National geographic wild

Secrets of The Zoo

Secrets of The Zoo

Promo

Season 2

00:30

Synopsis

SECRETS OF THE ZOO gives unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to one of the nation's largest and most popular zoos? The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. With 2,000 employees, 10,000 animals, 6,000 veterinary cases and more than 100 animal births each year, SECRETS OF THE ZOO tells the dramatic, heartwarming and often hilarious stories of the wildlife? and wild people, that it takes to create a loving and healthy landscape for the animals and animal lovers alike.

Clips

Episodes

Season 5

Season 5
Season 3
Season 2
Season 1
Extra

Flock Star
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Every day’s a whole new roller coaster ride at the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds! This week, a beloved flamingo super-daddy fights for his life, and a cheetah mom gets a biopsy on a scary growth on her liver. We’ll also meet a chatty otter and a wickedly smart monkey. Witness behind the scenes how the keepers, vets, and all the animals work together to live their best lives.
Reindeer Pedicure
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It’s a little nuts at the zoo: Wruwallin the Koala has lost her contact lens, Kenny the Rhino has lost his appetite, and Bob the trickster monkey has lost his mojo. What’s a zookeeper to do? Maybe relax by giving a soothing pedicure to three bucking reindeer. Better yet, let’s just take the afternoon off and go for a peaceful stroll with a softhearted vulture. It all actually happens today on Secrets of the Zoo.
Tunnel of Love
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Big excitement at the Columbus Zoo as the new Adventure Cove facility officially opens! Visitors delight at a massive 360 degree underwater viewing tunnel where playful sea lions frolic above, below and all around. Also this week, we meet a tiny slow loris and a beloved black iguana, each presenting a puzzling health mystery for the vets to solve! Just another day at the Columbus Zoo!
Holey Batwings
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This week: the vets at the zoo are in a race to figure out why a newborn sea lion pup is failing to gain weight. A celebrity flying bat named Barb is treated for some mysterious holes in her wings, which leaves her hanging upside down and wondering why she’s got this annoying cone around her head. A zebra named Holly takes a trip to the spa for a much-needed hoof trim.
Red Panda Drama Mama
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This week: a naughty red panda mom develops a limp. Question is, does she need a day off from the cubs, or is she really in pain? A large and in-charge female moose comes down with a nasty cough, which requires quick thinking and a small army of Zoo experts to resolve. And a cherished cheetah is down to four claws, but makes another astounding comeback as he prepares to hit a life milestone!
Giraffe-Ic Park
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This week at the Columbus Zoo: the Heart of Africa team is barely coping with three pregnant giraffes who are all due at about the same time. Dr. Priya perches atop a step ladder to give Connie the Elephant an eye exam, and a beloved pair of camel brothers embark on the next phase of their life’s journey as they prepare to leave the Wilds. Plus, learn what a “zoomie” is. Hint: it’s cute to miss!
Roary the Lionheart
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The animal care team has to get creative to treat some of the deadliest patients at the zoo. First, they need to squeeze a 19 ft., 200 lb. Reticulated Python with major back issues into a CT scanner designed for humans. The team encourages a shy male lion to start dating, even when the lionesses can’t stand him. A 1300-pound brown bear with a disturbing chronic cough needs a full medical workup.
A Giraffe is Born
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Meet Spike the friendly skink, a rare species of lizard who baffles the team with her mysterious weight loss; an abscessed tooth becomes a crisis for a beloved sheep named Fiona; and Lulu the Giraffe has a baby! Watch as the Wild’s team goes all-out to lead an endangered calf out of harm’s way as a storm approaches. Don’t miss the chaos when two adorable cheetah cubs meet their puppy companions.

A Cheetah's Greatest Race
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A cheetah fights for its life against a mysterious and debilitating illness, and an elephant is artificially inseminated.
Wolf Pup Watch
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A hidden camera captures the birth of a litter of wolves, and a tortoise baffles the vets with a mysterious illness.
Snaky, Breaky Heart
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The flamingos get their annual exam, and two adorable manatee orphans arrive at the zoo before returning to the wild.
Babies On Board
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Babies at the zoo! Meet adorable bouncy baby goats, a trio of fluffy flamingo chicks, a sweet baby gazelle, and a feisty eland calf at the Wilds.
Tiger Queen
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This week at the Columbus Zoo: daredevil flying goats, adorable cheetah cubs, a cranky female tiger, a lethal king cobra and a rhino that paints!
Polar Delivery
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This week at the Columbus Zoo, we meet an adorable baby Rhino, witness an amazing polar bear birth, and comfort a rare bird named Marla.
The Hissing Lynx
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Two baby white rhinos join the herd at The Wilds; a pair of red pandas have a blind date in a tree; and a super-cute tortoise baffles its doctors.
Waking The Dragon
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The zoo's penguin colony gets annual exams, and the staff holds its collective breath as a rare pangolin pregnancy unfolds at the Columbus Zoo.
Flock of Flamingos
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It's springtime. An ornery ostrich refuses to get his shots; a pregnant rhino prepares to give birth, and a beloved nanny goat fights for her life.

King of The Jungle
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Winter still has a grip on Ohio and staff at the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds are counting the days until they can finally say goodbye to snow and ice and officially welcome Spring. But sunshine and warmer temps will have to wait; the bitter cold can't stand in the way of caring for over 10,000 animals who depend on the dedicated men and women of Columbus Zoo. In the meantime, the staff have their hands full with an adorable Koala named Katy who is mysteriously losing weight and come up with a unique plan to get her eating again. A beloved Lemur named King Julian has been helping teach visitors to the zoo about his species endangered status for...
Baby Watch
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Everyone at the zoo is waiting for the big event; the birth Zuri the giraffe's baby. It will be the first giraffe birth at the Columbus Zoo in more than twenty years. But Zuri isn't the only animal resident in need of the zoo's attention, there are 800 pound Przewalski horses that need a pedicure and group, a beloved cheetah name Emmett whose running days might be over, and a bunch of rambunctious penguins who need to get their annual exam, but the keepers will need to catch them first.
Dhole Lotta Love
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A litter of motherless dhole pups seek acceptance from the pack leader under the watchful eye of the vet team. An endangered Chuckwalla beats the odds and survives to breed another day. And a classy 44 year old Orangutan lady gets a complete physical, and is cleared for the biggest birthday bash of the year at the zoo.
Later, Gator!
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Heidi Rose, a sloth bear brought in from Europe, shows signs of a limp, but Priya and the team discover her lungs are in even worse condition. Girl, the alligator, breaks out of her restraints during her annual exam. Gouda the loris is pregnant, so now it's up to her keepers to pick the perfect "cheesy" baby name. At the Wilds, the team races to cool down an African painted dog who overheats during a lengthy procedure.
Polar Bear Palooza
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The staff throws a polar bear "bon voyage" party celebrating their polar bears Neva and Amelia Gray before they head off to the Maryland Zoo. Priya gets to work with her husband Ramon on a zebra shark exam. Brie the kangaroo visits the dentist, and an unlikely friendship is formed at the Wilds between Albert the baby takin and Elmur Fudd the baby camel.
Grumpy Cat
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An Asian takin calf named Charlie Hustle hangs on for dear life after suffering rejection by the herd; a very grumpy tiger arrives in Columbus and lets her new keepers know she's in no mood for small talk; and the zoo attempts to make reptile history by incubating a clutch of rare Temple Turtle eggs.
Febreze, Please
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A Muntjac deer name Chowlie suffers from mysterious seizures, but the keepers will need to catch him first before they find out why. An adorable tiny Loris named Colby has an abscess dangerously close to the brain, what will a CT scan reveal? Jessie the cougar needs to see the dentist fast, and Febreze the skunk sees a heart specialist.
Dancing With The Devils
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Iconic Australian animal arrivals make quite an impression with their "unexpected" screeching. And a rare mountain goat birth is observed, as keepers hike and crawl over fences and bushes to bear witness. Success! Ten new deer fawn babies are born. And while not only darn cute, their arrival helps to preserve this near extinct species of deer fawn.
Otter-Ly Ridiculous
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Unga, a special bonobo who has overcome a stroke, gives the vet team a scare on the way to her annual exam. Yin and Yang, two Asian small clawed otters show off their x-ray training skills. Raymer, an elderly Bactrian deer, appears skinny and frail, prompting a field procedure at the Wilds, and Ginger, a 41-year-old white-naped crane keeps on defying the odds.
Mandrill of The House
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An older male Mandrill named Kinshsa shows his true colors during a dental exam. Teamwork is critical as a gigantic female Bison gets a physical. A rambunctious young Pronghorn deer's leg injury gets expert attention. The barn at the Wilds provides refuge to mother Oryx and her newborn calf until Mom's hoof injury heals. And a lovable Warthog named Randall plays his trainer like a fiddle. Just another amazing day at the Columbus Zoo.
A Serval Star Is Born
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A silverback Gorilla named Oliver gets his annual exam, and baby pronghorns meet their adult roommates for the first time. Keepers try to figure out why Gobi the Bactrian Camel has been mysteriously gaining weight, and a Serval cat named Kenya gets stage fright when she performs in Jungle Jack Hanna's anniversary show.
Baa-Baa-Bad Teeth
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A Mandrill named Tatu has keepers working around the clock in a life or death struggle to solve a medical mystery and save its life. Cedric the anaconda hasn't eaten in months but no one knows why its suddenly turned its nose up at food, and a blue-eyed goat named Talula has a date with the dentist, but only of her keepers can catch her.
Otter Limits, The
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It takes a village to care for all the animals at the Zoo. This week, that means teaching baby otters to swim, as they become the Zoo's newest ambassadors and have their TV debut. Meanwhile Clark the Cougar's future gets brighter with some expert eye care. And a highly prized newborn Giraffe's future and well-being hinge on three key milestones: eating, peeing, and pooping. The binoculars are out, and the wait is on.
Baby Elephant Watch
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The entire zoo is on baby watch as Phoebe the elephant goes into labor. It could be three days or 30 days before the big event but no matter how long Phoebe's keepers aren't going anywhere until she delivers. A dentist makes a house call to perform a root canal on Aurora the Polar Bear, and a family of flying foxes, better known as bats, get their annual exam.
Big Bear Theory
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After a series of health mishaps, our favorite Sloth Bear Heidi Rose is ready to find a mate. Will there be a baby Heidi Rose coming soon? The Zoo vet team helps a Three Banded Armadillo named Arthur gets his groove back, and he resumes his role as one of the cutest animal ambassadors ever. We also get a behind the scenes look at how the Wilds' zoo keepers wrangle a herd of rare Onagers into the barn for their annual check-ups.
Cheetah Play Date
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Who knew Red Pandas were so stinking cute? And a "Golden Girl" mandrill named Eebi comes out on top as our stellar team of Columbus Zoo vets lavishes exceptional care on one of their elderly favs. We also meet a laser fast and seriously smart Cheetah named Kesi, who proves she's nobody's fool. And two of the Zoo's very own "grumpy" Pallas Cats, receive some high tech assistance in the baby making department.
Polar Bear Express
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A 600 pound manatee named Agua is released back into the wild after years at the Columbus Zoo, and a polar bear named Lee becomes the zoo's newest resident.
Duckumentary
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This week we meet star performer Rory the Duck, whose swollen leg has kept him out of show business for way too long. Meanwhile, two representatives of endangered species, Krypto the Onager and Unga the Bonobo, are given a new lease on life under the gentle care of the zoo vets. And Zucchini the Beaver's overgrown teeth are brought down to size. We'll discover these stories and more, as we go behind the scenes at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium!

