02x10 - Lizard BBQ

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Secrets of the Zoo". Aired: July 29, 2018 - present.*
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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.
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02x10 - Lizard BBQ

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Woman: Trunk.

You're good.

Narrator: You can tell a lot
about an animal's health

By simple observation.

Man: Good boy, steady.

Woman: Yeah. It's a bit soft.

You can see, you know, he's got
a bit of grooves in here,

And rocks may have made
divots in here.

Narrator:
With a quick once-over,

Keepers can often detect
the first signs of trouble.

Man: Just going to check
for any ticks or fleas.

All looking really good.

Happy with him.

Narrator: In some cases, they
can check an animal's health

Even in their absence.

Amy: Nothing too obvious here.

Narrator: Today gorilla keeper
amy is on the hunt for clues.

Amy: Alright, doesn't look like
there's anything here today.

Narrator: ...To solve
a delicate problem

Facing silverback gorilla
kibali.

Amy: Now, often we can
find as well,

The gorillas will
use this ledge,

And they'll poo
off of the ledge,

So we can sometimes find nuggets
right here on the edge.

Our animal health
and animal wellbeing

Comes in all different
shapes and forms.

So behavior is one way,

But also looking at
the animals' physiology,

What they're producing, are they
urinating and defecating?

It's a really important part
of our job as zookeepers.

To do this, we need to glove up.

So, really important
from a biohazard for us,

Zoonotic diseases, to make sure
that we pop some gloves on.

Obviously I'm not going to get
too close to the feces,

But I can pick it up and have
a good look at it as well,

See the texture, see the,
the form of it, the size,

Even a strange odor
of a gorilla feces as well

Can really indicate
some health issues.

Narrator: Kibali has
an extensive history

Of stomach problems,

And because gorillas have only
a plant-based diet,

Keepers are becoming
more concerned

As they watch kibali
straining to pass his feces.

Amy: For a kibali-sized poo,
this is a very small sample,

And for a big gorilla
like kibali,

He's weighing in , kilos.

He's a pretty big silverback.

So we'd expect him to make
quite a substantial deposit.

Um, right now this is a really
small little nugget, very dry.

This one is incredibly hard
as well.

No one wants a constipated
silverback, that's for sure.

So it's our job now
to report it to our vets

And to our nutritionist,
michelle,

Who can hopefully come together

And make the pieces of
the puzzle click together

And work out a solution for him,

That if he is having a problem
with defecating

Or with straining, how we can
help him out with that.

Narrator: Taronga's two zoos

Have , mouths to feed
each day.

Every year zoo kitchens process
hundreds of tons of meat,

Vegetables and grains,
costing millions of dollars.

And this vast operation
is all overseen

By zoo nutritionist michelle,
who designs meals

Aimed at keeping
all the animals

In the best possible condition.

Up until now, to feed all
the zoos' herbivores,

The animals that
only feed on plants,

Michelle has had to rely on

Sourcing a vast range
of pellets.

Michelle: Okay. So this is
what arrived yesterday.

Narrator: But the problem is
there's far too many of them.

Michelle:
We've got some goat pellets.

We've got what we call like
an all-purpose livestock pellet.

So this is something that would
go to our giraffe, hippo.

And we've got
our kangaroo cubes,

Which is a separate
herbivore pellet.

We've got primate pellets.

We've got chicken feed.

We've got various horse pellets
of all different kinds.

We have psyllium pellets.

There's so many different
pellets here,

And this is just
taronga zoo in sydney.

Narrator: So in an effort to
simplify the feeding process,

Michelle has developed
taronga's very own pellet

To replace all the others.

Michelle: This pellet is great.

It's going to be something
that's really high in fiber,

Low in starch, so it's going to
be better for their digestion.

Whew.

Narrator: Over the coming weeks

Michelle and
her assistant angie

Will be trialing the pellets...

Michelle:
Now is the taste test, angie.

Narrator: ...On a wide variety
of animals.

Michelle:
Oh. Oh, that's very nice.

Narrator:
If there's any left, that is.

Angie: I can taste the lucerne.

Michelle: Yeah. I can taste
the lucerne, too.

So in that pellet, that's a
five-star, three-course dinner.

And we are going to add
a couple more sides to it.

I'm pretty excited to get this
out in the field

And start trying it
on our animals,

Because it doesn't matter
how good it looks

Or how much I like
the taste of it,

If they don't eat it,
it's worthless.

Narrator: It's taken
michelle five years

Of research and development
to perfect this pellet.

Michelle: What a beautiful day
for testing new pellets.

Angie: Perfect.

Narrator: So there's a lot
riding on this taste test.

Michelle: So now this is
the very first taste trial.

It's just to see if the taste
and texture and size

Is good for the animal.

Hey.

Gabe: Hey, michelle. Come on in.

Michelle: Thank you.

Narrator: First stop is
the pygmy hippo exhibit

Where supervisor gabe

Gives breeding female kambiri
her first taste.

Michelle: She seems to be
liking it.

Gabe: Yeah, this is good,
I reckon.

