Tatiana and Tonghua, Siberian tigers, are introduced to each other for the first time. Tatiana has never been introduced to a male before. Simon is a tamandua, a South American anteater. He's being moved into a new home because he wrecked the last pen he was in. Patsy is the matriarch of the zoo's African elephant herd. Lately she's been acting out of sorts. Today Barb Luciano, the young elephant keeper, has to get the crafty old matriarch to sit still for a blood test that could help the zoo figure out why she's not been herself.
Today's a big day for the gorillas. Their old exhibit is being torn down in preparation for a new gorilla rainforest and they have to move into a temporary home. It will be up to the keepers, Vanessa Phelan and Dianne Devison, to convince them that their new home is safe -- and gorillas hate change. Now that the Siberian tigers, Tonghua and Tatiana, are acquainted, it is time to make tiger babies. Today Tatiana is in heat and Tonghua is re-introduced to her. The keepers must still be on alert just in case Tonghua, a very powerful 500 pound Siberian tiger, decides he would rather make war than love. Carter is a mandrill, a forest baboon. Poor Carter is stuck in the health centre because he is due to be shipped to the Detroit Zoo and has to be kept in quarantine until his papers come in from the U.S. government. For his keeper, Eric Cole, this poses a problem. How do you keep a bored primate busy?
Karen Hamilton has transferred from the tigers to the birds of prey. Today she gets to work with Wambli, the bald eagle, for the first time. Wambli will need a lot of work to trust her new keeper and Karen will need a lot of time to trust Wambli. Today, they get acquainted. Patsy the elephant is still not behaving, and Barb Luciano, her keeper, decides it's time to go back to basics with their training. It's important to create a positive atmosphere between Patsy and Barb again. Charles, the zoo's biggest animal attraction and the patriarch of the gorillas, has been in a fight and has a very large canine hanging by a thread. The keepers are worried. This shouldn't happen to the dominant male. Is he sick? Is he getting old?
The troubles with Patsy have come to a head. Patsy is refusing to come in at night and she's not letting any of the other elephants come in either. Barb Luciano, the young elephant keeper, has to solve the problem. Zoo vet, Dr. Graham Crawshaw, has been called to look at Charles the silverback gorilla. He will have to decide whether to operate on the great gorilla's tooth. He also must determine whether it is safe to put anesthetize Charles -- considering his weight and age. Today Karen Hamilton is taking the next step with Wambli, the bald eagle. Karen is weighing her -- and this requires a lot of delicate handling. It is the next step in building trust between the keeper and the animal.
Today's the big day for Charles. He is having his operation and it is a huge production. Charles is too large to move to the health centre, so they build an operating room in the gorilla house and bring in a team of medical experts to operate on the ailing gorilla. Tahra Collins is a summer worker at the zoo who wants to eventually work here full-time. Today she is learning how to catch and weigh the Tasmanian devils. At the zoo summer camp a young camper named Eric has learned the mating call of the male Indian rhino. Today he will try it out on the female rhino Indira... with surprising results.
Twiga, one of two adult female giraffes at the zoo, is about to give birth. When the keepers arrive in the morning, the dramatic delivery has already begun. Now all the keepers can do is wait and let nature take its course as they watch the drama unfold. Jaffar is normally a placid and friendly Bactrian camel. But today he has two problems: he has a scrape on his leg and is limping and worse, his least favorite people at the zoo are coming to see him, the vets. Jaffar is spitting mad and the vets are his target. It has been several days since Charles the gorilla had his operation. He has not only survived, but thrived. Today the keepers, Vanessa and Dianne, give the great silverback a shower -- and he in turn rewards them with a sparkling display of his good health.
Today, Karen gets to work with Wambli in the birds of prey show on her own for the first time. Diane Morrison has passed the test that allows her to work with dangerous animals. Today she is introduced to the tigers. It is her job to feed and pen these majestic beasts. The baby giraffe is only one day old, and today Dr. Graham Crawshaw has to separate him from his mother so that he can give the baby his shots and take some blood. That's more difficult than it sounds when you're dealing with a baby that's over six feet tall.
John Armstrong is the keeper for the Indian rhinos. Today, he is conducting a tour for a group of blind children. John loves to let these young children touch and play with his friendly rhinos. Lydia Attard is the zoo's bug keeper. She manages all the insects that are kept at the zoo, her special love being ants. Today, she is trying to breed tarantulas. A new litter of Arctic wolf pups have been born but they have been hiding from the vets. Today the keeper, Ken Greig, will try to lure them into a pen so that the vet, Dr. Graham Crawshaw, can give them their anti-worm medicine and shots.
