Episode 12 Animal 24:7


Episode 12

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Britain's animals are under threat.

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All too often, our wildlife and domestic pets are the victims

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of cruelty, persecution and neglect.

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Fighting to save them is a dedicated band of people trying to protect

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and care for them, right around the clock. This is Animal 24/7.

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In the air, on land and in the water,

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Britain is a haven for animals.

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But when they come up against man, their lives are often in danger.

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From our cramped inner cities to our fields and hedgerows,

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from the highest moorland to the coast and beyond,

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Animal 24/7 is with the people working around the clock

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to save endangered wildlife and protect vulnerable pets.

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These are their stories.

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Today on Animal 24/7...

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the frightened Boxer in need of rescue.

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He's absolutely terrified, as you can see.

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A dog that's nervous like this can turn aggressive

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so I'm just gonna give him a chance to recognise what's going on.

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In search of the 30 foot sharks in Scottish waters...

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There's a shark, we've got a shark about 100 metres at half past 12.

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Oh, fantastic!

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And I help the home-grown squirrels fighting for survival.

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It's my first proper sight actually of a red squirrel

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at any proximity, I think, other than on the telly!

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-They're beautiful creatures.

-They are.

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First though we're off to Manchester and a report that a dog has been left alone in an empty house.

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The RSPCA has been visiting the property for two days,

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so they can be certain the animal has definitely been abandoned.

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Numerous notes have been left asking the owner to get in touch

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but no-one has and the dog is still alone.

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This is the face of an animal that needs help.

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The Boxer has been on its own without food for at least two days.

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Now RSPCA inspector, Lorna Bracegirdle, has decided to act.

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I came to this property yesterday and the day before.

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He's up in this top bedroom, I don't think he can get to the front door.

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I'm not sure what condition he is in, though, he could be quite skinny or he could be all right,

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he could be fit and healthy, but we know he's certainly not had food and water for the past two days

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so we're just waiting for the police to arrive

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and we'll go ahead and get him out

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and get him off to the vet's and see how he is.

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To just leave a dog locked in a bedroom, we're assuming with no food or water,

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and to just go and leave him in situation where he's going to suffer and he's all alone, just baffles me.

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I just don't understand why you would need to do that when you just need to make the phone call to us.

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The reason this dog has been left may be a mystery, but one thing is clear -

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Lorna needs to get it out as quickly as possible.

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Now the police are on the scene with the legal powers to break in.

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He's quite nervous as well so he could potentially be aggressive.

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Once the door is opened, it appears Lorna was right to be so concerned.

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The dog is trembling with fear.

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He's very, very nervous, so a dog that's nervous like this

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can potentially, if you back it into a corner, turn aggressive

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so I'm just gonna give him a chance to recognise what's going on.

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He's absolutely terrified, as you can see, because he's been on his own for so long.

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As Lorna gives the dog time to get used to her, she takes a look at where it's been living.

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He's obviously been in here quite a while, there's quite a lot of faeces here.

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He's been using this front bit as his toilet.

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I can't see any... He's got a bowl there, but it's empty.

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I can't see any evidence of food or anything down for him.

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This room is not just dirty, it's also dangerous.

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He's got a bottle of bleach here. A dog that's hungry is gonna rummage around all these things for food.

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If he starts biting into a bottle of bleach, obviously that's not gonna down very well.

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It's just the whole room is completely hazardous.

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After a few minutes, Lorna's patience pays off and it becomes clear this dog is craving company.

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Good boy.

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Oh, good boy, well done, here you go.

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Now I've just got a bit of trust with him,

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I managed to get the lead over him and he seems quite wanting to get out now!

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Good boy!

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He is quite skinny as well, he is quite lean,

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but he doesn't look very old.

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You can see all his spine is quite prominent there and his ribs.

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You're happy to go now, aren't you?

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The trick is to just not rush in there with graspers and things like that.

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If he's gonna come out on his own, that's better because obviously the vet's got to examine this dog

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and I've got to get him travelling and I don't want him to be aggressive.

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Closer inspection reveals this Boxer is actually a female

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and she's itching to get out into the fresh air.

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Yes, you're happy to be out now, aren't you?

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She says, "Let's go!" She's gorgeous!

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Although underweight, she is full of life.

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Lorna can't understand why anyone would leave her in such a state.

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It's just been a shame. She's only a young dog

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so to be on her own like that for a couple of days not knowing what's going on...

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must be terrifying, really.

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Confused but at least safe from harm, this Boxer will soon be on her way for a vet check,

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but first Lorna needs to go back inside to try and find out exactly who's to blame for abandoning her.

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I'm just gonna take some photographs now.

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It will be used as evidence if this goes to court but also it gives the vet a better idea

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of how the dog's been living and it will help him to make an opinion on the dog's welfare and the conditions.

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There's quite a lot of things that the dog could have injured herself on...all these cans.

