All language subtitles for Taronga s06e03 Seal Survey.eng

NARRATOR: They say don't ever
work with babies or animals.

But what if they're baby animals?

It was only
born this morning.

On this all-new season...

welcome back to the ever-changing
world of Taronga

where you'll witness things
you never thought possible.

You can actually
hear her breathe.

And meet new faces...

Oh. Hi, buddy.

..you'll never forget.

So good.

It's time to discover...

Oh, my God.

..exactly who's who in this zoo.

On this episode,
Taronga seal team launches.

We're going to have a drone team
fly over and count them.

Hitting the skies...

The thermal camera on
the drone actually shows

the temperature of the animal.
..and the sea...

They really
blend in with the rocks.

..in pursuit of their target.

There's
one just there.

Project Pinata.

So we've
got some large balls.

Relax, relax.
It's not what you think.

We are going to pop
some kangaroo mince

in
each of these balls.

Can you let the lions
out now, please?

And what's got two legs...

Hungry, buddy?
..two hands...

Luke
to Miles Wheeler.

..and is a truly rare species?

Alrighty. Let's go.

Did you guess Luke?

Keeping is a bit
of a side hustle for me.

Beneath the tranquil waters
of Taronga Seal Cove,

something fishy is going on.

Something very fishy.

So this is basically food prep
101 at Taronga's Marine Department.

Here at
Taronga we've got 16 seals.

So these are each of 00:02:18,159
The
variety of fish that we have

obviously specific
to that particular seal.

April
over here and Bondi.

And up above,
some seriously hungry seals

are patiently waiting,

including one
of Taronga's favourites.

That's Bondi.

He's one of our rescued New Zealand
or long-nosed fur seals.

So these guys are a native
species to Australia.

Go.

Specifically these guys are found
here on the east coast.

Bondi, here.

He
was found on Bondi Beach.

So obviously that's where
he got his name.

And when we found him
he had a very severe injury

down
his left hand side.

These are the remnants of
the scar all the way from

down
there, back up to here.

The wound was consistent
with a large shark.

It was touch and go 00:03:27,999
but the main thing is
he obviously survived.

Bondi was just a three-month-old pup
when he was rescued.

Bondi.

But the extent of his injuries
prevented him from ever

being returned to the wild.

It's over ten years ago
now that Bondi came to us

and since being here, he has
become a dad for a few times.

Bondi is doing his bit for
a fur seal population

that was once heading
towards extinction.

Back in the early 1900s,
these guys were

actually hunted, 00:04:10,719
And as numbers continue
to increase, we're more likely

to see these guys breeding
in the Sydney, in the Sydney area.

So obviously we're going to have
more interactions with people.

These guys, although cute
and cuddly and usually quite

relaxed, will inflict injury
into people, especially when

backed
into a corner.

To better understand
these interactions,

Taronga is keeping a very close eye
on the seal populations

in Sydney and beyond.

It's a really big, important focus
of ours to try and make sure

these guys are in 00:04:47,799
for not only now, 00:04:50,740
Isn't
that right, buddy?

So, armed with Bondi's seal of
approval, Taronga is sending out

one of their team on a statewide
high-tech seal counting excursion.

The animals are the stars
of Taronga's two zoos.

But they can't shine without
the massive team of volunteers.

You want to drill another hole
around the other side.

And today's mission,
Project Pinata.

I'll give you a bit
of a demonstration.

Liz, a 15-year volunteer veteran,

and youth-at-the-zoo
volunteers Renee and Camilla

are perfecting
the art of papier-mache.

Smooth it out.

The more layers, the better
because it'll take them a lot

longer
time to destroy it.

If you only do one or two, they'll
just flick it and it'll be gone.

Sure, they might not be
wrangling a rhinoceros,

but perfect pinata preparation
can be just as hairy.

These
are for the lions.

It's
their birthday soon.

And Taronga's pride
of lions can scarcely

contain their excitement.

We have a beautiful family of
seven lions here at Taronga Zoo.

Atto is the dad.
Maya the mum.

So
she's our oldest lion.

Then Atto and Maya
had five beautiful cubs.

They've actually just
turned three years of age.

When we first opened this enclosure,
the lions absolutely loved it.

And it took them quite 00:06:45,839
all the little nooks and crannies,
the different terrain

that we have. 00:06:50,199
and
it's the same enclosure.

