02x05 - Down Under: Hungary Hungary Hippo

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: Taronga zoo is home
to species of primate.

(hooting)

They come in all shapes,

Sizes,

And temperaments.

(hooting)

And while they all like
to hang out in family groups,

There's one species that
takes this to the next level.

Rebecca: There are over
different species of lemurs.

They're all very unique
from each other,

But I guess ringtail lemurs
are, um, pretty distinct.

♪ ♪

You might notice they have

black and white stripes
on their tail,

And it always ends
in a black tip,

Which is just a fun fact.

They use their tail for balance.

They also keep their tails
high up in the air

When they're walking
on the ground,

A little bit like a flag.

So, they can all band
together as a group.

Narrator: And for these
very social primates,

Being in a close-knit group

Means they do
everything together.

Rebecca: Grooming is really
important within a lemur troop.

It's how they bond
with each other.

They do have a grooming,

Uh, tooth comb with their teeth
at the bottom,

So basically
they're able to groom fur

Through that tooth comb.

They tend to sleep
in huddles together,

So often you can't see how many
lemurs are actually in a huddle.

They kind of tuck
all their heads in,

And they really hold on tight.

So, this is bamboo,
one of our lemurs.

Narrator: Every day, keeper
rebecca conditions the group

With some human interaction.

Rebecca: Good boy.

He's a great leaper.
He's very agile.

Come on.

Good boy.

Narrator: But when it comes
to lemurs,

Not even their preferred treats

Can drag them away
from their favorite pastime.

Rebecca: So, a natural behavior
for a ringtail lemur

Is that they absolutely
love to sun bake.

We call it sun worshiping.

♪ ♪

They sit on their bum, they hold
their hands out in the air,

And they soak up all that sun.

They love it.

Here we've got, you know,
julian and makili.

We've got dia and andre here,

And they're all sitting around
sun worshiping together,

So it's a very social thing
to do for a lemur.

Narrator: But, just like us,

A day in the sun
doesn't come without risks.

Rebecca: This is andriba.
He's .

About a week ago, um,

Andriba presented
with a wound on his back.

The wound hasn't healed too
well, which is quite unusual.

Narrator: The wound
is especially concerning

Because of andriba's history
with melanoma,

So today he's got an
appointment with vet kimberly.

Woman: Once he's stabilized,

We'll get you
to do a temperature.

Kimberly: Andriba's
a -year-old male

Who has had a malignant melanoma
removed about six months ago.

The tumor he had before
was quite big.

It was about maybe
about four centimeters,

Really round and raised.

And I didn't get great margins,

So the fact that that tumor
could come back is very real.

Just have a feel of his abdomen.

Narrator: And kimberly's
on the lookout for any signs

That the cancer's returned.

Kimberly: So,
with these types of cancers,

They can spread
to the lungs and the liver

And some of the other organs.

Woman: All right,
lungs sound good.

Rebecca: It's always hard
bringing your animals

Up to the vet block, um,

Especially when they have to
undergo a procedure like this,

But they're
in the best care here.

I've got every faith
in our vet team.

Liz: We're just
going to intubate him.

Narrator: Given his age,
the return of a melanoma

Could be terrible news
for this senior lemur.

Taronga's two zoos
have around keepers,

All working closely
with the animals.

Keeper: No cuts here today?

Keeper: Good boy.
There you go. Trunk.

Narrator: It takes years of
training to get to this level.

Keeper: Good boy.

Narrator: But like any job
in any industry,

You have to start somewhere.

Harmony: As a trainee keeper,
you do the dirty work.

Um, there's so much to learn.

I'm learning something new
every single day.

I've been here
for almost three years now,

And I'm still getting surprised
on a daily basis.

I started my traineeship
on the bird team.

Narrator: Trainee keeper
harmony has been learning

How to look after
our feathered friends

For the last few months.

Harmony: As a trainee keeper,

It's great to learn
all the different techniques

Of working with all
the different types of species.

Keeper: This is john.
He's a budgie.

He's a native budgerigar.
What are you doing, buddy?

Narrator: But not all birds
will sit on your shoulder

And eat from your hand.

Today harmony
is getting up close

With the most dangerous bird
in the world--

The southern cassowary.

Harmony: They are the second
largest bird in australia,

So they're definitely not
a walk in the park to work with.

Narrator: And taking harmony
under her wing

Is keeper corrine.

Corrine: All you have to do
is look at them

To just be
in complete awe of them.

They're our direct link
to dinosaurs.

Those prehistoric feet
are something else to look at,

And they have a dagger-like claw
that sits on the inside toe.

