0:00:05 > 0:00:09Edinburgh Zoo is celebrating its 100th birthday.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16When it first opened its gates a century ago,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19it unlocked a window onto the wonders of the natural world.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25I would love to have been on Corstorphine train station
0:00:25 > 0:00:28on that day when 90 animals arrived.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33To actually go and see these animals in the flesh
0:00:33 > 0:00:36would have been mind-blowing for so many people.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41For generations, it has entertained and enthralled.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47We came up with our own children about 20 years ago
0:00:47 > 0:00:49and we've brought our grandchildren up today.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54It all seemed like innocent fun.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58But attitudes changed, the world changed.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00The zoo had to adapt.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01If you're going to have animals,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05they had to have more of a purpose than just there to be gawped at.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Today, the zoo is at the centre of a global effort
0:01:12 > 0:01:15to help save an endangered species.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Well, look at him. I'm enchanted with him. I'm enchanted every day.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24It has evolved over 100 years.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27But with more animals than ever facing extinction,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30can Edinburgh Zoo make a difference?
0:01:31 > 0:01:34And here is one of my personal favourites.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45CACOPHONY OF ANIMAL CALLS
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Edinburgh Zoo,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02where the sounds of the jungle mingle with the dawn chorus.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Behind the scenes, keepers prepare breakfast for over 1,000 animals.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18But today is no ordinary day.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21For the zoo's most precious residents,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23the giant pandas, are ready to mate.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Last bit. I think you've had enough, pal.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40In charge of the day-to-day running of the zoo
0:02:40 > 0:02:44is Darren McGarry, head of living collections.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48I remember visiting Edinburgh Zoo when I was a young child.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50I've got lots of photographs of me
0:02:50 > 0:02:52when I was here when I was six years old.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58I never imagined 10 years later, I would actually be working here.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06The koalas are settling in well. They're doing well.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I want to have a look at them, so I'll try and pop round later.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14Before the zoo opens, Darren is briefed by his team leaders.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16- And the tigers are all right? - The tigers are OK, yeah.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18High on the agenda are the pandas.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23Nothing much happened last night, so we'll see what happens today,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25but in theory, we could be down there
0:03:25 > 0:03:27for the majority of today, maybe tonight.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Hopefully. Okey-dokey. Enjoy the day.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Since the arrival of the giant pandas 18 months ago,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39the popularity of the zoo has soared.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Ticket sales are up by over 50%.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05The zoo's newest stars vie with the old favourites.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09We've come to see the pandas.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12- Rhinoceros.- The pandas.- Penguins.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- The chimpanzees.- Koala bears. - Came to see the pandas.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20- The penguin parade.- The pandas. - What did we come to see?- The pandas.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26With an annual rental of nearly £650,000,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28taking on the pandas was a huge gamble.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36But it seems to be paying off.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40A £700,000 shortfall has been transformed
0:04:40 > 0:04:44into a staggering £1.5 million profit.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51A lot of people ask about the weather here.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54They reckon it's a bit too cold for pandas, but not at all.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57The climate here is very similar to their natural habitat.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59So they don't mind this weather at all.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03One of the reasons they were chosen to come to Edinburgh was because of our lovely climate.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05At least the climate's good for something!
0:05:09 > 0:05:10Are they very sociable? I don't know.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13- I'm not sure. - They sleep 16 hours a day,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16so I don't know how social you can be when you're asleep all the time.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21In the wild, pandas are solitary creatures,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23only coming together to mate once a year.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27So Yang Guang and Tian Tian
0:05:27 > 0:05:30are kept in separate, but adjoining enclosures.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37You'll see there's a metal grid just at the top of the hill there on the left-hand side.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40That's where the pandas can see each other through,
0:05:40 > 0:05:41they can interact through there.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45With the mating season, Tian Tian waits very patiently on this side
0:05:45 > 0:05:48while Yang Guang comes over and then she just decides to walk away.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51So she's a bit of a tease towards him most of the year.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58It's not only the public who have fallen for the pandas' charms.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02In charge of looking after Tian Tian and Yang Guang's every need
0:06:02 > 0:06:04is keeper Alison Maclean.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12I suppose pretty incredible to work with, really, on a daily basis.
0:06:12 > 0:06:13Well, look at him!
0:06:13 > 0:06:15I am enchanted with him.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17I am enchanted every day when I see them.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20They're so entirely different
0:06:20 > 0:06:23from any other big bear species.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27They've got a whole different personality around about them.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35He's very much a gentle giant.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Tian Tian is a mischievous character.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44She does like to play.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51She very much knows her own mind.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54She's not like him, she's not focused or orientated on her food.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58And if she doesn't want to do something, she just won't do it.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Generally with him, as long as we've got food, then he's your best pal.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Nice teeth.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Everyone wants to know - will this be the year they will produce
0:07:09 > 0:07:11a cuddly bundle of panda joy?
