Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom (2020–…): Season 2, Episode 6 - Flocks of Love - full transcript

♪ ♪

KEEPER:
I'm trying to put this browse

right over there in that tree.

We have a multi-species exhibit,

which share their areas
with vultures.

They can be quite protective.

Come on, sweetheart.

Good girl.

Coming in hot, coming in hot!

Get in, get in, get in, get in!

(laughing)



She's excited.

She's broody.

MAN: This is amazing.

Can we do this every day?

(laughs)

♪ ♪

(chirping)

♪ ♪

(whooping)

KEEPER: We usually get here
pretty early in the morning,

it's dark out.

NARRATOR: 24 hours a day,

keepers all over Disney's
Animal Kingdom theme park

watch their charges
with an eagle eye.



KEEPER:
Want to come over here, bud?

Hi.

KEEPER: Look at that,
nice and clean.

You're so clean!

NARRATOR: But while some have
just a handful to look after,

out on the savanna,

over 40 hoofstock
need constant attention.

♪ ♪

RORY: We'll get
to you guys in a second.

That wildebeest
with the curved horn,

her name is Curly Shirley.

Observational skills

and being able to
just observe your animals

is one of
the most important things

about being an animal keeper.

Come on, Adi!

She's happy.

We even have keepers
out here during the night.

We're always watching.

I'm not the only keeper
out here.

ANGELA: Just doing
our afternoon checks

on the savanna animals.

Want to locate everybody,

see what they're up to.

We have eight giraffe total,
all Masai giraffe.

This is Jabari coming up.

He is our older male
that we have on savanna,

and the one directly behind him

is Lily's youngest son,
Humphrey.

And Lily is looking
directly at us.

(laughing)

NARRATOR: But Lily
worries her keepers.

ANGELA: We've been keeping
a very close eye on her feet

for quite some time,
just watching the growth.

Now that we're here,

I want to get out, I want
to get a closer look at her

on that front right foot.

♪ ♪

All of her feet have
a little bit of overgrowth,

but this is pretty abnormal

what's going on
in that front right foot.

NARRATOR: Lily may look okay
to the untrained eye,

but there's a reason for that.

RORY: The animals
that my team works with

are predominantly prey species.

They're animals
that live in herds

and they're animals that,
if they show weakness,

the predators in the wild
are gonna get them.

So, these animals are really
good at hiding ailments,

hiding if they're injured.

ANGELA: Hoping
it's not anything worse

than what we're seeing
with a little overgrowth.

Hoping there's not a fracture.

NARRATOR: Over recent weeks,
Lily's keepers monitor

the troubling condition
of her hoof.

The two halves
are growing apart.

RORY: If Lily
does have fractures

in the bones above her hoof,

rest is gonna be
the primary healing for her.

Lily will probably have to stay
a lot of time back at the barn.

NARRATOR:
And an out-of-action Lily

can't take part

in the all-important
breeding program.

RORY: Lily only recently had
her first calf born in 2018,

and then Humphrey
was born last year.

Because she only has two,
she's incredibly important

to the Masai giraffe
Species Survival Plan.

NARRATOR: With so much
still to contribute,

Lily needs to be
in first-class condition.

ANGELA:
The wild giraffe population

has fallen nearly 50%
in the last 30 years.

We're now at the point

where there are fewer giraffe
in the wild than elephants.

We need as many giraffe
as possible

in the breeding program

so we can establish
a safety net population.

So it's important that Lily
stays in tip-top health.

I think it's time that
we connect with the vets

and see what our next steps
will be for her.

♪ ♪

WOMAN: So please make sure

that you guys are
listening at all times

because this could
get dangerous very quickly.

DR. BETSY:
Really need to figure out

what's going on inside the foot,

and the best way to do that
is to take an X-ray,

and we need her under anesthesia
to do that.

ANGELA: Last check, she's still
pretty alert and with it.

Um, definitely knows
something's up, obviously.

So the plan is just to move her
over right into the chute,

and then injection.

DR. BETSY: I'm concerned
that she's in pain.

Right now I'm trying to
figure out if her toe is broken

or if the hoof wall
is overgrown in a way

that's causing her to be
sore and uncomfortable.

One possible outcome
could be some lameness.

Either way,
we have to get it figured out.

Yeah, so obviously
the priority is gonna be

that right front foot,

so we're gonna take radiographs
of that foot first.

WOMAN: So, we'll get going.

Whoo!

(indistinct conversation)

DR. BETSY: Giraffe anesthesia
is really difficult.

It's one of the species
that's a higher risk for us.