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There's a razor on the floor there, um...

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there's no water down for the dog, there's no food anywhere.

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I just don't understand why you would ever need to be in the situation

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to abandon your dog like this that, you know,

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if you haven't got friends and family to ring them and say,

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"Can you go and look after my dog, I need to move out?" or whatever...

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you can ring us... but to just go and not do anything and leave your dog in an enclosed room full of hazards,

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no water, no food, for a number of days,

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that I just don't understand - it's just outright neglect, basically.

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It's soon apparent that the dog has been desperate.

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As you can see, the dog has been chewing various bottles that are in here.

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There's a couple here that have been chewed.

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She could have easily injured herself doing that,

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chewed the bleach, there's a glass bottle there,

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and so many things that she could injure herself on.

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But as well as bleach and sharp objects,

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who knows what other hazards this dog has had to put up with?

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Only a thorough check by the vet will reveal if she's eaten something that might cause her harm.

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Still to come...picked up in the north but registered in the south,

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Lorna investigates the mystery of the lady Boxer's past.

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I've picked up a dog today that is microchipped with your details on, but I'm in Manchester.

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She's been left abandoned in a property for a week.

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And the team close in on the 30ft giant of the sea.

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We've got a sample, it's OK.

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This is a woodland of coppiced chestnut in Kent.

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It's a beautiful and quite peaceful place,

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but, like many of our forests, it's actually been the scene

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of a battle, a running skirmish lasting nearly 140 years

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between two fairly similar animals -

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the red and the grey squirrel -

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and, as you probably know, the grey squirrel's won out.

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There are now 66 greys for every red in this country, but now here,

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among these trees, the reds are fighting back.

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Look carefully at these red squirrels as they're a rare sight

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in the British countryside,

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but today, I'm joining a group of conservationists, the "Red Army"

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if you like, who are helping this endangered species to fight back.

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Doctor Craig Shuttleworth is a man on a mission -

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he's creating a safe haven for them in Wales

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and today he's come to Kent for a big occasion.

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Our project is to replace all the greys on the island of Anglesey with reds

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and we're in the final phase now

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so today we're gonna collect some animals from here in Wild Wood,

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take them up and release them onto the island.

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There's nowhere else in the UK where we've got a chance of clearing out greys permanently at this stage

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and putting reds in, so Wild Wood have bred some reds and we'll use them in this phase of the project.

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Red squirrels are nervous, so Wild Wood's Judy Dunne has already set traps to try and catch them.

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So what's with all the towelage?

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Right, if we're lucky and we've got the squirrels in the traps,

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we like to keep them as calm as possible so we cover them up

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with a variety of tea-towels that we have here!

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That's just to keep them a bit placid

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-and away from lots of things?

-Yes, cos they do get quite stressed.

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Red squirrel numbers have been in decline since the 19th century

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when their great rivals, the greys, were brought over from America.

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Staff at Wild Wood have been successfully breeding reds in safe pens to help projects like Craig's.

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This is the most active time of the day, early in the morning, so you set the traps as early as possible.

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It's all right for us to have a look?

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-Yes, let's go and see...

-See how it works.

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'Judy is hoping to catch two squirrels, a male and a female,

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'but will any have taken the bait?'

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OK, brilliant!

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We actually have three in the traps, which is probably just what I wanted this morning.

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They are marvellous!

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This is my first proper sight actually of a red squirrel

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at any proximity, I think, probably other than on the telly!

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They're beautiful creatures!

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-They are! They're much slighter than greys, aren't they?

-Yes, they are.

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-They're more delicate?

-They are.

-Yeah, different design altogether.

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Greys are much more heavy and they put on more fat in the winter.

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The reds spend a lot more time in the trees so they're a lot leaner.

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Now it's time to take a closer look.

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-So what do you think we've got here in the traps?

-OK, we have

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a juvenile male, and in the blue, a juvenile female.

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This is just what we wanted, so now we need to get them boxed up

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and comfortable, ready for their journey to Wales, but there's a real art to it.

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Put the cage up so the entrance is up round this hole,

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then we'll open the door and then with the cover on,

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hopefully the squirrel eventually will move from the trap

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into the box, and once it's in, we can close it like that.

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It's a little bit tricky but I'm sure we'll do it.

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'The squirrel is clearly nervous about being so close to humans.'

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Lower from the back.

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'But, after a few false starts, the first one eventually darts inside the box.'

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Bingo!

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And there you go, one squirrel in a box.

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'Time for squirrel number two.'

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The main thing is to make sure there's no gap,

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cos if there's the slightest gap, they will find it and will be out in a flash.

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-It has to be a snug fit?

-Yep. So if we just lift up the catch again...

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'Thankfully no gaps appear,

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'and this one proves much keener to get in.'

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Just get that brush in. That was a very easy one!

