TV3 BRINGS YOU ON AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY THROUGH DUBLIN ZOO

TV3 GROUP RELEASE
IMMEDIATE: Thursday 11th February 2010

70 acres of Dublin’s Phoenix Park, nearly a million visitors a year, 600 exotic animals and 22 dedicated keepers

Narrated by Tom Dunne, this amazing series is set to bring the public closer to the animals and keepers of Dublin Zoo than they’ve ever been before

It is the first time in Dublin Zoo’s 179 year history that a camera crew has been allowed such unique and exclusive access

The Zoo, a new six part series, sponsored by EBS Building Society, airing from Wednesday 17th February 2010 at 7.30pm on TV3

Images have been sent to your picture desks

Narrated by radio personality and musician Tom Dunne, The Zoo will take viewers behind the scenes with the dedicated men and women who take care of the 600 plus, exotic animals who live there, sharing in the highs and lows of life in Dublin Zoo and gaining access to an incredible world that few of the general public have ever seen. It is the first time in Dublin Zoo’s 179 year history that a camera crew has been allowed such unique and exclusive access and this six part series from Moondance Productions, which will be airing every Wednesday from 17th February 2010 at 7.30pm on TV3, will show the public a side of the zoo that visitors have never experienced before.

Many of the Zookeepers in Dublin Zoo have spent a lifetime taking care of animals, and this series gives a fascinating glimpse into their daily lives. It will also bring viewers close to some of the world’s most endangered animals and give them an opportunity to see first-hand how the work of Dublin Zoo forms part of a wider global project to conserve and protect the animals of the world. Viewers not only get up close and personal with the many beautiful, exotic and often critically endangered animals housed in the zoo, but also join the keepers on the exhilarating and often emotional journey of taking care of them; from day to day life and animal husbandry to the excitement of births, deaths and unexpected emergencies, there’s something new happening every day and in The Zoo, no two days are ever the same.

Episode One:

At the start of the summer, Dublin Zoo welcomed its two newest arrivals into the world, a pair of critically endangered twin Sumatran Tiger cubs, but concerns are raised that the female cub doesn’t seem to be doing quite as well as her brother. Team Leader Gerry Creighton has noticed a deformity in her chest and takes the cubs off to the veterinary hospital in UCD to investigate…. Brendan Walsh will soon be swapping his uniform for a tuxedo after signing up to be the first ever Zookeeper escort in the Rose of Tralee. In this episode he meets the press and introduces the Navan and Dublin Roses to some of his animal friends, including some particularly friendly ring tailed lemurs….

Jenny the Giraffe has some painful abnormal growth in her hooves and the zoo staff need to operate urgently. A team of twenty keepers and assistants gear up and prepare for the first of several procedures to repair her two deformed hooves. But what should normally be a simple operation turns critical when Jenny has a bad reaction to the anaesthetic….

Animals Featured:

· Sumatran Tiger Cubs
· Giraffe

Also Featuring:

· Brazilian Tapirs
· Red Pandas
· Burmese Python
· Ring Tailed Lemurs

TV3’s Commissioning Editor, Fintan Maguire said: “The Zoo is full of heart-warming stories, sad moments, entertaining characters…and that's not just the animals! Following on from our hit series Ireland’s Animal A&E, The Zoo will offer our viewers a deeper insight into the world of the animal kingdom. Viewers will be captivated by the incredible stories that unfold throughout the series. With thanks to EBS Building Society for sponsoring the programme, TV3 viewers can enjoy being part of a whole new world.

” Tune in to The Zoo every Wednesday from 17th February 2010 at 7.30pm on TV3

Images have been sent to your picture desks

ENDS.

For further information:
Maureen Catterson/ Ciara Byrne
TV3 PRESS OFFICE +353 1 419 3430/ 329
+353 87 7800 737/ +353 87 319 9732
Maureen.catterson@tv3.ie
Ciara.byrne@tv3.ie
publicity@tv3.ie
www.tv3.ie