Byron the Cheetah Teacher Animals at Work

Hi. This is Animals At Work,

the show that brings you...animals at work!

Around the world, there are millions of animals that have jobs.

When we say we've got animals at work, we're not kidding!

This is the show that brings you the most extraordinary,

bizarre and unusual animals at work.

Coming up...

this classroom comes face to face with their new teacher,

a cheetah.

We meet Sven the rock-star dog.

This is really a dog playing music.

And meet Mr Foley,

a hound prepared to do anything to raise money for charity!

If it's a dress do,

he'll come wearing his bowler hat and his bow tie.

Hello and welcome

to the Animals At Work Educational Complaints Department.

This week, someone has put pen to pad

and really let the cat out of the bag.

It seems there may be a teacher who's a cheetah.

If that's right, that's a sorry, sorry tail,

and frankly, I'm feline far from fine about this matter.

Animals At Work is litter-ally going to find out

if this really is a cat-alogue of errors.

First, we're racing to South Africa

to meet one of the fastest sprinters on earth.

Nestled in South Africa's North-West Province

is the De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre.

It's home to nearly 100 big cats.

So maybe this little one should leave right now!

These are the fastest animals on land.

They can go from standing still to 120 kilometres an hour

in three seconds.

That is faster than most supercars.

And certainly faster than their handlers!

The cheetah is able to run this fast

because they have extra-wide nostrils

that enable them to breathe in more oxygen

as well as an enlarged heart and lungs

that work together to pump the oxygen around the body.

These are the fastest animals on four legs.

Hello, my pussycat.

Well, most of them are.

You're gonna give us a good run. Yes, you are.

Meet chilled-out cheetah Byron.

Byron is a very, very special cheetah.

Come on, pussycat. You can do it.

As long as things go according to his plan,

everything works beautifully,

but the moment he's not happy with something,

well then, the world just comes to an end and the day stops.

Come on... Byron...

Byron! Baby!

SHE LAUGHS

He just wants the food.

"Why should I hunt for my own food?"

Byron believes that he is royal...and rightly so.

He is beautiful. He knows it.

Byron is set apart from his super-fast cat pals

by his relaxed air,

but this laidback attitude makes him the perfect candidate

to be the centre's cheetah schoolteacher.

That's right, this cheetah is a teacher.

Typically, cheetahs don't grow up to be teachers,

but due to a rough start in life,

sociable Byron is specially suited

for this highly interactive line of work.

When he was only six months old, baby Byron's cheetah mum decided

she didn't want to care for her cub any more.

Luckily for Byron, Marilyn took over and hand-raised this gentle cheetah.

As Marilyn's favourite,

Byron was brought up a little differently from the other cheetahs.

He watched television - always his favourite show -

checked himself out at his dressing table...

..and most importantly,

this pussycat learned to love a good snuggle.

And by the sound of his purring, this is clearly one contented cat.

I can see that naughty face.

When you get to know cheetahs,

you can see how sensitive they really are.

Byron has got the most enormous personality

I have ever come across in a cheetah.

And because of this amazing personality,

Marilyn knew he would make a great cheetah teacher.

Tomorrow is a big day for this cool cat.

He will be meeting with a classroom full of cheetah-scared children

to teach them about how to protect his species in the wild.

Something tells me there will be no talking-back to the teacher

in this classroom tomorrow!

Generally, when I walk into a classroom with Byron,

one of the first questions I get are, "Will he eat me?"

Now we're heading over to the capital of rock'n'roll, LA,

to meet two best friends.

One of the duo is a talented musician,

and the other is his owner Steve.

But you'll have to wait to hear this howling-mad mutt's masterpieces,

as they're heading downtown to see how well Sven's debut CD is selling.

We're gonna go promote your CD at Amoeba Records. Yeah! Good boy.

Steve plays drums and his doggy chum Sven plays everything else.

That's the piano,

vocals and guitar.

Yes, that really is a dog playing guitar.

This is one marvellous mutt with talent.

What's more, they have a big gig tonight.

How's the record doing?

Oh, it's doing good. Glad you came by.

Promoting a show tonight at the Echo.

Really? He's gonna play live?

-He's gonna play live.

-That's great.

-Do you see we have it on display?

-Let's check it out.

Come on, Sven.

Here it is.

Sven, you can't see it. That's too tall.

