Monkey Life

Series following the rescue and rehabilitation of more than 160 neglected and abused primates in the Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre in Dorset, which the founder and his wife built into a 65-acre wildlife park that is home to 15 different species.

Alison Cronin and her colleagues prepare to transport an overweight orang-utan from South Africa back to the Monkey World rescue centre in Dorset. The task poses plenty of logistical challenges, but matters are further complicated when the experts discover the creature has developed unusual habits.

The experts face unexpected problems at the airport as they prepare to fly Oshine to the UK, leaving them struggling to keep the overweight orang-utan calm. Back at Monkey World, a baby chimpanzee tries to take advantage of its privileged position and capuchin monkeys get to grips with frozen fruit.

Oshine has an eventful first night in the orang-utan nursery, and Jeremy Keeling realises helping the new arrival settle in will not be a straightforward task. There is also exciting news at the woolly monkey house, and Hanyana and the chimpanzees are released into their revamped enclosure for the first time.

A member of staff acts as a surrogate parent for Mikado, an orphaned golden-cheeked gibbon that has been brought to the centre from France. The chimpanzees play with laundry at the nursery, while recently arrived squirrel monkey Fidget makes an impression on the residents.

New arrival Oshine meets foster mother A-mei, Piquita becomes a new mum and Mikado settles in after his first week at the park.

Tensions are high as Sammy the chimp, one of the park's oldest and most popular residents, goes into surgery. The stump-tailed macaque house gets a makeover to accommodate its elderly monkeys and the capuchins go cherry-picking.

Orang-utan Oshine gets weighed, having been on a strict diet since arriving from South Africa - but she is reluctant to climb on the scales and insists that Jeremy gets on too. Meanwhile, baby golden-cheeked gibbon Mikado is introduced to his new foster mother Alex and Bart proves to be a star pupil.

Alison collects 10 stump-tailed macaques being retired from a research facility in Edinburgh. The journey is potentially dangerous as the stumpies have never been outside before and some of them are old and frail. Back at the park, staff are anxious as chimp Athena undergoes an eye operation, while squirrel monkey Fidget is a hit with the ladies.

Staff prepare for the arrival of two new woolly monkeys from Switzerland, but they are worried how the animals will cope with the long journey - and how they will fit in once they get here. The male capuchins are put to the test with a clever puzzle feeder and the female stump-tailed macaques vie for superiority.

Geriatric Gerald is rushed to the operating theatre, having recently lost weight and developed swellings on his body. Alison enlists an unusual helper to test a tracking device as she prepares for an important trip to Vietnam, and baby golden-cheeked gibbon Mikado moves in with foster mum Alex.

Alison travels to Vietnam on a ground-breaking project to release rescued golden-cheeked gibbons Merry and Lee into their natural habitat. But before the pair can be set free, they have to be radio-collared, and this proves difficult when Merry refuses to co-operate.

Oshine is introduced to the youngest members of the nursery, Lingga and Dinda, and animal director Jeremy hopes the encounter will be more successful than the orang-utan's disastrous meeting with foster mum A-mei. Meanwhile, with the boss otherwise occupied, there is a free-for-all at Hananya's when the chimps are given a large donation of fruit.

The male capuchins explore their new outdoor enclosure for the first time, Hananya shows everyone who is boss at feeding time, and baby woolly monkey Diego plucks up the courage to join his family. Meanwhile, the keepers are overjoyed to discover golden-cheeked gibbon Zoey is pregnant again.

Wildlife vet John Lewis provides a health check for stump-tailed macaques who have recently arrived from a lab facility in Scotland, but discovers they have serious dental problems. Meanwhile, ring-tailed lemur Kaiyah has her first taste of life in the trees.

Baby golden-cheeked gibbon Mikado ventures outside for the first time, while animal director Jeremy tries to coax overweight Oshine to the outdoor enclosure - but to get there, the reluctant orang-utan must first navigate a series of tunnels. Elsewhere, chimp Lulu refuses to take her medicine.

The team travels to Lebanon on a rescue mission to collect lonely chimp Kiki, who has spent the past eight years in a cage that has now rusted to the point where it cannot be opened. Meanwhile, in Dorset, overweight orang-utan Oshine proves to be a surprise star pupil.

Chimp Kiki arrives at the park after a long journey from Lebanon, but having lived on her own for eight years, she is unnerved by the sounds of her fellow primates in the adjacent room. Meanwhile, the keepers have reason to celebrate when golden-cheeked gibbon Zoey gives birth in the middle of the night.

The team prepares to introduce Kiki to fellow chimp Patricia, Oshine receives a special visitor from South Africa and Bueno has emergency treatment on several rotten teeth. Meanwhile, the keepers hear sad news about the world's oldest woolly monkey, Xuzy.

Animal director Jeremy decides to find out how much weight orang-utan Oshine has lost since she arrived at the park, chimp Hananya is taken by surprise when he meets Kiki, and baby golden-cheeked gibbon Mikado shows off the latest stages of his colour change.