02x04 - Down Under: Don't Bilby a Stranger

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: Taronga staff
work day and night

Giving the best possible care
to the , animals

That call both
of their zoos home.

Keeper: Good morning!

Narrator: But behind
the public exhibits,

The teams also work
on the breeding

And conservation
of endangered species.

Keeper: So these are all
our females across the top

And our males down here.

And we want to aim
for dark green.

That's the best genetics.

Narrator: One of which
has been extinct

In some parts of australia
for more than a century.

Suzie: We're very lucky to be
able to see these bilbies.

We've got two here
in our education center.

They're our ambassador species.

The male is quoba.

He's the slightly darker
and larger one.

Tanami is the smaller female.

They're here for kids
to come and see,

Students to come and see,
learn about bilbies,

See them in the daylight, which,
you know, you don't get to do.

They're a nocturnal animal.

We've conditioned our guys here
to, to come out during the day

If they want to.

Narrator: And luckily today

That's exactly
what they've done.

Suzie: They're very elusive.
They're very shy.

In the wild,
they live in burrows.

They live underground.

They come out at nighttime
when it's nice and cool.

It's a very unique thing
to be able to see them

And work so close with them.

Narrator: Strangely, despite
their endangered status,

Bilbies are actually
perfectly suited

To the australian outback.

Suzie: They are a desert
species, an arid species.

So it's very hot.

They also have those
really long, big ears.

It's a way that they can
keep themselves cool.

It's like
an air conditioning system.

Narrator:
But the scorching heat

Was never their real problem.

Suzie: Bilbies in
new south wales

Have been extinct
for over years,

And they used to be across
% of the mainland.

The reason why they're not
so widely dispersed anymore

Is a number of factors,

The biggest one being
introduced pest species,

So, foxes, feral cats.

Narrator: As well as having
bilbies on display,

Taronga also manages
a much-needed breeding program.

Suzie: Taronga has been breeding
bilbies for many years,

But it's really been
the last four years

That we've upped our game

To fight for these
little guys in the wild.

Narrator: And that fight
starts here.

Behind the scenes at taronga
western plains zoo in dubbo

There's a crucial staging post

For the return of bilbies
to the wild.

The hectares of fenced,
predator-proof site

Is known as the sanctuary,
and it lives up to its name.

Suzie: In the sanctuary,

It's almost like
a bilby bootcamp for these guys.

They're developing all of their
natural survival skills.

They're learning to forage.

And they're building up
their populations

In a very natural setting.

So that when they do get
released out in the wild,

They're very comfortable
in their natural habitat.

Narrator: While quoba and
tanami will remain at taronga,

The rest of the bilbies
in the australian precinct

Will soon be heading off
to do their part

In repopulating the wild.

Simon: Let's go and get kate.

We're going to go in
nice and quietly.

Your radio's down?

Suzie: Yeah.
Simon: Great.

Narrator: But before
they take that journey,

Every bilby must have
a health check.

And today it's kate's turn.

Simon: Put these on,
she's got very sharp teeth.

Suzie: Yes.

Simon: There you go.
Nice and easy.

Narrator: Vet frances must
ensure kate is fit and healthy

For her vital breeding role.

Simon: Hey, frances.
Frances: Hello, simon.

Simon: Hi, how are you going?
Frances: Good.

Simon: I've got kate
here for you.

Frances: Come on in.
And how's she been?

Simon: She's been really good.

I was watching the camera
footage last night,

She's been really active

And she's been eating
all of her food, so.

Frances: Good.

Simon: Hello, kate.
Hello, beautiful.

Frances: Alright.
Got your gloves.

Simon: Bit of an exciting day
for her.

Narrator:
And almost immediately

Something catches
frances's eye.

Frances: This is quite
nasty looking.

♪ ♪

Narrator: With so many animals
in one place,

There's bound to be
a lot of waste.

Steph: One of the first things
we do every morning

Is, um, sweep all the poo
that our seals do

Throughout the day and night
down the drains.

We're pretty much
the only division

That would have to be sweeping
our poo this way.

Most others are raking it up
to put into bins.

♪ ♪

Gabe: Giraffe poo .

They're actually huge animals

But produce a very, very small
poo, just a little pellet.

So obviously about of them
come out with every movement,

And there's lots of them
throughout the day

As they're eating their leaves
and their hay.