So it's our job then to
make sure that we're providing

something new and different
to them every single day

to
keep it interesting.

So today we're going
to give them pinatas.

These are fantastic.

This is going to be a really
exciting day, particularly

for the younger ones.
So we've got some large balls.

We've got a watermelon
because of course lions

have
watermelons in the wild.

We've got ibis as well.
Good old Australian native.

Uh, not those ones.

These ones, also affectionately
known as the bin chicken.

OK, so now we are going
to pop some kangaroo mince

in
each of these balls.

They've got lovely holes at
the top already made for us.

So we're going to pop
some food in there.

And that'll just add to
the lions' joy this morning.

Not only do they get to play
with these, rip them apart,

but then they're going to
find some food inside them.

I think I'm going
to use about that size.

That way it's a nice
amount for a lion.

And maybe just should we just
do one per ball and I'll do...

And any leftover roo mince,
we can hide it around the exhibit.

Pulling the balls apart,
ripping them open

and then
finding some food inside.

That all mimics that kind of
hunting, stalking, chasing

prey behaviour and which
is so important for our lions.

That mince doesn't
stand a chance.

We've
got two more to do.

Well, that's if those lions
make it through

Liz's papier-mache packaging first.

It's such an important
part of our jobs,

just as important as the all
the cleaning and feeding that

we're doing is providing our
animals with things that

they would do exactly 00:08:42,360
Over at the new Amphibian
and Reptile Conservation Centre,

there are more than
40 scaly and slithery species

to care for.

Hello, everybody.

And with all those
bellies to fill,

feeding time is
always a performance.

So this is
our food prep room.

This is where we make all
of our food for our animals.

So chopping salad
and collecting bugs.

Crickets and wood roaches
are on the menu.

It's
not a bad office.

We get to play with
all these amazing species

and learn new things about them
each time we come to work,

which
is a real buzz.

I've been a casual reptile keeper
here at Taronga for nearly

three years now.

As a reptile keeper, my job
is to look after different parts

of
the reptile collection.

I look after all the animals
that we've got off-display.

These are our breeding pair
of red-barred dragons.

This is a male here
with all of his bright blues

and
yellows and oranges.

And
this is a female here.

The, you know,
dull grey brown.

And these guys have actually
just finished their breeding season.

So the last couple of months,
there's been a lot

of head bobbing and dancing
around from him, trying to

get her attention.
And it paid off.

We got a little clutch of eggs
out of 'em the other week,

which
is really exciting.

Yeah, so this is five-year-
old Luke's dream job.

If you told him you'd be 00:10:26,410
for a living,
he'd be pretty stoked.

A new day...

Luke to Miles Wheeler.
Go ahead.

..heralds the start of
a new shift for Luke.

Hey, Miles. Just leaving
the hospital now to come down

and
check out the gecko.

And while the uniforms
the same, today's job

couldn't be more different.

If we've got some time,
we'll do the basilisk as well.

I'm pretty lucky I get to wear
two hats here at Taronga.

Keeping is, you know, a bit
of a side hustle for me.

I've graduated uni a couple of
years ago and now I'm working

as a vet as well, which is,
you know, an even bigger dream.

Alrighty. Let's go.

We're just here to do
a bit of a recheck on

a rough knob-tail gecko
who's got some skin issues.

Hello, Luke.
How are you doing?

I'm
good, thank you very much.

Now, while Taronga is known for
caring for so many rare species...

I love this room.

..this time
the rare species is Luke.

Taronga's only keeper-cum-vet.

So there's our little one
that's been having

a slight issue, 00:11:36,719
Yeah. So it's a decent abrasion
she's got there.

So this is our female
knob-tail gecko.

She's got a bit of
abrasion and ulceration

on her belly.

I think we're dealing with
a bit of a local infection there.

Definitely hollower in the belly.
Last time I saw her,

she
was sitting quite deep.

We'll definitely stick
with the Flamazine.

Yep.

But I might throw pain relief
in the mix as well.

One of my favourite
animals to work with.

They're just full
of personality.

I
think we're on the mend.

The amazing thing about working
at Taronga is the fact that

it's such
a big, diverse collection.

And right on cue, keeper...
uh, vet Luke

is about to be faced with
a much bigger challenge.

Got a few lesions
around his neck.

