02x09 - Battle of the Bellows

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: Taronga's two zoos
are without doubt

Amongst the most beautiful
in the world.

But when you come to visit,
chances are the first thing

That will captivate you
won't be the sights.

It'll be the unique
symphony of sounds.

(roaring)

Mel: It's basically, you know,
saying, "we're here,

This is our territory."

(roar)

Louise: They'll hear it all
the way over into the domain.

We certainly hear concerts
from the domain.

So now they're going to hear
our beautiful lions

Roaring all the way over there.

Narrator: From dawn till dusk,
the zoo resonates

With a chorus of creatures
from all over the world.

(grunt)

(shrieking)

But one native animal
makes a chilling sound

That can be heard
from miles away.

(moaning)

And it's not an animal
that you'd expect.

(bellowing)

Suzie: This is thunder.
He's a very special koala.

He's still quite young.
He's about five years old.

And he's one of
our breeding males.

And you know, thunder, he gets
his name because of his bellow.

(bellowing)

A koala bellow is a really
strong, powerful way

That they can communicate.

Generally speaking it's only
the males that will bellow,

And it's a way that they can
establish a territory,

And in breeding season, it's how
they will search for a female.

(bellowing)

It's very guttural.

And it's very, very impressive.

It sounds like thunder.

(bellowing)

Narrator: Even the most mundane
sounds can set thunder off.

Suzie: Generally that sound
of the raking

Will stimulate him to bellow,

'cause it sounds a little bit
like another koala.

We do have another koala just
across the way there, baxter,

And they'll set each other off.

Because they're both males
and they're competing

For, you know,
females in the area.

So even if he hears baxter,
it will set him off as well.

(scraping)

(grunting)

Narrator: And this
battle of the bellows

Has inspired more
than just mating.

Suzie: I'm pretty sure
that the koala vocal

Has inspired a lot of sounds
in movies,

Like the lord of the rings,
for example,

I know that the orcs was
a bit of a combination

Between koala and
some other animals.

(bellowing)

I think if you were
out in the bush,

And you heard that sound,
you would be terrified.

(bellow)

Narrator: While the koala sound
is indeed very strange,

It has nothing on the sounds
that greet the keepers

Every day at western plains zoo
in dubbo.

(whooping)

(whooping)

♪ ♪

Taronga is home to a family
of five red pandas.

Louise: Our family is made up of
pabu, who is our breeding male,

So he's the dad
of our three cubs.

Their mum is amala.

So amala's come from overseas,

And that's why she's
so genetically valuable

To the region, and she gave
birth to two boys and a girl.

The little girl is mishry,

And then we have two boys,
rohan and ishwar.

Good morning.

Narrator: It's breakfast time.

Louise: Hello, amala.

Want to come down, missus?

Narrator: And keeper louise
is making sure each day

Is an enriching experience.

Louise: We've put some nails

Strategically all over
this enclosure,

And what we want to do
is get them to climb,

Get them to use all of
their wonderful abilities.

You know, they've got
incredible claws.

Using their sense of smell,
their eyes, locating the food,

Doing what a panda
would do in the wild,

Which is spending
their time foraging.

Good girl, amala,
aren't you, hey?

The trick in here is trying
to find where all the nails are.

So I think it's as enriching
for us as it is for the pandas.

Alright, where am I going
to put this last one?

There we go.

The girls have got all
of their morning food.

Narrator: Breeding male pabu is
currently living separately

From his family.

Louise: Hello, little man.
How are you?

Red pandas by nature
are solitary animals.

They live alone in the wild.

So they don't usually live
in family groups

Like we currently have.

And so we needed
to respect that.

Dad's living separate
at the moment,

Because one, we didn't
want to breed again

Because we have cubs.

So, there's only
so much room that we have,

And we've got mum living
with her three offspring.

So that's a lot for her
to have around.

So normally probably by now

They'd start to think about
dispersing in the wild.

And certainly
we've had, you know,

Had that on our mind as well,

That it might be time for them
to start to disperse.

And because of covid,

Because of the restrictions
on the transactions,

We can't send animals out.

We're already full house here.

We've got five red pandas,
a beautiful family.

