Secret Life of the Zoo

Mark Seen

New Arrival Feb 2, 2016 The first episode of the series sees the zoo's Asian elephant family welcome a new arrival. Grumpy matriarch Thi has been pregnant for two years and is reaching the end of her tether. It's Thi's fourth baby and after giving birth to a stillborn baby in the past, the zoo is keeping a close eye on her. Not everyone in the family is looking forward to the birth. Playful Hari, the youngest member of the herd, is feeling left out. No longer the golden child, he starts acting up, taking his frustrations out on grandmother Sithami.It's not just the elephant family experiencing a change in dynamics. Since the arrival of two red panda cubs, new dad Jung has been getting the cold shoulder from his partner, Nima.On the other side of the zoo is a battle for dominance in the chimp enclosure. Leader of the troop, Dylan, is struggling to keep young pretender Eric in line, and the chimps express their disapproval at a visit from the vet.

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Baby Rhino Due Date Mar 9, 2019 Eastern black rhino Kitani is due to give birth, and help swell the ranks of this endangered species. But with Kitani having lost three previous calves, it's a worrying time. Keepers are concerned that things aren't going to plan. Jewel wasp Ripley wants to find the perfect cockroach to help give birth to her offspring. Unfortunately, she plans to lay her egg on the living cockroach, paralyzing him with venom and effectively turning him into a zombie. The Zoo has four rare new arrivals tenrecs, mysterious mammals from Madagascar. With so little known about them the keepers are trying everything they can to help them breed. And red river hog Mali has given birth to twins, but tearaway dad Confetti is a threat to his own babies.

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Mate for Life Jul 29, 2018 Chester's Penguin Island is home to one of the most enduring love stories in the zoo. 24-year-old Rudd is the oldest penguin on the island. He has been with his partner Spike for more than 20 years and the pair are inseparable. However, keepers are concerned that Rudd's arthritic hip could be affecting his quality of life and if an x-ray shows his condition has deteriorated, his future with Spike might be in jeopardy. One of the zoo's most dangerous families is on the move. The Sumatran Tigers are upgrading to a luxury new enclosure on the other side of the zoo as part of Chester's huge expansion. But having lived in their home for most of their lives, it's not going to be an easy move. Little tiger cub Kasarna is especially nervous, and keepers must do all they can to settle the family into their new home.Meanwhile in Chester's Monsoon Forest, spider keeper Tyrone is about to attempt the first-ever captive mating of two Montserrat Tarantulas. But mating in the tarantula kingdom is a perilous procedure and the male will need to take his life in his hands to reproduce.And keepers prepare to welcome two orphan sun bears to the zoo, who arrive at Chester after their sanctuary was forced to close.

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Baby Giraffe Aug 4, 2018 Rothschild's giraffe Orla has got the keepers guessing. She is about to give birth to her third calf, but is two weeks overdue. This episode captures the astonishing arrival of the giraffe family's youngest member and its introduction to the herd.

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Save the Elephants Aug 11, 2018 An elephant family has a potentially deadly virus affecting animals in captivity and in the wild. With the youngest members of the family most at risk, the keepers and the zoo's veterinary team must do all they can to combat the mysterious illness.

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Fledgling Penguins Aug 18, 2018 It's graduation day for the fledgling penguins that have spent months in their nursery being cared for by the keepers. After six months away from the group, will the fledglings be accepted by their elders and hold their own in the battle for food?

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Black Rhinos Aug 25, 2018 Chester is home to ten critically endangered Black Rhinos. With numbers in the wild dwindling, the zoo's breeding program is a key part of preserving the species. There's concern about Kitani's ability to defend herself after she damaged her horn, following the loss of her calf earlier in the year.

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Difficult Parenting Nov 9, 2018 Grevy's Zebras, Florence and Nadine, are about to give birth so the keepers are keeping a close eye on both. Meanwhile, warthog dad Magnum is feeling the pressure of parenting. Two of his older children are becoming increasingly hard to control.