Now, that claw can grow
up to centimeters long,

And then they can use
those powerful legs

To jump up and kick out,

And they can do a lot of damage
with that claw,

So that's what classifies them
as dangerous.

I personally,
if I saw them out in the wild,

I would keep my distance, um,

Because I know
the damage they can do.

Narrator: Because
they're so dangerous,

Trainee keepers must be closely
supervised at all times.

Corrine: All right, harmony,
so this is the large den.

This is where we feed out
their morning food.

Harmony: Yep.

Corrine: They also come in here
to seek shelter from the rain.

They've got a lovely heater
in here, keep them warm

If the temperatures
drop too low at night.

I'm teaching her how to safely
work with the cassowaries,

All the protocols
that we have to follow.

Because they are
dangerous animals,

You always want to make sure
that padlocks into the den

Are actually secured.

We also always want
to split their food

Between the two bowls here
so then they can disperse.

They can pick
what they want out,

And they don't need to compete
for the food at all.

Harmony: One of the notes
that corrine said to me

Was remain calm
when they're entering the den,

And that's because they are
quite a nerve-racking bird

To be that close to.

Their height
is pretty impressive.

Corrine: The apple and pears
we're going to empty

Into the food hopper here.

Harmony: Okay.

Corrine: We actually have
a little viewing window

Here through the door,

So we can actually see
where they are in the exhibit

When we need to call them in.

So, if you want
to just have a look,

They might actually be
out there at the moment.

So, you can see our male
and our female both there.

She's going to come up
and have a little look at us.

So, we know they're out there.

They're ready, they're keen,
so we're going to let them in.

♪ ♪

So, here comes macca.
She's our female.

Harmony: A female. Okay.

Corrine: And if you'll notice,

She's a lot larger
than the male.

Harmony: Okay.

So, is that how you tell
the difference between them?

Corrine: Absolutely.

So, come on in, mac.

Macca...

Harmony: She seems
very interested in that.

Corrine: ...Is
very interested in eggs.

Harmony: Okay.

Corrine: It's one
of her top favorite foods

And is part of the protein
in their diet,

So as a reward
for her coming in...

Harmony: Yep.

Corrine: ...Just gently
pop that through the mesh.

Harmony: Oh, she's very gentle.

Corrine: She is
a very gentle bird.

She's dropped the egg,
but that's all right.

She'll pick that up
in her own time.

Harmony: They eat better
than I do.

Corrine: I would not
eat this healthy.

Harmony: No. (laughs)

Corrine: We might just sprinkle
a little bit of the food

In here for her.

Harmony: Yep.

So, because she is gentle,

You're able to open that
while she's in here.

Corrine: Absolutely.

Harmony: Can I ask what
that thing is on his head?

Corrine: The thing on her head,
it's actually called a casque.

Harmony: Casque. Okay.

I've been calling it
"cast" for two years.

That's embarrassing. Um...

Corrine: There's a few different
theories going around

As to what the casque
is actually used for,

But most recent studies
have shown it's to help them

Regulate
their body temperatures.

Harmony: Wow.
That's pretty impressive.

Corrine: It is
pretty impressive.

So, it's not hard and bony
like you would think.

It's quite soft and spongy
on the inside.

And the outside layer

Is made out of the protein
called keratin

That is found
in your fingernails.

Harmony: That's pretty...

Corrine: If you push your
fingernail, it's pretty soft.

There's a lot of things
that need to be ticked off,

A lot of competencies,
and we're getting there.

We will still train with harmony
for a few more months

Before she's qualified
to look after these animals,

And we will watch her
closely in that time

To make sure she's following
all the procedures safely.

And as you can see, she's done,
so she's heading out as well.

Narrator: And the next part
of cassowary care

That harmony has to learn
is a bit more hands-on.

Corrine: It's part
of being a zookeeper.

Um, you can't get around it.

So, if you, you gotta have
a strong stomach for this job.

♪ ♪

Narrator: Taronga zoo
prides itself

In recreating environments

That animals would inhabit
in the wild...

...Whether it's on land,

In the water,

Or a bit of both.

Grace: Hi, mana.

Hi, handsome.

Narrator: Six common hippos

Call western plains zoo
in dubbo home.

Grace: Mana.

Open.

Hold. Hold.

Good, good boy.

Narrator: But when it comes to
hippos, they are living proof

That you can't judge
a book by its cover.

Grace: Hippos are a fantastic
animal to work with.

My favorite thing about working
with them is their personality.

A lot of people think
they're quite thick-skinned,

And they are, but they're
actually quite sensitive

In their personality as well.

This is mana.

He's our breeding bull
that we have here at the zoo.

He's years old.

He's our biggest hippo
that we have here.

Hippos in general are quite
large, quite powerful animals,

In particular, their speed.

