NARRATOR: This time on Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom,
the park's most famous gorilla gets the runaround.
Sets Gino off, every time.
NARRATOR: An eagle ray might become a new mom.
DR. DAN: There's the baby.
NARRATOR: And a much-loved lion needs urgent care.
-One, two, three. -One, two, three.
-(THEME MUSIC PLAYING) -(SQUAWKS)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
NARRATOR: Today, keepers have something very special in store.
They've been busy making a unique birthday cake,
with sweet potato frosting, fruit, and flowers
for one of the park's most beloved residents.
He's playful.
He is majestic.
He can do the "Chicken Dance",
and it's one of the things that he likes to do when he's being really silly.
Oh, I love him. I love him so much.
NARRATOR: The cake awaits.
I couldn't even sleep last night
'cause I'm just so excited to see what he's gonna do with it.
NARRATOR: And after the all clear, here comes the birthday boy.
Meet Gino, the silverback western lowland gorilla.
Gino!
That's your birthday cake, happy birthday! What'd you think?
I think he actually just saw his birthday cake,
so we're gonna see what he does with this.
He's coming down.
NARRATOR: Rachel has worked with Gino since he was a teenager
and loves to celebrate with him.
RACHEL: (CHUCKLING) Nice!
Very nice.
He is a great silverback, I mean, he's 39 years old,
and he definitely deserves a really good birthday cake.
NARRATOR: This cake might not stay his own for long, however.
Not with Gino's four children snooping around.
Five-year-old son, Cory, shows up first to investigate.
RACHEL: Cory's kinda like, "Hey, Dad, are you gonna share?"
So let's see if Gino's gonna share,
or if he's just gonna keep that whole cake to himself.
(GINO GRUNTS)
I think he might be keeping that cake to himself for a little bit.
NARRATOR: Perhaps nine-year-old daughter, Lilly, will have better luck.
(SNORTS)
RACHEL: Lilly, are you gonna try, sweetie?
She wants to try, but she's being such a good girl.
Oh, Cory, you're pushing it. (LAUGHS)
(LAUGHS) He's gonna switch his spot. (LAUGHS)
NARRATOR: Mm, this may require strength in numbers.
Yup.
We actually have, um, some of the other members of the family coming.
We've got mom, Kashata, and her infant daughter, Grace.
We've got a juvenile male, Flint.
(MUNCHES)
RACHEL: Are you sharing, Gino?
NARRATOR: Eventually, the big gorilla gives in.
RACHEL: So what's going on now is totally adorable,
he's actually sharing the cake with the whole family.
I'm hearing, like, really happy food noises.
(MUNCHES)
RACHEL: (LAUGHING) Kashata's taking big handfuls of the cake.
(LAUGHING) Oh, that was a nice try, Lilly.
(LAUGHING)
NARRATOR: With all this excitement, Gino could probably use a power nap.
After all, as an older gorilla, Gino deserves it.
RACHEL: He's not that rambunctious gorilla who I worked with in the very beginning,
he's... he's definitely put on some years.
NARRATOR: But Gino's sons have other ideas.
RACHEL: They'll chase, they'll wanna play really rough,
-they'll do some of the chest beats. -(BEATS CHEST)
RACHEL: They are learning how to spar, just like they're gonna have to
when they became silverback gorillas. And they're gonna start testing Gino,
and we're already starting to see some of that.
Uh, one of them, Cory, is particularly naughty,
he loves to run up behind Gino
and kind of pinch him on the butt and run away.
(SNARLS)
RACHEL: Sets Gino off, every time. (CHUCKLES)
But I know that those boys are growing
and they're doing exactly what they're supposed to do.
NARRATOR: Eventually, the boys will leave the group to have families of their own.
But until then, the team will keep an extra careful eye on their dad.
RACHEL: We really have to watch him because Gino, being an older male,
is having a little bit harder time.
I've been with Gino almost 20 years,
so you know, that... that does tug at my heart.
NARRATOR: Five miles away at Epcot...
dozens of species from around the world live in the crystal-clear waters.
Meet Darby, the spotted eagle ray.
This stunner swims backstage for feeding time.
Hey, kiddo.
So, right now she's getting some squid and some herring and some shrimp.
And she's taking it pretty eagerly out of my hand, she seems pretty hungry.
NARRATOR: An exciting reason explains Darby's big appetite.
She's pregnant.
And what's more? The eagle ray's not the only one.
