A birth in the elephant herd, pride of lions reunited and sea lions welcomed home

It’s the season finale of ?The Zoo? this Thursday, 18th June on RT? One and this emotionally charged episode features the Asian elephant calves and the Asian lion cubs. The team also welcome the California sea lions back to the Zoo and introduce them to their new home at Sea Lion Cove.

This week’s episode starts off at the Kaziranga Forest Trail where brothers Gerry and James Creighton are checking in on new born Asian bull elephant calves Kavi and Ashoka. The bulls have built up a strong bond with Gerry and James.

There is even more to celebrate in the elephant house when matriarch Bernhardine, after a 22 month pregnancy, gives birth to a healthy female calf. The rest of the herd meet the new calf with delight. It is a proud moment for the team who reflect on the significance of the birth of three Asian elephant calves in Dublin Zoo and their contribution to the conservation of the Asian elephants.

Over at the Asian Forests, the team are anxiously preparing to introduce the new female cub Kyna to her older brother Kuno and unite the pride of five lions at the Zoo for the very first time. It is an emotional moment for all involved to witness the pride of lions coming together.

Finally, the season finale brings us to Sea Lion Cove where the colony of four sea lions are taking the plunge into their new saltwater habitat for the very first time. A new addition to the Zoo is male sea lion Nico, aged 3. Over the next year Nico will reach sexual maturity and hopefully we will hear the pitter patter of tiny flippers very soon!

Tune in at 7pm on Thursday, June 18th on RT? One for the season finale of this dramatic and highly entertaining show. To join in, follow the conversation on twitter @DublinZoo, www.facebook.com/dublinzoo or on the series Facebook page www.facebook.com/zootvseries

#TheZooRTE