I think he's, um, somewhere right behind The Knack here.

K-9 Fusion. There's my boy.

The most successful dog artist probably in the rock section.

Sven and Steve met ten years ago.

They were both going through a wuff patch,

and they were so glad they found each other.

Sven is my true soul mate.

If there ever was such a thing as a soul mate, he is the prime example,

and, uh, it's a bond that... He's changed my life.

I know everybody says this,

but he's more human than any dog I've ever seen.

He really tries to communicate, and, uh, he's the reason I do what I do.

We hang in there for each other.

But when Steve noticed Sven's talents,

they formed the band K-9 Fusion.

As well as playing the instruments, Sven is on vocals.

The way I did the CD, it was done several different ways,

but I recorded his vocals, for instance,

cos in the morning I can get him to say real words,

and when he's growling and he wakes up,

he says, "I love you. Who really loves you?"

It's hit or miss, but sometimes these real words come out.

Did you hear that? Say, "I love you." Say, "I love you."

Say, "I love you."

Say, "I love you." Good boy!

Once I have the vocals on tape,

then I just added some drums to the vocals.

It's all dogs except for the drums. The drums are the only human element.

Everything else is dogs.

But Sven won't let Steve dog the limelight.

Yes, lucky for us, Sven just can't keep his paws off the piano.

He just pounds on it with his feet and he rolls over

on it and I can guide him up and guide him down and conduct him.

He'll even touch certain keys with his nose if I point at the key.

He'll get two or three notes in a row if I point at the keys.

But he plays with the most enthusiasm with his feet.

And when they've tickled the ivories,

Sven's feet show even more talent for pawing at the guitar.

Sven uses his feet on the guitar the same way he does on the piano,

but he'll also use his teeth like Jimi Hendrix.

Ahhh, music to the ears!

I just pick the best pieces.

They are best pieces?

He writes the music, you know,

and I overall kind of compose it into a song.

So it's the big night,

and the band head down to the world-famous Sunset Boulevard

for the rock'n'roll gig of a lifetime.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

And Sven is obviously a big hit.

Oh, he's an amazing performer.

I mean, he has the nuance.

He has, you know, the drive to go ahead and take the chance.

This is really a dog playing music.

He has a lot of star quality.

I especially like his keyboard work. I'm very impressed by that.

I've heard all the bands in LA.

Sven was at the top of the list. Definitely top five.

I think Sven really enjoyed the show.

His tail was wagging. He's got rock'n'roll in his blood, you know?

That's my boy. He's a rock star.

We've been looking out for your home videos

of what animals get up to on the weekend.

Take Eddie the eight-year-old donkey from Leicestershire, England.

He really, really loves the whiff of wellies and can't get enough.

MUSIC: "These Boots Are Made For Walking" by Nancy Sinatra

That's one donkey who gets a real kick out of boots!

Back to cheetah teacher Byron in South Africa.

Byron was born in captivity but abandoned by his real mum,

so after a rough start in life he was adopted by human mum Marilyn,

and since then he's lived a life of luxury.

Hello, big boy.

Now that he is fully grown, Marilyn decided

it was time to channel his energy into education,

and now Byron is the centre's first cheetah teacher.

That's a good boy!

Byron's main focus is the education of children.

His main job is to create awareness,

and he is making an amazing difference for the cheetah species.

Today, the children at this school

will be having the wildest lesson of their lives.

Byron is booked to educate them about cheetahs.

It's important that these kids learn to love the cheetah,

because when they grow up they could become farmers,

and it's essential that farmers respect free-roaming cheetahs.

By learning to live together,

the farmer and the cheetah can share the land.

What's more, farmers can pass on information

about cheetah numbers to conservationists.

This is important, as cheetah numbers are vulnerable.

And this cheetah teacher is here to help.

That's such a good boy.

He just has this huge personality

that can cope with everything that's thrown at him,

and I think he's probably one of the best ambassadors

for the cheetah species that I've ever come across.

Good boy!

Cheetahs are a good choice for the job of teacher.

They are much less dangerous to people than other big cats

and were first tamed as pets thousands of years ago

in ancient Egypt.

You wanna jump down? OK?

Good boy! Good boy! Do you want a treat for that?

But cheetahs are still wild animals,

and Marilyn is constantly alert for any changes in Byron's mood

that might mean he's upset,

as it's not a good idea to stroke a wild cat unless it's in a good mood.

