♪ ♪
(Chimpanzee shrieking)
Boy: whoa!
(Snarl)
(Growl)
Man: roar!
(Elephant trumpets)
Sally: I'm going to come
barreling through.
(Thumping)
Christina: ouch.
Sally: I want him to hear it.
Nik!
Nikita!
(Grumbling)
Nikita!
(Growl)
♪ ♪
Woman: he's coming,
he's coming!
(Bellow)
Sally: hi, good boy!
Christina: this is our male
polar bear, nikita,
But we call him nik for short.
He's using that big nose of his.
They can smell
up to miles away.
Sally: what is it?
Christina: so, this is
a pickle barrel,
And it smells like pickles
inside, and he loves them.
Sally: we're going to use it
for nik's enrichment for today.
Try to elicit some
natural polar bear behavior
Of him stalking the barrel,
Just like he would stalk a seal
out in the wild.
Yeah, good job.
He banged it up good,
he k*lled his seal.
Christina: this is exactly
what we want to see from him.
Sally: oh, good boy.
The great thing about
christina and I doing this
Is we can see that he's using
all of his muscles correctly,
He's using his mouth.
Good boy.
Christina: good job, buddy.
Sally: he's diving.
Christina: oh, hold on,
he might jump here.
There he goes!
Sally: good boy!
Child: how big can they get?
Christina: so they're
the largest land carnivore
On the planet.
When he stands up,
he's about / feet tall.
Children: whoa!
Christina: and he can get
up to , pounds.
He's a big boy.
Females are about
half that size.
So, our girl bear, anana,
she weighs about pounds.
We want them to have babies!
That's why they're both here.
Sally: nik and anana have been
breeding for four seasons
And still have not
produced any cubs.
So, we are getting
a little bit worried,
Because since polar bears are
in danger of becoming extinct,
If we don't have a pregnancy
this breeding season,
There's a possibility
that we might lose one
To another zoo to breed.
Which would be great
for the population,
Sad for us because
we do love them both,
So we don't want to lose
either one of them.
Bye, handsome,
see you in a minute.
Christina: nik is my favorite.
I've actually worked with nik
when he was little.
Thank you for coming back.
It would have been really
awesome to see him become a dad.
So, it's a little
extra disappointing.
But it's just really difficult
for polar bears to get pregnant
Out in the wild
and under human care.
Sally: nik, I'll be rooting
from the sidelines this year.
You need to do better, ok?
Do you think you can do that?
Good boy.
That's it, you're finished.
Christina: he's pretty smart.
Once he realizes
the food is gone,
He's gonna go take
a nap on habitat.
(Grunt)
Sally: first we need to rule out
If there's any issues
with anana.
So we're going to do
an exam with her
To see if she's fit to conceive.
If she's healthy, we'll pair
nik and anana back up again
For another breeding season,
And hopefully
he can deliver this time.
But if not, we might
have to say goodbye.
Robert: this is our desert dome
you see over here on your left.
(Hiss)
Boy: whoa!
Robert: in our desert habitat,
we have kelly the porcupine.
She is adorable,
but trust me when I tell you,
You do not want to pet her;
it can be a prickly situation.
Cat: kelly, come on, kelly,
let's go for a walk.
Come on. Here you go, good job.
Jenn: kelly is a really
special animal for us,
'Cause she gets to go
for walks around the zoo.
She's an older girl,
so we need to make sure
That she's getting
the exercise that she needs.
Cat: good job.
Jenn: she's so inquisitive
when we take her out on walks.
Cat: come on, kelly.
Kelly.
What's that?
(Laughs)
Emma: she is in charge and
we're just trying to make sure
She stays out of trouble.
Cat: come on, kelly.
You gonna come this way?
Come on, let's go home.
Jenn: that porcupine is crazy.
Kim: alright, you think
she'll come in?
Cat: yeah.
Kim: kelly.
Cat: come on, kelly, kelly!
Kim: there she is.
I love kelly,
she's one of my favorites.
She's kind of become
everybody's friend.
She meets visitors.
She's just really relaxed
and easy-going.
So, we always look forward
to training with kelly.
Cat: alright, kelly, ready?
Today we're gonna start
her dental training.
Kelly broke off part of her
tooth and gets food stuck in it.
It can get infected,
So, we have to flush it out
to make sure it stays clean.
