Powell, OH – With more than 10,000 animals in their care and over 2.4 million guests welcomed a year, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds have many compelling stories to tell. Wildlife fans will get the opportunity to share in some of these heartwarming and moving adventures on Sunday, July 29, when Secrets of the Zoo premieres on Nat Geo WILD. Two one-hour-long episodes will premiere this Sunday at 9 p.m. (EDT).
Over the course of the last year, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium staff and documentarians at Nat Geo WILD have been working together to share a glimpse into the incredible bonds between caretakers and animals at the Zoo.
Secrets of the Zoo also focuses on the Columbus Zoo’s incredible conservation work, including an in-depth look at The Wilds, one of the largest conservation centers in North America at 10,000 acres, and home to rare and endangered animals from around the world.
Upcoming episodes feature both heartwarming and heart-pounding stories, including the following:
Secrets of the Zoo - Stand by Your Manatee
Premieres Sunday, July 29, 9/8c
An orphaned baby manatee is rescued from the wild, and the zoo staff manages to retrieve an important urine sample from a beloved manatee mom. It’s a big new world for the zoo’s newest additions — adorable tiger cubs. A male oryx joins a herd of females, while the zoo staff collects lifesaving blood from a giraffe, and has some fun feeding their hyenas.
Secrets of the Zoo - Run, Cheetah, Run
Premieres Sunday, July 29, 10/9c
The zoo doctors go into hero mode, attempting to replace a missing bone in a cheetah’s shoulder and rescuing 16 macaws from a hoarding situation. They also perform pregnancy tests on rare mares, give baby polar bear cubs swimming lessons and treat rambunctious — but loveable — flamingos with leg problems.
Secrets of the Zoo - Kangaroo-mance
Premieres Sunday, Aug. 5, 9/8c
Young kangaroo Fergus gets a gut check in the love department while Zuri, an expectant warthog, delivers unexpected results. Baby, a beloved black rat snake, develops a concerning mass, while Mac, the zoo’s oldest silverback gorilla, gets a surprise birthday party.
Secrets of the Zoo - Rhino-mite!
Premieres Sunday, Aug. 12, 9/8c
At the zoo, a white rhino ultrasound shows surprising results, and a sick guinea fowl becomes an emergency. From Florida to California, the zoo team hits the coasts, returning two rescued manatees to their native waters, and transporting four wild cats to Los Angeles for an appearance on “The Late, Late Show With James Corden.”
Secrets of the Zoo - Beauties and Beasts
Premieres Sunday, Aug. 19. 9/8c
Baby fever spreads through the zoo as a cheetah repopulation program goes into full effect, a takin has a hitch in his getalong and Jack Hanna causes chaos through the zoo as he prepares to delight a crowd, while the park’s most chill residents get a frozen spaghetti seal treat.
Secrets of the Zoo – Bringing Up Baby
Premieres Sunday, Aug. 26, 9/8c
The keepers make their morning breakfast rounds at the Heart of Africa exhibit, a young bull elephant has a play date while his expectant mother gets an ultrasound, a rare okapi gets a checkup, a cougar has a concerning abscess and it’s a winter herd roundup at The Wilds.
“More than 175 million Americans visit a zoo every year, but nothing compares to the behind-the-scenes experience we deliver,” said Geoff Daniels, executive vice president and general manager, Nat Geo WILD. “Thanks to the Columbus Zoo and their incredible staff, our audience of animal lovers and their families will get an exclusive golden ticket to witness all the extraordinary work, heartwarming stories and inspiring moments most people never see at a place where the passion and commitment to wildlife has to be seen to be believed!”
More than anything, Secrets of the Zoo places the Columbus Zoo and the Central Ohio community into the national spotlight by showcasing a progressive zoo with a mission to lead and inspire by connecting people and wildlife. The Columbus Zoo team accomplishes this by providing memorable and meaningful on-site experiences, engaging educational programs and inspiring outreach activities, as well as constantly striving to make an even bigger global impact.
“We are proud to have some of the most talented, knowledgeable, dedicated and passionate staff members in the world on our animal care team,” said Columbus Zoo and Aquarium President and CEO Tom Stalf. “The fact that the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds were selected for this show is a true testament to our team as well as our supportive Central Ohio community that has helped to make our Zoo one of the best in the nation. While sharing the true heart behind the care provided to the animals by our team of experts, we are excited that Secrets of the Zoo is also providing us with the opportunity to help us establish that emotional connection between a national audience and these animals so that we can further lead in inspiring people to take action to help protect wildlife and wild places.”
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About the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Home to more than 10,000 animals representing over 600 species from around the globe, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium leads and inspires by connecting people and wildlife. The Zoo complex is a recreational and education destination that includes the 22-acre Zoombezi Bay water park and 18-hole Safari Golf Course. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium also operates The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center and safari park located in southeastern Ohio. The Zoo is a regional attraction with global impact; annually contributing more than $4 million of privately raised funds to support conservation projects worldwide. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Columbus Zoo has earned Charity Navigator’s prestigious 4-star rating.
About National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