Hobo is the oldest wolf at the zoo and his health is failing. Dr. Graham Crawshaw and Hobo's keeper, Ken Greig, catch him up and bring him to the health centre for tests. Unfortunately, he has several large tumors, and a tough decision needs to be made - whether to put him down. Today Karen Hamilton has come to collect feces from Tatiana the Siberian tiger. The zoo will test the feces to see whether Tatiana is pregnant. Dave Rickwood, a reproductive technician, does the testing and with his supervisor, Dr. Karen Goodrow, they confirm that Tatiana is pregnant. The biggest snake in the zoo, a massive 200 pound reticulated python, is due for his regular weighing. Rick Vos and a team of keepers have to catch him up, box him and weigh him.
It is not getting better for Patsy the African elephant. In fact it is getting worse. Today Barb Luciano, her young keeper, will try a new strategy to entice her into the elephant house. A trumpeter swan is acting crazy. It has flown to one of the zoo restaurants and is squawking at anyone who tries to enter the washroom area. Dianne Devison has to catch him and take him to the health centre to find out what's wrong with him. A one day old baby Tahr, a Himalayan mountain goat, needs his shots. The keepers have to catch him up and the vets have to give him a needle without upsetting the zoo visitors watching over the process.
Garth, a huge soft shell turtle, is experiencing some medical problems. Garth has ballooned in weight and has developed gas bubbles under his shell. The zoo vets are called in to deal with Garth's girth. Indira and Patrick are the adult Indian rhinos. It has been more than two years since they mated and keeper John Armstrong is certain Indira is in heat. The trouble is, Patrick won't be coaxed by Indira. After many hours of foreplay, Patrick finally gets the message. The zoo summer campers are off on another adventure. Today they have made pinatas and filled them with food, t-shirts and brushes for the orangutans. They toss them to the orangs and then the fun begins, for the campers as well as the primates.
Tatiana, the Siberian tiger, has given birth prematurely and the cub is in trouble. In an effort to bite the umbilical chord, the first time mother has bitten off the baby's hind leg. Keeper Ollie Claffey and the veterinary staff have no choice but to euthanize the cub. John Armstrong is taking Aasha, a super friendly hornbill, for a walk to meet the zoo visitors. Aasha lives in the health centre because she's blind. John and Aasha have a strong bond and John likes to take her out for an occasional walk. A young cheetah named Zoey is due for an exam. Heather Tomaso, the cheetah keeper, helps Dr. Graham Crawshaw sedate and work on Zoey. Cheetahs are extremely endangered and Zoey is part of an international breeding program to save the species.
Three cheetahs have been cleared to move to zoos in the United States. This morning, Heather Tomaso enlists the help of half a dozen keepers to catch up and crate the big cats. The keepers from the Columbus Zoo are on hand to pick up the cheetahs -- but they have a deadline. All the work has to be done in 30 minutes. It's been a long hard summer for Patsy the elephant and Barb Luciano, her keeper. Today, Barb finally seems to get control. Patsy doesn't come in perfectly, but she does come in... and at last, obeys Barb. A red panda, Chao Nao, has been sick for close to a year and the zoo has been frustrated. Today Dr. Graham Crawshaw and his assistant, Cathy Shilton, get a pleasant surprise: Chao Nao is doing great and has a clean bill of health.
Wood Bison Round Up Three wood bison have to be rounded up and coaxed onto a van for a move to the Calgary Zoo. They are all young bison, just over a year old, who will help replenish the breeding stock in Calgary. Rainforest Intro The new gorilla rainforest is almost complete and it is time to introduce the first gorillas to the exhibit. The gorillas go in and enjoy their new home as the keepers marvel at the beautiful new exhibit. Polar Bear Cubs Two very cute and cuddly young polar bear cubs have arrived at the zoo. They were orphaned when their mother was shot and killed on the shores of Hudson's Bay. Today marks the end of their quarantine and their move to their new home in the polar bear exhibit.
