Best Popular Feature Programme of 2007 - Winner - ITV News Group Group Awards
The Isle of Wight Zoo is proud to be home to ITV Meridian's Tiger Island, which originally aired in 2006 and 2007. Two series were produced by Athena Films, each with seven episodes.
Tiger Island was a flavoursome mix of wildlife and documentary filming; as the title suggests, the zoo's tiger collection was at the epicentre of the series although other animal residents were also featured along the way. Daily behind the scenes life at the zoo was the platform for the series, producing multi-dimensional programmes which highlighted the complexities of caring for wild animals in human care environments.
During filming all aspects of husbandry were put under the magnifying glass, from social integration of tigers and environmental enrichment work to veterinary procedures and primate hand-rearing. Athena also travelled 4000 miles to India with zoo staff to follow on-going conservation and education project development in Kanha National Park. Remarkable wildlife footage of tigers and cohabitants of Kanha was used in the series as a powerful visual tool to educate about the natural environment of these endangered predators and the role that zoos can play in the preservation game.
Watch Tiger Island
Tiger Island still occasionally airs on Sky, and is most likely to be found on Nat Geo Wild. Series Two is available on dvd from our shop, but unfortunately Series One is not available.
See Series Two in the Zootique Online Shop
Will There be a Series Three?
In short, we don't know. The zoo and Athena films would both like to see another series made, so it's a possibility but there are no definite plans at the moment.