0:00:02 > 0:00:06There's been a massive baby boom in the parks this year,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10but with so many to choose from, which one is the cutest?
0:00:10 > 0:00:14We're bringing in a top team of judges to give their verdict.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Hello, welcome to Roar. I'm Johny, and Rani's just over there.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44She reckons she's not scared of anything,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46but she must be scared of one of these.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49- Rani, could you come over here, please?- Sure thing, Johny.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- What's up with you today? - Just wanted to show you something.
0:00:52 > 0:00:53- Go on, then.- This. Aargh!
0:00:53 > 0:00:55It's a Madagascan cockroach!
0:00:55 > 0:00:58You probably know it by its nickname, the hissing cockroach,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01because of its ability to push air through its abdomen.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05That one isn't fully grown. They grow up to eight centimetres.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08If it was with its pals, you'd call it a colony. Awww!
0:01:08 > 0:01:09So you're not afraid of it?
0:01:09 > 0:01:12- Oh, Johny, you'll have to do more than that to scare me!- Oh.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Oh, I think I got away with it!
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Here's what's on today's show. We meet up with a disabled lioness
0:01:20 > 0:01:23and find out why she had swimming lessons when she was a cub.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27She was given little armbands or lifejacket, and she went swimming.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30This went on for a few months until she got too big
0:01:30 > 0:01:33and the owners of the dogs at the local pool didn't want to take
0:01:33 > 0:01:36their dogs there any more if there was a lion going.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39And the lion tailed macaques are in for a treat.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42But what's our Roar Ranger going to feed them?
0:01:42 > 0:01:44- Are them worms alive?- Yeah!- Yuk!
0:01:44 > 0:01:48You're going to be putting your hand in to scatter them around in a bit.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52You go in first, then, Mr Monkey Expert.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Monkey Man!
0:01:57 > 0:01:59But first, the Cutest Baby Award.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07We've seen all sorts of little ones born this year,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09from mini monkeys to gorgeous gorillas
0:02:09 > 0:02:13and from tiny tapirs to cute cats.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17We've even had a rare moloch gibbon birth captured on film
0:02:17 > 0:02:20for the first time ever in Europe.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24But the time has come to make the toughest decision of the year,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28which baby is the cutest of them all?
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Two years ago, the gorgeous baby gorillas scooped the prize.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Since then, they've, amazingly, been returned to the wild in Africa,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38leaving this year's competition wide open.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42So we asked the keepers to nominate their favourite four.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46First up is a delightful De Brazza baby,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48sponsored by Simon.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51That's a cute baby! Nothing else is as cute as that.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Next comes the baby tapir,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56who Barry wants to win.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59This chap is just number one.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Our third contestant is Etana,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04who's been entered by Liz.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Tapirs, and other things like that,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09can't compare, really, to a baby elephant.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10I mean, what more could you ask for?
0:03:11 > 0:03:14And last, but by no means least,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Jess with Tiggs the meerkat.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23That gives us a shortlist of four bouncing babies
0:03:23 > 0:03:24up for the grand prize.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28BELL CLANGS
0:03:28 > 0:03:32So let's get to know all the contestants a bit better
0:03:32 > 0:03:36before the all-important vote, starting with a teeny-weeny version
0:03:36 > 0:03:39of the largest land animal on the planet.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Etana is the most cutest animal in the park, because she's so playful,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56so cheeky, she's just adorable. Obviously, because she's a big baby
0:03:56 > 0:04:00because she's an elephant, there's more of her to be cute, I suppose.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Etana's enormous daddy, Jums, weighs over five tonnes.
0:04:05 > 0:04:11She only weighs a fraction of that, so she's very much his little girl.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13The cutest bit of Etana?