Narrator: As you'd expect,

Keepers have to clean
the enclosures daily.

Scott: Most of our job
is making their beds

And cleaning up their poo.

Gabe: You guys over that side,

Do you want to just push pretty
much all that back to this line?

Scott: Yeah. No worries.
(laughs)

Keeper: Alright. I think we've
found some over here, harmony.

Narrator: But it's what they do
with some of that

Discarded waste that
is really surprising.

Emma: Emma to deb.

Deb: Yep, go ahead.

Emma: Hey, deb, I've just got

Some fresh giraffe and zebra
feces that I can bring to you.

Where can I meet you?

Deb: Um, I'm just at lions
at the moment.

I can meet you at the back
of the building.

Emma: Perfect. I'll see you
there in five.

Poo has a lot of water in it,
actually.

So it's a lot heavier
than you think,

Even a small amount of poo,
a few shovelfuls.

So it's a good workout
in the morning

To take the poo from
one exhibit to another.

Emma: Hey, deb.
Deb: Hey, how you going?

Emma: Good, thank you.

I have a morning present.

I got a nice fresh bucket of poo
for ato and luazi.

We got some giraffe
on the bottom,

And then as an added surprise,
zebra on the top.

Deb: Awesome. Thank you.

Emma: Cool, no worries. See ya.

Deb: It's a really useful
enrichment item.

Like smelly or olfactory
enrichment items are great.

And the fact that, you know,
this is completely natural,

They would come across things
like this in the wild.

So, um, it's, yeah,
it's a great, useful tool.

Narrator: It may be
on the nose to us,

But for the lions,
it smells just like home.

Deb: Obviously if they
were tracking herds

And things like that, they need
to identify fresh feces,

Um, in order to,
to find prey species.

And we use it here
to enhance those skills

And to give them the opportunity

To go through that olfactory
sort of senses as well.

So they really have to,
to breathe it in

And work out what it is.

Feces enrichment.

We have it twice on our monthly
enrichment schedule.

And, um, so we call it
feces Friday.

Um, so it's like a poovlova
for them.

Narrator: Taronga is about
to take creature comfort

To a whole new level.

♪ ♪

Of all the australian
marsupials,

When it comes to a contest
of the cuddliest,

The koala is king.

Laura: Koalas are amazing.

They are absolute specialists

For the environment
that they inhabit.

They've got a number
of adaptations

That help them stay
in the trees.

Big claws on hands and feet.

They actually have two thumbs,
which makes a better grip.

And the paw size is exceptional.

But by far the thing that's
the most amazing about koalas

Is their ability
to eat eucalyptus.

There is not another thing
on earth

That can eat eucalyptus
like a koala can.

Narrator: To satisfy
the unique appetites

Of the koalas they keep,

Taronga manages three
eucalyptus plantations

Just outside sydney.

Man: How many do we need today?

Man: We need of these.

, but we'll give them ,

'cause they're a bit short
from last cut.

Man: Copy.

Laura: We need , eucalyptus
trees planted in our plantation

To feed just one koala here.

Man: Couple there, mate.

Laura: So with
our to koalas,

We do need , trees
to feed them.

Man: Good, really good tip, but
it's a bit dry on the bottom.

Got so far.

Narrator: The staggering amount
and variety of eucalypts

Required to feed
the zoo's koalas

Underlines just how much
wild populations

Rely on their natural habitats.

Laura: In the wild, when we lose
habitat through bushfires

Or development, we are leaving
them vulnerable,

Because they don't have the
ability to just quickly change

And eat that tree today instead.

It's at a biological level.
It's not a choice thing.

It's not like
I don't like my broccoli.

And so as we're seeing these
impacts around their habitat

And their homes, we're seeing
koala numbers plummet.

Narrator: So breeding programs
like the one at taronga

Are more important than ever

To ensure the survival
of the species.

Laura: We breed every year.

And we've had joeys every year.

And what you want in
a collection of c*ptive animals

Is to have great
genetic diversity

So that if we ever need to, say,
breed to release,

We've got a robust, viable
future for koalas in the wild.

One of our big guys, thunder,
he's a -kilo male.

He's had a couple of years
at breeding,

And his genetics are
in our population.

That's why we're looking
at malekai this year.

Narrator: Becoming the breeding
male is a big step up

For three-year-old malekai.

