The Zoo
About the Series
The Zoo will be roaring back on to your screens on March 1st for the most exciting series yet! In this brand new 10-part series there's a whole host of new animal adventures featuring all of your favourite zookeepers and animals.
It's a big step for Dublin Zoo's gorilla troop as they set foot for the first time in their new habitat, the Gorilla Rainforest, in the African Plains part of the Zoo. And that's not all, as little Kituba the baby gorilla is about to be joined by another playmate as Mayani the gorilla gets ready to give birth to her first baby...
Zookeeper Susan has been keeping a close eye on a pregnant female in the red panda habitat. As the big day approaches the expectant mother to be has started building a comfortable nest for herself and her cubs. Soon she will give birth to two of the most beautiful and most playful of Dublin Zoo's inhabitants..
When a baby white crowned mangabey is rejected by its mother, the keepers have to step in and raise the little orphan until it is strong enough to fend for itself. Eventually it will have to rejoin its troop but will it be accepted by the rest of the troop on Mangabey Island?
There is great excitement for Helen and her team in the African Plains with the arrival of a new hippo. A few months later and one of the females is pregnant. These huge aquatic mammals do everything in the water, including giving birth, so it's an anxious time for the keepers as they await the arrival of Dublin Zoo's newest and cutest baby animal...
Last year we watched as one of the world's smallest primates, the pygmy marmoset, gave birth to twins, but this year the keepers discover a new born set of triplets in the marmoset habitat. With three mouths to feed the smallest marmoset was abandoned by its parents, but with round the clock care and a lot of love zookeeper Susan and Aisling hopes to be able to successfully hand rear it herself.
Brendan the zookeeper takes his passion for Dublin gorillas to the road and goes in search of their natural habitat in the rainforests of Africa. He keeps a video diary from the heart of a Ugandan forest where he has the most thrilling encounter of his life with gorillas in the wild...
In the Reptile House, Garth introduces us to some of his new friends, including some amazing stick insects, the ultimate masters of camouflage, tarantulas, gila monsters and many more. He also travels to the Irish countryside with the Irish Wildlife Trust in search of the smooth newt, one of Ireland's wild amphibians...
And there's a whole host of new animals to discover, from the beautiful Victorian crowned pigeon to the birth of an Indian black buck, red river hog piglets and a whole new family of meerkats!
The Zoo on RTÉ One is brought to you by Moondance Productions in association with Dublin Zoo and EBS.
Episodes
Programme One
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.
When a baby white crowned mangabey is rejected by its inexperienced mother, the keepers decide to step in and take care of the little one until it can be reintroduced to the rest of its troop. In this episode, team leader Helen takes the little one home to hand raise it herself.
The new Gorilla Rainforest is finally ready for its new inhabitants. Horticulturalist Stephen introduces us to the many plants and flowers he has sown to create the right environment for the gorillas, while Ciaran and his team prepare the gorilla family for the biggest move of their life.
Programme Two
The big day has finally arrived as Dublin Zoo's gorilla family move in to their rainforest home. But how will they take to their new habitat?
Programme Three
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.
Hippos Henry and Hoovie have lived together for many years in Dublin Zoo, but the time has come for Hoovie to move on and find a different mate. It's a sad time for Henry, until he meets his new companion that is. We watch them as love blossoms and the keepers cross their fingers and hope for the greatest news of all, a baby hippo.
When a new group of female meerkats arrive from Belfast and a young male from Wales, team leader Eddie and his team are keen to see the new group will get on together. He introduces us to these fascinating creatures as they take their first steps into their new habitat.
Programme Four
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?
The highly-anticipated hippo calf is finally ready to be born in Dublin Zoo. But it's a tricky setup for the keepers. These enormous semi-aquatic mammals like to do everything in the water, including giving birth.
Sandy the giraffe is getting ready for an important journey. She is a favourite of team leader Helen and has a big place in zoo keeper John's heart after hand-raising her himself, so it's a bitter-sweet mixture of emotions as they set out with her to Belfast to bid farewell to their old friend.
Programme Five
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?
The hippo calf is growing fast and spending lots of time in the pool with its very protective mother. Team leader Helen and her team are keeping a close eye on her all the same, but so far so good.
After a successful introduction, zookeeper Susan is delighted to find a couple of tiny furry heads poking out of the red panda den, but it doesn't take the red panda babies long to get over their initial shyness and they're soon getting up to all kinds of mischief.
Gorilla Mayani is due to give birth at any moment. It's her first pregnancy and, because she was a hand-raised gorilla, the keepers are a little worried she may not have all the skills she needs to raise her young. Whatever happens, James, Helen and the other keepers are ready to step in and help at any moment.
Programme Six
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.
The little white crowned mangabey has been doing well under Helen's watchful eye, and she's started the slow process of being introduced to the rest of the group. But how are the rest of the troop taking to her?
Ciaran from the Irish Wildlife Trust introduces Garth to the smooth newt, one of Ireland's few species of amphibian. The two animal lovers take a journey into the countryside to explore its native habitat and see if they can find the elusive newts.
Programme Seven
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.
Susan is delighted to discover that Angelina the red panda has successfully given birth to two adorable cubs and is warming quickly to her new role as protective mother to the two furry infants.
There's a lot of activity happening on the macaque island, and it's now home to a number of playful young monkeys. To keep an eye on their health and well-being, it's important that Dublin Zoo perform some simple health checks, but first keepers Ciaran and Yvonne are going to round them all up.
Honey, a rare Indian black buck antelope, is pregnant. Zookeeper Alice is watching her progress very carefully and, if all goes well, Dublin Zoo is hoping the new arrival will share the Kaziranga Forest Trail at Dublin Zoo with the herd of elephants that live there, just as they share a habitat in the wild.
Programme Eight
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.
Kasi the white-crowned mangabey has been growing bigger and stronger by the day and has even made some new friends amongst her troop. With things going so well, Helen feels the little monkey is almost ready for her full reintroduction.
Brendan the zookeeper takes his love of gorillas to the road and goes in search of gorillas in the rainforests of Africa. He keeps a video diary from the heart of a Ugandan forest where he is preparing for the most thrilling encounter of his life, meeting gorillas in the wild...
Eddie and his team have their hands full on Family Farm when Dublin Zoo's Tamworth pig gives birth to a litter of nine piglets. There's good news on the African Plains too as Helen and John are delighted to discover a litter of Red River Hogs have been born overnight.
Programme Nine
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.
After months of hand-rearing Helen and the other keepers have become very close to Kasi the baby mangabey and she has gone from strength to strength under their care. Finally, the big day has arrived and it's time for the mangabey and her keepers to part ways. We join the little monkey as she prepares to be rejoin the rest of her troop on Mangabey Island for the first time.
There's great excitement in the West section where Ciaran and Gerry are keeping a close eye on Dublin Zoo's snow leopard pair. Mating season has just begun for these beautiful but critically endangered cats, and it's so far so good as they seem to be showing a lot of interest in each other.
Red panda babies grow up fast as their keeper Susan knows only too well. The two youngsters are already proving quite the handful and are becoming more curious and playful by the day. Susan visits them in their habitat to give them a check-up and see how they are getting on.