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'Our two squirrels join ten others that are going to be re-homed in Wales.'

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-Last one?

-Last one.

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But the stress involved in catching them will have taken its toll

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and they've still got a seven-hour car journey to come.

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Is there any danger on the journey?

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There's always a risk when you're moving any animals.

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I've not had any animals die on long journeys

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and I've done longer journeys than this, but there's always a risk.

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We drive late into the night to the edge of a deep, dark wood in Wales.

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It's here where we're hoping our squirrels will begin their new life,

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but I'm worried they may not even have survived the journey.

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So, what do you think? Are they normally that quiet?

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Yeah, you very rarely hear a noise at all from them.

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So it's not a worrying sign?

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No, no, everything's going well.

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Our reds are the first to enter this piece of woodland for 25 years.

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The grey squirrels have all been removed

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and now it's their big chance.

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They are beautiful woods, and especially kind of mystical at this time of night.

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It's great to think they'll be getting one of their proper residents back again.

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For the next four weeks, the squirrels will be kept in holding pens

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to get used to their new surroundings. I've brought them a little present -

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a deer antler full of calcium for their nut-cracking teeth.

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It's a ready-meal - nuts, carrots, seeds.

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There's their antler as well and a few playthings for them.

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The squirrels have had a stressful day

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so we leave them to venture out of their travel boxes on their own.

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In the morning we'll be able to find out how well they've settled

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-and whether this whole journey has been worthwhile.

-Lights out.

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Coming up, it's a tense time as we arrive to check our squirrels.

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It's quite a nervous wait for you, isn't it?

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It certainly is for me, because we don't actually know how they are, they could be dead!

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They could be, they could be.

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And it's dinner-time for the abandoned Boxer.

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She's ate that quick! Didn't take very long!

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For a dog to eat like that, she was definitely hungry

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and now she's thirsty.

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It's a sight guaranteed to scare any swimmer -

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a large dark fin breaking the waves far too close for comfort,

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but while we never see a Great White in Britain, we are visited by its bigger and gentler cousin -

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the Basking Shark.

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They visit out seas every year.

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It's a great opportunity to research them, but first you've got to find them!

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The Isles of Mull and Coll off the West Coast of Scotland are an area often visited by huge basking sharks

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attracted to the plankton-rich waters.

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But we still don't know a great deal about these giants of the sea.

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A husband and wife research team are trying to change that.

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For three years, Dr Mavis Gore and her husband Rupert have been scouring the waters

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to gain a more accurate insight into these secretive giants,

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a species that in the past has been hunted to the brink of extinction.

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There's quite a bit of concern about these very large sharks,

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worldwide, not just here.

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Their fins are quite valuable for the shark fin trade,

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the shark fin super-trade

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so they are a marked species.

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Basking sharks can grow up to 10 metres long

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and their mouths are as wide as a car,

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but despite their size, they're rarely spotted,

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normally feeding on the tiny plankton of the deep ocean

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but sometimes though that plankton rises and the basking sharks follow.

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Today, Mavis and Rupert are on the look-out for these rare windows of opportunity.

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One of the reasons we're working here is because we've seen quite a number of basking sharks

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off the west coast of Scotland.

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We really don't know what they're doing, whether they're going north, south,

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whether they're migrating across the Atlantic from here, going up to Norway,

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we really know very little about the population up here.

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But there's no guarantee the team will spy any sharks

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and it's now been over 24 hours since their last sighting. They need a lucky break.

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Just leaving a shark there, over.

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Then, finally, news comes through from another boat that sharks may have broken the surface,

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but frustratingly, they're miles away!

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We've just had confirmation that there's a couple of sharks.

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There's one small one that's a little way off from our route

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and there's three that are in Calgary Bay so we're gonna head down

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to Calgary Bay and we're just off Glengorm Castle here at the moment

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so we're going to head down the coast and hopefully catch up with them.

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Rupert and Mavis race to the area where the sharks were spotted.

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They want to get so close to the sharks they can take a DNA sample

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as well as photos for their database.

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But they can only do this if the sharks are still visible.

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Well, there's nothing up at the moment.

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I'll just wait a little bit and see if they'll pop up.

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But then they get lucky!

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Yep, there's a shark, we've got a shark

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at about 100 metres at half past 12 swimming away from us.

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Right, it's coming up right in front of us, about 50 metres more up there.

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Oh, fantastic!

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In three years, Mavis and Rupert have tagged four Basking Sharks.

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The GPS shows the ones here are old friends.

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You can see the position of the sharks we've just spotted on the GPS here,

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You can see a whole concentration of sharks in the same area

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so each of these numbers with the blue and white symbol next to it

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is an individual Basking Shark that we've recorded.

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Rupert carefully edges the boat towards the sharks,

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hoping not to scare them off,

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and finally Mavis gets to take her identification photos.