Obviously, their head is
very far away from their feet,

their heart has to pump blood
throughout that to circulate,

so we'll be monitoring
her blood pressure

throughout the procedure today.

ANGELA: Whenever
you tell us we're good

and they're good in the yard,

we'll start separating.

RYAN: I think we're good.
ANGELA: Okay.

♪ ♪

Good girl. Good, Lily.

Good job.

♪ ♪

Good job, guys.

Good on the back door.

Good, good girl.

Come on, Lil. Come on.

I'd like to try to get her up
before we put the injection in.

MAN: You need to get her
to stand foot forward?

ANGELA: Yeah.
Ideally, if we can.

Come on, Lily.

NARRATOR: Once asleep,

the team must transfer
Lily into the yard,

so she needs to be
at the front of the chute

when she gets the fast-acting
anesthetic injection.

ANGELA: Lily weighs
nearly 1,800 pounds,

so if she falls asleep
in the wrong spot,

it'll be very difficult
for us to move her.

One step, one step, one step.

Come on. Come on, Lily.

How are we feeling
with this placement?

Ideally, we want her up more.

MAN: At least
another step would be great.

ANGELA: Yeah, another step.

NARRATOR: Lily's team
is ready for the injection,

but she isn't.

ANGELA: Lily.

RORY: Right now, we want to
keep her as calm as possible,

because if she
starts to get excited

and she starts to hurt herself,

we'll end the procedure.

ANGELA:
Just one more step, come on.

♪ ♪

COURTNEY: Today we are
brushing Gino's teeth.

This is something that we do
every day with our gorillas.

You want to open your mouth?

Just like humans are supposed
to brush their teeth

for two minutes,

we try to do two minutes
in their mouths as well.

Good, Gino.

WOMAN: Now, he will
let us brush it.

COURTNEY:
Gino, you might notice,

doesn't have many teeth
right there in the front,

so we don't have to worry
too much about that.

Look at that.
Where are your teeth?

But we do spend a lot of time
on those molars.

Gorillas eat some
pretty tough vegetation,

so they're gonna
spend a lot of time

chewing with those back teeth.

Another thing we might notice
with big males

is that they've got
those giant canines,

and that is something
that we have to work around.

Do you want to open your mouth?

Hold.

Good, Gino.

I can't get around your canines.

They're so big.

WOMAN: Whoa!
That was uncalled for!

(laughing)

WOMAN: You two boys.

COURTNEY:
I know you know this, too.

WOMAN: We know you know it,
but it's Dad's turn.

WOMAN: He's ready for brushing.

You won't have
your daddy's problems.

COURTNEY: I do think
that he does enjoy it.

He likes the interaction,

and he likes the way
the brush feels on his gums.

We want to give these animals
the best care possible,

we want them to live
as long as they can here.

Taking care of their teeth
is another part of that.

♪ ♪

Gino's kids like to get
their teeth cleaned, too.

(chattering)

MAN: Here they come.
KATY: Hey, boys.

Hey, Oswald.

Good boy.

NARRATOR:
Meet the boisterous brothers

of the painted dog pack.

(Katy cooing)

KATY: Did anyone listen?
Luke? No.

NARRATOR: Six strong,

they form one of the park's
most socially complex groups.

KATY: It is a hierarchy.

They all have such
different personalities,

and that personality lends
to their job with the pack.

NARRATOR: In the wild,

the group would be led by
a male and female alpha pair,

with the female
very influential

in commanding the pack.

With no girls here,
the pack still needs a leader.

KATY: Oswald
is right there in front.

You can see the "O"
on his shoulder.

He's our highest-ranking dog.

(chattering)

That was Alfred,

that real deep vocalization.

(bark)

NARRATOR: Then there's Riddler.

KATY: Riddler!
You missed it, silly!

NARRATOR:
Not the most coordinated,

but a great pack guardian.

KATY: That was kind of
like an alarm call

to the rest of the pack.

It looks like Luke is
just walking up to us now

to grab a meatball.

You can see
he's kind of got to get in

between those
higher-ranking dogs.

He is the middle dog.

Bruce is definitely
the annoying little brother.

He just gets in
everybody's business.

That's when you'll see
some cool behaviors

from Oswald, the alpha,
that will tell Bruce,

"Hey, you need to
chill it out, buddy."

♪ ♪

Up on top of the den,
further away, that's Hugo,

and he's our most
submissive dog.

He will be one of
the last ones to eat.

Here you go, Hugo.

There, buddy.

Hugo, we all say
he has a heart on his side,

'cause he's just
such a big lover.

