Every year millions of visitors from around the world pass through Taronga Zoo’s gates to get a glimpse of some of the most amazing creatures on the planet. But what people don’t see is the incredible and groundbreaking work that goes on behind the animal exhibits – until now.
New to Nine in 2020 comes the exciting behind-the-scenes documentary series Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo. In this series viewers will get to see just what it takes to run one of the world’s most famous and magnificent zoos, with no area off limits.
Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo is produced by McAvoy Media for Nine.
Naomi Watts to Voice New Series – Taronga: Who’s Who in the Zoo
Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo is a new documentary series that will give viewers on Nine a look behind the scenes at what it takes to run one of the world’s most famous and magnificent zoos.
Naomi Watts returns to Australian television as the narrator of Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo. An avid animal lover, the star of Mulholland Drive was named a Centenary Ambassador for Taronga Zoo when it celebrated its one hundredth year in 2016.
As Taronga Zoo completes some of the biggest changes in its history there has never been such an exciting time to show Australia what makes this magical place tick.
No part of Taronga’s sprawling 21 hectares – set on spectacular Sydney Harbour – is off limits in this gripping series which tracks the 240 keepers and vets who care for more than 5000 animals.
Millions of visitors from Australia and around the world pass through the zoo’s gates every year to get a glimpse of some of the most amazing creatures on the planet. But what they don’t see is the incredible, groundbreaking work that goes on behind the animal exhibits – until now.
No two days are the same as our cameras capture all aspects of zoo life, from celebrating a giant tortoise’s 103rd birthday to the complex logistical task of transporting a platypus to San Francisco Zoo.
Throughout the series we’ll meet the zoo’s own “CSI” team in the morgue. We’ll be there to see how Taronga rehabilitates injured wildlife; the special breeding programs for all sorts of animals, from chimpanzees and furry penguins to gorillas and turtles; and the tricky job of working out how to save the smile of a crocodile.
We will also get up close with the dedicated staff at Taronga who are a rare breed themselves, with their mix of world-class expertise and laidback Australian spirit. They show us exactly what it takes to run one of the greatest conservation success stories in the world.
Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo is produced for Nine by McAvoy Media.
Animal lovers are in for a treat when Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo premieres this Saturday at 7.00pm on Nine and 9Now.
Narrated by Naomi Watts, this fascinating new documentary series will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run one of the world’s most famous and magnificent zoos.
Making her return to Australian television, Watts said: “I moved to Australia as a teenager and remember going to Taronga. It was a beautiful experience, the animals and the setting. I remember thinking I can’t wait to take my children here one day.”
As Taronga Zoo completes some of the biggest changes in its history there has never been a more exciting time to show Australia what makes this magical place tick.
No part of Taronga’s sprawling 21 hectares – set on spectacular Sydney Harbour – is off limits in this gripping series which tracks the 240 keepers and vets who care for more than 5000 animals.
Millions of visitors from Australia and around the world pass through the zoo’s gates every year to get a glimpse of some of the most amazing creatures on the planet. But what they don’t see is the incredible, groundbreaking work that goes on behind the animal exhibits – until now.
Episode One
Meet 18-year-old Kibali, Taronga Zoo’s silverback western lowland gorilla. Kibali has been unwell, so staff must perform a full health check for the first time in 10years. You’ll be glued to your seat as you watch their dramatic efforts to anaesthetise, then perform a thorough examination on the dangerous 200kg gorilla. We’ll also take viewers inside the rehabilitation hospital as its expert staff try to save two shy albatross who have been injured in a bad storm.
Plus, we travel to Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo to see a baby white rhino and its protective mother as it joins the herd for the first time.
Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo is produced for Nine by McAvoy Media.
We follow Taronga Zoo vet Kimberly as she travels to the bushfire frontline in Bairnsdale, Victoria in a desperate effort to save injured wildlife. Working from a mobile animal hospital, Kimberly becomes concerned over a koala whose body starts to give up.
Back at the zoo, keepers prepare to home 12 koalas who have been rescued from the line of fire. See how Taronga plans to house and feed their new guests. Meanwhile, head vet Larry makes a house call to 16-year-old Murphy, a 300kg California sea lion who is in pain with a bad limp. Plus, see what happens when a goat and a gorilla come face-to-face.
