Episode 5 Dick 'N' Dom Go Wild

This show features trained professionals

working with potentially dangerous animals.

So please do not attempt anything you're about to see yourselves.

-Uh-huh?

-Uh-huh.

Did you know that now, right now,

there are people all around the UK

working their socks off to help wounded wildlife

and poorly pets?

We've managed to get VIP passes for willing helpers to get stuck in

at the busiest vets, wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centres.

Rats!

It's tough work, but somebody's got to do it.

On today's show, Katie and Katherine get wrapped up in saving swans.

Look at that!

Chloe and Kieran care for Mona, the dog with no owner.

That was disgusting. Ugh.

And we beaver away to help big rodents.

That's it.

He's so fast!

Today on Dom & Dick Go Wild...

What did you just say? You said, Dom & Dick Go Wild.

Might have done.

Well, it's not, it's Dick & Dom Go Wild, all right?

-All right. All right.

-Good lad.

Come on, we've got some animals to care for.

I'm in Dorset working with these lovely creatures.

This is the largest nesting swan colony in the UK.

The Abbotsbury Swannery is home to over 600 swans.

Swans are described as majestic, graceful and regal.

Words that are also used to describe today's helpers.

It's their words anyway, not mine. We'll see.

Appearing today are Katherine and Katie.

-They find most British wildlife...

-BOTH:

-Boring!

Katie likes big animals from Africa.

But squirrels drive her nuts.

They're just standing there.

You're there, they're timid.

You just stand there and they just run away.

Katherine's mad about her pet gerbils.

But big, beaky birds send her bonkers.

Some of them are evil.

My friend's mum owns a farm and she's got geese,

and apparently it's evil.

And Katie's friend was once attacked by geese.

He had spit marks up his arm and all bite marks.

It was horrible.

Let's see if we can make these pecky bird dislikes disappear!

To the swannery.

Welcome to Go Wild, girls.

Ideally, you would not like to see today big, flappy birds.

Right? Should be virtually impossible.

Here are your very fetching outfits today.

Go and get changed and we'll get cracking.

Chop-chop. Go on.

Bye-bye.

Abbotsbury Swannery is thought to have been established by monks

nearly 1,000 years ago.

They kept the swans as a source of food.

Thankfully, these brilliant birds are protected here now.

They're free to come and go,

but they're looked after so well, most of them stick around.

Talking of sticking around,

come on, you two - we have a swan herd to meet.

-David, how are you?

-Pleased to see you.

-This is Katie and Katherine.

-Morning.

Look, girls, swans everywhere. Hundreds of them as well.

Over 600 swans live here.

Lots of swans need lots of food, and that's kept in...a spaceship?!

Right, then, Katie. This contraption is full of corn.

We want to spill a bit of this into the wheelbarrow.

So if you'd like to put it underneath.

That's a lot of food. Is that a year's worth?

No. We can empty that in just over five weeks.

Five weeks? How much corn's in there?

-That's a little over ten tonnes.

-Wow!

We don't want ten tonnes in that wheelbarrow.

No, no. There is a knack to that, so I'd better pull the lever.

So with a barrow full of corn

and another full of grass collected by our girls, time to get busy.

And later, Katie and Katherine face up to a feeding frenzy.

But first, Dick is helping hopeful hounds in Scotland.

Yah!

Today on Dick & Dom Go Wild,

I've got a special treat for two dog-lovers.

PHONE RINGS Excuse me.

Hello? Oh, hello, darling.

It's Dom.

What do you mean, she doesn't like dogs?

No, there's nothing I can do now, I'm already here.

There's no kittens, it's Dogs Trust.

The clue's in the title, Dogs... D-O-G... Oh, forget it!

It's too late now. Just play the video.

Good grief!

Meet mates Kieran and Chloe.

Chloe is crazy about kitties.

But apparently she doesn't do dogs.

Well, I'm not really keen on big dogs because they jump up on you

and you don't know what's going to happen,

because once I was standing up, and a dog just jumped up on my back

and I was a bit scared.

Kieran, meanwhile, isn't keen on cats.

There's only one thing on his wish list, and it goes "woof!"

I would like a dog, because they're cute and they're furry

and I can get my auntie's dog to roll over

so that's why I'd like a dog, so I can do that to my own dog.