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Well, we would hope to get a baby from both of them.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20We know she's a good mum. She has reared before.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25And it would be really nice for us to get a youngster from them.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26It would be amazing.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30If they do produce a cub, not only would it boost visitor numbers,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34it would be the first ever baby panda born in the UK.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Good morning, everybody. Welcome to Hilltop Safari. My name is Charlie.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50While the world waits for news, it's business as usual at the zoo.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55We have over 200 different species of animals in Edinburgh Zoo.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57And we are primarily a conservation zoo.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01To my right is our state-of-the-art chimpanzee enclosure.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04In there, you will find 18 chimpanzees.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Fun for all the family.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11Don't forget this afternoon at 2:15, the famous Penguin Parade.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34A visit to the zoo is all about experiencing
0:08:34 > 0:08:37the thrill of getting up close to exotic creatures.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50100 years ago, catching sight of rare and exotic animals
0:08:50 > 0:08:54was only the preserve of the rich as they toured the empire.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Neither privileged nor wealthy, Edinburgh lawyer Thomas Gillespie
0:09:06 > 0:09:10had a fascination for animals that he wanted to share.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14"I got the idea that it would be a fine thing
0:09:14 > 0:09:18"if the town council would set up an aviary in Princess Street Gardens.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26"I mentioned the idea to a dealer in birds I call on very often.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29"And he said to me, well, why an aviary only?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32"Why don't you think of starting a proper zoo?"
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Darren has come to the zoo's library
0:09:39 > 0:09:41to find out more about its beginnings.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Helping him sift through the archives
0:09:51 > 0:09:53is animal registrar Jo Elliott.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58So the very first thing, the society's first specimen here,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00which is a gannet,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03which came into the society
0:10:03 > 0:10:06before the zoo even opened
0:10:06 > 0:10:08and was kept by Gillespie in his house.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12It was actually a wild animal that crash-landed on Leith Pier
0:10:12 > 0:10:15and ended up for some reason at a pet shop, from where he rescued it.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21"The gannet was the first specimen we ever received for the zoo.
0:10:21 > 0:10:27"It was a young bird blown onto the West Pier at Leith in October 1912.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30"It was taken off to an animal dealer in town
0:10:30 > 0:10:33"and I bought it there for 18 pence."
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Which is obviously why the gannet was used
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- in the society's logo very early on. - Absolutely.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43- Because he had this first gannet. - Yes.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Gillespie founded the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland,
0:10:51 > 0:10:53which then persuaded Edinburgh District Council
0:10:53 > 0:10:57to purchase the Corstorphine Hill Estate for £17,000.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02The stage was set for Edinburgh's new zoo,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06but with a grand opening scheduled for the summer of 1913,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09finding enough animals was no easy task.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17But luckily, he was canny enough to borrow a large private collection.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20This is an article from the Scotsman
0:11:20 > 0:11:22describing the arrival of these animals.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23And it says here
0:11:23 > 0:11:27that these animals all arrived on the train from Maidstone
0:11:27 > 0:11:31into Corstorphine, 90 head of animals.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36Six lions, four bears, a couple of hyenas, some wolves,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38four leopards, two camels.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Yeah, a really big collection.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43I would love to have been on Corstorphine train station
0:11:43 > 0:11:46on that day when 90 animals arrived.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48I know today we have got to be very careful
0:11:48 > 0:11:51when two or three animals are arriving into the zoo,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53but it must have been amazing to see 90 animals
0:11:53 > 0:11:55arrive at Corstorphine train station.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58And how did they get those from the train station up the hill
0:11:58 > 0:11:59- into enclosures?- Exactly.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- It must have been quite a sight. - Devotion. It was devotion.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Nerves were undoubtedly frayed
0:12:06 > 0:12:09when a lone wolf tunnelled his way to freedom.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13But he was quickly recaptured and the zoo duly opened its gates.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It was an instant hit.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Thomas Gillespie really wanted a national zoo
0:12:20 > 0:12:23that was open to everybody to come and see.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24And he'd had so many people saying to him,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27"You'll never build a zoo in Edinburgh. It's too cold.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31"The climate's not suitable," or, "People won't want a zoo here."
0:12:31 > 0:12:34So it must have been great for him when the zoo eventually opened.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38I'm sure it was an exciting day for him.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Gillespie's vision was to display animals in a radical new way
0:12:46 > 0:12:49which would be unlike any other British zoo of the time.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53This polar bear, he's definitely down
0:12:53 > 0:12:55in the original polar bear enclosure
0:12:55 > 0:12:58because there's no bars or anything around the top.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Another one here is lions on the original lion rock.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04That enclosure was one of the first ones built.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09This was a departure from the traditional bars and cages
0:13:09 > 0:13:13and reflected Gillespie's desire to create a modern zoo.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Well, Thomas Gillespie had obviously seen a lot of Victorian zoos
0:13:19 > 0:13:21where the enclosures were made of heavy bars,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24where you would see the animals through cages, through bars.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26And so he took a lot of inspiration
0:13:26 > 0:13:29from a gentleman called Carl Hagenbeck.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33And he had designed a lot of animal enclosures for a new zoo in Hamburg.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37And that was where the animals looked much freer
0:13:37 > 0:13:39because there wasn't bars in front of them.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40The visitors could get up close
0:13:40 > 0:13:44and it reminded people of the animals' natural environment.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46And Thomas Gillespie wanted to build enclosures in the zoo
0:13:46 > 0:13:48that were very much designed like that.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50So this enclosure here in Edinburgh Zoo,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53which originally held polar bears for many years,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55the wall would have been a bit higher
0:13:55 > 0:13:57and it would have been surrounded with water.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00But the polar bears could lie on the rock at the back there
0:14:00 > 0:14:03and people would feel that they were really close to the polar bear.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05There'd have been a lot of people
0:14:05 > 0:14:07that would never have seen a polar bear in the flesh.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11So to come here, to stand right a few metres away from a polar bear
0:14:11 > 0:14:13was really exciting for them.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I imagine zoos of the early 19th century
0:14:19 > 0:14:21to be fabulous cabinets of curiosity.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24Everyone wanted to see these things.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27This was the first opportunity they would have had
0:14:27 > 0:14:30to have seen things like elephant, tiger, rhino, hippo.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33So to actually go and see these animals in the flesh
0:14:33 > 0:14:35would have been mind-blowing for so many people.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38So they must have played an incredibly important role
0:14:38 > 0:14:42in the simple realisation of what life was like
0:14:42 > 0:14:44in different parts of the planet,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47where you would never have a chance of ever visiting.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50It was about sensation, it was about wow!