She's got her nose down
and is licking them up,

Which is very, very normal
behavior for her.

Michelle: Okay.

Gabe: She likes them.
Michelle: Good.

Gabe: They're going down well.

Michelle: I like them, too.
Have you tried them?

Gabe: I haven't.

Michelle: You have to.

You don't have to,
just 'cause I'm telling you to.

Gabe: It reminds me of some
of the biscuits we have at home.

The savory biscuit
with grains in it.

Michelle:
With like grains in it.

Gabe: Yeah,
the aftertaste isn't,

Isn't as nice as the biscuit.

I need a drink now.

Michelle: Vegemite.

(laughter)

Narrator: Gabe might
not be a big fan,

But it looks like kambiri gives
the new pellet full marks.

Michelle: Look at you,
sweetheart.

You like it.

I'm so relieved because,
I mean, I knew it was good,

The numbers are good,

And everything on the computer
it looks good.

And I mean, I like it,
but she's the final judge,

And we need to make sure
that she likes it,

Otherwise we could
just throw this out.

So I think it's,
it's very promising.

Okay, on to?

Angie: On to elephants.

Narrator: Michelle's
next customer

Is the biggest herbivore
in the zoo.

And one that eats around
kilos of food a day.

Keeper: Hey, molsie,
trunk up, open.

Good girl.

Nice, mol.

Hey, mol, we're going
to try something new,

Some herbivore pellets.

You can take that.

Good girl.

See how you go with that.

Michelle: Very first taste.

Narrator: Australian marsupials
are well-represented at taronga

In all shapes and sizes.

But there's one that casts
a shadow over all the others:

The mighty and muscular
red kangaroo.

Tony: The red kangaroo
is the largest macropod.

Macropod meaning "big foot."

And they are the largest species
of marsupial in the world.

When they stand
on their hind legs,

They stand over six feet tall,

Up to kilos, a very large,
very powerful animal.

Here at taronga zoo

They're classified
as a hazardous animal.

So we have to be very careful
working with them.

A mob of kangaroos
like to have a leader,

An alpha male, if you like.

Malu is the biggest and
the oldest, and he's the boss.

This is close enough.

I think, um, definitely
close enough.

And he's, he's aware of me.

He doesn't look like it,
but he is certainly aware of me,

And if we get too close

You'll definitely hear
a growl out of him.

Grr, grr,
that's his little warning.

Having said that,
uh, they're pretty chill.

They're great to work with.

They spend most of their day
wandering through this exhibit

Trying to find
the sunny patches,

And they'll sleep
most of the day.

He's a bit suspicious of me,

But he's now about to settle
down and have a bit of a snooze.

He's a good boy.

Narrator: The red kangaroo may
be an impressive species,

But they have
a surprising weakness.

Tony: Come on.

They are susceptible
to teeth problems,

And that's one of the things
we really keep a close eye on.

Hey, buddy.
How are you going, mate?

Malu in the last two weeks
developed a bit of a dribble,

Only when he was eating.

And then last week he was
spitting up food quite a bit

And doing a bit
of tongue-flicking.

So that was a real concern.

Narrator: If malu isn't
eating his food,

He's not getting
the nutrition he needs.

So senior vet larry and
his team are heading down

To the kangaroo exhibit
to see if they can find out

What malu's
underlying problem is.

Larry: So this is, um, ketamine.

Big kangaroo,
so the dr*gs that we need,

Need to be very concentrated.

Narrator: And with an animal
as powerful as malu,

Nurse liz needs to be
ready for anything.

Liz: So malu is a potentially
hazardous animal,

So we have to be very careful.

He's hopefully going to be
nice and quiet and relaxed

When we get round to him,
and we may be able

To just pole syringe him
with an extended syringe.

So when the animal
is, say, over here,

You can inject them
at a distance.

Then they'll go to sleep
quite quickly

And they're not stressed.

And if that doesn't work, we'll
have to attempt to use the dart,

Which is fired out of a p*stol.

But hopefully
this one will work.

Narrator: Treating a kangaroo
out of the hospital

Requires a lot of kit.

So packing the van is
a painstaking process.

Larry: Let's go.

Because he's such a big animal,
it'll be quite a job

Bringing him down
to the hospital,

And if we can deal with it
in the enclosure where he is,

That'd be ideal.

Narrator: But working with
animals is often unpredictable,

And this morning
it looks like malu

Is going to make
things difficult.

Larry: They're on to us.

Tim: Already?

Narrator: Kibali
the silverback gorilla

Has been a bit backed up
of late.

Amy: For a kibali-sized poo,
this is a very small sample.

Narrator: So vets
in conjunction

With zoo nutritionist,
michelle,

Have recommended a course
of action for keepers to see

If they can't get things moving
again for the big guy.

Amy: Michelle spoke to us
about kibali.

Obviously he is still having
problems with pooping.

Michelle wants us
to give him some psyllium.

We're going to give it to him
a couple of times a day,

Along with quite a large
volume of fluid as well.

So it's the combination of
the psyllium husk and the fluid.

