The Zoo

The Zoological Society of London invites cameras back into their two homes for a backstage look at life in London Zoo, Regents Park and their country home at Whipsnade. ITV returns for its fourth critically acclaimed series of The Zoo. This new series explores the role of the keepers struggling to breed critically endangered species and examines the extraordinary relationships between keepers and their animals at one of the oldest and most famous zoos in the world.

After the tragic loss of the Sumatran Tiger cub last year the keepers at ZSL were delighted when mum Melati became pregnant again; this time giving birth to triplets. We follow the cubs through their first months at ZSL.

Emergency surgery is performed on 15 year old Abi the Lion, but when the cause of her illness remains unclear and she takes a sudden turn for the worse, the staff at ZSL are left facing one of the most difficult decisions of all. Meanwhile sympathetic keeper Nicky Blundred offers Pygmy hippos Thug and Nicola ‘marriage counselling’, keeper Alex Pinnel gets her Californian sea lions back in shape for their Whipsnade shows following a winter building up blubber and the Africa Section team battle to feed a new calf.

Executive Producer: Paul Hamann
Series Producer: Alicia Kerr
Producer/Directors:  Tom Pearson & Liz Friend
Editors: Chris Beresford, David Gasson & Simon Battersby
Composers: Sandy Nuttgens & Spike Scott
Narrator: Sarah Lancashire
Distributed by: ITV Studios Global Entertainment
http://www.itvstudiosge.com/