I want kim to be able to do it,
so on days that I'm not here
Kelly still gets
that tooth cleaning.
So, this takes a little bit
of practice.
Come on, kelly.
Kim: focus, focus, kelly.
Cat: you gonna come back?
Alright, so we're gonna put
this syringe right here
And just squirt.
And you try to get to where
that tooth is missing.
She did it.
And she gets a little banana,
good job.
Cat: I love training kelly,
she's very willing,
She loves her food,
so it makes it easy.
Kim: look at her! (Laughs)
Cat: rinse.
Good, good job.
Kim: that's awesome.
Cat: yep. You're so fresh
and so clean now.
Kim: are we gonna do
some crate training?
Cat: yeah, 'cause we are
going to take her
Up to the vet hospital
next week for her exam.
I'm worried about what they're
gonna say about her tooth.
Kim: kelly is an old girl,
so even a minor tooth infection
Could be life-threatening
for her.
Cat: if the tooth
becomes infected,
The infection can spread
through kelly's body
And cause severe problems
for her.
Kim: we love kelly so much,
We would all be
devastated to lose her.
Kim: alright, kelly, you ready
for some crate training?
Cat: yep, she's ready.
Kim: we're gonna practice
getting kelly into her crate,
So that it's not a big deal
on exam day.
Cat: hi.
Kim: hi, pumpkin.
Cat: kelly, crate. (Tapping)
Come on in.
Nope. Ok.
Kim: she's just going
for a walkabout.
Cat: alright, kelly,
can you come back, please?
Kim: we're not going
out there right now.
Cat: hopefully she'll turn
around and come back this way.
Kim: hi, kelly.
She's just so relaxed and chill.
Cat: kelly, crate.
(Tapping)
Good girl.
Now go all the way in.
Kim: there she goes.
Cat: good girl.
There we go.
Kim: so, she went in the crate
on her own.
She doesn't seem stressed out,
so that's what we want.
Cat: good job, kelly.
Kelly's going home.
Bye, kelly.
Kim: she does what she wants.
Cat: see ya.
Kim: what are you gonna do?
Cat: she's like, "I'm gonna
go inside and go to sleep."
(Bellow)
Woman: good morning!
Man: breakfast!
(Birds tweeting)
Woman: I love feeding my babies.
♪ ♪
Sally: here she is! Hi, anana!
You smell people?
I met anana
on my interview here.
Her nose kept going over to me.
She didn't look at me,
she just smelled me,
And I fell in love with her.
Today anana's going to
have her annual exam.
Reproductive-wise,
we want to make sure
That everything
is nice and clean,
We don't want her
to be sore at all,
We want, we don't want
any infections back there.
So, we need that ok from jb.
jb: hospital to keeper adams.
we're on our way.
Anana has not been
getting pregnant
Over the last couple years.
And production of
baby polar bears is vital
For the survival of the species.
So, I'm hoping to rule out
any obvious reasons
Why she's not conceiving.
Sally: anana, come here.
Come here, boogie!
Jb: so, guys I'm gonna go
anesthetize her now
With the dart g*n, but it's
going to be about minutes
Before it's safe for us
to enter that room.
Woman: yep.
Jb: if we tell you
to get out of the way,
Just get out of the way.
There's nothing in there that's
more important than your life.
Jenn: sounds good.
Jb: ok, well, let's go do this.
Jenn: alright.
Sally: I'm going to get
anana's attention
To make sure she's
focused on me.
Hi, boogie.
Come here.
While jb kind of sneaks up
behind and darts her.
I feel a little bad
about tricking her,
But I know it's really important
to make sure she's healthy,
Because we want her
to have babies.
Look it, right here.
You're a good girl.
Jb: ok, you can see
where sally is right now,
So she's right inside
of that stall.
Sally has a really good
relationship with this bear.
But anana sees me, it's bad.
Sally: she remembers
different scents.
She is one
very intelligent animal.
Good girl.
Look it, right here.
She smells jb.
(Roar)
(Growl)
Jb: I'm gonna go down there
as quickly as possible,
And we're gonna just dart her
and walk away.
Sally: she smells jb.
(Roar)
(Roar)
(Roar)
Jb: she's been darted,
the dart discharged.
k*ll these lights.
So, at this point, we can
watch her through a camera
And see when
she starts to lay down.
