麻豆社

Up at the safari drive-through, keepers have discovered worrying lumps on the stomach of Olivia, one of the Grant鈥檚 zebras. They fear they could be tumours, so the vets want to take a closer look. However, to do this Olivia will need to be separated from her young daughter. Zebras form very close bonds, and as they have never been apart, it could be extremely distressing for them both.

The bond between the keepers and their charges is just as vital. It helps the animals feel relaxed in their surroundings and allows the keepers to identify when there鈥檚 a problem. The park鈥檚 pair of spotted hyenas, Ekuma and Nkuru, have been in the park for over three years, but the keepers have struggled to bond with them as the animals are very skittish. It took until last year for Kate to finally meet them face to face. Today, the keepers are trying a new technique to build those all-important bonds further, which involves not one but two Kate Humbles!

Elsewhere in the park, Ben helps the keepers discover whether their macaque monkeys will use sticks as tools. Jean Johansson faces her fears while moving a tank full of cockroaches and also finds out how to care for this year鈥檚 must-have pets 鈥� chickens. Meanwhile, wildlife photographer Hamza Yassin helps the keepers with their annual survey of heron numbers.