Ep 8. Tough Love

The Secret Life Of The Zoo season 4 episode 8, Tough Love, follows the staff at Chester Zoo as they face challenges with some of their most beloved animals. The episode highlights the story of the Asian elephant family - mother Thi Hi Way, father Bala and their young calf, Nandita.

As the calf grows bigger and more playful, Thi Hi Way becomes more protective and starts to show signs of aggression towards her mate Bala. The zookeepers have to be cautious when entering their enclosure and have to make sure the elephants are not getting stressed.

In the meanwhile, the keepers notice that a pair of Grevy's Zebras are struggling to conceive and decide to intervene. They decide to move both zebras to the zoo's breeding center, where they can monitor them and administer fertility treatment if necessary.

The episode also follows the story of a group of adorable meerkats, as they prepare to welcome new newborns. The expectant mother, Lily, has to go through the daunting task of giving birth alone as the rest of the meerkats remain on high alert for predators.

Elsewhere in the zoo, keepers has to be extra careful when dealing with the vultures as they start to behave abnormally. During the last feeding, the vultures (known for aggressive behavior during feeding time) began showing signs of panic, leading the keepers to think there might be something wrong. Thus, they have decided to call in the veterinarian, who will examine the birds and diagnose what's causing the fright.

The season 4 episode 8, Tough Love highlights the bond and struggles each animal and their keeper has in Chester Zoo. Their love and passion towards the animals shown in the episode are an eye-opener into the joys and difficulties of zookeeping.