All language subtitles for Taronga s05e04 Healing Hippos.eng

VIRGINIA GAY (NARRATES):
You don't get named one of the best

zoos in the world by accident.

And a view as magical

as this one is only gets you so far.

Good boy.
No.

This last year, Team Taronga
have been busier than ever.

Boom. Whoo!

With their two zoos
now bigger than ever.

Come on, handsome man.
Let's go.

So, this season,
we're taking you closer than ever.

(ELEPHANTS TRUMPET)

And as their colourful residents
get ready to make some noise...

(TIGER ROARS)
Oh, my goodness.

..let us show you exactly
who's who in this zoo.

Just always be watching
who's who, who's where.

(OTTER SOUNDS)

On this episode.

We have a dangerous animal
procedure in progress.

Here's something
you don't see every day.

Please leave radio chatter
to a minimum.

Emergency surgery...

Just
earmark an escape route.

..on a hippopotamus.
OK.

Everybody, 00:01:05,919
get out, please.

They
kill people doing that.

History in the making...

It's a really momentous occasion
for the zoo.

..as Mackenzie
makes his big move.

He's
settling in really well.

And Annii reveals...

They may.
.. Close your ears.

..all of her little secrets.

I'm the treats girl.
He is the mean one.

(CHUCKLES)

(THEME MUSIC)

At Taronga's two zoos,
the humans work hard

to keep the animals
in the very best of health.

X-rays.

Regular visits from the vets

are all part and parcel
of life here.

With the eye. 00:01:52,839
So,
it's his right eye.

But when a patient
weighs more than a car

and can bite harder than
a crocodile,

things need to be done
just a little differently.

Nile is our eldest hippo
out of our hippo pod here.

She is 25 years of age.
She was born here as well.

I was a zoo friend volunteer
and I happened to turn up the day

she was born.

Seeing a tiny little hippo
with her mum

was quite
spectacular and a moment

I've never forgotten
and never had a clue that

I would
be working her later.

So, it's-it's quite a special thing
as she will have that

piece
of my heart, I guess, forever.

Good girl.

After caring for Nile
for a quarter of a century now,

not even the smallest change escapes
keeper Carolene's eagle eye.

Nile had perfect clarity
with her eyes

but as she started
to progress through life,

we noticed it
was getting a little bit cloudy.

Her clinical symptom is that
bluish tinge that

she would get predominantly
in her left eye

but now we've also noticed it sort
of creeping in on her right eye.

So, it's time to really work out
what's going on in there.

So, today,

'Operation Hippopotamus'
is underway.

Inside the wildlife hospital,

vet nurse Jane
is planning for every contingency.

For something like
a hippo anaesthetic,

we wanna make sure that
we have everything

that
we could possibly need

because we-we won't have the luxury
of running back to the hospital

to grab something
if we haven't got it.

Working on such an enormous animal

requires an enormous team.

Morning, everybody.

And team hippo includes
local Taronga vet, Benn and four...

Is this us?

Yes, four specialist eye surgeons,

all making the trip from Sydney.

Naturally, we're very concerned
and worried

but everybody 00:03:57,039
to make sure 00:04:01,000
With their patient weighing
well over a tonne,

she's way too heavy to bring inside,
so the hospital is going mobile.

We'll be administering
the anaesthetic induction

drugs by dart.

Any anaesthetic event
in a wild animal is-is, um,

you know,
brings its own challenges.

Hippos are potentially
one of the most

dangerous
African animals.

I believe the stats are
that hippos account

for a lot of human fatalities
in the wild.

You know, I mean,
all wildlife have a very,

um, highly tuned fight or flight
response to the perceived threat.

And with hippos, 00:04:34,399
They like to fight and,
um, you know,

they-they-they-they kill
people doing that.

One of the contingencies
is the possibility that

particularly early
in the anaesthesia

before the animal
is properly stabilised,

that she could stand up
and move forward.

And if that's the case,
then obviously,

keep your wits about you
and probably the most important

thing is just earmark
an escape route from the yard

and just have that in the back
of your mind and-and-and know that,

you know, if-if you do need
to get out in a hurry,

that's
where you'll go.

We basically just remind everybody
that when push comes to shove,

we all need to be ready to get out
of that space really quickly.

OK.
Cheers. Thank you.

Taronga has a proud history
in animal conservation and breeding.

You look cute.

And part of that history
involves moving animals.

Alright.
Be ready. Over here.

Whether they're big...

Right up. Good boy.

..bigger...

Hi, sweetie.