0:14:50 > 0:14:52And people would flock to see them.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01There was one animal that pulled in the crowds.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04One that no other zoo in the world had ever put on show before.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Penguins.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16The zoo is so famous for them that the penguin is now part of its logo.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22For five years, Lynda Burrill worked closely with the penguins.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27They were the first penguins to ever be in the northern hemisphere.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Nobody had any idea what they looked like, how they behaved,
0:15:30 > 0:15:31anything about them.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33So this was their first opportunity to see them.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35It must have been pretty amazing for them.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40The man responsible for bringing the first penguins
0:15:40 > 0:15:43halfway around the globe was Lord Salvesen,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47whose family owned the huge shipping dynasty, Christian Salvesen.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51It's one of the things that's always talked about.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56We're 100 years on and we're still saying thank you to Christian Salvesen for what they did.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59They were based in Edinburgh, they wanted to support the zoo.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01This was the way that they could do it.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05The company's whaling fleet operated out of Leith Docks
0:16:05 > 0:16:07and regularly voyaged to the South Atlantic.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11On South Georgia, the whalers encountered
0:16:11 > 0:16:14vast colonies of penguins.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24When the crew set sail for Edinburgh,
0:16:24 > 0:16:29amongst their cargo were three seals and six penguins.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Gifts for the zoo.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34But it was by no means certain these creatures would survive
0:16:34 > 0:16:37the 8,000-mile journey north.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42They had to go through the equator. They had to go through hot places.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45How they managed to keep them alive, I really don't know.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47I mean, nowadays, when we move penguins,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50we're moving them in a temperature-controlled environment.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53We keep it cool. We recommend about six-degrees centigrade,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55whether they're going by road or by plane.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00Now, obviously, that wasn't something they could do in 1914, 1915.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03They took a stock of dried fish with them
0:17:03 > 0:17:05to feed the penguins on the way back.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09And what they also did is stopped on their way to kill some sharks,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11which they then fed to the penguins.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13It was a tremendous achievement
0:17:13 > 0:17:15to actually get them here in one piece and for them to be alive.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17It was really amazing.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25Visitors fascinated by these strange aquatic birds flocked to the zoo.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32They are like no other birds. They're just so different.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34They're so interesting, they're so inquisitive.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39They're quite gregarious. They do enjoy each other's company.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42And also they're not that particularly bothered about humans.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44So I'm sure they would have been quite willing
0:17:44 > 0:17:46to come up to people and do things like that,
0:17:46 > 0:17:50which would have been an amazing experience for people to get that close to an animal
0:17:50 > 0:17:53that they've never seen before on this side of the equator.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05They're unbelievably comical to watch.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07You can stand and watch them for hours
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and they're always doing something and they're always active.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14And they really do interact with each other and with the keepers
0:18:14 > 0:18:18in a very comical and interesting way.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26They're just amazing. There is no other type of bird like this
0:18:26 > 0:18:28you can get this relationship with
0:18:28 > 0:18:32in the same way as keepers, that we can with these individuals.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The penguins are as popular as ever.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41And one tradition that still delights...
0:18:43 > 0:18:46..the Penguin Parade.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48# Do the funky penguin
0:18:48 > 0:18:50# Do it right now
0:18:50 > 0:18:53# Do the funky penguin
0:18:53 > 0:18:55# Do it right now, listen...
0:18:55 > 0:18:57There was a keeper that left a gate open by accident
0:18:57 > 0:19:01and turned around and there was a load of penguins behind him.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03So that's where the Penguin Parade started.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07# Do the funky penguin
0:19:07 > 0:19:09# Do it right now
0:19:09 > 0:19:11# Do the funky penguin
0:19:11 > 0:19:13# Make it funky now.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17In the early days, marching penguins would venture beyond the zoo gates,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21right into the heart of Edinburgh.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23# Did you hear me?
0:19:23 > 0:19:26# Did you hear me?
0:19:26 > 0:19:28# Did you hear me?
0:19:28 > 0:19:30# Won't you do the funky penguin?
0:19:30 > 0:19:32# Do it right now. #
0:19:32 > 0:19:3662 years later, the parade still pulls in the punters.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Enjoy the rest of your afternoon here at Edinburgh Zoo. Thank you.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59During the 1920s and '30s, the animal population increased.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03The zoo grew from strength to strength.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07But all that was about to change.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11SIREN SOUNDS
0:20:15 > 0:20:18When war was declared in 1939,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Thomas Gillespie had to make some difficult decisions.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Destroyed, destroyed.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Destroyed.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30There was a lot of public concern
0:20:30 > 0:20:32venomous snakes might escape should a bomb hit.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35You can see here that things like the copper-headed snakes
0:20:35 > 0:20:37and the black-necked cobras, they were all destroyed
0:20:37 > 0:20:40at the start of the war to prevent any escapes.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Which was quite common in a lot of zoo collections during the war.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45There was lots of animals destroyed.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Armed guards were stationed by the more dangerous animals
0:20:50 > 0:20:52should a stray bomb liberate them.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58The zoo was hit - twice.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04Incredibly, the only casualties were a dozen budgies and a chimpanzee.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09But as war progressed, it was a lack of food
0:21:09 > 0:21:11that caused the greatest impact.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15With no fresh fish, the penguin population was decimated.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22King penguins, the Gentoos and the rockhoppers died out completely.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Some animals were called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30A lot of the pigs were sold to the Ministry of Food.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And we see that repeated again and again.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34- Food would have been a requirement. - Yeah.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38There's quite a lot of pigs disappearing off to the Ministry of Food.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Something here that's quite interesting,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43we can only wonder what it means exactly,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46but there's a Muscovy duck killed during the wartime.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49And it says, "Killed for Mr Gillespie."