0:04:13 > 0:04:17I'd have to say her pretty face and her eyes.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21When they're first born they have no control over their trunk
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and it's just sort of hitting themselves in the face, and that,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28whereas now obviously she's growing up. She's six months now,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30so she's learnt how to use it a bit more.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33There are fourteen ellies in the herd here,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37and Etana's granny, Massa, is the matriarch or head female.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42So Etana's a kind of royal princess, and she certainly behaves like one.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45She's always copying the others, playing with them,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48trying to bully them! I think she thinks she's bigger than she is,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52and if there's an elephant laying down, she'll be the cheeky one
0:04:52 > 0:04:54and crawling all over them and acting the fool.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58I think baby elephants have to be the cutest animals in the whole world,
0:04:58 > 0:04:59I definitely do.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06So a big plug for Etana from Liz there,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09but I can't see Barry the tapir keeper agreeing.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Well, I don't think there's any comparison at all.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15He's in a different league.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20Elephants, well, they're lovely, but this chap is just number one.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24He's got stripes, he's got spots, he's got a great personality.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26He's into everything.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28He lets you give him a nice little scratch,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32and he is the cutest in the park.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33When they grow up,
0:05:33 > 0:05:38Brazilian tapirs lose their markings and can be heavier than a lion.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40They have to eat loads to achieve that size,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43and, within minutes of being born,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46this little chap had found his mother's milk and got on with it.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50When he was born, he was probably no bigger than about that,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52so look at how big he's grown now.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53And this is just in five weeks.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57He's putting on quite a bit of weight. Aren't you, Mr Chunky?
0:05:58 > 0:06:02So that's two of the finalists for Cutest Baby of the Year,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04and later on we'll meet two more.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07This competition is really hotting up.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Today's Roar Ranger is 11-year-old Jake from Barnsley.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24He's got a pet dog called Maggie.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27And he's already helped out with the tapirs here.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Hey, there's Wilma.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Flippin' heck, they're big!
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Jake has a black belt in Tae Kwon-Do,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36so he's not really scared of anything.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39But what creatures will he be taking on today?
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Cue Jake's best monkey impression.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Brilliant. Time to feed the monkeys.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58The kind of monkeys Jake will be dealing with
0:06:58 > 0:07:00are the lion tailed macaques.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Now, although they have a lion-like mane on their heads,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07it's the tuft on their tails which gives them their name.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Originally from southwest India, they are endangered in the wild,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14where only a few thousand survive at the most.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19It's a lot of work keeping the macaques fit and healthy,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23so our Roar Ranger's going to give head primate keeper, Matt, a hand.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- Hi, I'm Jake.- Hi, I'm Matt.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Do you know why you're here today?
0:07:27 > 0:07:28- To feed monkeys.- That's correct.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33We've got some special toys to throw in with the macaques,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36so if you want to follow me, we'll sort them out and get them in there.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Sounds good.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41But the monkeys can't eat the toys, can they?
0:07:41 > 0:07:42Jake's about to find out.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45OK, so, what are we going to do with all this?
0:07:45 > 0:07:49- These are dog toys that we're going to use...- Dog toys?- Oh, yeah.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Dog toys? For monkeys?
0:07:52 > 0:07:55All we're going to do is stuff lots of bits and bobs.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- So if you want to squeeze them into the ball...- I'll try.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04Macaques go nuts about nuts, so Jake's job is to push in walnuts,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06seeds and their favourite, peanuts.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Is this the way that they normally get fed?
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Er, not every day, no. This is sort of like treats that we do for them
0:08:14 > 0:08:18just to keep them busy during the day, and these ones work the best.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20- They like their nuts. - They do like their nuts.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25But Matt plans to give the macaques a surprise treat, as well.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27So what are you doing there?
0:08:27 > 0:08:30All this is is just baby food.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34The macaques love it. So it's going to be a bit messy, but there you go.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Do you want to smear it onto that ball?
0:08:36 > 0:08:38I'll use a spoon, saves a bit of mess.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Come on, Jake, get mucky!
0:08:40 > 0:08:42I tell you what, the best way...
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Just dip it in!
0:08:44 > 0:08:47If you want to do that, and I'll just get you some seeds.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Roll it around in that and see what happens.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Ah, this looks much more promising!
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Look at that.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Sticky fingers. That's more like it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04I think you got more on you than on the ball.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08So is Jake's gooey gobstopper mucky enough for Matt?
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Doesn't look pretty, but I think what Jake's done
0:09:11 > 0:09:14is going to enrich the macaques slightly.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20We'll be back shortly to see whether our Roar Ranger
0:09:20 > 0:09:22or the monkeys end up in more of a mess.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28What do you get when you cross an elephant with a goldfish?
0:09:28 > 0:09:29I don't know.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30Swimming trunks.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35ROARING
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Why do elephants have trunks?
