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