We're going to use honey water,

Because kibali has got
quite a sweet tooth.

So that'll help it go down.

A liter is going to be just
pretty much up here,

And then we will measure out two
tablespoons of psyllium husk.

So hopefully this psyllium husk
will just make kibali

A little bit more comfortable,

Because we are really
seeing him strain.

He's going from side to side,

Sometimes taking several minutes
to be able to defecate.

So hopefully this bit
of psyllium husk

Along with the fluids

Will help him to have
regular bowel movements.

Michelle wants to start
with once in the morning,

Once in the afternoon, and then
if we can get any extra fluids

Into him as well,
then that will be a bonus.

So, no pressure.

But if you can get that
into him, that'd be great.

Keeper: Great. Let's go.

Narrator: Thankfully
a gorilla's daily routine

Provides plenty of opportunity

For keepers to give kibali
his special drink.

Amy: We're going to be giving
kibali his psyllium

In a training session.

The other gorillas will get
fruit in their session.

Kibali will get a little bit
of fruit for training,

But he'll get a nice jug
of honey water and psyllium

During that training session

To make sure we get
everything we need into him.

Narrator: With kibali
happy to gulp down

All the psyllium husk,
keepers can settle back

And wait for it all
to come out the other end.

Michelle: This is an extra one,

Which we can use in gorillas
if you want.

Alison: Yeah.

Narrator: But nutritionist
michelle has another idea

That might help kibali
get the relief he needs.

Michelle: So we've had
really good success with

The species we've tried so far,
and primates in dubbo, too.

So gibbons and things in dubbo
seem to like it.

Alison: Let's see how
these guys go, then.

We're always looking at
new and improved ways

Of incorporating that
nutritional profile

Into their diets

For those issues like
kibali's constipation.

Michelle: I had a couple
of ideas about that.

Alison: I can't wait
to hear them.

♪ ♪

Larry: Oh, he's just got up.

This morning we're going to do
an anesthetic procedure

On one of
our red kangaroos, malu.

Just over the last few weeks

He's been dribbling
a little bit of saliva,

And a bit of food's
falling out of his mouth.

We are a little bit concerned

That he might have
some dental disease.

Narrator: Because malu
is so large,

The team have opted to do
the procedure in the exhibit.

Larry: We always need
to keep in mind

That they can be very dangerous.

Big, big powerful animals,
and it, all it will take is,

You know, one kick from their,
you know, their hind legs

And they could rip
your guts out.

They're on to us.

Narrator: Because of that risk,
larry is using a pole injection

To administer the dr*gs
to malu.

Tony: That's him
on the right, larry.

Larry: This one? You sure, tim?
Tim: Yep.

Narrator: It requires speed,
precision, skill,

And a bit of luck.

Larry: There you go. Done.
(chuckles)

So that was lucky 'cause
he just came up to the door...

Liz: Fantastic.

Larry: ...And had
an opportunity to jab him.

Keeper: Larry, are you happy now
if sam walks past

And hopefully they'll follow him
with the food?

Larry: As long as he doesn't
disturb malu.

Narrator: After minutes,
the keepers are able

To entice the other kangaroos
away with food...

Larry: Look at them go.

Liz: Yeah. Follow the keeper.

Narrator: ...While the rest
of the team must be patient

And wait for malu to nod off.

Larry: Come on, mate.

Pop a little towel
over his face.

Liz: Okay.

Larry: We're just trying
to keep him really calm,

Not disturb him until
he's fully asleep.

Particularly with this
combination of dr*gs,

If you interfere or disturb
the animal too early,

It reduces the effectiveness
of the drug.

Narrator: minutes later,
malu is finally asleep.

Larry: Okay, sam, so.

Narrator: And larry can begin
the procedure.

Larry: Okay.

Any kangaroo that
shows any signs

That something might be
going on in their mouth,

We take pretty seriously.

Kangaroos generally are
quite prone to a disease

That then can get much worse
to the point

Of actually infecting
the bone in their mouths.

First thing I'm going to do
is smell his breath.

Smells nice.

That's often a key indicator
of dental disease

In kangaroos and macropods.

If they have any degree
of dental disease,

They usually get
really bad breath.

So I'm just counting
one, two, three.

So he's already lost
a tooth on that side.

But this is normal for kangaroos

Because they have what's called
molar progression,

Where the teeth as they age
move slowly forward.

Narrator: Because kangaroos
eat coarse grass

Throughout their lives,
their teeth have evolved

So that new molars
continually break through

To replace old ones
as they fall out.

Larry: Okay, so this side here,

The left lower jaw is
where the problem is.

And you can see
that tooth is loose.

There, very loose,
but probably not infected.

And I'd say it's probably part
of normal molar progression.

It's very likely that that
loose tooth and a bit of food

That's caught between his teeth
at that point

Are causing
some irritation for him

And also, probably also
makes him dribble a bit.

The good thing is
there doesn't seem to be

Any horrible dental disease
in there.

Narrator: But either way,
the tooth needs to come out.

Larry: There you go.
Liz: Beautiful.

Nurse: Easy.
Liz: Nice.

