All language subtitles for Taronga s02e01 Chimp Change

World -famous Sydney Harbour is home to
some of Australia's most well -known and

cherished landmarks and one of the
world's most iconic zoos,

Taronga.

But never before in its 104 -year
history has it ever faced a year with as

monumental challenges.

She doesn't have a heartbeat anymore.

First, it created a $60 million African
savannah right here on the harbour's

edge. Nearly home, mate.

Now, it must move these majestic...
That's a boy.

...but temperamental tenants into their
new home.

Oh, it's so gay!

Everyone stand as far apart as possible.

And it must do all this. You got your
mask on?

Hamstrung by the restrictions of the
COVID -19 pandemic.

It's really hard to see because I'm
fucking up.

But the teams across both of Taronga Zoo
meet every challenge head on.

Two feet up now.

After all, they have 5 ,000...

There's an animal to care for, birthdays
to celebrate, and

babies to welcome.

And our cameras are there every step of
the way.

On this episode... Reproductively, she's
in her prime at the moment.

Naomi struggled to become a mum. She
seems to really want to be a mother.

She's tried and failed before. She has
had two births, but unfortunately they

were both stillborn.

Is this the moment all of Taronga have
been waiting for? I'm wondering, what's

Larry saying?

After six months of fasting... Mate,
I've just come up to grab something for

Rach. Rachel makes an absolute pig of
herself.

She's absolutely going to smash that.

And get ready for takeoff. Learning up
the platform.

As baby Marley learned to fly.

Good boy.

Well, glide actually.

So he's able to catch the wind and
glide.

between different trees.

People come to zoos to marvel at the
weird and wonderful animals that make up

our natural world.

But when you visit Taronga Zoo in
Sydney, One of the first exhibits you

is full of animals that are a lot closer
to humans than you'd think.

Chimpanzees share 99 % of our DNA,
making them our closest living

relatives.

We've got a nice big group of chimps
here at Turunga. We've got 21 chimps in

community all up.

They're actually one of the largest and
most successful groups of chimpanzees in

zoos anywhere in the world.

Over the years we've had a lot of babies
grow up in the community and they've

been sent to zoos all over the world.

But it's a two -way journey, with
Taronga Zoo receiving chimps as well.

And Naomi is one of them.

She's just come into our community two
years ago. We brought her over here from

a zoo in Denmark.

She's 17 years old, so she's still quite
young.

Females in zoos can live into their 60s,
so I guess, reproductively, she's in

her prime.

Naomi came to Taronga with her sister,
Ceres, who has since given birth to new

baby, Sibeli.

Sadly, Naomi hasn't been as lucky.

Unfortunately, Naomi has had some
struggles.

She has had two births, but they were
both stillborn.

She's showed a lot of maternal instinct
with those stillborns, so she seems to

really want to be a mother. So we're
trying to do as much as we can to help

along with the process.

Liz, can you hold that?

OK. Last year, the zoo brought in some
specialist help to see if they could

out exactly what was going on with
Naomi.

I'm an obstetrician and I deal with
humans.

And we're going to slide her down.

Okay, it's a little bit different, but
it should be interesting. Yeah, a new

experience, basically.

The team conducted a range of tests that
they would normally do on humans.

Initially,

everything seemed normal.

Oh, beautiful.

Look, that is gorgeous. Look at that.

Oh, yeah, that's beautiful, yeah.

But a few weeks later, the pathology
results came back.

Naomi's record up here.

Naomi's placenta had an abnormality.

There was one antibody that they checked
which was positive, something that is

related to risk of blood clotting.

At last, the team have an answer as to
why Naomi has never had a successful

pregnancy. I thought that the calcium
improved that and the aspirin improved

that. So armed with that knowledge, they
set back on the path of helping Naomi

to become a mum.

Ultrasound obviously would be a valuable
tool in monitoring her, so can that be

done? Do you think we could achieve
that?

I would say that the scanning that we're
going to be doing would be through

training. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Would you have her trained to sort of...
Yeah.

Only problem is, the plan they're
hatching has never been attempted before

Taronga.

There are two sides to the world at each
of Taronga's zoos.

One world faces the public and is a
wonderful way for visitors to get up

and personal with thousands of animals.

The other world is hidden behind the
walkways and exits.

Here, hundreds of people work side by
side, making sure every animal at

gets the best care possible.

There's the teams doing the dirty work
to ensure animal environments are in

pristine condition.

So we're just going to get the paddock
nice and neat and tidy for them, and

they're going to come through and chop
back all this long grass for us.

Teams of keepers.

making sure the marine animals have only
the freshest water to swim in.

Just confirming we're all good to fill
the penguin exhibit whenever you're

ready.

People think it's all just playing with
animals and stuff like that, but no,

unfortunately, it's a messy job as well.

And there are departments devoted
entirely to preserving species facing

extinction in the wild.

The loss of the devil from the Tasmanian
ecosystem would have a devastating

impact.

You're right, buddy, you're nearly home.

But despite the massive amount of work
that goes into keeping Taronga

I think normal training routine, people
go down the stairs and everyone else

stay out of view.

When it comes to one of the most
important jobs at the zoo, it all falls

shoulders.

of just one dedicated woman.

I'm Michelle. I'm the zoo and wildlife
nutritionist here at Taronga, so I take

care of all of the menus for the 5 ,000
different animals that are across

Taronga Zoo and Taronga Western Plains
Zoo.

Let's check on food basket while I'm
effect.

And with more than 350 species
represented at Taronga, Michelle is one

lady. Here at the zoo, we feed...