I want to make sure that
she's completely asleep
Before I go in there.
I don't want to get stuck
in a room with a polar bear
That wants to stand up.
Let's start moving in.
(Cage door rattles)
Sally: this is one of the most
deadly animals on park.
There is that possibility
That she could come
out of that anesthesia.
It's like they're sleeping
and sleeping and sleeping,
And then, oop! I'm up.
Jb: drag her straight back.
Heather: hold on, jb,
give me a second.
I'm not sure if
it's a snore or a growl.
(Snoring)
Jb: it's probably a snore,
let's just get her moving.
Heather: ok.
Jb: one, two and three.
Heather: ooh.
Ok.
Jb: ooh, that's a lot of bear.
She is well anesthetized,
but there is a clock ticking;
Those dr*gs only last so long.
So, we're now going to perform
a full medical exam
And try to determine why
she's not conceiving a baby.
Sally: it's nerve-racking,
Because we don't know what
they're going to find.
Jb: kelly, you got
a blood pressure for me?
Over , .
Sally: in the wild,
a polar bear will typically
Hide the symptoms of being ill.
They want to make sure that
they're not seen as being weak.
But they're not going
to be able to hide it
From our veterinarian.
Jb: right now, greg is checking
Her external
reproductive organs.
You're gonna want to shave
the hair off all that area.
Greg: she gets a lot
of hair back here
That gets kind of
soaked with urine.
(Clippers buzzing)
Jb, I can see an inflammation
Around her anus
and around her vulva.
Jb: she's got
a little urine scald,
Which has caused
a little bacterial infection.
We want to clean this up
Before we put her into
a breeding situation,
Because that's going to hurt.
Ok, you guys done?
Woman: yep.
Jb: ok.
Jb: everything
looks pretty good.
So, we've cleaned anana up,
we're going to be starting her
On antibiotics
for the infection.
Reproductively,
we've really found no reason
That she's been
unable to conceive.
Sally: jb has given us
the all clear.
It doesn't look like
there's anything
Physically wrong with her.
Jb: so, now greg has the
dangerous job of being in there
As she's starting to wake up.
Greg is still breathing for her,
And we want to make sure that
she's starting to come around
Before we pull that tube
out of her throat.
It's always a little tense,
Especially for these animals
that could eat you.
You can see, she's starting
to breathe a lot heavier,
So she's starting to come
around from these dr*gs.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
(Snort)
Greg: she blinked on her own.
Jb: she's waking up!
Ok.
k*ll these lights.
She's waking up.
(Whispers)
great job, guys.
Now that we know
that she's healthy,
It's vital that
she becomes a mom.
Not only for herself but
for the survival of her species.
So, we're going to
reintroduce her to nik,
We're going to cross our fingers
that it works this time.
♪ ♪
(Trumpets)
Boy: that one's looking at us!
(Trumpets)
Jordan: batir, come!
♪ ♪
Good girl. Let's go!
Let's go! Let's go!
Batir is years old,
And I really love her
because she's so much fun.
(Whistle tweets)
Back up.
And we've developed
a really close bond.
Good girl.
She really, um, seems
to really enjoy training
And she loves her treats.
(Grumbling)
(Tweet)
Sadly, a couple of years ago,
She was actually knocked down
by one of our larger elephants.
And the result of that
has been decreased mobility
In her elbow joint.
Turn.
So, if you look on this side...
Pad.
This elbow bends very nicely.
(Tweet)
Then on the other side...
This elbow joint is
not bending at all.
We have been really trying
to kinda help her along
With some physical therapy
and kinda racking our brains
To figure out what we can
do differently for her.
So, jb has been talking
to an acupuncturist.
And this afternoon we're gonna
be actually trying out
Some acupuncture, to see
if we can actually help
Get some mobility
back into that joint.
Go.
This will be completely
voluntary for her.
If at any point
she is really uncomfortable,
She can just pull
those needles out.
Jb: what are you doing?
(Tweet)
Alright, sweetheart,
We're just going to come up
real quick, ok?
Jordan: touch. Got it.
Jb: so where are you thinking?
(Tweet)
Tara: I'm thinking
right about here.
Jb: ok.
Acupuncture is
an eastern medicine,
Where the body is mapped
with different nerves.
Now, this is well outside
of my realm of expertise,
Which is why I called tara in.
This is what she does.