..or biggest.

Good boy.
You're alright, mate.

I think we're OK on the flat
but when we go up the hill,

I don't
want anyone behind him.

So, just how hard could it be
when your passenger is small,

furry and sleeps a lot?

Plats
are just great little animals.

Enter keeper Rob.

They're
weird but they're fun.

And one of his favourite
Taronga residents, Mackenzie.

Oh, Mackenzie 00:05:58,359
She's 20 odd years old,
maybe a little bit more.

I'm
not sure offhand exactly.

Plats are found in fresh rivers
all down the east coast of Australia

from up in Queensland
all the way down to Tasmania.

Um, they prefer cooler
water where they can find it

but wherever you've got
a freshwater river

that's
not too polluted,

you're likely to find plats
if you're lucky.

Let's face it.

You look at it, it looks like
someone's got all the bits

and spares 00:06:25,959
You've
got a mammal that lays eggs.

The males are venomous
and they just look weird.

Taronga has four platypuses
in Sydney, including Matilda,

who lives in the zoo's
night country.

She's just hanging out,
having a chew back there.

And old mate Mackenzie.

While there's no doubt he's enjoyed
his time in the Harbour City,

today is a big day.

He's heading west.

400km away in Dubbo,

keeper James is putting
the final touches

on Mackenzie's flash new habitat.

Platypus Rescue HQ
is a facility that's only

just opened at 00:07:14,199
It's
unique in the world.

As well as having a research centre,
we also have a refuge facility,

which is set up to house
two breeding pairs of platypus.

And we wanna study 00:07:26,519
so that we can try to unlock
a little bit more of the mystery

of how platypus interact
with each other

and what
a unique species they are.

It's the largest
platypus rehabilitation

and holding facility
that we know of.

There's nothing else that
we can compare it to.

And if a natural disaster strikes.

And let's face it,
Australia has had its fair share,

Mackenzie could end up
with quite a few neighbours.

This is a unique space 00:08:01,119
during any
kind of natural emergency.

Our teams will go out in
conjunction with national parks

and with WIRES volunteers
to collect platypus

from these areas
that are under threat

and bring them back here
to a safe haven

until those habitats
are restored enough

that they can be released
back to the wild.

Taronga and its partners
have had great success

with their platypus
conservation programs.

This is phase two.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah.

But for all James's enthusiasm
and hard work,

there's just one thing missing

from this world first facility,
a platypus.

Hey, mate.
How are you going?

Hey, Rob. How are you,
mate? Good.

Coming
here to go with Mackenzie.

Here after Mac.

Yep.
Yep.

Fun little...
I'm just gonna say it.

Right about now,

the words 'Handle with Care'
spring to mind.

Being
spurred by platypus

is really not something
you want to happen.

Like, you're looking at
intense pain for up to 48 hours,

residual pain for months
afterwards.

(TENSE MUSIC)

Back at Taronga's
Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo,

a massive operation is under way.

Can we please leave
radio chatter to a minimum

as we have a dangerous animal
procedure in progress?

The time has come
to sedate a huge hippo

for some critical eye surgery.

Benn has gone around
with Carolene and a vet nurse,

so it's only essential staff
to dart Nile.

Hippos can be 00:09:33,239
So, when something abnormal
is going on in their environment,

we like to keep things
nice and quiet.

She will notice 00:09:39,279
and today is
very out of routine for her.

Copy that.

We just heard that
you got the first darting.

Well done. We'll
stand by for the second dart.

Now, that Benn has injected
a second dart,

it's safe for the maintenance team
to enter the pen.

We're
about the second people in.

We'll get her in the right
position for the vets

and then they'll basically
take over after that.

That's
it and now, let's...

Now, if we all just try
and give her a bit of a shove.

It is very dangerous sometimes
cause they, as I said,

they can get up and we understand
that, yeah, get out.

Safety is the first thing.
A bit further.

That might do.

Good on you, team.

While Nile is hooked up
to an anaesthetic gas,

her team of eye specialists
prepare to move in.

But this hippo needs to be sleeping
very deeply

before they can get
anywhere near her.

The idea today is that
we're going to

do some diagnostics of the
eye, both eyes.

So,
we've got two teams.

So, we got team left eye,
team right eye

and we need to be
as swift as we possibly

can
to get ourselves an answer.

Can we just... 00:10:45,399
Ideally, 00:10:48,319
to try to be around
the one-hour mark,

so
the pressure's on.

Hippos don't do fantastically
under lengthy anaesthetics.