I'm pregnant. (LAUGHS)
Yeah, I don't think a lot of people can say that they have a ray buddy
that they're going through their gestation period with.
Pretty crazy huh, Darbs? All done. See you tomorrow. (CHUCKLES)
NARRATOR: Spotted eagle rays live in warm water across the globe,
but sadly, their populations are declining...
Hi!
NARRATOR: ...a trend Disney conservationists
strive to reverse.
Ten eagle rays have been born at The Seas so far.
Dr. Dan checks in to ultrasound lucky number 11.
The goal of this is,
we can sometimes measure parts of their body
to get an idea of if they're growing.
NARRATOR: Eagle rays give birth to live pups,
but their gestation times can vary wildly.
DR. DAN: We first identified that she was pregnant
about six, seven months ago.
A lot of places say around one year or so, is their gestation.
Um, but we've had them give birth as early as about nine or ten months here.
Um, so, we think she's going to be getting close to giving birth.
NARRATOR: To find the pup, Dr. Dan needs a steady hand.
DR. DAN: Yeah. Right there! There's the baby.
So this is the heart beating right here,
and then you can actually see just above it where the gills are moving.
We've gotten a good image of the baby,
everything seems to be progressing well, so we will finish up.
NARRATOR: All the team has to do now... is wait.
We're all really excited. The spotted eagle rays are super cool,
uh, and everyone's looking forward to having another pup around.
(LION ROARING)
-(BIRDS CHIRPING) -(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
(LION ROARING)
NARRATOR: In the morning before the park gates open...
something very special happens.
(LION ROARING)
(ROARS)
NARRATOR: Male African lion, Dakari, announces his presence.
(ROARS)
NARRATOR: And his roar lets everyone know that this place belongs to the pride.
(ROARS)
That's just marking his range, his roar will roam about five miles...
so anyone that can hear it knows that this is his land.
(ROARS)
NARRATOR: Dakari takes his job very seriously,
but he's not the boss.
(LION PURRS)
-(ROARS) -(ROARS)
NARRATOR: Sisters Kamari and Kinsey really run the show.
(ROARS)
NARRATOR: Kamari is brave and boisterous.
She's not shy at all, she's really high energy and she wants to go
and see what's going on. Anything... a door opens, she's going through it.
So I mean, she's usually the first one to, uh, investigate something
-and check it out. -(BIRDS CHIRPING)
NARRATOR: Kinsey has the brains in the family.
(GROWLS)
LORI: Kinsey is like the leader of the group. She is our dominant female.
She's probably the most intelligent.
You can see her thinking things through.
(LIONS ROARING)
NARRATOR: When the pride comes backstage, Lori spots something strange.
-LORI: Are you gonna come over? Kinsey! -(ROARS)
Come here, lady. Good girl. Good girl.
We're noticing that she has a small lump behind her right elbow.
We're not seeing anything affecting her mobility,
but it's just something that's really abnormal.
NARRATOR: Mystery lumps can be a sign
-of serious underlying problems. -(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
I am really concerned. It could be something
that's just benign and... and she'll just have to live with it.
It could be something more significant.
(ROARS)
NARRATOR: They need to find out exactly what's going on.
-RAIN: We are ready! -FEMALE VOICE: Here we go.
-NARRATOR: So, they sedate Kinsey. -FEMALE VOICE: Poking, poking,
poking, poking, done.
(BEEPS)
Hey, Rain. This is Dr. Nati, I copy you got...
NARRATOR: The vet team, headed up by Dr. Diana and Dr. Nati...
So I think we're good to go.
NARRATOR: ...must transport Kinsey from the barn to the veterinary treatment room,
a half mile away.
She sleeps soundly.
But at nearly 300 pounds, moving her poses a challenge.
Anesthesia is usually very stable.
But sometimes extra stimulation can cause them to change the depth of anesthesia,
and so they may start responding.
-On three, ready? One, two, three. -Yeah, one, two, three.
DR. NATI: Back end is on.
Front end is on.
We want to make sure that the team that's lifting her is all in coordination
so there's not this uneven shift of weight.
DR. NATI: Respirations have increased just a little bit, guys.
NARRATOR: Even the most careful motion could rouse her.
DR. NATI: Okay, eyes are open. Everybody sit still, please.
NARRATOR: They cover her eyes to limit the stimulation.
DR. NATI: The lion's waking up just a little bit on us.
Can I get that IV catheter here?
Okay, IV ketamine 200 milligrams going in.