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Antisocial Otters Nov 10, 2018 Kendari the babirusa (a sort of pig-deer from Indonesia) is pregnant. But the two short-clawed otters she shares a paddock with, Wallace and Annie, are behaving like antisocial neighbors, throwing stones at her house while she's settling down to give birth. Keepers decide to move Wallace and Annie out of the babirusa paddock and into the habitat next door where the Bornean orang-utans live. Young male orangutan Willie has been struggling to impress the females Sarikei and Leia. But when the otters arrive, Willie seizes the chance to demonstrate his virility by putting the otters in their place.Meanwhile, Raz the aye-aye (a type of nocturnal lemur) is being encouraged to share his home with two jumping rats, a species normally found in the forests of his native Madagascar. The keepers' aim is to make Raz feel comfortable, so that he'll pluck up the courage to mate with an older female aye-aye, Mammi.It looks like romance has finally blossomed for Willie and Sarikei, so keeper Chris decides to carry out a pregnancy test using a human pregnancy testing kit, as we share so much of our DNA with orangutans. But will Chester see its first baby Bornean orang-utan in almost a decade?

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Penguin Parent Drama Nov 17, 2018 Spring is in the air at Chester Zoo and many of the animals are giving birth. Penguin parents Indigo and Amber are bringing up their new chicks, Munch and McCoy. But an outbreak of disease in the colony leaves Munch fighting for his life. Sulawesi macaque mum Lisa gives birth to Han, but dad Mamassa isn't proving much help with the newborn. Lisa turns to an unlikely source of help her older son Beaker, who steps in to help with the babysitting.The Andean spectacled bear Lima is entering her short window of fertility, and 19-stone male Bernie seems determined to woo her. But Lima isn't letting Bernie close.And in the tortoise house, 71-year-old radiated tortoise Bert is facing a serious midlife crisis: a new young male called Football is muscling in on Bert's harem of females. Keepers decide that the only thing to do to keep Bert's spirits up is to introduce two Swedish female tortoises to the group.

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Tiger Family Matters Nov 24, 2018 Sumatran tiger mum Kirana is facing the loss of her two sons, Topan and Jaya. They're now fully grown, and being moved to other zoos to start families of their own. But keepers are unsure how Kirana, and her remaining cub, daughter Kasarna, will react to the departure of the boys. One of the zoo's most secretive and sensitive animals, Oana the anoa (a dwarf buffalo from Indonesia), gives birth to a calf, Nani. But Oana's anxiety after the birth threatens Nani's health she's licking her so much, the calf is losing its fur.Bringing up children can be as much of a trial as giving birth. Maud is a 27-year-old buffy-headed capuchin monkey. She's bringing up five males, but eldest son, six-year-old Rocky, is causing her problems. He's refusing to pay attention to the life lessons Maud is trying to teach him like how to strip bark from trees. But if he doesn't knuckle down, he won't be able to leave home and become independent.And Lochley the South American capybara gives birth to four pups but has to rely on her own mum, Lilly, to help out feeding and caring for the babies, when she falls ill.

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The Great Escape Dec 1, 2018 There\'s an escape at Chester Zoo. The Sumatran orangutans have been getting used to new quarters, when keepers see from CCTV that Subis, Tuti, Siska and Indah have gone missing. They find Subis in the roof of the Monsoon Forest an area strictly off-limits to orangutans. But Subis seems to be enjoying a day out, trying on a fire hydrant cover and some vet\'s gloves for size. The keepers must rely on their understanding of the escapees to try to tempt them back inside.Family dynamics are always shifting in Chester\'s animal groups. In the meerkat house, the dominant female is facing trouble from her own daughter. Known as Number Thirteen, the daughter is launching physical attacks on mum, in a struggle for dominance. If mum can\'t control her daughter, she could lose her position of power.And Chester\'s family of Asian elephants, the Hi-Ways, have been adapting to the loss of two young members of the herd to a virus. Surviving youngster Nandita is keeping the rest of the herd entertained, but keepers believe she needs a playmate of her own age. Their hopes rest on bull elephant Aung Bo, who must mate with the females to grow the family again.

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Christmas at Chester Zoo Dec 8, 2018 Christmas stockings filled with treats have been hung up for the Sumatran Orangutan family. Eight-year-old Indah can\'t wait for the rest of her family to wake up before investigating them and decides to open everyone\'s stocking for them.Sun Bear couple Toni and Millie have been together for three years, but their relationship seems to have come off the rails. A trial separation is planned to see if absence can make the heart grow fonder.While many of the animals are getting edible Christmas treats, reticulated Python Bali has been off her food for over three months. There\'s growing concern for her welfare. The Zoo need to carry out a health check on the giant snake, but Bali is 23 feet long and weighs almost 80 kilos. Ten brave keepers will be needed to catch her, in order to get to the bottom of her eating disorder.And there\'s a little miracle in the home of Malayan Tapir couple Marjorie and Bitong: the arrival of a new baby. The newborn catches everyone by surprise, and dad Bitong isn\'t pleased that his infant daughter is coming between him and his partner.

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Courtship of the Jaguars Dec 15, 2018 Mr. Parsons the chameleon is about to meet new mate - Daphne, from a zoo in Paris. Jaguars Napo and Goshi are being encouraged to mate, but Napo doesn't seem to be romantically inclined. Young giraffe Murchison faces the great outdoors for the first time. And in the elephant house, Nandita the 18-month-old has a surprise - with the birth of a second elephant baby in a month.

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Sibling Rivalry Mar 2, 2019 Okapis are a highly-endangered relative of the giraffe, found only in the Congo in the wild. At Chester, the thirteen-year-old male okapi, Stomp, is being encouraged to mate with younger female K'Tusha. But on his first attempt, Stomp snaps his horn and causes K'Tusha a minor injury. The pair are separated until Stomp's horn can be sanded down, and he can try again. In the African painted dog habitat, brothers Ivar and Ville have been enjoying a bachelor lifestyle. But two new females, Kite and K'mana, are arriving at the Zoo. A struggle to be top dog ensues between the two brothers. African painted dogs are the most endangered carnivore on the continent, known as skilled hunters. But when they turn on each other there can be serious fighting.Bornean river turtle Raja has been on his own in the pools of Chester's Monsoon Forest for 18 months, save for the company of two Sunda gharial crocodiles. He's been spending most of his time in the deep end of the pool. But now two female turtles have arrived from Holland. Gerda and Greta make cautious overtures, and Raja mates with Gerda on the bottom of the pool. But Raja can hold his breath for almost an hour, whereas female turtles have a smaller lung capacity. As Raja keeps Gerda pinned down, concerns grow among keepers that she may drown. Finally Gerda pulls free - with no harm done.And in the habitat of one of the rarest birds on the planet, the giant flightless cassowary, male Asmat is being encouraged to mate with older female Timika. But in order to encourage mating behaviour, keepers must give Asmat a clutch of dummy eggs because in the wild, it's the male cassowaries who incubate the eggs. Will it be enough to make him attempt to mate with Timika?

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Tiger Mother-Daughter Drama Mar 16, 2019 West African mandrill, JC, is being challenged for dominant position by sons Ludo and Jareth. While JC is taken to the vet for some health checks, Ludo gets "over-friendly" with his father's girlfriend. Keepers are concerned that the situation might turn nasty when JC returns. Male red panda, Jung, is losing weight and keepers can't work out the reason. After relationship problems with partner Nima are ruled out, Jung is put on a special diet but with no success. Finally, Jung undergoes a full medical examination and keepers have to make a difficult decision.Sumatran tiger, Kirana, and her daughter Kasarna, have started to clash at mealtimes. The keepers must come up with a plan to sort out the tensions between mother and child.Tempers start to fray among Chester's Humboldt penguin colony during the annual moult. Will young penguins, Frazzle and Munch, avoid being picked on by the grownups?

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Adventurous Bear Cub Mar 22, 2019 Andean bear Lima has a 3-month-old cub, but keepers are concerned that her overprotective behavior may curb its development. And when Lima's back is turned, cub Madidi embarks on an adventure into the paddock next door.

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Chimp Negotiations Apr 27, 2019 It's mating season for the onagers and after two years living alone male Holmes is released into the female paddock. It's a bruising encounter as he goes straight for his old flame Zarrin, before chasing every other female in sight . including the camel next door. Galapagos tortoise Charlie is losing weight and keepers believe that it's down to bullying from her older sister. They step in with an innovative system to try alleviate the problem.On chimp island, the group are wielding a large stick. Keeper Niall attempts to negotiate with eldest chimp Boris for its return, but Boris is wary of dominant male Dylan stealing his reward, and plays hardball with Niall.Plo, a Village Weaver, is tirelessly building a nest with the aim of impressing a female. If the foundations aren't strong enough to support a whole family it will be dismissed on first inspection, and he could be destined to remain a bachelor.

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Lady Boss Lemur May 1, 2019 Chester's bachelor pad of lemurs is about to be in for a shock with a female on her way. Lemur females are dominant, so their peaceful existence may come to an end. A novice zebra starts to make a play for power, which isn't to top zebra Florence's liking.

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Sloth Couples Therapy May 10, 2019 Sloths Tina and Rico live together at the zoo, spending up to 18 hours a day asleep. But for the past three years Tina has spent her waking moments giving Rico a hard time. Now there's a plan to try and bring them closer together.

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Baby Porcupine on the Loose! May 17, 2019 Porcupines Roxie and Henning have had a new baby porcupette, but living alongside eleven meerkats means that the new arrival will need to stay calm. And when he finally plucks up the courage to face the mob, he ends up on an unexpected adventure.

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High Risk Pregnancy Aug 24, 2019 37-year-old female elephant and head of the herd, Thi, is pregnant with her ninth baby. Elephant pregnancies usually last an epic 22 months but keepers believe Thi is now three months overdue! The risks for Thi and her unborn calf are growing by the day and keepers are worried Male clownfish, Polo, is injured while fighting with the other males for the attentions of dominant female, Rosie. But clownfish can change sex at will, and Polo's time alone in an isolation tank produces a surprising side effectA young giant anteater, Oso, arrives at the zoo as a new partner for widowed older female Bliss. But their first date doesn't go well when Bliss turns on her new match.And rampant male Rothschild giraffe, Meru, is causing problems for the giraffe herd with his relentless chasing of the females.

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Never Too Late For Love Aug 31, 2019 There's a new arrival in the chimp group at Chester, when Zee Zee gives birth to a daughter, Stevie. But the rest of the group are restless so keepers are hoping the new arrival will have a calming influence on the others. But Stevie's older sister, Tina, is a bit of a troublemaker and 21 year old Pattie is especially interested in the new baby.Elderly chameleon, Mr. Parsons, has a romantic date with young Daphne from France. It's his last chance to father a child. They first met last year but their rendezvous didn't go well so keepers are hoping for better luck second time around.Gaston the banteng bull has been busy and has got three of the females in the herd pregnant at the same time. But when the babies arrive, one of the mothers, Naya, struggles to bond with her calf.And in the elephant herd, older sister, Nandita, should be looking after baby Anjan but she would rather play with her boisterous cousin, Aayu. However, she needs to step up and help her mother, Thi, look after her younger brother.

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Chimp Turf War Sep 7, 2019 A power struggle unfolds on chimp island as dominant male Dylan is challenged by young pretender Carlos. Asian short-clawed otter Wallace is struck down by a mystery illness. The vets discover a strange object in his stomach a large pebble. Has his habit of juggling stones got the better of him? Wilma the wattled crane gets a new partner, Ivan. Their first date goes well but the romantic mood is spoilt when the noisy neighbors, the great crowned cranes, start crowing. Ivan is going to have to man up and show the neighbors who's boss to impress Wilma. Bush dog Franco's pack has stopped growing. His most recent litter died, so keepers are hoping that moving one of the breeding females to another zoo might solve the problem. When Mana, the remaining female becomes pregnant, everyone hopes that these pups will survive.

