| The Zoo | |
|---|---|
| Format | Documentary |
| Narrated by | Bill Kerton |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| No. of episodes | 107 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Andrea Lamb |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Greenstone TV |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | TVNZ |
| Original run | 1999 – present |
The Zoo is an award winning New Zealand observational documentary series, made by Greenstone TV, that follows the lives of Auckland Zoo's animals and zookeepers. The series explores the new arrivals and births of Auckland Zoo, to the fights, illnesses and mating rituals, how the animals are fed and how they live. The series' production crew are based full-time at the zoo, but the series also follows zookeepers overseas on zoo-related trips.
The Zoo will be returning to New Zealand's TV One in 2012 for it's 12th season.
Contents |
Zoo keepers who have previously starred on the show before but no longer do, however may still work at Auckland Zoo.
The premiere season of The Zoo.
10-year anniversary season.
| Episode No. | Description | Viewers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The tiger cubs celebrate their first birthday; lion keeper Nat comes face-to-face with the one animal she's afraid of; and baby orangutan Madju gets a bouncing surprise. | 493,100 |
| 2 | Nat takes the plunge and faces her fears; in Sumatra, orphaned orangutan babies find comfort with Amy and Carly; and Kashin the elephant has everyone worried. | 495,800 |
| 3 | A little blue penguin is brought to the vet clinic; a devastating turn of events causes the zoo to close its gates; and in Sumatra, Amy and Carly take a wild ride deep into the jungle. | 622,000 |
| 4 | Burma the elephant takes her first steps into life without Kashin; a big decision is made about tiger mum Molek; and in Sumatra, Amy and Carly try to teach the baby orangutans how to climb trees. | 577,450 |
| 5 | The vet team try to find out what's wrong with tiger mum Molek; there's an unexpected delivery on Baboon island; and in Sumatra, the baby orangutans must try to make it on their own. | 519,580 |
| 6 | It's life or death for the baboon baby, as the new boys move in; the world's rarest parrot makes an emergency landing at the vet clinic; and Iwani's parents leave home. | 523,000 |
| 7 | The arrival of two newborn otters takes everyone by surprise; Christine is on a mission to help Iwani the siamang get his girl; and vet Richard goes bush to try and check on an old patient. | 564,980 |
| 8 | Visitors think they have seen a snake in the grass at the zoo; Christine heads to Australia to play matchmaker for Iwani; and the two baby otters have an appointment with the vet. | 516,860 |
| 9 | The lions aren't sure what to make of some strange intruders in their enclosure; a baby otter is rushed into emergency surgery; and Christine Tintinger has to say goodbye to a 25-year friendship. | 486,750 |
| 10 | Keeper Lana is in Australia to get to grips with some aggressive alligators; and it's an emotional day at Auckland Zoo, as the orangutans head to a new life in Florida. | 640,330 |
Airing in 2012 in New Zealand
This 1-hour The Zoo special takes a look at pregnancy, birth and infancy at Auckland Zoo. Explores the successes and failures of trying to breed giraffes, lions, orang-utans, tigers, pink flamingos and the native New Zealand tuatara.
The story of Baby Iwani, the Siamang Gibbon, who was rejected by his mother and 'adopted' by zookeeper Christine Tintinger. This 60-minute special leads up to the day Christine has to give him back to Mum.
Popular Auckland Zoo zookeeper Trent Barclay has a passion for wild cats. In this series of ten episodes, Trent travels to South Africa to encounter wild cats up close and personal in their natural African habitat.
Two By Two At The Zoo is a series made up of ten episodes of specials from The Zoo series. Two By Two At The Zoo explores Auckland Zoo's favourite animals and the keepers who care for them.
The Zoo spin-off series, The Zoo: This Is Your Life, celebrates five special Auckland Zoo animals. The series follows Indra the Orangtan, Kashin the Elephant, Kura the Lioness, Zabulu the Giraffe and Kito the Rhino. It features archive video footage and photos, and interviews current and former keepers. All stories feature highs and lows including births and traumatic deaths, stressful journeys, life threatening illness and daring escapes.
| Episode | Description | Viewers |
|---|---|---|
| Indra the Orangutan | Indra the Orangutan arrived at Auckland Zoo 25 years ago and stole the hearts of everyone she met. Indra gave birth to her first baby and the first orangutan to be born at Auckland Zoo. She made the headlines after making a daring escape, and a terrifying health scare later threatened Indra's life. Enjoy the fascinating and emotional story of this lovable ape who's life at the Zoo was about to come full circle. | |
| Kashin the Elephant | Kashin the Elephant was a New Zealand Icon and one of the oldest and most recognizable residents of Auckland Zoo, after arriving in 1972 from America when she was just four years old. Famous for her easygoing personality she made front page news when she attacked an intruder while recovering from an operation on her foot. This is a gripping and endearing story of New Zealand's much loved personality. | |
| Kura the Lioness | Kura the Lioness arrived at Auckland Zoo as a frightened little cub, eight years ago and then, through some nerve wracking encounters, she let everyone know who was the boss on Lion Hill. Her "don't mess with me" attitude meant she called the shots, but being a mum let her gentle side show. Much admired, occasionally misunderstood, we take a fascinating look at the exciting and unpredictable life of a very special animal. | |
| Zabulu the Giraffe | Zabulu the Giraffe was just a shy one year old lad when he set off on a grueling 48 hour journey by boat from Christchurch to Auckland Zoo back in 1998. Nervy and shy he also showed a resilience in his early years that set him apart as something special. Zabulu coped with the hurdles that life set before him, growing up to quietly dominate Pridelands with his regal presence. This is a delightful story of Zabulu from his first wild days at sea to his heady domination of Pridelands and all his gripping adventures in-between. | |
| Kito the Rhino | Kito was the first rare Southern White rhino to be born at Auckland Zoo and since the day she first arrived her short life was full of dramas. Absolutely adorable as a baby her effervescent spirit made her hundreds of fans but her arrival also threatened to tear her family apart. When she was just three a tragic accident would affect Kito's life forever and ultimately force her to leave the only home she had ever known. Here is the whole story of little Kito's eventful life and how she eventually overcame adversity. |