Mmm! Seems like we could have a bit of a stand-off here.

-Cat!

-Dog!

-Cat.

-Dog!

-Cat!

Maybe a day working with adorable dogs at a busy rescue centre

might help Chloe come round to a different way of thinking.

Welcome to Dogs Trust in Glasgow, Kieran and Chloe.

-So, Kieran, happy to be here?

-Yeah.

Chloe, not so happy to be here. No.

I know you've both got different opinions when it comes to pets,

but, Kieran, do you think we can convince Chloe canines are wicked?

Yeah.

-Chloe?

-No.

This is the perfect place to find out.

You don't believe me? You will when you watch this.

There are 110 abandoned and neglected dogs being cared for here.

One dog in desperate need of a new home is Mona.

Mona was diagnosed with cancer seven weeks ago.

As well as needing a caring new owner,

she also needs a lot of medical attention.

-Do you like her, Kieran?

-Yeah.

-A big dog, eh?

-Yeah.

Chloe?

Yeah, kind of.

-You're all right with this glass in the way.

-Yes.

How will Chloe like getting behind the glass to meet Mona properly?

Put your hands out down like that

so she can have a wee sniff at your hand.

That's her saying hello to you.

Once she's fine with you, she'll come up and say hello.

Hello, Mona!

If you want to give her a wee treat each.

Hold your hand flat out.

Nice one, Kieran.

So Chloe, are you going to do that?

Fine.

-Sure?

-Give one to you.

Sit, Mona, sit.

And there we are, look at that!

Totally fine, Chloe.

Looks like we've conquered her fear already, Kieran.

Chloe was down on dogs before today.

She's not moaning about meeting Mona, though. Lovely start!

She's so cute. What does the future hold for Mona?

She's going to live a happy life. She likes her walks and cuddles

and just loves getting attention off people.

You think someone will take Mona home soon, guys?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, definitely.

So far, so good. But let's hope they're still doggie adorers later

when they face up to extreme cleaning duties.

Katherine and Katie are helping out in a swan colony in Dorset.

It's breakfast time at the lagoon

where all the families with young cygnets are kept in one area.

And in a separate section

are hundreds of non-breeding greedy grown-ups that need feeding.

If we don't feed these, they will try to steal food from the families

and cygnets might get bullied.

Let's get going.

Both girls have their hands full with this job.

It's vital that Katherine and Katie feed these single adults

to stop them stealing the youngsters' food.

How many times a day do you need to feed the swans?

We give them breakfast in bed, lunch in bed and tea in bed.

We give them three meals a day.

Swans are not only graceful swimmers. Oh, no.

They can fly at over 50mph.

No need to get flighty now, though,

not with all the girls' grub to nosh.

I'm really enjoying feeding the swans

because I've never done it before, and they just seem so calm.

Well done, girls. Thanks very much.

You did a great job. Did you enjoy it?

-BOTH:

-Yeah.

We've got lots more to do, so we'd better get busy. Off we go.

And later, can the girls handle the challenge

of helping newly-hatched cygnets when mum swan gets in a big flap?

They're saying, "Don't touch my cygnets. I want them back."

Back in Glasgow, Chloe and Kieran are caring for poorly pooch, Mona.

She's being looked after here until a new owner can be found.

Chloe and Kieran's next job is to deal with what doggies do.

And what doggies do is doggie doo-doo!

-So guys, are we up for it?

-Yep.

-It's a bit disgusting, but I'm up for it.

-That's good.

That's the spirit, Chloe! Grab your gloves and get grafting.

OK, guys, just put the spade on the floor and scoop a bit up.

Does that smell nice?

No!

Push it right up to the wall.

Oof!

It's disgusting! Ugh! How often do you need to do this?

We've got 120 dogs, and every day a dog does a toilet in the kennel.

We have to come in and clean this up.

Ugh!

For a dog disliker, you're doing a grand job, Chloe.

Just the scrubbing to do now!

How does that feel, Kieran?

Not too bad.

You've missed a bit.

Need that wee bit in the middle done as well.

That's you.

Do you think you could do this every day? 120 kennels?

-BOTH:

-No!

Good work all the same!

And I'm sure Mona the dog appreciates all your efforts.

Isn't that right, Mona, huh?

Yes! Thought so!