So that's one of
the reasons why pabu

Needs to have
a contraceptive implant,

Because we simply don't have
any more room for more pandas,

But we want to have
the flexibility

Of maybe being able to put mum
and dad back together again,

Or mum, daughter and dad back
together without any breeding.

You're going to leave me now.

And that's the life of a panda.
They're solitary animals.

So, you know, once they've
had enough, off they go.

Narrator: Vet francis is here
to prepare pabu for transport

To the wildlife hospital.

Frances: Let me get this drawn
up and then we're ready to go.

We're going to be anesthetizing
a red panda, pabu, this morning.

Once he's asleep, we'll pop him
in a pet pack

And take him up to the hospital,

And we're going to do
his procedure up there.

Narrator: Keepers have spent
long periods

Training the red pandas
to enter crates as required,

And pabu happily obliges.

♪ ♪

Frances: Okay. You can relax.

Frances to liz.

Liz: Go ahead.

Frances: He's injected.

Liz: Thank you.

So frances has just given him

The hand injection
of anesthetic.

Once he's asleep,
we'll be picking him up

And putting him into a pet pack.

Frances: I reckon
we can probably

Just about take him out now.

Liz: And driving him to
the hospital for a check-up.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Narrator: Keepers grow to love
all the animals they work with.

Keeper: See, she is
a very impressive species.

Just look at the hairdo on her.

It's probably the best mohawk
that I've ever seen

On any kind of bird.

Narrator: While it's easy to
see why they'd fall in love

With a cuddly koala...

Keeper: You've been eating dirt,
haven't you?

Narrator: ...Invertebrate
keeper paul needs to work

A little harder to make sure

His animals get
the same appreciation.

Paul: We're heading down to do
some more arachnophobia

With a couple of
our staff members.

So we're gonna have,
dan's going to come back

And give it another sh*t,
which I'm really glad to hear.

And she's going to be bringing
along somebody else today

To give it a sh*t as well.

See how that goes.

♪ ♪

Last time dan didn't go
as well as I would like to.

Danielle: (stuttering)
I'm not going to hold it.

Paul: Okay. Huntsmans, favorite.

Keeper: We've lost dan.

Danielle: Yuck. Yuck! So gross.

Paul: Today I'm pretty hopeful

We are going to get
a little bit further,

And the great thing
is that she's the one

That's actually said that she'd
like to come and do this again.

We have another keeper
coming down as well

Who has heard about this

And wants to come on down
and give it a sh*t, deb.

She has a bit of a thing
for huntsmans.

So we'll see how that goes.

Narrator: Deb has no problem

Dealing with
dangerous critters.

Deb: I started with
reptiles and amphibians.

So, used to dealing
with venomous snakes,

And then eventually made
my way to carnivores

Probably about years ago.

As a carnivore keeper,

We work with a vast array
of different sized animals.

Like our african lions,
bears, tigers.

(growl)

Down to obviously
our little guys

Like our otters and meerkats
and fennec foxes.

Narrator: But none of those
animals has eight legs,

And that's where deb
draws the line.

Deb: Don't like them. (laughs)

I know they have their place,

And I'm not saying
I want to, want them dead,

I just don't want them
in my space.

I'm going to go down
and chat to paul

And see if he's got any tips
or ideas on what I can do

To try and overcome it,

Or at the very least be okay
with them being there,

But who knows what's
going to happen.

Excited?

Danielle: No. (laughs)

Deb, I had nightmares
about this last night.

I'm so scared.

Deb: Okay.

I'm not that bad, but I just...

Yeah, I didn't have
nightmares about it.

Danielle:
No, I've been stressing
about this all morning.

Deb: Okay.
But you've done it before.

You didn't get very far. Okay.

Danielle: I don't think I'll get
much further today either.

Just in the room, barely.

Deb: Alright.

Danielle: I don't know why
I'm back, really,

Because I'm just as scared
as I was before.

I'd like to be a bit more
comfortable in the room

With a spider there.

Just not having to run
out of the room

Would be a step forward,
that'd be nice.

And I'd like to see
how deb goes. (laughs)

Nervous already.

(shrieking)

Narrator: People love
coming to taronga

And listening to the melody
of all the exotic animals.

(screeching)

But at dubbo, there's one
animal rock star

That truly tests the limits
of human hearing.

