Meet 18-year-old Kibali, Taronga Zoo’s silverback western lowland gorilla. Kibali has been unwell, so staff must perform a full health check for the first time in 10years. You’ll be glued to your seat as you watch their dramatic efforts to anaesthetise, then perform a thorough examination on the dangerous 200kg gorilla. We’ll also take viewers inside the rehabilitation hospital as its expert staff try to save two shy albatross who have been injured in a bad storm. Plus, we travel to Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo to see a baby white rhino and its protective mother as it joins the herd for the first time.
We follow Taronga Zoo vet Kimberly as she travels to the bushfire frontline in Bairnsdale, Victoria in a desperate effort to save injured wildlife. Working from a mobile animal hospital, Kimberly becomes concerned over a koala whose body starts to give up. Back at the zoo, keepers prepare to home 12 koalas who have been rescued from the line of fire. See how Taronga plans to house and feed their new guests. Meanwhile, head vet Larry makes a house call to 16-year-old Murphy, a 300kg California sea lion who is in pain with a bad limp. Plus, see what happens when a goat and a gorilla come face-to-face.
Platypus are native to the east coast rivers of Australia and are common in our zoos. However, not one platypus exists outside of Australia. In this captivating episode, Taronga Zoo attempts to make history by transporting a male and female to world-renowned San Diego Zoo. With critical requirements to keep them alive, the zoo must work out how to make this tricky platypus export fly. With their feet firmly planted on the ground, we also visit Taronga’s penguins during breeding season. It is up to zoo keepers Lindsay and Crystal to track how many eggs have been laid and how many chicks have hatched. Plus, see how the Asian elephants at Taronga Western Plains Zoo cool down on a scorching summer day with an elephant-sized ice block.
In the fifth episode of the season, you’ll meet one very adorable wombat. From the moment he emerged from his mum’s pouch, Waru has held a special place in all of our hearts. Following the sad passing of his mum, he was adopted by two of Taronga’s keepers, and they have been devoted surrogate parents ever since. You’ll get to follow them at work and at home to see what it takes to raise a wombat joey. We’ll also pay a visit to the Taronga Wildlife Hospital as Waru undergoes a check-up and out vets discover that something isn’t quite right…
In the sixth episode of the season, you’ll be introduced to the beautiful Nala, an Australian Sea-Lion born at Taronga 10 years ago. Taronga is part of a regional breeding program for the Australian Sea-Lion, an endangered species that is declining in the wild. The main threats to Sea-Lions are dangerous floating debris and overfishing of oceans, which is a huge threat to their food source as well as disruption to breeding areas. In this episode, Nala is introduced to Charlie, a 13-year old Australian Sea-Lion who was rescued as an orphan. Keepers hope that Nala and Charlie will make a good match, and that a Sea-Lion pup won’t be too far away. Also in this episode you’ll go behind-the-scenes of Taronga’s incredible Reptile House. As well as laying eyes on some very dangerous and poisonous snakes, you’ll get to meet Olive, an Olive Python. This gentle, non-venomous species is found across northern Australia. Olive has been suffering from back problems, and so reptile keeper Emma takes her to the Taronga Wildlife Hospital so the veterinary team can investigate. Plus, you’ll be invited to join a special birthday celebration for one of the zoos oldest residents!
In the seventh episode of the season, we’ll take you back to the Taronga Wildlife Hospital and behind-the-scenes of a unique health check. Naomi, a female Chimpanzee at Taronga, has had trouble carrying her young to full-term, and after two unsuccessful pregnancies, our vet team and Chimpanzee keepers are looking to find out why. We’ve called on some reproductive experts to assist with the investigations in the hope that whatever is standing in the way of Naomi becoming a mum can be fixed. Also at the hospital, we’re introduced to a gorgeous Boobook Owl who has been brought in from the wild. Our two Wildlife Hospitals treat more than 1400 wild animals each year, and rehabilitating injured wildlife so they can be released back to their homes is a big part of the job. Also in this episode, we visit our adorable Red Panda family. It’s time for Dad, Pabu, to move out on his own, and we get a close-up view of his new home!
New to Nine in 2020 comes the exciting behind-the-scenes documentary series Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo. In this series viewers will get to see just what it takes to run one of the world’s most famous and magnificent zoos, with no area off limits. Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo is produced by McAvoy Media for Nine.
Pregnant Lemur Noah has come out of a fight worse for wear. On the frontlines of a devastating bushfire, Vet Kimberly works tirelessly to help injured wildlife at a mobile clinic.
Taronga's African savannah exhibit is ready for its first residents, and in a rather 'tall' order, it's the Giraffes up first. For the first time in Taronga's history, they are welcoming five South American Capybara.