Ketamine's in. How's her eye looking up there?
NARRATOR: The extra anesthetic takes effect.
DR. NATI: Eyes okay?
Okay, I think we're good to move her again.
-You guys tell me when you're ready. -We're ready.
All right. Yeah, she kinda opened her eye and looked at me a little bit there.
(CHUCKLING)
Like, "Hello, would you like to go back to sleep?" (CHUCKLES)
-(BEEPS) -We've just left the lion holding.
NARRATOR: With Kinsey safe and secured, next stop, the animal hospital,
-and hopefully a good diagnosis. -(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
NARRATOR: Over at the center of the park...
six times a day, flocks of macaw parrots put on the Winged Encounters show,
-flying around the 145-foot Tree of Life. -(MACAWS SQUAWKING)
So the show is really popular with the guests, but behind the scenes
the birds and the trainers put in a lot of work to make it so special.
NARRATOR: Now, some fresh new recruits join the team...
Hi.
NARRATOR: ...and face their first test flight challenge,
fly from this perch...
back to the barn entrance, an area called "the catch".
KATELYN: We wanna make sure that they know that, "This is where I go,
"every time it's time for me to go home."
It's your time to shine.
NARRATOR: Emerald feathered female, Santiago, makes the first attempt.
KATELYN: Santiago is our very first great green macaw
that we've had at Winged Encounters, so we're very excited.
-Hey, bud, let's go. -(MACAWS SQUAWKING)
Come on. Good job.
KATELYN: Hi, buddy.
NARRATOR: Independently minded Emmett tries next.
KATELYN: Emmett is a blue-throated macaw.
He's kind of a lone ranger, he, uh, marches to the beat of his own drum.
-(SQUAWKS) -KATELYN: Good job.
-NARRATOR: They both pass the first test. -(MACAWS SQUAWKING)
KATELYN: We're gonna go for it.
NARRATOR: But trainer Katelyn raises the stakes,
moving the perch farther away...
KATELYN: Santiago! Come on, bud!
NARRATOR: ...and asks the macaws to fly to her.
-KATELYN: Let's go. -(MACAWS SQUAWKING)
NARRATOR: Santiago may have some reservations.
KATELYN: Come on.
Good bird, let's go.
-NARRATOR: But eventually... -(MACAWS SQUAWKING)
Good job!
That was pretty good, very first session out here.
Come on.
Emmett!
FEMALE VOICE: Go! He's ready to go.
NARRATOR: Emmett looks ready to take on the world.
Good bird. Right here, let's go. Where're you going?
NARRATOR: Maybe a little too ready.
-FEMALE VOICE: Emmett! -(BOTH LAUGH)
NARRATOR: Both macaws have a lot to learn,
if they're going to join the park's airborne extravaganza.
(MACAWS SQUAWKING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
NARRATOR: Back at Gorilla Falls, Gino's family faces challenging times.
We started to see almost like a cold run through the family,
um, a lot of runny noses, some coughing.
NARRATOR: Most of the gorillas have fought off the bug.
But for sweet old Gino, the illness hangs on.
Gino showed a few different symptoms.
We started to hear this deep cough and it really wasn't going away.
It is very concerning.
He's got a great family that depends on him.
We want him to feel better, I know his family wants him to feel better,
and he is very loved.
NARRATOR: Behind the scenes, Gino needs immediate care.
Instead of moving him to the treatment center,
the vets sedate him for examination right inside the gorilla barn.
DR. DAN: What we're gonna do now is perform a bronchoscopy for Gino.
Okay, going down the tube.
NARRATOR: Dr. Dan guides a tiny camera towards Gino lungs.
DR. DAN: There's a lot of junk in there.
I think he's got a lot of inflammation and irritation to his bronchial passages.
Uh, overall, I think that he does have some changes within his lungs
that suggest he's dealing with, uh, infection.
So, we will provide him some treatments with antibiotics,
and everyone is getting prepped to reverse his anesthesia.
NARRATOR: These last weeks have been tough for Gino.
SUSAN: We are worried about seeing him this sick.
Because of his age, no matter what happens,
we are going to be worried.
NARRATOR: But he should make a full recovery under the team's care.
SUSAN: He got two bags of fluids, he got some antibiotic shots,
so we're really hoping that makes him feel better.
NARRATOR: For weeks, pregnant eagle ray Darby
has kept aquarists patiently waiting for her to deliver her baby.
So, this morning I came in...
and saw a little pup swimming behind me.