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The reason that we want to know who's who and to identify each individual is we want to know,

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do we see the same individual in the same place again, say the next day,

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a week later, a month later or next year, or is it a resident population

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or are there new sharks coming through all the time

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and that will tell us something about the numbers of sharks that there are.

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Experience means they are able to steer the boat close enough for Mavis to retrieve some DNA.

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Right, I'm jus going to get this pole ready so that we can take

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a very small piece of skin from the shark.

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-Did you get it?

-Yes, that one was a bit more of a stick than I normally do.

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We've got a sample, it's OK.

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The mission has been a huge success,

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mapping and photographing a group of sharks

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and collecting another DNA sample to add to their project.

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'What we're doing not only helps conserve the Basking Sharks themselves

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'but the habitat around them, so there's a lot of other animals

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involved in the chain between the Basking Shark and its environment

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and by understanding what the Basking Sharks need,

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are they moving north, are the numbers recovering, will tell us something about the eco-system

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they're living in and so this is really, really important work.

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And thanks to this painstaking research,

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the worldwide knowledge of Basking Sharks is improving all the time.

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It means these magnificent giants of the sea will have a much brighter future.

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Later...

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caught on camera, the hungry red squirrels tucking into their dinner.

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-There she goes in the box!

-Yep!

0:21:590:22:01

From the size of her she looks like she's an expert at getting in there!

0:22:010:22:05

Now back to the story of the abandoned Boxer in Manchester.

0:22:090:22:13

The dog was found trapped in a bedroom with no food or water.

0:22:130:22:17

The room was also littered with potential hazards,

0:22:170:22:20

including disused razors and bleach bottles.

0:22:200:22:23

RSPCA Inspector Lorna Bracegirdle was worried that out of boredom and hunger

0:22:230:22:28

the dog may have eaten something she shouldn't have.

0:22:280:22:32

After being rescued from her dirty and dangerous home,

0:22:410:22:45

this young Boxer is now under the watchful eye of the RSPCA.

0:22:450:22:49

Lorna has brought her to a vet's in Manchester to try and establish

0:22:490:22:53

who her owner is and what state she's been left in.

0:22:530:22:56

I'm just gonna scan her to see if she's got a microchip.

0:22:560:22:59

What is it?

0:22:590:23:02

Yep, she's micro-chipped.

0:23:050:23:07

This is potentially good news and means Lorna should be able to find this dog's owner.

0:23:070:23:13

Just give Petlog a ring and see who she's registered to.

0:23:130:23:18

And with these details, Lorna should be able to find out

0:23:180:23:22

why this dog has been abandoned, but the information she is given leaves her with even more questions.

0:23:220:23:27

I've just spoken to Petlog

0:23:270:23:29

and I've got her name as being Sophie, one year old, and an owner.

0:23:290:23:33

This owner lives quite far away from where we are so I'm going to give them a ring and we'll just see

0:23:330:23:37

if they've got any details of who they re-homed her to.

0:23:370:23:41

I've picked up a dog today that is micro-chipped with your details on

0:23:410:23:47

but I'm in Manchester.

0:23:470:23:49

Sophie's registered home is on the south coast.

0:23:490:23:52

Lorna wants to find out how she's ended up 250 miles away in a Manchester flat.

0:23:520:23:58

She's been left abandoned in a property for a week.

0:23:580:24:01

Can you remember what the lady's name was who you sold her to?

0:24:010:24:05

OK. Thank you. Bye.

0:24:060:24:07

That lady I've just spoken to lives in Dorset and a couple of months ago she gave this dog away

0:24:070:24:13

using an internet site and she gave her dog to a lady who lives in Salisbury,

0:24:130:24:18

which is obviously still quite a way away.

0:24:180:24:20

I've just left it with her to have a look to see if she's got any name or address or contact details.

0:24:200:24:26

This person in Salisbury may have lost her.

0:24:260:24:28

But, for a pedigree dog like Sophie, there may also be a more sinister explanation.

0:24:280:24:34

At the minute, there's quite a high rate of dogs being stolen,

0:24:340:24:40

particularly young female pedigrees,

0:24:400:24:42

obviously to be used for breeding, showing, etc.

0:24:420:24:46

It's quite a common thing to have dogs stolen and this might be

0:24:460:24:50

what's happened with this dog and then she's ended up here.

0:24:500:24:53

Within minutes, Sophie's original owner phones back but the trail runs cold again.

0:24:530:24:59

Oh, have you not?

0:24:590:25:01

I've got her with me at the minute, she's been left for a bit without food or water and we don't know why.

0:25:010:25:07

OK, thank you very much. Bye.

0:25:070:25:10

Unfortunately she hasn't got any name, address or contact number

0:25:100:25:14

for the lady that she re-homed this dog to.

0:25:140:25:17

Sophie's just a year old, but it seems she's already been passed from owner to owner. For now, though,

0:25:170:25:24

there are more pressing concerns. It's time for vet, Gus McKenzie, to check her over.

0:25:240:25:30

-This is the dog that I rang you about.

-Oh, yeah. Hello.

0:25:300:25:32

Abandoned in a property for a couple of days at least that we know of.

0:25:320:25:38

-She's quite pleased to see us!

-Yes, she is, she's a lovely girl!

-Isn't she, eh!

0:25:380:25:42

Okey-dokey, let's have a look.

0:25:420:25:45

Sophie was rescued from a bedroom

0:25:450:25:47

with sharp objects and empty bleach bottles.

0:25:470:25:51

Lorna was worried she may have eaten something that could cause her harm.

0:25:510:25:55

She's excited, so she's a bit red and giddy about her eyes,

0:25:550:25:59

a little bit of a runny nose, but no sign of any discharge of pus or anything like that.

0:25:590:26:05

Gus checks Sophie's ears, lungs and heart, and thankfully, everything seems OK.

0:26:050:26:09

Very empty tummy here.

0:26:090:26:13

But days without food have taken their toll.

0:26:130:26:15

You can feel her spine, we can feel her ribs,

0:26:150:26:19

but she's got quite reasonable lumber muscles there.

0:26:190:26:22

Come on, Sophie, on the scales, all four feet,

0:26:220:26:26

don't be embarrassed!

0:26:260:26:28

24.50.

0:26:280:26:31

She's certainly in my opinion underweight but not drastically so.

0:26:310:26:36

She needs to put on a couple of kilos, I would guess.

0:26:360:26:39

I think we should probably take a blood sample as a routine precaution

0:26:390:26:42

-and make sure there's no reason for her to be as thin as she is.

-Yes.

0:26:420:26:48

Throughout all the procedures, Sophie remains good-natured

0:26:480:26:52

and even during her blood test is enjoying Lorna's company.

0:26:520:26:56

What we're looking for is general health profile, see what sort of liver and kidney function we've got.

0:26:590:27:06

If she's been deprived of food for a significant period of time, sometimes we will pick up

0:27:060:27:12

a mild anaemia, sometimes we'll pick up low blood protein levels.

0:27:120:27:17

We'll collect some routine faecal samples to see whether she's got any worms or intestinal infection.

0:27:170:27:23

Yeah, I think she's hungry now, I think we'll give her something to eat.

0:27:230:27:26

With the health checks over, Sophie's finally given a much-needed meal.

0:27:260:27:30

I would say she is quite hungry, yeah.

0:27:300:27:33

She's ate that quick, didn't take very long!

0:27:330:27:36

For a dog to eat like, she was definitely hungry,

0:27:360:27:39

and now she's thirsty.

0:27:390:27:42

There you are.

0:27:420:27:44

Go on, girl.

0:27:440:27:46

Although Sophie's been rescued and is now safe, what she really needs is a loving home.

0:27:460:27:53

I'm hoping that the owner will eventually come forward.

0:27:530:27:57

I have left a note at the property

0:27:570:27:59

which basically gives the owner 14 days to get in touch, and if after those 14 days we don't hear anything,

0:27:590:28:05

we will start to look at actually taking ownership of this animal and getting her re-homed,

0:28:050:28:12

which I'm sure she will get a home very quickly because she's a very sweet, adorable Boxer.

0:28:120:28:17

Lorna's committed to finding out who left Sophie starving, and why,

0:28:170:28:22

but if no-one comes forward with a proper explanation,

0:28:220:28:26

Sophie could be looking for her fourth owner in just two months.

0:28:260:28:30

Still to come, Sophie's future's uncertain and all she wants is to be loved.

0:28:370:28:43

Hopefully, Sophie's owner will come forward and we'll reunite them.

0:28:430:28:48

If that doesn't happen, she's very sweet-natured, very playful,

0:28:480:28:51

even after what she's been through, so we shouldn't have a problem finding a home for her.

0:28:510:28:56

Earlier in the programme I helped capture some red squirrels that had been bred in captivity in Kent.

0:29:010:29:07

We drove through the night to transport them to Anglesey

0:29:070:29:10

where conservationists are hoping to establish a safe colony.

0:29:100:29:14

Now it's daylight you can see why they chose Anglesey as a fortress for red squirrels.

0:29:160:29:21

It's an island and the Menai Straits behind me provide natural defences

0:29:210:29:26

to help keep the greys at bay,

0:29:260:29:28

but now there is some light, I want to get back into the woods

0:29:280:29:32

to see if I can actually see some reds in the wild.

0:29:320:29:35

Last night, Craig Shuttleworth and I introduced two red squirrels into a safe pen in these lush woods

0:29:380:29:45

but red squirrels are extremely skittish animals.

0:29:450:29:49

With the stress of the journey and a strange location,

0:29:490:29:52

there are concerns they may not have survived the night.

0:29:520:29:56

Tom, if we just hold on a minute, I'll explain what we'll do now.

0:29:580:30:02

The animals have been in since last night I don't want to cause a lot of unnecessary disturbance

0:30:020:30:07

so we'll go down and have a quick look, see if we can see any of the animals out.

0:30:070:30:12

If we don't, I'll come back tomorrow and have a look

0:30:120:30:15

and if the animals aren't out again tomorrow,

0:30:150:30:18

then ultimately I'll be forced to open up the boxes and have a look.

0:30:180:30:22

It's quite a nervous moment for you, isn't it?

0:30:220:30:25

It certainly is for me cos we don't actually know how they are. They could be dead!

0:30:250:30:30

They could be, they could be. It's always very nerve-wracking.

0:30:300:30:33

Probably this is the worst part of the whole experience of moving the animals -

0:30:330:30:37

did they survive the trip and are they OK?

0:30:370:30:39

With mounting trepidation, I follow Craig to the pen.

0:30:420:30:46

Luckily, the first signs are promising.

0:30:480:30:50

You can see one on the roof, so one of them's definitely out.

0:30:510:30:55

And as we watch, our second one comes into view.

0:30:590:31:02

They're both out, that's absolutely thrilling.

0:31:020:31:05

There are two, and they're both there and they both survived. Great!

0:31:070:31:12

How does their behaviour look to you?

0:31:120:31:16

Good, very relaxed, that's important.

0:31:160:31:19

It's really good to be able to see them here in the cage looking, as Craig said, relaxed and eating

0:31:190:31:25

and they will be part of the foundation of a new colony of red squirrels here on Anglesey.

0:31:250:31:32

Great result!

0:31:320:31:34

Our squirrels will have to stay in these pens for another month.

0:31:340:31:39

When they're finally released, it's hoped they'll link up

0:31:390:31:42

with all the others and create a sustainable group,

0:31:420:31:45

but our small introduction here is part of a much wider picture on Anglesey.

0:31:450:31:50

Elsewhere on the island, reds are already starting to flourish,

0:31:500:31:54

although it's taken extreme and controversial measures for them to do so.

0:31:540:31:58

What's the history of squirrels in this wood?

0:31:580:32:00

Five years ago if we'd come here, it would be teeming with greys.

0:32:000:32:04

-Really?

-Yeah, but we've removed them all, we've killed them.

0:32:040:32:07

Right. That's necessary, you believe, for the introduction of the reds?

0:32:070:32:11

Absolutely essential, we can't have the two species together.

0:32:110:32:14

Greys not only compete for food with reds, but they also give them a virus, which is deadly to the reds,

0:32:140:32:20

so unfortunately, it's a necessary evil.

0:32:200:32:22

A lot of people are pretty uneasy with this idea of killing wild animals.

0:32:220:32:26

The majority of people on the island are very, very supportive, they want to see reds back.

0:32:260:32:31

Now they are coming back, one way of making sure they stay

0:32:330:32:36

is to give them plenty to eat, and I've come armed with a bucket of their favourite food.

0:32:360:32:40

Tom, this is the feed hopper we've got.

0:32:400:32:43

-There's a bit in there, but they could always do with more. How does it work?

-Quite simple.

0:32:430:32:47

They learn very quickly that you push this lid up, so they come, push the lid up and they go inside to get food

0:32:470:32:53

and if you look very closely, you'll see caught along the edge there

0:32:530:32:56

is bright red hair from the red squirrels.

0:32:560:32:59

Proof that it's squirrels that are getting in there.

0:32:590:33:02

Yeah, I can see that. There's a nice clump just there.

0:33:020:33:05

But this feeding station also has another purpose, which allows an incredible insight

0:33:050:33:11

into exactly how many red squirrels are here.

0:33:110:33:14

I'll put in some of their favourite titbits.

0:33:140:33:17

Any chance if we retreat, they'd come down and we'd see them?

0:33:170:33:20

-None, I'm afraid.

-Really?

0:33:200:33:22

The way that we monitor this, we've got a remote camera which we use, which is on a trigger.

0:33:220:33:27

-When the squirrel comes here, the camera is triggered and it records.

-I'm intrigued...

0:33:270:33:32

and keen to see what's been shot.

0:33:320:33:35

And this is on all the time, is it?

0:33:350:33:38

It's on all the time, yep, 24 hours a day it records.

0:33:380:33:42

It records for a minute and then it goes off for a minute and records again the next time it's triggered.

0:33:420:33:48

It sounds incredibly hi-tech for looking at squirrels, but those movement sensors, where is that?

0:33:480:33:53

That's behind you, there, and it works the same way as a standard security light.

0:33:530:33:58

So this thing here, it sees movement over there?

0:33:580:34:01

-That's it.

-And have you got good stuff?

-Some fantastic footage.

0:34:010:34:04

-Can you prove it?

-Yeah, come and have a look.

0:34:040:34:07

Right, I will. With such sensitive equipment, getting the camera out of

0:34:070:34:11

its protective shield is tricky, but when we do get to see the footage, it's worth the wait!

0:34:110:34:17

-There you go!

-Oh, yes!

0:34:170:34:21

Perfect condition, lovely, lovely. This is the benefit of using the camera.

0:34:210:34:25

The hair that we've seen on the hopper shows that an animal's been.

0:34:250:34:29

With the camera, you get to see it. You can see its movements, you can see its condition.

0:34:290:34:34

-It's a good way of monitoring them.

-So inquisitive!

0:34:340:34:38

There she goes, in the box.

0:34:380:34:40

From the size of her, she looks like she's an expert at getting in there!

0:34:400:34:44

That's a healthy-looking, plump squirrel.

0:34:440:34:47

Yeah, yeah, very good. Here's another animal, this is different.

0:34:470:34:50

This is a male, very dark tail.

0:34:500:34:53

-Oh, yes, much greyer.

-You see, so this is a male.

0:34:530:34:56

How many different characters, how many different individuals are there that you can spot on this,

0:34:560:35:01

or have you not had enough time to check it out?

0:35:010:35:04

You can recognise individuals.

0:35:040:35:06

There's five animals which we can recognise.

0:35:060:35:09

Occasionally you get squirrels that I'm not quite sure about,

0:35:090:35:13

but these ones are distinctive and you can't...

0:35:130:35:16

there's no other animal that looks like him that's in this wood at the moment.

0:35:160:35:20

-Certainly no greys!

-There are no greys, no.

0:35:200:35:23

They are magical creatures, aren't they?

0:35:230:35:27

Yeah, superb!

0:35:270:35:28

The information collected on these films is invaluable in monitoring the red squirrels on Anglesey.

0:35:300:35:35

The number caught on "Candid Camera" may be relatively small at the moment,

0:35:350:35:40

but Craig and his team are hoping they'll become a cast of thousands.

0:35:400:35:45

Finally today, we're back to Sophie, the neglected boxer,

0:35:510:35:55

and the mystery of why she ended up abandoned in a Manchester flat.

0:35:550:36:00

Lorna Bracegirdle discovered Sophie was registered to a house on

0:36:000:36:04

the south coast, but two months ago, Sophie had been given away to a new owner in Salisbury,

0:36:040:36:10

and now Lorna doesn't know how the dog ended up 200 miles away in Manchester!

0:36:100:36:16

Sophie is being cared for by the RSPCA, leaving Lorna to try and solve the puzzle.

0:36:160:36:21

Sophie the boxer has been passed from pillar to post and needs a stable home,

0:36:290:36:34

but before anyone can begin to care for her again, she's got a number of problems that need sorting out.

0:36:340:36:40

James Ratcliff and Sam Williams are in charge of her care.

0:36:400:36:44

Just gonna give her a quick health-check, vaccination, and then we're gonna give her a bath.

0:36:440:36:49

Not quite emaciated, but she's very lean.

0:36:490:36:52

On vet's advice, I'm gonna put some ointment in her eyes.

0:36:520:36:55

Her eyes are quite red and sore.

0:36:550:36:58

Sam will take her down and we'll bath her.

0:36:580:37:01

As well as being underfed, Sophie has developed a skin complaint called mange.

0:37:010:37:06

She needs regular chemical baths to cure it.

0:37:060:37:08

It's quite strong, so we have to be careful not to get it in her eyes or her ears.

0:37:080:37:16

This should help to kill any mites that are still on the skin. Good girl.

0:37:160:37:23

And despite her troubles, Sophie's good nature is winning everyone over.

0:37:230:37:28

Bearing in mind that she's been abandoned, she's really a sweetheart.

0:37:280:37:33

Good girl. What will happen is after she's had this bath, we don't rinse this off,

0:37:330:37:38

it stays on the skin and she's left to dry naturally.

0:37:380:37:41

At the moment we've got enough to do two treatments.

0:37:430:37:47

After that, depending on how bad the skin complaint is,

0:37:470:37:51

she'll see the vet again and he'll decide whether or not she needs any more,

0:37:510:37:56

and her face seems to be the worst part that's been affected, but then boxers tend to have

0:37:560:38:01

a lot of problems anyway, if they're not cared for properly. And that's it, she's done.

0:38:010:38:06

She can just go back to kennels now and we'll let her dry off under some nice warm lamps.

0:38:060:38:10

Come on, Sophie. Good girl.

0:38:120:38:15

After her bath, it's time to get back to the kennels for dinner.

0:38:150:38:18

Staff are giving Sophie specially prepared meals to help boost her weight.

0:38:180:38:24

Because Sophie's a little bit underweight,

0:38:240:38:28

we weigh out all the feed for her, just to make sure she gets the right amount of nutrition.