0:21:49 > 0:21:54So one would assume Mr Gillespie had a party in the zoo in the night
0:21:54 > 0:21:56and needed something to feed his guests on.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Despite the difficulties, the zoo scraped through the war years.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07When peace finally came in 1945,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11it was the presence of one Polish war veteran
0:22:11 > 0:22:13that drew crowds back to Edinburgh Zoo.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Wojtek, a Syrian bear adopted as a cub
0:22:19 > 0:22:22by a Polish regiment in North Africa during the war.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Raised by the soldiers,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Private Wojtek enjoyed a beer
0:22:28 > 0:22:30and a wrestle, like the rest of troops.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36He also carried ammunition to the front line.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42When Wojtek was demobbed, he found a new home at Edinburgh Zoo.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51But wartime losses had hit the zoo hard.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Once more, Thomas Gillespie was on the hunt for more animals.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01It was about having the most exotic species they possibly could get.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03The biggest, the most fierce.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06The more weird, the more wonderful it would have been.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Zoo records show new arrivals were coming in thick and fast.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Among the names of people supplying Edinburgh Zoo
0:23:18 > 0:23:21was a young animal collector, Gerald Durrell.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28Durrell would become influential as conservationist,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30writer and broadcaster.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34But as a young man, he travelled around Africa and South America
0:23:34 > 0:23:36collecting animals for British zoos.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40The way zoos in those days received animals
0:23:40 > 0:23:42was to purchase them from collectors.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47And Gerry, his first expedition was 1947.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50All he ever wanted to do with his life
0:23:50 > 0:23:53was to do something with animals and to travel to exotic places.
0:23:53 > 0:23:58He thought, "I can combine those things if I become an animal collector."
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Back in those days, that is how zoos got their animals.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17The collectors would go out,
0:24:17 > 0:24:22bring the animals back by ship and they'd go into Liverpool Docks
0:24:22 > 0:24:26and the zoo directors of the day would be waiting on the docks
0:24:26 > 0:24:28for all these animals to be displayed.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32And there was almost a bidding war for these wonderful creatures.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34This was just the norm.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Animals were bought and sold and collected from the wild.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46At this time, it was perfectly acceptable
0:24:46 > 0:24:48to pluck animals from the wild.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Nature seemed limitless, there for the taking.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02The possibility it could disappear was never even considered.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13For Thomas Gillespie, the purpose of the zoo
0:25:13 > 0:25:16was to bring the wild to the masses.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18To amaze and to inspire.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29When he retired in 1950, his vision had been fully realised.
0:25:36 > 0:25:41"One species, Homo sapiens, is seen in greater numbers during summer
0:25:41 > 0:25:43"than in any other season of the year."
0:25:43 > 0:25:47People flocked in their thousands for a grand day out.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57"Supplying and receiving fish is a combined operation
0:25:57 > 0:25:59"between keeper and diner."
0:26:13 > 0:26:18Post-war austerity gave way to prosperity of the '50s and '60s.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20The zoo never had it so good.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Good morning, everybody. Welcome to Hilltop Safari. My name is Charlie.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Coming up on the right, Taiwanese beauty snakes.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47And the left, the binturongs, Asiatic bearcats.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50It's great for all the family...
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Hilltop Safari tour guide Charlie Hewat
0:26:57 > 0:27:00fell in love with the zoo as a child in the 1950s.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07In those days, we had trams, double-decker trams.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09And they stopped at the zoo.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12They stopped right outside the metal gate saying, "Zoo Park."
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Wonderful! We're going to the zoo.
0:27:16 > 0:27:17Run up the steps, so exciting.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20# Zoo, zoo, zoo We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo... #
0:27:20 > 0:27:22And it was wonderful.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25# See the elephant with the long trunk swinging
0:27:25 > 0:27:28# Great big ears and a long trunk swinging... #
0:27:28 > 0:27:29At that time, a visit to the zoo
0:27:29 > 0:27:32wasn't complete without an elephant ride.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36And in the '50s, one of the zoo's biggest stars was Sally.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39# We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo. #
0:27:40 > 0:27:43She used to have this large howdah on her back
0:27:43 > 0:27:46with the children strapped on either side.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49They would sit sideways, rather like an Irish jaunty car.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51She would go along there and back.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52I think it was a shilling a ride.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04That fascination never left the young Charlie.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07And it would draw him back years later.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11I remember my father saying,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14"You don't want to be a damn keeper all your life."
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Actually, I did.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18In the early '60s, he could be seen
0:28:18 > 0:28:21proudly leading the camels through the zoo.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27This is my old zoo scrapbook.
0:28:27 > 0:28:32We've got a picture of me in the centre wearing my full uniform.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36Britches, leather leggings and boots, which we supplied ourselves.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44By the 1960s, visitors were coming in droves.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52The new zoo director Gilbert Fisher added a touch of showmanship.