Who knows when exactly it happened, but it was a nice little surprise.
Super cute down there. (CHUCKLES)
NARRATOR: Darby's work as a mom is already over,
even though she only just gave birth.
Darby is actually not maternal at all. Um, when stingrays are born,
they're completely self-sufficient, they don't need any help from mom.
NARRATOR: Now the team works to make sure this little ray of sunshine thrives.
AMANDA: It looks really good, swimming around calmly,
looks like it's a nice size. So, we're excited to see how it grows.
NARRATOR: To check on the little one's body condition,
they need to bring it out of the main environment
and take it backstage into the pup habitat.
But mom-to-be, Amanda, can't wait to know one thing right away.
Do we have a little boy or a little girl?
Little boy?
AMANDA: We were excited to find out that the eagle ray pup was a boy.
It's fun to have a... a little guy around here.
NARRATOR: Dr. Natalie wants to take a closer look.
-He's super speckly. -AMANDA: Yeah.
DR. NATALIE: Hi, little one.
So I think his body condition looks really good. And he's very...
Yeah. Very size appropriate.
-AMANDA: Yay! -DR. NATALIE: Okay.
We have a time frame that we look at, so we give them about seven days...
so that they can acclimate, so they can start showing interest in food.
Just looking at his swimming, it's very nice, very relaxed.
Now it's just up to him to consume food for me.
We're just really positive that we'll see him learn and grow every day.
He's really cute.
FEMALE VOICE: One, two, three.
NARRATOR: Back at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park,
Kinsey the lion arrives at the treatment center.
DR. DIANA: Okay, all of her vitals are stable.
We're doing the lateral elbow right now.
NARRATOR: An x-ray will reveal if the lump behind her arm
indicates a serious problem or not.
All right, I've got you set up for a right lateral elbow.
RAIN: If this is cancer, it could impact Kinsey's life.
Um, so, we're gonna have a... a pretty challenging road ahead of us.
-DR. DIANA: Ready? -MALE VOICE: Here we go.
DR. DIANA: Capturing...
MALE VOICE: There it is.
DR. DIANA: The elbow looks really... actually really good on x-rays.
So, it's a big fluid pocket, um, that's kinda covering the bony part
of the elbow, and it's... body's way of saying,
"I just need a little extra padding, a little extra protection."
NARRATOR: The lump appears to be the result of tendinitis,
just like tennis elbow in humans.
DR. DIANA: The lump may or may not ever go away.
But I think in her case it... we can manage it and get her comfortable
and get her to a point where that's not gonna be that much of an issue.
-(INDISTINCT CHATTER) -(LAUGHS)
We are so relieved, I am just... I'm tickled. I am tickled.
NARRATOR: With the worry out of the way,
the vets grab this opportunity to give Kinsey a full checkup.
DR. NATI: She should get a total...
NARRATOR: And some lucky guests get to see her up close.
DR. BETH: There's nothing better than watching a little kid's eyes
just light up when they're in front of the window.
MALE VOICE: Fluids are going in there, so is that gonna change that?
DR. NATI: She's got a fractured crown here.
And it looks like there may be some, uh, pulp cavity exposure.
When I was four years old, my aunt gave me a book about what happens at the zoo
and I saw a veterinarian cleaning leopard teeth...
and that's when I told my parents that I wanted to be a veterinarian.
That's new, she's done that since last time.
I feel like I've come full circle from, uh, being that little girl
to actually getting to be the person who's looking at those big cat teeth.
MALE VOICE: That looks pretty smooth and shiny, eh?
Nice.
NARRATOR: She's in great shape. A dandy lion.
DR. NATI: Okay, we're ready to transport into the van.
-FEMALE VOICE: Your path is clear. -DR. NATI: Okay.
NARRATOR: The vet team is happy.
Now, to get her back home to a comfortable bed.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
All right. I'm gonna go ahead and give the reversals.
After that, everybody's coming out of the stall here.
We're exiting the stall.
And she's starting to blink.
It's time to wake up, pretty kitty, I know we kept you slept for a long time.
Got a little bit of head movement.
She's waking up nice and smoothly and calmly.
NARRATOR: When she fully recovers, Kinsey can make her prideful return.
It's going to be fantastic. She'll be so happy to see her family again.
(MACAWS SQUAWKING)
NARRATOR: Today, Santiago and Emmett,
the new macaws, get ready for a tall order.