Larry: So you can see that's
a pretty dodgy-looking tooth

And does smell a bit actually.

Narrator: The extraction
was relatively easy,

But keepers have also
asked larry to examine

Malu's shoulder,
which they've noticed

Has been causing him problems.

Larry: We'll have to turn him
over and just compare.

It does feel a bit odd
in that shoulder, to be honest.

Narrator: It's common for
male red kangaroos to spar.

It's what earned them the
nickname the boxing kangaroo.

But keepers haven't seen
the usually chilled malu

Suffer any significant injury.

Larry: Arthritis is actually not
that common in, in kangaroos.

So I don't think
it's just arthritis.

Can we just turn him back over?
Sorry, guys.

Just, just hold him there
for a sec.

Yeah, so you can see that
this one doesn't extend as far.

See that?
Liz: Yeah.

Larry: Okay, we need to
take him down for an x-ray.

Narrator: What began as
a simple dental procedure

In the exhibit, suddenly turns
into a m*llitary operation.

Larry: There is clearly
a problem in that shoulder.

A bit of a change in plan,
actually.

Okay, in you go.

Alright. I'll stay in the back.

Narrator: The team must now
race against the clock

To examine malu's shoulder

Before the anesthetic
wears off.

Narrator:
Zoo nutritionist michelle

Is trialing her new food pellet

On all the herbivores
in the zoo.

Michelle: And do we do
a little taste test now?

Angie: Let's go for it.
Michelle: Okay, let's go for it.

Michelle: Oh.
Angie: It's good?

Michelle: Oh, I like that.
Angie: Yeah.

Narrator: Next in line for the
taste test are the elephants.

Angie: We'll see how our biggest
herbivore in the zoo copes.

Michelle: It should replace
the current pellet

And the vitamin mineral mix
that we give them as well.

So you'd only have to give this.

Keeper: Yep.

Michelle:
So hopefully they like it.

Keeper: Alright. Perfect.
I'll see how it goes.

Michelle: Okay.

Keeper: You can take that.
Good girl.

Straight in with a treat
and she's back again.

Michelle: Very first taste.

Keeper: She seems okay.

She definitely likes
the pellets.

She's eating it
nice and quickly.

To make sure that
she gets all the pellets,

She puts her foot behind it
or tilts the tub,

Scoop as much as she can,
and put it back in her mouth.

So, yeah,
she definitely loves it.

And it's a nice gesture

That we always do ask
for the tub to be back.

You got it.

Good girl. Alright. Thank you.

And we reward
that behavior as well.

Michelle: Yes.

Keeper: So it's just that
nice gesture that she has.

Michelle: Just cleaning up
your plate when you're done.

Keeper: Exactly.

Narrator: With the animals
loving the taste of the pellet,

The next phase of the trial
can begin.

Keeper: Tangmo is
coming up right now,

And she's just going
to go on the scales.

Narrator: Which will determine
the volume of pellets

They'll receive.

Michelle: We're going to see
what these girls score

Out of nine, and that just means

Are they holding
a little extra weight

And do we need to reduce
their diet a little bit,

Or do we need to
increase their diet?

And we're just going
to assess that.

Keeper: So she's weighing in
at , kilos.

Michelle: So what would
you call that?

Keeper: I would probably give
that a six out of nine.

Michelle: I think
that's about right.

Keeper: So here comes pak boon,

And she's just got up
on the scale there.

So she's a bit lighter
than tangmo.

, .

That's pretty much
a good weight for her.

You might've seen tangmo
a lot taller than pak boon.

So pak boon is a bit more wider,

Whereas tangmo is a bit taller.

Michelle: It's kind of hard
to keep them on the lean side,

Elephants, so it'll be nice
to give them something

A little more in bulk,
but still keep them lean.

Narrator: With the elephants
out of the way,

Michelle doesn't
have to travel far

For her last client of the day.

Darryl: So our two new camels
that have arrived from dubbo.

We have ras and storm
on the other side,

The darker of the two.

And they're settling in
quite nicely.

We're still getting
to know them,

And they're still
getting to know us.

They're mainly grazers,

But they'll give any sort
of plant material a go.

Narrator: Which is exactly
the sort of thing

That michelle wants to hear.

Darryl: Storm! Ras!

Come on, ladies.

That's the way.

You can see storm there,
she's really getting stuck in.

She hasn't put her head up
for the last seconds or so,

So it mustn't be too bad.

Michelle: I don't think we could
have hoped for more than this,

Like, this is exactly what
we were hoping to see.

Darryl: This is a good result.

(laughs) and it looks like
storm's finished.

You're done, stormy. None left.

Michelle: None left?

Darryl:
This is a very good result.

They ate everything.

They seemed to enjoy it.

So as far as we're concerned,
that's a winner.

Narrator: While today's trial
has been a huge success,

There's still plenty of animals
on michelle's list

Yet to sample the pellets.

And there's one in particular
who will get more benefit

Than just tasting new food.

Michelle: This pellet is just
going to allow him to digest

All of those wonderful nutrients
much more efficiently.