0:28:56 > 0:29:01Often seen out strolling with Scrappy, a four-year-old cheetah.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06Scrappy was put on a leash every day and was walked around the zoo.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12She was also taken out on Corstorphine Road by Gilbert Fisher.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Until one day, a motorbike passed and backfired.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22Scrappy took off.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25She took off at quite a speed. It gave him quite a fright.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32But Fisher's showmanship had a purpose.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36He wanted to inspire and educate the next generation of visitors.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41He opened a miniature farm within the zoo
0:29:41 > 0:29:44where children could feed and touch the animals.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47It was a great success.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51But the biggest draw remained one of the old favourites.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54Here's a picture of dear Sally in 1964.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Sally didn't take to people very easily.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01If she didn't like you, she would
0:30:01 > 0:30:05get a hold of the brush with her trunk, pull it in and break it.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13But after a fortnight, she got to know me and was very affectionate.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16She was a very intelligent elephant.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Sally was allowed to open the back door,
0:30:18 > 0:30:20which was extremely heavy.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Then she started to shut it when I was cleaning her out.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25And I thought, "Not quite ready yet."
0:30:25 > 0:30:27And she banged on the door.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36With animal stars pulling in the crowds, the zoo was the place to be.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44It was colourful, exciting, exotic.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52It was all about entertainment.
0:30:52 > 0:30:57And most crowd-pleasing of all was the chimps' tea party.
0:31:01 > 0:31:06"Of all park mealtimes, it is the chimpanzees' tea party
0:31:06 > 0:31:07"that draws the greatest crowds.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11"Where lack of table manners is part of the show.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14"Little chimpanzees, unlike little children,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17"are expected to misbehave themselves at the tea table.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22"And some are disappointingly polite.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24"You see, animals usually are."
0:31:27 > 0:31:29One of the stars was Cindy.
0:31:32 > 0:31:3540 years on, she still lives at the zoo.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40The last surviving tea party chimp.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46Cindy is the oldest of 18 chimpanzees
0:31:46 > 0:31:49living in the Budongo enclosure.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Looking after them is keeper, Sophie Pearson.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Cindy's been here a long time.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02And she's seen a lot of changes in the zoos
0:32:02 > 0:32:06and she's also bonded to people very closely
0:32:06 > 0:32:08because she's been here so long.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12So there's been keepers in the zoo that she will know their faces
0:32:12 > 0:32:15from years and years and years ago, from when she was young.
0:32:16 > 0:32:17Cindy was taken from the wild
0:32:17 > 0:32:22and joined Edinburgh Zoo's tea-party chimps towards the end of the 1960s.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32They only ever used baby chimpanzees in these tea parties
0:32:32 > 0:32:35because an adult chimpanzee just isn't handleable.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Far too strong, far too volatile.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45And so these babies were very much kind of humanised
0:32:45 > 0:32:48and treated as a pet, or even like a child.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55Hand-rearing chimpanzees made them easier to handle and train.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00They were treated like little furry humans.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08The chimps were dressed up and had a little tea party
0:33:08 > 0:33:10in front of an audience of visitors.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15The chimps might have been having a great time,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18especially if they were with other chimps and they got nice food
0:33:18 > 0:33:21and they got to dress up and play. Chimps like to do that.
0:33:21 > 0:33:26But I don't think it was the correct way to work with chimpanzees
0:33:26 > 0:33:29and to keep chimps in a captive environment.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33Until the late 1960s,
0:33:33 > 0:33:38very little was known about chimpanzees in the wild.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45It was only when a young researcher, Jane Goodall,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48studied a group of wild chimps in Tanzania
0:33:48 > 0:33:50that the complexities of how they lived
0:33:50 > 0:33:52and behaved began to be revealed.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58And it was a world away from how they were kept in the zoo.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08No-one really thought about what happens to that chimp
0:34:08 > 0:34:10after it's too old to be used in a tea party.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14What happens to a chimpanzee when it's eight, ten years old,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17it can't be handled, it's way too big, way too aggressive.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20And that animal has an association with humans
0:34:20 > 0:34:22which it can no longer have.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30And psychologically, that has to have a negative impact on a chimp
0:34:30 > 0:34:35that then has to be put into a cage, or in an exhibit with other chimps,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38where before it used to be able to hang out with people all the time.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43It was clear the zoo needed to change its ways.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54"One man everyone meets sooner or later
0:34:54 > 0:34:57"is the senior game warden, Roger Wheater."
0:34:57 > 0:35:02In 1972, Roger Wheater came from Uganda's largest nature reserve
0:35:02 > 0:35:04to take the reins at Edinburgh Zoo.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08I spent a lot of time with the wild animals.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10As I like to say, I came out of the wild
0:35:10 > 0:35:13into the captivity of Edinburgh Zoo.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16And I moved from 5,000 square miles
0:35:16 > 0:35:19to 75 acres on Corstorphine Hill.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22So it was kind of quite a change.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26But nevertheless, a very, very fascinating time
0:35:26 > 0:35:28to come into the zoo world.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33People were questioning a lot as to where we should be going.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37One of the first things Roger tackled was the welfare of the chimps.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42But it emerged there was an even darker truth
0:35:42 > 0:35:45behind the way the chimps were collected from the wild.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51The reality of young chimpanzees in zoos was that probably,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53their parents and others had been killed
0:35:53 > 0:35:55in order to obtain them in the wild.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01And that was just not acceptable.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14The chimpanzee tea parties stopped
0:36:14 > 0:36:17because it wasn't the right thing to be doing.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21For a newly-appointed zoo director
0:36:21 > 0:36:24to call time on the tea parties after 40 years
0:36:24 > 0:36:26was a bold statement of intent.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33The decision to choose ethics and animal welfare over entertainment
0:36:33 > 0:36:36signalled a dramatic change of direction.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45With the knowledge of how wild groups of chimps lived,
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Edinburgh Zoo set about improving
0:36:47 > 0:36:50the quality of life for their own chimps.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56Out went the small concrete cells,
0:36:56 > 0:37:00in came a larger, more natural enclosure.