Is the capnograph telling you
anything about her breath?

No.

Hasn't had breath yet
to be able to get a reading.

Hippos are notorious
for holding their breath.

But if Nile holds hers for too long,

she won't be inhaling
the anaesthetic gas,

which means she wakes up.

She's lifting her
head up a little bit.

Yeah.
She's lifting her head.

Righto.
And right on cue.

OK. Yep.

Just watch her.
Just watch her.

She's breathing now.

Aw. We
had her in a good position.

Damn.

Coming up.

Can we just 00:11:34,480
Big Nile surgery...

We've
got about ten minutes.

Ten minutes? Alright.
..hits a snag.

We gotta move.

Caring for animals
at Taronga is far more involved

than just ensuring
they're in good health day to day.

I'm just gonna see
if we can't make her

feel
a little bit better.

It also involves
extensive planning for their future.

They enjoy getting wet
and getting muddy.

Just like humans,
the older an animal gets,

the more likely
it is to have health issues.

At Taronga,
what we like to keep

on top
of is our aging population.

So, we wanna make sure that
they have dignity

and that we're respectful
of anything that they might

be experiencing 00:12:20,840
So, this morning,

it's time for a very important
check-up

for one of the zoo's tiniest
yet most senior residents.

Today, we're having Diego,
our cotton-top tamarin

coming up 00:12:37,919
He's
actually almost 17 years old

and that's actually
quite old for a tamarin.

Diego is about to begin
an aged animal assessment or AAA

so the Taronga team
can better understand

how he's coping in his older years.

Diego is the dominant male
in this group

and he's
the father of our infants.

And his partner is Esmeralda,
so he's top of the group.

He is
nearing life expectancy.

So, if Diego is experiencing
a lot of discomfort,

if there's any joint inflammation
or anything like that,

we do have to make decisions
that are in his best interests.

Tamarins are really interesting
little animals.

They
are found in Colombia.

They live in little family groups
with a dominant male

and a dominant female
and then their offspring.

Hello, little ones.

Uh, they have a sagittal crest,
and so when the males

are excited
or if there's a threat,

they flick it up and it becomes
really big and really puffy.

Can
we get the pet pack?

OK. We've got Diego.
Happy to open up?

Yep.

He was feisty.

Alex to
Taronga Wildlife Hospital?

(ON RADIO) Yes, please.
We're on our way up with Diego.

Copy that.

Hey. Hey.
How're you going?

Good. And you?

So, one 00:14:00,679
In here?
Yeah.

Or in there? In here.
How was he?

He
was actually a lot easier.

Chill. OK.
A lot quicker.

He was quite worked up still.
Yeah.

He was a little bit easier.
OK.

Going into the health check
side of our AAA,

there is a bit of nervousness
and trepidation.

So, will
Annii come in to gas down?

Yeah. She's just here.
Great.

She'll come through.

We
get to know them so well

and we
do have that bond with them.

Hi.

He's
feisty, just so you know.

Hi, Squeaker. Oh.
(TAMARIN SQUEAKS)

There could be something
under the surface that

we don't know about that might
contribute to decisions

made to help that animal
as it approaches end of life

and that's
never an easy decision

but we always like to do
what's right for the animal.

I know, bubba.

K.
Good to go, Annii?

Yep.

At Taronga Western Plains Zoo,

vets are trying
to sedate female hippo Nile,

so they can examine
and hopefully treat

her increasingly cloudy eyes.

She's lifting 00:15:09,740
Yeah.
She's lifting her head.

But this 1,000-kilo patient
is not going down easy.

So,
what are you giving her?

That was
50 milligrams of midazolam.

Just
in a muscle, mate.

As the extra sedative kicks in,

the team needs to haul
this enormous hippo

into the correct position
so the surgeons

can get to work on her eyes.

Try that, guys.

Just do your best to lift
her and pull her.

What, dude? How's that? 00:15:41,440
Positioning is everything.

You just need the eyes is all.
That's it.

Alright.

Are we ready 00:15:47,199
Alright, 00:15:48,239
Yeah.
Come in, guys, and...

Just be a little bit...
And just, yeah, just be aware.

That's all.

Finally, the team can start
what they came here to do.

Look. Today's
a little scary for sure.

Um, she's a very big, intimidating,
dangerous animal,

so it's all about speed
and accuracy today.

You put the stain in

and then
I'll pass you the saline.

So, we're just battling 00:16:14,839
but I
can pull this across for you.

Diffuse non-ulcerative keratitis.
Here you go.