Don't forget dogs have an amazing sense of smell, guys,

so be sure to get rid of all the nasty niffs in there.

Chloe, you need to get right up to the very top

so as all the water's brought right down to the very bottom.

And that, I would say, is a job well done. Nice work, team.

The kennel wasn't as bad as I thought it would be,

so I enjoyed it.

After meeting Mona and all the other dogs I've seen,

I'm getting a bit into liking them.

Wow! Now that's a turnaround.

Later, our team help Mona get her sore leg sorted.

If someone wants to give Mona a bit more of a tummy tickle

and just distract her...

There you go.

But first, we go down to the woods and Dick gets a big surprise.

How much further to this lodge?

I'm ready for something to eat and a nap.

-Ta-da!

-Ta-da?

That's it!

You said we were staying in a lodge by a lake.

Not what I had in mind. I'm not staying in that!

No, you twazzock! A lodge is the name of a beaver's home.

It's made out of logs, sticks, twigs, leaves and mud.

A beaver. That means we've got to do some work.

Of course you've got to do some work!

These cameras aren't following us around for fun, you know. Are ya?

Maybe it is following us around for fun,

but there's still lots of work to do.

Beavers are known for their busy-ness

and those big front teeth are their work tools.

They use them to gnaw down trees to build their homes

and strip bark from branches, which they nosh.

We're here today to help a very special group of beavers.

Well, when I saw "we"...

Get cleaning the pool, Dick!

Ooh! "Come away for the weekend," he said!

"Have a lovely time," he said.

Lovely time?! Cleaning out bits of rotted apple and pooey water?

European beavers were hunted to complete extinction

here in the UK, for their soft fur and flesh, over 400 years ago.

This sanctuary is part of a UK-wide breeding programme

that is helping to protect this precious species.

And today there's a new arrival to enjoy Dick's nice, clean pool.

There you are.

I'm very impressed that you've actually finished cleaning,

very impressed.

Not bad, eh? Once I threw myself into it, eh, I started enjoying it.

Right, then, shall we do the do?

Three, two, one. Beavers away.

Go on, Beav.

-That's it.

-So fast!

Oh, what a mover. Sploshingtons!

There she goes into the nice, clean pond cleaned by Dicky's fair hand.

That it, then, is it?

You don't want to do any silly little jokes about this animal?

No. Let's just enjoy the moment, my friend.

That's a bit weird isn't it?

He looks like he's about to sing.

Sing what?

Justin Beaver!

Katherine and Katie are working with swan-herd David

at a swan colony in Dorset.

Keep going. Keep working.

It's the busiest time of year - nesting season.

Each year, around 600 youngsters hatch in the space of six weeks

and the girls are about to meet a soon-to-be mum.

This female has been sitting on her eggs,

keeping them warm for five weeks. That's a long time to sit still.

She's now due to hatch those eggs.

Every day, we need to check the nest to see how they're getting on.

So we'll see if she'll stand up.

David needs to inspect each nest regularly

to make sure mum and her eggs are in good shape.

Our team are getting incredible access.

The eggs could hatch at any moment.

How long will it take for the swans to hatch?

One egg might hatch in half an hour, if it's lucky.

It usually takes all day and part of the night for all the eggs to hatch.

Good luck, Mum. We'll leave you in peace.

Time to check on some baby swans that did hatch only three days ago.

This little family belong on the nest in the reeds there.

They've got a very muddy swimming pool.

We've got two tiny cygnets that belong to this pair

and they're only three days old.

Aw!

We want to take the two cygnets just for a minute and tag them.

What's tagging?

Well, we want to give them a little number on the web of their foot

so that we know who they are.

Why do you need to tag them?

Well, we have lots of swans and lots of cygnets

and some cygnets get mixed up and lost.

We really need to know who every cygnet belongs to.

The only way we can do it is to give every cygnet their own number.

As the team approach, Mum and Dad are naturally protective,

but this is all about helping them.

David nets the babies quickly, to cause as little stress as possible.

There you are, girls.

Two tiny cygnets ready to be tagged.

The first one is a little boy

and he gets tagged on the left foot.

That's good. Mind he doesn't jump. Lovely. There's the foot.

Katherine carefully keeps hold as the tag goes on.

There we go. That one's tagged.

That's one done.