(dogs vocalizing)

NARRATOR:
Like the rest of the pack,

Hugo has
the unique coat pattern

that makes painted dogs
living works of art.

♪ ♪

BRANDON: As little
as just a hundred years ago,

there were hundreds of
thousands of painted dogs

located all across
Sub-Saharan Africa.

KATY: There's only about
1,400 adult painted dogs

estimated to be left
in the wild today.

BRANDON: They have
habitat fragmentation

with the growing
population of humans,

as well as getting
caught in snares,

which is a wire hoop
that is placed in the bush

used to catch antelope,

but because painted dogs
hunt antelope,

they often
get caught themselves.

♪ ♪

KATY: I mean, could you get
any cuter than those ears?

♪ ♪

The bonds in the pack
are very, very strong,

which is how
we like 'em to stay

so that they don't break apart,

but also makes it
really difficult

when we want to separate them.

NARRATOR: But today brings
their scheduled health check.

For that, these close brothers
must split up.

WOMAN: We'll do
some load stuff over there.

KATY: When one is gone for
an extended period of time,

they come back and
the others are stressed out,

we run the risk of causing
changes in the hierarchy.

There could be aggression
towards each other.

It's a lot on them.

DR. NATI: On here, we have
each dog's health history,

and then a checklist of
the procedures to follow,

and the bottom is
each dog's special needs

and medications, okay?

BRANDON: This is a huge day
for not just us,

but the dogs as well.

(chattering)

WOMAN: Come on, come on.
Let's go.

Just one more step, come on.

NARRATOR: In the giraffe barn,

Lily needs an X-ray
to check for a broken foot.

WOMAN: Come on, Lily.

NARRATOR:
One more step forward,

and she'll be in position
for anesthesia.

ANGELA: Come on, Lily.

DR. RYAN: Do you want to try
touching her back here?

Give her a little bit
of stimulus?

ANGELA: Yeah, we've tried
everything else, so...

DR. RYAN: You guys want to?

ANGELA: Yep.
DR. RYAN: Alright.

NARRATOR: Lily's slated
to get a vaccination shot,

after she's anesthetized.

DR. RYAN: I think
I will vaccinate her.

NARRATOR: But it could be
the shot in the arm

she needs right now.

Well, a shot somewhere.

(gulp)

RYAN: We'll just
poke her in the butt

and give her an injection.

We'll see if maybe
that'll stimulate her.

ANGELA: Oh, good job.
This is a better placement.

NARRATOR: Now she's in
the best possible position.

ANGELA: So, if everybody's
ready to proceed...

DR. RYAN:
Alright, drug's going in.

ANGELA: Okay.

DR. RYAN: Drug's in.

ANGELA: Injection's in, yard.

DR. RYAN: Good girl.

ANGELA: She's down!

DR. RYAN: Alright,
she's breathing nice.

MAN: Door's opening.

DR. RYAN: I think
we're in an okay place.

MAN: Bring the sled out.
We'll do this first rear leg.

DR. BETSY: If the neck kinks

during induction of anesthesia
when she's going down,

there's potential that
it could impair the airway,

so we need to support that head.

MAN: Now, we're gonna
start moving the front leg.

She is gonna start to drop.

Are you guys ready when
everything comes down?

Rear-end start to pull,
pull at the same time.

Nice and easy, nice and easy.

ANGELA: Got her?

MAN: Right there. Hold.

ANGELA: Great job, guys.

MAN: Everybody ready,
towards Dr. Jen.

One, two, three.

WOMAN: Good!
WOMAN: Okay, stop.

MAN: That's good.
WOMAN: Neck forward.

MAN: Got to go
under her shoulder.

WOMAN: There we go. We're good.

Good for now? Okay.

ANGELA: We're gonna transition
from the chute to the yard.

The vet staff
is gonna take over,

and they're
gonna get her intubated.

NARRATOR: A tube passes into
Lily's 4-foot-long windpipe.

JEN: Head straight. Yep.

DR. BETSY: We need to have
control of her airway

to help her breathe.

There we go.
WOMAN: Great job.

DR. RYAN: She's nice and steady.

I just want to move fast.

ANGELA: We're gonna make sure
she's breathing properly.

The next stage
will be moving her

to where the procedure
will actually be done.

MAN: Alright, everybody
on this side, ready to pull.

WOMAN: Ready.
WOMAN: Ready.

MAN: One, two, three.

WOMAN: Wait. Yep.

ANGELA:
Moving a giraffe is not easy.

MAN: Let the pulley
do most of it.