Laura: He is on
the younger side,

So in the wild he wouldn't
really get a look in

At breeding yet, because his job
is to fight with the other males

And gain a really good
territory,

And he's a little bit
small for that.

But at that young age,
you're seeing a big change

In their behavior
from being more babyish

Into these more
dominant behaviors.

So this is a bit
of a new experiment

To see how malekai goes.

Narrator: Just three months
into the breeding program,

And keepers have been delighted
with how malekai

Is interacting with the girls.

But without warning,

All that progress is
suddenly put in jeopardy.

Larry: So this is
a real concern.

Hopefully it's something that
we can do something about.

Narrator: Australia has
a global reputation

As a land packed
with dangerous animals.

There's the world's
most venomous spider,

The sydney funnel web.

Keeper:
So she's got her legs up,

She's sticking her fangs out,

She's showing me
all that weaponry.

She's saying to me,
"please leave me alone."

Narrator: The world's
most venomous snake,

The inland taipan.

Keeper: One bite can be enough
to knock out full-grown men.

Narrator: And that's before
you even get in the water,

Where sharks and
k*ller jellyfish lie in wait.

But apart from the sharks,

Australia has very few
of the larger animals

Found in africa and asia.

While the cassowary
and adult kangaroo

Can cause serious injury
if provoked...

Keeper: He's very suspicious
of me already.

Narrator: ...There's really
only one australian predator

That when hungry enough can
take down a fully grown human.

The saltwater crocodile.

Fortunately for taronga
institute keeper andrew,

It takes years for them to grow
to this fearsome size,

Which makes his job
a whole lot easier.

Andrew: So I'm just about
to pull out miko,

Who is a juvenile
saltwater crocodile.

And even though
he's only a juvenile,

I still do have to be a little
bit careful with my hands

While I'm bringing him
out of the water.

Narrator: With row upon row
of razor-like teeth,

Andrew has to be quick.

(crocodile squawking)

Andrew: So this is miko.

He is about two years old.

As you can see, he's maybe
about centimeters long,

Head to tail.

But obviously saltwater
crocodiles grow up to be,

You know,
over four or five meters

If they're really, really big.

Um, it takes them a long time
to get that big.

So you can see miko at two years
old has a lot of growing to do,

But to get as big as, you know,
that four- or five-meter mark,

They have to be
or years old

Before they can get that big.

(squawks)

You can hear him doing that
really cute little vocalization.

So even though by this stage
he'd be well away from mum,

That's how they get
mum's attention.

So you can see miko is pretty
small now and he's pretty calm.

But by the time
he's finished growing,

He'll, he will be
a very, very dangerous animal.

He'll eat prey items that
are comfortably as big

Or bigger than a human.

You can see
his little teeth there

Are only maybe
a centimeter long.

By the time he's fully grown,

They might be up to
centimeters long.

They can be really,
really big teeth.

Narrator: Evolving
over millions of years,

The saltwater crocodile
is a silent k*ller.

Andrew: You can see, too,
he's got those eyes

On the top of his head and the
nostrils on the top of his head.

And that's because he is
an aquatic predatory animal.

So having those
on the top of his head

Means he can sort of
float to the surface

And just have his eyes
and his nose

Just sticking out of the water

While the rest of him
remains hidden

Beneath the surface
of the water.

If you look at his back,
you can see these scales.

They're quite hard.

They do offer him
a lot of protection,

But more importantly,
you can see these raised ridges,

They're called scutes
or osteoderms.

And they actually allow
crocodiles to move beneath

The surface of the water without
creating any ripples on the top.

So they actually create
little countercurrents.

And it means even if miko
was four meters long,

Five meters long,

And you're not going to see
any ripples from the top.

So, absolutely amazing,
stealthy predators.

Narrator: And while miko's
not quite eating water buffalo

Just yet, he still has
a powerful appetite.

Andrew: So we feed these guys
about three times a week.

A big adult saltwater crocodile
might only feed

A couple times a year,

Depending on how big
the prey item is.

But we just give these
little guys insects or prawns,

And we try and keep it
a nice little variety for them.

Narrator:
Miko appears cute now...

Andrew: Got it.

Narrator:
...But andrew is well aware

That he is still
an apex predator in training.

♪ ♪

(chuckles)

Andrew:
Yeah, salties are amazing.

You just need to keep
your distance.

Narrator: At taronga's
wildlife hospital,

Vet frances is giving
kate the bilby

A comprehensive health check.

