The Crocodile Hunter Diaries - Steve's Dream (2003)
Season 2 (2002-2003)
Plot: Steve realizes his dream of a bigger, better Australia Zoo. Construction begins on Australia Zoo's massive expansion program, but it's not without problems: Mick is saved from a blinding injury by a quick-thinking first aid team, and Peter and Doc are called to help a distressed animal suffering horrible injuries from a car accident. The venomous snakes, alligators and lizards are all moved into their new state-of-the-art exhibits. Two freshwater crocodiles are captured for transport to another zoo, and everyone rescues geckos during the demolition of the old snake enclosures. A two-headed snake alert has Brendan on his toes, and the world's largest clearwater crocodile exhibit, the "Triple Crocs", nears completion. After almost a lifetime at the zoo, Kelsey decides it's time to leave and says goodbye to her teammates and her animals.
Plot: Steve realizes his dream of a bigger, better Australia Zoo. Construction begins on Australia Zoo's massive expansion program, but it's not without problems: Mick is saved from a blinding injury by a quick-thinking first aid team, and Peter and Doc are called to help a distressed animal suffering horrible injuries from a car accident. The venomous snakes, alligators and lizards are all moved into their new state-of-the-art exhibits. Two freshwater crocodiles are captured for transport to another zoo, and everyone rescues geckos during the demolition of the old snake enclosures. A two-headed snake alert has Brendan on his toes, and the world's largest clearwater crocodile exhibit, the "Triple Crocs", nears completion. After almost a lifetime at the zoo, Kelsey decides it's time to leave and says goodbye to her teammates and her animals.
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TVTranscript
00:00In this episode of Croc Diaries,
00:02construction of the new zoo causes chaos.
00:06A very disturbing wallaby rescue.
00:09Every snake in the place is moved.
00:30There comes a time in every parentis' life
00:51when they've just gotta move.
00:53And these little blokes are gonna go to a temporary home
00:56during the biggest upheaval in the history of Australia's zoo.
01:01I'm sorry.
01:04Are you frozen?
01:07Do you wanna put it down?
01:11This is even worse.
01:13The parenti display is getting a complete renovation
01:15as part of a huge rebuilding process of the entire zoo.
01:19Nothing wrong with the habitat.
01:21The parentis love it, and they just don't wanna go anywhere.
01:29This bloke's wedged himself in and won't let go.
01:44No, I'm just starting to whip it into place.
01:46Oh, good point.
02:00You alright with that tail now under your arm?
02:02Yep.
02:04It's a bit grumpy.
02:13I'm sorry, mate.
02:14What a steamer.
02:15And have a go at him.
02:16How grumpy is that?
02:18Can you reach him?
02:25Yep.
02:27Let go.
02:30Okay.
02:34Nice and easy.
02:35It's a bit cold.
02:36Put your legs up.
02:39There you go.
02:40Good man.
02:45See the white ant nest up there with the hole in it?
02:51This tree is riddled with termites,
02:53and it's dying after being struck by lightning.
02:56It's gotta go for safety reasons.
03:03Termites munch through anything made of wood,
03:06but we've got great use for them.
03:08It's the favorite food of one of the zoo's very special Aussie animals.
03:20That heaving lump of mulch gives away the hiding place for an echidna.
03:27Is it a feisty little bugger?
03:28Absolutely.
03:29Hello.
03:33There's nothing else quite like an echidna.
03:36She's spiky like a porcupine and lays eggs like a reptile.
03:45And she'll eat every ant or termite she can grab with her long, sticky tongue.
03:59Here is the fruits of our labor.
04:02A colossal amount of construction, a mammoth amount of effort.
04:05We've had to wrangle hundreds of wild animals,
04:08run the gauntlet of human emotion with our friends, family, and hundreds of staff.
04:14But it's been worth it because here is our conservational heartbeat,
04:19Australia Zoo, my home, our gift to the world and global conservation.
04:27Everywhere you look, there's heavy construction or new exhibits,
04:31renovations, updates, and makeovers the length and breadth of the zoo.
