notices one of Dublin Zoo’s
Fruit Bats is having trouble feeding, and on closer inspection
it seems the little mammal has broken a wing. It’s
a bad injury, and with time working against them it looks
like Vet John Banbridge may have to perform an emergency
amputation…
After the success of the White Rhinoceros birth last week
there’s a huge amount of excitement surrounding
the new arrival. We join the calf as it takes its first
animated steps on to the African Plains, and after its
first few days safe indoors with his mother, the little
rhino is rearing to go...
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Helen Clarke Bennett and her team are
waiting with great excitement for the arrival of another
addition to Dublin Zoo’s Giraffe herd. It’s
an anxious time as they wait to see if the little calf
will have enough strength to get to her feet…
Curator of Horticulture Stephen Butler takes us on a walk
through the lush green pathways of Dublin Zoo and explains
the vital role that flowers, plants and trees play in
the life of Dublin Zoo...
Meanwhile in the African Plains veteran zookeeper Joe
Byrne is preparing for an emotional last day of work after
over 40 years in Dublin Zoo and says goodbye to his favourite
animals, Dublin Zoo’s herd of Hippopotamus...
Brazilian Tapirs Sasha and Marmaduke have spent 25 happy
years living together in Dublin Zoo. With Sasha due to
give birth in a few weeks time, zookeeper Susan O Brien
has been keeping a close eye on her. When the tapir suddenly
goes into premature labour, putting her own and her baby’s
lives at risk, Susan is first on the scene...
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Dublin Zoo recently reworked the habitat
of its 14-strong colony of Humboldt Penguins to more closely
resemble their native habitat, the sandy beaches of coastal
Peru and Chile. Zookeeper and avian expert Peter Phillips
joins them as they take their first steps into their new
home....
The Little Tern nests on certain beaches along the Irish
coast, leaving their chicks and their eggs vulnerable
to a number of dangers, from walkers and their dogs to
a number of natural predators. We join zookeeper and avian
expert Peter Phillips on site with the Louth Nature Trust,
one of the Zoos supported conservation projects, as they
battle to conserve one of Ireland’s most endangered
wild birds….
Ciaran MacMahon has been noticing Dublin Zoo’s
Wolf pack have been acting a little strangely and on further
investigation he unearths an incredible discovery; a network
of mysterious tunnels leading deep under the ground, dangerously
close to the perimeter fence…
Gerry Creighton notices a mysterious lump on the breast
of one of Dublin Zoo’s Siamang Gibbons and is determined
to find out if it poses a risk to her health. One quick
sedation later and a tissue sample from the gibbon’s
chest arrives at UCD veterinary hospital ready for analysis.
But what will it show?...
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A new island home is prepared for the Ring-Tailed Lemurs and there's plenty of exploring to be done by these playful and curious creatures. But when a build-up of algae around the edge of the island gives the water a deceptively solid appearance, oldest member of the troop Nibbles takes her curiosity a step too far....
The Chilean Flamingos will soon be breeding, building their nests on stacks of mud at the edge of the flamingo pond. Zookeeper and avian expert Peter Phillips introduces us to some of Dublin Zoo's most colourful inhabitants, and follows their progress from nest, to fledging and finally on to a flamingo crèche...
They said Wanita, the little Sumatran Tiger cub with a hole in her heart, would never breed. A year on, and she's grown into a beautiful and almost fully grown tigress, ready to find a partner of her own. So it's With a heavy heart Gerry Creighton sets about training one of his favourite animals for the long trip to her new home in France…
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IIt’s been several months now since
Gerry waved goodbye to Wanita the Sumatran Tiger. With
reports that she’s doing well over in France, Gerry
takes to the road to pay one of his favourite animals
a visit and see how she’s settling in….
With less than 250 Waldrap Ibis left in the wild, breeding
groups like the one in Dublin Zoo are crucial to these
critically endangered birds’ long-term survival.
From building their nests high up on rocky crags to laying
their first eggs, zookeeper Garth de Jong has been keeping
a close eye on them…
Barely bigger than a human hand, the Pygmy Marmoset is
the world's smallest monkey. They've had trouble breeding
in the zoo, but with the arrival of a new male marmoset
the keepers hope that's all about to change. First, they
need to do some simple tests, but on an animal this tiny
even the simplest of procedures brings its own challenges....
