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30-Minute Editions: Episode 3

Tragedy strikes in Koala Creek as kidney disease claims the life of Wilpena. One of five Southern Australian koalas who made the long journey from Australia to their new home in Longleat, she fell victim to one of the diseases which can besiege these fragile creatures.\n\nOxylate nephrosis is endemic in these marsupials and, as Ben Fogle and Kate Humble discover, there was nothing the park’s koala team could have done to save her life. Keeper Chris reveals how Wilpena died in his arms. But he and head keeper Jon reveal to Kate that her death might not be in vain. Sad as her death was, this koala could enable scientists to take huge strides in their research and find a way to wipe out this killer kidney disease. \n\nJon and the team are super vigilant in caring for these fragile creatures, known to be one of the hardest to care for. Daily urine and poo samples are collected and analysed, and the four surviving koalas are also carefully weighed. But how do you persuade a koala to pee in a collecting tray and just what does a weigh-in involve?\n\nAs keeper James analyses one of Violet’s pee samples, alarm bells ring. \nCould she be facing the same terrible fate as Wilpena?\n\nBut there is happier news on the marsupial front when Ben and Kate catch up with wallaby Newt. The last time they met him, he was a hand-reared tot. But now he is quite the bruiser and soon ready to do what an adult male wallaby does. And there is news of a surprise and mystery pregnancy.\n\nBen is on the trail of a little bird with a big personality and a big reputation for dodging capture to get him to a new home. Ronnie the Turaco does everything his cousins would do in the wild – hopping and zooming from branch to branch in the Butterfly House and in the process dodging the keepers’ best efforts to catch him.\n\nBen is on the trail of a little bird with a big personality and a big reputation for dodging capture to get him to a new home. Ronnie the turaco does everything his cousins would do in the wild – hopping and zooming from branch to branch and in the process, dodging the keepers’ best efforts to catch him.\n\nAnd Jean Johansson discovers how monitor lizard King Tut can rev up from being quiet and sleepy to a fast-paced killing machine when food’s about.

Source: BBC 2