ANGELA: We put her
on a stretcher board

and use the block and tackle,

which kind of
helps us pull, using rope,

and it's a full team effort
to get her in position.

MAN: Clear.
MAN: Hold.

Now we go back
towards that wall.

One, two, three.

WOMAN: I think that's it.

MAN: We're good.

MAN: Heart rate's
still nice and slow.

MAN: Neck board,
be ready for this.

It's gonna move you guys.

Ready on the neck board?

One, two, three.

NARRATOR: Finally,
Lily's problem hoof

can be examined by Dr. Betsy.

DR. BETSY: And you can see that
these claws are splaying apart.

They should be more
parallel to one another.

Okay, we're ready
to take a radiograph.

The idea of this one will be to
get that slightly oblique view.

Are you ready, then?

MAN: Yeah.

DR. BETSY: We're gonna
have to have people move.

MAN: Alright.

NARRATOR:
The results of this X-ray

determine Lily's
immediate future.

If her toe is broken,
it means weeks of recuperation

and being cut from
the next breeding cycle.

DR. BETSY: Oh, come on, Lily,
please don't have a broken toe.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
Down by the Tree of Life

lives a honking flock
of pure pinkness.

KRISTIN: I'm coming to check
on our lesser flamingos.

These guys are from Africa.

Hi, guys!

Good morning!

How you doing?

Hi, everybody!

NARRATOR:
It's egg-laying season

for the lesser flamingos,

and the potential parents
are busy.

But it hasn't always
been this way.

KRISTIN: We've had absolutely
no luck breeding these birds.

We have had one chick
in 20 years.

JAMIE: We always have a plan,

but in nature,

our plan doesn't always
fit in with reality,

so sometimes that we can have

what we feel
is a fantastic season,

lots of rain,
lots of nest building,

but no eggs.

NARRATOR: It's a bad time
for no breeding.

JAMIE: All species of flamingos

are under some type
of environmental pressure.

Out of all the species,
lessers are probably the one

that are the most threatened
at this time.

They're feeling a lot
of pressure in the world

in regards to habitat loss
and habitat destruction.

NARRATOR:
To encourage more romance,

the team looks for ways to
improve the habitat itself.

JAMIE: The team decided

they wanted to try
something different

with the nesting material.

(crack)

(cheering)

TOMMY: It was an email
that I received,

um, from Animal Kingdom,

and it was a big surprise.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

asked if they could borrow
some baseball clay

for their flamingos.

KRISTIN: It's a special
combination of clay and sand

that really works well
with this Florida climate,

with the rain and the humidity.

It's really malleable
when it's wet,

but it hardens really
strongly when it's dry,

and the birds
just really took to it.

NARRATOR: Containing more clay
than Florida soil,

the infield mix passed
the flamingo nest test.

An egg appeared,

and then they were on a roll.

JAMIE: I don't know
what's in this clay,

but we're gonna
call it magic clay,

'cause we're already
at eggs five and six.

We were really excited.

We thought we had
our plan together

and the flamingos
were on the same page.

NARRATOR: But only one egg
proved fertile,

and for the parents
of that egg,

disaster struck.

KRISTIN: The father suffered
from a leg injury,

so we had to take him up
to our hospital.

Their process is
the pair lays the egg

and then one incubates
while the other one eats,

and then they switch.

But the mom couldn't
raise the egg by herself.

NARRATOR: Flamingos
are serially monogamous,

so with the biological
parents down,

the team looks
for another solution

that can be found in nature.

JAMIE: In the wild,

it's not uncommon
for same-sex pairs to bond.

They build these
strong relationships

that can last for years.

KRISTIN: We decided
that our best option

was actually to give the egg

to our really great pair
of male birds.

NARRATOR: Same-sex pair
Blush and Bashful

swoop in to the rescue.

KRISTIN: These two boys have
been together for a long time.

They've never shown any interest
in any of the females

that have come over
to Discovery Island.

We don't want to give the egg
to the other pairs,

because that would stop them

from possibly
producing their own.

NARRATOR:
These potential dads

quickly make a connection
with their new responsibility.

KRISTIN: So Blush
and Bashful got the egg,

and the whole time
they were talking to the egg,

which is very important.

It connects them to the chick.

So, they were
making that connection

and building that bond.

NARRATOR: The boys tuck
the only fertile egg

safely under
their caring wings.

The future of the flock
now rests on them.

KRISTIN: We're hoping
that instinct will kick in

and they'll know
exactly what to do.

♪ ♪

KELLY: Hi, buddy!