(whooping)

Tarryn: Siamangs, they're
actually the largest species

Of gibbon in the world.

So they're not a monkey,
they are a lesser ape.

The way we tell that:
Monkeys have tails, apes don't.

They are arboreal, which means
they spend most of their life

Living up in the trees.

We've tried to replicate
their home

Or their natural environment
as best we can.

The island systems
are fantastic.

Obviously they don't have
anything restraining them.

They can go to the very tops
of the trees if they wish.

So they have all the choice
in the world

When it comes
to their enclosure.

(whooping)

The most distinguishing feature
is their large throat sac.

So when it is inflated,
so when they're calling,

It actually enlarges
to the size of their head.

So very, very impressive.

That obviously just helps
that sound travel.

(whooping)

(whooping)

I live a couple of kilometers
from the zoo here,

And in the mornings on occasions
I can actually hear them,

Which is, which is pretty cool.

(whooping)

Narrator: Taronga's breeding
pair, puteri and saudara,

Have been together
for over years.

(whooping)

(whooping)

And training sessions
have long been

Part of their daily routine.

Tarryn: Now that these guys
are in their thirties,

They are getting older.

So we'd love to see them
into their mid-forties,

But at and , they're
definitely older animals.

So training them is going
to go a long way

To help us conduct
very basic health checks.

Narrator: Keepers tarryn
and toby prepare meticulously

For each session.

Tarryn: We always
have these handy.

Siamangs are the second loudest
primate in the world.

So if they start calling
in here, it is incredibly loud.

So definitely could
damage our ears.

So we have these ready to go
in case they do call,

And both toby and myself will be
wearing masks for the session.

Obviously, this time, and covid,

These guys are susceptible
to that as well,

So we're just taking
extra precautions there.

Alright, toby, you're good?

Toby: Yep. I'm set.
Ready when you are.

Tarryn: Good. Close.

You are such a good girl.

In today's training session
we're actually preparing puteri

For her general anesthetic
procedure,

Which is booked in for a week.

So what that means is she's
going to present her shoulder

And we're just going
to hand-inject her.

She's going to be
none the wiser.

She's very used to this
in their training sessions,

And she's going to go off
to sleep nice and calmly.

Touch. Good.

Narrator: While daily training
sessions are repetitive,

They're also very quick.

Tarryn: Today's session
went very well.

She's very, very calm.

She's very, very used
to this behavior.

And it's testament
to how well they're doing

In their training sessions

And how hard the team have
been working there as well.

What a good girl.

Narrator: And male saudara
is keen

To check on his mate puteri
straightaway.

(whooping)

Tarryn: They do often...

(whooping)

This is just them...

(whooping)

(whooping)

As you can hear...

(whooping)

Very loud.
That's the whole point.

They're just making sure we know
that this is their home,

And so these are a no-brainer,
you can tell why we wear them.

(whooping)

I love working
with the siamangs.

I don't know how you couldn't.

There's just
so much personality.

That call is amazing.

It's probably my favorite and my
least favorite thing about them.

Obviously it's amazing
and fun to watch,

But when they're very loudly
yelling at you

In a confined space,
it gets a little bit much,

But overall they just show their
personality every single day,

And they're really fun
to work with.

(whooping)

Narrator: Now sedated,
red panda pabu is on his way

To the wildlife hospital

To be fitted with
a contraceptive implant.

Frances: I might sit in there.
Liz: Okay.

Frances: Normally red pandas
are solitary,

And our three young ones
would be starting to disperse.

We would be moving them out
to other zoos.

But we can't do that
at the moment

Because of the travel
restrictions due to covid.

So we need pabu to be able
to live with his partner

And his daughter,

But we don't want him breeding
with them at the moment.

So pabu needs to have a
temporary contraceptive implant

Placed so that we can house him
with those females.

So I'm just going
to warn everyone,

He's got quite
a lot lighter now.

Are you ready?

Liz: Yep.

Narrator: Pabu is still
quite alert,

So liz needs to sedate him more

So she can safely remove him
from the pet pack.

Frances: We don't want
to have to supplement him

With more injectable.

So we're just being
very quiet and calm,

Letting him breathe
the anesthetic gas

So he goes back to sleep.