04:38As always, Steve gets stuck in with everyone else
04:41and takes his supervising role to a very hands-on level.
04:45Building a new zoo inside an already existing zoo
04:49has to happen without hurting the animals or risking safety.
04:53That's why we use a lot of our own people wherever we can.
04:57They know that animals like saltwater crocs think they own everything in sight
05:02and want to kill anyone who mucks near their territory.
05:14When you're working at a zoo,
05:16you often think special safety equipment is necessary
05:19because of all the dangerous wild animals.
05:22Sometimes I think the construction crew forget
05:25safety equipment's important for them, too.
05:28Even though we've got a total focus on safety,
05:31accidents will happen, especially when everyone's flat out.
05:36And we're set up for rapid response,
05:38whether it's an animal or a human involved.
05:44Somebody get me some water!
05:52Sorry, brother. You all right?
05:55I'm trying to clean my liner out, and I've got thinnest squid in my life.
05:59Every single staff member at Australia Zoo
06:02is certified in first aid and trained for an emergency,
06:06with medical help close by.
06:16Yeah, it doesn't look good.
06:20Put the blue liner over it.
06:25That's good.
06:27It makes it glow.
06:35Give it a wipe.
06:37Tomorrow, if you wake up and those eyes are giving you any trouble at all,
06:41come back in and see us.
06:43You should be fine.
06:44No matter how busy we get, rescues still take priority.
06:49I just assume I'm going the right way, Pete,
06:51because you haven't screened the wrong way or anything.
06:54Cool, mate.
07:17She's been hit by a car,
07:19and broken bones in a wallaby can be fatal.
07:23You all right?
07:36He's got the car.
07:37You all right?
07:45You all right, Jimmy?
07:46Yeah.
07:49Might have to wrap it a bit more when I put it in.
07:52Hold it down.
07:53With such serious fractures,
07:55it's going to be a real challenge for our vets to pull this one through.
07:59It's not in the nature of a wild animal to rest a broken limb,
08:03and the injuries never get a chance to heal.
08:11Thanks very much.
08:13You've done an absolutely great thing there.
08:17You did the best you could. It was great.
08:20It's going to be all right.
08:21You give us a ring tomorrow morning.
08:23If only everyone cared as much about animals as this lovely lady.
08:28After the break, a new home for the world's deadliest snakes,
08:31and two crocodiles move right out.
08:36I study zoos everywhere in the world,
08:39looking at the best ideas and the state of the art,
08:42and I've brought all this knowledge back home
08:44to add to what I've already learnt myself
08:46in all the years of handling wild animals.
08:49Now we've put it all together,
08:51and we're turning Australia Zoo
08:53into the best world-class zoological facility in this world.
09:01Have a go at this, the new snake house,
09:04perfect down to the last detail,
09:06including the rocks, dirt and plants from all over the outback.
09:17Wow.
09:26Bindi, we've got to go up to the new venomous house.
09:29Can you hang onto that one?
09:30Sure.
09:31And this one.
09:32Got it. Got it.
09:33And hang onto that.
09:34All right.
09:35I tell you what, mate, I'll meet you up there.
09:37I'll grab one of the Burmese pythons.
09:39I'll see you up there.
09:41Just carry on, mate.
09:44Whoa.
09:46OK.
09:47Bindi's safe with those snakes,
09:50but these blokes are no joke at all.
09:52Wes and Kelsey are moving four of the world's most venomous snake species
09:57into a new home while we demolish the old one.
10:03The king brown, one of the most dangerous snakes in the world.
10:14There you go.
10:18As well as moving the animals themselves,
10:21we're taking some of their favorite hiding places into the new display.
10:27She's a sweetie.
10:29This is the second deadliest snake in the world, the eastern brown.
10:39Bite you?
10:40No.
10:42You look all right.
10:44Wouldn't be looking too good by now if they had them.
10:46Yeah, too right.
10:47So they weren't too grumpy?