Frances: Kate is the first
of the bilbies,

From here at taronga anyway,

That is destined to be released
into these predator-free areas

In a part of new south wales

Where bilbies have been extinct
for a long, long time.

So that's pretty momentous.

So as part of this health check,
we need to know

That she's in the very best
of health,

Because she needs that

If she's going to be released
into a wild area.

Narrator: Returning
an animal to the wild

Is a huge commitment.

Bilby kate needs to be
in the best of health,

And to minimize the risk
of contaminating

The natural habitat,
the team must be certain

No uninvited pests hitch a ride
into the wilderness.

Frances: Gracious.

This is quite nasty looking.

I've just noticed these
little specks on her ears.

And one of the things
that we want to collect

Is any ectoparasites.

And so these tiny little specks
here, there's one.

That looks like a flea.

One of the things that we want
is to collect any parasites

That live on the outside of her.

We need to know what she's got.

We don't want to send her
with parasites

That are not meant
to be on bilbies.

So this health check
that we're doing on her

Is really important.

There's no point in us going
through the whole process

Of providing an animal
for release into a wild site

If she's not in a condition
to cope with that.

So it would make it unsuccessful
if she's not healthy.

So we're going to take her head
out now so I can have a look.

And this is the face of a bilby.

Look at that, huge, big ears.

She's got eyes set
on the side of her head,

But there's a very long snout

And quite impressive,
sharp little teeth there.

So her teeth are in really nice
condition, which is good.

And they're designed for chewing
all those insects and so on

That she's eating.

It's important for us
that we know

What her level of teeth wear is
and that her mouth is healthy,

Her gums are healthy, and
there's nothing abnormal there.

It's important that
we get young animals out

Who are of breeding age,

So that they can really make
their best contribution

To the population size.

Narrator: Because kate's job is
to increase bilby numbers,

Frances must now check

The marsupial's
most important asset.

Frances: This is her pouch.

There's tiny little teats there.

It's nice and clean.

Her pouch is empty.

She doesn't have any joeys
in the pouch, so that's perfect.

We don't want to be
sending out a bilby

That has a large pouch young,

Or a pouch young that's not
attached to the teat,

Because then there's a risk
of them losing the joey.

So she's going to be
an important part

Of this whole release process,

And she'll hopefully
have two or three young

Each time that she breeds.

Narrator: Happily, bilby kate
has passed her medical

With flying colors.

Frances: There we go.
Pop her back in the bag.

It's very pleasing to know
that we can make sure

She's in the best
possible health

So that her chance of survival
in that wild situation

Is going to be as best
as we can get it.

So, good luck, kate.

Narrator: With the all-clear,

Kate's crucial journey back
to the wilderness can begin.

Frances: There you go, kate.

Narrator:
At the animal hospital,

Vet larry is reviewing x-rays
of malekai the koala,

A key member of the koala
breeding program,

Who was just discovered
by keepers

Lying paralyzed
at the base of a tree.

Larry: It's unusual for a koala
to fall out of a tree,

But, uh, but they do
from time to time.

They will often leap
from one branch to another,

And he might have misjudged that

And then just fell
to the ground.

The only thing I can see,
which would fit

With the signs of paralysis
in the hindquarters,

Is this third lumbar vertebra

Just seems to be
a little bit offset,

Maybe dislocated a little bit

And impinging
on his spinal cord.

But it could be much worse.

There may be
something else going on.

Here you go, little man.

So we're going to take him
for a ct scan,

Which hopefully will give us
some more information

As to what might be happening.

Nurse: In you get, malekai.

Larry: Such lovely animals
to work with.

The keepers did say
he occasionally tries to bite,

But he's certainly been a great
patient here with us so far.

Narrator: As with
all spinal injuries,

The quicker the diagnosis,
the better.

Larry: Just pop him here,
and you can sit over there

And keep an eye on him.

Narrator: So the team wastes
no time in getting malekai

To the offsite radiologist
for a scan.

Larry: Hello.
Thanks for coming in.

Sarah: Yeah, no problem,
larry, no problem.

So he's had a couple of days
in hospital?

Larry: On Sunday morning
it happened.

So malekai, and
his number's there.

Sarah: Super. Great, thank you.

Five, four, three.

Narrator: Malekai must be
absolutely motionless

Throughout the scan.