I'll give you that,

And I'll shove the pet pack
on the ground.

You got him?

Liz: Yep.

Narrator: He's now
fully sedated.

So it's safe for vet frances
to examine him closely.

Frances: He's a valuable
breeding animal for us.

He originally came,
I think, from auckland zoo.

So it's important to us that
we know that he's, he's healthy.

We want them to be
in perfect condition,

Not too fat, not too thin.

So this is a good opportunity

To actually feel his muscles
and so on.

Narrator: But straightaway,
this routine exam

Uncovers something sinister.

Frances: He's got a little,
unusual little lump

That I wasn't expecting to feel.

Because I feel this, I need
to check and see what it is.

So I'm going to take
some x-rays.

Narrator: Australia's large
desert center

Generates intense heat.

Here at dubbo in
western new south wales,

Every year the zoo
and its inhabitants

Experience scorching summers.

Mel: We can reach temperatures
in excess of degrees celsius,

Which is equivalent to
over degrees fahrenheit.

And that can be for
a week plus at a time.

So it gets very hot
for us as people.

So we've also got to think about
the animals here at the zoo

And how we can help keep them
cool over the summer months.

Narrator: One group of animals
you don't want hot and cranky

Are the lions.

(growl)

Luckily the keepers have
some treats in store

To keep the big temperatures
from riling the big cats.

Mel: So we have a blood-cicle
and a milk-cicle,

And then we've also got
malinzi's diet for today,

Which is chicken.

So a blood-cicle is the juices
of things like chicken and beef,

The blood that we chuck
in the freezer and containers,

Freeze that up for the lions.

So it's just a nice, simple,
easy way to keep them cool,

Because unlike other big cats
like tigers,

Which will hop in the water,
lions don't like the water.

So this helps cool them down.

And then the other one
that we have is a milk-cicle.

So it's specifically designed
for cat milk,

And the same principle
as the blood-cicle.

Just different flavors.

Malinzi, I'm pretty sure he'll
actually prefer the milk-cicle.

It is his favorite flavor
compared to the blood-cicle,

But it's nice
to give them options.

And yeah, it's just a quick,
easy way to keep them cool

In the hot dubbo weather.

He'll eat all the chickens

Before he comes and tries it on
with the ice block.

Narrator: After making
short work of the chooks,

It's time for dessert.

Mel: Which one's
he gonna take first?

Milk, I'm guessing.

(laughs)

He's going for both.

Narrator: After a big meal
on a hot day,

This king's going to do
exactly what he pleases.

But on the other side
of the zoo...

Keeper: Good boy, manu.

Narrator: ...There's
even bigger animals

That need a bigger commitment
to keep them cool.

♪ ♪

Deb: Excited?
Danielle: No. (laughs)

Narrator: Back in sydney,
keepers deb and dani

Are confronting their worst
nightmare: Arachnophobia.

Danielle: I don't know
why I'm back, really,

Because I'm just as scared
as I was before.

Nervous already.

Narrator: And to help them
overcome that fear,

Invertebrate keeper paul is
starting with something easy.

Deb: Hey.
Paul: Hello.

Danielle: Hello.

Narrator: Actually, dead easy.

Deb: Dani, I don't even like
the exoskeletons.

Paul: Yeah. Not alive.
Deb: Yeah, I know.

Paul: Now there's definitely
no venom there.

Deb: Yeah.

Paul: Okay, there's no muscles,
there's absolutely nothing

That could cause that to move
by itself or hurt you.

Danielle: No, I'm not worried
about them hurting me so much.

It's just crawling up
your sleeve, crawling.

I know that's not
going anywhere,

But it resembles something
that can do that.

Paul: Just try holding it
and, say, counting to .

(sighs)

Even if you count quickly,
but just give it a go.

And just keep telling yourself,
it cannot hurt me.

Danielle: One, two, three, four,

Five, six, seven, eight,
nine, ten.

Paul: The last number was a bit
quick, but you got there. Okay.

So we've got two here
to choose from.

Both females, alive,
golden huntsmans.

Deb: Oh, god. It's that big.

Danielle: I know, did you see?

Paul: Straightaway you can see
she's sitting there.

She's not reacting at all.

What about, do you want
to just try touching?

