Channel 4’s hit documentary The Secret Life of the Zoo, which has been focusing on what goes on behind the scenes at Chester Zoo, came to the conclusion of its first series on Tuesday night.

For the past six weeks, the TV cameras have been looking at what goes on when visitors have left for the day.

The final episode of the series took a closer look at how the zoo’s various animal breeding programmes have been going throughout the year.

While there had been mixed fortunes at the elephant enclosure – with the sad passing of Hari Hi Way and Bala Hi Way coming just weeks after the birth of Nandita – there was better news at the orangutans, with the unexpected birth of Siska.

Bat boom

There was also a population boom at the bat cave, with the programme reporting numbers swelling by 30% in just one year. The success of the breeding programme means several of the bats will now be moved to other zoos to continue increasing numbers.

The programme also focused on keepers trying to get eastern black rhinos Kitani and Mugadi to meet, a matter complicated as Kitani had been in mourning ever since she lost her baby rhino Fara to a congenital heart defect just weeks after she was born.

After several attempts, the keepers’ efforts paid off and the rhinos were seen to be getting along quite well.