It looks like some sort of
strangulation or crushing injury.

Yeah,
definitely very critical.

Louise to Georgia, can you
let the lions out now, please?

A wild birthday surprise.

This is going to be
a really exciting day.

And the mystery injury...

I'm not convinced 00:12:47,880
..threatening an Aussie icon's life.

Wildlife conservation is one of
Taronga's highest priorities.

And today's mission
has Taronga's animal behaviour expert

travelling to
the sparkling waters of

Sydney's northern beaches.

We're here at Barrenjoey to
do a survey of the fur seals.

This is the first time
we've ever surveyed the entire

population of fur seals
in New South Wales.

For the last few years now,
there's been a growing haul out

of
seals here at Barrenjoey.

A haul out is where you get
seals coming and resting,

and while it's great to have
them here, they can be hauling out

on places like boats
or on people's front lawns,

and so there's potential for them
to come into conflict

with boat strikes and entanglement
in fishing gear.

Hey, Ben. 00:13:47,639
Ready?
Yeah, let's go.

It's
great weather for it.

Taronga has teamed up with
the Department of Environment

to learn more about
seal and human interactions.

So now we need to know
how many seals there are

and where they're coming out
along the coast so that we can

manage
those interactions.

This high-tech seal team
are testing a new piece of kit

designed to zero in on
these hard-to-spot creatures.

We're going to have a drone team
fly over and count them.

And then another team, including
myself, are going to count

the seals using binoculars
so that we can compare the results

that we're seeing from
the drone and from the boat. If

the results match, 00:14:37,959
for future surveys.

But before they can count them,
they're going to

need to find them.

We're up here at Pittwater,
which is about an hour north of

the Sydney CBD, and it's around
here on Barrenjoey Headland

that the
seals haul out, isn't it?

You find them here at 00:14:59,799
And the reason for that is
that they get protected from

the predominant southeast swell,
and they're also

protected
from the wind.

It's
a fantastic spot for them.

Million dollar view.

These million dollar views
come with

a multi-million dollar price tag.

So do you reckon 00:15:16,999
or
and work our way around?

It's where Sydney's elite
come to relax.

And supposedly so do the seals.

Yeah. We've got
two main focal areas

with
this Shark Rock.

We may as well go in
and have a look.

They're really cryptic, aren't they?
They really blend in with the rocks.

Well, I did say supposedly.

They can also get in
under the ledges sometimes.

Yeah, the brown of the fur seal,
it's a bit hard to tell.

Here we go. 00:15:54,840
And from the Pacific Ocean

to Taronga's great
Southern Ocean habitat...

Hey, buddy.

..keeper Ben is paying a visit

to one of Australia's
iconic ocean birds.

Pelicans are found in
most areas of Australia,

especially
along the coastline.

Pelicans were never my favourite
birds back before I started

keeping, but the first animals
I ever really worked close with

was these two boys.

Out of the way. And the more
I got to work with them,

the more I got to see 00:16:31,279
Good boy. Um, yeah,

so in the morning when
I'm coming in, when you do see

that wing flapping behaviour,
it's an anticipation behaviour.

Come on, buddy.
You look hungry.

It's them just getting really
excited that they're about to eat.

Hello, handsome.

And who wouldn't be excited
about a fresh seafood feast?

This morning we're just working
on some tactile behaviours.

Being able to check his entire
body condition, especially

around his chest where his keel is,
so he can make sure that

he's
not going underweight.

Come here, buddy.

Touch. What we're really working
towards with these guys

is those cooperative
care behaviours.

Touch. Good.

At the start, 00:17:18,519
and I got to build through
that rapport with them.

Having that trust and having
that rapport with their trainer,

it removes stress from
their environment. Good boy.

And an environment
free of stress...

Touch. ..means these
pelicans can live a very long.. Good.

..and fish-filled life.

Both our two boys were born
in human care in another facility

and relocated to us
about 16 years ago now.

But here at Taronga, 00:17:45,319
quite a lot of rescues coming
into our wildlife hospital,

especially pelicans
and seabirds in general.

Taronga is Sydney's
largest catchment for

seabird rehabilitation.

We do quite often get
them coming in after being

hit by a boat or caught
in awkward positions.

And across at
the wildlife hospital...

Just trying to
hear the heart.

..that's exactly
what has happened.