0:37:01 > 0:37:02Out went cups of tea...
0:37:03 > 0:37:05..in came scatter-feeding.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11I've just got pipes here and we've made up some porridge and water to put in them.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18Chimpanzees in the wild spend a lot of their day foraging.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21So anything that gets them working, gets them thinking
0:37:21 > 0:37:25and also if we can integrate natural behaviours in that,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28so we might give them something where they need to use a stick
0:37:28 > 0:37:30in order to get food out
0:37:30 > 0:37:33or maybe they'll need to bang something against a wall
0:37:33 > 0:37:35to dislodge some food.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39It's mimicking a similar type of behaviour they might do in the wild.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47Today, the chimps live in a large enclosure
0:37:47 > 0:37:51where they can wander between outdoor and indoor areas.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02But this is still a zoo.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06And the challenge it faces is getting the balance right
0:38:06 > 0:38:08between the needs of the animals
0:38:08 > 0:38:10and satisfying the money-paying public.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33Towards the end of the 1970s,
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Roger Wheater was confronted with a moral dilemma
0:38:36 > 0:38:39that went to the very heart of what the zoo was all about.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43"A zoo isn't a zoo without elephants.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48"For as long as anyone can remember, Edinburgh Zoo has had at least one.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51"Every morning, while the rest of us are still waking up,
0:38:51 > 0:38:56"14lbs of cabbages, 16 of turnips are on their way to Sally,
0:38:56 > 0:38:58"the biggest Indian elephant ever kept in a zoo."
0:39:01 > 0:39:04For decades, Sally had been a firm favourite at the zoo.
0:39:06 > 0:39:11In 1976, she was joined by a younger elephant, Dali.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18But Roger had reservations about having elephants in his zoo.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Having worked with elephants in the wild for many years,
0:39:22 > 0:39:24I was very keen on them
0:39:24 > 0:39:27and recognised that this situation was not good.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32Because a lot of the old zoo ideas were two by two by two,
0:39:32 > 0:39:36whereas in fact, that's not how the animals work in the wild.
0:39:36 > 0:39:37They are social animals.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42There is the security and the socialising
0:39:42 > 0:39:45that goes on in a biggish group of animals.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52Elephants are herd animals that roam over thousands of miles.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Roger became increasingly concerned about the odd behaviour
0:40:00 > 0:40:03of the younger of the two elephants, Dali.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08"She's known as the agoraphobic elephant.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10"Afraid of open spaces.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12"Her front two legs are fine,
0:40:12 > 0:40:16"but she always keeps her hind legs firmly behind the threshold."
0:40:16 > 0:40:19No-one could explain Dali's strange phobia.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24But for four years, she steadfastly refused to leave her enclosure.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29In 1980, Sally died.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36It was only then the agoraphobic Dali finally overcame her fear.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44And at that point, Dali came out backwards into the compound.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53But Dali would be Edinburgh Zoo's last ever elephant.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58In 1989, Roger decided to send her to a safari park
0:40:58 > 0:41:00where she would be with other elephants.
0:41:03 > 0:41:09I decided it was quite wrong to keep a social animal as a singleton.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11And we put a fibreglass elephant at the entrance gate
0:41:11 > 0:41:13with a little note saying,
0:41:13 > 0:41:15"This is why we don't keep elephants, because we can't.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18"We don't have the space or the finances
0:41:18 > 0:41:20"to keep a big group of elephant,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23"which is how they live in the wild."
0:41:23 > 0:41:27A lot of my colleagues said, "You can't have a zoo without elephants."
0:41:27 > 0:41:29And I beg to differ.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32I said, "You shouldn't have a zoo if you can't keep elephants properly."
0:41:34 > 0:41:37It was another defining moment in the zoo's history
0:41:37 > 0:41:40when animal welfare was put before commercial interests.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48The story of Edinburgh Zoo, like all other zoos,
0:41:48 > 0:41:50had been about collecting animals
0:41:50 > 0:41:54for the sole purpose of giving people a fun day out.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04But the times were changing.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08Trade in wild animals was now strictly controlled.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Some questioned the morality of keeping animals captive.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20The very concept of a zoo was under attack.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27To survive, their mission would have to be more than just entertainment.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Beyond the gates, there was a growing global crisis.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39The very animals zoos had collected were now under threat.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41But instead of being part of the problem,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44the zoo could become part of the solution.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Now, just look at that.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57This is a catalogue of animals
0:42:57 > 0:43:00that are liable to become extinct in the foreseeable future.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Look at the thickness of it.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07The greater the number of species that become extinct,
0:43:07 > 0:43:10the closer, in fact, we come to extinction.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17As a young man, Gerald Durrell had been an animal collector for zoos.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21But it was during his later expeditions into the wild
0:43:21 > 0:43:24that he realised something was terribly wrong.
0:43:24 > 0:43:29"Six months ago, this feeding ground must have been thick forest.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32"But now they find this.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36"Vast areas have been cleared,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39"and sometimes they leave pockets of jungle
0:43:39 > 0:43:42"not big enough to support the animals left trapped in them."
0:43:44 > 0:43:46I often heard him say he'd go back
0:43:46 > 0:43:48to a place where he'd collected before
0:43:48 > 0:43:50and it just wasn't the same.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52The forests were not there.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55He witnessed over-exploitation, loss of habitat.