Larry: There you go, done.

Narrator: It's been
a busy morning

In the red kangaroo exhibit.

What started as
a tooth extraction

For eight-year-old malu...

Larry: There you go.
Liz: Beautiful.

Nurse: Easy.

Larry: This one doesn't
extend as far.

Nurse: Yeah.

Larry: Okay, we need to take him
down for an x-ray.

Narrator: ...Soon turned
into a rush trip

To the wildlife hospital for
something completely different.

Larry: The scales.

Liz: And he is quite blinky.

Larry: And then, yeah, just get
him on the mask there, liz.

Liz: Yeah.

Larry: We just brought malu
down to the hospital

Because we discovered
he does actually

Have a problem
with his shoulder.

So we'll need to take
some x-rays.

Narrator: At kilos, malu is
the alpha male of the group.

Larry: Certainly looks more
impressive on the table

Than lying on the ground
in the enclosure, doesn't he?

Narrator: His size and status
may be a clue

To the cause of his injury.

Tony: Malu definitely spars
with the other boys

That he lives with
here at taronga zoo.

He puts the other boys
in his place when he needs to,

He's the boss in there.

Narrator: In order to learn
what's going on

With malu's shoulder...

Larry: Let's see if
that's any better.

Narrator: ...Larry and the team
set up for some x-rays.

Larry: What we might try and do

Is get a ventrodorsal
of both shoulders.

So this is going to be
a nice challenge for everyone.

They are just going
to put him on his back,

Because I think
getting that view

From the, from his chest
to his back is going to be

Much more rewarding in terms
of getting a diagnostic image.

Kangaroos are, just because
of their body shape,

Quite challenging.

But this is one of the things
about zoo animal medicine,

You're just dealing with
different species every day.

And you just got to improvise

And work out ways
of doing these things.

Narrator: For keeper tony,

Seeing malu on the table
like this is confronting.

Tony: I didn't expect this
really to happen today.

It's, uh, I was pretty confident
about the whole tooth issue.

So this is something different
that's come up

And, um, but I know he's in
very good hands, the best hands.

Larry: Alright.
Let's see how we go with this.

♪ ♪

So what we've got up here
is the two images

Of the right
and the left shoulder.

The left one is the normal one.

The difference between the two
is quite apparent.

This one here has got
a nice sort of socket joint.

The bone is nicely rounded with
this sort of protrusion up here,

Which the clavicle
attaches to there.

And on this side here, we can
see it's completely different.

The bone is also deformed.

The socket joint is not
a nice, round, fitting joint.

Fortunately
there's no arthritis.

Narrator: The extensive damage
to malu's shoulder

Has shocked the team.

Larry: We weren't expecting
anything like what we found.

This was something
that would have happened

Many years ago, I think.

And it might have just been
exacerbated recently

By being, you know, sparring
with one of the other males

Or something like that,

And, and created a bit of pain
in that shoulder.

Narrator: Old injuries are
notoriously difficult to treat.

So with the x-rays ruling out
disease and arthritis,

Larry makes a call.

Larry: We'll leave that.

We know now that
there's that abnormality.

Really not going to be able
to do anything.

And we know, you know,

He's otherwise
a pretty healthy animal.

Narrator: After two hours
under anesthetic,

It's time to get malu home.

Larry: Okay. Get ready.

One, two, three.

Okay. I'll grab this.

To the van.

Malu is this giant beast
of an animal, muscular,

But he's, he's just got
this beautiful personality,

Very chill.

It's a privilege in a way to be
able to get so close to them.

He'll be wowing the visitors

I would say for another
few years yet, hopefully.

Turn him around
so his head is that way.

We're just giving him
the reversal dr*gs now

To wake him up,
giving him an injection

That'll last a couple of days to
just make him more comfortable,

'cause obviously manipulating
the shoulder today

Would probably make him
quite sore for a couple of days.

But beyond that I think
we'll just monitor him,

And if any, at any time
he shows signs of pain,

We'll, we'll deal with it then.

Okay. Thanks, guys.

Tony: Thanks very much, larry.

Larry: See you next time.

Narrator: Taronga zoo has been
operating continuously

For years,

And a zoo can only stay
successful for that long

If it really invests in their
animals' care and wellbeing.

Keeper: This is
the delicious one, ready?

Yummy.

Narrator: Out at taronga
western plains zoo in dubbo,

Not only do they
delight in caring

For all the animals
who call it home,

They've been
enormously successful

In creating new residents.

Steve: For many guests,
a visit to the zoo,

It's just the tip
of the iceberg.

So many of the things that
go on behind the scenes

Is actually what zoos
are all about.

And that is
the breeding programs.

Keeper: Good boy. Come, come.

Narrator: And now that
spring has sprung,

The team is overjoyed

To welcome the next bunch
of zoo babies.

Jack: So we've got some
massive news out here.

We have a new giraffe calf,
layla,

Who's three weeks old now.

She's a high-energy animal,
layla is.

She's always like running around
and stuff like that.

And mucking around with some
of the other younger giraffe

Out there as well.