They can actually run
very, very quick on land,

And they can swim very fast
in the water.

But the most impressive thing
about them

Is actually their jaw,
in my opinion.

These guys can open their mouth,

Um, almost straight
up and down like that.

Good. Excellent. Good boy.

They actually have a bite down
force of kilos,

So that's like having a small
car sitting on your chest, uh,

If you were in a hippo's mouth,

Which I hope
none of us ever are.

Um, and so they've been known
out in the wild to actually,

Uh, bite crocodiles in half
with that force.

Good. Good boy. Excellent.

Narrator: As the only bull
at taronga,

Mana has already
fathered two calves,

And breeding female cuddles
is pregnant again with a third.

And keepers are counting down
the days until the big arrival.

Carolene: We're not sure
whether it's going to be

A little boy or a little girl,

But I really hope
that it's going to be a boy

Because it will be
the first male calf

Born in our region
in about years.

And that's going to play
an amazing, important role

In the hippo breeding program
in our region.

Narrator: And it seems
they're not going to

Have to wait too long
to find out.

♪ ♪

Back in sydney, lemur keepers
have noticed a wound

On the back
of -year-old andriba.

It's concerning because
he has a history of melanoma.

Kimberly: When the keeper
said they saw another mass,

I was really worried that
the melanoma had come back.

Liz: for respiration.

Narrator: Vet kimberly
has decided to do

A thorough examination
of andriba

Under general anesthetic.

Liz: Do you want the light on?

Kimberly: Sure.

Trying to find the incision
from where we removed

The prior melanoma

Because it would be good
to just recheck that spot.

But the fact
that I can't actually find it

Is a good indication that
it's not recurred right there.

The fur is so thick and dense.

But if it had a little tumor,
it's kind of hard to see it.

Do you want to have a look?

Do you want to have a look
because you know...

Rebecca: I cannot find it.

Kimberly: Yeah,
I couldn't, either.

Today I could not
find the incision

Where I removed
the melanoma before,

So that's great news

Because that tumor could have
come back in that same spot.

That's a good sign.
That's good. Yeah. Okay.

Rebecca: There is nothing
in there that I can see.

Kimberly: Yeah, okay.

Narrator: So, while the outside
of andriba may look good,

Kimberly wants to make sure

The cancer hasn't
spread internally.

Liz: There we go. It's fine.

Kimberly: Okay.
Everybody step out, please.

Narrator: X-rays will give
kimberly a clearer picture.

Kimberly: Oh,
that's actually good.

Often you don't get
a very good view of the lungs.

So, I'm checking the lungs
because a lot of times

Cancers and melanoma can spread
to organs in the body

Like liver, uh,
but also to the lungs.

So, if I was worried
that the melanoma had spread

To his lungs or his liver,
I'd expect to see, like,

In the liver area some masses,
some, like, white nodules.

And then in the lungs,

You can see little white spots
along the lungs.

I don't see that at all.

The lungs look pretty clear,
so I'm really happy.

That's a good sign.

Liz: Done for x-rays?

Kimberly: Done.

Liz: Okay. , , .

Narrator: Now that
kimberly is happy

Andriba's heart
and lungs are clear,

She moves on to examine
the current wound.

Rebecca: But, um, his new one...

Kimberly: Show me the new one.

Rebecca: ...Is around here.

Kimberly: Let's put him
on his front.

Rebecca: Sternal?

Kimberly: Yeah, sternal.

So, here's a wound here.

So, if we can get in there.

He might have to have
a bit of a shave.

Rebecca: Yep.

Kimberly: Sorry.

Rebecca: He's going
to have a haircut.

Kimberly: He might have
a bit of a haircut.

(laughs)

Don't become a,
do not become a hairdresser.

(laughter)

Liz: It's definitely
not my forte.

Kimberly: Oh, my goodness.

Narrator:
Once the area is fur-free,

The new wound is obvious.

Kimberly: This is a new lesion.

I can see that it's raised.

Narrator: And it's got
kimberly worried.

Kimberly: It's a bit gooey.
It could be another melanoma.

Corrine: Because
they are a dangerous bird,

We always want to make sure
our locks are locked.

Harmony: Yep.

Corrine: So, you just
want to check this padlock.

Narrator: Trainee keeper
harmony is learning how to care

For the world's most dangerous
bird, the southern cassowary.

Corrine: So, here comes macca.
She's our female.

Harmony: A female. Okay.

Corrine: So, if we want to walk
a little further down here,

It might encourage them
to come in a little bit.

Harmony: Today I'm lucky enough
to be learning how to work

With our southern cassowary.