I'm a bit concerned
he might have a neck injury.

With his vet hat
firmly on today,

Luke is treating
an injured pelican

brought in by a concerned
member of the public.

He's had an accident
fairly recently.

He was struggling
to stand before.

There's a bit of swelling here.
And he's got this lesion here, too.

This is a pelican that's found
stuck between a few wharves.

So he's got a few lesions
around his beak and the base

of his neck there.

And given the lesions
we're seeing around his face

and neck, it looks like some
sort of either strangulation

or crushing injury.

Yeah,
definitely very critical.

I'm just going to induce
his anaesthetic now.

The
wing itself feels OK.

The true extent of the pelican's
injuries aren't obvious.

I don't think his
pressure is very good.

And Luke is concerned
the bird might now be in shock,

which can cause dangerously
low blood pressure.

Just trying to
hear the heart.

Yeah. It's hard
to get anything.

Yeah.

I'm not convinced 00:19:35,920
In Taronga's African savannah,

plans are underway for a very big,
very proud pride party.

Well, that's about
all I can take.

Three.

Oh,
look at you, legend.

Alright, so we have pinatas today
for our lion family.

Now, how are we going to
get through the door?

Well, I've got fingers.
I've got fingers!

The lions are going
to get very excited

the moment they see us
walk past them with these toys.

Hey, guys. 00:20:08,000
Yep. Those lines look pretty excited.

They're literally
beside themselves.

Alright.

We have to work out 00:20:20,719
The lions love this.
They love these activities.

They just have to be spaced
apart enough so that

all the lions can separate.
Yeah.

Once we've put them out,
we're going to see running,

playful behaviours.

That's for Mr Atto, our daddy lion,
who generally doesn't

partake in enrichment,
he just usually goes and sits

and
watches out for his family.

We're going to see if
we can stand the ibis up.

With every one of these pinatas
stuffed full of juicy meat...

Oh, awesome.
Love it.

..this ibis is now
technically a sitting duck.

We want to try and make this
a little bit interesting for them.

Our
cubs are three years of age.

And while they look like
they're fully grown,

they
still are young at heart.

So enrichment activities
like this really get them excited.

And they're the ones that
I expect are going to...

Oh,
is that going to stay?

They're the ones that I expect
are going to get the most benefit

out
of what we're doing today.

Well, certainly more than
these papier-mache birds.

Oh, there we go.
Mr Ibis is up the tree.

Alright, I think...
Are we ready to go?

Can you let the lions
out now, please?

Off the northernmost tip
of Sydney,

Taronga's animal behaviour expert Ben

is on
a seal counting mission.

They can also get in
under the ledges sometimes.

It's the first step
of a massive project

to count the Australian
fur seal population across

the entire state.

This time of year, we're
just about reaching the time

the big males start heading south
to the breeding colonies.

Problem is, so far
he hasn't found any.

Really cryptic, aren't they?
They really blend in with the rocks.

Here we go. 00:22:25,119
Oh, and another.
There's several.

You can smell them as well.
You know they're here by the smell!

A bit whiffy.

So yeah, we've got
probably two slightly

older individuals and one
or two slightly younger ones.

While the seal's natural camouflage
does make them hard

to spot among the rocks,
Ben's seal team have come prepared

armed with the very latest
in surveillance technology.

We need to do a little bit
of set up on the drone.

I'm a drone pilot.

My job is to use this drone here,
which is a thermal drone,

and what we can do
is put it in vantage points

that you can't see from
the ground or on a boat.

If the thermal technology works,
it will be a game-changer,

making it much easier
to keep track of

Australian fur seal populations
along the coast.

There's a couple of cool tricks
to help us find seals.

It can synchronise a colour image
with the thermal image.

We can zoom in where
a seal is camping out.

We're able to look and find
seals that might be in the nooks

and
crannies around the rocks.

I've found another seal here
on the rocks, and it's just

hanging
out, having a snooze.

And the thermal camera on
the drone actually shows

the
temperature of the animal.

It's
currently 21 degrees.

And once we've confirmed
an identification of

the seal, we can drop a pin
on the drone just like this.

And the team in the boat can
confirm if they have sighted

the
same seal or not.

So
there's five there.

While the boat team
are making their own count...

These two are 00:24:21,759
I haven't seen the face
of the other one.

..they spot a problem.

