The Zoo (Ireland)
Season 2
TV-PG
Home to over 600 animals, Dublin Zoo has almost one million visitors a year flocking to its gates for the chance to see some of the world's most beautiful and fascinating creatures.
For this passionate animal care team it takes hard work and dedication to look after some of the world's most endangered animals, but what the job lacks in glamour it certainly makes up for in excitement and drama. From the unenviable task of getting a snapping Nile crocodile to hold still for his check-up to the excitement of a baby rhino being born, no two days are ever the same.
This is the first camera crew to have been allowed such unique and exclusive access in Dublin Zoo's 180 year history and this engrossing series from Moondance Productions for RTÉ will show the public a side of the Zoo that visitors have never experienced before, enabling them to share in all the highs and lows of life in Dublin Zoo.
Over the course of the series a huge cast of captivating animals are featured, from the tiniest pygmy marmosets (and their even tinier babies) to the hulking frame of the white rhinoceros and everything in between, including flamingos, gorillas, turtles, wolves, giraffes, tapirs, penguins, crocodiles, tigers and snow leopards amongst many others.
Viewers will also have an opportunity to see first-hand how the work of Dublin Zoo forms part of a wider global involvement to conserve and protect the animals of the world, as the cameras follow the work of the zookeepers outside Dublin Zoo, from conservation project on the rocky beaches of Louth to zoos in England and France.
For adults and children alike, 'The Zoo' will provide a unique insight into the functioning of a world class zoo.
For this passionate animal care team it takes hard work and dedication to look after some of the world's most endangered animals, but what the job lacks in glamour it certainly makes up for in excitement and drama. From the unenviable task of getting a snapping Nile crocodile to hold still for his check-up to the excitement of a baby rhino being born, no two days are ever the same.
This is the first camera crew to have been allowed such unique and exclusive access in Dublin Zoo's 180 year history and this engrossing series from Moondance Productions for RTÉ will show the public a side of the Zoo that visitors have never experienced before, enabling them to share in all the highs and lows of life in Dublin Zoo.
Over the course of the series a huge cast of captivating animals are featured, from the tiniest pygmy marmosets (and their even tinier babies) to the hulking frame of the white rhinoceros and everything in between, including flamingos, gorillas, turtles, wolves, giraffes, tapirs, penguins, crocodiles, tigers and snow leopards amongst many others.
Viewers will also have an opportunity to see first-hand how the work of Dublin Zoo forms part of a wider global involvement to conserve and protect the animals of the world, as the cameras follow the work of the zookeepers outside Dublin Zoo, from conservation project on the rocky beaches of Louth to zoos in England and France.
For adults and children alike, 'The Zoo' will provide a unique insight into the functioning of a world class zoo.
Where to Watch Season 2
10 Episodes
- Episode 1E1
Episode 1A behind-the-scenes look at the work carried out by keepers at Dublin Zoo, which is home to more than 600 animals. An adolescent silverback gorilla that is causing trouble with its father is transported to London Zoo to replace a male that died recently. Reptile expert Garth de Jong also examines a Nile crocodile, and a white rhino is ready to give birth - Episode 2E2
Episode 2Keeper Gerry Creighton takes round-the-clock care of a rare snow leopard's cub after the rest of its litter dies. Peter Phillips notices one of the fruit bats has a broken wing and is finding it difficult to feed, leaving vet John Banbridge to decide whether an emergency amputation is necessary. Kesho the gorilla also settles into its new home at London Zoo - Episode 3E3
Episode 3Helen Clarke Bennett and her team await news about the health of a baby giraffe, and Curator of Horticulture Stephen Butler explains the importance of plants, flowers and trees to the zoo. Susan O Brien keeps watch on a tapir that goes into labour prematurely, while keeper Joe Byrne retires after 40 years - Episode 4E4
Episode 4Avian expert Peter Phillips checks on the Humboldt penguins as they enter their new enclosure, which is modelled on their native habitat, the sandy beaches of Peru and Chile. Ciaran MacMahon discovers a network of tunnels in the wolf pen that runs dangerously close to the perimeter fence, and Gerry Creighton notices a mysterious lump on the breast of a Siamang gibbon - Episode 5E5
Episode 5Avian expert Peter Phillips offers an insight into the lives of the Chilean flamingos, and follows their progress through the breeding season. Gerry Creighton prepares a Sumatran tiger for its journey to France, where it will hopefully find a mate, and the ring-tailed lemurs explore their new enclosure - Episode 6E6
Episode 6Garth de Jong examines the zoo's breeding group of Waldrapp ibises, which are vital to the future of the critically endangered species. The keepers also carry out tests on a new male pygmy marmoset, which is the world's smallest type of monkey, and a giraffe develops the same abnormality in its hooves that killed its mother - Episode 7E7
Episode 7Ciaran MacMahon helps a male African hunting dog that has being injured during the mating season, and reptile expert Garth De Jong discovers a clutch of eggs in the leopard tortoise habitat. Susan O Brien is delighted by the births of two pygmy marmosets, and there is an update on the Waldrapp ibises