0:43:58 > 0:43:59There were fewer animals,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02he had to go further into the bush to find any animals.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06It was just human beings encroaching
0:44:06 > 0:44:10and growing and taking over wild places.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Durrell was one of the earliest voices to raise the alarm.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19He believed zoos could offer some hope.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27Gerry published a book that he called, The Stationary Ark.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30And in it, he set forth his ideas,
0:44:30 > 0:44:32and ideas that were now coming to the fore,
0:44:32 > 0:44:37about how zoos really could be an aide to species' survival.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46With more animals being pushed closer to extinction,
0:44:46 > 0:44:48the idea emerged that zoos could be a safety net.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55They would breed animals co-operatively,
0:44:55 > 0:44:58globally, building a sanctuary from extinction.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04Captive breeding took Edinburgh Zoo in a new direction.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10If you were going to have animals in, they had to have more of a purpose
0:45:10 > 0:45:12than just there to be gawped at.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16Now, most zoo animals are bred in captivity,
0:45:16 > 0:45:18not plucked from the wild.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26Today, there are much more managed captive-breeding programmes
0:45:26 > 0:45:28and we work with lots of colleagues in Europe.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Most of our keeping staff
0:45:32 > 0:45:35are spending a lot of time looking at the conservation
0:45:35 > 0:45:37of the animals that we keep here in the zoo.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44And they're actually really involved in the whole management of a species.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52"The secrets of breeding penguins in captivity are experience
0:45:52 > 0:45:54"and dedication to the job.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57"For instance, when a chick hatches out in hot, dry weather,
0:45:57 > 0:45:59"it tends to stick to the shell,
0:45:59 > 0:46:01"which has to be removed with great care
0:46:01 > 0:46:03"to avoid rupturing the skin.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06"This one did start to bleed, but survived."
0:46:09 > 0:46:11Captive breeding in zoos
0:46:11 > 0:46:14has become a vital tool in preserving endangered species.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22Northern rockhoppers are actually endangered out in the wild now.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25So the individuals that we have here are unbelievably precious -
0:46:25 > 0:46:28not just to us, but to the species as a whole.
0:46:30 > 0:46:31We're so lucky to have them here
0:46:31 > 0:46:34and they really are an interesting species to work with.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40Another of the zoo's early captive breeding successes
0:46:40 > 0:46:43was with the near-extinct scimitar-horned oryx.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47These zoo babies would go on to play a starring role
0:46:47 > 0:46:49in a hugely-ambitious plan
0:46:49 > 0:46:53to reintroduce zoo-bred animals to the wild.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57The thinking behind reintroduction
0:46:57 > 0:47:01was quite simply that it must be good practice
0:47:01 > 0:47:03to have a reservoir of animals
0:47:03 > 0:47:07that might one day go back to a wild situation.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13Reintroduction was the Holy Grail of the conservation movement.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19In 1985, the oryx, born and raised in Edinburgh,
0:47:19 > 0:47:22were successfully returned to the hills of Tunisia.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31This is a marvellous story
0:47:31 > 0:47:34of how zoos can co-operatively breed
0:47:34 > 0:47:36and actually put something back.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43This animal has now actually gone back to the wild.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50It seemed that zoos had the perfect solution.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56But it became clear that until the source of the problem was tackled,
0:47:56 > 0:47:59reintroduction alone would be futile.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02You can breed all the animals you like in captivity,
0:48:02 > 0:48:04but if there's no habitat out there for them, you can't put them back.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07If the threats to them, because they're being killed,
0:48:07 > 0:48:09are still there, you can't put them back.
0:48:12 > 0:48:17In China in 2006, the first ever captive-bred giant panda
0:48:17 > 0:48:19was released into the wild.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29But ten months later, he was found dead
0:48:29 > 0:48:31after a fight with wild pandas.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39A second was released nine months ago.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43So far, he's survived.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49Since Gerald Durrell and a handful of others
0:48:49 > 0:48:51first voiced their concerns,
0:48:51 > 0:48:53the conservation of endangered species
0:48:53 > 0:48:56has become one of the most pressing issues of our time.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08Edinburgh Zoo chief executive Chris West
0:49:08 > 0:49:10believes his zoo can make a difference.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17There's one end, really,
0:49:17 > 0:49:20and that's securing a future for endangered species.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23I tend to think of zoos
0:49:23 > 0:49:28increasingly as little islands of species
0:49:28 > 0:49:30that are dying out in the wild.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32And we can just keep them in being
0:49:32 > 0:49:35so that at some point in the future,
0:49:35 > 0:49:40if we can come to our senses and restore and protect enough habitat,
0:49:40 > 0:49:42they can go back out.
0:49:44 > 0:49:49Reintroducing large mammals to the wild may be a distant dream.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51But what zoos can do today
0:49:51 > 0:49:54is play a vital role in preserving endangered species.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58And right now, Edinburgh Zoo
0:49:58 > 0:50:02is hoping to breed a giant icon of the conservation movement.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07Pandas in captivity are tough.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10They are inordinately expensive to keep.
0:50:10 > 0:50:14And as a consequence of that, they've got to get them to breed.
0:50:14 > 0:50:18And notoriously, this is a species that's not very good at breeding.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24Few have been born in western zoos.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34But the Chinese have mastered the art of panda breeding.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37This is amazing!
0:50:37 > 0:50:39Oh! They are so sweet! Look at them!
0:50:41 > 0:50:44On a recent visit, Alison learnt some of their secrets.
