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Go behind the scenes at Dublin's Phoenix Park zoo and get closer to the animals and its zookeepers. Set in 70 acres, The Zoo welcomes nearly a million visitors a year and is home to more than 600 exotic animals,
2011
When London Zoo’s silverback Western Lowland Gorilla dies unexpectedly its three females are left without a leader. Dublin Zoo’s adolescent male Kesho seems the ideal candidate to replace him, and with tensions on the rise between him and his father Harry, the timing couldn’t be more perfect…
With the inspection over, it’s time for Kesho to say goodbye to his home in Dublin Zoo and take over as leader of a new band of Western Lowland Gorillas in London Zoo. But how well will he settle in to his new home?...
Helen Clarke Bennett and her team are waiting with excited about the arrival of another addition to Dublin Zoo’s Giraffe herd. Until it takes its first steps they won’t know if it will survive, but will the little calf have enough strength to get to her feet?…
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....
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....
It’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….
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....
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?
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….
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?...
2010
Brendan Walsh will soon be swapping his uniform for a tuxedo after signing up to be the first ever Zookeeper escort in the Rose of Tralee. In this episode he meets the press and introduces the Dublin and Cavan Roses to some of his animal friends, including some particularly friendly ring tailed lemurs.
2014
In this week’s episode, Dublin Zoo welcomes two exotic new arrivals who are critically endangered in the wild, a pair of beautiful and highly unusual okapi.
On his morning rounds Zookeeper James Creigthon notices that Mayani the gorilla seems to be in a lot of pain and on closer inspection it turns out she’s got a major problem with her teeth. It looks like someone might need a little visit from the dentist.
It’s a big day in the African Plains. Last summer, the birth of a white rhino calf at the Zoo was the first event of its kind in fourteen years. Team leader, Helen Clarke Bennett has been hoping for a repeat performance ever since. A specialist team from Germany, headed up by vet Robert Hermes has arrived to assess the rhinos’ potential as a breeding group.
Dublin Zoo’s large troop of Sulawesi Crested Macaques has been a single sex colony for quite some time, and the females are getting restless. But the Zoo thinks it may have found the perfect male to join their troop. The only problem is he’s all the way over in Somerset in England.
Sometimes love hurts, and, in the case of zookeeper and life-long lover of reptiles Gareth de Jong, sometimes it hurts a lot. Gareth takes us on an up close and personal tour of Dublin Zoo’s reptile house as he feeds and introduces some of the Zoo’s reptiles, including the Burmese pythons, Nile crocodiles and newly born baby chameleons.
Plans are in place to move the Gorillas from their old habitat to a new one on the other side of the Zoo, but for now, the old place is going to get one last radical overhaul. While zookeeper James prepares their food and gets their indoor habitat ready, curator of horticulture Stephen Butler has grand plans to move an enormous poplar tree into the habitat for the Gorillas’ enjoyment.
In this week’s episode, two newly arrived okapis take their first tentative steps outside into their new habitat.
A baby Abyssinian Ground Hornbill needs a helping hand from Eddie and his team.
Garth introduces some new members to the Waldrapp Ibis flock.
There’s great excitement in the troop when new babies are born on the Mangabey Island.
There is a pair of tiny new arrivals in the Pygmy Marmoset habitat.
Brendan checks up on the Indian Black Buck herd, one of the members needs a minor procedure.
With several members of the herd expecting calves, the zoo keeping team have their hands full at the elephant habitat.
A lifelong dream comes true when Susan travels to the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil to visit highly endangered Golden Lion Tamarins in their native habitat, one of the many international conservation projects that Dublin Zoo financially supports.
Susan continues her trip deep in the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil to work with the highly endangered Golden Lion Tamarins. Only days before she arrived, devastation hit the region with a major fire wiping out much of the rainforest and the animals that had lived there.
2013
Budai is a playful and boisterous young male Indian elephant and a favourite amongst the zookeepers, but when he starts to prove too much of a handful for the females in the herd, the keepers are forced to make some difficult decisions.
Last year the keepers in the Californian sealion section were devastated to lose Danny, the patriarch of the sealion group. But all was not lost and the keepers make a delightful discovery when they realise that Sienna the sealion is pregnant.