Tara: the closer you are
to where the pain is,
The more sensitive
the points are.
I'm putting these needles
in acupuncture points,
Which are basically
bundles of nerves.
It stimulates blood flow
And causes an anti-pain response
in that area.
I want to place as many
needles as I can
Before her patience runs out.
(Grumbling)
Jb: ok, jordan, you let us know
when you're ready.
Jordan: ok.
Lean in.
Good.
She likes to move around a lot.
I do love working with batir,
Just because she is
kind of a challenge,
She really does kind of
keep you on your toes.
Jb: jordan's got to work with
batir to get her to hold still,
Without her reaching around
and either smacking me
Or pulling a needle out.
Can you have her lean in again?
Jordan: yep.
There we go.
She's in a good spot.
Tara: so, I'm starting
around her elbow.
I'll stick the needle in
and see how she tolerates it.
There we go.
Jordan: batir is starting
to reach back her trunk
And investigate those needles.
Jb: that's my hand, no, no, no.
Get your trunk down!
Tara: she is a little bit
sensitive,
Because she has pain
in that area.
Jb: I'm gonna try again.
Tara: ok. There we go.
(Roar)
oh! Did not like that one.
(Roar)
Jb: no, no, no, no.
Tara: oh, she removed it.
Tara: here we go.
(Roar)
oh! Did not like that one.
Jb: no, no, no, no.
Tara: oh, she removed it.
Jordan: batir has
this amazing trunk.
It has , muscles in it,
and it's extremely dexterous.
Even though she can't see
Where these tiny little
acupuncture needles are,
She can feel them in her skin,
and she can actually reach up
And pluck them out
with that trunk.
Jb: we have to come up
with a plan b.
We've had some
experience with chimps
Where we've tried to draw blood,
And if we massage the skin
around the needle,
It desensitizes the area.
I'm going to actually put
my hand on there when you do it,
That way, like, my hand is,
like, distract her a little bit.
Tara: that's fine. Ok.
Jb: ok.
Jordan: it's alright,
there we go.
Tara: good girl.
Jordan: batir's really
relaxed right now.
Now I am rubbing her trunk
And it's really almost just
like I'm holding her hand.
I'm telling her, hey, I'm gonna
hang out with you during this,
And you're gonna be
a-okay with this.
Jb: the distraction technique
is working pretty well.
Tara: here we go.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Jordan: good girl!
Jb: ok, they're in!
Tara: they're in.
Jb: so tara was able
to get six needles in,
And now we're releasing
the pressure on the nerve
For the longest amount
of time possible.
Tara: for humans, needles are
usually kept in for minutes.
I have not found a zoo animal
that will tolerate minutes.
So if I can get five minutes,
I'm really happy.
Jb: everything is
up to jordan now.
So, she's gotta keep this young,
toddler of an elephant occupied.
(Roar)
Jordan: I'm going to kind of
move her around a little bit,
Keep her nice and engaged.
Lean in.
Good!
Jb: you're doing
really well, girl!
Jordan: trunk down.
Tara: did she just
take some more out?
Jb: no, she's still
got them all.
She seems to be tolerating it
pretty well.
Jordan: lean in!
(Tweet)
good girl, batir!
Jb: this just shows you
that level of trust
That jordan has with batir.
Jordan: back up.
(Tweet)
We're getting close
to about five minutes.
She's getting over having
these needles in her arm.
Jb: oh!
And there goes one!
(Laughs)
Jordan: lean in.
Good girl.
Tara: alright,
we can take them out now.
Jordan: good job, kiddo.
Tara: there we go.
Jb: all done!
We did not expect
five minutes today.
Honestly, we came in
really saying
We'd probably get two or three.
We got all of it.
Jordan: batir, come!
Good girl, kiddo!
Jb: she's a young elephant,
she's only ,
So if we can get some more
mobility in that joint,
That's going to make her quality
of life just a lot better.
♪ ♪
Robert: coming up here
on the left,
You're gonna see
our red wolf habitat.
Red wolves are really shy.
They are hard
to catch a glimpse of.
♪ ♪
Alexis: isn't it crazy that they
like the rhino poop so much?
Curtis: it's probably
the worst smelling thing
You can imagine, really.
Alexis: in the wild, red wolves
will use other animals' feces
To cover up their own scent
when hunting prey.