Don't worry, Mum - your little ones will be back in no time.

Katie holds the little girl, and she's tagged on the right foot.

Tagging the cygnets doesn't hurt at all

and it helps the team keep tabs on them for the rest of their lives.

That's good. Mum's waiting for them, so we'll give them back.

Well done. That's OK.

They're saying, "Don't touch my cygnets. We want them back."

With the swan family back together and on their way,

it's a job well done.

And later, our girls get hands-on with a huge, heavy swan.

-You've obviously done this before!

-No!

Back in Glasgow, Chloe and Kieran are preparing

for an important doggie health check.

Mona had a cancerous tumour removed two months ago

and now needs a follow-up examination.

We're scrubbed up and ready to go.

What's first for the guys?

The first thing we're going to do with Mon, we'll settle her,

and when she's quite happy up here

we'll have a little look in her ears

and make sure she has no infections or earwax down there.

Can you see any redness or wax or anything like that?

-It's all fine.

-All looks fine? Grand.

-What about your side?

-It looks fine.

That looks lovely, doesn't it?

Good girl, Mona!

Are the dogs usually as calm when they're getting this done?

Not always. Most of them are quite good, but she's particularly good.

She's a wee star, aren't you, Mona?

With Chloe and Kieran's help,

Mona is checked out for lumps, bumps and fleas.

She passes with flying colours.

What about the bandage on her leg?

Mona had a type of tumour on that leg called a mast cell tumour.

She had that removed a few weeks ago.

Unfortunately, we couldn't get all of the tumour.

She's going to need some follow-up treatment

to try to get rid of all those cancer cells.

Hopefully, after further treatment, Mona will get the all-clear

and she should be able to live a happy life with a new owner.

-Would you be able to look after Mona at home?

-Yeah!

Even dog-shy Chloe is won over by Mona.

Now time to change that dressing.

If someone just wants to give Mona a bit of a tummy tickle,

we'll just distract her, so she doesn't try and help.

There you go.

She likes to try and help.

-Does it hurt?

-It shouldn't hurt.

We've made the antiseptic. It shouldn't be too nippy.

She's quite happy sitting there.

Does cancer make her feel poorly or does it hurt her?

Not this particular type of cancer

doesn't make her feel poorly, particularly, at all.

And with her new dressing,

Mona will be back enjoying her nice, clean kennel in no time.

That'll do us. Good girl, Mona!

Good girl. So, Chloe, you're doing all right, aren't you?

Are you surprised how calm Mona's been?

I'm really surprised.

What about the cats and dogs thing? Who's winning at the moment?

Look at how cute Mona is. She's being so nice to you.

Definitely still cats.

Ah! We're getting there, Kieran, slowly but surely!

You'll love 'em by the end of the day!

Later, Chloe pets puppies

and Kieran tries to train a jumpy tearaway.

But first, scary...

chickens?!

Don't be frightened. The animal we're going to feed today

is probably one of the closest living relatives

to the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Ah, he's a good lad.

Here we are.

-Is it going to eat the chickens?

-It IS the chickens!

Are you saying this chicken

-is basically a mini-dinosaur in a feathery dress?

-Pretty much.

Scientists believe birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs.

The fossilised bones of a T-Rex and of a chicken

reveal that they contain very similar proteins and stuff.

Oh, right! Shame they're extinct.

Think of the size of the omelettes we could've had!

Chickens are unlikely to become extinct -

there's twice as many chickens on the planet as humans!

So basically, chickens are kind of like T-Rexes

that means T-Rexes are kind of like chickens!

OMINOUS BOOMING

Did you call a T-Rex a chicken?

T-Rex!

SPOOKY COCK-CROW

Oh!

Lay us an egg, will you?

Kieran and Chloe are working at a dog's home in Glasgow.

There's always loads to do here,

so our team are going to separate for the next jobs.

Ah, Lisa. Here's Kieran.

He's come to meet this fella. What's his name?

This is Arnie.

And why is Arnie in here?

Arnie was found as a stray a few years ago.

We've been looking after him ever since

and waiting to find his perfect home.

Arnie's a bit of a live-wire, who's being taught

how to follow instructions, so he can be successfully re-homed.

Is he the dog that's been here the longest?

Yes, Arnie has been with us for about four years now.