Oh, what a good fishy!

So smart!

KELLY: Bruce is
a paroon shark catfish,

also known as a pangasia.

They are a critically endangered
species from Southeast Asia.

He's lived here almost 20 years,

and in that time he has shown us

that a catfish can learn just
as much as any other animal,

if not more.

JAMES:
In today's training session,

we're gonna do
some hand feeding,

we're gonna have him
target to a buoy.

KELLY: Bruce is about
4.5 feet long

and about 120 pounds.

Oh, such a good fish! Good boy.

That deserves a big one.

♪ ♪

Who's that? Are you looking?

What do you think?

You want to see if he'll
go through his square?

JAMES: Yeah.
Swimming through the square

was an initial training tool

that we used to teach him
to actually swim into a net,

so if we do need to net him,

like for a medical procedure
or something like that,

he would be a little
more comfortable with it.

KELLY: Good job!

Oh, so smart!

JAMES: I've been
working with him since 2006.

Bruce is definitely
one of my favorite animals

here in the park.

KELLY: Oh, what a good fish!

JAMES: Every time
I'm able to train with him,

my day just gets better.

KELLY: Seems like he had
a really great session.

(gurgling)

Just gonna throw it out there,
I think he just farted.

JAMES: I've never
seen that before.

KELLY: I haven't either!

♪ ♪

WOMAN:
I think we're ready to go.

NARRATOR: Backstage,

the painted dogs wait
for their routine check-up.

All six brothers enter.

The team begins to isolate
the first two to be examined.

KATY: Trying to get
these six dogs to separate

is difficult.

They're kind of just
one big furry mass.

And then also,
once they are separated,

the vets have to come in

and they have to get darts
into these dogs

that are bouncing around
and nervous,

so it's a lot.

NARRATOR: Level-headed Alfred
and family goofball Bruce

are first up.

JESSICA: The last time we did
procedures on all the dogs,

Bruce made some
not very smart decisions

and actually injured himself,

so that's why he's going first,

so he can be mellow and cool

and still have
some meds on board

while he's separated
from everyone else.

♪ ♪

WOMAN: Dart's in, left rear.

WOMAN: Whenever you need me
to do anything...

DR. NATI:
Jen, once you feel comfortable,

we can lift him onto the bench.

Look at those beautiful teeth.

WOMAN: Do you want to see
his dental history?

DR. RYAN: Got fractured enamel
and some exposed dentin.

He doesn't have
an exposed pulp canal,

so all that needs to be
done with this at this point

is just to clean it up
and seal it.

DR. NATI:
Feel his lymph nodes here.

KATY: This is our time
to get our hands on the dog,

to feel for any kind
of lumps, bumps.

We also are able
to do radiographs.

They also get
dentals done, bloodwork,

so they get it all done.

DR. NATI:
Bruce is doing really well.

We're actually
done with his exam.

He had a couple
of dental things.

Otherwise,
he's in really good shape.

And Bruce is a bit of a worrier,

so we're giving him Alfred
to wake up with.

Bruce is ready for you, bud!

(vocalizing)

MEGAN:
They're calling each other.

They want to be
with one another.

(vocalizing)

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
Next come pack boss Oswald

and lowest-ranking brother,
Hugo.

DR. NATI:
We're gonna get him intubated.

BRANDON: Today we've chose to
put Hugo and Oswald together.

Oswald has proven in the past
to be very caring.

If any of the dogs give Hugo
a hard time when he's waking up,

Oswald will be sure
to have his back.

DR. NATI: So, this is Hugo.

NARRATOR: The pack underdog
has a long-standing condition.

DR. NATI: Hugo has a type of
cancer called mast cell disease,

and he develops
skin tumors over time,

and that's not something
that we can cure,

but it is something
that we can treat

to keep him as comfortable
as possible.

NARRATOR:
The team regularly checks

that Hugo's cancer hasn't
spread to his internal organs.

DR. NATI: This is his
gallbladder, right? And liver.

DR. TERESA: Yeah, his liver
looks really good.

I would hope, based on
Hugo's previous biopsies,

that we're not
gonna have a problem.

Um, but we'll just make sure.

DR. NATI: We've not found any
sign that the cancer has spread,

and I'm so glad for that.

NARRATOR: The team's attention
turns to top dog Oswald.

DR. NATI:
I found a skin mass on him.

♪ ♪

I'm not liking the look
of this skin mass.

I'm really concerned about
these skin lesions in Oswald.

They look very similar
to what we saw in Hugo

when he first developed disease.

DR. BETSY: This is medial,
this is lateral,

so you can label it
"right front."

NARRATOR:
As Lily the giraffe dreams on,

the vet team analyzes X-rays to
see if her toe bone is broken.

DR. BETSY:
Alright, the images are up.

Let's see what
we're dealing with.

Mmm, let's see.

That would be her lateral claw.

We're not seeing a fracture
in that P3 bone,

and that was my biggest concern.

So I'm very happy with this.

It's really good news

in terms of what we're
gonna be doing today.

We're still gonna
radiograph and evaluate

all the rest of her feet,

but this was the one we were
most concerned about,

so we're gonna go ahead
with the hoof trim next.

NARRATOR: Lily's hoof
needs corrective trimming

to deal with the overgrowth.

Dr. Betsy
calls in a specialist.

STEVE: What ends up
happening with these guys

is that they'll wear
the front half of the foot off.

When this gets so overgrown
or compressed,

it actually
reduces the circulation

on the back half of the foot.

DR. BETSY: Steve Foxworth has
done a lot of training and work

with institutions
all over the country,

specializing in
exotic animal hooves.

STEVE: In the past,

I watched people try to do
things for these animals

to try to help them,

with a lack of knowledge
or understanding

of what they were doing.

And in turn, I've seen
a lot of animals suffer

or... (clears throat)
have a lot of issues.

You know, I don't know...

I get passionate about this.

I mean, this is very important.

(whirring)

Disney are extremely
proactive in recognizing

how to better serve
and care for their animals.

In Lily's case,

there's a little bit more strain
on some of the ligaments

on one side versus the other,

which starts a small
arthritic change

that can get really big
if you don't catch it.

(whirring)

She's a lot better.

Yeah, she's gonna feel great.

(whirring)

NARRATOR:
It's Lily's lucky day.

No broken bones,
a pedicure, and now...

DONNA:
We're doing some acupuncture

while we have her immobilized.

She has some weakness
in her hind end.

We think it was associated
with her pregnancy.

I'm just gonna do some
generalized points here.

NARRATOR: Lily enjoys
her acupuncture session,

while a motorized massager

eases away the stresses
and strains of the day.

DR. BETSY: As you can see,

lots of things going on,
being coordinated all at once,

but she's doing great
under anesthesia.

We're almost done,
we're on the last foot,

so we'll be waking her up soon.

♪ ♪

RORY: Waking them up

is just as complicated
as the entire procedure.

MAN: Catheters are pulled.

RORY: Catheters are out.

MAN: Alright, you guys.

DR. BETSY:
So, it is really important

that our staff stays safe,

and when we're waking her up
at the end of the procedure,

we'll be in the stall with her,
helping to support her head.

So, once we give
the reversal drug

and she starts to get
control of her head,

we'll back away.

MAN: Alright, we need to roll.

Alright, let's leave.

DR. JEN: Alright, we're gonna
be giving the reversals!

Reversal's going in, naltrexone.

Reversal, atipamezole.

All reversals are in.

MAN: Come on, Lily.

♪ ♪

WOMAN: Heart rate's stable.

♪ ♪

She should start getting
her wits about her soon.

♪ ♪

DR. JEN: Neck tone, legs moving.

MAN: Yeah, she's licking
and chewing.

She's gonna go from zero to 60.

MAN: Watch the legs,
they might kick out.

RORY: So, we're all behind her.

We're not in front of her legs,

'cause if she actually starts
to kick out and she hits me,

I'm going to the hospital.

♪ ♪

WOMAN: Just don't get
whacked in the head.

♪ ♪

ANGELA: The biggest worry for us

is just making sure
she gets through the procedure

and stands up on her own.

♪ ♪

WOMAN: Slow, slow, slow.

Easy, easy, easy, easy.
You did it.

WOMAN: Oh, she's up.

RORY: Get your back foot.
There you go.

WOMAN: Stay, stay, stay.
WOMAN: That was beautiful.

WOMAN: Good girl.

DR. RYAN: Thought I was
gonna cry a little bit.

That went so well!

WOMAN:
That was so beautiful, Ryan!

Now you can breathe.

(Ryan sighs)

RORY: We all think
she's gonna be fine.

The procedure went really well.

We were able to get a really
great hoof trim on her.

I think she's got
a long future here.

♪ ♪

(screech)

DR. TERESA: Did he get
a gold star for his dental?

DR. NATI: He did.

BRANDON: So far, the check-ups
are going really well,

but Oswald has kind of
thrown us a curveball.

There seems to be a lump.
We're hoping it's not cancer.

NARRATOR: The team already
treats Oswald's brother Hugo

for cancer.

They're hoping it doesn't
run in the family.

DR. TERESA: It's looking
a little questionable,

so we will see what
that biopsy comes back as,

but unfortunately there's
a genetic component to cancer.

We'll hope for Oswald that
this is just something benign.

NARRATOR: They await
Oswald's test results.

(whimpering)

WOMAN: Okay. Watch that tube.

Nice job.

NARRATOR: Luke and Riddler
take their turn.

WOMAN:
Everything else looks good.

WOMAN: Good, well, thank you.
WOMAN: Yeah.

NARRATOR:
Both in excellent health.

BRANDON: All six of our dogs
have had their vet checks,

and it's time to put 'em
all back together.

This is a critical time.

WOMAN:
Okay, reversals are going in.

BRANDON: We're gonna be
keeping a close eye on them,

making sure that
they're getting along.

WOMAN: We're out.

BRANDON: And they come back
together as family unit

and fall back into place
where they were.

(dogs whimpering)

NARRATOR:
As the drugs wear off,

all the dogs are vulnerable...

...and pack hierarchy
is at its most fragile.

(chattering)

(yipping)

WOMAN: You actually
see right there,

um, Alfred's
kind of going after Luke,

and Bruce is actually
getting in between them,

which is a guarding behavior.

So, actually Bruce
is doing a really good job

at being a good boy.

WOMAN: Can you say it again?
WOMAN: He was a good boy.

WOMAN: Yay!

NARRATOR: The pack
rejoices in their reunion.

Then Oswald's
test results come in.

KATY: So, Oswald does have
the same type of cancer as Hugo,

unfortunately.

How often are we going to have
to pull Oswald from the pack

to remove any tumors?

NARRATOR: An extended absence

could threaten
his position as top dog.

KATY: Every time we do that,

someone might try
to challenge Oswald,

so that's a scary thought.

NARRATOR: It's been three weeks

since Oswald's
cancer diagnosis.

KATY: Oswald has begun
treatments for his cancer,

and we are keeping
an eye on the pack

to make sure that
his rank within the pack

is not threatened.

So far, the pack is still
accepting Oswald as top dog,

which is great, because he is
a great pack leader.

NARRATOR: But in the
veterinary treatment room...

WOMAN: Pulse feels good,
it's been pretty steady.

NARRATOR: ...Hugo rushes in
as an emergency.

DR. NATI: What I'm gonna do is
start out with abdominal X-rays,

and that will be the most
informative first step for us.

NARRATOR: Aside from
his managed cancer diagnosis,

omega dog Hugo

got the all-clear
at his health check.

But today, he's acting oddly.

BRANDON:
We know that Hugo has a past

of having mast cell tumors.

This behavior
is very different.

He's getting up,
and when he's walking,

he's kind of arching his legs
out to the back, behind him,

and then when he does lay down,

he just looks
very uncomfortable.

He's rolling on his back
and arching and twisting,

which really alarms me.

DR. NATI:
Okay, everyone clear who can.

NARRATOR: X-rays give
clear images of Hugo's abdomen.

DR. NATI:
You see this whitish area?

So that suggests that there
is something there.

He could have
an obstruction there.

Worst-case scenario,
he could have a mass.

NARRATOR:
A mass could mean Hugo's cancer

has spread to
his internal organs.

If it has, it's aggressive.

He was clear
at the health check,

just three weeks ago.

DR. NATI: So, this came on
rather quickly for Hugo,

and his signs were
really dramatic.

We're gonna get
a blood sample on him,

and Jen is gonna start
running some tests right away,

in the lab.

When's the last time he ate?
Remind me.

WOMAN: Uh, yesterday afternoon.

DR. NATI: Yeah, his stomach
should feel nice and empty,

because the last time he ate
was yesterday,

but instead it's very distended

and almost feels like
it's full of air,

which tells me it's not
functioning properly.

We're gonna move
into doing an ultrasound

to get more information.

Both of his kidneys are
normal in appearance,

and he doesn't have any
free fluid in his abdomen.

What I'm looking at now
are his small intestines.

♪ ♪

I don't see any sign of a mass.

That is a really big relief.

We're seeing some very
thickened areas of intestine

that are a sign of
inflammation or infection.

Everything's pointing to

some type of infectious
gastroenteritis for him.

That is why his belly hurts.

So, he does need
treatment right away,

but what we've found is
really the best-case scenario.

We've got some long-acting
injectables for him.

NARRATOR: It's antibiotics,

before a move to the barn
for recovery.