Deb: Oh, man.
That is really big.

Like you can see every hair
on its leg.

Danielle: Just keep it still
and I'll come to you.

Oh.

I'm so scared.

His hand is so close to it.

Paul: But already you are closer
than last time.

Danielle: Yeah, I know.

That looks closer to dead
than the other one did.

The last one was running
around the room.

Paul: Running?
Danielle: At one point.

Paul: Okay.

Deb: Do they jump?
Paul: No.

Deb: Okay. But they can drop.
Paul: They can drop.

Danielle: Oh, my god.

Paul: Okay, well, deb,
why don't you come across

A little bit closer then?

Deb: Mmmm.
Danielle: Oh, my god.

Paul: Why don't you try
touching my hand?

There you go.

Okay, so there. Now...

Deb: Oh, see that,
danielle: Don't come so close.

Paul: Keep touching my hand.

Danielle: This is all happening
very close to me.

Paul: And again,
it's not jumping off.

It's not coming down.
I'm gonna bring a bit closer.

I am just going to rest
my hand there.

That was good. That was good.
How you feeling?

Deb: Come on, dan.
Danielle: Oh.

Deb: It wasn't moving.
Danielle: I know.

Deb: If it was moving,
it would be different.

Paul: Now I wish, I do wish that
dan would come a little bit,

A little bit closer, but the
fact that she hasn't made a bolt

Out of the room as yet, I'm
actually pretty happy with that.

Danielle: Yeah. I think this is
pretty good for me.

Paul: What I'd really like
you to try this time

Is just put
your finger there. Okay?

Danielle: At the front end?

Paul: At the front end,
and what's going to happen

Is I'm going to guide it to go
over, just run over your finger.

Danielle: Ohh. That's risky.

That's risky.

Deb: She could go anywhere.

Danielle: Is this locked?

Narrator: Out at taronga
western plains zoo in dubbo,

They're enduring
a searing heat wave.

Mel: This week we're looking at
temperatures of over degrees

Every day, which is
obviously in excess

Of degrees fahrenheit,
for the entire week.

And it looks like next week will
be pretty much the same as well.

So, really hot weather here

In the central west
of new south wales.

Narrator: It's so hot
keepers need to step in

To help the animals cope.

Mel: Hippos like a good spray
in the mouth from the hose.

Good girl.

But hopping into the water
bodies that they have

Is the best way to keep
themselves nice and cool,

Underwater, out of
the direct sunlight.

Narrator: Some,
like the hippos,

Have a natural defense system.

Mel: Hippos have that
special secretion,

Which is called blood sweat,

Which if they're out of the
water during the hot sunny days,

They also basically have their
own inbuilt sunscreen system.

It looks like little red
droplets of blood, but it's not.

(laughs)

Narrator: But their
larger neighbors

Aren't blessed with
natural solutions.

So they look to their keepers.

Mel: Elephants, we have to help
out a little bit to keep cool.

We will hose them down.

It's actually really great
for their skin.

It helps keep their skin
nice and supple and dry,

But it also helps to encourage
them to then go and dust bathe,

Which actually protects
their skin from the sun.

So it's a natural way

To actually get them
to put sunscreen on.

They obviously have pools
that they can get into

And submerge underneath and
play in to cool themselves off.

Narrator: And like the lions,

They also relish
their summertime treats.

Mel: Apart from getting them
to get in the water

Or hosing them down, we can also
make ice blocks for them,

Made out of all sorts
of different flavors.

Cordials, fruits can be
thrown in there,

And it's different layers,
so, quite big.

♪ ♪

Narrator: While the team
swelters in dubbo,

The heat wave has
spread to sydney,

And keepers there
have yet another way

To keep their elephants cool.

But this one requires
a lot more effort.

Man: Keep going, mate.

Just keeping going up, john.

Liz: Uh, what are we on?
A right lateral abdomen.

That's okay.

Narrator: Red panda pabu
is about to get

A contraceptive implant
to stop him breeding,

But vet frances finds
an unusual lump in his abdomen.

Frances: So the mass is sitting
in about here, that I can feel.

So it's just,
it's a little round lump

In the lower part
of his belly there.

So it may be a bit of bone
that he's eaten

That's coming through.

So we've just got
to take another view,

Because an x-ray only shows you
things in one plane.

So it's very two dimensional.

So I'm just making sure
he's lined up straight.

We want a nice, straight x-ray.

Okay.

(beep)

Finding a lump or a bump
where it's not meant to be,

We always worry about
is it something like a tumor?

We want to have very early
warning of something

If it is going to be a problem.

So we've got another view.

And again we do have
gastrointestinal material

Through his guts, but it's still
a little bit unclear

Whether that's something
I need to worry about or not.

So what I'm going to do
is take a further look

With the ultrasound to see if I
can actually say definitively

What, what that little mass is.

Narrator: While an ultrasound
gives her

A different perspective,

Frances is still uncomfortable
with what she sees.

Frances: Like, this is just
a wee bit confusing

What I'm seeing here.

So I might get one or the other
vets in for a second opinion.

Have a feel, larry. Right there.

And we can confer.

So it's a mass about
that sort of size.

Like maybe a kind of
a small, walnut-sized.

Larry: It seems to be
fluid-filled, doesn't it?

It's very interesting.

We don't get an opportunity

To put our hands on
these animals very often.

So it's good to rule out
something sinister,

A tumor or a cyst of some sort.

There's a couple of masses
like that, so.

It's a discrete
fecal ball, yeah.

It's not in the position
where you'd expect

Any other cystic
sort of structure.

It has to just be a fecal,
a ball of feces I would say.

He's just got lumps of poo

Basically in different parts
of intestines.

Frances: That's good.

Larry: Okay. No worries.

Frances: Thanks, larry.

Larry: Excellent.

Frances: Anything like that,

We make sure we're
comfortable with it,

That it's nothing
to worry about,

And certainly a poo ball
doesn't concern me at all.

Narrator: Now that pabu
has the all-clear...

Frances: This is the implant
that pabu is going to get

That's going to stop him
breeding temporarily.

We expect this to last
up to months.

So it's quite a big needle.

♪ ♪

It's a huge, big needle.

♪ ♪

We're just going to put
a little bit of tissue glue

To hold that site closed.

So the implant has
gone under his skin,

And it just sits there.

Narrator: Keepers will now
closely monitor pabu

As he recovers
from this procedure,

And they'll separate him
from his family

For another three weeks
as the implant takes effect.

Liz: Good boy.

Narrator: The heat has
taken a hold in sydney.

As the city swelters, the
elephant team has a strategy

To keep their animals cool.

But such a simple task
takes a lot of effort.

Man: Right-o, we're away.

Right-o.

Narrator: While five tons
of top-quality dirt

May not be everyone's
idea of fun,

For the elephants, it'll be
like a heavyweight health club.

Darryl: It's like a spa bath.

It's almost like
an exfoliating scrub.

It feels really nice, gets rid
of some dead skin cells,

And it's also a great
moisturizer as well.

Every day we try to do
something different for them

To keep them active
and stimulated.

This is one of the best ways,

You know, several tons
of new soil, and they're happy.

This will keep them occupied,

Particularly with
the warmer weather coming.

Narrator: Not only does
the mud spa cool the elephants,

But it brings other
benefits as well.

Darryl: And you can see
she was struggling a little bit

To get up, but again,
that's good muscle activity,

Gets her joints working.

I mean, it's physical
as well as just relaxation.

So when the elephants
get into the mud wallow,

It's just their time for
to put their head in neutral,

Let their troubles melt away
and just have a bit of fun,

And just turn off
for a little while

And just enjoy the,
enjoy the wallow and the mud

And the sensations on their skin
and the coolness.

It's just something
that makes us happy,

And it ultimately
makes them happy as well,

And that's what we're here for.

♪ ♪

Keeper: Hey, pabu.

Narrator: Red panda pabu now
has his contraceptive implant

And will spend three weeks
in a separate space

Before he can be reunited
with his family.

Larry: Look at that,
beautiful, isn't it?

Narrator: Meanwhile,
the team has just heard

That one of pabu's
offspring, rohan,

Can finally be transferred
to another zoo.

Woman: So how long has
this panda been here?

Larry: One year, eight months,
and days.

He was born here.

Narrator: So larry is on hand
for a final check-up

Before he heads off.

Larry: So just get
the injection ready

While the keepers
are going to get rohan.

A lot of our animals
that we have at taronga

Are bred as part of
a managed breeding program.

In many cases
there are already plans

Even ahead of animals being born
as to where offspring may go.

So all these plans
have been impacted

By the covid- pandemic

Because of restrictions
in travel and what have you.

And that's affected
our red pandas as well.

We, you know, we've got these,
these red pandas

To move to other zoos,

And it's only now
a little window has opened up

To be able to move rohan
out of taronga.

Caitlin: They've been
training him

For a couple of weeks
to do this.

So each morning, we're training
him to go into this crush trap.

He's been doing it
with food every day.

So he's very comfortable
going in there.

For rohan, this is kind of what
we've been building up for

Ever since he was born,

We knew that he was eventually
going to go off to another home.

So for us it's just been
preparing ourselves

To say goodbye to him, and we've
done pretty much all we can.

We've set him all up
for success,

And we're pretty confident

He's going to have a great life
in his next zoo.

Larry: Already affected,
going down.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

He's nice and sleepy,
we'll just get him in here.

Narrator: Larry has to be sure
rohan is perfectly healthy

Before he clears him to be
transported to his new home.

Nurse: . kilos.

Larry: So I'll just look
in his eyes first.

Nurse: Two and a half percent.

Larry: Check his ears.

Nurse: Just going to connect him
back to this.

Larry: So part of our exam

Obviously is
to check their ears,

To see if there's any
evidence of infection,

A little bit of
dirty wax in there,

But otherwise beautifully clean.

In little rohan's mouth here,

You can see his
big canine teeth,

His sort of sharp,
pointed molars,

And you'd look
at this and you go,

Well, that looks similar
to a cat's mouth,

And of course cats
are carnivorous animals,

And you go, well,
this must be a carnivore.

These teeth are design to
sort of cut through the bamboo,

But are not typical
of a herbivorous animal,

That's for sure.

Liz, let's get some blood.

We'll just quick, a nice,
thorough physical exam.

Just feel all his joints.

They've got these amazing pads
completely covered in fur

That'd be perfect
for walking on snow.

And then this beautiful tail.

Big, fluffy tail.

Narrator: While the team
are always sad

To farewell animals
they care for,

They appreciate
the overriding importance

Of the breeding programs.

Larry: So, there you go.

We're done with our examination
on little rohan.

So genetically he's actually
a pretty important animal.

So, hopefully he'll
go on to breed well

And produce many little cubs.

Cuteness wise, out of .

Nurse: out of .

Larry: out of ,
off the scale.

Narrator: Invertebrates keeper
paul is running workshops

For other zookeepers

That want to overcome
their fear of spiders.

Deb: Is there not
something smaller?

Paul: Unfortunately, no.

Narrator: And today's class is
about to get extra hands-on.

Danielle: Is this locked?

Paul: What I'd really like you
to try this time, okay,

Is just put your finger there.

Okay.

Deb: At the front end.

Paul: At the front end.

And what's going to happen
is I'm going to guide it

To go over,
just run over your finger.

Danielle: Ohh. That's risky.

That's risky.

She could go anywhere.

Paul: If it even looks like
going up your arm,

I'll straightaway just block it.

Deb: You promise?

Paul: I promise. Okay.

You just put your finger
basically just there like that.

Deb: Yeah.

So where's your other hand
gonna go? Over my hand?

Paul: So, yeah, over your hand,
and I'm going to use my arm.

Deb: Just keep your hand still.
(laughter)

I feel like you're
moving it closer to me.

♪ ♪

Paul: Okay.
Deb: Mmmm.

Deb: Okay.

Paul: Good?
Deb: Yep.

Ooh, I can feel it web.

Paul: Yeah, but you know what,

I mean, that was
really, really good.

Deb: Today wasn't
a walk in the park.

It was a challenge,

But obviously dan's
got more challenges

Than what I have at the moment.

Paul: So how about you
try coming over

And just try touching
my arm again?

Danielle: If she's still.

Paul: Okay, you come over.

Danielle: Yep, is she going
to stop moving?

Paul: Maybe.
(laughter)

Danielle: Yep.
That's pretty good.

Paul: Try not looking at her.

Danielle: I can't.

