A brand new three part documentary series for ITV1 explores the world’s oldest zoo, bringing a unique insight into the rich variety of daily life for the staff and animals at London Zoo. For the first time in ten years cameras have been given access all areas at the zoo in Regent’s Park, and its ‘country home’ at Whipsnade, for a behind the scenes look at the life and death stories for The Zoo. Episode One: Gorilla keeper Dan Simmonds gave up a hugely well paid job as a city trader to fulfil a lifetime’s ambition to work with gorillas in ZSL London Zoo’s showcase exhibit Gorilla Kingdom, which cost £5million to build.
Breeding animals in captivity is vital for conservation; to maintain endangered species and to the prosperity of London and Whipsnade Zoos. Without captive breeding there wouldn’t be any animals in zoos because unlike the old days animals are not selected from the wild and shipped into the zoo. The birth of a baby at the zoo is guaranteed to boost the visitor numbers and in turn increase the revenue to carry out their conservation programmes. In the elephant house eleven year old Karishma, an Asian elephant, is expecting her first baby.
Animal conservation is what really drives those who work for The Zoo. The zoo needs to be a success as a tourist attraction and a breeding station to support its international conservation programmes. Almost 5,000 miles from London and Whipsnade Zoos, ZSL staff are hard at work in the Chitwan National Park in Southern Nepal. Here they are patrolling the Park tracking endangered species. But given the deep rivers and the acres of three metre high grasses the only form of transport that will take them into the interior is the elephant. These fertile grasslands are home to some of the zoo’s most important conservation projects.The Chitwan National park is an area of 1000 square kilometres and here ZSL works with the Nepali National Trust for Nature Conservation to protect and preserve over 700 species.
The keepers attempt to play matchmaker to their animals. Adrian is under pressure to deliver chicks for Penguin Beach exhibit . Ian tries to increase awareness of a devastating frog plague.
Alex has to relocate the sea lions, which stops her from teaching them a new routine. Monkey keeper Andrea is surprised to see a newborn in an enclosure. Adrian attempts to keep a naughtty penguin under control.
Everybody is feeling anxious as the zoo’s new young critically-endangered Sumatran tigers are introduced to each other for the first time. There is also a Royal visit as Prince Philip opens the zoo’s new £4 million Tiger Territory enclosure. The staff are forced to act quickly though after the tigers start fighting. At Whipsnade, Jo Dodds is training Nicky, an adult male chimpanzee, ahead of a major medical operation. Head of birds Adrian Walls meets eight new Humboldt penguins.
At Whipsnade Zoo, spring brings plenty of newborns, some of which need extra help during their first few weeks. Trainee keeper Jo hand rears three wild boar piglets.
In the reptile house, keeper Iri has a fight on her hands between some Boelen's pythons, as two males battle it out for the attention of one female.