0:09:37 > 0:09:38I don't know.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Because they'll look silly carrying suitcases.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45ROARING
0:09:45 > 0:09:47What do bees chew?
0:09:47 > 0:09:49I don't know.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Bumble-gum!
0:09:52 > 0:09:55LAUGHTER
0:10:06 > 0:10:10There have been 34 lions born here over the years,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12and they have 11 at present.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16But one of the most popular with both keepers and visitors is Samira,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18who's a disabled lioness,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22and I've come to see her with keeper Rich Barnes.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Four days after she was born, she was found with a dodgy sort of leg,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30and we thought she'd been injured, so we pulled her out for hand raising,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and at that point we didn't actually know what was wrong with her.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37We just assumed it was the obvious sort of scarring on the leg.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Later on, when she was having various scans, it actually picked up
0:10:41 > 0:10:47a spinal injury between her shoulder blades, a bit of a kink in the spine,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50so that obviously puts pressure on the nerve and all of the stuff
0:10:50 > 0:10:54around the spine, and this causes her to walk funny.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58So it was actually nothing to do with the foreleg injury which
0:10:58 > 0:11:01we thought it was initially, and that was just superficial, really.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06She's so beautiful, watching her come down the hill, limping away.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10And she had rehabilitation, didn't she, when she was younger,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14but there's nothing you can really do to help her walking or anything?
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- Not really.- She went to a hydro pool? - Yeah, she had swimming lessons.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21She was given little armbands or lifejacket, and she went swimming.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24This went on for a few months until she got too big
0:11:24 > 0:11:27and the owners of the dogs at the local pool didn't want
0:11:27 > 0:11:30to take their dogs there any more if there was a lion going.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32And then we had to stop her going.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34But that was obviously for the initial injury,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37and it was found later than that, the actual spinal injury.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40There's not really anything we can do for it except
0:11:40 > 0:11:43make her comfortable if she's in any discomfort.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46We spend time with her, give her a little bit more fuss
0:11:46 > 0:11:49than maybe we'd do with the others, give her little bits to do,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53don't make her life too difficult, don't give her things that are hard,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56like hide her food too much and stuff like that.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59She's happy enough, not in any pain. And a real hit with the visitors.
0:11:59 > 0:12:05Richard, it is an amazing enclosure, but really big for one lovely lion.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Is there any chance you could put her with any other lions in here?
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Not in this enclosure. This is only for Samira, really.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13We couldn't put any other lions in,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15because the fence is lower than normal.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17As for putting her in with other lions,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21we've tried her with several other males, and basically she just
0:12:21 > 0:12:24feels threatened all the time when she's in with other lions.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27She's aware that she's disabled and constantly worried that
0:12:27 > 0:12:31they're going to have a go at her. Since being on her own,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35she's been much happier. We spend a little bit more time with her,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38but she's all good about that, because she was hand raised.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43And so we think she's acted more like a lion in the last year or so
0:12:43 > 0:12:46than she ever has, she's actually started really talking,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49roaring like a lion, actually being a proper lion.
0:12:49 > 0:12:50So she wasn't roaring before?
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Is that because she was unhappy, just didn't know how to,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56or have you been doing a lot of roaring with her?
0:12:56 > 0:13:00It's not really roaring as such, it's that deep bellowing they do.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03She does that and talks to the guys next door, and they talk back.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07- Oh, lovely.- She just never did that before so much, so it's nice.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Rich, thank you so much for letting us pop down here today.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13She is looking great and it's always a pleasure to see her.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Thank you so much.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Now back to the hunt for this year's cutest baby.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30The little elephant and tiny tapir from earlier on
0:13:30 > 0:13:34are the front runners so far, but we still have two more to meet.
0:13:40 > 0:13:41This is Tiggs,
0:13:41 > 0:13:46our four-month-old baby meerkat. She was hand reared with us,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49and I definitely think she's one of the park's cutest animals.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53You can see that Tiggs is really feisty, but when she was little,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57she was always kind of really sweet and just kind of slept all the time
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and only woke up to be fed, and now she's constantly awake
0:14:00 > 0:14:04and constantly wants to bite people. Don't you? Don't you? Yes!
0:14:04 > 0:14:08But the little nipper wasn't always so feisty.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Just look at her three months ago, when we first met her.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Here she is. OK, this is Tiggs,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17the little baby meerkat.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Three weeks old today, aren't you? Eh?