As they are such
a large, impressive bird,

There's definitely the nerves
that come along with it,

But you've got to really focus
on what you're doing

To make sure that you're
doing the safety procedures

Properly and correctly
to keep yourself,

Everybody else, and the
cassowaries safe at all times.

Narrator: After watching
from the safety

Of the viewing area...

Corrine: Checking. Good.

No cassowaries inside.

Narrator: ...Today she will
be going into the exhibit

For the first time...

Corrine: All right, harmony,
so the cassowaries

Are safely locked in now.

Harmony: Yep.

Corrine: So we can move on out
to the exhibit.

Narrator: ...To learn
about one of the cassowary's

Most important roles
in their ecosystem.

Corrine: So, around different
species of plant rely solely

On being ingested
by the cassowary.

They've been referred to
in the past

As the gardeners
of the rain forest,

And this is because of
their gentle digestive system.

The cassowaries
are a keystone species.

They're important to the
diversity of the rain forest,

So without the cassowaries
consuming fruits and seeds

And dispersing them
through the rain forest,

A lot of those plants in
the rain forest would not exist,

Therefore, we really need
to keep these birds around.

So, what we'll be out here
looking for

Is just some of their scats
just to tidy up,

So we want to do a bit of a rake
and a shovel if we find any.

Narrator: And just
to avoid any confusion,

A scat, in this context,
is cassowary poo.

Corrine: Touching scats,
it's part of being a zookeeper.

Um, you can't get around it,

So if you, you've got to have
a strong stomach for this job.

All right, I think we've found
some over here, harmony.

Harmony: Yes.

Corrine: So,
if you want to have a look,

This is the perfect example
of how well and gentle

Their digestive system works.

Harmony: There's
whole chunks of fruit.

Corrine: So, there's still
whole chunks of fruit in there.

So, I think we can see

Maybe a little bit
of rock melon still there.

You've got rock melon skins,
some pear,

And the blue
quandong berry here.

Harmony: That's the tree that's
growing in this yard, right?

Corrine: Yeah, absolutely.

You can actually see that their
digestive system has actually

Started to break down
the flesh around the seed,

But it leaves it completely
intact and unharmed.

That is ready to germinate.
It's completely unharmed.

It's sitting in a nice pile of
fertilizer and is ready to go.

Harmony: It was so impressive

To see how
their digestive system works

And how gentle it can be

And how important they actually
are to the rain forest.

Corrine: So,
what I've got here...

Harmony: Oh, wow.

Corrine: ...Are actually eggs
from the cassowaries.

Harmony: That's so amazing.

Corrine: So, they're
pretty incredible.

The sheer size of them.

Harmony: Yeah.

Corrine: Um, they come out--

Harmony: Can I hold one?

Corrine: Of course.
Harmony: Thank you.

Corrine: They come out
even brighter than this.

If there's lush plants around,

You'd be hard pressed
to find them, I think.

But, um, yeah,
something that you probably

Won't get another chance to see

Unless you're working
with the cassowaries.

Harmony: This is a beautiful...

Corrine: I'll have to take it
back off you, though.

You can't have it.

Harmony: Damn, what a shame.

(laughs)

The training is quite
a lengthy process.

It's not done in one day.
It's a baby step process,

Um, so every day,
it's something new.

Corrine: So, as we were
talking about before...

Harmony: Some grapes.

Corrine: ...Grapes,
kiwi, pawpaw.

Harmony: Kiwi, banana.

Corrine: Yep.

Macca and chuck
really love their grapes,

And down the bottom, sultanas,

Which is one
of macca's favorite.

Narrator: And although harmony
still has a lot to learn...

Harmony:
I'm getting really close

To getting fully signed off,
which is really exciting.

Narrator: ...Training to work
with the cassowaries

Has been a real feather
in her cap.

Harmony: I have been
really enjoying it.

I've learned so much.

I'm definitely on the right path

To start working
with the cassowaries.

Narrator: And it looks like
the bird team is somewhere

She'll enjoy nesting
over the coming years.

Harmony: I'm so happy here.

I found my home, and I want to
work here for as long as I can.

♪ ♪

Narrator: Six months ago,
lemur andriba had an operation

To remove a malignant melanoma,

And vet kimberly is concerned
she may have found another one.

Kimberly: So,
here's a wound here,

So if we could get in there.

So, he's also got now
another mass on his back.

It's raised. It's a bit gooey.
It could be another melanoma.

Narrator: But kimberly
needs to take a closer look

To find out exactly what it is.

Liz: We are going to vacuum,
vacuuming a lemur.

Woman: You don't do
that every day, do you?

Liz: No.

Kimberly: You can see the skin
is really thickened and raised.

It's got two punctures there.