DR. NATI: Last-minute cuddles.

Okay.

Hopefully we'll get Hugo
feeling better

with all these meds.

I am so glad that
we took a look at him today,

'cause he's very sick.

Bye, Hugo. Feel better.

(indistinct conversation)

BRANDON: Getting him
back in with the pack,

hopefully he'll incorporate
back in just fine,

and we're able to
give him medication

and get him back
on a better track.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

(chirping)

KRISTIN: Sandy, look at you!

Oh, my gosh.

You're so cute.

I can't stand it.

NARRATOR: At the Tree of Life,

a tiny miracle has hatched.

KRISTIN: You're on one leg
like a big flamingo.

You don't even need
your dads anymore.

NARRATOR: Meet Sandy,

named for the magical
infield mix.

First-time parents,
Blush and Bashful,

look after her like champs.

KRISTIN: When she hatched,

they were just
the perfect parents.

They were feeding her
within the first few hours.

Dads have been all over Sandy
since day one,

following her everywhere,
doing everything for her.

NARRATOR: Little Sandy
has the best dads ever.

KRISTIN: You have
accomplishments in your career

that just stick with you
for your whole life,

and for me,
this is absolutely one of them.

I just can't believe
that Sandy's here,

and she's thriving
and she looks so great,

and she's just everything
we'd hoped for.

♪ ♪

DR. NATI: Okay, little buddy.

NARRATOR: Painted dog Hugo

has been recovering
from gastroenteritis

and separated
from his brothers.

BRANDON: There's no guarantee

that when you take
one animal out,

they're gonna accept 'em
back into the packs.

It depends a lot on where
they are in the pecking order.

Are they at the bottom?
Are they at the top?

Both extremes seem to
have more of an issue.

NARRATOR:
So, bottom-of-the-pack Hugo

must put his best paw forward.

BRANDON: So, today we're
gonna bring out a carcass

for the pack to feed on,

and the act of actually eating
off of a common food source,

like a carcass,

we get a litmus test
on how, uh, he is doing,

both mentally, physically.

By giving a big chunk of meat

that they're allowed
to take and pull apart

and work on together
to get to the best parts,

um, that shows is he
participating in this?

We don't do this with any of the
other species here at Disney,

but we know how important
it is for them.

♪ ♪

Here they come.

(chattering)

We're hoping to see Oswald

accept Hugo back in
with the group today,

as they do their carcass feed.

As a leader in the pack, I hope
that he takes that lead on it

and he helps show
to everybody else,

"Hey, Hugo's great,
let's let him back in.

Let's make sure that
we're a nice family again."

♪ ♪

Down here is Hugo,
he's just looking around.

He's still got a fair bit
of meat to eat.

♪ ♪

And I see Hugo on the far side.

He's got his back to
the rock wall over there.

But it looks like
all six are eating.

This is actually perfect.

I am very happy with this.

This is a good sign that
they're all eating together,

especially Hugo being able to
eat with the rest of the group.

There is no bickering
between them,

there's no,
"Hey, that's my piece,"

so this was
a great sign for us...

and for Hugo.

As a leader in the pack,
Oswald does a great job

of making sure that
everybody is taken care of.

All for one, one for all.

And Hugo is included.

Look at him up there chewing.

(laughing)

I love him.

♪ ♪

This is great.

This makes my heart feel good.

They have reincorporated him
back into the pack

after the procedure perfectly,

so, very happy.

How can you not fall
in love with them, right?

♪ ♪

ANGELA:
Heading out on savanna,

gonna take a look at Lily,
post her procedure.

We just want to make sure that
her mobility is back to normal

and she's moving
exactly as she should be.

Oh, I have spotted her,

so we're gonna head on over

to one of our browse feeders

and see if we can get her
moving in our direction.

So, I'm gonna do willow
and some banana leaves,

make a little
variety pack for her.

Oh, I think
she's heading this way.

♪ ♪

Lily is over there walking
across the road from us.

It looks like she might be
heading our way.

She was very tender
on that right front foot.

That's initially
what led us to believe

something might be wrong.

But now, post-procedure,
she looks great.

She's completely back to normal,

she's with the group,
she's not stationary.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR:
Definitely not stationary,

a healthy giraffe gallops

at a ground-eating
35 miles per hour.

And now that her foot's fixed,

Lily runs like
a giraffe Olympian,

right back into
the breeding program.

ANGELA: Lily has come
such a long way,

and now she's doing great.

We just want to take
the best care of them

that we absolutely can.

♪ ♪

Captioned by
Side Door Media Services