13/05/2012 Countryfile


13/05/2012

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Exmoor National Park. A rich and diverse landscape.

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Gentle hills, wooded valleys,

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rolling farmland.

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All straddling the counties of Devon and Somerset.

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Gracing its remote moorlands, 3,000 red deer,

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the largest wild herd in England.

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Imagine finding these when you're out on a walk across the moor.

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Well, spring is the time

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that the magnificent stag starts to shed its antlers.

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And I'm going to be out with an "antlerholic",

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who's going to give me some top tips on finding the perfect pair.

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I'll be training my gaze

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on another of Exmoor's magnificent creatures - the peregrine falcon.

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One man is taking falconry to a whole new level.

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He's reviving this ancient and noble sport.

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And just look at what he can do.

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SHE LAUGHS

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Tom's finding out about an animal that needs our help.

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In Britain today, thousands of horses are being abandoned.

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Others, like this one, are neglected.

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But with animal charities running out of space,

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who's going to look after them?

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Well, maybe you could help.

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And the last of the spring lambs are making an appearance

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on Adam's farm.

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There we go!

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Obviously a little bit stuck, it's quite a big lamb!

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There! Lovely!

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Exmoor National Park.

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267 square miles of very different landscapes,

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shaped by people and nature over thousands of years.

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At times, the scenery can be bleak, but it's always breathtaking.

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The park sits across two counties.

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Two-thirds in Somerset, and the rest in Devon.

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Exmoor became a national park in 1954.

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But in its dim and distant past, it was a royal forest

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and a hunting ground.

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Today, it's enjoyed by field sports enthusiasts, serious walkers,

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and those who just wish to enjoy its beauty.

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Home to the iconic Exmoor pony,

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these fellas are the closest you can get to the wild horse

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that once roamed Britain.

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But I'm not here just to see the ponies.

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I'm on the lookout for our largest wild land mammal - the red deer.

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They may be large, but they can be elusive.

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I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of them with Exmoor park ranger,

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Richard Eales.

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You look up on the side of the hill here,

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you've got two lines of trees coming down.

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Look to the far line and...?

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-Yeah, got 'em.

-Got 'em?

-There - yes!

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It seems to be a mixture of both stags and hinds at the moment.

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Stags being the male deer and hinds being the female deer.

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Exmoor National Park is a very diverse landscape and you've got

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deep wooded coombs, you've got these expanses of open moorland.

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And the deer really just adapt to wherever they are.

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At this time of year, the stags shed their antlers.

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With many miles of moorland,

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how do you find an antler in a national park haystack?

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Well, you need a man who knows his antlers from his elbows!

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Terry Moule is a self-confessed "antlerholic".

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He spends hours looking for a matching pair.

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He's got some of his finest finds to show me.

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-Terry, these are absolutely unbelievable! Aren't they?

-Yeah.

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How long have you been fascinated with antlers?

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I've been collecting antlers ever since I was twelve years old.

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Do you know, until you grab hold of them,

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you've got no idea how heavy they are.

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-I mean, that is some weight to have up on your head!

-Yes, it is.

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So what's the story behind these, then?

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Well, this stag is well known in the valley.

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-This one actually shed its antlers on about the 14th of March.

-Yeah.

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And by August, he'll have a full set. Yeah.

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-All the velvet will be starting rubbing off then.

-Right.

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-All ready for the rut.

-So, are you following them?

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-Waiting for them to...?

-Yeah, I study them a lot.

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Just imagine when it's on a stag like that.

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-One comes off, so what he's doing, he's, oooh, he's like this.

-Yeah.

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So he isn't going to stay like that all day.

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So either he goes down to his ground, he'll go in like that.

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And off it comes.

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And they drop off as simple as that?

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And you might find them just like that.

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How does it feel, Terry,

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when you see a pair of antlers like that on the ground?

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I mean, I've been collecting antlers all my life,

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but when I first found my antler, oh, my heart was beating!

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-Was it?

-Oh, you can't imagine what excitement it is.

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If you're not keeping them in the car, Terry,

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where do you keep all of these antlers, then?

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I started off by filling my front room up, just a few to start with.

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Then it got filled more.

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Then we couldn't have no visitors,

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because we couldn't open the sitting room door!

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So it took me two days to put them all up the stairs and in my bedroom.

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-And there they are today!

-How many antlers are in the room, then?!

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The last time I counted, I had 600 pairs.

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And probably about between 400 odd ones.

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What's going on in the back seat here?

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You'll have a job getting that out.

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There must be a way of getting these out! Is there a special technique?!

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Let me do it. You've got to push that one there.

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And you try, somehow, to get it out that way. That's it.

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Well, somehow... It got in there! There it is.

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And this is my pride and joy.

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-Don't tell me you keep these in the spare bedroom?!

-No.

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-These are in the lounge, are they?

-These are in my lounge.

-Yeah.

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-When I watch my television.

-Yeah, this is the aerial?

-There he is!

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Terry's antlers are literally prize specimens,

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picking up a winning rosette in several local shows.

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Later, I'll be finding out what antlers tell us

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about the health of a herd.

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But first, whilst we've been down here in Exmoor,

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Tom's been up in the north of England,

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investigating the growing problem of abandoned horses.

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It's an idyllic scene here in the rural north east of England.

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Horses grazing in the sunshine on open moors and green fields.

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It couldn't look more picture perfect.

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But for an increasing number of horses in Britain,

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this seems to be more like the reality.

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Tied up in a field of pretty rank grass. And look at the hazards here.

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There's a car bumper, a rusting paint can with plenty of sharp edges,

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even an old handbrake.

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And look at the lovely industrial backdrop!

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As the recession bites, the problem grows,

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with the price of hay at an all-time high and costly vet bills,

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many desperate owners just can't afford to keep them.

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Last year alone, Cleveland Police had 2,000 complaints about horses,

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from concerns over welfare to animals running free.

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PC Mike Pilbeam gets called out to new cases daily.

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The area that we're coming up to now is the last known

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location of where these loose horses were.

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Today, he's doing a routine check

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in the middle of a housing estate in Middlesbrough.

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Communal land here that used to be full of terraced housing

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is now full of grazing horses.

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-Why are these horses here?

-It's a very good question.

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We've spoken to some local residents in the area.

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The majority of them have owned horses for a while,

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stating that they've had them through childhood

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and everything else.

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Others, unfortunately, it is a status symbol

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and I've got kids as young as 13 that have purchased horses.

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And unfortunately, wherever there's a bit of grass,

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there's a horse on it nowadays.

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The horses themselves are tethered, but their foals aren't.

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Word soon gets out that we're here

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and the owners come to see what's going on.

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-Now then.

-How are you doing?

-I'm fine, yourself?

-Hello.

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So are all of these horses here yours?

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Yeah. I get a million phone calls a day about these horses, yeah?

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-That there is a foal. You cannot tether a foal.

-I'm Tom.

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Nice to meet you.

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Do you mind me asking, sir, why you have these horses?

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-Well, we're gypsies.

-Say it again?

-We're gypsies, we have horses.

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-They pull the bow-tops.

-Yeah.

