Episode 1 – Alison, Jeremy and wildlife vet, John Lewis travel to South Africa to rescue Kalu, a female chimpanzee that’s been kept as a pet for over 30 years. Kalu’s owner recently passed away and with nowhere else to go Alison has offered to rehome her. The team meet Kalu for the first time and start to plan her trip back to the UK. While back at the park, we catch up with Hananya’s chimpanzee group, the squirrel monkeys enjoy some winter sun with tasty wax worms, and baby guenon Biff thinks autumn leaves are a whole pile of fun.
Episode 2 – Alison along with animal director Jeremy and wildlife vet John Lewis, are continuing to organise the rescue of female chimpanzee, Kalu in South Africa. But as unexpected events unfold, Alison’s rescue mission is threatened, and becomes a tense standoff. Then with time running out to catch their flight back to the UK, things go from bad to worse. While back at the park, its annual flu jab time for Bryan’s chimpanzee group and the pond woollies are having a very colourful, nutritious, if rather prickly treat.
Episode 3 – After a dramatic rescue in South Africa, chimpanzee Kalu begins her journey to a new home in Dorset, and 24 hours later arrives at the park, with a whole new life ahead of her in Bryan’s group. Bart’s chimpanzee group have been spending a lot of time outside while their pavilion has been given a makeover, so they are super excited when they can finally check out the new look playroom. While the primate care staff continue in their mission to try and get the stumpies to be more active, the clever capuchins show off their climbing skills.
Episode 4 – There’s a woolly emergency when Ayla rejects, and attacks her new baby, Alison has to step in to rescue the infant but is concerned about its injuries. At the orangutan nursery, Jin and Silvestre’s play fights have become too rough so plans are afoot for Jin to move to a new home. The primate care staff employ a novel training idea to try and persuade chimpanzee Toprish the outdoors is a safe place to be. While the stumpies show they can behave during supplement time and Geoffroy’s marmosets, Reggie and Freja enjoy grapes, a whole bunch!
Episode 5 – The new baby woolly monkey, rejected and attacked by its mother, undergoes X-rays with worrying results. Chimpanzee Toprish finally conquers her fear of the great outdoors and it seems she has caught the eye of young alpha male Bart. There’s a new arrival at the park, Mo, a female cotton-top tamarin is introduced to lonely Uncas, and the hope is they will become lifelong companions. While Erico’s capuchins are kept busy with hidden treats and colourful, scented roses the Bachelor chimpanzees getting treated to hot chestnuts on a cold winter morning.
Episode 6 – Wildlife vet, John Lewis is at the park to give chimpanzee, Kalu a thorough health check, but putting her under proves problematic. The team are concerned she may have diabetes and John finds he also has some major dental work to perform. Common marmosets Chuck and Syd are treated to a crunchy snack, giant locusts, with Syd needing a little help. While Siamang gibbons, Sam and Sasak get slices of pear in giant pinecones, suspended high up in the tree canopy. And life hangs in the balance for the rejected baby woolly monkey.
Episode 7 – Its moving day for young adult male orang-utan Jin, who was born at the park, the team have been working hard to make it as stress free as possible but he still makes his feelings known. Newly arrived chimpanzee, Kalu meets Naree for the first time. While Cindy, a member of Bart’s chimpanzee group, has a burst abscess on her face and the vet team try an unusual remedy to fix woolly monkey Cosmo’s digestive problems, a faecal transplant! And Bengal slow lorises, Nora and Bobbi Dazzler get a floral treat.
Episode 8 – Alison’s in The Netherlands to collect Pichihua, a lonely female woolly monkey who’s lost her mate, and needs companionship. The stump-tailed macaques test out their revamped playroom, with Sylvie reaching new heights. Red bellied guenons, Benny, Nia and daughter Biff enjoy some willow browse and the team think there may be an addition to the family soon. While elderly saki monkey Chloe has a tricky dental problem so local vet, Holly comes in to perform the difficult extraction.
Episode 9 – Newly arrived female chimp Kalu meets big male Bryan and Alison is pleased with how she is coping with life at the park. While at Bart’s chimpanzee group, the young alpha male shows how well he has adapted to his Type 1 diabetes treatment, and chimp Cindy surprises wildlife vet John with a remarkable recovery. New arrival, woolly monkey Pichihua, needs companionship until she can be integrated into one of the woolly groups so the team introduce her to Ayla. Capuchin boss, Erico muscles in on a new log pile while the spider monkeys enjoy dangling for grapes.
Episode 10 – Alison is on another pet trade, marmoset rescue mission, after being contacted by the RSPCA. With assistance from the police she finally tracks down Millie Martin, and brings her back to the park to start a new life. While back at the park, the Bachelor chimpanzees are in for a fun breakfast, Jestah boxes clever so he can hang on to his breakfast bounty. Cotton-top tamarins, Uncas and Mo show how well they have bonded since Mo’s arrival six months ago. And the normally loved up pair, golden-cheeked gibbons Kim and Tien, have a terrifying set-to high up in the tree canopy.
Episode 11 – Newly rescued, chimpanzee Kalu ventures into the outdoor enclosure for the first time, and aims very high. Wildlife vet, John Lewis is at the park to examine three male woolly monkeys, in preparation of setting up a bachelor group, and then combines with vet Cesar to try and help Bruce the loris, with his mystery lump. While at Malagasy, the ring-tailed lemurs are in for a real treat when the team brings in fruit laden cherry tree boughs, and there’s wild strawberries for a marmoset family, as the kids take the cream of the crop.
Episode 12 – Alison successfully uses tasty treat tactics, while on a double mission to rehome two pet trade marmosets. While back at the park, wildlife vet John Lewis is momentarily stumped during a complicated dental operation on aging Ugly Monkey Sam. And young chimpanzee, Toprish shakes things up at Bart’s group and shows how far she has come since being rescued 2 years ago.
Episode 13 – Concerns grow when vet Cesar examines a lump on the face of newly arrived pet trade marmoset, Jenny. Woolly monkey, Paulo goes all out to impress the rest of the boys, as the park forms its first ever woolly bachelor group. While breakfast at Sonny’s capuchin enclosure involves scaling heights and the squirrel monkeys are get a medley of hanging enrichment. And a new enclosure means Bengal slow loris, Axl finally goes outside, but still doesn’t know what time of day it really is!
Episode 14 – On the thirteenth anniversary of the death of the parks founder, and Alison’s late husband, Jim Cronin, Alison takes the decision to temporarily close the park as a global pandemic takes hold. The risks of Covid-19 to primates are unknown but Alison wants to protect the primate care staff and their charges. But the teams work continues, and as they adapt to the new normal chimpanzee Clin suffers an eye injury. Wildlife vet, John Lewis comes to the park to perform the required surgery, not only to save Clin’s sight but her life. And orang-utan Awan shows, even in troubling times, youngsters will still find fun.
Episode 15 – The great woolly monkey move around continues, now that the bachelor group has been set up, Ayla is moved to the Pond Woollies and meets new alpha male, Enzo. At the orang-utan nursey the residents are trying out new feeders, while Jin, who recently left the park, cuddles up to the new woman in his life. The parks three newest marmosets, Millie, Jenny and newly renamed Queenie, are introduced for the first time. And saki monkeys, Desmond and Chloe demonstrate they’re still nuts about each other.
Episode 16 – Chimpanzee Kalu’s health is giving cause for concern, as she’s moved onto daily insulin injections to tackle her diabetes. The red-bellied guenon family, welcome a new addition, Benny and Nia have second baby to join their daughter Biff. Three year old Hujan, now a fully integrated member of Tuan’s group of orang-utans and is thriving and growing bolder by the day. And woolly monkey, Mani is moved to the bachelor group. While the clever capuchins in Franco’s group solve a prickly problem, the spider monkeys find their new feeders a bit of a challenge.
Episode 17 – Alison receives an update on Monkey World’s sister sanctuary, Dao Tien in Vietnam via video call. A golden-cheeked gibbon family has been released back into the wild but the team can’t find them, and Bien, who was released last year has had to be recaptured. Dao Tien is also taking in an increasing number of baby doucs, and currently is caring for five youngsters. While at the park, Jake and Zoey, two of the park’s golden-cheeked gibbons, are given an icy treat, Queen of Bubbles orang-utan A-mei doesn’t share, and Bengal slow loris, Axl enjoys corn on the cob a whole lot.
Episode 18 – Jeremy turns inventor to encourage his old friend, orang-utan Amy, off the ground, but gets the brush off. Woolly monkey, Pichihua becomes a member of Levar’s top woollies and Xingu, the dominant female of that group has just given birth. Marmoset, Queenie has settled into life at the park and has a new companion, Mickey, her previous owner pays her a visit. At Hananya’s chimpanzee group, Simon shows he is still full of fun and quite the acrobat. And the squirrel monkeys show how much they enjoy hunting for insects.
Episode 19 – There’s concern as the team tries to find out what’s wrong with elderly chimpanzee Kalu. Wildlife vet, John Lewis and vet, Dave Harding come together to examine Kalu to try and diagnose what’s causing her health problems. We catch up with Bart’s chimpanzee group, and while most are doing well there’s a growing question mark over what’s happening with Cathy. Mueller’s gibbons, Nini and Dalumie are given a puzzle to solve but it proves to be a bit of a headache for Dalumie, and the grumpy stumpies live up to their nickname. Sadly it’s the end for the odd couple, patas monkey Mica mourns the loss of long term companion, George the lemur.
Episode 20 – At Bryan’s group, concern is growing for the health of elderly chimpanzee Kalu, the team are so worried that Jeremy has been going into the bedroom to be with her, and give her some much-needed TLC. The parks red-bellied guenons, are enjoying their outside enclosure and new baby guenon, Nala shows she can cope without mum when she needs too. The four woolly monkey groups are now all settled after the huge move around. Millie Martin, a marmoset recused from tragic circumstances shows how far she has come when she enjoys a grooming session with her new partner, Jock. And orang-utan Oshine demonstrates if there’s enough of an incentive she’s prepared to climb.