So, blood vessels,
fibrosis, pigmentation.

Yeah.
A lot more Chemosis.

And
then oedema as well.

The specialists can see that
Nile's eyes are seriously irritated.

I need to look
at the anterior chamber

on
this side really quickly.

But they need to work out
whether the problem runs deeper.

So, we've got bilateral
non-ulcerative keratitis,

thickened corneas.

Can everybody's...
Pressures.

Can I do another
pressure over here, mate?

Can we just 00:16:52,520
Vet nurse Jane is monitoring Nile's

level of sedation
and she knows that too much noise,

say from a bunch of surgeons
working right next to her head,

could wake the hippo up.

Can
we grab the oxygen now?

Awesome.
Yeah.

It's
we just have to set it up.

So, we're gonna ultrasound
this eye, both eyes.

We're
gonna start with the left one.

And her respiratory rate
still steady?

Yeah. It's 12.

Basically,
the potential implication

for
anaesthesia is that

some of their 00:17:22,559
that allow them to hold their breath
can work against us

when
we anaesthetise them.

So, we've just ultra-sounded
the left anterior segment

and we've got a very thick cornea
as we had predicted.

Go on.

So, what we found

is she's got quite a bit
of surface inflammation.

So, we've been treating her
with topical medications,

um, for that, but unfortunately,
it doesn't look like

it's-
it's been strong enough.

So, what we're gonna do
is implant a drug in,

into her eye that will slowly
secrete over 24 hours a day

rather than 00:17:58,879
that
we've been able to dose her.

The anaesthetic team
only want Nile asleep for an hour.

She's not far off that already.

I'm
flushing all the debris out.

To insert antibiotic implants
into her eyes,

the team will not only have to work
precisely but quickly.

Could I get 6.
5 gloves, please?

Seven? Perfect. 00:18:23,719
We'll be operating 00:18:29,080
Now, it's all hands on deck
for teams left and right eye.

While one teammate
holds the eye open,

the other will insert the implant.

Adjust
the speculum then.

We've
got about ten minutes.

Ten minutes? Alright, guys.
We got ten. We gotta move.

Speculum.
Uh, two per each side.

But with time slipping away,
there's a problem.

No.
Not big enough ones.

This
isn't working very well.

I might try
one of the other speculums.

We're just having
trouble accessing the eye.

These
speculums are for horses.

They're not very useful
for this guy.

It's been two minutes
without a breath,

so it's either gonna breathe
or it's gonna stand up.

Out at Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo,

it's a big day for the brand-new
Platypus Rescue HQ.

This research area 00:19:25,520
Keeper James is getting set
to welcome a very special visitor

from Taronga in Sydney.

Mackenzie may not know it yet
but he's about to make history

as Western Plains'
first ever resident platypus.

Meanwhile, back in Sydney...

Hey, Mac. You
ready to go out to Dubbo today?

..keepers Rob and Greg

are also prepping
for Mackenzie's big move.

How old is he?

Oh, he's about 20
but you'll still find that

he
can get up to mischief.

Lovely.
There he is.

Good
day, little fella.

Granted,
having venomous spurs on your tail

and being called mischievous
is not ideal.

So, keeper Greg is all ears
for any last-minute tips.

You know
the theory, same always,

on
the bottom of the tail

because the last thing
you want spurs in you.

No. Thank you.

Being
spurred by a platypus

is really not something
you want to happen.

Like, you're looking at intense
pain for up to 48 hours,

residual
pain for months afterwards.

So, always gotta be careful
doing this.

You can see those spurs there.
Yeah. Sure can.

That's
what you're looking out for.

Yep. Yep.

You wanna have a go?
Sure.

OK. I'm
gonna move out of your way.

OK. You're
now calling the shots.

Hopefully.

(CHUCKLES)
Hello, Mr Mate.

So, out at Dubbo, 00:20:43,399
so they've only been
sort of handling the odd one

that comes in through
the wildlife clinic.

And even though people out there
have the experience,

it's always good to just have that
little bit of a brush up.

Yep. Other way around.
That's it.

Oh, slippery.

He's
very slippery like you said.

Well, slippery
does sound better than mischievous.

OK. Got him?

Here we go, little fella.
OK.

In he goes.

Beautiful. 00:21:10,279
All yours, sir.

And you are on your way
to a new home.

Yeah.
It went pretty well.

It did.

They
can be tricky little things

when they really choose
not to cooperate.

Seatbelt him in so he's not gonna
bounce around anywhere.