Sandy the Giraffe is developing the same painful abnormality
in her hooves that led to her mother Jenny's death last
year. Reluctant to use sedatives or tranquilisers, a farrier
is called in to try and minimise her discomfort and the
keepers are reliant on her trust of the keepers to ensure
it all goes smoothly....
While Gerry heads to France, his brother James visits
Kesho the Western Lowland Gorilla in London Zoo. How have
the resident females taken to their young suitor or will
both James and Kesho be looking for a return ticket?...
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African Hunting Dogs are fond of a little
horseplay, but with the mating season in full swing sometimes
things can get a little out of hand. Team leader Ciaran
MacMahon has to intervene when he notices one of the male
dogs nursing some particularly nasty looking injuries....
Brazilian Tapir Diego will soon be travelling to a new
home in France but first she’ll need a number of
tests to make sure she’s healthy. To avoid sending
her to sleep while they take a blood sample, Dublin Zoo
get a little help from some Mexican Kissing Beetles whose
natural bloodthirstiness makes them perfect for taking
samples….
Already extinct in the wild, Asian Leaf Turtles are amongst
the rarest turtles in the world so Garth De Jong is incredibly
excited by the discovery of a hidden clutch of eggs beneath
the sand of their habitat. With the preservation of a
species to think about, Garth has to handle these valuable
eggs with the greatest of care…
We revisit the progress of the critically endangered
Waldraap Ibis. Garth has been watching as the fledglings
prepare to leave their parent's nest for the first time....
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A male Mangabey monkey comes to live with the resident
troop on Dublin Zoo’s Mangabey Island. But after
having the island to themselves for such a long time,
how will the females take to the new boy in town?
Sasha the Brazilian Tapir has been with Dublin Zoo for
over 25 years and is a firm favourite amongst zookeepers
and visitors alike. But for a number of days now she’s
been showing signs of serious pain. When she begins to
refuse her food, zookeeper Susan O Brien is worried the
tapir might be in serious trouble....
After years of rearing litters of cubs, Team Leader Ciaran
MacMahon decides that Dublin Zoo’s female Sumatran
Tiger deserves a little break from the responsibilities
of motherhood. The solution is a simple contraceptive
implant, but with a cat of her size even getting her on
to the veterinary table is going to be a big operation….
It’s been four months since Garth De Jong discovered
a clutch of Asian Leaf Turtles eggs hidden beneath the
sand of their habitat. After plenty of care and attention
from the reptile expert, the little eggs have finally
begun to hatch....
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When a female Western Lowland Gorilla
with a big appetite stops eating her food, zookeeper James
knows that something is wrong. A number of tests will
be required, but procedures on an animal of her size always
carry significant risks….
Zookeeper and Veterinary Nurse Aisling Greene takes time
off from Dublin Zoo to learn how to hand-rear Cheetah
cubs in South Africa. It's a fascinating journey for the
young keeper and the knowledge she returns with will be
of vital importance to Dublin Zoo and the big cats who
live there....
Last year we followed Sumo, a male Sulawesi Crested Macaque,
from his old home in England to his new home on the macaque
island in Dublin Zoo. He's been busy since he arrived
and with many of the females’ bellies looking a
little swollen, it looks like macaque island could soon
be home to some little ones....
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It’s been a long and difficult
year in Dublin Zoo’s Brazilian Tapir house, particularly
for old Marmaduke, who lost both his daughter Diego and
Hillary, his partner of 25 years. A new younger female
arrives to keep him company, but will the old tapir take
to his new companion?...
Dublin Zoo is finding it difficult to successfully breed
their pair of Snow Leopards. After observing them closely
for some time, it’s clear to Team Leader Ciaran
MacMahon that something is stopping the male from mating.
It’s off to the veterinary hospital in UCD to investigate….
After saying an emotional goodbye to Diego, the Brazilian
Tapir she knew since it was a baby, zookeeper Susan O
Brien has her spirits suddenly lifted by a long-awaited
phone call announcing the birth of two new baby Pygmy
Marmosets…
It’s been six months since a new male Mangabey joined
the resident troop on Mangabey Island as part of the international
breeding programme and it seems he’s been doing
his job well when a new little addition joins the troop....
There’s huge excitement at the Western Lowland Gorilla
habitat when it looks like there might be a new baby on
the way. Every precaution has been taken, so for James
Creighton and the rest of the gorilla team, all they can
do now is wait…
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