Run Cheetah Run
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The zoo doctors go into hero mode, rescuing 16 macaws from a hoarding situation in Alabama, taking cheetah Emmet into a shoulder surgery.
Love Is A Cheetah Cub
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It's another day at the zoo as veterinarians and keepers experience a roller coaster ride of emotions. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium makes room for three adorable new cheetah cubs, who capture the hearts of Dr. Priya and Suzi, and the curiosity of the zoo's cheetah companion dogs. Finnick, a Langur monkey and favorite resident at the zoo, needs life-saving emergency treatment for a urinary tract obstruction that won't seem to go away, and an aging and sick arctic fox named Anana has emotions running high for her keeper Josh, as Dr. Priya and her team fight to keep her alive.
Penguin's New 'do
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Dr. Priya calls in a human heart specialist to help with Lady, a Bonobo chimpanzee with a life threatening heart condition. A reindeer named Sven gets some strange growths removed from his antlers. Barry, a penguin stuck in molt for almost a year, has hopefully seen the last of his bad-hair days. And the zoo also welcomes their newest veterinarian, Dr. Katie Seeley. Out at The Wilds, the zoo's animal conservation park, Dr. Jan and her team anxiously await the birth of resident cheetah Wangari's cubs.
Rhino-Mite!
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At the zoo, a white rhino ultrasound shows surprising results and Dr. Priya responds to an emergency treating a sick guinea fowl for unusual behavior.
Stand By Your Manatee
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It's a big new world for the zoo's newest additions - adorable tiger cubs, an orphaned baby manatee is rescued and sparks fly as a male Oryx joins a herd of all females.
Welcome To The Family
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The staff at the Columbus Zoo can hardly contain themselves as they prepare to make a home for an orphaned baby gorilla from a nearby zoo. In the meantime, a longtime resident and favorite flamingo at the zoo named Annyung has lost her voice and the team scramble to find out why. And out at The Wilds, a pregnant giraffe named Lulu keeps the keepers on the edge of their seats as they anxiously await the birth of their newest member.
Kangaroo-Mance
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Fergus, a juvenile male kangaroo, is ready to join the mob, but first the zoo team attempts to make a love connection between Fergus and a female roo named Beatrice.
Beauties And The Beasts
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Baby fever spreads through the zoo, as a cheetah repopulation program goes into full effect, Takin Doc has a hitch in his get along and the team must intervene.
Bringing Up Baby!
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A lot happens at The Columbus Zoo before the gates even open to guests. The keepers make their morning breakfast rounds at the Heart of Africa exhibit. Beco, a young bull elephant experiences growing pains, while the vet staff attempts to get an ultrasound on expectant mother, Phoebe's, calf. A rare, miracle baby okapi named Minazi gets a check-up while Jessie, a thirteen-year-old cougar, has a concerning abscess that the doctors rush to examine. And it's a winter herd round-up as The Wilds team works to move more than two thousand animals on nearly 10,000 acres of land to their warm barns for the winter.

Secrets of The Zoo: Women of The Wilds
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At the Columbus Zoo, it takes a fierce group of females to care for all of its 7,000 different animal species; Suzi helps hand raise orphaned cheetah cubs, Dr. Katie helps a keeper diagnose her beloved skunk. Dr. Priya tag teams a zebra shark exam with her husband, Ramon and Dr. Jan helps a sick pair of unlikely and newborn animal friends get back into pasture.