Radio Times

Review by:

David Butcher

Ahh, a little newborn meerkat at London Zoo, how sweet is that? So fluffy and innocent, meerkats. But wait, the keeper has something to say. “If there’s something wrong with the baby,” she tells us, “then nine times out of ten the mum will kill it and eat it.” Oh, right. Not quite so adorable, all of a sudden, but a reminder that even at a zoo, there’s a degree of red-in-tooth-and-claw.

This nicely observed series brings us the highs and lows of the zoo staff and their attempts to breed their creatures. Reptile keeper Ian does incredibly noble work with frogs on the edge of extinction called mountain chickens. He holds one up. “Look at those eyes, Beautiful, beautiful eyes,” he says dreamily.

About this programme

1/2. The first in a two-part follow-up to the 2010 series charting life at London Zoo in Regent's Park, beginning as the keepers play matchmaker to their animals. Head bird keeper Adrian is under pressure to deliver a healthy number of chicks at the zoo's newest exhibit, Penguin Beach, while head reptile keeper Ian tries to raise awareness of a devastating plague affecting frogs and save one particular species from extinction. Sarah Lancashire narrates.

Cast and crew

Cast

Narrator

Sarah Lancashire

Crew

Director

Jon Alwen

Executive Producer

Paul Hamann

Producer

Jon Alwen

Series Producer

Jon Alwen

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