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11 Episodes 2004 - 2004
Episode 65
30 mins
Polar Bear Bye-Bye Almost a year after being orphaned - then rescued - on the shores of Hudson's Bay, it's time to ship a pair of polar bear cubs off to their new home. But before they can board the truck to St. Felicien, Quebec, the bears will have to be coaxed into a pair of crates. For the staff in Toronto, there's only one thing more difficult: saying "au revoir." Mandrill Training #3 For Jabba the mandrill and keeper Ali Vella, two months of training have come down to this: Will Jabba sit still and let the other mandrills eat? Or will instinct win out and result in his hoarding the food as usual? Yak Calf Training #1 Curly the yak is as rambunctious as any toddler. But if Karen and Dan are going to train him as an outreach animal, they'll have to get him used to wearing a halter and toning down his behaviour.
Episode 66
30 mins
A Star Fades For years, Kivali the white tiger was one of the Toronto Zoo's star attractions. But recently, her failing health has forced her out of the spotlight. Today, the staff will take her for a critical examination - a chance to assess the extent of her decline and remember better days. Polar Bear Cubs Arrive - St. Felicien After a 13-hour drive from Toronto, the polar bear cubs arrive at the Zoo Sauvage de St. Felicien in Quebec. The staff there are thrilled, but anxious as to how Nakita and Aurora have fared on the journey and how they will react to their new holding area.
Episode 67
30 mins
Moose Marking - St. Felicien At the St. Felicien Zoo, many of the animals roam freely. But to identify them from afar, each has to be marked by shaving a portion of their coat. And it's not as if the zoo's newest moose will sit in a barber's chair! To mark him, they'll have to get him to stand still in a chute, avoiding both his freshly-grown antlers and his anxious mother. Baboon Enrichment In the wild, baboons forage for food, and there's usually enough for everyone. At the Toronto Zoo, keepers such as Margaret have to hide their food in structures like the "termite mound," and hope that the dominant ape Bwana Joe gets tired of looking and leaves some for the rest. Old Taz, New Trick Tasmanian devils aren't exactly known for their cooperation. Julie is out to teach Kylan how to keep her nose on a target stick. It's a behaviour that will make it easier to examine her now that she is getting older. Improvements are subtle and difficult to detect. As usual, the devil is always in the details.
Episode 68
30 mins
Polar Bear Dip - St. Felicien It's not New Year's Day, but the staff in St. Felicien are hoping to welcome two new members into their Polar Bear swim club. The polar bear cubs have never been in an exhibit as large as their new home, let alone one with a real swimming pool. How will they react - especially in front of the large crowd of visitors and media invited to their coming-out party? Dhole Intro Toronto's male Dhole - or Asiatic wild dog - hasn't had a mate in months. Now he's got two - fresh from a zoo in Britain. Yak Calf Training #2 Curly the yak seems to be getting used to wearing his halter. But the last time he wore it, he got a needle in his behind for a TB test. So he just might be a bit testy when it comes to wearing it again.
Episode 69
30 mins
Warthog Intro Roberta the warthog has been living alone since her offspring were weaned. So has the male Stephan. The zoo doesn't need them to breed, but a little company for each other can make life better for everyone. Greased Geese - Winnipeg At the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, veterinary technician Janis and her colleagues have a slippery task on their hands: a flock of Canada Geese covered in vegetable oil. The oil isn't toxic, but it harms the geese's ability to fly and makes them easy prey. The solution? Dish soap. And you thought you hated cleaning up! Burl and the Runner Ducks Burl the border collie has won lots of awards for herding sheep. But now he's got a new challenge: a flock of ducks the Toronto Zoo wants to pair him with for an upcoming demonstration.
Episode 70
Lethal Ape-on - Winnipeg John and his fellow keepers are always on the lookout for ways to entertain Mel the gibbon. That has always meant spreading a variety of toys around his exhibit. But ever since Mel's mate died, John made the move of playing with him one-on-one. Stitching the Cheetah For Toronto Zoo vet Chris Dutton, the report of a scrap between the cheetahs brings conflicting emotions: anxiety at not immediately knowing the extent of injury, admiration at the cats' ability to defend themselves and wonder at the opportunity to handle one of them up close. Komodo Hatchling #1 This is the day curatorial keeper Andrew and his fellow staff have been waiting for: the first-ever hatching of a Komodo dragon in Canada. But his excitement quickly turns to worry over the possibility of infection in the hatchling.
