new zoo series

dean

Well-Known Member
10+ year member
I'm sure you will all know this already but the ITV zoo series based at London and Whipsnade has 3 new hour long episodes starting Sunday 10th, then 17th and 24th at 8pm or 20.00 hours
 
I don't know BT i received an email from ZSL saying it was starting on Sunday, I think it is just a catch up on what went before according to the email. May be there is more on the website?
 
ITV's Zoo series 4 (3 episodes) appears on some schedules as airing from 8pm Sunday 10 August

Return of the documentary following life at London Zoo and Whipsnade, with a new focus on the breeding of critically endangered animals. This edition follows the journey of three Sumatran tiger cubs from the moment they are born to the last time they can be safely handled by keepers and vets, and revisits Flora the pygmy hippo as she continues to receive life-saving treatment for cancer. Plus, head of birds Adrian Walls and the team finally manage to breed their first-ever Humboldt penguin chick, which is soon joined by six more babies. Narrated by Sarah Lancashire.

Just watched the first episode. Did she say Kumbuku:eek: He's looking very well, nevertheless.
 
Just watched the first episode.

Whoever it was at ZSL who negotiated this one with ITV needs a hefty bonus!

An hour at prime time on consecutive Sundays, right in the middle of the busiest season, presenting the zoo in the most positive of lights - how much would they have needed to pay to get that sort of coverage and publicity if they weren't being given it?
 
Whoever it was at ZSL who negotiated this one with ITV needs a hefty bonus!

An hour at prime time on consecutive Sundays, right in the middle of the busiest season, presenting the zoo in the most positive of lights - how much would they have needed to pay to get that sort of coverage and publicity if they weren't being given it?

Indeed!

I did enjoy the programme, and will continue to watch, but does anyone else think the series has become more "fluffy" and repetitive since the first series? Penguin Beach AGAIN and still very London-centric.

There's plenty of stories that could be covered, such as Przewalski's horse or scimitar-horned oryx conservation. Or why not throw some history in? And did anyone else notice an aye-aye cameo last night? Certainly not seen one of those on show for a while!
 
Yes indeed a very good programme broadcast at peak time during the peak Summer season, excellent timing and a programme that showed Z.S.L. in a very positive way. Obviously the newer show case exhibits featured strongly, Tiger Territory with the three cubs and Penguin Beach with baby penguins, plus a guest appearance of Ricky of coarse. At Gorilla Kingdom, Kumbuka is a very impressive male, I noticed the bond he has with his keeper when he was training him with porridge to accept a needle, perhaps a little too friendly for a male gorilla, and no mention of any female pregnancies yet, perhaps Pertinax's predictions about him are going to be proved correct, I hope we are proved to be wrong though.What a contrast these new programmes are to The Ark documentaries on B.B.C. two over twenty years when the zoo was on the verge of closure.
 
Tiger Territory with the three cubs and Penguin Beach with baby penguins,

perhaps Pertinax's predictions about him are going to be proved correct, I hope we are proved to be wrong though.

The zoo certainly seems to be booming this summer, as I saw when I was there last week. I also noticed the constant references to 'Penguin Beach' and 'Tiger Territory' as if they are brands of merchandise (I suppose they are really.:)) and the phrases appeared frequently in the T.V. programme too. Understandable of course when the focus was on Penguin chicks and Tiger cubs, but they sure used that shot of the entrance to 'Tiger Territory' a few times...;)

Panthera- Yes, perhaps the programmes are a bit 'fluffy' admittedly but that's because of their time slot, being primetime on Sunday night aimed at family audiences etc
I also noticed the AyeAye shot too.

Re Kumbuka. I'm reserving judgement rather on him still. If after two years there have been no babies, then I think he probably can be classed as a no-hoper, but they do say he mates the females which is the crucial part. I know of other males that fathered young after an initial 'slow start'.
 
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Re Kumbuka. I'm reserving judgement rather on him still. If after two years there have been no babies, then I think he probably can be classed as a no-hoper, but they do say he mates the females which is the crucial part. I know of other males that fathered young after an initial 'slow start'.

Saw Kumbuka mating with one of the females last week (but couldn't see which one), so at least he is trying
 
I also noticed the AyeAye shot too.
Re Kumbuka. I'm reserving judgement rather on him still. If after two years there have been no babies, then I think he probably can be classed as a no-hoper, but they do say he mates the females which is the crucial part. I know of other males that fathered young after an initial 'slow start'.

Wouldn't it be nice to see the aye-ayes featured next week or the week after. As for Kumbuka; pronounce his name properly, keep your fingers crossed and remember the recent happenings at Belfast :)

Alan
 
ITV Series THE ZOO.

I'm sure there was an additional thread discussing this in a bit more detail - maybe it was moved but I can't find it here or in the T.V. section...

Did anyone else spot last night's bloop?

I think I heard right and that they said 'London have had a family of Asiatic Lions since 1854'(or similar early date).

Of course in recent decades they've only had Asians since the early 1990's and I am not sure if they have ever had them previously at any stage.
 
I'm sure there was an additional thread discussing this in a bit more detail - maybe it was moved but I can't find it here or in the T.V. section...

Did anyone else spot last night's bloop?

I think I heard right and that they said 'London have had a family of Asiatic Lions since 1854'(or similar early date).

Of course in recent decades they've only had Asians since the early 1990's and I am not sure if they have ever had them previously at any stage.

Yes I noticed that, probably meant just lions, Asian just being a mistake. I didn't enjoy last nights show as much as last weeks, with the sadness of loosing Abbey the lioness, and also the old lady sea lion at Whipsnade. It was good however to see Karishma and her new baby, I thought Karishma behaved very well for the keepers, not a foot out of place, and this is an elephant that was supposed to be a handful at her former residence where she was born sixteen years ago.!
 
I thought Karishma behaved very well for the keepers, not a foot out of place, and this is an elephant that was supposed to be a handful at her former residence where she was born sixteen years ago.!

I have a feeling the management regime at Whipsnade is probably rather stricter than Twycross. For a start the Elephants go out in the grounds daily, so have to be fully under control at all times to allow that, which requires perhaps a higher level of training and discipline. It seems they had no trouble bringing Karishma 'into line'. She has actually benefited in some ways, from leaving Twycross as although she was split from her birth group, she is at least living and breeding in a more natural group.
 
Did anyone else spot last night's bloop?
I think I heard right and that they said 'London have had a family of Asiatic Lions since 1854'(or similar early date).

Of course in recent decades they've only had Asians since the early 1990's and I am not sure if they have ever had them previously at any stage.

London Zoo’s first Indian lions were received in 1853 when a pair were acquired from Gujarat (and some old London Zoo postcards depict Asiatic lions); of course African lions were at the zoo long before that.
 
London Zoo’s first Indian lions were received in 1853 when a pair were acquired from Gujarat (and some old London Zoo postcards depict Asiatic lions); of course African lions were at the zoo long before that.

In which case perhaps they meant the first Asiatic Lions were kept at the Zoo then. It implied they have always had them -if I heard right.
 
In which case perhaps they meant the first Asiatic Lions were kept at the Zoo then. It implied they have always had them -if I heard right.

You definitely heard right; the programme stated that there has been a family of Asian lions at the zoo since 1854, which is clearly incorrect.
 
I'm sure there was an additional thread discussing this in a bit more detail - maybe it was moved but I can't find it here or in the T.V. section...
it was discussed in the closed 2014 London Zoo news thread. I have moved all the relevant posts to this thread.
 
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