So many different varieties of things.

Some of the things that we get you might
find at your local grocery store. You

know, some of the supplements that we
use, some of the different products that

we get from even your livestock supply
stores.

We have haze and fruits and vegetables.
We feed insects. Some of those are grown

on site.

This trolley is full of beetle, are
they?

Most of these are going to our birds. As
well as different plants. We have a

huge horticulture department that helps
to collect plants every day for some of

our animals.

And we bring in different varieties.
Some of them are native to Australia and

some of them are exotic. So they're from
plants from all over the world.

Michelle is the only zoo nutritionist in
Australia.

So not only does she have to be across
what food comes into the zoo, but also

what animal needs to eat it.

Every animal at the zoo has different
needs. These, for example, are bats.

...that are going to our bird
department. Our bird department has over

species and they all have different
needs. Some of them are herbivores, some

them are carnivores.

Animals with different digestive
systems, some animals that might need to

multiple times a day, like a herbivore
who needs to keep its belly full in

to have good digestive function. But
then we have animals like reptiles that

might not eat for six months of a year,
perhaps.

And we still have to watch their weight
because six months may be too soon. So

we might have to look at them and check
their body condition and maybe we wait

another month before we feed that big
snake.

And we have to cater to each and every
thing, whether it be the biggest

that's five tons to the smallest
microgram insect that we might be

well. And today, Chef Michelle has added
crickets to the menu.

that reptile keeper Delvina will be
serving up to these funky little frogs.

Hi!

We're going to feed you again.

Do you want to eat?

So these are a couple of our white
-lipped tree frogs.

As I said, very voracious eaters.
Sometimes they try and eat each other.

there we go.

They're excited for feeding time.

They don't actually swallow properly
like we do. They use their eyeballs to

down the food.

See the way it's blinking down?

While these crickets look appetising,
sometimes the frogs can get carried

No! Stop it!

You guys are horrible!

So anything that moves in front of them,
they're going to try and eat.

This happens a lot, and if it's not on
my face, it's usually my fingers.

Doesn't hurt at all. It just kind of
feels... I can't describe the feeling,

actually. They're very soft inside,
though. But you can see that he's trying

really, really hard.

Let's get you off gently.

Let go.

Let go.

They're tough little buggers.

Thank you.

No!

Thank you.

A little bit slimy as well.

We feed our reptiles and amphibians
every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

And that's because they're not like us,
like mammals or birds. They don't need

to eat as much as we do because their
metabolism is so much more different to

ours. So for us, we exert a lot of
energy. That means we need to...

take a lot of energy inside as well. So
it's all about input, output.

For these guys, they're a little bit
slower, especially reptiles. They don't

need to move as much, which means that
they don't need to eat as much either.

Very good. While these greedy guts must
wait another two days before they eat

again... Hey, thank you, frog.

..our next diner has already been
waiting a week.

OK.

It's a good day for Gracie Lou.

And she is famished. In that cricket,
she gets all the nutrition she needs for

whole week. So obviously it's a very
exciting day for her.

Bon appétit, Gracie Lou.

Coming up, the art of teaching a sugar
glider to glide.

Lining up the platform.

What are you looking at?

And a first for Taronga as Project Naomi
ramps up.

If we can do this, it will be so much
better for Naomi, for us, and for

everyone.

After discovering why chimpanzee Naomi
has only ever given birth to stillborn

babies... Let me just get Naomi's record
up here. Taronga's team has quickly

addressed the problem with a new
medication routine.

The calcium improves that and the
aspirin improves that.

She's showed us that she really wants to
be a mum and not only that, genetically

she's so important to our group. We
haven't had any genetics in this

for 25 years.

Do you mind if we just go dark for a
moment, just so I get my bearings?

They're essential to monitor a baby's
health during any pregnancy.

Yeah, you'd think the uterus would just
jump out.

With chimpanzees, this usually involves
anesthetizing the expectant mom.

Oh, beautiful.

That is gorgeous. Look at that.

But because of Naomi's damaged placenta,
the team want to avoid this and try a

different approach for her. A first for
Turonga.

By using this rod and training her to
participate in the ultrasound, we'll be

able to ultrasound her while she's still
conscious.

That means we won't have to give her a
general anaesthetic, take her out of the

group, take her all the way down to the
vet hospital, so it's a lot less

stressful on anyone.

So it's a three -point plan.

Put Naomi on the pill, train her to
allow an ultrasound while awake, then

take her off the pill,

If we can do this, it will be so much
better for Naomi, for us, for the

vets, for everyone.

The training is really challenging.

We don't take Naomi out of the group.

...or the training at all. So I've got
20 chimps wandering around that might

want to get involved.

They really have to read the behaviour
of the group before I start a session as

well.

And because Katie knows the chimps so
well... You get excited.

...she starts simply getting Naomi Youth
to the new sensation.

That's good.

No, hand up please.

I train Naomi to put her hands up so
they're completely away from the probe

she can't grab it easily.

This is an old ultrasound probe. It
doesn't work anymore.

The team have lent it to me because it
doesn't matter if Naomi grabs it. Are

ready?

Good girl.

I've been getting her used to... Put
your hand up, please. ..me putting this

her tummy and applying pressure.

No hand.

Good girl. And then getting her to let
me hold it there for a while.

I need to be able to get her to hold her
tummy up for, you know, about 20

minutes. So that's a really big ask for
a tip.

As each month passes, Katie introduces
new steps during the sessions.

almost the other thing I have to get in