0:38:280:38:33

She's on slightly more feeds every day than a normal dog would be.

0:38:330:38:37

If you over-feed a dog that's underweight too much,

0:38:370:38:41

it usually causes more problems, so what we'll do is until she reaches the right weight,

0:38:410:38:48

we will feed her three or four times a day.

0:38:480:38:50

What we'll do is we'll weigh her every week and once she reaches that weight

0:38:500:38:54

then we'll reassess how much food she's on, what sort of food she's on, and how many feeds every day.

0:38:540:38:59

But although she's given every opportunity to eat, Sophie doesn't seem interested in food.

0:39:020:39:08

As you can see, Sophie hasn't got a very good appetite.

0:39:080:39:11

We tend to find that dogs that are quite underweight or emaciated have poor appetites,

0:39:110:39:16

so it's a case of little and often, so they build up

0:39:160:39:19

and get used to having food in their stomach.

0:39:190:39:21

Hopefully Sophie's owner will come forward and we'll reunite them, but if that doesn't happen,

0:39:210:39:26

Sophie will go onto an assessment with us and we will find out what sort of dog she is,

0:39:260:39:30

what temperament she's got and then we can find the right owner for her.

0:39:300:39:34

She's very sweet-natured, she's very playful, even after what she's been through,

0:39:340:39:39

so we shouldn't have a problem finding a home for her.

0:39:390:39:43

And finding somewhere settled to stay is what Sophie needs.

0:39:430:39:46

She's off her food and listless in her cage.

0:39:460:39:49

Stuck in a kennel is the last place she wants to be.

0:39:490:39:53

A month has passed since Sophie was rescued

0:39:590:40:01

and there's been a big development in her story.

0:40:010:40:04

Lorna's discovered that the boxer has had three homes in just four months,

0:40:040:40:09

moving from Dorset to Salisbury and then finally she was given away to a new owner in Manchester.

0:40:090:40:16

Lorna has also solved the mystery of why Sophie was abandoned in a dirty and dangerous bedroom.

0:40:160:40:21

The owner went away on holiday and did pay two people to look after her,

0:40:210:40:26

but that seems to have gone wrong somewhere, because she was left for at least two days

0:40:260:40:32

that we know of in that house on her own.

0:40:320:40:35

Sophie was left in a tidy room, but let down by the dogsitters,

0:40:350:40:39

out of boredom and hunger, she ripped up the bags of rubbish that were destined for the tip.

0:40:390:40:43

When she was found, she was underweight and had mange, but now Sophie's almost back to full health.

0:40:430:40:51

She's put on a bit of weight, but because she's so active and jumpy because she's such a young boxer,

0:40:510:40:57

very giddy, she still will be quite lean. Her skin's doing really well,

0:40:570:41:02

she's still on medicated baths but she's still tested positive for it this time,

0:41:020:41:07

positive for mange, so she'll have to continue these baths for another month

0:41:070:41:12

and then have repeat skin scrapes and hopefully this time, we should have got rid of it,

0:41:120:41:16

so until we've got rid of that mite, that skin won't improve,

0:41:160:41:20

but other than that, she's a fit and healthy dog,

0:41:200:41:23

full of beans and loves everyone, so she's doing really well.

0:41:230:41:29

Lorna's satisfied that Sophie's owner is not responsible

0:41:290:41:33

for abandoning his dog, and she can now go home.

0:41:330:41:36

From the time Lorna has spent with Sophie, she can understand why her owner is so keen to have her back.

0:41:360:41:41

Sophie's a lovely dog, she's got a great temperament, there's not an ounce of badness in her at all.

0:41:410:41:46

She loves everyone, chasing balls, running about, she's full of energy.

0:41:460:41:51

She's just the perfect dog, really!

0:41:510:41:54

And Sophie's owner has learnt a valuable lesson -

0:41:540:41:58

next time he goes on holiday, he must ensure his pet is cared for properly.

0:41:580:42:03

If you think you know of a case of wildlife crime or a creature that needs immediate protection,

0:42:110:42:17

remember there are dedicated professionals out there who will answer your call around the clock.

0:42:170:42:23

They are the people we meet on Animal 24/7.

0:42:230:42:26

Next time - no way out. Three felines locked in a filthy flat.

0:42:290:42:34

I've never actually seen anything quite like this and I can't believe that a living thing is actually here.

0:42:340:42:40

Investigating claims that racing greyhounds are being abused.

0:42:400:42:44

The initial call was about them being locked up 24/7, locked up in a shed.

0:42:440:42:49

Oh, no, not in a shed, no!

0:42:490:42:51

And rounding up 60 swans for their annual MOT.

0:42:510:42:55

With these things, you know they're wild animals, so anything can happen!

0:42:550:42:59

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0:43:180:43:21

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0:43:210:43:24

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