10:48No, they're great.
10:49And all of those snakes we discussed, they're all going in tonight?
10:52They're all going in as we speak.
10:53Fantastic. You happy, Stewie?
10:54The only other thing we're going to need is more signage, I think.
10:57Sort of just to let people know, you know,
10:59to the venomous and stuff like that, how to get out of it.
11:02Yep, yep.
11:03See you over there.
11:05Snakes are more than happy in an area this size
11:08because they have everything they need right here.
11:10And this new venomous house is a beauty.
11:14The ground cover is imported from exactly where the snake lives.
11:18Sand and dirt from the desert for outback snakes.
11:23Leaf litter and bark for the more coastal species.
11:32Every detail is exactly right.
11:35And the snakes feel like they're out in the bush with this great artwork.
11:40Beautiful color.
11:47Every snake settles in straight away,
11:49a tribute to everyone's hard work and attention to detail.
11:55For example, the gorgeous tropical green python has branches to climb
12:00and the same temperature and humidity as its home in the rainforest.
12:05These guys are grown too.
12:08They're going to love their new enclosure too.
12:11Pythons.
12:12Now it's the big blokes.
12:14And some of them are really cranky.
12:37He's a bit wary of something new, but once he settles, he'll be happy.
13:08What are you doing, Naughty?
13:10Australia Zoo has gotten really good at endangered species breeding programs.
13:15You're not endangered, are you? You're a little cutie.
13:18These freshwater crocodiles are part of a breeding program
13:21that helps us to provide animals to other zoological facilities.
13:25So some of these guys, hey cutie, got to go north.
13:33You've got a little plan B.
13:36You got it all planned out?
13:37Yeah, what I was thinking about...
13:39Yeah, go ahead, mate. Me and Wes, we're just observing.
13:42And if you get bit, you're sacked.
13:45What I was thinking about doing is drawing them both out with food.
13:49It means, hey, we've got to jump on each at the same time.
13:52Good, great. Can I watch?
13:54Yeah.
13:55Am I making you nervous?
13:56No.
13:57Great.
13:58Freshies live in north Queensland
14:00and this pair are going back close to their original home.
14:04Zoos are constantly exchanging animals for breeding purposes
14:08to keep diversity in the gene pool.
14:26Righto, get in there, boys.
14:28Whoa, whoa.
14:29Go, Toby. Get onto it.
14:39Hang on to the base of his tail.
14:43You got the head, Toby?
14:44Yep.
14:47Yeah, just grab the middle of the body there.
14:49Freshies.
14:50Freshies.
14:51Fresh.
14:52Fresh.
14:53Fresh.
14:54Fresh.
14:55Fresh.
14:56Fresh.
14:57Freshies may be little tackers, well, as far as crocs go,
15:00but by crikey, they've got a set of teeth.
15:03They poke out from the sides of their head
15:05and if they bite you, whoo, it's going to hurt.
15:08OK, you go first, Toby.
15:09OK.
15:10And go.
15:11Meanwhile, Brian's struggling with the female
15:14and we've noticed blood on his shirt.
15:17Did she bite you?
15:18I don't know.
15:19It might be her.
15:23Or is it me?
15:28I think it might be her.
15:29Did she clip you?
15:37Two holes right there, one there and one there.
15:39But he is a bit of a bully to her.
15:43Yeah, fresh.
15:45So you just take the jaws, OK?
15:48You've got the jaws only, Brian.
15:50Copy that.
15:51So you've got control of this.
15:58OK, go.
16:02There's not a lot of blood, so her injuries should heal quickly,
16:05but she'll be OK for the journey to the north of the state.
16:28It's not that sharp.
16:29No, they're good hands.
16:30In just a moment, a homecoming for the big perenties
16:34and some tiny lizards stop the machinery.
16:44It's time for the big move.
16:46Some animals are bagged, others are boxed.
16:48It's whatever it takes to make them feel comfortable
16:51and some of them, like this perentie,
16:53can just be carried by hand.
