Real Life in the Zoo

The peaceful lives of the lemurs are shaken up by the arrival of two black-and-white ruffed lemur brothers, Rufus and Owen. But how will the lemurs react to their new neighbors? The short yet remarkable life of Atlas moth Apollo is followed, from egg to ravenous caterpillar, and finally to a stunning butterfly. But will he manage to reproduce before his time runs out? The polar bears are digging a den to shelter in during the winter. The females are very particular and keep starting over. There’s also love news among the small-clawed otters: Ronnie dreams of starting a family, but is his young partner Petronella ready for motherhood?

Tension is rising in the lion enclosure. The newborn cub, Zola, has been roughly picked up by her aunt and appears to be paralyzed. Will she ever be able to walk again? Among the sea lions, the annual battle for the rock has erupted once more, who will claim the coveted sunny spot this year? And with the northern bald ibises, it’s a party every day. Rafiki and Nya have their regular “crazy fifteen minutes,” during which they raise their crests, spread their wings, and run around as if they have no idea where they’re going. But why do they actually do this?

Completely unexpectedly, the two youngest elephant calves in the herd die within a short time of each other from the herpes virus. This raises serious concern for the two other young males in the group. There’s unrest among the vicuñas: after the death of harem leader Kiano, a new male, Rico, is ready to join the group. But females Belita and Uyuni need some time to “reset” first, otherwise, things could turn out badly for Rico. Thando, the golden teal, has been alone since the death of his partner. It’s high time for him to make some new friends among the other birds, but who will be the right match for him?

Things are heating up on the penguin rock when four-year-old Noa sets her sights on the older penguin Kraaltje. But where do they actually know each other from? Kunekune pigs Ed and Fred have just one dream, to eat, eat, and eat some more. Their favorite dish is chicory. Unfortunately for them, their next-door neighbors, the goats, love it too. Will Ed and Fred manage to come up with the right strategy to secure their favorite treat? On the savanna, only the strongest survive, and rhinos Diederik, Rolf, and Zimba know that all too well. But is their confident behavior purely natural, or is something else going on with these three rhinos?

The Edwards’s pheasant is extinct in the wild, so it’s wonderful news when the choosy female Linh accepts her new mate Khai and love begins to bloom. There’s cause for celebration as well, for the first time in over 15 years, a baby hippo is born. The oldest male baboon in the Netherlands, Gerard, lives in Emmen and celebrates his 25th birthday. But how does Gerard manage to hold his own in such a dynamic community, where only the strongest survive and fights are a daily occurrence? Meanwhile, raccoon Poes is new to the enclosure and finds it difficult to adjust to being surrounded by so many other raccoons.

Black lemurs Lova and Rivo are absolutely smitten with each other and complement one another in every way. Having offspring would be the icing on the cake of their special bond, but will it actually happen? Things get tense when giraffe Abidemi, who suffers from arthritis, needs to undergo an X-ray to determine how serious it is. But with a giraffe, that’s easier said than done. Young elephant bulls Mauk and Manoa live together with the large and wise elephant Timber, learning from him every day. But when Timber has to leave, a new male named Yadanar arrives. Will they be able to build the same kind of strong bond with him?