Episode Three Saturday 22 February at 7:00pm (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth) Saturday 29 February at 7:00pm (Sydney, Brisbane)
Platypus are native to the east coast rivers of Australia and are common in our zoos. However, not one platypus exists outside of Australia. In this captivating episode, Taronga Zoo attempts to make history by transporting a male and female to world-renowned San Diego Zoo. With critical requirements to keep them alive, the zoo must work out how to make this tricky platypus export fly.
With their feet firmly planted on the ground, we also visit Taronga’s penguins during breeding season. It is up to zoo keepers Lindsay and Crystal to track how many eggs have been laid and how many chicks have hatched. Plus, see how the Asian elephants at Taronga Western Plains Zoo cool down on a scorching summer day with an elephant-sized ice block.
As much as this is a decent show, I doubt the ratings will be too flash on Wednesday, since they basically took it off Saturdays and reinstated it on a different night.
This is the problem with networks. They pull shows off-air as they’re airing and then later reinstate them on a different day/different slot and expect viewers to follow them there. If shows stayed in a particular day/slot all the time and it wasn’t so hard to follow then shows would still rate well.
So 6 episodes aired on Saturdays (with good ratings overall). And then had a quite a few weeks “break”. Now with A Currwnt Affairs on Saturdays, occupying its slot, its now moved on Wednesdays . It should have aired on Saturdays at 7.30 ( after ACA) or on Fridays replacing " Escape to the Chateau ", which doesnt seem to rate that well
No part of Taronga’s sprawling 28 hectares – set on spectacular Sydney Harbour – is off limits in this gripping series which tracks the 240 keepers and vets who care for more than 4500 animals.
The zoo story resumes with new stars: a chimpanzee who really needs to have a baby – and a very randy panda who has just fathered three!
Meet Naomi, a 17-year-old chimpanzee from Denmark who has resided at the zoo since 2015. Naomi is a very maternal female who has been unsuccessful in her attempts at giving birth despite falling pregnant twice. With her genetics vital to this endangered species, Taronga Zoo must find out what is preventing her from having a baby.
Meanwhile back at the “Panda Pad”, keepers are faced with the opposite problem. Pabu, an endangered red panda, has just fathered a family of three. Although he is part of a breeding program his partner must be given time to raise their young – but Pabu doesn’t want to wait. The team need to find a way to stop this randy boy from breeding again.
We also take viewers into the Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre where a badly injured boobook owl needs to learn to fly again. The veterinarian and the zoo keepers will attempt to do everything they can to help this patient soar in the wild once more.
On this episode, keepers prepare to move their 3 giraffes to a brand-new enclosure. But the entire move is put on hold, as Taronga staff are shocked by the rapid decline of Nyota, one of the zoo’s favourite giraffes.
Episode 9 Wednesday 3 June at 7.30pm
In this episode, a mysterious virus threatens to wipe out an entire species of snapping turtles; An injured fiordland crested penguin arrives from Melbourne Zoo, but will it settle in and call Taronga home?
Episode 10 Wednesday 10 June at 7.30pm
On this episode, vets have to perform emergency surgery on a Tree Goanna, after a member of the public brought it into the wildlife hospital with a particularly unusual injury.
The award-winning observational documentary series, Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo, returns for another 12 compelling episodes.
Dual Academy Award Nominee Naomi Watts again lends her voice to this engaging series, as staff from Taronga Zoo in Sydney, and Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, face some of the most monumental challenges in the zoo’s history.
Grappling with the complications thrown up by the COVID-19 pandemic, a shutdown of the zoo to the general public, and subsequent re-opening, this has truly been a year like no other for the hundreds of keepers, vets and volunteers that make Taronga Zoo the magical place it is.
Throughout this uplifting series, keepers work tirelessly to ensure their beloved animals, are kept and cared for to the highest possible standards.
The vets struggle with life and death on a daily basis, and the support and conservation staff work around the clock to give every species a fighting chance.
This season will include a rare and risky procedure on an aggressive Sumatran tiger, the tricky task of moving giraffes and lions into Taronga’s brand new 60-million-dollar African Savannah Precinct, and an incredible and emotional birth, that plays out in front of shocked zoo visitors.
