About

Every spring, in Africa, nature brings forth the next generation of little wild ones-from shy hippos to playful rhinos and inquisitive elephant calves as well as tiny bush babies, fierce leopard cubs, and cheeky primates. Growing up in the wilds of Africa is tough, especially when you've lost your mom, but these little orphans are getting a second chance at life. Casualties of wildlife crime, trophy hunting, a shrinking wilderness and human-animal conflict these babies need a helping hand. Join a special group of people, with big hearts and a love for all things wild who have dedicated their lives to save these baby orphans. Some babies require urgent medical attention, while others need to learn to feed and rebuild their confidence, and some just need a little love to develop and grow. Follow these incredible animal stories of rehabilitation from their rescue and journey through rehab to their treatment, 24-hour care and their emotional release back into the wild.

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Episodes

1. Episode 1

24m

South Africa's baby season is in full swing. After being rescued on the side of the road from someone trying to sell him, Floki, a 4-week-old vervet, arrives at the Vervet Monkey Foundation. Josie is concerned about potential brain damage and Floki's inability to walk due to his legs being bound by wire. His injuries are worse than expected and Mark rushes him to the vet for surgery. Emma from Umoya Wildlife Centre has her hands full with a prickly new customer - a newborn porcupine called Thumper who needs to learn how to bottle feed, and Nicky from Moholoholo prepares five bush babies for their release back into the wild.

2. Episode 2

24m

Spring brings new life and a wide range of baby orphans that need help. Over at HERD, Adine checks on Khanyisa, a baby albino elephant that was found alone and trapped in a manmade snare. After Khanyisa’s morning bottle, it’s time to explore her new surroundings accompanied by her new best friend, a sheep called Lammie the Legend. Emma visits the vet to collect a mysterious puppy and at Riverside clinic, Matthew checks on Rosie’s wounds after the 2-month-old baboon got seriously injured in one of the enclosures. Down at Wild & Free, Deirdre receives some sad news after checking on the three baby warthogs – Bacon, Bits, and Syrup.

3. Episode 3

24m

During spring, temperatures can reach over 45 degrees. Everyone struggles in the heat, especially the baby orphans. Juan rescues a severely dehydrated baby genet found in a home and races it to Deirdre at Wild & Free. Later that evening, they attempt to reconnect the baby genet back with his mother, but Deirdre suspects that the baby genet may be an unwanted pet. Emma and Catherine at Umoya try to bottle feed Hugo and Hector, two baby hippos, but things don’t go to plan and Nicky at Moholoholo receives a newborn squirrel so tiny it’s eyes are still closed.

4. Episode 4

24m

As the temperatures increase so do the calls for help. Josie and the volunteers at the Vervet Monkey Foundation receive two newborn monkeys, Toni and Pascall. While Toni is very dehydrated and malnourished, Pascall appears to suffer from PTSD. After witnessing his mother get stoned to death and eaten, the newborn is clawing at his eyes and requires 24-hour care to avoid inflicting more damage. Kensani collects dung from the stables to make a very special milk bottle for Khanyisa, the baby albino elephant, who is out on her daily walk with her new family – the Jabulani herd. Emma receives some very exciting news that Lily the pangolin is pregnant, and Juan attends an urgent call for help as a warthog gives birth under someone’s BBQ.

5. Episode 5

24m

By mid-spring the rehab centers are at full capacity. Brian, Nicky, and Becky prepare to enter the leopard enclosure and feed the three new cubs that recently arrived at Moholoholo Wildlife Centre. After one and half years in rehab at Umoya Wildlife Centre, the three warthogs, Percy, Patricia, and No Name, are ready for release back into the wild, but first Emma and her team must catch them, and one warthog tries an early escape. Next door at Riverside, Matthew and the volunteers weigh and measure all 21 of the baby vervets at the nursery, and over at Daktari Bush School, Michele has a new class of local children ready to learn about animal conservation.

6. Episode 6

24m

It’s all hands on deck as more and more baby orphans arrive at the rehab centers. Down at Wild & Free, one of Deirdre’s volunteers arrives to feed and weigh two baby genets recently found abandoned. At the baboon sanctuary, CARE, Sam, and Khatu take Flo, a 2-month-old baby baboon, from the nursery to meet her new foster mum in the bonding room, and a baby spotted eagle owl arrives at Moholoholo hungry and dehydrated. Over at Umoya it’s time to clean Hugo and Hector’s pool and the two baby hippos can’t wait to go for a swim!

7. Episode 7

24m

At this time of year there is a constant stream of new baby orphans. Riverside receives four new baby baboons flown up from Port Elisabeth. Each of the babies needs to be checked and weighed at the clinic before they’re fed and introduced to the rest of the orphans in the nursery. To escape the heat of the day, the volunteers walk all 18 baby baboons down to the river for a swim. Over a Moholoholo, Nicky and Becky battle to save a poisoned vulture, while Yolande prepares a special milk cocktail for the three resident baby rhinos at the Rhino Orphanage, and after shooting their mother a local farmer finds and drops off three baby jackals at Wild & Free. All of the pups are severely malnourished and filthy, so Juan and Deirdre give them a bubble bath before getting a check over - one pup is in a bad way.

8. Episode 8

24m

In the height of spring, the baby orphans, both large and small, are pushing the rehab centers to their limits. Sam and her 5-year-old daughter Sophia are called out to collect a baby baboon called Moses, found abandoned under a solar panel. On their way back to CARE, Moses needs a nappy change and Sophia manages to keep him calm. Adine and the carers at HERD head to the local waterhole to meet up with Khanyisa, the baby albino elephant, who is out on her daily walk with her new family – the Jabulani herd. At the Reptile Park, Chris and his team have to enter the black mamba enclosure to check they’ve got all the eggs recently laid by one of the snakes and Emma receives a tiny baby warthog called Potjie.

9. Episode 9

24m

The baby season is nearly over but the rehab centers are working overtime. At the Rhino Orphanage, it’s the afternoon bottle feed for Khalisi, a 17-month-old orphan who arrived at the orphanage as a baby with a devastating foot injury. Deirdre and her husband take Mel, the first-ever hand-raised Mellers Mongoose, out for a night walk. Josie and Mark, at the Vervet Monkey Foundation, introduce four baby vervets to their new foster mums and after being viciously attacked by Cornelius, a caracal raised by hand at Umoya, Emma decides it’s time for his release. Mentally and physically scarred from the attack, Emma leaves it up to Catherine and the volunteers to capture Cornelius and help transport him to his release site.

10. Episode 10

24m

The cooler weather provides some relief but the work in the rehab centers is heating up. At Riverside clinic, Matthew and Abi need to clean and re-dress the injuries to Poppy’s tail. Only once she’s fully healed can the juvenile vervet rejoin her troop in the semi-wild enclosure. A weak and severely dehydrated baby bushbuck called Bambi is rushed to Wild & Free where Deirdre battles to keep her alive. Dr. Colin MacRae checks on a young giraffe recently born in his reserve and Emma becomes the foster mum to a tiny baby mongoose called Babs. Back at Moholoholo, Becky and Nicky do one final check on the young Leguaan recovering from abdominal surgery before its release back into the wild.

Extended Details

SeriesWild Orphan Rescue

Closed CaptionsEnglish

Wild Orphan Rescue - Season 1

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Episodes

Extended Details