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Episode 1


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…

Episode 2


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...

Episode 3


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...

Episode 4


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?...

Episode 5



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…

Episode 6


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?...

Episode 7


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....

Episode 8


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....

Episode 9


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....

Episode 10


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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