Today we're gonna
try to stimulate
Some of that natural behavior.
(Laughs)
Oh, they're gonna love it!
We have two red wolves,
flint and pigeon.
Flint, he's about
four years old,
And pigeon, she's .
They're just friends
that hang out.
Alright, pigeon,
we're coming your way.
You're ok.
Pigeon is an old lady.
She keeps up with flint, though,
but she's a little more shy.
Alright, I'm going to put
this massive chunk
Up there for flint.
Flint is much more
brave and outgoing.
He likes that rock,
hopefully he'll roll in it.
Oh, yeah.
Curtis: beautiful.
Alexis: alright, enjoy, guys!
Nice and stinky.
I want to go watch.
Curtis: yeah.
Alexis: alright, now
it's just the waiting game.
I'm really excited to see flint,
He's always a lot more crazy
with the enrichment,
Like he'll really roll in it.
Curtis: the smellier the better!
Alexis: they can
definitely smell it,
So they are probably just like,
"Some rhino's come
through my habitat."
(Laughter)
He's like, something's up!
Gonna investigate.
Curtis: here we go.
Alexis: oh! Here he goes.
♪ ♪
Curtis: get it, get it!
Oh, yeah!
Alexis: he's rolling in it!
Look at him go!
It's really satisfying
seeing them do the behaviors
Like they would in the wild.
Good job, flint.
The american red wolf is
the most endangered canid
In the world.
Historically, red wolves ranged
All the way from
texas to canada.
Now there are less than
left in the wild,
Here in north carolina.
But here at the zoo,
Red wolves are a part of
a species survival plan
To help build that
wild population back up.
Chris: you good?
Woman: yeah.
Alexis: because flint and pigeon
are not a breeding pair,
We've brought in
two new red wolves
To help with
the conservation effort.
Chris: curtis, kennel.
Curtis: yep.
Alexis: these guys are
a little more wild.
Alexis & curtis:
one, two, three.
Alexis: we need puppies
to be able to grow
The genetic value
of the red wolf
And be able to someday release
them back into the wild.
Curtis: good job.
Alexis: it's a huge deal,
I'm super proud
to be a part of this.
Curtis: front to back
to get through there.
Alexis: this is the big day.
We will be taking them
down to their new home.
Chris: could you open up
the garage door for us?
They're out of their quarantine.
They've seen each other
for the last couple weeks
Across a hallway.
Curtis: one, two.
Chris: but this is the first day
They're actually gonna be
together in the same pen.
Good job, guys.
These guys only breed
once a year,
And that's gonna be coming up
in a couple months.
♪ ♪
What we've set up here is a
place for these animals to live
Like they would in the wild,
And it gives them
the best chance
For a successful breeding.
♪ ♪
Ok, we'll let them out together.
Alexis: releasing them
is super exciting,
Because you never know
how they're gonna interact
With each other.
Are they gonna get along?
Are they gonna have puppies?
Chris: curtis, you ready?
Curtis: yep.
Chris: here we go,
one, two, three.
Alexis: we just got two new
wolves in to be a breeding pair.
Releasing them is
super exciting.
Are they gonna get along?
Chris: curtis, you ready?
Curtis: yep.
Chris: here we go,
one, two, three.
♪ ♪
Alexis: they're running back and
forth and scoping the place out.
They're in a new home
and with a new wolf,
So it's a lot to take in.
Chris: that's the male there,
the female's the darker one.
She's really pretty.
Alexis: oh, she's beautiful.
It's super exciting
getting to see
How they interact
with each other.
Chris: they seem to be bonding.
Hopefully they decide
to like each other.
Alexis: I always like
to kind of imagine
What their puppies
would look like.
We're just going to keep
our fingers crossed
And hope we get some
in the spring.
Go make puppies.
Chris: go make puppy, guys.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Child: oh, look!
Christina: good?
Sally: yeah, you got the...
Christina: I got the bell.
Sally: here at the zoo
we have two arctic foxes,
Rizzo and kenickie.
Rizzo is extremely smart
and is a little mischievous.
She definitely gets into things
that she's not supposed to.
She digs a lot, creating
a disaster in the mud.
I love her, she is fantastic.
We have a really
good relationship.
Christina: kenickie is
the younger baby brother.
He always steals things
from rizzo,
He's always kind of
bothering her a little bit,
But he's really intelligent
And he loves to train when
you can get him focused.