Do you reckon that looks like
it could be lemur teeth?

Rebecca: Yeah.

Kimberly: This looks more
like a bite to me,

But that's not saying it's not

Because tumors can actually
get necrotic and open up.

Let's measure the distance
between his teeth

And see if that looks
like a lemur bite.

Liz: Do you want calipers?

Kimberly: Yeah.
Let's get the calipers.

Liz: Do you want tip to tip?

Kimberly: Yep, tip to tip.

Okay. That's close.
Just leave it there

And see if that looks like
similar to that distance.

Liz: Yep.

Narrator: All evidence
seems to be pointing

To one obvious thing.

Kimberly: I reckon maybe
somebody's bitten him.

Rebecca: Yeah,
it wouldn't be impossible.

There was tension
in the group that week,

And there was a few aggressive
encounters with the lemurs.

Where it's located on the back,

It seems like a sneak att*ck,

So it's where a lemur
jumps on another lemur's back,

Um, they, they grab ahold,
and they bite,

Um, and then they'll jump off.

Kimberly: But it's very
suspicious of a bite wound,

Given the distance
between those two marks

And the aggression history

And the fact that we
can't find the old scar,

And that's not come back,

So I'm really,
really happy with that.

So, we'll start him
on some anti-inflammatories

And some antibiotics,

But I'm going to take
some biopsies just to make sure.

(beeping)

So, we're just taking
some circular biopsies

So we can look at the cells,

And the biopsy
will tell us a lot.

I am pretty sure it's probably
just a bite wound,

But with his history,
I want to be certain,

So we'll look at the cells
at a microscopic level

To see if it's just inflammation
or if there's tumor in there.

If it's melanoma,
it'll show up in there.

Narrator: Once the site of
the biopsy has been stitched,

The team take the opportunity
to do a thorough examination

Of -year-old andriba.

Kimberly: I can see
to the back of his eyes,

Which means he can see out.

His eyes actually
look really good.

He is an old guy, but his eyes
look nice and clear.

He's got a beautiful
little mask,

Very classic
ringtail lemur face.

He's got these beautiful teeth.

On the bottom,
they usually have lower incisors

That act like a comb, but
he's missing some of his teeth.

He's just going to
have to cope with it.

We're not going
to give him dentures,

Because he's doing okay.

He has got a bit of tartar
there. We'll take that off.

Narrator:
Apart from his back wound,

Andriba is in surprisingly
good health for an old lemur.

Kimberly: Ketamine could
just be wearing off,

The midazolam may hang out.

Narrator: And with
his medical complete,

It's time to wake him up.

Liz: Starting to wake up.

Andriba's breathing
really well, recovering nicely,

Um, starting to lift his head
up, look around a little bit,

So it's a slow but steady
recovery, which is really nice.

You don't want it to be
too erratic or too fast.

Narrator:
Once he's fully recovered,

Andriba will go back
to join his troop,

But kimberly will be waiting
anxiously for his results.

Kimberly: He's a favorite, and I
just really want him to do well,

And he's made it to .

I want him to just have
a lovely life

And continue
to live it out here

Without having to deal
with tumor.

Narrator: Out at taronga
western plains zoo in dubbo,

There's some exciting news
at hippo lake.

Carolene: Our beautiful female
hippo, cuddles, gave birth

To a little male calf,
and we've named him kani,

Which means strength.

♪ ♪

Cuddles actually gave birth in
the early hours of the morning.

Uh, that's quite natural
for hippos to give birth

In the shallows of the water.

This precious little hippo calf,

He is the first male calf born
in years within our region,

So he's going to play

An extremely valuable
and important role

Within the future
breeding program.

Narrator: Today keeper carolene
is doing the rounds.

Carolene: Cuddles!

Kani!

Narrator: Checking in on
baby kani's daily development

Is an important part
of her work.

Carolene: Good girl, cuddles.

Kani, are you hiding?

(laughs)

He's thriving.

He's approximately
kilos right now,

So he's developing really well.

As you can see, he's putting on
quite some substantial weight,

And that's just due to his mum,
cuddles, being very nurturing.

But her milk
is really high in protein,

So they tend to pack it on
quite, quite readily.

Narrator: The first few months
of a hippo's life

Are hugely important.

Carolene: During this
imprinting phase, you know,

Mum cuddles likes to keep
little kani away

And protected
from the rest of the group.

Little kani, as he develops,
he needs to learn

How to behave
as a hippo as well,

And this is where mum
is really important,

Especially when he meets dad
and, of course,

When he meets his elder sisters
and his aunt.

So, everything
from body posturing, vocals,

How he moves in the water,
as well,

Is, um, pretty important
for his development.