Larry: Just give him
this little injection.

Narrator: So it's necessary
for larry to anesthetize him.

Liz: : .

Larry: Got him, liz?
Liz: Yep.

Larry: So just put him in
right lateral recumbency.

Liz: Sure.

Larry: So this is
the lumbar spine,

And we think it's
the third lumbar vertebra

That's the problem.

The ct is really going to give
us much more information

On exactly what's going.

Sarah: All good when
they're ready, larry.

Larry: Okay, guys, out you come.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Sarah: We will start the scan,

And we're going to see all
the blood vessels light up.

Larry: That's interesting.

♪ ♪

Sarah: That whole area's got
increased vascularity.

More blood vessels than normal.

This is where he's got
this little hole

In that part of the vertebra,

And his spinal cord
does look like

It's being kind of compressed
at that location.

Larry: So, sadly
there's some process,

Whether it's infection
or a tumor

That's eroding away
one of his lumbar vertebra,

And it's impinging also
on the, on the spinal canal

And almost certainly accounting
for his paralysis.

Larry: You want to carry him?
Liz: Yeah.

Narrator: To determine whether
it's an infection

Or in fact a tumor,

Larry takes some pathology
samples from the skin.

Larry: Look at that.

Liz: What is that?

Larry: A really weird scar
or something.

Narrator: But that reveals
an even bigger mystery.

Larry: It's almost like an x.

X marks the spot.

Narrator: Taronga is proud
of its conservation work.

And there's one
australian marsupial

That needs all the help
it can get.

The greater bilby
has been extinct

In much of eastern australia
for over years.

Andrew: Oh, we'll get down there

And we'll see if
we can get a signal.

Narrator:
To reverse that trend,

Taronga has been the driving
force behind an ambitious plan

To return the species
to the wild.

And the key to that is this
-hectare sanctuary

Just outside
western plains zoo in dubbo.

Andrew: Have they even triggered
a trap yet?

Keeper: Yep, several.

Narrator: But there's also
a sanctuary

Within this sanctuary.

Andrew: This is our bilby
pre-release yard.

It's right in the middle
of our sanctuary.

Narrator: Here, taronga's
conservation manager, andrew,

Teaches the bilbies all the
survival skills they'll need

Before being released
into the wild.

Andrew: Essentially these yards
are for getting the bilbies

Used to living in
wild-like conditions.

So they're living in burrows,
like this one here,

Underground that
they've dug themselves.

We scatter their food
around the place

And they can also forage
for their own food.

So they're all getting ready for
life in the greater sanctuary,

Which is all around us.

We're going to release
what we call founders

Into our sanctuary.

So they're a group of
genetically unique individuals,

And they'll found
our new population.

Narrator:
But before they can leave,

The team has to catch them.

And it seems
old habits die hard.

Steve: They've just become
habituated a little bit.

They are living underground
and they shouldn't really emerge

From their burrows
until after dark.

And we're just coming up
to dusk now

And the females are
still underground,

But the males are
coming out earlier.

They're hungry.
It's been winter.

So, you know, they're coming out
for their food.

Narrator:
These precious bilby founders

Will spend the next year
in the sanctuary

Building up their numbers
and getting the experience

They'll need to survive
in the outback.

And big brother will be
watching / as they learn.

Andrew: We've got to attach
some gps transmitters to them.

These transmitters will log
data points each night,

As they're moving around
their sanctuary.

That's really important for us
to understand how they're using

The habitat out there
and what areas they're in.

Also so we can locate them
and give them a health check

And make sure
they're doing okay.

It's really important
that the unit's

Not actually resting
on the tail.

We actually hover it
above the tail.

If it rests on, it can cause
ulcers and things like that.

So we're trying to keep
the tracker

A couple of mil above the tail,
which is why it's so fiddly

And takes three of us
to get it on properly.

That's about right.

Steve: Just got to get her
in the bag at the moment.

Should we weigh him?

Andrew: Yeah, we'll weigh him
and we'll send him on his way.

Over the next couple of weeks

We want to see them out
using different habitats,

Establishing
really good burrows,

And hopefully in a month or two
down the line,

We'll see evidence of breeding
in the population as well.

I'll just take his head out.

Narrator: The bilbies are
finally released

Into the greater sanctuary

And quickly vanish
into the night.

Andrew: Tonight's a really
important night,

But even though we've taken
two years to get here,

It's kind of only the beginning
of the story.

So what we really need
to understand now

Is how they use
this environment,

How the population grows,

What are the population
limiting factors?

So it's a really exciting night,
but it's only the beginning.

Emma: Hey, deb.
Deb: Hey, how you going?

Emma: Good, thank you.
I have a morning present.

I got a nice, fresh
bucket of poo.

Narrator: At taronga,
no waste goes to waste.

Deb: It's a really useful
enrichment item.

Narrator: And the lucky
recipients of this mucky mess

Will be the lion boys,
luazi and ato.

Deb: Might be a bit gross
and yucky, but they love it.

This is some
zebra and giraffe feces

That our ungulate team
kindly gave us this morning.

Narrator: The team aims to
replicate the most natural

Wild environment possible
for the animals.

Deb: I'm hoping that they
really get a lot out of it.

It really is great seeing
our animals react naturally

To the enrichment
that we do give them.

So it will be great if
I see them trot out here

And start rolling in it
and carry on together.

That'll be really awesome.

Narrator: With the poo
in place, it's time to see

What luazi and ato
think about the stink.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Deb: Our previous lion group
used to come and roll in it

And carry on, it used to be
their most favorite day.

So, see how they go.

♪ ♪

Our lions love the giraffes.

They actually love
using this tree,

And they both get up in it,
which we didn't think this tree

Was going to be a really good
climbing tree for them,

But they both love sitting in it

And looking at their giraffe and
zebra neighbors across there.

And ato the other day was up
there for at least half an hour

Watching the giraffes
and the zebras.

Narrator: But they're not here
for the view;

They're here for the poo.

♪ ♪

And it seems this poovlova
is a bit of a hit,

With ato at least.

Maybe luazi will give it a go
on the next feces Friday.

♪ ♪

Vet larry and the team
are investigating

The cause of paralysis
in malekai the koala.

Larry: Yeah, really worried

About what's going on
with malekai.

The lesion that
we've seen on the ct,

It is a very, very
significant problem.

And whether it's a tumor
or infection,

Either are going to be
very challenging problems

To deal with.

Narrator: And on
closer examination,

They uncover something
pretty unusual.

Larry: X marks the spot.

We can see now where
we've clipped him,

And this could have
been a wound,

Which could be an entry point

For whatever infection
he may have.

Sarah: With potential
infection sites,

When you clip away, sometimes
that's when you see the trauma,

Underneath all the hair.

Larry: That is quite dramatic.

Narrator: But does this scar
hold the answers

To what has caused
malekai's paralysis?

Larry: If there has been
an injury there,

Another koala's clawed him
or something like that,

Then it would suggest that maybe

It's more likely to be infection
than a tumor.

Narrator: To make sure,
the team takes some samples

From the site of the wound.

♪ ♪

Larry: We're going to take this
back to the taronga lab

And have a look at these samples
under the microscope.

So the answer could be
right here.

Alright, liz,
you can wake him up.

(koala groans)

Very noisy.

Narrator: While malekai
recovers from his procedure,

The team wait for the answers
from pathology.

Larry: There's a scar,
it's right over the area.

Narrator: And it seems
koala behavior

May have something
to do with it.

Laura: Although koalas
have the reputation

Of being cute and cuddly,
it's not particularly accurate.

Um, in fact, koalas
are solitary by nature.

The males are by definition
territorial.

So if they come into contact
with another male,

They'll have a scrap,
and it can be pretty nasty.

The bite is very powerful,

And they have those
huge, inch-long claws

That are great
for climbing trees,

But they will use them
to defend themselves.

So there's nothing about them
that makes me think

That they're still
cute and cuddly,

Apart from that picture,
sleeping in the tree.

But the moment they wake up,
it's a different story.

Narrator: A few hours later,

And with larry and the team
back at the zoo,

Malekai's pathology is
delivered to the lab.

Larry: Hi, nat.
Nat: Hi.

Larry: Here's the samples
from the koala.

Nat: Yeah.

Larry: So we actually are more
suspicious of an infection

As opposed to a tumor, but yeah,
if you could get, um, get a,

Like maybe some photos
and send to liz,

Or you might see straight away
what's going on.

Narrator: To limit any
future distress to malekai,

Larry has asked for the results
to be fast-tracked.

Larry: There you go.
Liz: Good boy.

Larry: There you go, mate.
Let him settle in.

We'll wait for the results
to come out from the lab

And make a decision
on ongoing treatment.

But I think there's quite a bit
of work to do on him,

That's for sure.

Hopefully it is something
that we can treat

And we'll certainly do
our best to do that.

Narrator:
It's been almost a year

Since bilbies were released
into the sanctuary

Just outside taronga
western plains zoo in dubbo.

Now, after five years
of hard work,

The big day of release
has finally arrived.

Rachel: Today is a very big
and historic day.

We're going to release
our very first batch of bilbies

Into the wild.

To be part of a team
that's actually bred animals

That are going to be used
to re-establish a population

That was extinct in
new south wales is so special.

Not many people get to say
that they've done that,

And it's the absolute
highlight of my career so far.

Narrator: The bilbies destined
for the outback

Are now in the holding pen.

Rachel:
Just do a quick chip scan.

Narrator: All that's left
is to get them

To the departure lounge.

Rachel: Cool.

Cameron: Today they're going
on a massive trip

Right out to the very corner
of new south wales

In central australia.

Narrator: It's of such
significance

That going along
for this important ride

Is taronga ceo, cameron.

Cameron: It'll be a big change
for them and a very long trip.

Cars, planes, boxing, unboxing,
tagging them,

And then of course the big
moment will be the release.

Well, it's the last time these
guys will see tall gum trees,

That's for sure.

Narrator: Normally
bilbies don't fly,

But the most direct way to get
them to their new desert home

Is by charter flight.

Cameron: Something
of this magnitude

And, you know, historic
importance doesn't happen easily

And without the support of
new south wales university,

The national parks team,
and taronga all coming together

To make this happen,
years and years of work,

Getting rid of the predators
out there,

Preparing the bilbies here,
breeding them up,

Massive project,
really exciting.

And when humans put
their mind to it,

They can make things happen.

Narrator: With the tray tables
up and the bilbies buckled in,

Its time to take to the skies.

Next stop, the aussie outback.

♪ ♪

Koala keepers found
breeding male malekai

On the ground
and unable to move.

So larry and the vet team
have spent the day

Trying to find out
exactly what happened.

Sarah: Yeah, actually, larry,
it is this vertebra

That's the abnormal one.

It's that spinous process
that we looked at.

Larry: We discovered
a very significant problem.

In fact it wasn't what
we originally thought.

It looks like there is a,
there's definitely some damage

To one of his thoracic vertebra.

Um, and it's being eroded away
by most likely an infection.

X marks the spot.

It's likely he had an injury
and a puncture wound there

That's allowed infection
to get in,

And we've taken some samples.

Narrator: Back at the zoo,

The lab have fast-tracked
malekai's pathology,

And koala keeper laura is keen

To get an update
on his condition.

Larry: Alright, nat,
I've just got laura

To show her what you discovered.

Laura: Hi.

Narrator: The results are in,

And it's not what anyone
wanted to hear.

Larry: See these round blobs
with a dark spot in the middle?

Laura: Yep.

Larry: So that is a very typical
cryptococcus.

Laura: Right.

Larry: So cryptococcus of course
is a fungus, as you know,

Commonly associated
with eucalyptus leaves,

And koalas are
quite prone to it.

There's a lot of it there.

So definitely that's
the cause of the problem.

Um, very, very unusual situation
and unusual lesion.

But what possibly happened
is that,

That when he was, was scratched
by another koala,

You know, a nail might have
punctured into the skin

At that point,
and it inoculated some crypto

Under the skin in that site,

And it's basically slowly
just invaded the bone.

Laura: Yeah.
He has been in a breeding group.

So, yeah, it makes sense
that there would have been

Some altercations,
it's pretty normal.

Being a young male,
he was relatively inexperienced,

And he had some older females

That used to like telling him
off, which is really normal.

So this is, this seems like
a really unfortunate,

Like, freak set
of circumstances.

Larry: Yeah, completely.

I think the thing is, you know,

Already he is paralyzed
essentially.

I mean it's possible, you know,
over a very long period of time,

You know, it could resolve,

But I think getting rid
of that crypto at that site

Is going to be
a very, very difficult task.

It's very likely there's
permanent damage to the spine.

Laura: Treating koalas is always
a really difficult task.

Not a lot of great medicines
have been developed for them.

And they're so specific.

They're not like dogs,
cats, kangaroos.

They don't work the same way.

Ugh, yeah, breaks my heart, but.

Larry: You know, he will suffer
if we try and treat him.

Laura: Absolutely.

Narrator: While it's a sad day
for malekai...

Liz: Okay, buddy.

Narrator: ...There's some
truly wonderful news

Just around the corner.

Laura: We're really lucky.
Very, very excited.

Narrator: Taronga's two zoos
and its partners

Set themselves a challenge
to reintroduce bilbies

Into the australian outback.

And today, for the first time
in over years,

It's finally happening.

This precious cargo is
traveling to their new home

In australia's
famous red centre.

Rachel: This is an area that
the bilby's been extinct

For a very long time now,
so for the zoos to be part

In the reintroduction of
the species is just incredible.

Narrator: It's not just a win
for the bilby.

Having them back in the desert

Will also be a huge ecological
success for the entire region.

Richard: This is going
to transform that desert,

Because these animals
are going to dig away

And make an environment
that's going to be there

Not just for bilbies,

But a whole lot of other
threatened species out there.

Narrator: The bilbies
are returning

To their ancestral home,

And traditional owner leroy
has prepared a special welcome.

Narrator: Just on sunset,

The highly anticipated
moment arrives.

♪ ♪

And just like that,
they're back.

It's been five years
in the planning

With hundreds of people
working relentlessly,

All with only one goal in mind.

The faces tell the story,

But they know they are
only getting started.

Steve: But the holy grail
without a doubt is those days

When we are able to re-release
animals born here at the zoo,

Back into their natural habitat.

Our first release of the bilby
into sturt national park

Is just an incredible reward
for a huge amount of hard work.

And certainly this will be
the first of many to come

As we work tirelessly
to reintroduce this species

And give it the bright future
that it deserves.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Narrator: Sadly, malekai,
the young breeding koala,

Was euthanized after a eucalypt
fungus infected his vertebrae,

Paralyzing him below the waist.

Laura:
He was a really sweet koala.

He had a nice personality.

He wasn't a bully
like some boys can be,

He was, you know,
easy to work with.

Unfortunately when you look
after any living thing,

You know, there are times where
you have to say goodbye to them,

And unfortunately
this is one of those.

We do still have other koalas

That I've got to get
out of bed for,

So you've just got to
keep on keeping on.

But malekai, you know,

We're definitely going
to notice his absence,

And it's, it's, I wish I could,

I had better news today,
for sure, yeah.

Narrator: It's been a few
months since malekai's passing,

And laura is still working
around the clock

To ensure the remaining
koalas are well cared for.

Laura: We've got a few different
varieties of leaf here for them.

This one here, you can see
has nice red tips here,

That's the part
they're going to eat.

This is eucalyptus robusta,

But just in case
they don't like it today,

They can be really fussy
day to day

About their leaves
that you give them.

So we've always got
to maintain variety,

And so you can see here, this
one looks a little different.

The leaves are smaller.

It's got more of a yellowy color
in the tip there.

This is probably
one of their favorites,

They eat it year-round.

So she should climb up,

And you'll see her choosing
her food with her nose.

Narrator: Spending every day
with the koalas

Means laura instantly notices
the slightest change.

Laura: Don't eat me.

Narrator: And last week
she got some awesome news.

Laura: Malekai's passing has,
has been heartbreaking,

Obviously with his young age,

Genetically he was really
valuable to the state.

It's heartbreaking to lose him
on that level.

The one great moment that
we only just discovered

Is that we have in fact got
a joey in a pouch on willow

That malekai's left behind.

So this is willow.

She's one of our
eight-year-old females,

And she has been an excellent
mother to a number of joeys.

She was in the group that
was paired up with malekai,

And the one little piece
of malekai that we have left

Is currently growing
in her pouch.

So we're very, very excited.

After we lost malekai,
about a week or two later,

I noticed some development
in that pouch area.

We had a quick little peek,
she doesn't like it,

So it's not something
we do often,

Just to check if what
I suspected was correct.

And there was about
a three-month-old joey in there.

So we're talking about,
oh, it's about an inch a month,

So about that big, still pink,
still fused to the teat,

Eyes are closed and everything.

So, absolutely tragic
and heartbreaking

That we lost malekai,

But there's a tiny little pearl
of him growing in there

That we can look forward
to meeting

In a couple months' time.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