Arctic foxes are extremely
nervous and skittish by nature.
They have to get
used to large crowds,
So we do training sessions
To kind of just get them
familiar with different faces.
We're gonna sit on the outside
perimeter of the fence
And we're gonna call them to us.
Sally: ready? (Bell rings)
Woman: look!
Christina: hi.
Sally: hi, gorgeous!
Shake.
(Whistle tweets)
oh, so good!
(Tweet)
Coming to the fence helps us
To get them more and more
comfortable with people.
(Tweet)
We can get eyes
on their entire bodies
To make sure that
they're healthy.
She looks really good.
If they're comfortable with
other people being around,
Our veterinarians
can see them, too.
Up! (Tweet)
Target!
Alright, I'm finished.
You did so good,
I'm so proud of you.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Kim: kelly!
Kelly!
Today is kelly's annual exam.
Hopefully she'll just walk
right into her crate
And we can put her on the van
and take her to the hospital.
Let's go, come on,
you got to go hospital.
Crate!
Come on, kel.
Kelly, crate.
Good girl.
Chris: there you go.
Good girl, kelly.
Kim: now I'm getting
a little nervous.
She does have these ongoing
problems with her teeth,
And it could be
life-threatening for kelly.
So, there's that
little bit of concern.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Alright, kelly, we're here.
Greg: kelly is
pretty charismatic.
She's sweet and her quills
are always down,
So everybody here loves kelly.
I've just given kelly
an anesthetic injection.
She'll probably take
a few minutes to fall asleep.
Heather: ok, we're good.
Kim: with the annual exams,
First you want to get them
steady under anesthesia,
And then they usually have
a list of things they do,
And one of those is
looking at her teeth.
Heather: trying to see
what her oxygen level is.
Pulse ox is reading
with a heart rate of .
Her respiratory rate's
just a little bit low.
So we're just working on
getting her intubated
And getting that trach tube
down her trachea.
Greg: blade is just big
when it gets back there.
It's quite difficult
to intubate a porcupine.
Their jaws don't open very wide,
And their airway
is quite far back.
No, this is too big.
(Coughing)
Heather: she's just coughing
from the tracheal irritation.
Kim: they're having
a little trouble
Getting the tube in her mouth.
It's always kind of
uncomfortable,
And the animals
cough a little bit.
I'm getting a little nervous.
(Coughing)
Greg: you certainly feel
the eyes of the keepers on you.
I need to get kelly intubated
as quickly as possible
So that she can remain stable.
(Coughs)
(Coughs)
Greg: I need to get
kelly intubated
So that she can remain stable.
Heather: greg, do you want
to try one more time
With the smaller tube?
There we go.
Ok, now take your wire out.
There we go.
Heather: ready?
Woman: yeah.
Kim: I'm so relieved
that greg got the tube in
And now she's stable.
Heather: oxygen's good,
heart rate's good.
Kim: now fingers crossed
that her teeth are ok.
Greg: she has some issues
with dental disease
That we really want
to keep an eye on.
There's a little bit of food
kind of wedged in back there.
The gumline around the teeth
looks a little bit inflamed.
I'm just kind of cleaning
the teeth a little bit.
Hopefully that can relieve
some of her discomfort.
Kelly fractured
one of her teeth.
And that's caused
the rest of her teeth
To begin to grow abnormally.
When they get overgrown, they
can get infections that set in.
So, I'm using a rotating file
to file down kelly's teeth
Into a more normal shape.
(Buzzing)
(Buzzing)
♪ ♪
I think that looks better.
Woman: ready to go.
Heather: let's get her
disconnected from everything.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Greg: there's a little breath.
Katie: there we go.
Heather: hi, sweetie.
Kim: kelly's waking up from
her anesthesia pretty well,
So that's a relief.
Once they reach a certain age,
There's always
in the back of our heads
That maybe she does
have some issues
That could be life-threatening.
But that doesn't seem
to be the case.
Greg: right now, kelly's
quality of life is pretty good.
She still has a good appetite.
She's very interactive
with her trainers,
And those are the things that
we're really happy to see.
Kim: I'm just so relieved
that she's going to be ok.
♪ ♪
(Squeaking)
♪ ♪
(Shrieking)
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Alexis: today I'm coming
down to check on
Two of our newer wolves.