16:55You're a good boy.
17:01I'll shove a bit of sand in the front of it.
17:03Kelsey's copped a few perentie bites over the years,
17:06but that doesn't stop her from getting right back into it.
17:10Now pull on, Brian.
17:12Hold it in.
17:13I'm pulling on you, Brian.
17:14Pull on, Brian.
17:15I'm pulling on you, Brian.
17:16Pull on, Brian.
17:17Now pull on, Brian.
17:18Hold it in.
17:19I'm pulling on you, Brian.
17:20Pull on, Brian.
17:21I'm pulling on you, Brian.
17:22Pull on, Brian.
17:23OK.
17:40As she's up, you see they settle right down.
17:42So she won't bite you.
17:44So she's got a bit of a bite under her armpits there too.
17:46We should check out what we've got.
17:48Just watch her.
17:49She looks like she's got a belly full of eggs.
17:53The perentie is one of the largest lizards in the world
17:56and their teeth are like tiger sharks
17:58and there's real power in those tail whips.
18:01The gate's locked.
18:08You'll have to pull on the handle fairly hard.
18:10They're back home.
18:13They're back home.
18:14It's their original enclosure but totally refurbished.
18:17New decor, some new furniture and a lot of familiar old books.
18:27Poor little things.
18:35So what do you reckon of the enclosure, eh?
18:37Pretty good?
18:38Oh, Bruce did a fantastic job.
18:40They'll feel like they're at home.
18:43There's hardly an animal that's not affected
18:45by this enormous expansion of the zoo.
18:48There's a new home for one of the American alligators
18:51and our moving plan involves minimum stress.
18:59Wes is distracting the other gator
19:01to give the rest of us time to gradually edge closer and closer
19:05with the capture box.
19:11That's cool.
19:21It's always been our ambition to make Australia Zoo
19:24a world-class facility and now we're up there
19:27with the biggest and best private zoos on earth.
19:31Numbers through the gate have skyrocketed
19:33and we had to do everything almost overnight
19:36to accommodate thousands of extra visitors every day.
19:48All this animal shuffling and building effort
19:51has been our chance to make everything bigger and better
19:54with new habitats that are more like the wild
19:57so the animals are happy, healthy and contented.
20:07OK, go.
20:23My mum and dad, Bob and Lynn Irwin,
20:25established Australia Zoo way back in 1970.
20:28With my help, of course. I was only a little bloke.
20:31And one of the first things they ever built was the snake house
20:34and to show you just how strong and stable and innovative it was,
20:38it was perfect to the day that we had to demolish it.
20:42We had to be a little careful
20:44because all the native residents had moved in.
20:51We need someone over here.
20:53We've got geckos coming out of the long cages that I don't want to kill.
20:56Imagine, all these years,
20:58they've been living right inside the venomous snake house
21:01and they're a prime food source for snakes.
21:04It doesn't matter to Steve that everything's ground to a halt.
21:08The animals are always number one priority.
21:23See why they call them Melbourne geckos, can't you?
21:26You got him?
21:27Clever little guys, thriving right next to their enemies.
21:33Gecko, gecko.
21:42As long as there's one gecko left,
21:45you can forget the building deadlines.
22:03Stand still for a second and there's always autograph signings to do.
22:08It makes it hard for Steve to get any work done.
22:11Meanwhile, geckos are going absolutely everywhere.
22:16We just want to be a company for Steve.
22:21So they always live indoors, do they?
22:24No, outdoors, but they do adapt really well.
22:27I mean, I'm making a nice home of the long cages there
22:32because they hate me stuff, it's crazy.
22:35Coming up next, catching a two-headed venomous snake
22:39and the great kangaroo roundup.
22:50Australia Zoo has been a bit chaotic.
22:53The new move, all the animals going to new enclosures,
22:56brand new exhibits, it's all happening.
22:59Brendan, in the middle of everything, has to maintain business as usual.
23:04He's gotten better over the years, he's learned how to handle snakes,
23:08but the next snake call coming in threw him for a loop.