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Baby meerkats usually live
0:14:23 > 0:14:25in underground burrows with Mum and Dad,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28but Tiggs got very ill after birth.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31She had to be removed from her family and hand raised
0:14:31 > 0:14:35by Rich Barnes, who, as we've seen, normally looks after the big cats.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38You think it's getting better?
0:14:38 > 0:14:39TIGGS SQUAWKS
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Yes!
0:14:42 > 0:14:44She's quite cute. Aren't you?
0:14:45 > 0:14:48So Tiggs must be in with a chance of winning the competition,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51but not if Simon Jeffery has anything to do with it.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56He's raised a tiny tot, too, called, believe it or not, Monkey.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05And what could be cuter than a four-month-old De Brazza baby?
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Baby monkeys are fantastic, and she's a very, very cute little monkey,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13especially because she's got a little beard as well.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15BLOWS RASPBERRY
0:15:15 > 0:15:19There was an emergency when the little De Brazza was born.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Her mum, Bamboo, needed an operation to get baby out
0:15:23 > 0:15:25and was too ill to look after her.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29So Simon raised Monkey in his own home,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32with a little help from his Basset Hounds.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37Having a little monkey around the house means fun, fun and more fun.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43This monkey likes doing everything.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47She plays with you, she jumps on you, she tickles. Look. Tickle!
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Hopefully, Monkey will be able to go back with her own family soon.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55But in the meantime, her favourite plaything is Simon
0:15:55 > 0:15:57and the Roar camera crew.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05On a scale of one to ten, she's an eleven. Simple as that!
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Well, you can't argue with that,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10but is she cute enough to win this competition?
0:16:10 > 0:16:12If you look down at that face
0:16:12 > 0:16:14there's only one word for her, "cute".
0:16:14 > 0:16:16She is just the cutest animal in the world.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22So here are the Cutest Baby of the Year finalists.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25But who's going to win it? The keepers can't agree,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27and Rani and I certainly can't,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29so we'll be asking some Roar volunteers
0:16:29 > 0:16:31from Ask the Keeper to vote on it.
0:16:34 > 0:16:35I think the baby tapir's the cutest.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39I think the baby elephant's the cutest.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42I think the cutest baby is the baby De Brazza.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44I can't really decide.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47We'll bring you the results of the all-important vote
0:16:47 > 0:16:50in just a few minutes time.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58How's your own wildlife park doing on the Roar online game?
0:16:58 > 0:17:03Type in today's cheat code, which is snow899,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and that'll unlock food, treats or even new animals
0:17:06 > 0:17:08to attract even more visitors.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10And that's how you move up the leader board.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Back at the macaque enclosure, the monkeys are in for a treat.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23But our Roar Ranger, Jake, may not see it that way.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24- Are them worms alive?- Yeah.- Yuk!
0:17:24 > 0:17:28You're going to be putting your hand in to scatter them around in a bit.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30RETCHING
0:17:31 > 0:17:33You can tell Jake's looking forward to this(!)
0:17:33 > 0:17:36You go in first, then, Mr Monkey Expert.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Monkey Man!
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Weighing on average the same as 14 tins of beans,
0:17:42 > 0:17:47the lion taileds are the smallest of the 15 species of macaque.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50But with front teeth sharp enough to slice through nuts,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54you don't want a nasty nip off these fellas,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57so the first job is to clear the enclosure.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Right, if you want to start shaking them about.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04The moment they hear the rattle of peanuts, these monkeys come running.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Here they come. We've got to wait till all 14 are in,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09so I hope you're counting them.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten...
0:18:14 > 0:18:17No, I haven't counted them all! Anyway, there's none outside.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20They should all be in. They work as a group and come in together.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24They'll follow the dominant male, which is this one here.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Macaques always play follow-my-leader,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30and the alpha male here, the boss man, is eight-year-old Spock.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Jake's safe because he's here with an experienced keeper,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37but he isn't taking any chances.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40- So when we're in there, they can't get out.- Hopefully not.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43We've shut the slides and we'll put the padlock on, because that's
0:18:43 > 0:18:47always a safe thing to do to make sure that they can't get back out.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Right. If you want to grab some food...
0:18:50 > 0:18:53OK, yeah. Plonk it...
0:18:55 > 0:18:56Whoops.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Ah, a touch of the peanut-butterfingers there.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02I'll deal with that later!