That's why before every lesson,

every child in the class is taught how to behave around these big cats.

But before he heads to school,

Byron needs to shake off yet another cat nap

and start his day with a proper meal.

And this is Byron's food that we're making.

Big-cat breakfast is a hearty one kilogram of raw meat,

delicately minced and heated to please his picky highness.

Hey, pussycat. Byron? Byron!

Do you want your food this morning?

Oh, did I have to bring it all the way? That's nice.

Now go to your corner. Mm-mm.

No, no, no. I don't think so.

Can we sit nicely, please?

Oh, what a clever man you are.

Byron's room service also includes poop scooping...

..and all-you-can-drink fresh water.

With the lesson starting in less than an hour,

Byron had better hurry up and get on his way

so he can take his place as the day's star feature.

If he says, "I'm not getting into the car,"

he's not getting into the car. I mean, we're not going.

Oh, no. You gotta be kidding me.

I am not working with a beast. You want me to present with a lizard?

Do it yourself!

Did...? Actually, that was pretty good.

Don't quit your day job, though.

It's time to sail over to the south coast of England.

This is the fantastic Mr Foley, a very busy charity fundraiser.

He's certainly not to be sniffed at, because he's a dog in demand.

He's a model.

He marches for miles.

He's literally run off his four feet.

PHONE RINGS

And all in the name of charity.

You can talk to me. I'm his PA.

PHONE RINGS

I think you've got the wrong end of the stick. Mr Foley is a dog.

PHONE RINGS

You want to make a booking? Yeah, right.

He's in a meeting at the moment.

-Yes, PA to a dog!

-PHONE RINGS

Sorry, can't manage that date.

-PHONE RINGS

-That'll be fine. Next Wednesday.

I have an eleven-stone Leonberger that treats me like a dogsbody.

Mr Foley is on a mission

to raise thousands of pounds for a home for sick children.

PHONE RINGS

Mr Foley and his PA Jenny will do just about anything to raise money.

And you want him to wear a pink tutu? I'm sorry.

He doesn't do pink tutus.

Apart from the pink tutu, nothing is too far-fetched.

And it helps that this pooch has a penchant for fancy dress.

His doggy fashion has made him a local celebrity.

And his personal appearances have become very profitable.

This pooch knows a thing or two about publicity.

PHONE RINGS

Hello? Builder's outfit?

Well, yes, he can come in his Harley Davidson gear.

If it's a dress do,

he'll come wearing his bowler hat and his bow tie.

Yes, he also carries a briefcase and has got a rolled umbrella.

Mr Foley only joined us just over six months ago,

and he has in fact already helped to raise over £24,000.

Hi. Hello? Yeah, Mr Foley's PA.

What would you like him to wear?

Jenny, his PA, works extremely hard.

He likes dressing up and he's rather photogenic.

Oh, he's in the papers nearly every week. He is just absolutely adored.

And today, Mr Foley is going straight from this photo shoot

to his hairdressing appointment

to get himself ready to meet the public.

I am Mr Foley's personal beautician.

He may dress up in silly outfits, but he does have some standards.

Basically, what we're doing here for him today is just giving him

a good old comb-out to get rid of all of the excess hair.

Yes, very proud to be the groomer to such a famous dog.

He's done fantastic work

raising funds for the Children's Hospice South-West.

And there's one other way that this tireless fundraiser

likes to get the public to splash their cash.

He takes to the streets of Devon to collect money.

Mr Foley is one dog that actually likes the pound, and lots of them.

And the public just loved him.

Oh, that was a wonderful cuddle.

He's in a good mood, pulling the cart, smiling at the customers.

Oh, he likes that. Awww. Isn't that nice?

-Say, "Bye-bye, doggy," then.

-Bye-bye, doggy.

-Bye-bye.

We've been here only a half an hour.

We've already raised £130,

and that makes the total that Mr Foley has raised so far £24,130.

Job well done. He's going home now and have a big bone and a rest.

Wow! Not bad for a morning's work.

Good luck with getting the rest of the money raised.

We've been keeping our eyes peeled for your home videos

showing what animals get up to in their spare time.

Check out these cheeky meerkats

at the Battersea Park Children's Zoo in London.