23:11It's a snake with two heads.
23:14It's going further than the corner there.
23:19This lady is certain it's a two-headed snake,
23:22and that can actually occur.
23:25Two heads by the tail.
23:27Maybe so, but it could also be two snakes entwined together.
23:34Tell me where his head is, Trev.
23:36I can't see, he's coming back, coming back, mate, coming back.
23:39I don't know how I'm going to get him out of here.
23:41Keeping piles of rubbish like this in your backyard
23:44makes a perfect habitat for snakes.
23:46They love it.
23:48They've got a little nest right down in the middle,
23:51so it's a meanie get to it.
23:53Sure enough, it's two snakes mating.
23:56If they still join...
24:03And as you'd expect, they're very cranky being interrupted right now.
24:07Trev, can you see that?
24:09I got the male.
24:11Yep, there's a female just sliding up here.
24:15If they still join, can you see they're joining?
24:20Come on, mate, you're all right.
24:22Eastern brown, second most venomous snake on earth.
24:26I think they've let go, guys.
24:28I don't know where this female is.
24:30Back out, back out, back out.
24:32Let me know if you see that girl.
24:34Head down below.
24:36Sneaking around.
24:38That snake's doing everything it can to tag Brendan with its bag.
24:43Now for the female.
24:45But there's big trouble.
24:47The top of the bag has come untied from the hoof.
24:56Back off, she's coming up.
24:59Well, didn't get a drink out of that one.
25:01The swoop back, come undone, that was the problem.
25:04When the twister just kept going around,
25:06It was a bit difficult to get the snake out of the bag.
25:10That's what I'm saying, the snake's doing everything it can to try and hold on.
25:14So it's a bit difficult to get the snake out of the bag.
25:18There's a rat in there.
25:20There's a rat in there.
25:22There's a rat in there.
25:24come undone that was the problem. Wouldn't twist it, just kept going around in a
25:28circle. Thank you so much for that. No problem at all, any time. If you ever get any more shots, just give us a call, we'll come straight down.
25:37Great hiding spaces for snakes, places to hide.
25:47Crikey! Have a go at the size of this thing. A mammoth constructional effort.
25:52When we started, it felt like we were building one of the pyramids in Egypt. So, we've called this our greatest achievement yet, the Taj Mahal.
26:02It's the new administration block, retail outlets and international food court. With enough space to bring in tree trunks, so you can have a meal right next to koalas munching on their gum leaves.
26:14Another interactive experience to get people close enough to our animals that they can't help but love them.
26:25Another major milestone, and we need everyone to help round up all of our free-roaming kangaroos and wallabies.
26:33This is actually going across there, so they can't go through there.
26:37Righty-o, Thelma, let's get up here.
26:39The kangaroos and wallabies have a new home, and this area's going to be the massive new triple-croc arena.
26:46Come on.
26:50It's a low-impact way to clear the kangaroos by blocking everything except one easy way out.
26:58Yeah, there's no fence, sweetheart.
27:00In Australia, we call a line of people like this an emu parade, and this girl reckons that doesn't apply to kangaroos.
27:10Just hang on, boys, because we've got one more grey and a red connect to come across.
27:18Keep coming, keep coming.
27:20Move up, move up, move up.
27:24Don't let us through.
27:27Slide along this way. Come on, you're lagging.
27:30Right through the gate into our brand-new kangaroo area called Roo Heaven, all except for two.
27:46One grey, one redneck.
27:48Come on.
27:58Hold firm.
28:02Come on, sweetheart, keep going.
28:12Get the opportunity, grab it by the tail.
28:15Grab it.
28:18Crikey, they can be very slippery animals, capable of darting every which way.
28:23Make sure she can't go through there.
28:26Come on.
28:28Come on, boys.
28:36Woo!
28:42Shut that gate.
28:44Come on.
28:53Here it is, our brand-new, state-of-the-art crocodile facility.