She's doing really well
out here.

She's very independent, really
excited to explore the exhibit

With the,
with the other animals.

Narrator: Over at
the otter exhibit,

The cuteness factor is tripled.

Tarryn: Three pups that have
just recently been born here,

They've just had their
first health checks.

They've been given a clean
bill of health from our vets,

And we now know that
we've got one little boy

And two little girls.

So the keepers have named them,
our male tye,

And then the two little girls
are suki and katara.

So that very first day when they
start emerging from the den box,

It's just, it's the best day
for the keepers, I think, %.

They're very, very
family orientated.

They're very, very social.

They live in family groups.

You'll have a dominant pair,
there'll be mum and dad,

And then they'll have
their offspring.

They really do everything
together as a family.

These guys are classified
as vulnerable out in the wild,

And breeding programs in zoos
are really important for that.

So we can never be more excited

Than to welcome more otters
into our group.

Narrator: And keepers over
at primate island

Also shared in some baby joy.

Rachael: We've got some
very exciting news.

We've got a brand-new addition
to our spider monkey troop.

We've got a new baby
to very experienced mum jai.

She was born about a week ago,

And coming in to find her
was an absolute joy.

We've worked very hard on
our relationship with jai.

There's a lot of trust
between us as keepers and jai.

Within a few days of her

Actually giving birth
to the baby,

She was comfortable
to come right up to us

And have a nap right here
next to us.

And to have an animal
that's comfortable

To sleep with a newborn baby
right next to you

Is just so special.

I think it's one of the most
rewarding things for a keeper

To be able to witness
and experience.

A lot of the work
that we as zookeepers

Put into our relationship
with animals,

This is the time
that it pays off.

We know that
they're comfortable.

We know that they're happy
and they're able to breed

Without any of
the stress and fear

That they might have under
different circumstances.

♪ ♪

Narrator: Taronga's
nutritionist, michelle,

Is continuing to trial
her new herbivore pellet

Around the zoo.

Michelle: I'm very nervous when
we do these types of trials,

Because it's very likely

That there'll be animals
that won't eat it.

And we had that with
pellet trials in the past.

Narrator: Her next candidate
for her new all-aussie pellet

Has an additional problem,

And michelle is hopeful
that this new feed

Has properties that can
contribute to his recovery.

Alison: We've had some
digestive issues with kibali,

Mainly constipation.

So we've been doing
multiple things for that.

We had him on psyllium husk.

I guess for us we're always
looking at new and improved ways

Of incorporating that
nutritional profile

Into their diet, and so to be
able to get more crude protein

And more lucerne into
such a small food product

Is actually really fantastic
for those issues,

Like kibali's constipation.

Michelle: Where would you
normally be putting

Your pellets anyway?

Alison: We're going
to do a scatter.

Michelle: Okay.

Alison: But we're going to
actually scatter in sawdust

Today to encourage that
foraging feeding behavior,

Which they love.

But because those pellets are
quite small, I'm really excited

About what we can do with them
enrichment-wise today.

Michelle: Oh, good.

Alison: Alright, here we go.

Michelle: Oh, that's so nice.

What other kinds of things
do you put in shavings

For them to forage?

Alison: We'll put pellets,
shelled peas,

Corn pieces as well,
anything small that encourages

That natural dexterity
and also allows them to forage.

The older pellets that we had

Were probably about
four or five times this size.

So putting them in sawdust
like this is fantastic

For that natural
foraging behavior.

Michelle: And hopefully they
don't avoid this pile.

Alison: I don't think there'll
be any avoidance today.

Michelle: Excellent.

Alison: I think it's
going to be all in.

Narrator:
With the pellets in place,

All eyes are on
silverback gorilla kibali.

Michelle: But he's going to go
for the cucumber first,

Of course.

Narrator: After a brief
distraction with some salad...

Alison: It looks like
he's actually...

Narrator: ...Kibali gets
right into the sawdust.

Michelle: Oh, he's going
to give it a sniff.

Alison: Yeah. Okay.

Michelle: What is he doing?

Alison: He's actually
blowing the sawdust.

Michelle: Oh, he is blowing
the sawdust off.

Alison: Yeah. He's blowing
the sawdust off his palm.

Michelle: That is clever.

Alison: Yeah,
that is very clever.

When it comes to being able
to pick the tiniest of insects,

Like the tiniest of pellets,

Like that kind of stuff
is so incredible.

For us it's really important

That we can incorporate
different food items.

They're not getting
the abundance of leaves

That they'd be getting
in the wild.

So something like lucerne hay
is really fantastic

For roughage in their gut.

They're consuming
a lot of fiber.

Lucerne is fantastic for that,

And lucerne is actually
in this pellet.

The greatest thing about
incorporating a new food item

Is that it's novel, and anything
novel for these guys

Is really interesting
and something that we can use.

Narrator: Keepers are amazed;

Kibali doesn't just like it,
he loves it.

Alison: You can see kibali
is very relaxed,

He's in his element.

So this is great.

Michelle: That's good.

