REVIEW: Inside The Zoo, Series 1 Episode Eight

 REVIEW: Inside The Zoo, Series 1 Episode Eight

With the odd decision to air this series over three weeks on BBC2, it's strange to think this first run of Inside The Zoo is over already. Wednesday's episode was the eighth instalment in this delightful series, and yet because of the move to air over three nights a week for three weeks, it feels like it has ended much too quickly.

The episode begins with a particularly cheeky guineafowl called Philip. His constant pecking of the zoo keepers whilst they try to do their job in his enclosure is pretty funny to watch, although you imagine it must be very annoying for the keepers.

Then there's the penguins, who have some very entertaining names. As a film and television buff, I found it quite fun to discover that they named one penguin after Kevin McAllister from Home Alone, whilst I think it is also safe to hazard a guess that Cruella is named after the iconic Disney villain Cruella De Ville. It's interesting to learn how they have this whole ritual of picking up pebbles, which they give to the nests of the fellow penguins they wish to mate with, and then bow to complete the process.

The artic fox cubs were absolutely adorable to see in this episode. They are really cute little animals, and you can imagine it must have been devastating for the keepers to wave them off to Dudley Zoo. It seems a shame that they couldn't just keep them, but I guess the decision must have been related to their conservation efforts, or that the other zoo was better equipped to accommodate them.

The snow leopard cubs seemed equally as loveable, which made the tragic discovery about their unfortunate eye condition all the more devastating. Hearing that the male cub had to be put down because the eye issue meant he had no quality of life has to be one of the most sad moments in this series, and again you imagine it must really upset the keepers to be thrown in this scenario.

It was interesting to see Edinburgh Zoo's lantern festival given some of the air time in this episode. I had no idea such a thing existed, and to me it looked like an extremely impressive event. Those lanterns looked absolutely beautiful, the designs accurately conveying the different species of dinosaur, and I'd love to see these lanterns up close one day.

Elsewhere, we get to see the keepers have fun when they install a new climbing frame for the snow monkeys. Seeing the keepers in a lighter moment, larking around and swinging on the ropes intended for these monkeys brings a sense of levity alongside the sadder moments in this series, and shows how even on a job like this these workers can still find ways to keep themselves entertained.

It is also incredible to hear about the breeding programme that this zoo does for the maccaw parrots. It's great to see how determined they are to rescue the populations of these endangered species, and you hope for the sake of the animal kingdom that they succeed.

Overall this series has been a fascinating insight into the inner workings of a zoo attraction. I hope that once Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park can reopen, that there will be further instalments in this wonderful show, as it really helps to demonstrate just how much hard work these keepers do to care for these animals and ensure their continued survival. Just - please - air this show over more weeks next time, BBC.

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What are your thoughts on Inside The Zoo's eighth episode? Let me know in the comments.