Well,
safe trip back, and hopefully,

I'll get out to see you
and him again shortly.

Safe trip.
Cheers, mate.

Oh, it's always sad to see
when any of your animals go

but we know 00:21:35,639
He's got 00:21:37,959
and
he'll be well looked after.

Dubbo, Mackenzie is incoming.

Hey.
Good to go, Annii?

Yep.

On the other side of the zoo
at the wildlife hospital,

Vet Kresen is about to start an aged

animal assessment
on 16-year-old Diego,

a cotton-top tamarin.

We got this one opportunity
to do a health check,

so we're gonna try to do
as many tests as we can.

Every tiny detail will be considered

after this assessment
when the welfare team

come together to discuss
Diego's quality of life.

So, you just get a blood
sample quickly

before
their blood pressure drops.

Really small veins
and it's a small animal,

so we're trying to get
a blood sample from him.

And the area that we're going in
is in the femoral region,

so, it's
just in the inner thigh.

So, I'm just making sure
we can see that vein

and then we can get
a-a blood sample from him.

We
can safely draw 5mls.

So, we did about half of that
just because he's an older animal.

The team are taking this opportunity

to examine Diego
from his cotton-top to tail.

We're just giving him
a physical exam.

So, just looking at his coat,
his joints, at his skin,

making sure he's got no lumps
or bumps or signs of arthritis.

We want
them to be really free,

moving and comfortable
in their habitat.

It's always good to get
whole body radiographs.

You look at his spine to make sure
there's no changes there

that might cause him
mobility issues.

X-ray.

He's an older animal,
so just wanna make sure that

there's
no signs of arthritis

and that he's not gonna have
any difficulty moving around.

OK.
Got stuck already.

At his advanced age,
Diego's teeth have seen better days.

So, the big question is,
are they causing him any discomfort?

They have really tiny teeth,
so we're gonna make sure

we can try 00:23:44,840
But looking in his mouth means

they can't use the mask
to keep him sedated.

So, a tube will need to be inserted
into his airway.

Intubating animals 00:23:57,519
of the procedure.

It's a tube that opens
up the airways.

And so, they're inhaling
the anaesthesia gas

that
we use to keep them asleep.

Yeah.

You've got more regulation
on their breathing.

If they were to stop breathing,
you can breathe for them.

That
whole fight of keeping them

at a level that's not
gonna stress them

when
you are intubating.

And,
yeah, obviously,

don't want them
too deep or too light.

But, yeah,
it's like microsurgery.

Everything's so itty bitty,
teeny tiny.

I'm
just gonna do a quick spray.

First.

Yeah,
you can come back on the gas.

The spray helps numb Diego's throat

before the tube is put in.

A
little bit too high.

It's
bringing up some fluid.

But unexpectedly,
Diego has regurgitated

some fluid from his stomach.

Put him on...3.5.

What we're gonna do 00:24:59,300
Yep.

Kresen now has to move quickly
to make sure no fluids

pass down into Diego's lungs.

At Taronga Western Plains Zoo,
this is the situation.

We've got about ten minutes.
Ten minutes?

Alright, guys. We got ten.
We gotta move here.

15 staff, including four surgeons,

are racing against time
to perform much needed

eye surgery on Nile the hippo.

I'm
flushing all the debris out.

I should add their patient

is one of the most dangerous animals
in the world

and weighs well over a ton.

We're just having
trouble accessing the eye.

And they've hit a major bump.

So, these eyes 00:25:50,039
in which
these speculums are made.

The speculums designed
to keep the eyelids open,

are too small, so it's on to plan B,

manually holding the eyes open
so antibiotic implants

can be inserted.

So, we're just creating a pocket
for the...to place the implant in.

Not
our conventional method

for this 00:26:12,799
Do you have a scissor
with a short tip on it,

(INDISTINCT)?

Compounding the problem,

hippos
have not one but three eyelids,

which makes accessing the eye
extremely challenging.

Can you bring those 00:26:26,919
We're
doing interior third eyelid.

Oh, yeah?
Yeah.

Just so you know,
it's very exposed for us.

Here's
your first one, Kelly.

Thank you.
You're welcome.

So,
our first one's going in.

Oh, I just need you
to retract more, please.

With nearly an hour almost up,
it's one down, one to go.

Hey.

Halfway there?
Halfway there.

I reckon you'll be able
to suture it so it covers.

Yeah,
I think so too.

I'll grab this one.
So, stick the second one in.

Yep.
Yep.

So, we're just getting ready
to slip the second implant in.

We
got second implant.

Got it.

And voila.

I'll
get a suture for you.

All the implants are now in,
but she still needs some stitches.

I am happy to sit right here
and you get my suture.

It's
holding its breath again.

The original time limit
has now passed.

No.
(ALARM BEEPS)

Breath holding
is a sign that the hippo

is likely to wake up.

What's
happening down this end?

We put him up...

We can't get any readings now
and the heart rate's gone up.

Yeah.

We're-we're just
a couple of minutes away.

I have to place
a couple of stitches.

How long since
we first started, Jane?

Um,
it's been an hour and 15.

Nile has been
under sedation 15 minutes

longer than the vet team had hoped
when they began the operation.

We're
good at five minutes.

But this is delicate surgery
and can't be rushed.

It's definitely jumping
and it's chewing,

so
it's getting light.

Um,
yeah, drop the suture.

We need to get it...
start wrapping it up.

OK.

She's lifting her head.
Yeah, I know.

So, do you... OK.

Everybody that doesn't need to
be in get out, please.

At the wildlife hospital in Sydney,

16-year-old tamarin monkey, Diego,

is having an aged animal assessment,
a AAA.

But he's regurgitated some fluid
while under anaesthetic.

He's
bringing up some fluid.

You.
..do you need any suction?

If his airways fill with fluid,
it could compromise his breathing.

He's just trying to bring up
but he's not bringing up anything.

To prevent
large amounts of food coming up,

every animal is fasted
by their keepers

before a general anaesthetic.

But it appears an ingenious monkey
will always find a stray morsel.

When they fast them before a GA,
there's still gonna be things

in the exhibit that 00:29:08,839
so that was probably
just some remnants of food

that he
found in the morning maybe.

Diego's airway is now good to go

and the breathing tube
is finally in.

I'm just trying to give him
some extra breaths

even though 00:29:30,040
just to
get that iso gas into him.

With that crisis averted,

attention moves back
to Diego's troublesome teeth.

Let's
do his dental chart.

OK. We're
in the left bottom jaw.

This
incisor is gonna come out.

So, he's already had quite
a few teeth taken out previously,

and we're
just adding to that list.

But it's important
to get them out now,

while he's under anaesthetic
so that they don't cause him pain.

He does have four teeth
that need to be removed.

Every tooth that is extracted

is one less tooth to help Diego chew
and digest his food,

a crucial factor
when considering his advanced age

and his future.

Quite finicky to work 00:30:18,400
Hold
it still around 180.

His whole top right side
has no more teeth left.

As they get older, just like
people, they start losing teeth.

I mean, that's
how a lot of older people

who
end up having dentures.

You're not gonna be able to do
that for this little guy.

Oh, sweet boy.

So, if
you wanna give his injections.

Yep.
Then we can wake up.

They get a little bit spoiled
when they wake up

from anaesthetics from me,
these little kids,

because they can get
hyperglycaemic very easy.

So, when they're fully awake,
they may...

Close your ears.

(LAUGHS)

OK.
He's starting to wake up.

We're
gonna pull out tube.

There's
your Tina Turner.

Yes.
'Beyond Thunderdome'.

It totally is.

Hi. Hi.

You're
having more control?

Oh, sweet boy.

Even if he does bite me,
he doesn't have any teeth left.

Oh, that's right.

Now, we'll just let him
recover in a nice, warm area.

And then Annii, 00:31:36,439
I didn't pull your teeth out.
Don't look at me like that.

I'm just a mere observer.
I'm the treats girl.

He's the mean one.

Just give him comfort
for the rest of his years.

While Diego recovers
and enjoys a small snack,

Vet Kresen
takes a closer look at his X-rays.

Annii,
you can just write down

mild spondylosis
in thoracic spine.

The X-ray has revealed
some changes in Diego's spine.

See that little lipping?

Oh, yeah.
Yeah.

Usually, you'll see it
in this junction in here

but
that's starting there.

Like, it
should be that smooth there.

Unfortunately for Diego,
it's not great news

and yet another issue that
will determine

this aged animal's future.

Oh, Diego.

Four hours west of Sydney, a VIP, that's P for
platypus, Oh, Diego.

is just a few short kilometres
from his new home.

Mackenzie is very special for us
at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

As he makes the move
from Sydney to Dubbo,

he's also making history.

So, just quietly,
he's a pretty big deal.

So, this is where Mackenzie sleeps.
So, the bachelor suite.

Mackenzie is the first ever guest
at the world's first ever

platypus refuge
and research facility.

Though facility does
kinda undersell it.

It's more like
a five-star motel for mammals.

He's
the first platypus

we've ever had
on display at the zoo,

so it's a really momentous occasion
for the zoo to display

such
a unique Australian icon.

They are a unique species
but a species that not everyone

knows
that much about.

We don't even know how
many there are in the wild.

So, for us, we're quite concerned
that they could silently

become a species
that vanishes overnight.

So, we really wanna
understand them better

and be able to offer
a really unique way

to
care for platypus.

I think this place
has got the unique part

well and truly covered.

And as for Mackenzie,
looks like he's been here forever.

Um, massive
journey for Mackenzie.

Such a long drive
from Sydney to Dubbo.

I'm-
I'm sure he's really anxious

to get out there
and to get in the pool

for a nice long swim
and a-a good feed

of
yabbies and mealworms too.

Mackenzie
is a great ambassador.

He's enjoying 00:34:17,479
He's been foraging.

He's showing all those
normal behaviours

we'd expect to see,
so it's a clear indicator

that he's
settling in really well.

He even gets to keep
this whole habitat all to himself.

Well, for now, anyway.

For Mackenzie,

it's very normal for him
to be by himself.

It's only short periods of the year
that they'll try to find a female

and that's
when you see interaction.

The remainder of the year,
they spend time by themselves.

And I reckon it's a pretty safe bet

that's exactly
how Mackenzie likes it.

He's
got two speeds, stop and go.

Over at the hippo habitat,

Nile's eye operation
is now running 15 minutes

over time.

We need to get it...
Start wrapping it up. OK.

She's lifting her head.
Yeah, I know.

Suture, you...

OK, everybody that doesn't need
to be in, get out, please.

Nile's breath holding
means she's starting to stir.

It's too late in the procedure
to increase the anaesthetic gas,

so the pressure is on
to get her stitched up

before she stands up.

Always
remember where that exit is.

And Benn's words are no doubt
ringing in everyone's ears.

She's one of the largest
land mammals

and probably 00:35:37,519
as well,
so we have to work quickly.

I'm gonna let go.
Yeah.

Can you hold the conch
where I've got it?

Yeah. Sure.

I
can't see the whole hole.

The
hole's just dorsal at-at 12.

Yeah?
There you go. Yeah.

It goes straight there
and then down.

Beautiful, mate. Good job.
It's good suture. Great work.

Pass the scissors.

Just
so you guys know,

team left is kicking team
right's bottom.

Though the stitches
are nearly in place,

they're not done yet.

A pain relief 00:36:04,399
you know,
whatever you guys think.

Could we get cefazolin
as well drawn up, please?

Yeah. Great idea.

Tying off.

So, we're close
to waking up apparently.

Yep.

If Nile wakes up,
the last place anyone should be

is at the business end.

Those huge powerful jaws.

She's a bit light.
Three minutes?

Three
minutes? No breaths.

So, it's either gonna breathe
or jump up.

She's blinking.
Just be ready. Yeah.

This is the last thing, so.
Yeah.

Anybody that doesn't need
to be here can go.

Where's
those scissors, boys?

You guys 00:36:36,319
We're wrapping up.
Yeah.

And I need 0.2 mils
with 1 mil syringe.

They simply can't keep Nile
sedated any longer.

Well, OK, guys.

No. No. We're waking up.
We're waking up.

OK, everybody out that
doesn't need to be here, please.

So, that was an adrenaline
rush, for sure.

Fast and
furious but very effective.

We don't
think she's got glaucoma

or inherent inflammation
inside the eye

or anything
that is potentially

gonna
lead to worsening of vision.

Although Nile has woken up,
she's a little slow to get going.

There will inevitably 00:37:18,359
She did have 00:37:20,519
that we did not reverse,
so it should only be mild, though.

She-she might just have 00:37:29,399
The-the
procedure went very well.

We achieved our aims
and the animal was safe

throughout and recovered nicely
and is currently standing

and-and
waiting in her night yard

for access to the big
pond and a feed.

We know that-that she's comfortable,
so that's great.

But,
you know, her vision will be

perfectly adequate for her
to enjoy a-a comfortable

and a...and a long, safe 00:37:55,080
And one month later,
Nile is a vision of health.

We're really happy
with the recovery.

And as you can see, 00:38:00,759
in the
cloudiness in both her eyes.

She's still participating
in a twice daily eye treatments

where we administer
two topical gels.

These will help reduce inflammation
and pressure

and they also work
alongside the implants

that
we put in during surgery.

Next.

How did he go?

The results that
will determine Diego's future.

We've put a three out 00:38:32,080
Diego, the 16-year-old tamarin,

is recovering
from his veterinary aged

animal assessment
at the Taronga Wildlife Hospital.

Oh,
Diego, you're adorable.

Your
hair is like mine

when I get up 00:38:45,680
But a closer look at the X-rays

has revealed some changes
to the little monkey's spine.

Like, it
should be that smooth there.

That's typical.

As it get older,
it gets a bit unstable.

The spinal changes
and the four tooth extractions

will be discussed during
the next step of his assessment

in a few days' time,
when a team of Taronga experts

evaluate Diego's quality of life
based on what's been found.

Hello.
Hello.

Hello. How did he
go? Hello.

So, he does have 00:39:19,999
He needed four teeth removed.
Ooh.

But his whole body
rads look pretty OK.

Yeah, I'm surprised.

Like, his joints, 00:39:26,559
everything
there look fine.

He does have some 00:39:31,479
OK. So,
let's keep an eye on that.

Like, he's quite alert.
He's doing well.

I don't think 00:39:37,879
I don't think 00:39:40,160
Alright. Bye.

Prefer him to...

With his veterinary assessment
now over,

Diego can finally return
to his family.

Put
in a sultana or something.

Yeah. Alright.

I'll get the gate?
Sure.

And soon after,

representatives from
various departments

assemble to commence
the next stage of assessment.

Part of
our aged animal assessment

also involves 00:40:11,359
which is to do with his mobility,
his appetite,

his interactions
with the other tamarins.

And
we also have curators

and behavioural biologists
that come in.

And if
the animal has experienced

a lot of discomfort
or deterioration,

then it is a decision made
between the keepers,

the vets 00:40:27,759
to
put that animal to sleep.

The team assess
every part of Diego's life.

We work
in free contact with him.

We can be relatively
hands-on with him.

Including his weight.

He'd be more like
a 2.5 to a three.

He's not too lean.

He's
smaller than his sons

but they're quite large
animals, actually.

His eyesight.

He's not
sort of missing branches.

He's not, 00:40:51,880
And even his hair.

I noticed a lot more greasiness
in the cooler months.

Yeah.

Slimmed out a little bit
and you saw the hair

kinda
clumping a bit more.

And the two main concerns,
his spinal and his dental issues,

are next on the list.

Abnormal posture, 00:41:08,879
we
have not noticed that.

Interestingly, though,
you'd picked up

some
changes, spinal changes.

Is that right?
Yeah.

Degenerative
Spondyloarthritis.

So, would.
.. what score out of five?

Out of
five, I'd put it out to one.

OK.
Same.

Like, this is...this is quite mild.
It's pretty mild.

So, far, so good.
Diego's spinal changes are minor.

We've put a three
for broken or worn teeth.

It's out of five but again,
we need to get your input on that.

So, I've got him 00:41:36,919
OK.

..because his teeth
are pretty worn out.

And realistically, what he's got
is basically his right side.

All these are gone.

That's pretty significant.
Yes, I agree.

But what does that mean for Diego?

So, his ability 00:41:51,519
Yeah.

Like, is there any modifications
that we should be making?

This little monkey doesn't know it

but he's got a large team of experts

dedicated to doing whatever they can
to support his quality of life

but who are also prepared
to make those tough decisions

when required.

Overall,
he did really well.

So,
he will be scheduled

to have the same procedure
done again in six months

to ensure that we're catching
anything that might pop up.

So, our ongoing plan for him
is to weigh him monthly

just to ensure that 00:42:31,639
are not impacting him eating
and maintaining his weight.

And the spinal changes,
we're going to monitor

by just getting him to do
some behaviours like stretch out.

Hi. Hello. Oh, nice.

Stretching up nicely. Good boy.
Here's a good one.

Look at that.

So, that just gives us
an indication of his mobility.

Good boy.
Look at that long spine.

It's nice to see him eating
really well

even after the dental
work that he had.

Yeah, he doesn't 00:42:57,999
No. Not at all.
He's chewing normally.

The Aged Animal Assessment
gives us a picture

of what
that animal is experiencing.

We do it because we want
to make sure when an animal

gets to the last sort of 20%
of their natural lifespan,

we give them a dignified life
and end of life as well.

Jump.

Go, Diego. 00:43:21,519
17 years young.

Yes.

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