mer, 17 feb 2010
At the start of the summer, Dublin Zoo welcomed its two newest arrivals into the world, a pair of critically endangered twin Sumatran Tiger cubs, but concerns are raised that the female cub doesn't seem to be doing quite as well as her brother. Team Leader Gerry Creighton has noticed a deformity in her chest and takes the cubs off to the veterinary hospital in UCD to investigate. Brendan Walsh will soon be swapping his uniform for a tuxedo after signing up to be the first ever Zookeeper escort in the Rose of Tralee. He meets the press and introduces the Navan and Dublin Roses to some of his animal friends, including some particularly friendly ring tailed lemurs. Jenny the Giraffe has some painful abnormal growth in her hooves and the zoo staff need to operate urgently. A team of twenty keepers and assistants gear up and prepare for the first of several procedures to repair her two deformed hooves. But what should normally be a simple operation turns critical when Jenny has a bad reaction to the anaesthetic.
mer, 17 mar 2010
A new island home is prepared for the Ring-Tailed Lemurs and there's plenty of exploring to be done by these playful and curious creatures. But when a build-up of algae around the edge of the island gives the water a deceptively solid appearance, oldest member of the troop Nibbles takes her curiosity a step too far.... The Chilean Flamingos will soon be breeding, building their nests on stacks of mud at the edge of the flamingo pond. Zookeeper and avian expert Peter Phillips introduces us to some of Dublin Zoo's most colourful inhabitants, and follows their progress from nest, to fledging and finally on to a flamingo crèche... They said Wanita, the little Sumatran Tiger cub with a hole in her heart, would never breed. A year on, and she's grown into a beautiful and almost fully grown tigress, ready to find a partner of her own. So it's With a heavy heart Gerry Creighton sets about training one of his favourite animals for the long trip to her new home in France.
mer, 24 mar 2010
It's been several months now since Gerry waved goodbye to Wanita the Sumatran Tiger. With reports that she's doing well over in France, Gerry takes to the road to pay one of his favourite animals a visit and see how she's settling in.... With less than 250 Waldrap Ibis left in the wild, breeding groups like the one in Dublin Zoo are crucial to these critically endangered birds' long-term survival. From building their nests high up on rocky crags to laying their first eggs, zookeeper Garth de Jong has been keeping a close eye on them... Barely bigger than a human finger, the Pygmy Marmoset is the world's smallest monkey. They've had trouble breeding in the zoo, but with the arrival of a new male marmoset the keepers hope that's all about to change. First, they need to do some simple tests, but on an animal this tiny even the simplest of procedures brings its own challenges.... Sandy the Giraffe is developing the same painful abnormality in her hooves that led to her mother Jenny's death last year. Reluctant to use sedatives or tranquilisers, a farrier is called in to try and minimise her discomfort and the keepers are reliant on her trust of the keepers to ensure it all goes smoothly.... Zookeeper Peter Phillips notices one of Dublin Zoo's Fruit Bats is having trouble feeding, and on closer inspection it looks like the little mammal has broken a wing. It's a bad injury, and with time working against them Vet John Banbridge may have to perform an emergency amputation.
2010
It's been several months now since Gerry waved goodbye to Wanita the Sumatran Tiger. With reports that she's doing well over in France, Gerry takes to the road to pay one of his favourite animals a visit and see how she's settling in.... With less than 250 Waldrap Ibis left in the wild, breeding groups like the one in Dublin Zoo are crucial to these critically endangered birds' long-term survival. From building their nests high up on rocky crags to laying their first eggs, zookeeper Garth de Jong has been keeping a close eye on them... Barely bigger than a human finger, the Pygmy Marmoset is the world's smallest monkey. They've had trouble breeding in the zoo, but with the arrival of a new male marmoset the keepers hope that's all about to change. First, they need to do some simple tests, but on an animal this tiny even the simplest of procedures brings its own challenges.... Sandy the Giraffe is developing the same painful abnormality in her hooves that led to her mother Jenny's death last year. Reluctant to use sedatives or tranquilisers, a farrier is called in to try and minimise her discomfort and the keepers are reliant on her trust of the keepers to ensure it all goes smoothly.... Zookeeper Peter Phillips notices one of Dublin Zoo's Fruit Bats is having trouble feeding, and on closer inspection it looks like the little mammal has broken a wing. It's a bad injury, and with time working against them Vet John Banbridge may have to perform an emergency amputation.