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Jake's next job is to spread the nutty toys around.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Put this here.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14With them all spaced out, even the little one should get a look-in.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Right! Done.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Except, of course, for the gooey gobstopper.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25It being a warm day, Matt's also brought the macaques
0:19:25 > 0:19:29some giant ice lollies to lick or, more likely, tear apart.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32So these monkey are right vicious?
0:19:32 > 0:19:35We've never had much contact with them. They're very wild
0:19:35 > 0:19:38and work as a group so if one of them has a problem with you
0:19:38 > 0:19:42- they all will and will all attack you.- Trying to eat you.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Macaques are omnivorous, which means they'll eat anything,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49so it's a good thing they're still safely locked away.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52But it's time for our Roar Ranger to get to grips
0:19:52 > 0:19:54with those very wriggly mealworms.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58If you want to take a handful...
0:19:58 > 0:20:00They won't bite. Hard.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03What do you mean, "They won't bite hard"?
0:20:03 > 0:20:05No, they don't bite at all. You're fine.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09So how's our Roar Ranger approaching this job?
0:20:09 > 0:20:12I'm just trying to get it done as quick as possible.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19There are loads of treats in place now, so it's time to leave.
0:20:19 > 0:20:20And for all his hard work,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Jake's rewarded with an extra special honour,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26giving the order on Matt's keeper radio.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Ruth, let the macaques out.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Him on table's big. He is big.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Well, they seem to be enjoying it.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50That sticky ball isn't going to last, is it?
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Because monkeys are eating it.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58- Worked quite well.- It does look like they're enjoying it.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00So has Jake enjoyed his day?
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I think I've done exceptionally well.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05LAUGHTER
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Jake's proved that being a good keeper, he can get dirty
0:21:08 > 0:21:11like the rest of us, he can understand about being around
0:21:11 > 0:21:14dangerous animals and things like that.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17I feel good about going in somewhere where no-one else has been.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21But I can see why no-one else has been there for two reasons.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24One, because they can't get in, and two, because they're
0:21:24 > 0:21:26dangerous monkeys.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29So does our Roar Ranger have any regrets?
0:21:29 > 0:21:30Yeah, I did enjoy it.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35I just wish I could've stayed and climbed a bit!
0:21:35 > 0:21:36Never mind, Jake,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40I'm sure the macaques would have you back any time.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Now, if I were to say the word "breakfast", you'd probably think of
0:21:50 > 0:21:54cereal, toast, eggs, a bit of orange juice as well.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56But I bet you'd never think of herbs.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Well, that's exactly what's on today's menu for these guys,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03the bongos. I'm here with hoofstock keeper, Helen Rhodes, who's got
0:22:03 > 0:22:06their more traditional breakfast. But what's the purpose of this?
0:22:06 > 0:22:10We've got coriander, thyme and basil, which they'd find in the wild,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- so we're giving it a go. - Shall we start feeding them?
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Yeah, spread it around a bit so they all get some if they want it.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21- OK. Let's see if they like them. - Do you want to chuck it all out?
0:22:21 > 0:22:23- All out, then?- Yeah.- OK. OK.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25See if they're more likely to give it a go, then.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Oh, look, they're eating.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Where would you usually find bongos, Helen?
0:22:30 > 0:22:35These are eastern bongos, so they're found in eastern and central Africa.
0:22:35 > 0:22:36Who've we got here, then?
0:22:36 > 0:22:40We've got a couple of little ones. They look like a nice little family.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Yep, this is Shani, here,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46who the baby's trying to suckle from even though it's not her mum.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50We've got Enna at the back, which is the mum to Nampula,
0:22:50 > 0:22:51the male over here.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56And Saffy, this little one here, and then Rowena's in here somewhere,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58but I can't see her, and that's this one's mum.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01In the wild, have they got many predators?
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Yeah, big cats. They've got to be very careful.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08- And obviously, humans, of course. - Let me throw a few more herbs out.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10How will they know that they're here?
0:23:10 > 0:23:13- Have they got a good sense of smell? - Yeah, they have but hopefully
0:23:13 > 0:23:17they'll have seen us throw them out and they might just come back and
0:23:17 > 0:23:21- have a little taste.- Yes, it's a waiting game. Let's find out.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Are they quite protective over their babies?
