Chester Zoo to be filmed as part of Channel 4 series

Channel 4's series The Secret Life of the Zoo is returning for a third instalment.

And documentary makers say the events that unfold are akin to a TV soap opera.

In the first episode of the new upcoming series, set to air on February 28, Pedro the giant anteater is about to be reunited with his long-term partner Bliss. But then he falls ill and faces a major operation – with an uncertain outcome.

The zoo's extremely rare northern bald ibis birds produce a batch of new chicks and greater one-horned rhino couple Beni and Asha, who have been kept separate for the last four years, are reunited.

In the insect hatchery, Natasha the orchid mantis has eaten all of the males in the zoo, except one. Now the hopes of breeding more of these unusual insects rest with two-centimetre-long Bruce, who must attempt to mate with Natasha without ending up as a meal.

Film crews spent several months in late 2016 filming scenes at the zoo. Alistair Pegg, head of factual at the Blast! Films, said: "The third instalment of The Secret Life of the Zoo will get viewers closer than ever to some of the world's rarest and most threatened creatures.Viewers will see new animal relationships blossoming, families changing and lots of new arrivals."

Using a combination of micro-rigs and crews on the ground, the documentary captures the unique behaviour of some of the zoo's 15,000 animals