Polar Bear Surgery Sani is the oldest female polar bear at the zoo and the keeper, Kelly, has been noticing some blood in her den. The vet, Graham, is worried she has female problems. Graham knocks her out and takes her to the health centre for examination and treatment. Now Graham and the keepers have to decide whether to do a hysterectomy on the old bear. Baby Lion Move Two young lions are about to experience their exhibit for the first time. They are nine months old, but most of their exhibit was closed for the winter so they haven't had the opportunity to experience it. Today is the day Linda will let them in. Panda Training Last season Louisa was the head keeper in elephants. She has been moved to the health centre and has become the zoo's chief animal trainer. Today she is training Chao Nao a red panda who has been very sick in the past. Chao needs regular examinations and the vets do not want to anaesthetize her every time. So it is Louisa's job to train Chao to accept being examined while she is awake.
Snow Leopard Darting A six-year-old snow leopard has arrived from the Calgary Zoo to be bred to the male snow leopard at the zoo. Before she can be introduced to the male she has to be checked medically by the veterinary staff. Croc Catch-Up Now that the rainforest is complete it is time to introduce all of the animals to their new homes. Our first story is about the crocodiles who have to be nudged into their spacious exhibit. Once inside however, they begin to feel very comfortable nuzzling each other and beginning an underwater dance that could lead to crocodile babies. Meerkats to Rainforest The meerkats are among the most popular and cutest animals in the zoo. They too have a new and larger exhibit in the rainforest. And unlike the other animals, their natural curiosity allows them to run right in and check out every nook and cranny of their new home.
Rainforest Opens This is the first day the rainforest is open to the public. We spend the morning with Vanessa as she readies the gorillas and the exhibit for the zoo visitors' first look. Everyone is very excited and very tired, but anticipating the big day ahead. Diane and the Monkey Diane is a young veterinary technician who has been put in charge of an older marmoset monkey, Cecily. Diane has to feed and clean the monkey this morning. Camel Training Dan loves camels and he loves to train them. Rebecca is a young camel that many zoo veterans think is untrainable. Dan wants to try. Today is step one. He has to get a halter on her.
Mittens the Spider Monkey Mittens has been at the health centre for just over a year. He has a slight brain injury that has caused him to shake. It is much better now and the zoo vets have decided to try to put him back with the family that rejected him. Today is the first step, catching him and carrying him to a holding area beside the spider monkey exhibit. Here, he will become accustomed to the other spider monkeys and they will become accustomed to Mittens. Dyann and the Bat Dyann is a young veterinary technician who has been given the responsibility of hand raising a rejected baby fruit bat, Stevie. In this episode, Dyann feeds and exercises Stevie who is too young to fly. Feeding the Tree Kangaroo Emma is a tree kangaroo from Borneo who has two problems: she may be pregnant and she is losing weight. Today Maria, the keeper, is giving Emma some fruits and vegetables to try to perk up Emma's appetite. At the same time she will do a pouch check to see if Emma has given birth to a little baby "joey".
Ferret Births The black footed ferrets are highly endangered and are bred at the zoo for release into the wild. This is the beginning of a birthing cycle for all of the zoo's female ferrets. Andrea the keeper enters the quarantine area with a hand held camera to see if any new babies were born and to feed the adults. Panda Training #2 Today Luisa is back to train Chao Nao, but this time she brings Dr. Doug Whiteside. She hopes to coax Chao into position so that Doug can touch her as a preliminary to finally hand examining her without having to knock Chao out. Tahra and Merlin Merlin, a two year old falcon, is an old pro...in this case Tahra, the keeper, is the rookie. Today Tahra is being trained to fly Merlin in the zoo's bird show.
Zuri Crating and Knockdown Zuri is a 4-year-old gorilla who has never been integrated into the family group. At first, she was kept out because she has epilepsy. Now, the other gorillas will not accept her. So the zoo is sending her to the Calgary Zoo where they have a very young gorilla population who may be more willing to accept Zuri. Today they have to anesthetize her in a shipping crate. In the meantime this beloved animal is visited by many of the keepers who have worked with her over the years. It is a sad good-bye. Ferret Weighing Now that the ferret babies are a little older, Andrea goes back into the ferret barn to catch up the babies for weighing and medication. Kookaburra Sings Mark and Tahra meet a group of teenage girls who are at the zoo to see, hear and study bird sounds. Their biggest challenge today will be to make the kookaburra sing. First they try playing Kookie a tape of kookaburra sounds. When that doesn't work they imitate the bird's cry.