He has been offered some homes in the past,

but we are looking for a very special home that's looking

to continue the training and socialisation he requires.

Over to you, Kieran!

Arnie, go on. Arnie. Arnie.

Woo hoo! Arnie! What's this?

I have a feeling this is going to be a busy session.

ARNIE BARKS

And Chloe's got her hands full as well.

These gorgeous nine-week-old puppies were left here

after their owner couldn't look after them.

They'll need to get used to human contact

if they're to be successfully re-homed.

Meanwhile, Kieran is starting to get Arnie under control.

Go get it!

Check it out!

Go on, Arnie, on you go.

Kieran's enjoying this, but what's the purpose to it?

Training is fantastic for dogs.

It teaches them how to communicate with us.

It teaches them how to learn skills

that we can then use in their homes as well.

With training complete, it's treat time for Arnie.

He's found all of them! Look at it!

A little more work might be needed here.

And with the team reunited,

Chloe bravely overcomes her jumpy dog jitters and says hello to Arnie.

How do you feel?

OK.

-You sure?

-Yeah.

It's overcoming her fear, isn't it?

You can't win them all,

but Chloe did brilliantly, surrounded by dogs all day.

-What was your favourite bit?

-Playing with Arnie.

-You had him well under control in the end, didn't you?

-Yeah.

-Why didn't you like Arnie, Chloe?

-He was a bit jumpy.

-But you liked the puppies.

-Yeah.

-But is it now dogs or cats?

-Cats.

She's the cat lady, you're the dog man. Good work.

Katherine and Katie are on bird patrol at a swan haven in Dorset.

The swans are free to come and go as they please.

New individuals regularly join the colony,

and keeping track of who's who is always difficult.

The team here fit as many birds as possible with identity rings

so they can be monitored and protected throughout their lives.

What is that for?

We need to distract the swans.

We need to bait them and settle them,

so hopefully a little bit of food will do all of that.

We need to watch these swans to make sure we can find one without a ring.

So girls, if you'd like to put a little bit of food in the water,

carry that to the end, and you know how to do this bit.

I've missed you doing all this. Now you're experts.

The girls distract the swans with a tasty treat.

There's just tons of white birds going "gobble-gobble".

And with the swans downing their dinner,

David spots a bird without a ring and moves fast.

That was incredible!

It's scary. How did you catch that?

I've got a special walking stick

and this just held the swan still whilst I gathered it up.

I think, actually, the girls are probably strong enough

to hold this swan while we put rings on it.

You are going to hold that? Look at it! Look at the size of it?

Put your arms out ready to hug it. I want you to hug it really firmly.

Hug. And don't let that swan go.

Well done! If that swan wriggles a little bit, just hold him real firm.

You've obviously done this before.

-No!

-SHE LAUGHS

You're doing so well. It might even go around your neck.

-Wow!

-DOM LAUGHS

Look at that!

Brilliant work, Katie!

A tight hold keeps those big, strong wings secure.

Remember, David is an expert swan handler.

NEVER go near a swan yourselves.

OK, let's get that identity tag on, quickly.

This ring will go on its right foot, leading upwards.

What do the numbers mean?

This will be recorded very carefully on the computer

and we'll keep watching this swan

and record everything that we know about the swan.

We will get a life history on this swan.

Next they will need to weigh the swan,

so this time it's Katherine who will need to keep a firm grip.

If you hold his wings nice and still.

Press your hand on top of his wing there. You've got it.

-You've done this before.

-No, I haven't!

That is 10.2 kilos.

That's a really healthy weight.

A solid day's work, girls.

-And so it is the end of the day. Have you enjoyed yourselves?

-Yes!

-Are you scared of big, fluffy things any more?

-No.

-No? Sure? Do you love big, fluffy things?

-BOTH:

-Yeah.

Well, that's good.

You see I've go this theory about Dick & Dom Go Wild and this is it.

-When once you may arrive, and then you may thrive...

-BOTH:

-Bye!

-Wait, don't just go! I was getting into my philosophy then!

-Bye!

Do you find me boring or something?

Ah, look at them beavers.

Look at them just gnawing through that big, heavy oak tree.

They're nearly through it.

Look at that giant oak tree, falling majestically towards our heads.

Wonderful!

BOTH: Argh!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd