WILD SOUTH. GRANDMA

A series exploring the unique diversity of New Zealand's natural history.
This documentary is about the largest sea bird in the world - the northern royal albatross at its Tairoa Head colony on the Otago peninsular. It focuses on one particular albatross, “Grandma”, who at 60 years is the oldest banded bird in the world and remarkably still breeding. “Grandma” and her mate have a 17 year old trusting relationship with the colony’s senior warden, Shirley Webb . They allow her to stroke them and remove their egg and chick for weighing. Eight months after emerging from his egg, grandma’s offspring takes flight on a five year journey circling the Great Southern Ocean before hopefully returning to Tairoa Head.