Little DJ the baby Californian sealion has been receiving loads of loving care from his mother sienna. But he still hasn’t had his first swim in the pool, and his mother is anxious to help him learn.
As hatching season approaches, Eddy and his team are busy monitoring the Chilean flamingos in Dublin Zoo’s flamingo pond.
The moment Ciaran and his team have been preparing for has finally arrived. Upali, a magnificent Indian Bull Elephant joins the herd in Dublin Zoo. But how will the all female herd take to him, many of whom have never seen an adult bull elephant before?
Ciarán welcomes two Asian lionesses to Dublin Zoo to start a new breeding programme for this endangered species. A new habitat has been built especially for them, but how will they take to their new environment?
A young male Californian sea lion is about to join the group in Dublin Zoo, but how will the females take to the new arrival?
Tremendous excitement at the African Plains when a baby rhino is due to be born.
Brendan travels to the rainforests of Borneo in search of wild orang-utans.
Brendan continues his journey through the rainforests of Borneo, where he fulfils a lifetime ambition by meeting wild orang-utans in their natural habitat.
2016
There’s great excitement for Gerry and the team at the elephant habitat, as a calf is born to 17-year-old female Asian elephant Yasmin
A litter of cubs is born at the Asian lion habitat to first time mother Suri and leader of the pride Kumar. When one of the cubs begins to lose weight, the zookeepers must intervene to save its life.
In Zimbabwe, zookeeper Ken gets hands-on with some dramatic operations in the bush to help protect rhinos against poaching.
At the Kaziranga Forest Trail, Basil the Indian blackbuck has an emergency procedure to remove an unusual lump on his throat.
There’s tremendous excitement at the African Plains with the imminent arrival of a new rhino calf.
Over in the Kaziranga Forest Trail Gerry, James and the rest of the elephant care team have a busy morning preparing for new calf Kavi’s first steps outside.
After a major redevelopment has taken place at the Chilean flamingo habitat, the big day has finally come for the hand-reared flamingo chicks to be reintroduced to the rest of the flock and familiarise themselves with the new habitat – Flamingo Lagoon.
Dublin Zoo is home to a vast array of animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles and insects - each one different to the next. With so many animals to look after, the question is what do you feed them and where does the food come from? This week, Gerry takes a trip to Kildare to find out.
There are some close encounters at the Reptile House when Garth and Lee check the king rat snake habitat for eggs.
There's huge excitement when a new calf is born at the Asian elephant habitat, and it's not just the animal care team who are excited - the two older calves are looking forward to having fun with the new arrival!
2012
Garth has a hairy encounter with one of the Reptile House’s creepier inhabitants, the Chilean Rose Tarantula and the deadly spider demonstrates its incredible hunting techniques on an unsuspecting locust.
The big day has finally arrived and Dublin Zoo’s gorilla family are moving in to their new rainforest home. But how will they take to their new habitat? We follow them as they take their very few steps into unexplored territory.
One of the zookeepers notices that some of the red-ruff lemurs appear to be losing clumps of hair. Gerry calls in the vet to investigate the mysterious hair loss, but first the keepers will have to round up these beautiful tree-dwelling creatures.
A new female red panda moves to Dublin Zoo, so it’s an exciting time for Dublin Zoo’s solitary male. When the big day arrives he looks a little shy and more than a little wary of his new partner, but will his curiosity get the better of him?
After her journey from Dublin Zoo, Sandy the giraffe is ready to meet her new herd. It’s her first time being part of a herd where she might have a potential mate. But how will the Belfast giraffes take to the new arrival?
At the African Plains the team in Dublin Zoo have been keeping a close eye on Hailey the giraffe, one of the older females in the herd. It’s been a long 15 month pregnancy, but the zookeepers are hopeful they’ll soon have a beautiful new calf joining the herd.
A new male snow leopard arrives in Dublin Zoo to join Ciara the female leopard. Introductions like these can be tricky, but Ciaran and his team are hopeful that the pair will get on well. If everything goes to plan, there could be a birth that will be tremendously important for the future of this beautiful but critically endangered species.
This week in the Reptile House Garth introduces the gila monsters. It’s the start of the breeding season and at this time of year these highly venomous lizards can get a little boisterous with each other. Garth tends to their wounds and introduces us to these fascinating creatures.