Alison: I'm going to
take that as a win.

Michelle: Yeah. That's,
that's definitely success.

That is a win.

Alison: Absolutely.
Michelle: Oh, I'm so relieved.

The pellets for the gorillas
were a very big success.

It was a huge yes,
big thumbs up.

I don't think we could have
hoped for a better outcome

With the gorillas.

They did a really good job,
and we're going to be able

To transition them onto it
really easily.

Narrator: So while
michelle heads off

To continue her trial,

The gorilla keepers will
maintain their watch

Over kibali in the hope
that this new pellet

Will help resolve
his constipation.

Narrator: It's been
a couple of weeks

Since malu was treated
for a sore tooth...

Larry: There you go.
Liz: Beautiful.

Narrator: ...And then
unexpectedly taken

To the wildlife hospital
for shoulder x-rays.

Tony: G'day, malu.
How are you going, buddy?

Going to have something to eat?
Let's go, come on, come on.

Come on, malu.

Turned out that malu
had a previous injury

Before he came here,

And that injury has caused
some malformation

In his right shoulder.

It's not affecting his life
in any way, shape or form

As far as we can tell.

We're just going
to observe malu.

He's still alpha male here.

He still puts the other boys
in their place when he needs to.

How's that mouth?

Narrator: And as far
as his teeth go,

They seem to be doing the job.

Tony: This looks to me like
perfectly normal feeding.

He's grinding that food up,
he swallowing it.

I'm really happy
with what I see here.

It looks perfectly normal to me.
I think he's a happy kangaroo.

And the boss is back and
he's in his rightful position.

♪ ♪

Michelle: Put the pedal
to the metal, ange.

Angie: Yeah, lead foot,
let's go.

Michelle: Pedal to the metal.

Narrator: After years
in the planning,

Zoo nutritionist michelle is
conducting a zoo-wide trial,

Taste testing
her new food pellets

Designed right here at taronga.

Michelle: Look at her come
right up to clean it up.

Oh, he is going
to give it a sniff.

Alison: Yeah, okay.

Narrator: She got a big tick
of approval from the gorillas.

Now she's hoping to repeat that

With another much smaller
and much pickier primate,

The lemurs.

Alison: Let's just lay it down.

Prosimians are not great
with new things,

And so I'm really, I don't know.

It's going to be a / chance
whether this works today or not,

But let's see how they go.

Michelle: So if they don't go
after the pellet,

What are we going to do?

Narrator:
Notoriously fussy eaters,

The lemurs will be getting
some additional food

To help entice them
to try the pellet.

Alison: Just to help with the
process, we've actually made up

Some sweet potato
and corn puree.

That's something that they love,

And so combining it
with the pellets

Could actually
encourage them to eat it.

We're going to try pellets
on their own,

And also a little bit
with the puree,

And we'll see what
the outcome is.

If we can start to add
a little bit of pellets in.

Michelle: Sniffing,
sniffing, sniffing.

Alison: Yeah, so we'll see
a lot of smelling.

Michelle: Sniffing, sniffing,
lots of sniffing going on.

Haven't seen trying yet.

Alison: No, I haven't.

Michelle: Come on, soalata.

Yeah, I know.

♪ ♪

Alison: So you can see
there's an interest,

But, um, but I don't think
they're too sold.

Narrator: While it looks like
the first big snub

For the trial,
michelle hasn't given up yet,

And it's time to bring out
the big g*ns.

Michelle: Sweet potato and corn.

Alison: Let's see if this
sweet potato and corn

Can convince them a little bit.

Michelle: Yep.

♪ ♪

Alison: So, michelle,
this is really promising.

This is dia and toki, the two
boys that joined our group

This year from dubbo,

But they look like
they're enjoying it, too.

Michelle: How's that?

Alison: I mean, I'm going
to say that's a win.

Michelle: That is a win.
That's a big, big win.

Alison: Do you want to do
a cake trial?

Michelle: I think we have
to do a cake trial.

Narrator: These choosy primates
like to hold their food

As they eat it.

Michelle: Here's the new cake,
and it's a little bit different.

Alison: Yeah.

Narrator:
So michelle also prepped

Some special pellet cakes to
try to win them over that way.

Alison: So we've got bamboo
up there now.

Again, I'm going to say
that's a no from bamboo,

But now we've got soalata.

Michelle: Soalata.

Alison: So, soalata,
no luck with soalata.

Toki, our youngest,
he's the most inquisitive,

But still not having
a lot of success there.

A couple of the members of the
group weren't that interested.

We saw bamboo and toki
not really take to it.

With andriba.

Michelle: So let's see
what happens.

Oh, that's the new cake.
That's the new cake went first.

I'm not even writing this down,
I'm so excited!

Alison: The older members
of the group taking the cake,

Andriba and makili,
that's really positive.

Michelle: So I think with
andriba having that,

At least going for the new one
first, that was good.

Alison: The cake has those
extra omegas in it,

Which is fantastic
for their fur,

It's fantastic for their teeth.

It's fantastic for their skin,
and for our older animals

They just need that little bit
of extra supplementation

In the diet to support them.