Three fishermen are heading
straight towards the seals.

The seals are here.
The seals are here.

Don't want to disturb them
because we won't get our drone shots

if
they jump in the water.

They can sense him.

Guys, you're going
to disturb them.

Just go that way.

At Taronga's Wildlife Hospital...

We're just going to
induce his anaesthetic now.

..vets Luke and Naomi
are examining a critically injured

wild pelican
that's just been rushed in.

It was found stuck
between a few wharves.

Before they can treat
the bird's injuries,

they need to assess its heart rate.

Just trying to hear the heart.
Yeah.

But there's a problem.

His anatomy is not our
friend today. Mm.

They've got a bunch of air sacs
that sit under the skin

above the bone and muscle,
and they're basically giant floaties

that keep an otherwise giant
heavy-bodied bird afloat

when
it's sitting on the water.

Those giant floaties
are making it difficult for Luke

to find the bird's heartbeat.

It can be a bit
tricky to hear.

I'll be happy once
I get a decent trace.

The pelican's heart rate
will help Luke determine whether

the bird is in shock,
and just how injured it might be.

We can always try
a Doppler on the wing.

Yeah, actually,
that'd be a good idea.

There's a vein here and
this is a Doppler machine.

So basically, we'll turn
the heartbeat into a noise that

we can
track his heartbeat with.

That's so difficult.
Yeah.

I can't hear anything.
Yeah.

I'm not convinced 00:26:32,959
Might have just been
a bit too compromised.

Yeah.

Luke tries to locate
a heartbeat one last time.

Finally, some good news. OK.

Yeah, I'm getting
a steady 200 now.

The ocean bird's heartbeat
is consistent and back in

the normal range.

We'll take an X-ray,
at least of that neck.

So now the team
can get on with the job

and fully investigate
the pelican's injuries.

I'm a bit suspicious
we might find a dislocation

or fracture there.

We'll see what we can find
on X-ray, just to see

what's
going on in this region.

Transfer him to
the gaseous circuit.

While an X-ray will give Luke
a much clearer picture

of the pelican's long neck,

he'll first need to
sedate it more deeply

with an anaesthetic gas.

Normally, we'd like to advance
these tubes a fair way

down there, but right at
his glottis here, there's a bit

of a membrane that pelicans
have that's going to stop us

going
too much further.

The membrane stops water from
passing down the pelican's throat,

but now it's stopping
the anaesthetic tube.

Oh, it's already
slipped out again.

Yeah.
They'll need a plan B.

On the Barrenjoey Peninsula
on Sydney's northern beaches.

Guys,
the seals are here.

Some wayward fishermen
are getting too close

to a herd of resting fur seals.

The seals are here. 00:28:23,359
If they jump in the water,
we won't get our drone shots.

And for Taronga's Ben
and his partner agencies

who are trying to count
this seal population,

it's going to make a difficult job
even more difficult.

Down
here, there's no seals.

The fishermen sit on that
flat rock just up there.

There must be a path sort
of back on that flat rock.

So you're better
off being here

otherwise you're
going to disturb them.

There's a track over
that way apparently.

It's pretty steep.
Be careful.

Come down this way.
But just go that way.

Hey?

He's found the track.
Yeah.

As the fishermen move away,
the skittish seals

can finally relax.

(COUNTING)

And so can Ben and the team.

And that gives nine.

Yeah. They've being quite active
at the moment, which is.

There's
one in the water.

I've been looking.

It's important to keep your
distance away from seals.

As the population is recovering,
one of the biggest pressures,

particularly around places
like Sydney,

is people loving seals to death
and getting too close.

So when there is a seal hauled out,
it's really important

to
keep your distance.

And 40m is a good distance
to stay away.

And also if you're walking
your dog and there's a seal

on the beach, you want to keep
your dog on a lead and keep it

away
from them as well.

Their time on land is a really
important time for them to rest.

10, 11.

There's two 00:30:16,740
I've counted 16.

We'll have to see whether
the drone picks up stuff

that
we're not seeing.

Fur seals are experts
at camouflage

on land and in the water.

Oh, there's one
in the water, is there?

But the drone's thermal camera

is giving Ben and the team
an unfair advantage.

And so if we zoom in here,
we can actually see a seal

that's
currently in the water.

And so we can click on
the map there and it tells me

the
temperature of the seal.