The tiny pygmy marmoset baby has been doing well under Susan’s watchful eye, but it’s still at a delicate stage in its development and requires round the clock care. We join Susan in her home as she gives the little primate a night feed.
Zookeeper Brendan fulfils a lifelong ambition when he encounters a band of Mountain Gorillas on his journey into the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.
2015
There’s great excitement for Gerry and the team at the elephant habitat, as a calf is born to 17-year-old female Asian elephant Yasmin
A litter of cubs is born at the Asian lion habitat to first time mother Suri and leader of the pride Kumar. When one of the cubs begins to lose weight, the zookeepers must intervene to save its life.
In Zimbabwe, zookeeper Ken gets hands-on with some dramatic operations in the bush to help protect rhinos against poaching.
At the Kaziranga Forest Trail, Basil the Indian blackbuck has an emergency procedure to remove an unusual lump on his throat.
There’s tremendous excitement at the African Plains with the imminent arrival of a new rhino calf.
Over in the Kaziranga Forest Trail Gerry, James and the rest of the elephant care team have a busy morning preparing for new calf Kavi’s first steps outside.
After a major redevelopment has taken place at the Chilean flamingo habitat, the big day has finally come for the hand-reared flamingo chicks to be reintroduced to the rest of the flock and familiarise themselves with the new habitat – Flamingo Lagoon.
Dublin Zoo is home to a vast array of animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles and insects - each one different to the next. With so many animals to look after, the question is what do you feed them and where does the food come from? This week, Gerry takes a trip to Kildare to find out.
There are some close encounters at the Reptile House when Garth and Lee check the king rat snake habitat for eggs.
There's huge excitement when a new calf is born at the Asian elephant habitat, and it's not just the animal care team who are excited - the two older calves are looking forward to having fun with the new arrival!
2018
There is huge excitement at the Amur tiger habitat as first-time mother Tundra gets ready to give birth, while a young male western lowland gorilla arrives at the zoo.
A western lowland gorilla is accepted into the rest of the zoo's troop, leading to some exciting news. Tiger cubs and their mother explore the outdoor habitat for the first time.
Gerry travels to India to witness the zoo's elephant conservation projects in action. A giraffe gives birth, and four young Indian star tortoises are moved into a larger habitat.
Gerry visits an elephant conservation project supported by Dublin Zoo in India, a white rhinoceros develops a painful skin condition, and a second giraffe is pregnant.
An elderly rhino recovering from a skin condition needs additional treatment, Gerry meets an Asian elephant in India, and the Chilean flamingo flock begin to lay eggs.
A heatwave poses a unique set of challenges for the zookeepers, who provide ice-pops for the primates and tigers and a mud bath for the young elephant calves.
Two of the sea lions prepare to give birth, and the team has to go through some very special training to transport an Asian bull elephant to another zoo.
Three California sea lion pups are ready to fully explore their underwater habitat, and an Asian bull elephant needs a clean bill of health before being transferred to a French zoo.
2017
The keepers prepare for the arrival of Sari the Bornean orang-utan, and Asha, the first Asian elephant to be born at Dublin Zoo's Elephant House, is ready to give birth.
Two hand-reared gorillas are integrated into the troop, the keepers await the birth of a southern white rhinoceros, and Susan investigates threats to barn owls in Co Kerry.
Ciaran and Aisleen visit an orang-utan conservation project in Borneo. An intruder disturbs the Asian elephant herd, and the reptile house gets a dinosaur-inspired new look.
The keepers move the crocodiles into their new home, while in Indonesia, Ciaran and Aisleen help rescue orangutans from a forest that is planned to become a palm oil plantation.
A southern white rhinoceros calf meets the rest of its herd for the first time and an elephant takes on the burden of supporting another animal's rejected calf as well as its own.
Sandra travels to Indonesia in search of Sulawesi crested macaques. Back at the zoo, a goeldi monkey is found to be pregnant and painted dog pups emerge from their underground den.
Ken is concerned when a hippopotamus falls ill, and Helen awaits the arrival of a baby white capped mangabey. In Indonesia, Sandra encounters Sulawesi crested macaques.
A southern white rhinoceros calf is born, but keepers are not sure how it will get on with another newborn. A western lowland gorilla is transferred to Antwerp.