We gave them names,
piglet and jewell.
Every pen has at least
two den boxes in it.
That gives the wolves an option
If they wanna be near
the other wolf.
What we're really hoping for is
that they're sharing a den box.
That will give us an idea
if they've bonded.
A lot of people ask me,
Wouldn't you rather work with
an elephant or a giraffe?
I think this
is even more special,
Helping save their population
in the wild.
Alright, let's see if anybody
is in this first box.
I'll do a little tap-tap and see
if anybody comes running out.
(Tapping)
Nobody's in this one.
Time to check the next one.
Oh, that's piglet.
Awesome!
So that's great, they're both
in the same box together,
So that's a great sign!
And they're actually sticking
together while they're running.
It shows that they're bonded
to each other as a pack.
♪ ♪
You can definitely see where two
wolves have been laying in here.
They're cuddling up together
and hopefully that will mean
That they'll make
a good breeding pair.
♪ ♪
This was an awesome day.
We had two wolves
in the same den together.
All we can hope for is
to check back here soon
And look for some puppies.
♪ ♪
(Whooping)
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Sally: nik!
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Hey, buddy!
Hi, handsome,
you ready to see your girl?
Who's a good boy?
Everything has gone smoothly
with anana's exams,
And nik seems
perfectly fine as well,
So today he gets to see
his lady, up close and personal.
We get them accustomed
to one another
Before they have total physical
contact with one another.
So, they'll be able to
touch each other's noses,
Sniff each other.
He is twice her size, so he does
have the ability to hurt her,
So we want to make sure
that everything is safe.
Nicole: nikita, we need
to have a pep talk,
You need to be nice
to your girl.
Chocolate and flowers.
Yeah, you're so handsome.
Sally: it's been a year
since they've seen each other.
He's showing us the signs
that he wants to be near her.
Chuffing and roaring, drooling.
Hopefully this will
go really well,
And we'll be able
to introduce them completely
During the mating season.
Nicole: it's really
important for us
To be able to breed these guys,
Because they're going through
a tough time in the wild.
Sally: hopefully there will be
some offspring this year.
Nicole: gosh,
wouldn't that be wonderful?
Sally: he's like,
"I'm ready, let's go, let's go."
See you in a minute.
Nana, come here.
Hi, boogie.
Sally: come here, boogie.
Nicole: good girl.
Sally: we are really hoping that
the fifth breeding season
Is the lucky one.
Because if not, we may have to
replace nik with another male,
Which would be really sad.
Guess what.
You get to see boy bear.
Nicole: you got to
stand your ground.
Be confident;
strong, independent woman.
Sally: mm-hmm, yeah!
After we finish giving her
a nice little snack,
We are going to slowly
open the doors
And there's going to just be
that mesh in between them.
And hopefully we'll get to see
some really good interactions.
You ready?
Ready to see your boy?
Good girl, nana.
Nicole: alright.
Sally: be good.
Nicole: are we ready?
Sally: hydraulics are on.
I'm going to open b first.
Nicole: ok.
Sally: here he comes.
Good boy.
Ohhh!
(Chuffing)
Sally: it's been a year
since they've seen each other.
Here he comes.
Nicole: good boy.
Sally: good boy.
Ohhhhh!
(Chuffing)
He is pouncing and
banging on things,
Using that polar bear instinct
to get to his girl.
Good bears. Oh, yeah.
He's roaring, he's chuffing.
They're talking to each other.
She is answering him
a little bit.
He is being a perfect gentleman.
Nicole: good boy!
Sally: she didn't run away once.
It was a great introduction.
They mouthed at one another, she
had her nose through the mesh.
Everything was perfect.
It shows us that we'll be ready
to introduce them physically,
With no barrier in between them
during the mating season.
(Grunt)
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Jb: so I just heard from alexis,
And she thinks that
our newest red wolf
May have just given birth,
And if that's the case,
that's excellent news!
North carolina is the only place
That you will find
red wolf in the wild.
If we weren't taking care
of the red wolves,
We would not have red wolves
in north america,
And I want to be able to take my
grandchildren out into the wild
And see these animals.
So it warms my heart to know
that we're saving species
Right here in our backyard.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
I hear we have some puppies.
Alexis: I think so.
Mom's been showing
a lot of sign.
We've been keeping
an eye on piglet
To see if she's
potentially pregnant.
Jb: ok.
Alexis: and her belly's
getting pretty big,
She's spending a lot of time
in one of the boxes.
We're right about that time
Where she'd probably
be giving birth.
Alright, you ready?
Jb: yep. Let's do this.
Mom and dad are circling;
they're nervous.
Alexis: they'll actually do that
To try to distract us
from their puppies.
Jb: they're protective parents,
So we want to make sure
that we're safe
And that they're not
going to sneak up
Around the backside of us.
Guy and kelly are gonna
keep an eye on mom and dad
While alexis and I
lift the lid up.
Ready?
Alexis: aww!
Jb: very cute!
Alexis: oh, my gosh.
There are five puppies
in the box.
Jb: they're all kind
of bundled together.
Alexis: some of them are
kind of wiggling around.
And you can hear little,
tiny noises, so cute!
(Squeaking)
Jb: all of their eyes
are closed.
They're probably only
about a day old.
That first to hours,
That's gonna be a really
critical time for the pups.
Alexis: awesome.
Jb: we need to make sure
there's no genetic abnormalities
That would cause them
to have difficulties nursing,
Because they're not
going to survive.
Ok, first one is a little girl.
Alexis: ok.
Jb: we need to make sure
they don't have a cleft palate.
Alexis: jb giving this health
check to the pups is crucial
To the species' survival,
and as long as we're quick,
New parents piglet and jewell
shouldn't be too stressed.
Jb: good. Give us another one.
Alexis: oh, you feel chunky.
Jb: I want to make sure
the heart sounds good,
To make sure there's
no abnormalities.
Ok.
Alexis: getting to see these
newborn, critically endangered
Red wolves is
a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Jb: you look great.
Alexis: they are so important
To the future of
the red wolf population.
These puppies are little heroes.
(Squeaking)
Jb: we have two girls
and three boys.
All of them look
really, really healthy,
And they all have
big, tight, full bellies,
Which means
they've been nursing.
Alexis: I am so happy
that they're healthy.
That is a huge relief.
Jb: I think now we'll
let mom come back in here
And let these guys rest.
Alexis: sounds good.
Jb: ok?
Alexis: yeah.
Jb: it's really important
that the zoo takes part
In conservation programs,
And this one is right
in our backyard.
There's not a lot
of red wolves out there,
So every individual counts.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Sally: today's a big day.
We're going to introduce
nik and anana.
They have not been together
for almost a year.
Christina: come on, nik.
Good boy! That's a good bear.
Sally: hi, handsome.
Now we're going to
open up the doors,
And they're gonna have
full access to one another.
Christina: he's coming, nana.
Sally: it's a little
nerve-racking,
Because maybe we just didn't
read their signs right.
He's twice her size, so we have
a few water hoses hooked up,
Just in case anything gets
a little too aggressive.
Woman: they're out.
Christina: here he comes.
(Bellows)
♪ ♪
(Bellows)
It looks like
he's hot on her tail.
Sally: what he's doing right now
is a guarding behavior.
In the wild,
he would stay behind her
To make sure no other males are
gonna come anywhere near her.
Nicole: she's running
up the hill.
Sally: he's following her
this time.
Normally he stays down here.
Every single season they both
learn a little bit more
About what they're
supposed to do.
This is probably the calmest
they've ever been.
I love it when they're together.
She's all flirty.
Nik, go get her,
she's flirting with you.
This is amazing,
they're mating already!
Honeymoon time!
Make the babies!
Nicole: I love breeding season,
you guys are so cute.
Sally: this introduction
was fantastic.
She seemed calm whenever
they were breeding.
He was excited, but he wasn't
as intense as he has been.
Ok, let's give these guys
some privacy.
These bears are
like our children.
They're our family.
For anana to be pregnant
would be absolutely amazing.
We really hope
that they have cubs.
It is really important for
the survival of their species,
And this might be nik's
last sh*t at being a dad.
01x04 - North Carolina: Polar Bear Opposites
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Nat Geo Wild is taking viewers inside the grounds and allowing them to experience what visitors can't: compelling, heartwarming stories, and behind-the-scenes moments and adventures.
Nat Geo Wild is taking viewers inside the grounds and allowing them to experience what visitors can't: compelling, heartwarming stories, and behind-the-scenes moments and adventures.