Series 3 Episode 1
May 12 2009
In the return episode of THE ZOO, the birth of two snow leopards is fraught with health fears; a silverback gorilla books in for a dental appointment; an orphaned baby wombat seeks a surrogate mum; and a red-bellied black snake must learn not to bite the hand that wants to help him.
At Melbourne Zoo, keepers Arthur and Merrill witness the extraordinary birth of two snow leopards. But before they can relax after months of hard work and planning, the cubs must be cleared of a cruel eye condition that affects snow leopards in the wild.
Still at Melbourne, Rigo is a 176kg silverback gorilla with A painful problem. When keeper Andrea convinces Rigo to show her his mouth, she discovers his infected tooth. But no-one is prepared for just how bad his toothache is.
At Sydney's Taronga Zoo, a baby wombat is brought in underweight, dehydrated and with severe hair loss. He's lost his mum and the people who have adopted him don't know how to keep a wombat. Keepers, including Rachel Laing, must pull out all stops to save him.
At Taronga's Wildlife Hospital, one of Australia's most venomous snakes is in trouble. Garden netting trapped around a red bellied black snake's throat is blocking his airway, but just one bite from this snake would be toxic and painful.