MUSIC: "Let Me Clear My Throat" by DJ Kool

Just look at those meerkats move it!

Onwards to the Windy City, Chicago.

This dotty Dalmatian is unique in Chicago.

He's the only fire dog who still goes out on calls.

Thirty gets his name from Engine 30,

which is the fire truck that he rides on.

Thirty has been doing this for over ten years

and has been on more than 25,000 call-outs.

Before fire engines were invented,

fire-fighters rushed to fires in horse-drawn wagons.

They needed the dog to help clear the way.

Dalmatians were popular firedogs because of their strength, speed

and their ability to calm the horses during a fire.

Dalmatians would ride on the truck and guard the rig during fires.

As a dedicated fire dog,

it's part of Thirty's job to be the face of the fire station

and meet the public, so he needs to stay clean and presentable,

which means a twice-weekly bath.

He's not a fan of being hosed down, but it's a necessity

as, once a week, Thirty and the fire-fighters from his station

visit a junior school for a fire drill and safety lesson.

This gives the fire team the chance

to test the fire alarm at the school.

It also gets the children to practise their fire drill

in case of an emergency.

How many people here have pets?

How many people have dogs? We all love our dogs, right?

We have a fire, are we gonna run back in and get our pets?

-No.

-No, right. We don't go back in those dangerous situations.

All we can hope for is that you teach the dog

how to come out of that building, too. Correct?

While Thirty makes education about fire safety fun,

back at the station he has some even bigger fans.

He kind of has, like, three families that roll into one family.

There's 21 guys that are assigned to this house, and he's our pet.

I couldn't imagine the house without him, really.

When you come in in the morning, Thirty greets the oncoming shift,

and he's just pleasant to have around.

So he's just part of the family. He's one of us.

He's not only one of the family but a valued member of the team.

Chicago's last fire dog is here to stay!

We've been surfing the net to find out

what animals get up to on their days off.

Check out this greedy hamster.

How many carrots do you think he can fit in his mouth? One?

That's a big bit of food for a little mouth.

Two? Whoa, and room for afters.

Three?!

Four?!

Nope, not quite enough space!

Back to Byron the cheetah in South Africa,

The De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre in South Africa.

After living a life of luxury,

it's time that Byron stepped up to the challenge

and responsibility of becoming a full-time cheetah teacher.

It's time to clock on and set off to the school

for his first lesson of the day.

Generally a laid-back cat about town, in the past this teacher

has tended to pick and choose when he felt like starting his shifts.

But not any more.

Marilyn is hoping Byron will take his new job seriously

and get moving even quicker than usual.

If he says, "I'm not getting into the car,"

he's not getting into the car and we're not going.

As always, Byron does what he wants when he wants

and in his own sweet cheetah time.

A human teacher could go into a classroom

and the children could get bored,

but when Byron turns up and if he gets it right,

these children could be hanging from his every purr.

And for most of these anxious kids, it will be the first time

they've been in the same room as a wild animal, let alone a cheetah.

He's in a pretty good mood today.

He was a really good boy getting into the car.

ALL: Yes!

ALL: Yes!

ALL: Yes!

ALL: Yes!

It's his big moment, and Byron is ready for his entrance.

As Byron comes into the room, the class are on edge.

Their idea of a cheetah is a wild beast, and they feel nervous.

Byron is not relaxed either

and sits stiffly as silence falls on the room.

If Byron doesn't turn on the cheetah charm,

these students may leave today without learning about his species

and Byron will not have done his job.

Byron needs to stay calm so the children can relax

and the lesson can finally start.

Marilyn's reassuring touch, Byron's chilled, and the lesson begins.

Some of them were just so petrified, so scared,

and you could see it in their faces

when they were coming up to touch him.

And once they've had that opportunity to stroke him and they walk away,

it's a totally different look on their face.

There's still fear, there's still awe, there's all sorts of things,

but there's a lot more understanding.

After Byron's lesson, what do they think of their new teacher?

Cheetah-rific work today, teacher!

Hey, listen, I thought I'd tell you some jokes.

I've got some pretty good ones. What did the horse say when it fell over?

"Giddy up."

-HE LAUGHS

-Yeah!

When does a horse talk?

Whinny wants to! Neigh!

HE LAUGHS

Pretty good, huh?

Why such the long face?

HE LAUGHS

The long face! Get it?

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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