Hippos are naturally
an aquatic species,

Even though they come out on
land quite a lot to go grazing.

Hippos have
these remarkable features

Where they are able
to close their nostrils,

'cause they're very,
very muscular,

And that stops
all the water going down

Into their respiratory system.

Kani, for the first few days
in the pond system,

Was very clunky.

He was trying
to get coordinated,

But now he's starting
to fine-tune it,

And he's actually quite
acrobatic, um, in the water,

Or water system now,

And he can hold his breath
for a lot longer, too.

Narrator: At the zoo,
keepers are always making

Seasonal adjustments
to care for the animals,

So for kani and cuddles,

It means today
they're going to enjoy

The hippo version
of a spa treatment.

Carolene: Hippos in winter

Tend to be out of the water
a lot more

As opposed to what
they would be in summer,

So that means that their skin
dries out a lot more readily,

Which forms lots of cracks,

And they can be
quite susceptible to,

To little bacterial sores
and so forth,

So we need to apply what I call
is some hippo beauty lotion.

Um, it's just a mixture
of some q, qv oil,

So it's a little bit
more hydrating on the skin,

Uh, mixed with water, of course.

Hippos need a bit of pampering.

I think they're probably
the most pampered hippos,

Um, that I know of.

Narrator: It's clear that kani
is being well cared for,

And as one of the only
two males in the region,

Kani will have a big future
as a breeding bull.

But for now, life is
just one big adventure.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Taronga zoo wildlife hospital
are always ready to receive

All sorts of emergencies
through their doors,

From animals both inside
and outside the zoo.

And today they've received
a rather rare patient...

Larry: Wow.

Narrator: ...An adult
loggerhead turtle.

Larry: Who brought it?
Oh, the fishermen?

Woman: Yep. Ready?
Larry: All right.

Some fishermen rescued it
from an entanglement in nets

Out in the ocean,

And they brought it
in their fishing boat

To the taronga wharf.

Our nursing team have
just gone to pick it up,

And they've just brought it
to the, to the hospital here.

Really impressive animal.
It's about kilos.

It's not full grown actually,
even at that size,

But it's a pretty big animal.

. .

Hopefully there won't be
anything nasty wrong with it.

That's impressive, isn't it?

Quite old in years.

Maybe , years,
I'm not sure.

All the turtle species
are endangered to some degree.

See that there? That's probably
where the net was caught.

Sadly, most of the dangers
that the turtles face

Out in the ocean
are created by us.

You know, we really need
to do something about that

To be able to save
these beautiful animals.

All right, it looks
like he's ready to go.

(laughter)

Woman: , , .

Narrator: When dealing
with such a heavy animal,

The team have to work together.

Larry: Okay, so he's still now,
so we can all head out.

Narrator: Larry wants
a detailed set of x-rays,

So it's all hands on deck.

Woman: Okay, so we are
going to move him this way?

Larry: Move him forward.

Woman: Okay, , , .

Larry: That's the way.

Dealing with these large,
heavy turtles

Is very challenging for us,
even taking the x-ray.

We do it on the floor
because the animal's too heavy

To lift on the table.

Anyway.

These are the challenges
we love to have.

Two centimeters
towards the table again.

Part of being a zoo vet
or a zoo veterinary nurse

Is you've got to think
outside the square

And adapt whatever your
knowledge is and skills are

To, to any shape or size
of animal that comes in.

Woman: How's that?

Larry: Perfect.

(beep)

So, looking at this turtle,

There's certainly no hooks,
which is great, no sinkers.

Uh, we wouldn't be able
to rule out the possibility

Of plastic or fishing line.

We routinely take x-rays
of turtles because, um,

That is a big issue obviously,

Ingesting, uh,
fishing, fishing gear.

Um, but so far there, you know,
the indications are that this,

This was a completely
healthy turtle

That unfortunately
got tangled up in nets.

So far, nothing terribly wrong
with it that I can see.

Narrator: Happy
there's no internal injuries,

Larry wants a closer look at
the damage caused by the net.

Woman: centimeters.

Larry: So, I think
that these marks here,

They're sort of welts in a way,

And, um, they're pink,
and there's some purple,

And that's a typical part
of the body

That we see
in net entanglement in

Because they're swimming along
and they get caught in the net.

Their front part gets caught.

She's quite lucky, to be honest,
that she was found because,

Um, if she, if she wasn't
rescued from the net,

She, she would have almost
certainly have drowned.

Woman: , , .

Narrator: But while this
lucky turtle has been spared

Any major injury
from her fishing mishap...

Woman: Three. Oh.

Narrator: ...There's still
one more test she needs to pass

Before there's any chance
she can be released.