We're hoping to get them to fly from the building...
to a lift that's further out in our field,
and then from that lift to this lift.
Yeah, we are all set on lift two.
It looks like they're set on lift one as well.
FEMALE VOICE: (THROUGH RADIO) Doors opened.
(MACAWS SQUAWKING)
NARRATOR: The duo leads a large group of macaws.
-FEMALE VOICE: They're beautiful. -NARRATOR: And one by one,
they all make perfect landings on the first lift.
FEMALE VOICE: Good job.
-FEMALE VOICE 1: Great job, guys. -FEMALE VOICE 2: Good job, baby. Okay.
FEMALE VOICE: Here, here, here.
That was good. All of the birds are at the first lift.
FEMALE VOICE:
Copy that, ready for birds.
NARRATOR: Flying to the second, farther lift poses their biggest test yet.
-NATHAN: Come on. Good! Come on, this way. -MALE VOICE: Let's go!
-Come on. -NATHAN: Hi.
-Hello. -MALE VOICE: Hi.
NARRATOR: Just like that, Santiago and Emmett arrive on cue...
Here you go.
-...and get a tasty reward. -(MACAWS SQUAWKING)
NATHAN: That went great. So these guys, the majority of them,
it's their first time to this lift, so this is a great session.
NARRATOR: Time for everyone to fly home.
Almost everyone.
Santiago doesn't rush.
MALE TRAINER: Come on, buddy, you're thinking about it.
Go get 'em, Santiago. (LAUGHS)
Since they're completely free-flighted, they can fly wherever they want
and when they come home, they come home, and they get reinforced for it.
So, it's completely up to them.
(SQUAWKS)
NARRATOR: For Emmett and Santiago, flight school is done.
The team will finally decide who will get to circle the Tree of Life.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
NARRATOR: Over at Gorilla Falls,
several weeks have passed since Gino the silverback took ill.
But he's over the worst. No more coughing or runny nose.
It may look like he's left gorilla-sized handkerchiefs
all over the habitat,
but these blankets are actually part of a clever plan
to help Gino on his road to recovery.
RACHEL: We got a lot of blankets out here today,
and part of that is we're just trying
to keep the family busy, in particular, our two little boys, Cory and Flint.
They're getting older, they're really rambunctious.
NARRATOR: As silverback, it falls on Gino to keep his two sons in line,
but the team doesn't want him to overdo it.
RACHEL: If the boys are busy playing with blankets,
it gives him a little bit of a break.
NARRATOR: The good news for Gino? It looks like the plan pays off.
RACHEL: Let's keep these little boys busy, because if they're busy doing things that
they should be doing, that means they're not busy doing things
that maybe they shouldn't be doing, and that Gino then has to intervene in.
NARRATOR: The boys love the blankets...
and mostly steer clear of trouble...
while Dad gets some well-deserved rest.
RACHEL: You know, when... when Gino was ill, it really hit me personally.
Um, it... it really affects me when I see him like that
and I go home, and I stress about it and I want him to feel better.
NARRATOR: Gino will be back to his old self in no time,
with Rachel and the team's loving help.
RACHEL: This is what we do. This is exactly what we wanna see.
This is what we would see out in nature,
is a big group of gorillas all spread out, eating, enjoying the day.
NARRATOR: Over at The Seas, the team keeps a close eye
on the new spotted eagle ray pup.
But things aren't going as well as they hoped.
CHARLENE: He hadn't been eating on his own yet, he was losing weight.
So when that happens, we start to tube feed them
and try to get their nutritional intake up.
NARRATOR: The pup needs to relax during the tube feeding.
So, they lower him into an anesthetic solution.
Dr. Beth waits for him to calm down.
DR. BETH: Not there, but we're getting close.
-You tell me when you're ready for him. -FEMALE VOICE: I think he's okay.
Yeah.
NARRATOR: Now to get him on the scale.
FEMALE VOICE: I'm gonna get some extra water off of him.
So we get a more accurate weight.
-Twenty thirteen and a half. -DR. BETH: Yeah, minus twenty-one.
NARRATOR: The pup continues to lose weight.
He needs food.
DR. BETH: So what I'm gonna do is give him that tube nutrition.
Gonna just support his head.
Okay, ready.
Going in.
NARRATOR: Dr. Beth performs an ultrasound to make sure the food reaches his stomach.
DR. BETH: Yeah.
It's doing it again.
It's gonna be tough to know exactly how much he's gotten.