Paul: Look at the thing that's
on the table in front of you.

Worry about that instead.

Danielle:
I can quickly look away.

Paul: But already
that's an improvement

On last time you were here.

Danielle: Yeah, that's heaps.

That's the best I'll ever do.

Paul: Yeah.

Now I'm not going to tell you
to take your hand off.

I am going to see how long
you wait there for. (laughs)

Danielle: That was alright.
Paul: That's good, that's good.

Danielle: That's good for me.

Paul: Yeah.

Door closed, leaning over
the exoskeleton there.

Danielle: Leaning over
a dead spider.

I know. It's a lot.

Paul: Again,
it's a step forward.

Dan and deb did
really, really well today.

Big improvement for dan.

Danielle: It was easier because
it was the second session,

But it was harder because
the door was closed,

And I knew that the door
had to stay closed.

So I was worried that
to get out of the door

I'd have to step towards
the spider and leave.

I'd already planned my exit.
(laughs)

Deb: After today, I don't think
that I'll be able to grab one

And release it outside,

But, you know, probably
working my way towards that.

Wow.

Paul: There you go.

Ta-da.

It's just a container.

Danielle: I know, but if she
starts running around,

It's gonna, it's still
gonna freak me out.

Danielle: Ta-da. Okay.

Paul: No way you could have
done this last time.

Danielle: Yeah, you're right.
That's not too bad.

Paul: There you go.

For both dan and deb,
massive steps, giant steps.

So, we can get there, just
chip away at it, bit by bit.

Danielle: I'm glad it's over and
if I can go, I'd be very happy.

(laughs)

Thanks! Thanks, paulie.

Thank you for not
throwing her at me.

Paul: I wouldn't.

Danielle: I'll think of
a pretty name for her.

Bye, guys.

♪ ♪

Narrator: Pabu has been living
apart from his panda family

As he waits for
his contraceptive implant

To take effect.

Today he's out of isolation

And about to rejoin his family
in the main exhibit.

Caitlin: Now that pabu
is implanted,

It means that he gets to
spend time with his partner

And his daughter without there
being any unwanted breeding.

So it means he gets
to rejoin the group.

And he'll be happy to see
his partner again

For a little while.

He'll also get his
bachelor time alone.

So we'll be doing
reintroductions once we know

That that implant has
fully taken effect.

Narrator: And as a special
welcome home treat,

Zoo nutritionist michelle is
preparing his favorite meal.

Michelle: So this here is a,
what we call red panda mash.

And you can see even some of
the fibers that are in there,

Some lucerne or alfalfa hay,

And other different fibers
that are just used to create

The entire complete diet
for a red panda.

So it has all of the nutrients
that they require

To keep them healthy.

We have to be very careful
with them,

Because they want to eat things
that are certain size and shape.

They like to eat things
that are like bamboo.

So you can see it takes
quite a lot of effort

Just for this one species and
these five animals in the zoo.

But the more effort that we take

To make the diet
appropriate for them,

The less waste there's
going to be as well,

Because they're going to be able
to eat most of it, right?

♪ ♪

Now we have
a little dance break.

It's good to start
stretching anyway.

I always encourage people to
stretch when they're working.

So what I'm going to do

Is I'm going to now make them
into about -gram bars.

That seems to be the size they
like, and no bigger than that.

So now this is formed
in the shape

Of let's say like
a mature piece of bamboo.

It's a perfect size and shape
for their little paws

So they can hold on to it

And eat off one of the,
from the top,

But the rest is not
going to fall away,

It's not going to crumble away.

And now we just need more.

Caitlin: Up the stairs, alright.

Narrator:
With everything in place,

Pabu can now be released
back into the exhibit

And reunited once again
with his family.

Caitlin: I think he's going
to be glad to be home.

Keeper: Yes.

Caitlin: Hey, pabu.

Hey, handsome.

Welcome home.

Yay! (laughs)

Oh. So good.

Good boy.

He's perfectly comfortable
at home again,

Which is fantastic
for us to see.

He's already scent-marking
everywhere.

He's enjoying being back
in that familiar exhibit.

We're very happy
to have him home.

And we kind of forgot
how handsome he is.

So we're pretty excited
to have him again.

♪ ♪