0:23:24 > 0:23:28Yeah. They're used to us. They know that we're fine with them.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Now, Helen, what's this big fella behind the fence?
0:23:31 > 0:23:33- That's Raf. He's our male.- OK.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36He's separate at the moment. He can always see them through the fence.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Would he attack some of the others if he was in there with them?
0:23:39 > 0:23:43No, but he does get a little bit grumpy which is why we separate him.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- He likes his bachelor time.- He likes to chill out by himself for a bit.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50I've noticed the smaller ones don't have horns. Raf has massive horns.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53So at what age do they start growing their horns?
0:23:53 > 0:23:57Nampula here is about a year and a half now, so they do start
0:23:57 > 0:24:01growing straightaway, but they're just a bit stumpy to begin with.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04- Nampula's looking like he's enjoying these herbs.- Yeah.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08I think the others are a bit shy, so I reckon we should leave them to it.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12This talk of breakfast has made me hungry. Do you fancy a full English?
0:24:12 > 0:24:14- Yeah!- My treat. I'll leave them to get on with it.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30The moment has come to decide on this year's cutest baby.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35Forget the Oscars, this is the ultimate award to win.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38You at home probably have your own favourite,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42and Johny and I could argue for weeks over this.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44It's a massive decision,
0:24:44 > 0:24:49so we've invited 24 of our Ask the Keeper children to make it.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52This is a selection of who they want to win.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55I think the cutest one is the meerkat.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56The baby elephant.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57The De Brazza.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59The baby meerkat.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04I think the baby meerkat's the cutest.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06The baby De Brazza.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08I think the baby tapir's the cutest.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11The cutest baby animal is the elephant.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17So the votes have all been counted, and this is the big moment.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19With just one vote? I can't believe it!
0:25:19 > 0:25:23The sweet baby tapir is in fourth place.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28The beautiful baby De Brazza has come third with three votes.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33So who is the cute champion?
0:25:33 > 0:25:36In second place with seven votes
0:25:36 > 0:25:39is the funny little elly, Etana.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42But with a terrific score of 13,
0:25:42 > 0:25:47the outright winner and official cutest baby of the year is ...
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Tiggs the meerkat!
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Rich Barnes, who we saw earlier on with Samira the lioness,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00has brought Tiggs out to collect her prize.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- Hiya, Tiggs!- So cute! - She's coming over to say hello.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05She's getting a bit excited.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08You've got to be pleased because you and Tiggs have got a special bond?
0:26:08 > 0:26:11I kind of hand raised her from when she was a baby,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14her and her little sister, who we lost after the first few days.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19But fortunately, this one's a little fighter, and she jogged on, and yeah,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22she's obviously got to her size she is now, so really happy.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25So it's an extra-special event, then, for you, isn't it?
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- How is she getting on now? - She's doing really well.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31She's quite feisty, quite strong! Hopefully soon we'll be able
0:26:31 > 0:26:34to introduce some other meerkats to her, get her a boyfriend
0:26:34 > 0:26:38that she'll be able to make a group with and then will probably become
0:26:38 > 0:26:41the dominant female because she's quite a feisty little character.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45- We can see that!- Speaking of feisty, are meerkats quite dangerous?
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- She's got quite big claws and stuff. - They're not really dangerous,
0:26:48 > 0:26:52but they'll give you a little nip, and she's got some nice little
0:26:52 > 0:26:55needle-like teeth which could do some damage to your fingers!
0:26:55 > 0:26:58You know what, Rich? Before she nips you, I'd like to present her
0:26:58 > 0:27:00with her Cutest Baby prize,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02- some mealworms!- Yay!
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Looks delicious!(?)
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Tiggs, these are for you, don't eat them all at once.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Tiggs can enjoy her snacks and you guys can check out
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- what's on the next episode of Roar. - She's loving them!
0:27:15 > 0:27:16The keepers are in training,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20and they'll need all the help they can get,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23because they need to catch the wildest horses in the world.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25How do you cool down a hot tiger?
0:27:25 > 0:27:28With an ice lolly, of course!
0:27:28 > 0:27:32And we try to mimic a monkey, but it doesn't quite work.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36That's all in the next Roar.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Subtitles by Red bee Media ltd
0:27:45 > 0:27:48E-mail subtitling@bbc co.uk