ITV - The Zoo: Series 4 (2014)

Documentary going behind the scenes at London Zoo in Regent's Park and its sister zoo at Whipsnade in Bedfordshire.

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Part 1:
This episode follows the journey of three Sumatran tiger cubs. They are filmed from birth to the last time they can be handled before they become too dangerous. The zoo's breeding programme for the endangered Humboldt penguin goes into overdrive. Three years after the penguin colony was moved to its new home, head of birds Adrian Walls and the team finally manage to breed their first ever penguin chick, who is soon joined by six more babies. Vets continue with a pygmy hippo's life-saving cancer treatment and try to save a 500g Goeldi's monkey which has lost its appetite. On the other side of the zoo, keeper Dan Simmonds reveals what it is like to work with gorillas as he revamps the indoor gym and trains alpha male Kumbuku to keep calm while his heart is checked with a stethoscope.

Part 2:
An Asian elephant gives birth to her second calf at Whipsnade. The calf takes his first steps, guided by his mother, before meeting the herd for the first time. In Regent's Park, keeper Paul Kybett notices that a 15-year-old Asian lioness is not feeding. Vet Tai Strike and her team are called in to perform an emergency exploratory operation, but the cause is still a mystery. After the operation, the lioness appears to be getting better but then takes a turn for the worse, leaving staff facing one of the most difficult decisions of all. Keeper Graeme Williamson moves to a new role looking after the chimpanzees. Bonding with one of the zoo's most complex and demanding families proves rather testing for Graeme as he attempts to train them one on one. Elsewhere, the zoo's two pygmy hippos have not been getting along, so their keeper Nicky Blundred resorts to re-introducing them to each other.

Part 3:
The keepers get involved with all aspects of the zoo's breeding programme, including being on hand when Whipsnade's Indian rhinos mate. The vet team attend the first llamas born at London Zoo for ten years and a newly-born giraffe at Whipsnade needs urgent help. Elsewhere, big cat keeper Tony Cholerton has to say goodbye to one of his favourite charges when Lucifer, head of the zoo's pride of lions, moves to Paignton Zoo.