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Do You Love Me Red Panda? Sep 14, 2019 Young meerkat parents Huskie and Beagle have a new baby called Junior. But Junior is smaller than the other young meerkats in the mob and is struggling to get his share of the food. Then he falls gravely ill and keepers have to step in.Nima is a red panda who lost her partner last year. This week, she meets a new mate, called Koda. But the pair get off to a bad start when Koda chases Nima up a tree, leaving her hanging from the highest branch.The red river hogs Mali and Confetti already have two demanding youngsters, Lisala and Kinshasa. But when mum Mali gives birth to triplets, she starts behaving strangely In the penguin pool, a new male, Flounder, arrives but he seems shy and is refusing to fit in with the rest of the colony

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First-Time Mom Sep 21, 2019 It's the time of year when the zoo gets especially lively: the mating season. And for critically-endangered species, it's essential that the zoo can successfully breed them to ensure their future survival. Beautiful six-year-old okapi, K'Tusha, is nearing the end of her first pregnancy. Keepers are hoping her first baby will help to conserve this highly-endangered species from the rainforests of central Africa. The Goths of the bird world, Eurasian black vultures independent Ethel and clumsy Eric, have both been at Chester for two years but have yet to mate. In fact, they show a marked lack of affection towards each other and may have to be separated. Will absence make the heart grow fonder?Radiated tortoises Burt and Terrance aren't exactly love's young dream. They've been best mates for more than seventy years since being born in Madagascar just after the Second World War. But they are about to become arch rivals in love when they pursue breeding female, Smooth Sides. Their slo-mo battle means fast-rising stress for the whole community. And Asian Elephant bull Aung-Bo senses that the three-day window for mating is about to begin. It's a family affair for the elephants as his son Aayu starts to learn from his father.

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The Disappearance of the Warty Pig Sep 28, 2019 Visayan warty pig Wendy is fed up with the attentions of male pig Jake - and decides to escape. She can't be found overnight, despite a major search by the keepers. Young male giraffe Narus has been battling with other young males in the herd - so keepers think it's time to move him to a new Zoo. But getting a giraffe into a horsebox is easier said than done.Noel Gallagher is a pinstripe damba, or mono-browed fish. Hoping he will breed with his equally heavily-browed partner Frida Kahlo, keepers move the pair into a special tank on their own. But Noel seems uninterested - until keepers place a mirror in his tank that convinces him a rival male is on the prowlAnd new arrival Sangria is proving a firm favourite. She's a rare Goodfellows tree kangaroo, but she seems to be having problems climbing trees...

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Cheetah Brothers Oct 5, 2019 Elderly male cheetah Matrah is ostracised by brothers Burba and Singha after he starts to show signs of an injury in one of his hind legs. Vets anaesthetise him to check out what's wrong, but when he's reunited with the grumpy brothers ,they are not pleased to see him again and keepers are fearful they may have to separate the old friends.Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered in the wild, but Chester's group of these intoxicating Apes is thriving. But there's one adolescent female who's feeling out on a limb. Tuti needs to learn to grow up if she's to get a chance to help babysit four-month-old Kesuma, the latest arrival. But mum Emma is fiercely protective and Tuti has to prove she's responsible enough before she gets a turn to hold the baby.Asian Pond Turtle Shrek has something of a reputation as an ogre at Chester, having drowned a previous female partner while mating. The zoo is prepared to give him another chance and so Fiona, the zoo's only other female Pond Turtle goes on a date with him. It's a rough and ready affair, but Fiona faces up to Shrek and the result is five healthy eggs!Endangered Babirusa pigs from Indonesia are not known for their beauty, but the zoo's keepers challenge visitors to fall in love with them. An extremely rare set of three baby piglets were born a few weeks ago, but tiny runt Tomini is struggling to survive.