28:58We've used every... Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
29:02We've used every single piece of knowledge that we've gained over the years to develop this, what we call the triple crocs.
29:11And as you can see, they love it.
29:14They defend this area with their life.
29:17It's all about their territory.
29:19And it didn't come easy.
29:21Boy, crikey, there was a lot of construction went into this.
29:25This mammoth redevelopment is all about conservation.
29:29We're transforming Australia Zoo to give visitors an unforgettable, exciting experience that will make them want to save wildlife.
29:39All you've got to do is just stay out in the water.
29:43Akko's got a bit of a treat today.
29:45You've got to be very, very careful over the side of the enclosure.
29:48As well as having to worry about Akko, you've also got to keep an eye on your opponents on that door side.
29:53She is very, very protective.
29:56We want our demos to help the world to learn about crocodiles, to love them, and make sure they have a place in our world for the future.
30:09Come on, Akko.
30:20Hey, Stewie.
30:21You reckon this will work?
30:24What do you think?
30:25Anything's possible.
30:26I just walked past people there.
30:28Not one person recognised me.
30:30Don't stick in. I don't want to look at you.
30:32What's wrong?
30:35How's this?
30:36They're looking at me, but they like it.
30:38Is that him?
30:40A big group of tourists walked past before.
30:43Didn't have a clue.
30:45Well, it's worth a try.
30:47Steve's going to have to duck the autograph hunters if he wants to keep the construction on track.
30:53We've designed the triple croc ponds as state-of-the-art enclosures.
30:57Heated spas, shaded and sunning areas.
31:00It's what we're doing with every croc in the zoo.
31:04It's our commitment to give them exactly what they have in the wild,
31:07plus all the extra advantages of well-informed care.
31:16Leonard!
31:23One tree.
31:25One tree.
31:26There's just one tree in this entire place.
31:29One tree, and you kill it on it.
31:32I reckon it'll grow.
31:34No.
31:35What do you reckon?
31:37No.
31:38I don't know.
31:40You're not showing him.
31:42For me to comment, you know.
31:45But you'll probably get another job somewhere pretty soon.
31:50I don't know what's serious, mate.
31:53Look at his teeth.
31:56Put them back in.
31:59With all the final touches, these ponds are going to be great.
32:04We've still got a lot of landscaping to do.
32:10Lenny was right.
32:11The tree did survive.
32:13And he's celebrating success with a swim.
32:17That ain't the ugliest sign I've ever seen.
32:19What are you doing, mate?
32:21Blame it on the pool, mate.
32:23It's bloody beautiful.
32:24Now I have all these other buffets in here too.
32:27That thing will never get clean.
32:29I'm getting the rocks off the bottom.
32:31That's what I'm doing.
32:32We keep everyone out of it for now once he's all smeak and done.
32:35We'll have a big swim.
32:37Yeah, we're the crocodiles, mate.
32:39No, not the crocodile.
32:41Not the crocodile.
32:42How good is this?
32:44Nice soft grass to relax and rest on.
32:47Places for nests in the mating season.
32:49Shade and sunlight for temperature control.
32:52This is paradise for crocodiles.
32:55I wouldn't mind moving in here myself.
32:57This will be the feeding ramp, solid as a rock.
33:00It has to be sturdy to withstand the power of our big blokes when they strike.
33:05And how's this?
33:06Huge industrial furnaces for the heating spa baths
33:10to keep our crocodiles comfortable all year round.
33:13Even in the coldest cold snap,
33:16they can just kick back and relax in their beautiful heated water.
33:21Stay with us and see how everyone thinks they're the crocodile hunter.
33:36You know, the truth is, Steve and I aren't just husband and wife.
33:40We're also really good friends.
33:42We love to work together, play together, you name it.
33:47But sometimes, Steve can be a real pain in the neck.
34:06Got me.
34:10I'm just going to go get these ripped out before I die.
34:17Get out of it.
34:22Oh, I took a huge spot.
34:25Oh, gruesome.
34:29You're going to swell all up.
34:31Yeah, well.
34:32Let me get some wire.
34:36Need these at all?
34:39Probably.
34:41Yeah.
34:44This is going to hurt.
34:47I don't miss my, if you miss,
34:51I'm going to have to go to the hospital.
34:54That would really wreck my day.
34:55Stop talking.
34:56Okay.
34:57Hold still, don't breathe.
35:02Man, have a look at that.
35:11Okay.
35:13We're going to swell up.
35:15I guess so.
35:18I've got more work to do before I swell up.
35:20Thanks, bud.
35:23You're supposed to say,
35:24G'day, I'm Steve Irwin.
35:25Can't I just impromptu?
35:27No, because we have to do it together.
35:29Welcome to Australia Zoo for Crocodiles.
35:31Okay.
35:32So just say, G'day, I'm Steve Irwin.
35:33G'day, mate.
35:34Wow, look at him.
35:35Crikey.
35:36It's unbelievable.
35:37See this?
35:38I took a saltwater croc head on.
35:40Cool, crikey.
35:41Did you see the size of her?
35:42Wow.
35:43Crikey.
35:44Did you see that?
35:45She's so cute, I just want to kiss her on the lips.
35:47Crikey.
35:48Look at the teeth on this guy.
35:49Isn't she a beauty?
35:50I wouldn't want to muck with this one.
35:51He's magnificent.
35:52He loves people.
35:53Be careful, Steve.
35:55Whoa.
35:56Jesus Christ.
35:57Crikey.
35:58Danger, danger, danger.
35:59Be careful, Steve.
36:00Crikey.
36:01This is awesome.
36:02Danger, danger, danger.
36:03This guy goes like what?
36:05Crikey, mate.
36:07Be careful, Steve.
36:08It's about to be put long.
36:10Crikey.
36:11What a little beauty.
36:12He's quite lucky.
36:14I hope they'll all have a day job.
36:20We'll be back shortly when animals move into the brand new Taj Mahal.
36:31Zoo animals need to get used to everything,
36:33especially our camels, because they go everywhere,
36:36even into our newest addition, the Taj Mahal.
36:40Say hello to Karen.
36:41Say hello to Karen.
36:46What a good, healthy...
36:52Do you want some kiss?
36:53Do you want a kiss?
36:54Very sorry.
36:55There's a call for you.
36:56Tila wants you to come home.
36:59Thank you, Tila.
37:00I haven't got any food for you.
37:03Do you want some fun?
37:04Look.
37:05Ring ring.
37:06Hipster thing.
37:07Oh no, yucky.
37:09Now I've got to put that in my ear.
37:11Come on.
37:12Animal work, mate.
37:14Do you want to have a kiss?
37:20Big kiss for DJ.
37:25Hey, Jodie.
37:27We're going to take the quickest and easiest route possible.
37:29So we're going straight through here, down past the camels,
37:32into Kitsu, and into there.
37:34Another animal's on the move to its new home.
37:38Can you bring that thing over, guys?
37:40The snake or the bin?
37:41The bin.
37:45Is she aggressive at all?
37:46Yeah, she can be.
37:48One of our biggest pythons is going to be a permanent resident
37:51in the Taj Mahal.
37:58Shield, shield, shield, shield.
38:00Back off the dock a little.
38:01Crikey.
38:02There's no end to this girl.
38:04It's going to be a heavy job, even if she behaves perfectly.
38:10I can't pull the shield away.
38:15That's all of it, Wes.
38:1720-something feet.
38:19Back off.
38:29I'm good.
38:31In the new zoo, there's virtually no such thing as a place without an animal.
38:36And our big female reticulated python's going to live in a specially designed display
38:41right in the heart of the Taj.
38:51The black bin lid blocks her heat-seeking sensors,
38:54so she can't tag us if she decides to put on a turn.
38:58But not today.
38:59She's playing the perfect lady.
39:10Look at that.
39:11That's spectacular.
39:13Wow.
39:14You're going to love that.
39:16She'll love it.
39:22Too easy here.
39:25And as we expected, she's an immediate hit with the zoo visitors.
39:30Finally, the first of our new displays are open to the public,
39:34and we can see in their faces that all of our hard work has paid off.
39:39Everyone who comes to our zoo has a hands-on experience with animals,
39:44a face-to-face encounter with our wildlife.
39:47Gone are the days of zoos where animals are locked in small cages
39:51and spend all their time pacing up and down, looking bored and depressed.
39:56You can see it in their eyes, but not at our zoo.
39:59Our animals are all fit and healthy and happy.
40:03They really enjoy the contact with our visitors,
40:05and they are helping to communicate a love and understanding
40:09that we need for people everywhere to hold the conservation of animals in their hearts.
40:22As one door shuts, another door opens,
40:26and I guess that's pretty well life in general.
40:29Well, we're entering into a brand-new era, very exciting.
40:34But I tell you what, I've got a bit of a sore heart at the moment
40:37because I'm losing a very close friend and a very fond colleague.
40:42Kelsey, she's leaving us.
40:44We all love Kelsey.
40:46She started when she was still at school,
40:48and she's right at the heart of our Australia Zoo family.
40:57Kelsey, come here, Kelsey.
40:59Hey, how are you going, mate?
41:01How are you doing?
41:02Yeah.
41:03Hi, girls.
41:04Hi.
41:05What's this?
41:10Something important's happening. I'm going to share it with my dad.
41:13Have a seat, mate, have a seat.
41:15Why don't you sit next to your daughter, Freda?
41:19Well, myself and the crew, the team, all put in five cents.
41:23Kelsey's mum, Thelma, has worked for me for years.
41:26You're a nice girl.
41:27Yeah, yeah.
41:28We all said nice things about you for once.
41:30Yeah, I'm sure you did, yeah.
41:32And Fred is Kelsey's dad, so the whole family is a part of our life.
41:37Perfect!
41:38This is excellent!
41:39Yay!
41:40Thank you so much.
41:41We call this a hish.
41:44I'll use it before I go.
41:46But the biggest and most special thing of all...
41:49Oh, get out of here! Oh, my God!
41:53Yes!
41:55Very good luck!
41:57It's very minty.
41:59Yeah.
42:02Do you like the bumblebees, Thelma?
42:04That was quite good.
42:08Yay!
42:10Yay!
42:16OK, speech, Kelsey, speech.
42:18Start with what are you doing, where are you going?
42:20I'm meeting a friend of mine in Canada,
42:22and then I'll just start from there and travel for however long.
42:25We're going to miss you, mate.
42:27We're going to leave a huge big hole.
42:29Wes is going to have a lot of problem filling on a professional level.
42:34But a large part of our hearts are going to be torn out too, mate.
42:37It's like doing without you for a year.
42:39It's going to be hard on the zoo, but everyone's going to miss you
42:41because you're our friend.
42:42Your passion and enthusiasm, warmth and love for your animals
42:46is just an icon, an absolute icon.
42:49And it doesn't matter where you go or what you do
42:52for now for the next 12 months or 10 years,
42:54whether you come back to Australia Zoo or not,
42:56mate, you're just the best person that ever lived, ever walked,
42:59and you're always welcome back in this zoo in whatever capacity you want.
43:03And I think your animals will really miss you too.
43:06So thanks, mate. Thanks very, very much.
43:09You're a nice, nice cheetah.
43:11Well done, mate.
43:12Well done, mate.
43:14Yeah, mate.
43:16Well right to us.
43:17Well, I can honestly say I'm going to miss all you guys.
43:19You're just like a big family.
43:21So thanks for everything.
43:24Thanks, mate.
43:25Kelsey has one last important duty to perform,
43:28to say goodbye to all the animals that she's loved and cared for
43:32so well for so many years.
43:34We're going to miss you, Kelsey.
43:39Bye.
43:50Maybe you'll have your bedroom back to yourself when I come back.
44:08Bye.
44:38Bye.