Episode 71
Sumatran Tiger Cub Check Indomalaya keeper Karyn has handled a number of newborn species, but this is her first time with Sumatran Tiger Cubs. Today, she will help check on the Zoo's three newest cubs and do everything possible to make sure their mother Britne doesn't reject them afterwards. Working quickly is a must ... so is smearing themselves with soiled tiger bedding. Komodo Hatchling #2 It's been three days since the Komodo dragon hatchling was treated for a possible infection in its umbilical cord. That means three restless nights for keeper Andrew. Time to check on this hard-earned and extremely rare baby. Bear Lock-up - Winnipeg Sean's been working his way up at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Lately, he's been learning to feed the zoo's collection of Black, Grizzly and Polar Bears.
Episode 72
Lions in the Squeeze Chute Keeper Brad has three days to get Toronto's lions ready for their inoculations. That means training the four of them to be comfortable in a "squeeze chute" used to help them stay still. But it's not like he can just show them who's boss. They don't call them the kings of the jungle for nothing. Buster the Goat Buster the goat's life at the zoo was supposed to be simple. Learn to behave, maybe a few tricks and entertain the kids as part of a zoo demonstration. But a urinary infection soon made him one of the more difficult - and special - patients new veterinary technician Kelly encountered. Tree Kangaroo Intro #1 Australasia keeper Lisa puts a female and male Tree Kangaroo together hoping they will breed. Like all things, patience is a virtue.
Episode 73
Lions get their Shots Today's the day for the lions to get their shots. Brad's hoping they're now comfortable in the squeeze chute that holds them in place for the shots. But they might be a little too comfy - and savvy enough to use the chute to make it more difficult for the vets to do their job. Beluga Whale Training - Vancouver The Vancouver Aquarium has embarked on a special project to measure the breathing capabilities of a variety of marine mammals. The trick? Getting the animals to stay still under a breathing chamber - without food as a reward. Today it's Imaq the Beluga whale's turn. If he does well, all he'll get is physical contact: rubs on his tongue and forehead. Lexus on the Road Lexus the one-year old camel has a belly ache. He's so bloated, he looks like he's pregnant. So they're taking him on a one-hour ride to a more specialized clinic, and crossing their fingers the vets there will find some answers.
Episode 74
Rhino Ultrasound Indira the Indian rhinoceros has bred before, but in preparing for breeding her this time, the Toronto Zoo staff discovered growths on her uterus. That made breeding attempts secondary. The main concern now is making sure the tumours don't grow large enough to cause infection. And that means examining her insides. If Indira doesn't cooperate, the vet won't get the information he needs. Tree Kangaroo Intro #2 It's taken longer for Chrissie and Harrington to breed than Lisa was expecting. She's starting to think they may have missed their window of opportunity. But Lisa's giving it one last try. If things pan out, the zoo might just get a baby tree kangaroo. Dolphin Swim - Vancouver It's one of the best parts of the job at the Vancouver Aquarium: swimming with Spinnaker the dolphin. But it's not just fun. By getting into the water with him, his keepers can examine every bit of him up close. That's if they can get him to stay still. No easy task for a dolphin who can swim as fast as forty miles per hour.
Episode 75
Turtle Search A team of researchers studying wild snapping turtles has a problem: two of their subjects have gone off the radar. Time to go off-site to the turtle's hibernation grounds and dig them up for a closer look. Kelly's Last Day Kelly came to the zoo to fill in for a veterinary technician on maternity leave. Her contract is now up, and though it's only been a year, there are two animals to whom it's difficult to say goodbye. Cheetah Darting Vet technicians Jen and Dyann are used to preparing the animals' annual vaccinations. But they don't always administer the shots, especially when that task requires a dart gun. That changes today. For the first time, the two of them will be darting the animals.