Sarah: So, the plan
is that we're going to,

Um, lift and put into the water.

This is salt water.

We'll see how her buoyancy is,

Um, and hopefully, yeah, get her
out within the next day or two.

Yeah, we're going
to put her in there.

Larry: There you go.

So, she'll probably
panic a little bit,

Which is quite typical of them
initially when they go in,

Until they orientate themselves.

When we put them in here,
often they do float for a while,

And then they equalize, and then
she'll go down to the bottom,

And that's what we want to see
is her ability to,

To submerge
and stay on the bottom,

So hopefully
within the next few hours,

She'll settle in
and submerge to the bottom.

♪ oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa ♪

Narrator: The penguins
are one of taronga's

Most popular attractions.

They're excellent swimmers and
really at home in the water.

But when the zoo
is closed to the public,

They don't mind stretching
their little legs.

Jo: Okay, michelle,
let's see who would like

To go for a walk today.

Michelle: Gari, dusky!

Jo: We'll start seeing who wants
to come out the fairy gate...

Michelle: All right. Dusky!

Jo: ...And go for a walk.

Michelle: Dusky's
more interested in food.

All right.

Jo: You got gari.

Michelle: Duck.

Jo: Good.
You take gari, mate.

Michelle: They don't have to go
on a walk if they don't want to,

So they choose to do it.

If they stay inside,
then that's fine,

They're still going to get fed.

Narrator: This morning, two of
the fjordland crested penguins

Have chosen to take a stroll.

Michelle: Clever.

Come on, gizza.

Narrator: These daily waddles

Are all part
of a bigger program

That taronga has in place for
every animal under their care.

Michelle: The walks
are really great for them

Just to get a little bit
of extra exercise.

It's also a fantastic, um,
mental stimulation for them

'cause they get to see things
that they wouldn't normally see.

And it's just a really fun
training exercise for them.

It's great bonding for us
as well with our penguins.

Good girl.

That's it.

Jo: Good girl. That's it.

Little plodder.

Michelle: In the normal course
of events outside of covid,

We would take them
for walks in the morning

Before the zoo guests arrive,

Uh, but at the moment,

Because of covid- ,

It means that we can do it
any time of day,

Uh, and we have
a lot more opportunities

To sort of have some fun
with our beautiful birds.

Jo: Gari came to us
from wellington zoo originally.

She was brought in
from the wild injured,

And you can see when she walks,
she has a little hop.

And you can see her foot here.

This is why she was not able to
be released out into the wild.

Michelle: Oh, you're going home?

Jo: Are you ready
to go home, girls?

Narrator:
While these happy feet

May have called it time
on today's walk...

Michelle: We reckon they get
a bit of a kick out of it.

Narrator: ...You never know,

They may appear tomorrow
for the sequel.

♪ ♪

Michelle: That's it. Good girls.

♪ ♪

Narrator: It's been two weeks
since the biopsy was taken

Of andriba's back wound.

And in order
to rule out melanoma,

It was sent to the lab
for analysis.

Lydia: This biopsy is
an important one for andriba,

And we're all a bit anxious,
to be honest, about it

Because, um, whatever we find
in this biopsy could tell us

Whether or not
he's had a recurrence

Of a malignant cancer, melanoma,

Or whether he's just
got a simple bite wound.

And those two diagnoses could
have very different implications

For him and his health.

Narrator: And with the results
straight from the microscope...

Kimberly: Hey, bec.

Rebecca: Hi, kimberly.

How are you going?

Narrator: Kimberly heads down
to the lemur forest

To share them
with keeper rebecca.

Kimberly: I got
the results of the biopsy,

And remember we thought
it might be a bite wound,

But we weren't sure if it
could have been the recurrence

Of the skin cancer,
the melanoma.

Rebecca: Yeah.

Kimberly: So, the first one was
definitely a malignant melanoma.

Rebecca: Okay.

Kimberly: But the biopsies we
took on his recent skin lesions

Were actually just inflammation
and just signs of infection,

So very consistent
with a bite wound.

There's no signs
of the melanoma.

Rebecca: Such a relief.

Kimberly: Yeah.

Rebecca: Awesome.

Kimberly: I'm so pleased.
So, so pleased.

Share the news with andriba.

Rebecca: It's not a tumor.

(laughing)

Narrator:
With cancer ruled out...

Kimberly: That looks fabulous.

Narrator: ...Kimberly checks
how andriba is healing.

Kimberly: I'm looking at the
area where we took the biopsies,

Where we see
those three purple stitches,

And I can see
that those are nicely healed

And that infection
and that swelling

Has reduced significantly,

So it's looking
pretty normal now.

