In an all-new season, “The Zoo,” returns to the Animal Planet network for Season 5, kicking off with a special, two-hour premiere on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m., Season 5 dives back into what is described by Bronx Zoo officials as the hard work and heartwarming moments of daily life at the Bronx Zoo’s 265-acre campus and its sister parks across New York City. The series showcases more stories of the animals and staff who care for them.

 

Throughout Season 5, audiences will learn about the zoo’s work, described as groundbreaking, in animal care and welfare, conservation, and education. New episodes will air every following Saturday, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

 

In the upcoming premiere, producers say a bevy of fascinating new animals find a home at the zoo. “From a herd of Bactrian deer fawns on a journey to the Big Apple from Ohio, to a young red kangaroo named Troody growing into the shoes of a Bronx kangaroo legend, to a keel-billed toucan rescued from the dark world of animal trafficking, zoo staffers step up to provide a New York welcome for them all,” they said.

 

Officials said excitement is also mounting for the zoo’s existing residents as well. “The gorillas experiment with a fashion-forward, new enrichment and a trio of curious lynx kittens step into the public eye at the Queens Zoo,” they said. Audiences will also get an exclusive update on Nadia, the Malayan tiger who was the first animal in the U.S. to be diagnosed with COVID-19, as reported by Norwood News at the time.

 

Jim Breheny is the Bronx Zoo’s director and said the dedication of the essential zoo and aquarium staff has never been more apparent than it is in Season 5. “They continued to provide world-class care to the animals through the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, and never lost sight of our conservation mission,” he said. “Zoo and aquarium staff at the Bronx Zoo and around the world who braved the unknowns of the virus to ensure the daily needs of the animals were met are unsung heroes of the past two years.”

 

This season, Bronx Zoo representatives said audiences will see the zoo’s mission in action as a pair of endangered Coquerel’s sifakas are introduced in hopes that they will mate; Sydney, an “adorable” harbor seal pup, rescued from a stranding in the wild, finds a new home at the New York Aquarium; and a pair of rehabilitated ospreys become ambassadors for their species. In addition, the zoo’s veterinary staff get creative by crafting a one-of-a-kind, orthopedic shoe to help a tiny oscillated turkey chick walk.

 

Norwood News recently reported on how Bronx Zoo helped coordinate the transfer of a pet cougar that had been living in a New York City home to an Arkansas sanctuary. We also reported, last year, on a reported break-in at Bronx Zoo.

 

Meanwhile, fans can also follow the conversation on Season 5 of The Zoo on social media, with the hashtag #TheZoo and can follow Animal Planet on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more updates.