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But do you feel it's all right keeping horses on grass like this?

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-Are you happy with that?

-Yeah. Unless you want to give us a field!

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Isn't there a danger it'll run away?

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-No, because it won't leave its mother, will it?

-Yeah.

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Do you make a bit of money out of them,

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do you trade them amongst the family or whatever?

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If we want to sell them, we get money out of them.

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-But we don't want to sell them.

-How much do you get for a foal?

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That's our business, isn't it?!

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It's thought this man has a number of horses in the area,

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some kept in fields,

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but many in similar conditions to what we see here.

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Fly-grazing on council land. Essentially, eating for free.

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He said he was a gypsy,

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but is this exclusively an issue with gypsies and travellers around here?

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No. We've got house owners that are keeping horses in gardens,

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stabling them in small garden sheds and it's just not practical.

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The situation on this estate is pretty extraordinary.

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Within a mile and a half radius, there are around 250 horses,

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many without adequate food or shelter.

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So why are we finding so many animals in such poor circumstances?

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Well, one of the reasons is that horses are so cheap now.

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You can buy them for under a fiver.

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In effect, that's ponies for pocket money prices.

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At this auction, horses can go for a few pounds. That's if they sell.

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150.

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100. 50 to start me.

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£40, then.

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Auctioneer Alistair Brown has noticed a dramatic fall

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in the value of horses.

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We had three that came in the ring and we had to sell

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the three together, and they made £10 for the three.

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£20, anybody at 20? Somebody bid me 10.

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'Horses and ponies are making pittance.'

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These are going to various places, but there are getting

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fewer and fewer homes for these ponies to go to.

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There's obviously others dispatched in various other ways.

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One for the showroom here. 100.

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For some, the horses are not even worth the petrol it costs

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to take them to the auction.

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As the problem escalates, animal charities are struggling to keep up.

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The RSPCA is facing a national crisis, with around 600 horses

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in their care at the moment, twice as many as they had last year.

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Chanel, here, was found with this terrible skin condition,

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but that's not the worst of it.

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She was so thin, she had to be hoisted up

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and still, her backend is really bony, you poor thing.

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And Chanel is just one of the many horses taken in on a daily basis.

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The RSPCA are working to rescue others.

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Today, they're at a raid in Kent,

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working with other welfare agencies, the police and local vets

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who've discovered 30 horses grazing illegally on private land.

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Inspections show many are in a bad way.

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Nearly every horse in this field is underweight.

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We'll be taking quite a few, because a lot of them

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are really quite skinny, and have other issues -

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nasal discharges and diarrhoea and bits and bobs going on.

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The horses showing signs of neglect are taken for treatment,

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but at a cost of around £5,000 to rehabilitate each one,

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animal charities are facing a huge financial problem.

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So what happens to those that aren't lucky enough to be rescued?

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Undoubtedly, there is the prospect that horses are put to sleep

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because people can't cope, and as sad as that is,

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it's a truism that a horse cannot suffer if it's dead.

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Therefore, there are people who are making the decision to have their

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horses put to sleep, rather than abandon them to an uncertain future.

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Although putting them to sleep sounds very harsh,

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what things have you seen

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that some of the severely neglected horses are going through?

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A horse that is neglected usually suffers at this time of year.

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They've been starving all through the winter, they are skin and bone.

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When we're tucked up in bed with a duvet,

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they're out there shivering their socks off.

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They're usually very ill, they often have infectious diseases,

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worms eating away at them.

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It is a picture of suffering which you cannot imagine,

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unless you've been through it yourself.

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The prospects for those animals are much worse to be neglected,

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than they are to be put down.

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In extreme cases, the outcomes are bleak.

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It's hard to quantify the national situation,

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but it's thought that at least 3,500 horses are left chained or tied up

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without shelter at any one time.

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The soaring number of abandoned and neglected horses

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are stretching the charities to breaking point,

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but far from throwing in the towel, they've come up with a plan,

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and it needs your help.

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I'll be finding out more about it later.

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The wilds of Exmoor.

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A place of bleak beauty

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and one where natural resources have been exploited

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and enjoyed for generations, as Ellie's been discovering.

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-Do you mind if I pick a few bits and pieces?

-Yeah, that's fine.

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I've come to a local herb farm, to gather some ingredients.

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'The natural environment here is providing the materials

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'for a cottage industry, making something you'd least expect.'

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This borage is in flower now.

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A bit of rosemary. That should liven things up.

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Check out the haul I've got. Not bad, eh?

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Believe it or not,

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I'm going to turn these herbs into something we use everyday -

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paper.

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But this is no ordinary paper you'd write your shopping list on.

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At this old wood mill,

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Neil Hopkins makes top-quality paper using strictly traditional methods.

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-Neil, how are you doing?

-Hello, Ellie.

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-I've brought the ingredients.

-I heard you were bringing something.

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Can you really turn that into paper?

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We certainly can. Very lovely smelling herbs.

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I've also got this, but I'm very unsure about this - a pair of jeans.

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This is actually a very good ingredient to put into paper.

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It will make a lovely sheet of blue watercolour paper

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that a watercolourist would be so happy to work on.

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First, we pick the florets and pretty leaves from the herbs.

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Then, in a matter of seconds,

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these unloved denims have been torn and cut into pieces.

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There goes my pair of jeans.

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The jeans are shredded in the rag breaker

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and turned into a jean soup,

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which is added to a mix of cotton, linen and water.

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Whoa. A grey, mushy pulp.

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The next job is the hard work, which you ought to do.

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-We've got to mix it around.

-With this oar?

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-Yes, just an old canoe paddle.

-The paper we're going to produce,

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how does that differ from the paper that most people ordinarily use?

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We make a lot of papers for artists, and if they're selling paintings -

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and some of them do sell paintings that are very valuable - over time,

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if you make them on wood pulp, they will actually self-destruct.

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We make a paper that is archival, and it will last 2,000 years.

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Oh, OK. What's next?

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Next is...those lovely flowers and herbs you got this morning.

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-What do we do with these?

-Sprinkle a few over the top,

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where we're going to make the sheet in a moment.

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This is kind of artistic merit in the paper,

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it doesn't change the construction of the paper particularly?

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No, it doesn't. It could have an interesting effect

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that some painter might want to work upon.

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-Have I put too many in?

-That's about right, I think.

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-It's quite a few.

-That'll be fine.

-OK.

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The next thing is making the paper, and to make the paper

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you need a papermaking mould. It's just a mesh, it's a sieve.

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Dip it underneath those flowers, and just bring it up in a smooth action.

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That's it. Get it straight and bring it up.

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-It's pretty heavy, isn't it?

-It's heavier than you think.

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Really heavy.

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And then we need to move over here, because this table is a vacuum table,

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and it will suck the water out of there.

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Feels like a magic moment.

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-There it is.

-Oh, that's lovely. Look at that.

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-Put that to one side.

-It's really rather attractive already.

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This is the last commercial hand paper mill in the country,

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so Neil's keeping a tradition alive.

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The paper is still too damp to handle,

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so most of the remaining water is pressed out of it.

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I'm looking forward to seeing this. The moment of truth.