It's just gonna be
a matter of time

For all of the hair to grow back

And for those sutures
to dissolve.

He's finished the antibiotics
and the anti-inflammatories.

Looks fine. I don't think
we need to continue anything.

Rebecca: Perfect.

Kimberly: So that's good.

Narrator:
It's andriba's lucky day.

And for rebecca and kimberly...

Kimberly: Oh, my god.

Narrator: ...It's sheer relief.

Kimberly: I'm so happy.

I was really worried
that we might have

A recurrence of the melanoma,
and if that was the case,

His future wasn't
going to look so good,

So it's really good news.

Narrator: Yesterday
a female loggerhead turtle

Was brought to taronga

After being caught up
in a fishing net.

Larry: So, hopefully there won't
be anything nasty wrong with it.

Narrator: Despite
no real visible injuries

Or internal trauma...

Larry: She's quite lucky, to
be honest, that she was found.

Woman: Three. Oh.

Narrator: ...There's only
one test left for her to pass

Before she can be released.

Larry: There you go.

That's what we want to see

Is her ability to, to submerge

And stay on the bottom.

You know, if she settles down
and gets down to the bottom

And her buoyancy is normal,
then, uh, you know,

I think we will want
to get her out soon.

Narrator: And all she needed
was a few hours

To get confident enough
to fully submerge.

And today vet nurse sarah
is happy with what she sees.

Sarah: Checked her feces,
we've taken blood,

And everything is a-ok,
so, yep, the next thing now

Is just to get her on that boat
and back into the water.

Narrator: Before any turtle
is released from taronga,

They're given a unique tag.

Larry: So, we've got
the, um, the pliers.

Sarah: I've got the tags inside.

Larry: Tags are here.

So, this will be registered

With national parks
and wildlife service.

Narrator:
This is a valuable tool,

Giving any researchers that may
come across her in the future

An insight
into the lives and habits

Of these amazing turtles.

Larry: Treating and caring
for the wildlife

And then being able
to release them back to the wild

Is one of the most rewarding
things we do.

Sarah: Nice work.

Larry: Two.

Okay. Okay.

Sarah: All right.

Larry: Need to get
those front flippers

Well and truly in there.

Sarah: , , .

If she's good,
she won't be very busy.

♪ ♪

Okay, we'll see you soon.

Narrator: Releasing a turtle

Calls for
a multi-agency approach,

And today the water police
are more than happy

To step in and help.

Larry: How are you guys?

How are you going?

Sarah: Yeah, so she's, uh,
quite active at the moment.

And a lot of the time, you know,
they actually do smell the ocean

And start to get really excited
and move around

And get all that kind of stuff,

Especially once we get
onto the boat.

Yeah, she'll start really
getting excited and ready to go.

Larry: I'll just
hand her to you, mate.

There you go.

You all right?

Sarah: Yep.

Officer: As we're going along,

This should give her
a bit of shade.

Sarah: Excellent,
thank you so much.

Larry: Yeah, thanks, guys.

♪ ♪

Officer: How old roughly?

Larry: Oh, we don't know, but
I mean, she's not fully grown,

So but she could be
, years, I don't know.

Sarah: So, we're just
heading out, um,

Of the heads at sydney harbor.

The reason why we go
about five ks off the coast

Is because it just gives them
that little bit extra

Not to come back
into the harbor,

Stay away from the boats and
the ferries and stuff like that,

And just to be in deeper water.

It's so great that we can
be able to do this.

For her to be going
back into the ocean

And hopefully to be able
to reproduce

And better the species
is a great thing.

Narrator: With the boat
in position,

It's time to let this turtle
start the rest of her life.

Larry: So, I think
essentially, guys,

We'll just get
to the end of the slipway

And then just unwrap her there.

Sarah: Take your radio off, laz.

Larry: Yeah, no,
I've done that already.

Sarah: Just in case
we go swimming.

Larry: If anyone's going
to go in, it'll be you guys.

♪ ♪

Okay. That's excellent.

All right.

Sarah: Woo-hoo!

Larry: Okay, sar.

Sarah: Go, laz.

And then just...

Larry: And slip her off.

Whoa.

Not very elegant, but anyway.

Sarah: Straight under the boat.

Soon as we took
the turtle carrier off her,

Yeah, she just kind of,
they get the taste of the water,

Get the smell, and then,
yeah, straight in.

They know what they're doing,
and off they go.

Larry: You know, over time,
she'll be heading north,

And, uh, you know, ultimately
during turtle breeding season,

Hopefully she'll, you know,
end up on, on the beach

That she usually turns up on,
where, wherever that might be

And, and lays a good clutch
of eggs next breeding season

And many more to come.

♪ ♪