Zuri Departure Day Today's the day Zuri is shipped off to Calgary to be introduced to her new family. The four-year-old gorilla has etched a place for herself in the hearts of all the keepers who got to know her, especially Vanessa. After a teary farewell she is off to the airport. At the airport she makes new friends among the flight crew who come to visit her on the tarmac. Feeding the Grizzly Clayton Mitchell is a native elder and a member of the bear clan. Years ago, his teacher told him it was his job to feed the bears and say prayers over them every spring and fall. Now he comes to the zoo twice every year to feed honey to the grizzly bears and to sing and pray with them. Today he brings his son along to learn how to perform the semi-annual rites.
Rhino Separation Sanya is almost two years old now and it's time to wean her from her mother Indira. While Brad, the keeper, is separating the mother from the baby rhino he hears a commotion in the paddock. Patrick, the father, senses that Indira is out in the yard without the baby and he goes into heat and tries to climb a seven foot wall to get at Indira. Feeding a Baby Tur New baby tur twins, himalayan mountain goats, were born to a mother who could not feed them. One takes to the bottle easily, while the other is refusing to feed from the bottle. Dr. Kay Mehren, the head vet at the zoo, take the baby a new formula of goat's milk to try to get the baby to drink. Dyann and Stevie #2 It's time to introduce Stevie, the young bat, to new keepers so that he is not so dependent on Dyann.
Mittens Intro Mittens the Spider Monkey had been brought to the Spider Monkey holding area so that the other Spider Monkeys might get used to him. This was in preparation for introduction back into the family. Today's the big day. Mittens is introduced. First in the holding area, then in the exhibit. Crane Catch Up A pair of rare European cranes that were bred in the zoo are being caught up so they can be shipped to the zoo in Peterborough, Ontario. The young cranes are a zoo success story. First because they were bred here, but also because they look like they too want to breed. In fact the female has layed an egg that she is protecting making it difficult for Ollie to catch them up. She doesn't realize the egg is infertile. Fernando and the Polar Bears Young Fernando was the winner of the "name the baby polar bears contest". Today, he comes to the zoo to pick up his prizes, meet the baby polar bears and to be interviewed by the media.
Elk Round Up #2 A baby elk was born and the keepers have to hurry to catch it up so they can get blood and give it its shots. They have to do it quickly because after a few days it will be able to run too fast to catch it. Tessa Trunk Wash # 2 Tessa is the youngest elephant at the zoo. Today, Nicole has to train Tessa to inhale water into her trunk and exhale it into a bag. This is to prepare Tessa for TB testing. Luisa and Patas Monkeys Luisa has developed a way to both feed and provide enrichment for the Patas monkeys. She fills a box with egg crates and hides fruit, peanut butter and crickets inside. It's up to the monkeys to figure out that there are goodies inside and to find a way to get them out. No problem for the monkeys.
Josephine's Baby Josephine, a lowland gorilla, has a baby. This is wonderful for the zoo, but it presents a problem. When Josephine had babies in the past she didn't have enough milk to feed them. So they had to be taken away to be hand-raised. Vanessa and Dianne don't want to take Jospehine's baby away so they are keeping close watch on the health of the baby. So far, so good. Arctic Wolf Ken Greig, the keeper in the Canadian Domain, has to catch an arctic wolf to send to a zoo in Germany. The problem is it has to be a female and it is difficult to tell the sexes apart through all that beautiful white fur. Judy and the Orang Judy is on the custodial staff at the zoo. One of her jobs is cleaning the windows in the orangutan exhibit. In the process she has become friends with several of the Orangs who come around to watch Judy work. Today the Orangs clean one side of the glass while Judy cleans the other side.
Baby Gorilla Josephine's baby is not looking so good. Zoo vet Graham Crawshaw has to decide whether to take the baby away from Josephine. Finally, they anesthetize Josephine and take her baby back to the health centre to feed it. Dyann and Stevie say Good-bye Today's a big day for Stevie... and Dyann. Stevie, the fruit bat, is moving in to the African Pavilion to live on his own without his surrogate mom Dyann. The weaning won't be easy for either of them. Moose Twins It's always great when baby animals are born at the zoo. But, today the Canadian Domain keepers are celebrating something special. Willow, the female moose, has given birth to twins. This is a rare event. Today the keepers, Ken and Tony, arrive for their first look at the bouncing babies.