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-Lift the blanket.

-Ah-ha!

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Oh, wow, that's lovely, isn't it? Gosh, how pretty.

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Can you touch it yet?

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You can, and I think if you flip that sheet over,

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I think you'll get a nice surprise when you see the other side.

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Oh, yeah, isn't that pretty, with all the flowers coming through?

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Ah, that's delightful.

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Artist Jenny Hale has been using Neil's paper for many years.

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-Hi, Jenny.

-Oh, hi.

-Mind if I join you?

-Yeah, do. Have a seat.

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-What are you painting?

-Primroses.

-Oh, yes.

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What a good spot for it, too.

0:19:130:19:15

It's fantastic, isn't it? Beautiful with the stream beside it.

0:19:150:19:18

That's Neil's paper.

0:19:180:19:20

What about Neil's paper, how is that for you as an artist?

0:19:200:19:24

It really makes the colours stand out.

0:19:240:19:26

The way he makes it makes the colours really sparkle.

0:19:260:19:30

-It's beautiful paper to work on.

-These pictures are gorgeous.

0:19:300:19:33

-Thank you.

-I'm no artist, so I'm going to have a go at origami.

0:19:330:19:38

-I used to do that as a kid.

-Do you want a bit of my paper?

0:19:380:19:41

Yeah, if that's all right.

0:19:410:19:42

It will be a bit rustic, because it's quite thick, but...

0:19:420:19:45

I'm no master of it, I'll say that, but let's see what I can produce.

0:19:450:19:49

Fantastic.

0:19:490:19:50

-You're nearly there, Jenny, that looks amazing.

-Oh, thank you.

0:20:040:20:07

I'm on the final stages of my origami.

0:20:070:20:10

Ready?

0:20:100:20:12

Ta-da, it's a pot.

0:20:120:20:14

-Oh, it's lovely.

-It's all yours.

-It's really lovely, I love it.

0:20:140:20:17

-Oh, thanks.

-It's got a lovely bottom.

-You're welcome to it.

0:20:170:20:20

-It's beautiful, thank you.

-No worries.

0:20:200:20:23

Just across the border in Cornwall, Jules is on the coast in search of

0:20:230:20:27

an animal that lurks beneath the waves in the hundreds of thousands.

0:20:270:20:30

Now, it used to be a staple food in this part of the world,

0:20:390:20:42

but for decades, it was largely absent from the great British menu -

0:20:420:20:46

until recently, when it's made a striking comeback.

0:20:460:20:50

And this is it, the Cornish sardine. Or pilchard.

0:20:560:21:01

This silvery little fish has attracted a newcomer to this

0:21:030:21:06

part of the coast, a chef, but his story begins halfway round the world.

0:21:060:21:11

Sanjay Kumar grew up in Bengal, where he first began cooking.

0:21:120:21:16

He's followed his taste buds ever since,

0:21:160:21:19

until he made roots here in Cornwall.

0:21:190:21:21

What was it about cooking that got you started?

0:21:210:21:24

To be honest, my father is a really, really bad cook,

0:21:240:21:28

and that kind of showed to me and my brother, who is also a chef,

0:21:280:21:31

that if we don't pick up this skill for life now,

0:21:310:21:34

we'll die hungry of starvation!

0:21:340:21:36

And both of us are chefs in our lives, so that proves it all.

0:21:360:21:39

-You started in Bengal?

-Yes, it's a long journey,

0:21:390:21:41

but it all relates to fish.

0:21:410:21:43

Bengalis are called fish and rice people.

0:21:430:21:45

Look at this beautiful sardine here.

0:21:450:21:48

This is an amazing fish, easy to cook

0:21:480:21:51

-and really delicious.

-Well, I have a slight confession to make.

0:21:510:21:55

There are two types of people in this world -

0:21:550:21:57

there are those who love fish in all its forms

0:21:570:21:59

and there are those who don't. Guess which camp I'm in.

0:21:590:22:03

I was half expecting this was going to happen, but trust me,

0:22:040:22:07

I'm going to try my level best.

0:22:070:22:09

-Right, mate. This could be a turning point.

-Don't let me down.

0:22:090:22:12

To make the sardines easier for me to swallow,

0:22:170:22:20

Sanjay is going to spice things up a bit.

0:22:200:22:23

Basically, taking some Cornish sardines

0:22:230:22:25

and then dusting it with some garam masala spice.

0:22:250:22:28

Garam in India means hot, and it kind of gives you

0:22:280:22:32

that warmth inside which keeps you going through the winter days.

0:22:320:22:37

Sanjay's serving me the sardines in a wrap,

0:22:400:22:43

with a rhubarb and tomato chutney.

0:22:430:22:45

One of my big problems is the smell of fish,

0:22:450:22:47

but actually this, to be fair, doesn't smell fishy at all.

0:22:470:22:52

How fresh and local can it get than this?

0:22:520:22:54

Just roll it nicely, like a cigar.

0:22:590:23:02

We give a cheer to Cornwall, to fish, tin and copper.

0:23:040:23:08

To fish, tin and copper, and my very first sardine.

0:23:080:23:11

And first bite. What do you think?

0:23:110:23:13

That's actually really nice.

0:23:200:23:22

HE LAUGHS

0:23:220:23:23

What have I been missing out on?

0:23:240:23:26

I've got an idea of how to say thanks to the chef.

0:23:270:23:30

Later, I'll be taking him on a little adventure.

0:23:300:23:33

But first, I'm intrigued to discover

0:23:330:23:35

how the pilchard came to be known as the Cornish sardine.

0:23:350:23:39

Records of a pilchard fishery here go back to 1555.

0:23:400:23:44

Exporting to the continent, catches steadily grew.

0:23:440:23:48

16,000 tonnes were hauled in 1871 alone, before the industry crashed.

0:23:480:23:54

Bigger boats meant that a far greater variety of fish could be caught

0:23:540:23:59

further out to sea.

0:23:590:24:00

The poor old pilchard was largely forgotten, until one man had an idea.

0:24:000:24:05

It used to be known as a pilchard.

0:24:060:24:09

The image of pilchard is tins, tomato sauce.

0:24:090:24:12

The image of a sardine is sunshine, barbecues, etc.

0:24:120:24:15

It was changing the name to Cornish sardines

0:24:150:24:17

that changed the perception of what it was.

0:24:170:24:20

How are we doing in terms of this revival? In terms of tonnage?

0:24:200:24:24

In 1998, the landings were about seven tonnes a year coming in here.

0:24:240:24:29

The landings are now 2,200 tonnes.

0:24:290:24:32

We've done the research with the Marine Stewardship Council

0:24:320:24:36

to find out what the size of the stock is.

0:24:360:24:38

You're talking 600,000 tonnes.

0:24:380:24:41

What we're taking is very sustainable

0:24:410:24:43

and we've got a lot of room to grow yet.

0:24:430:24:45

Skipper Stefan Glinsky is on the trail of the Cornish sardine,

0:24:510:24:54

and this evening, I've arranged for Sanjay and I to join him.

0:24:540:24:58

How did you do that? How did you manage to rustle up such a boat?