So the fact that
they are taking the new cake,

For me is the best, and
the younger ones we can work on.

Michelle: Oh. Oh. Oh.

Alison: Michelle,
that's awesome.

That's really exciting.

Michelle: Oh, my god,
that's so nice to see. Look!

We're going to have to gradually
introduce these pellets

Into their diet
and into the cake as well,

But it's definitely something
that they accepted more readily

Than we could have expected.

So we're, it won't be
a difficult thing

To add to their diet.

Very happy about it.

Narrator: So it's a mixed
response from the lemurs,

But michelle has one more bunch
of animals to test today.

Michelle:
And our lovely brush turkeys.

Narrator: And what better group

To try an all-aussie-made
pellet on

Than these true-blue creatures?

Parnee: We've got our three
red roos here.

Narrator: But as michelle
is well aware,

These are some of the fussiest
eaters at the zoo.

Michelle: Here is the bag.

Narrator: Taronga's
nutritionist michelle

Is charged with making sure
every animal at the zoo

Has a balanced diet.

Michelle: Yeah,
it's just going to replace

All of our herbivore
and omnivore pellets.

Parnee: All in the one pellet,
awesome.

We've got our three
red roos here,

So shall we give them a try?

Michelle: Yes.
Parnee: Alright.

Narrator: And her
final testers today

Are the aussie inhabitants of
the backyard to bush precinct.

Michelle: The idea is to trial
this pellet with as many species

As we possibly can
within the zoo,

Because we'll be transitioning
them all onto this pellet

At some point.

And now we're trying with
some of our australian animals.

We've got our female red roos
and alkira the swamp wallaby.

Parnee: Hello.

Michelle:
What do you think, baby?

Parnee: How's that?

Michelle: What's that?

Oh.

Parnee: That's a good girl.

Michelle:
So what do you think, parnee,

Do you think she likes it?

Parnee: I think alkira
really likes it so far,

That looks really
positive to me.

She's definitely tucking
into those new pellets.

Michelle:
Unfortunately it's not stopping
the brush turkeys, though.

Parnee: No, I think we've got

The brush turkey
seal of approval as well.

Michelle: Uh-oh.

Narrator: Now it's widge
the emu's turn.

Parnee: Hey, buddy. Hello.
Michelle: Hello.

Parnee: Widge, do you want
to try the new pellets?

Michelle:
Widgie, widgie, widgie.

Parnee: Breeding behavior. Oh.

(laughs)

Not a fan?

(laughs)

Widge.

It's okay.

We might have to work on widgie.

Michelle: Yeah, I think so.

It looks like widgie the emu
is a no.

It was a firm no.

It was a no with a shake of
a head and a kind of "egh, no."

I think that that's okay.

So I think that the emus

Are just going to take
a little more time.

Narrator: And time is
the one thing

That michelle does have
on her side.

Michelle: This was definitely
not a quick endeavor.

It's been five years
in the making.

We've had a couple
of different iterations

That were not that successful.

And so now we've finally
got something

That the animals
are actually eating,

And that's a huge relief to me,
because I can design something,

But if they don't eat it,
then it's completely useless.

Narrator: While the full
results of michelle's trial

Won't be known for months,

One result is ready now.

Kibali has only been on
his new diet for a few weeks,

But keepers have noticed that
he seems to be looking better.

♪ ♪

Amy: Alright, so this morning
we're looking for some nuggets

From the gorillas,

And particularly
we need to find kibali.

These ones don't look
like they're kibali.

They're a little bit too small,

So we're going to have to keep
on hunting this morning

And see if we can find

Some slightly larger ones
from kibali.

Narrator: Perhaps it's not
something you'd bring up

At a dinner party,

But being able to recognize a
stool and the story it can tell

Is a very important part
of a keeper's job.

Amy: Yep. Definitely not
kibali's, this one.

Too small for him.

Now this looks more like it.

So this is the kind of size
that we've be looking for.

This is a much bigger
and larger poo,

Which is what kibali
would be giving us.

Not surprising
it's by our dipping pot,

Because that's where he often
enjoys a little bit of a snack,

But also where he likes to go
to the bathroom as well.

It's a little bit more private.

But yeah, this definitely
looks like the size

That we'd be expecting
kibali to be producing,

And it looks really good.

It's got a good structure.

It's well formed.

It's not constipated
like we have seen,

And it's not really
sloppy either.

So we've been really concerned
about kibali

For the last few months,

Particularly because
his bowel movements

Have been really inconsistent.

Sometimes really constipated,
other times really loose,

And of course we know that our
own health is very important

To have regular,
sturdy bowel movements,

And this is what we're
looking for today,

To see multiple movements
from him.

Kibali written
all over this poo.

That is for sure.

We grade our feces
depending on its structure.

So we have a grade from one to
five; three is the perfect poo.

So this is a perfect one.

One being very small and nuggety
and constipated,

And five being loosey goosey.

Narrator:
At last, a solid result.

So now keepers,
and more importantly kibali,

Have finally got some relief.
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