I was gonna say, you're looking like you're pretty full.
All right, okay. I'm gonna stop.
DR. BETH: Okay, I'm done.
NARRATOR: Now that they know he has a full belly...
Amanda makes sure he's wide awake before letting him go.
A ventilator helps him catch his breath.
And mom, Darby, comes over to check out what's going on.
The team works overtime to ensure her baby's survival.
AMANDA: We're hopeful that over the coming day and weeks,
we'll see him start to gain some weight.
And also start eating on his own.
NARRATOR: Back over at the Harambe Wildlife Reserve,
Kinsey the courageous lion starts her rehabilitation.
JEN: Good girl. What a good girl.
So what we're doing right now is we are training her to participate
in physical therapy
to keep those muscles and tendons nice and stretched out.
JEN: We're trying to get her to flex her paw, um...
(GROWLS)
JEN: ...on the flat part of the log. Good, that was close.
Um, she has to do more of a… this motion, extending the muscle and the tendon
in her elbow and arm a little bit more.
Paw. Good girl, that was a good one. And you're doing really good.
NARRATOR: Hopefully with the keeper's help,
Kinsey's lump will eventually heal.
(ROARS)
NARRATOR: But out on show, Kinsey's main man misses her.
(ROARS)
-RAIN: Kinsey is Dakari's favorite. -(ROARS)
So he is going to be pretty excited to have her back.
All right, here we go. There she goes.
LORI: You'll see that on and off throughout the day,
they'll just kind of, uh, sneak up on each other,
they'll jump and play on each other.
NARRATOR: The big reunion.
And all that play has the happy pride completely tuckered out.
This is pretty much the lion's life, it's pretty great, I'm jealous.
-(ROARS) -(ROARS)
(MACAWS SQUAWKING)
NARRATOR: For the trainee macaws, the moment of truth finally arrives.
FEMALE VOICE: Come on!
(MACAWS SQUAWKING)
NARRATOR: Santiago, eh, needs a bit more work.
Santiago, she knew each part of the behavior really well,
but she could never piece all of it together.
It's not that Santiago is never gonna make it into the show,
she may in a few months. She did a good job overall.
NARRATOR: Decision time for Emmett, too.
Of our new wave of macaws,
Emmett was our first bird to make it to the lift.
So his next step is to be the first one to make it out to show.
Which is really cool, especially...
Bye. (LAUGHS)
(CROWD CHEERING)
NARRATOR: Blue-throated macaw, Emmett, becomes the newest member
of the Winged Encounters team.
KATELYN: Emmett's coming down, here he is.
NARRATOR: And with the rest of the flock, he puts on a macawesome show.
FEMALE VOICE: These blue-throated macaws are the rarest macaw
found in the wild today on our planet.
-Birds like this are getting... -(CROWD CHEERING)
Good job, Emmett.
-So proud of you, Emmett. -(SQUAWKS)
FEMALE VOICE: How cool is this!
KATELYN: Emmett, he far exceeded anybody's expectations.
All of our trainers love him and he's doing an excellent job.
Wow, look at little Emmett.
NARRATOR: Back over at The Seas,
the new spotted eagle ray explores the pup habitat.
AMANDA: Ah, yeah.
NARRATOR: He wasn't eating on his own, so the team has been tube feeding him.
All right. Come on, nugget.
NARRATOR: Now, Amanda weighs the pup to see if their work is paying off.
Last time he was checked, he was just under 2,000 grams and falling.
AMANDA: Okay, we can move him to a weight.
NARRATOR: But now...
AMANDA: Twenty-one thirty-three point five. Good job.
The eagle ray pup is starting to gain weight
and we are super excited about where he's headed.
NARRATOR: And that's not all. Amanda trains the pup
to feed like his mom, Darby.
Good job.
He's doing so well, we're really proud of him.
Seeing the progress makes it all worth it, it's why we do what we do every day.
It's so satisfying to come in and see him thriving and learning and...
just been super rewarding.
NARRATOR: Spotted eagle rays live up to 25 years,
so thanks to the team, this little pup will have plenty more adventures...
though mom-to-be, Amanda, will be sitting out the next few months.
AMANDA: It's bittersweet to say goodbye to this little guy.
It's just kind of been a constant reminder to me of what's to come, I guess.
Um, and it's fun to, I guess, go through everything with this little guy first.
And know that I'm gonna be doing the same thing with my own little one
in just a few short weeks.
I'll... I'll definitely miss him.
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)