It stands out quite obviously
in the thermal imagery.

The seals are so well insulated
from the cooler water

their body temperature
makes it near impossible to hide

from this eye in the sky.

Drone technology's really
become quite a valuable tool

for scientists.

The beauty of having eyes
in the sky is that we're able

to map quite a large area
in locations where it's not

feasible to bring a boat in,
enabling us to more accurately

count the populations of
seals in New South Wales.

While the drone continues
to locate even more seals,

Ben moves on to phase two.

While we're here counting
the seals, we've also got

a great opportunity to check out
their general health

and potential injuries and
see whether there's any that might

need
some more attention.

And if they do find
any injured fur seals...

They're
definitely adults.

..this survey mission might
just become a rescue mission.

Oh, look at this one
on the top of the rock.

He's got an old bite
or something like that.

On the shores of Sydney Harbour,

Taronga's African savannah
is teeming with bird life.

No, not those ones.

These ones.

Louise to Georgia.

Stuffed full of minced meat,

the papier-mache is in position
and the lion pride are primed.

Can you let the lions
out now, please?

Let the enrichment games begin!

Here they come.

So they're all running out exactly
as I hoped that they would.

Excited. Running straight for
the balls that we've put around.

What I love about Maya
the mum, even though

she's 12 years of age now,
she's running. She's playing.

Actually, I thought one of
the cubs might jump up there,

but she's showing them how
to do it, how to reach out,

how to grab those things
out the tree.

And that's another behaviour
that we want to encourage

because it's like mimics
that catching prey in the wild.

And then them having to, you
know, open the hide of the prey

to be able to get to the meat.

Putting out enrichment
like this, it really taps

into a lot of those wild instincts
that they retain.

They don't ever lose. And they're
showing us that right now.

And with their lookalike
paper cousins

getting all the attention,

I'd say these guys
are winning too.

Luzuko, he's one of our young
males and he's just spotted that

ibis
that's up the tree.

So what I'm expecting now
is that they've expended lots

of energy, and they'll most likely
do what all cats do,

and they'll go and sleep
the rest of the day away.

In the wild, 00:34:11,599
They would hunt, they would feed,
and then they would rest.

And that's exactly what our lion
family are all starting to do now.

So this has been a really,
really successful day.

And as you can see,
the lions have had

an
incredible amount of fun.

So actually there is an ibis
still sitting there.

So they
haven't even noticed it.

But I guarantee by the end of today
it'll definitely be gone.

But for now,
this particular bin chicken

lives to fight another day.

At Taronga's Wildlife Hospital,

a very sick wild pelican
has been brought in

to treatment room one.

I'm a bit suspicious.
we might find a dislocation

or a fracture there.

And Luke,
a part-time Taronga keeper,

and vet is
investigating its injuries.

It's definitely
a unique approach to be

both
a keeper and a vet.

Right
at his glottis here,

there's a bit of a membrane that
pelicans have that's going to

stop
us going too much further.

The bird's anatomy is
preventing Luke from passing

a tube down its throat
so they can administer

an anaesthetic gas.

Oh, it's already
slipped out again.

Next door there is a pelican mask.
You want to do that instead?

That
might be the go.

Wow! That's awesome.
Yeah, right.

Exotics
medicine 101!

While it does look
a little exotic,

this homemade mask is perfect
for this long-billed native bird.

It's a nice big, deep breath there.
Yeah.

Get him on his side.

Yeah, sure. Great.

Help his air sacs.

Turning the pelican on its side
helps keep the bird's

airway clear, making it easier
to inhale the anaesthetic.

Turn
the house lights off.

X-ray.

You can see a bit of
what looks like possibly

bruising
on the X-ray.

This kind of increased
whiteness here.

It's just an indication
there's more fluid in the site.

So it's pretty consistent
with bruising.

Bruising has shown up
on the pelican's neck muscles

close to the skin.

And that bruising
we're talking about.

Given that he was found not
really being able to use

his hind end, I'm pretty suspicious
we do have a spinal cord lesion.

A spinal cord injury can be difficult
to assess on the X-ray.

Do you
want to come down slightly?

But the bruising
and the bird's difficulty walking

suggest the delicate cord
has also been damaged.

The thing about prognosis
with spinal lesions is that

in a bird this size, the nursing
care will be quite difficult,

particularly
given his anatomy.

We're not going to be able to
immobilise that neck and keep it

safe,
say like a cat or a dog.

Luke... (UNCLEAR)

Luke radios vet Cresson
for a second opinion.

Not seeing a lot of
displacement of the spine,

but I don't think that
rules out a spinal cord injury.

Yeah.

We've definitely still got
that soft tissue swelling.

Yeah.

What we say with any spinal injury,
it can take a few weeks

to months to years
to sort of come right.

And unfortunately with
this guy, the kindest thing

to do would be to...

It's gonna be euthanasia,
unfortunately.

Sorry about that.
Yeah.

The pelican's injuries
are too severe for it

to make a recovery.

Yeah. It's not
an easy call to make.

It's not something
we take lightly.

But we're really lucky in
veterinary medicine

that we have euthanasia
as an option.

It's, you know, essentially
an anaesthetic overdose.

So he will just drop
into a really deep sleep

and eventually
his heart will stop.

And, you know, it's a very humane
and peaceful process.

It doesn't get easier,
but I think

we'd all feel worse 00:38:41,679
It's in his best interest
if we put him to sleep

rather
than letting him suffer.

Next, the results are in.

I wouldn't have been
surprised today

if we'd only found half a dozen
to maybe ten seals.

And it's not what
anyone expected.

On Sydney's beautiful coastline,

Taronga and its partners have
begun the state's largest ever

fur seal survey.

Counting and assessing
the health

of this seal population
from the air...

The seal is a lot hotter
than the water around it.

..and from the sea.

We can see them over here
resting in the water where

they lay on their side,
and they stick their flipper up,

and they sometimes grab
onto their rear flipper as well.

And that's really important
for them because they swim

incredibly long distances,
thousands of kilometres

at a time without going
back to land for a rest.

And so they need
to be able to rest on

the
surface of the ocean.

It also lets them regulate
their temperature,

their body temperature as well.
By sticking their flipper up,

they can get a nice breeze across
that and they can

bask in the sun.

So they're really, really
well adapted to being at sea

for
almost all of their life.

Oh, and look at this one
on the top of the rock.

It looks like a bite
or something like that.

A little youngster just here, too.
Yeah.

It's a one-year-old.
Yeah.

A little juvenile
on the main rock.

Yeah.

I think there's three of
probably this year's pups.

On the rock?

Yeah, like the one right up on
the very top. Yeah.

That's this year's pup.
OK.

They all look like
they're in great condition.

Their
coats look really nice.

Really
good body condition.

They're all looking fairly plump,
which is nice to see.

There was one animal that had a
small, old, cookie cutter shark bite

on it that had healed up nicely,
but all the seals

are
in tip-top condition.

They've obviously been foraging
quite well over the winter.

The size and health
of this particular seal herd

has surprised even
this salty skipper.

Six years ago,
there were none here.

We've got two more
animals up here.

Actually three more.

And with the new addition of
the drones, Ben and the team

have really sealed the deal.

We collected lots
of great information.

So we'll be rolling out this
drone technology at multiple

seal colonies so that we're
able to get more of a spread

of information of how many seals
are visiting different locations.

That'll help us really
understand what pressures

they might be under and
what their populations are like

at the moment.

And as we move to other locations,
the drones will really

provide a lot of value,
enabling us to more accurately

count the populations of
seals in New South Wales.

Now it's time to process some of
the images that we've captured

and try and confirm some of
the counts that the team on

the
boat were able to capture.

Honestly, I wouldn't have
been surprised today

if we'd only found half a dozen
to maybe ten seals.

We
actually counted 27 seals.

27 seals accounted for,
just a few thousand to go.

But that's a survey
for another day.

Yes, that was a good day.
Great day.

Yeah, we counted
a lot of seals.

This survey today 00:42:45,719
With seals returning to the
coastline in New South Wales,

we're going to be seeing them
on our beaches all the time.

So the best advice for people
is if you do see them,

keep your distance, 00:42:57,039
If you're walking your dog,
keep your dog on a leash.

But if you do see an injured
or entangled seal, call through

to the authorities and people like
National Parks and the zoo

will be able to go and assist that
seal and hopefully rehabilitate it

and get it back
out into the wild.

More than what I was
expecting to see.

Captioned by AI-Media
ai-media.tv

Repair and Synchronization by
Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0