0:24:580:25:02

A little bit of a treat.

0:25:020:25:03

We head off into the fading sun -

0:25:110:25:14

the perfect time of day for catching sardines.

0:25:140:25:18

-Sanjay, the sardine spotter.

-Yes.

-Seen any yet?

0:25:180:25:22

HE LAUGHS

0:25:220:25:24

There's something happening here.

0:25:280:25:30

Suddenly, the skipper gives the order.

0:25:400:25:43

-Can you turn the light off?

-Turn it off.

0:25:460:25:50

And the net is set in darkness.

0:25:500:25:53

At the moment of fishing, we had to turn all of our camera lights off,

0:25:590:26:02

so we couldn't really show you what was happening.

0:26:020:26:05

The light would have frightened the fish away,

0:26:050:26:07

but now they're in the net.

0:26:070:26:09

I must be honest, I have never seen anything

0:26:110:26:15

quite as dramatic in terms of fishing as this before.

0:26:150:26:19

As it comes up, it reveals the world to us,

0:26:190:26:21

a different world which we don't know what's inside the sea.

0:26:210:26:24

Amazing.

0:26:240:26:25

But tonight, the sea isn't full of sardines.

0:26:290:26:33

What have we caught, Stefan?

0:26:330:26:34

Sprats. Whitebait, small ones.

0:26:340:26:37

-No sardines, but I guess that's the luck of fishing, is it?

-That's it.

0:26:370:26:41

Fortunately, Sanjay has a recipe that will work with whitebait, too -

0:26:460:26:49

a ceviche.

0:26:490:26:51

The acid in the lime juice cooks the flesh,

0:26:510:26:54

while coriander and chilli add bite.

0:26:540:26:57

Think of all the beautiful things in life

0:26:570:27:00

and just pop it in your mouth. That's it.

0:27:000:27:02

OK.

0:27:020:27:04

Oh...

0:27:140:27:15

Think of job satisfaction, think of world peace.

0:27:170:27:22

Keep chewing.

0:27:220:27:24

Keep chewing.

0:27:240:27:25

Do you know what, mate, I have to say, I never thought I'd do that.

0:27:260:27:30

Well done, Sanjay. We've had a good night's fishing, haven't we?

0:27:300:27:33

Here we are, back in port. Well done.

0:27:330:27:35

Job done.

0:27:350:27:36

HE LAUGHS

0:27:360:27:38

This was really good fun.

0:27:380:27:40

I'm also in the south-west, exploring Exmoor.

0:27:490:27:53

The National Park has around 3,000 wild red deer.

0:27:530:27:56

At this time of year, the stags are shedding their antlers,

0:27:560:27:59

but what do they tell us about the animal that produced them?

0:27:590:28:02

Well, that's where Charles Harding comes in.

0:28:020:28:05

He's a deerstalker and warden for the National Trust.

0:28:050:28:09

I'm sure it will come as a major surprise to many people

0:28:090:28:12

that this is just the growth of what, a few months?

0:28:120:28:14

That's right, three months.

0:28:140:28:16

These points, do they give an indication of age?

0:28:160:28:18

Yes, that antler there now is a mature stag

0:28:180:28:21

and he's got what we call brow, bay, tray and then two atop.

0:28:210:28:27

But the bigger stags, they have more points on the top.

0:28:270:28:31

Anything from this up is a mature stag.

0:28:310:28:34

And the velvet, then, give us an idea of the purpose of the velvet.

0:28:340:28:38

When the new antler is growing, that velvet is protecting

0:28:380:28:42

lots and lots of little blood vessels

0:28:420:28:44

that are all going up the new antler as it's growing.

0:28:440:28:47

It's growing at such a pace that it can be two inches a week

0:28:470:28:53

to start with, until it really gets going, and all that blood

0:28:530:28:58

is pushing up nutrients and calcium, to make that antler.

0:28:580:29:03

And how do the antlers of the red deer down here in the south

0:29:030:29:06

-compare to the rest of Britain?

-Tremendously different.

0:29:060:29:09

I'll just show you, this is a combination here.

0:29:090:29:13

-Look at the size of them.

-This is one of our red deer stags here.

0:29:130:29:18

And then this, this stag here is the same age as that one there,

0:29:180:29:22

but this one was from the Highlands of Scotland.

0:29:220:29:26

-Wow. Is that purely food, then?

-Purely food.

0:29:260:29:29

A little bit of breeding, but if you were to catch this stag up,

0:29:290:29:35

bring him down here, he would produce a head like that.

0:29:350:29:37

-Really?

-He would.

0:29:370:29:39

-And that's purely just down to the grazing?

-Yes.

0:29:390:29:42

Just a good food supply.

0:29:420:29:44

Talking of diets,

0:29:440:29:45

later on I'm going to be on a farm that is rearing red deer for venison

0:29:450:29:48

and finding out why it's making its way back onto dinner plates.

0:29:480:29:51

First, here's what else is coming up on tonight's programme.

0:29:510:29:55

It's Adam to the rescue, down on the farm.

0:29:560:29:59

All I need to do is twist its head down one way

0:30:010:30:04

and down the other, and then it'll slip out.

0:30:040:30:07

That's it. Freedom!

0:30:070:30:09

And for farmers and everyone else

0:30:110:30:13

we'll have the Countryfile weather for the week ahead.

0:30:130:30:17

It's one of the delights of the countryside,

0:30:240:30:27

seeing healthy horses happily grazing in lush, rolling pasture.

0:30:270:30:30

But, as we heard earlier, the UK is witnessing an escalating crisis.

0:30:310:30:36

We've got far more horses and ponies than we have homes for.

0:30:360:30:40

Many horses are abandoned as owners are unwilling or unable

0:30:400:30:45

to find enough money to give them a decent life,

0:30:450:30:48

or even to find the hundreds of pounds it costs

0:30:480:30:51

to have them destroyed by a vet.

0:30:510:30:54

To try to curb their problems,

0:30:550:30:56

Cleveland Constabulary and the British Horse Society

0:30:560:30:59

have set up a field hospital with a difference.

0:30:590:31:03

I'm back on that estate where we saw those sorry looking horses earlier,

0:31:030:31:06

but here they're really trying to get to grips with the problem.

0:31:060:31:10

I've never seen anything like this before,

0:31:100:31:12

because this is the first mobile clinic in the middle of the city,

0:31:120:31:16

where they're trying to tackle the problem of overpopulation in horses.

0:31:160:31:19

What we have here is a sort of MOT centre.

0:31:220:31:25

Not only are they giving advice and medical treatment,

0:31:250:31:27

they're tagging the horses and taking some rather

0:31:270:31:30

painful-looking measures to deal with the problem of overpopulation.

0:31:300:31:34

Chipping and snipping, if you like.

0:31:340:31:36

Officer Mike Pilbeam, who I met earlier,

0:31:390:31:42

was instrumental in setting this up.

0:31:420:31:44

Predominantly we're castrating the horses.

0:31:440:31:47

We've also micro-chipped them as well.

0:31:470:31:49

The purpose of the micro-chipping

0:31:490:31:51

is so we're able to identify the horses,

0:31:510:31:53

and the castration is for the purposes of trying

0:31:530:31:55

to keep the horse numbers down in the future.

0:31:550:31:58

So, do you think this is a critical stage

0:31:580:32:00

in controlling the number of horses around here?

0:32:000:32:02

I believe so. I mean, we'll have to repeat this again,

0:32:020:32:05

but hopefully it'll help try and curb

0:32:050:32:08

the horse numbers we have in the area.

0:32:080:32:10

But what about the abandoned and neglected horses

0:32:100:32:14

the RSPCA simply has to take into its care?

0:32:140:32:17

I've already heard that welfare charities are being pushed to

0:32:190:32:23

the limit by the huge number of animals they're having to home.

0:32:230:32:27

What they need now is a bit of help to look after them,

0:32:270:32:31

so they're launching a fresh campaign,

0:32:310:32:33

appealing for foster homes for horses.

0:32:330:32:36

'Like this little chap, whose name is Elf.'

0:32:360:32:39

Little Elf is a yearling and he's ready to go to our new foster home.

0:32:390:32:43

Well, let's get him on as we talk about it.

0:32:430:32:45

So, tell me why this fostering scheme is so important to you.

0:32:450:32:49

Well, because we have so many youngsters at the moment

0:32:490:32:52

in RSPCA care, we need to find people that are prepared

0:32:520:32:56

to take them on from as young as six months

0:32:560:32:59

up to about three or four years old to give them a fresh start in life,

0:32:590:33:02

to give them plenty of handling, because we just haven't got

0:33:020:33:05

the space to keep them until they're that age.

0:33:050:33:07

It's in that critical period before they're really desirable

0:33:070:33:10

-as riding ponies, is that the point?

-Yeah, absolutely.

0:33:100:33:13

Elf has been nursed back to health here by the RSPCA,

0:33:160:33:20

but youngsters like him can't be ridden whilst they're still growing,

0:33:200:33:24

so it's tricky to find them homes.

0:33:240:33:26

Foster mum Nicola, here, is taking him on

0:33:260:33:28

as a mate for her Cob, Roly.

0:33:280:33:30

By giving Elf a home, it lessens the burden on the RSPCA,

0:33:330:33:37

meaning they can dedicate their time

0:33:370:33:39

to giving specialist care to new arrivals.

0:33:390:33:42

Hello.

0:33:430:33:45

Look at you. There's a good lad.

0:33:450:33:49

-There you go, Nicola, a new acquisition.

-Yes, a new one.

0:33:490:33:52

-What do you reckon?

-He's gorgeous.

0:33:520:33:54

Yeah, a sweetie, aren't you?

0:33:540:33:56

So, why are you so keen on the fostering scheme?

0:33:560:33:58

Well, the best thing about it is it's company for my old horse.

0:33:580:34:02

It's nice for me not to have to commit to another horse

0:34:020:34:04

for another 30 years - this way we can help a little one on its way.

0:34:040:34:07

Horses like to be together, not on their own?

0:34:070:34:09

No, it's not fair to leave them on their own,

0:34:090:34:11

they're herd animals, so they enjoy the company of other horses.

0:34:110:34:14

It's all right, Elf,

0:34:140:34:16

you've got a nice new field waiting for you here.

0:34:160:34:18

A new home and a new friend.

0:34:180:34:19

So, Nicola, how does the precise choreography of this work?

0:34:190:34:22

First stage is to put him into his new paddock,

0:34:220:34:24

let him get used to that for 10 minutes,

0:34:240:34:26

probably have a run around and explore.

0:34:260:34:28

Then we'll get my cob and pop him into this paddock

0:34:280:34:31

so they can have a fence between them,

0:34:310:34:33

just make sure they get on OK.

0:34:330:34:35

Just like us going out on an evening,

0:34:350:34:36

you like to say hello first before...

0:34:360:34:39

Good lad, there we go. Good boy.

0:34:410:34:43

Come on. There we are.

0:34:430:34:45

'For Elf, it's a new beginning in safe surroundings.'

0:34:450:34:50

He'll hang out with his new mate, Roly,

0:34:550:34:57

for the next couple of years until he's old enough to be ridden.

0:34:570:35:01

Hopefully then the RSPCA will be able to find him a home for life.

0:35:020:35:07

Elf and his new friend, Roly, seem pretty happy dining together,

0:35:220:35:27

so happy endings are available

0:35:270:35:29

in this overall story of neglected horses.

0:35:290:35:32

And if you want to help out with fostering a horse,

0:35:320:35:35

there are full details on our website.

0:35:350:35:38

It's a tense day down on the farm as, once again,

0:35:460:35:49

Adam's cattle are being tested for TB.

0:35:490:35:52

But first, he's got to deal with a lamb

0:35:520:35:55

that's got herself into a tight spot.

0:35:550:35:57

This isn't really what I was expecting.

0:36:040:36:07

Dolly, who's a gun dog, but also a family pet,

0:36:070:36:09

is stalking in on a lamb, there.

0:36:090:36:11

She's actually gone on point and she spotted it before I did.

0:36:110:36:14

It looks like a little lamb that's got its head stuck in a fence.

0:36:140:36:18

Well done, Dolly.

0:36:180:36:20

It's a Norfolk Horn, and they grow these little horns,

0:36:230:36:27

and it's just big enough at the moment to work like a fishhook.

0:36:270:36:30

It's pushed through the square of the netting

0:36:300:36:32

and now it can't get itself back out.

0:36:320:36:35

So, what I need to do is twist its head down one way,

0:36:350:36:39

and down other and then it'll slip out.

0:36:390:36:42

That's it. Freedom!

0:36:420:36:44

'It's important to check over the flock every day.

0:36:440:36:47

'Two weeks ago, I spotted a lame lamb that had an infected foot.'

0:36:480:36:53

-Quite sore, isn't it?

-Yeah.

0:36:530:36:54

Eurgh.

0:36:540:36:55

'We treated the foot and injected her with antibiotics.'

0:36:550:36:59

And now that little Cotswold lamb is doing really well.

0:37:010:37:04

It's running around and it's not lame at all.

0:37:040:37:06

And if we hadn't treated it, it would have been lame for some time,

0:37:080:37:12

so it's quite a success story, really.

0:37:120:37:14

There's lots to do, better get on.

0:37:140:37:16

BLEATING

0:37:180:37:21

We're right at the end of lambing, now,

0:37:210:37:23

we've only got two or three left to lamb,

0:37:230:37:25

and this ewe has given birth to triplets, three lovely little lambs.

0:37:250:37:29

It's the first time she's given birth,

0:37:290:37:31

and she's a good mum, she's licking them dry,

0:37:310:37:33

but they're screaming a bit - they're obviously quite hungry.

0:37:330:37:36

So, what I'm going to do is just tip her up and suckle them on,

0:37:360:37:39

so they get a belly full of colostrum,

0:37:390:37:41

the first milk she produces, it's very important they get that.

0:37:410:37:44

So, there's the colostrum.

0:37:440:37:47

There, he's suckling away.

0:37:490:37:51

There's a ewe over there that's making quite a din.

0:37:520:37:54

She's obviously in the middle of giving birth,

0:37:540:37:57

so I think this one's all right now.

0:37:570:37:59

I'd better go and check her out.

0:37:590:38:01

There you go, missus.

0:38:010:38:03

She's making a lot of noise, this ewe, which is quite unusual.

0:38:090:38:13

They usually lamb in quiet.

0:38:130:38:15

There it is.

0:38:170:38:18

There we go.

0:38:190:38:21

Obviously a little bit stuck, it's quite a big lamb.

0:38:220:38:25

Lovely.

0:38:250:38:27

Just get it breathing.

0:38:290:38:31

One little trick is to get a stiff piece of straw

0:38:320:38:34

and just tickle the lamb's nose

0:38:340:38:37

and then it makes it sneeze like that.

0:38:370:38:39

And in sneezing it goes, "Achoo!" and it has a big intake of breath

0:38:390:38:43

that fills its lungs, and then they start to work.

0:38:430:38:46

Now it's head is up and it's breathing.

0:38:460:38:49

Good little mum, aren't you? We'll leave her to it.

0:38:500:38:54

'While, my sheep seem to be in good health.

0:38:540:38:56

'It's a big day on the farm for my cattle -

0:38:560:38:59

'it's the first stage of our TB test.'

0:38:590:39:01

The vet clips the hair on the animal's neck

0:39:030:39:06

and then gives it an inoculum of bovine and avian TB,

0:39:060:39:09

and then he'll come back in three days' time and measure the skin,

0:39:090:39:12

and if there is a swelling

0:39:120:39:14

he'll be able to determine whether that's a TB reactor or not.

0:39:140:39:17

And we've had a lot of trouble with TB over the last few years.

0:39:170:39:20

'Last autumn, yet again we went down with TB.'

0:39:210:39:24

It's an absolute travesty, complete disaster.

0:39:280:39:31

'Two of my precious White Parks had to be slaughtered.

0:39:310:39:34

'We passed a test 60 days ago, and if we pass this one

0:39:360:39:39

'we're in the clear, so I'm really hoping for some good news.'

0:39:390:39:43

Usually, at this time of year,

0:39:430:39:44

when the cattle have been indoors over the winter,

0:39:440:39:47

they generally come out clear, so I've got my fingers crossed,

0:39:470:39:50

I'm touching a lot of wood, hoping that this one will be a clear test.

0:39:500:39:55

'Next up are my White Parks.'

0:39:570:39:58

'And finally it's my Highlands' turn,

0:40:010:40:03

'and with Eric the bull's new offspring we're taking extra care.'

0:40:030:40:06

Through the gate, go on.

0:40:060:40:08

Go on, take your babies, go on.

0:40:110:40:12

Good girl.

0:40:150:40:16

Go on.

0:40:190:40:20

Hup, hup, hup!

0:40:200:40:21

Go on.

0:40:240:40:26

Have to be quite careful with the little calves,

0:40:270:40:30

so I've left them out of this pen for now so they don't get squashed.

0:40:300:40:33

But the poor things have been soggy from the day they were born,

0:40:330:40:36

I don't think they've seen any sunshine yet.

0:40:360:40:38

'The Highlands are such good mothers they hate

0:40:380:40:40

'being separated from their young.'

0:40:400:40:42

They have a very thick skin, these Highlands, very tough,

0:40:450:40:48

and this is the last of Eric's wives to give birth,

0:40:480:40:51

and she's only a few days off calving.

0:40:510:40:53

What she ought to be doing is lying in a field relaxing,

0:40:530:40:56

taking it easy, and not being stressed at all.

0:40:560:41:00

So, putting her through this handling system is the very last thing

0:41:000:41:03

I should be doing as a cattle owner, but we have to do it, it's the law.

0:41:030:41:07

'And I've got an anxious wait before the results of the testing

0:41:070:41:11

'in a few days' time.

0:41:110:41:13

'Around 26,000 cattle were slaughtered

0:41:130:41:16

'to TB in England just last year alone.

0:41:160:41:19

'So, it is important that us farmers support one another.'

0:41:190:41:22

I'm heading to a farm in South Wales,

0:41:220:41:24

where the farmer has Longhorn cattle, which are wonderful,

0:41:240:41:27

old, traditional British breed, and in his latest TB test,

0:41:270:41:30

17 of his cattle have reacted positive,

0:41:300:41:33

which means they have to go for slaughter.

0:41:330:41:35

Dai Bevan has been farming Longhorn cattle for 26 years,

0:41:370:41:41

and they're his passion.

0:41:410:41:43

He's built his herd up to become a prize-winning one.

0:41:430:41:46

This year, everything that's in the shed here is going.

0:41:490:41:53

As a breed, I'm sure you remember in the '70s, '80s,

0:41:560:42:00

you couldn't get cattle like this.

0:42:000:42:03

You know, they were scraggy old things,

0:42:030:42:06

and the Longhorns improved so much over the last 20 years.

0:42:060:42:10

I love feeding.

0:42:100:42:12

My greatest pleasure is to go up and down the shed

0:42:120:42:15

with a bucket throwing cake at things.

0:42:150:42:18

And when something comes to the barrier to eat, that is the most...

0:42:180:42:22

Well, look at them, they're a wonderful breed,

0:42:220:42:25

and I will, I will miss them.

0:42:250:42:27

I feel as if part of me has died, because, um...

0:42:290:42:33

When you've had stock, um...

0:42:350:42:37

Until you know what stock is...

0:42:380:42:41

You know, there's a cow there, she's on the point of calving,

0:42:410:42:44

and I hope that she calves before she's shot.

0:42:440:42:47

She's not going today, but she's inconclusive.

0:42:470:42:50

But I'm hoping that she will calve, because, you know,

0:42:520:42:55

she is on the point of calving.

0:42:550:42:57

I don't know whether I'm in shock

0:42:580:43:00

or it's just anger that's keeping me going,

0:43:000:43:03

but until I come into this shed and there's nothing here,

0:43:030:43:06

I don't think it's going to fully hit me.

0:43:060:43:08

It sounds like they might be here, so, I mean,

0:43:130:43:15

I think it's something I don't want to see,

0:43:150:43:18

but I'll leave you to it, and best of luck.

0:43:180:43:21

Thanks, good.

0:43:210:43:23

As a farmer, I'm used to life and death on the farm,

0:43:250:43:28

but I really don't want to see this.

0:43:280:43:30

The slaughtermen are here now, and Dai wants to lead the cattle

0:43:300:43:33

out of the shed on a halter, because they know him

0:43:330:43:35

and they trust him, and then the slaughtermen will do their work.

0:43:350:43:38

And Dai has spent so much time over the last 30 years building up

0:43:380:43:42

a wonderful herd of Longhorns, and they mean so much to him.

0:43:420:43:46

It really sends a shiver down my spine.

0:43:460:43:48

Later that night, Dai's inconclusive pregnant cow did calve,

0:43:510:43:56

and I really hope she survives

0:43:560:43:57

to give Dai the chance to rebuild his herd.

0:43:570:43:59

But, thankfully, for me it was great news.

0:44:010:44:03

My herd passed their TB test, so, for now, life's back to normal.

0:44:030:44:07

Next week, I'm off to buy a Gloucester Old Spot sow

0:44:090:44:12

and her piglets as a new addition to the farm.

0:44:120:44:15

'I've been up on the heath and moorland of Exmoor

0:44:200:44:24

'searching for Britain's largest land mammal - the red deer.

0:44:240:44:27

'Earlier, I was lucky to see some and, as it's late spring,

0:44:270:44:30

'the stags are shedding their antlers.'

0:44:300:44:33

Throughout history, deer have been a good resource.

0:44:330:44:36

Their skins for clothes and textiles,

0:44:360:44:38

their bones and antlers for making tools,

0:44:380:44:41

and, of course, their meat for food.

0:44:410:44:43

'It was the meat of choice for the nobility in medieval times.

0:44:450:44:48

'Nowadays, it's more readily available

0:44:480:44:50

'for the likes of you and me.

0:44:500:44:52

'Helping to put venison on our plate is red deer farmer Peter Herman.'

0:44:520:44:57

How many have you got now, then, in the herd?

0:44:570:44:59

About 140, altogether.

0:44:590:45:00

And why did you start with deer farming?

0:45:000:45:02

Because you were actually born on this farm.

0:45:020:45:05

I was born on this farm. I milked cows for 30 years.

0:45:050:45:08

I got worn out and the buildings were worn out,

0:45:080:45:10

and I'd always had a passion for wildlife,

0:45:100:45:13

which included deer, and my wife said, "What do you fancy doing?"

0:45:130:45:16

I said, "Well, deer farming,"

0:45:160:45:18

so we went and looked at a local deer farm.

0:45:180:45:20

Of course, that was it, once I saw the deer,

0:45:200:45:23

the interaction between them and their owners, it's great.

0:45:230:45:26

I notice, obviously, you've got quite high fencing.

0:45:260:45:29

Yeah, six-foot fence, yeah.

0:45:290:45:30

They don't tend to go over a fence,

0:45:300:45:32

but they would find a hole.

0:45:320:45:34

Do you find that the wild ones around here are quite inquisitive?

0:45:340:45:37

Yes, they are. We do get visitors,

0:45:370:45:38

usually in October when the rut is on.

0:45:380:45:42

It's a fantastic meat, it really is.

0:45:440:45:46

Compared with other meats, it comes up trumps on calories,

0:45:460:45:50

fat, iron and protein.

0:45:500:45:52

Peter supplies his meat locally.

0:45:530:45:55

One of his customers is a pub just a few miles from his farm.

0:45:550:45:59

Owner and chef Joanna Oldman is preparing

0:45:590:46:02

a mouth-watering venison steak.

0:46:020:46:04

It's pan-fried first to seal in its juices,

0:46:040:46:06

and then popped in the oven for about four minutes.

0:46:060:46:09

Is this a special occasion meat, do you find from your customers?

0:46:090:46:13

I think it possibly is,

0:46:130:46:14

and it's a shame, because it is so good, and it's so diverse.

0:46:140:46:17

You can do so many different things with it.

0:46:170:46:20

People perhaps just don't know enough about it,

0:46:200:46:23

or maybe they're slightly afraid of it.

0:46:230:46:25

I mean, today, for instance, we've made a venison cottage pie.

0:46:250:46:28

Ooh!

0:46:280:46:29

We've made venison bourguignon.

0:46:290:46:31

Anything that you use with beef, you can use venison.

0:46:310:46:34

'Time's up! The steak's done.'

0:46:350:46:38

A very important thing when cooking any piece of meat

0:46:380:46:40

is to rest it as long as you possibly can.

0:46:400:46:43

'Whilst it's resting, I'm up for tasting the bourguignon.'

0:46:430:46:47

-That is lovely.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

0:46:470:46:49

'Next, it's the cottage pie.'

0:46:490:46:51

Oh, that's amazing.

0:46:520:46:54

'And finally, I get to sample the king of cuts, the steak.'

0:46:540:46:58

In we go.

0:46:580:47:00

It's great.

0:47:070:47:09

It's absolutely brilliant.

0:47:090:47:10

What a day. I've seen wild red deer out on these glorious moors,

0:47:100:47:14

up close on the farm,

0:47:140:47:16

and even tasted the meat that was once reserved for royalty.

0:47:160:47:20

Now, in a moment, Ellie will be trying her hand

0:47:230:47:25

at the medieval art of falconry from horseback.

0:47:250:47:28

Before that, let's see what's going to be happening

0:47:280:47:30

with the weather this week.

0:47:300:47:32

.

0:49:490:49:57

With a rich mix of moorland,

0:50:100:50:12

woodland, valleys and farmland,

0:50:120:50:14

Devon is a county where historically,

0:50:140:50:16

wildlife has always flourished.

0:50:160:50:19

In medieval times, raptors like this peregrine falcon

0:50:190:50:22

would have been a common sight in the British countryside.

0:50:220:50:26

The nobility captured birds like falcons and hawks

0:50:270:50:31

and trained them to hunt game birds.

0:50:310:50:33

These days, getting a glimpse of one of these magnificent creatures

0:50:330:50:37

in the wild is a rare treat.

0:50:370:50:38

What precious few remain risk being targeted

0:50:380:50:42

by those who see birds of prey as competition.

0:50:420:50:45

This is a picture of a rare goshawk found dead near Exeter last year.

0:50:460:50:51

It was deliberately poisoned along with three other goshawks,

0:50:510:50:55

but with only 20 breeding pairs in the whole county,

0:50:550:50:58

it represents a really significant loss.

0:50:580:51:01

'Josh Marshall is a Wildlife Crime Officer.'

0:51:050:51:08

'It's his job to try and catch people attacking birds of prey.'

0:51:080:51:11

Who are these people, then, doing all this?

0:51:120:51:14

With birds of prey, the national picture would suggest that,

0:51:140:51:18

with goshawks you've got gamekeepers

0:51:180:51:21

or people associated with the shooting fraternity

0:51:210:51:24

that may want to poison the birds.

0:51:240:51:26

Not saying that they all do -

0:51:260:51:27

-there's some really reputable shoots out there as well.

-Yeah.

0:51:270:51:30

And peregrine falcons, again -

0:51:300:51:32

the national picture would suggest that they are targeted

0:51:320:51:35

primarily by pigeon fanciers,

0:51:350:51:38

but also falconers that are a bit unscrupulous

0:51:380:51:40

and want to take wild birds for their stock.

0:51:400:51:43

What can you do to combat the problem?

0:51:430:51:45

What we've done this year in response to last year is,

0:51:450:51:47

we've got these motion-activated covert cameras now,

0:51:470:51:50

which we've placed on certain nest sites within Devon,

0:51:500:51:52

hopefully to catch these people who are thinking about

0:51:520:51:55

committing these dreadful acts.

0:51:550:51:57

'Today at a secret location,

0:51:590:52:00

'Josh is checking a goshawk nest and a camera.'

0:52:000:52:03

Got your ladder.

0:52:030:52:05

Yeah, yeah.

0:52:050:52:06

Ellie, goshawks are really sensitive and prone to disturbance,

0:52:070:52:10

-so we need to keep that to a minimum on the visit.

-OK.

0:52:100:52:13

So I'm going to leave you here while I go up

0:52:130:52:15

and service the batteries on the camera.

0:52:150:52:17

-OK. I'll wait for you here, then.

-OK, then.

-See you in a bit.

0:52:170:52:20

We've actually had to have special permission just to get this far,

0:52:220:52:25

let alone going up to the nest,

0:52:250:52:27

so I'll leave Josh to that one.

0:52:270:52:30

It's a pretty cold day today,

0:52:300:52:32

so he's going to have to be really quick.

0:52:320:52:34

He's got to get in there, service the camera and back out again,

0:52:340:52:36

because we don't want the eggs,

0:52:360:52:38

or the chicks if they've hatched already,

0:52:380:52:40

to get cold.

0:52:400:52:41

Gone.

0:52:410:52:43

I think something's wrong.

0:52:440:52:45

What's up?

0:52:490:52:50

Well, unfortunately, the camera's gone.

0:52:500:52:53

You're kidding!

0:52:530:52:54

Yeah. The good news is that the birds are still there.

0:52:540:52:57

The female was there when I was there,

0:52:570:53:00

and it doesn't appear that there's been

0:53:000:53:02

any attempt on the nest or anything.

0:53:020:53:03

Some cameras are wireless,

0:53:030:53:05

so they'll e-mail the images back to computers

0:53:050:53:07

back at the police station, so potentially we could have

0:53:070:53:10

the image of them taking the camera there.

0:53:100:53:13

So technology is actually a step ahead.

0:53:130:53:14

You can't just take the camera and get away with it?

0:53:140:53:16

-That's right. You'll get done for theft as well.

-Well, there you go.

0:53:160:53:20

With the help of technology and policemen like Josh,

0:53:230:53:25

perhaps one day rare birds of prey

0:53:250:53:27

can prosper just as they did centuries ago.

0:53:270:53:31

In medieval times, the sport of falconry was big business.

0:53:310:53:35

A bird of prey was a status symbol that said power and wealth.

0:53:350:53:39

So today, where we might have a flashy watch

0:53:390:53:41

or a piece of jewellery, back then, it was all about the bird.

0:53:410:53:45

Ooh!

0:53:450:53:47

'The wide open space of Putsborough sands'

0:53:470:53:51

'provides the perfect arena to meet Jonathan Marshall,'

0:53:510:53:53

'a falconer who's keeping the tradition alive...'

0:53:530:53:57

'and going one step further.'

0:53:570:53:59

Wow. What handsome-looking animals you have here.

0:53:590:54:02

-So who's this?

-Thank you very much.

0:54:020:54:04

This is Quinn, a little male peregrine falcon.

0:54:040:54:06

-Beautiful.

-He's a cracker. He's a beautiful bird.

0:54:060:54:09

I bred him myself. Very special.

0:54:090:54:11

And the hood's on just so he's not spooked?

0:54:110:54:13

We're just going to fly him shortly,

0:54:130:54:16

and so he doesn't waste all his energy, we hood him first,

0:54:160:54:18

and so when I do fly him, he's all revved up, ready to go.

0:54:180:54:21

Amazing. So you bred this one?

0:54:210:54:23

Yeah, I bred this one. Had him since he was an egg.

0:54:230:54:26

He was a very good-looking egg, but he's

0:54:260:54:28

even better-looking as an adult.

0:54:280:54:30

-And what about this horse?

-Well, this is one of my best horses.

0:54:300:54:33

His name's Tulio, and he's a Lusitano.

0:54:330:54:36

He's an ex-bullfighting horse from Portugal.

0:54:360:54:39

So falconry is a sport, but how come you've brought horses into that?

0:54:390:54:42

Well, originally, falconry was practised from horseback,

0:54:420:54:45

because, of course, in years gone by,

0:54:450:54:47

they didn't have Land Rovers, so they needed

0:54:470:54:49

to get from A to B somehow,

0:54:490:54:50

and horses at that time were very much part of everyday life.

0:54:500:54:54

And this particular breed of horse -

0:54:540:54:56

in fact, all of the Spanish horses -

0:54:560:54:57

were exceptionally good for falconry,

0:54:570:54:59

because they're quick on their feet, very agile and very manoeuvrable.

0:54:590:55:03

These horses were about the best and still are.

0:55:030:55:06

I'm looking forward to this, Jonathan.

0:55:060:55:08

-I'll go over there and see you in action.

-Okey-doke.

0:55:080:55:10

What incredibly neat, tight riding.

0:55:190:55:22

'Jonathan swings the lure above his head

0:55:250:55:28

'to tempt the falcon into diving for a catch.'

0:55:280:55:31

The speed of that peregrine!

0:55:310:55:34

HE WHISTLES

0:55:380:55:40

Oh! Awesome!

0:55:420:55:44

It flew right through the horse's legs.

0:55:440:55:47

Oh, through the legs again. That's amazing.

0:55:520:55:54

'Seeing horse and bird move

0:55:540:55:55

'so gracefully under Jonathan's direction is like

0:55:550:55:59

'watching a carefully choreographed ballet.'

0:55:590:56:01

It's a beautiful scene.

0:56:030:56:06

'Finally, Jonathan lets the falcon take the lure.'

0:56:160:56:19

Well deserved.

0:56:200:56:22

SHE LAUGHS

0:56:250:56:27

I have never seen horsemanship like it. That was amazing.

0:56:270:56:32

Jonathan, how would you even begin to start training to do this?

0:56:320:56:35

Well, rather than explain it, why don't I just show you?

0:56:350:56:38

-Yes, good thinking.

-You have a go.

0:56:380:56:40

-Get a glove.

-Yeah.

-There you go.

0:56:400:56:41

'Jonathan brings out his second bird, the Harris hawk.'

0:56:420:56:46

Oh, here we go.

0:56:460:56:47

Oh, wow.

0:56:490:56:51

What a beautiful animal.

0:56:530:56:55

One, two, three...

0:56:550:56:57

But I must admit, I'm a little bit nervous

0:56:570:56:59

about doing this on horseback.

0:56:590:57:01

-There you go.

-Thank you very much.

0:57:010:57:03

Stick that one on there.

0:57:030:57:04

Raise your hand up nice and high.

0:57:040:57:06

Here we go.

0:57:060:57:07

Your best falconer's whistle.

0:57:070:57:08

Oh, wow. That was awesome.

0:57:080:57:12

Jonathan, what an experience.

0:57:120:57:14

-Thank you so much.

-My pleasure.

0:57:140:57:16

Well, that's it from Exmoor this week.

0:57:170:57:19

Next week we'll be in Dumfries - oh!

0:57:190:57:22

In Dumfries and Galloway, where we'll be revealing

0:57:220:57:24

the amount raised with your help

0:57:240:57:25

from the sale of the Countryfile calendar for 2012.

0:57:250:57:28

And we'll be launching this year's photographic competition.

0:57:280:57:31

See you then.

0:57:310:57:32

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0:57:540:57:57

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