Zoo Juniors

A new day at Berlin Zoo and Berlin Animal Park. Dimas, the one year old elephant, learns a new, tricky command. The keepers steal a few moments with the new sunbear cub and the springhare family gets new, extremely nosey neighbors.

Snatching a quick cuddle with caracal kittens is one of the perks of the job for Berlin's zookeepers. In the alpaca paddock, close bonds are formed between zoo juniors and their keepers and the bush dogs are a bundle of furry fun, but only when the keepers' job is complete.

Family life is never smooth, even for Zoo Juniors. There are new introductions and old relationships feeling the strain in Berlin today. The woolly pigs are meeting their dad, family relations have broken down in the black lemur enclosure and a new baby has come between mom and dad. In the elk compound, there have been new arrivals after a long absence.

Growing up in any family has its trials and tribulations and it's a daily chore learning to be a proper Zoo Junior. For a baby elephant, school begins at just two years old. If you're a meerkat baby, you risk being smothered with love and if you're a baby howler monkey, you'll be spending all your time with mom.

Life for the Berlin Zoo Juniors is like any kindergarten. Some children appear to be perfect angels, cute and impeccably behaved... until the keepers' backs are turned. Others play rough until their tummies tell them it's time for lunch. They're just typical youngsters who need love and attention.

The sun is shining and it looks like paradise in Berlin today but it's a big scary day for the capybara babies. Miniature donkey Carlos has had a bad experience with his keepers and now he's sticking close to mom. South African spring hare babies, Mia and Manuel, have unexpected visitors.

Today, behind the scenes at the zoo, it's close encounters of the cat kind for these two cubs. A Bongo antelope calf enjoys the privacy of his own enclosure with mom to fend off the paparazzi and American black bear cub Fargo practices the latest craze in gym workouts.

Nervous in front of the cameras, the shy caracal family is in for a treat today. It will be a breath of fresh air after 11 weeks inside. There's a baby boom in the reindeer enclosure with six calves born in 10 days, and counting.

It's not always easy being a zoo baby. Being adopted and not by one of your own species can make for a different type of childhood. Being spoiled by both parents can lead a young orangutan to take liberties and having a wayward mom can prove frustrating if all you want from her is her milk.

Every day there's something new to learn at the Zoo, how to rugby tackle a keeper, or the spinning capacities of an old coconut. Are two legs really better than four? If you're a South American bush dog, you can learn all about the great outdoors if you're the adventurous one in the family.