0:50:48 > 0:50:49They're tiny.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51It's quite incredible to see
0:50:51 > 0:50:55because there's, like 16, 17 baby pandas all moving about together.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00It's amazing! They're so sweet!
0:51:01 > 0:51:03Working closely with the Chinese,
0:51:03 > 0:51:06Edinburgh Zoo now hopes to emulate their success.
0:51:08 > 0:51:09We all work together.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13And the main aim is the conservation of this iconic species.
0:51:13 > 0:51:18And realistically, if we can't conserve and save the giant panda,
0:51:18 > 0:51:21then, you know, we'll struggle with everything else.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30But giant pandas are only fertile for 36 hours a year.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34Edinburgh's head vet Simon Girling
0:51:34 > 0:51:37is responsible for making sure the moment isn't missed.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42Because of the very short window
0:51:42 > 0:51:45that we have for Tian Tian coming into heat,
0:51:45 > 0:51:47we are monitoring her through collecting urine samples
0:51:47 > 0:51:50that she passes each morning and afternoon
0:51:50 > 0:51:52and looking at the oestrogen levels,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55the reproductive hormone levels within the urine.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59And that will give us a very, very good fine-tuning
0:51:59 > 0:52:00of when she's coming into heat.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05If they get it right, the zoo will hit the jackpot.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09A baby panda would not only help an endangered species,
0:52:09 > 0:52:12but it could help spread the zoo's conservation message.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17It would be tremendous.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21The opportunity for us to attract more people
0:52:21 > 0:52:23and convert them, if you like,
0:52:23 > 0:52:25to being conservationists, would be that much greater.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29So for lots of reasons, it would be wonderful.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36The fact that it's a centenary year,
0:52:36 > 0:52:38and it would be the cherry on the icing on the cake.
0:52:46 > 0:52:47It's April.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50Finally, the news everyone has been waiting for.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55Hormone tests reveal Tian Tian is in heat.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02With only 36 hours, the clock is ticking.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07They will now cautiously bring the pandas together.
0:53:09 > 0:53:10They are carnivores.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13Although they eat bamboo, they are nonetheless carnivores
0:53:13 > 0:53:15and it can be quite aggressive.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18So there's a degree of apprehension about how that will go.
0:53:20 > 0:53:24They may look cute, but the potential for hostility
0:53:24 > 0:53:27means the introductions have to done carefully.
0:53:32 > 0:53:37Yang Guang is allowed to enter Tian Tian's inner enclosure.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41While she is kept behind a grill next door.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51He must now wait until she is ready.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59He waits...
0:54:01 > 0:54:03..and waits.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08And waits.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19While Yang Guang is ready and willing,
0:54:19 > 0:54:22Tian Tian shows no interest.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27"The pandas at Edinburgh Zoo still haven't mated,
0:54:27 > 0:54:30"despite strong signs they were ready earlier this week."
0:54:35 > 0:54:39With the stakes so high and time running out,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42the last hope is artificial insemination.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52A new chapter in the zoo's history is about to be written.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57For the first time ever in the UK,
0:54:57 > 0:55:01a giant panda will be artificially inseminated here at Edinburgh Zoo.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05Tian Tian is brought into the theatre.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09This is an international effort.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14Simon, Alison and their teams
0:55:14 > 0:55:19are joined by panda experts flown in from China and Germany.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25Knocking out any animal carries risks.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31But when the patient is a precious panda,
0:55:31 > 0:55:33the pressure mounts.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38An ultrasound scan reveals Tian Tian
0:55:38 > 0:55:41has ovulated a single egg earlier that day.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46The team have timed it perfectly.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06Dawn breaks on a new day at the zoo.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09But the nation will have to wait several months
0:56:09 > 0:56:12to find out if a new star will be born.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24In the 100 years since Edinburgh Zoo came into being,
0:56:24 > 0:56:26it has enchanted millions.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33Its founder Thomas Gillespie wanted to share his love for the wild
0:56:33 > 0:56:35by bringing it to the masses.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39Since then, the world has changed.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41The zoo has had to adapt.
0:56:41 > 0:56:46But what hasn't changed is the passion of the people involved.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52We've all got that common purpose. We love animals.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54It's not like a nine-to-five job
0:56:54 > 0:56:56where you turn up, do something and go home.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58We'll stay here as long as the animals need us.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01A lot of people think they're just in here doing a job,
0:57:01 > 0:57:04but it's not, it's a passion and a vocation.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09It's that passion the zoo wants to instil in its visitors today.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17It's the power of the panda to capture the public's imagination
0:57:17 > 0:57:21and pull in the crowds that is the zoo's most potent weapon
0:57:21 > 0:57:23in the conservation battle.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27So we are about to be joined by our next animal today,
0:57:27 > 0:57:29who will be running on from the side.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34So this is Dylan. And Dylan is a three-banded armadillo.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37When I stand in zoos now, I look at the kids that are there
0:57:37 > 0:57:42and I think to myself, "If one, just one of these kids comes in this year
0:57:42 > 0:57:47"and they go up to the glass and they put their hands on the glass
0:57:47 > 0:57:50"and a tiger comes and puts its nose there
0:57:50 > 0:57:56"and they have a passion ignite so explosively, like mine did,
0:57:56 > 0:57:58"then maybe, you know, the tiger's done its job
0:57:58 > 0:58:00"and the zoo's done its job that year."
0:58:00 > 0:58:03Because they'll want to spend the rest of their life
0:58:03 > 0:58:04looking after animals.
0:58:36 > 0:58:38Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd