0:00:02 > 0:00:06Today on Roar, the hoofstock keepers have to leap into action
0:00:06 > 0:00:10when one of the zebras needs an urgent operation.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Hello and welcome to Roar. I'm Johny.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44And I'm Rani, and these guys behind us, unbelievably,
0:00:44 > 0:00:47are the tiger cubs that were born here last year.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50They are huge, Rani, and what's even more impressive
0:00:50 > 0:00:53is that a fully-grown female can grow up to 200 kilos.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55They've not even finished growing.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58That is impressive, cos that's about three of me.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01And even more impressive is today's show, so let's get on with it.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Coming up, will we survive when a four-metre-long python
0:01:06 > 0:01:09comes out for a health check?
0:01:09 > 0:01:13He's a big guy. Could he actually physically eat one of us?
0:01:13 > 0:01:16He could probably give YOU a go.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Our Roar Ranger has to strap on a gas mask
0:01:19 > 0:01:22to cope in the stinky hog house.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24It absolutely honks in here.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27And the colobus monkeys get a big surprise
0:01:27 > 0:01:30when Rani tries to give them a shower.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Look at them! They all raced up there!
0:01:38 > 0:01:41But first we're heading straight out to the safari area,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44known as the African Experience,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47because there's a problem that requires urgent attention.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50It's the height of the birthing season and the area is full
0:01:50 > 0:01:52of cute little babies.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57Unfortunately, one of the park's Grevy's zebra stallions
0:01:57 > 0:02:00has taken a serious dislike to one of the eland babies
0:02:00 > 0:02:04and viciously attacked it. Time to call in the boss.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Head of Hoofstock Bob Saville rules the safari with an iron fist,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14and is not going to stand for any bad behaviour.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15Ben was doing the check-round.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17The group of Grevy's zebras
0:02:17 > 0:02:20were being a bit boisterous. They quite often are.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23He noticed one of our Grevy's zebras picking up a new-born eland calf
0:02:23 > 0:02:25by the neck, throwing it up in the air,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28letting it drop, then doing the same again.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32All breeds of zebra stallion have a reputation for being aggressive.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35It's completely natural behaviour for an animal
0:02:35 > 0:02:38that would have to fight to stay alive in the wild.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43On the plains of east Africa, where there as a few as 2000 Grevy's left,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46the environment is so harsh, that only the strongest will survive.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50But here in the park, the Grevy's stallion has gone too far.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56With so many rare and endangered breeds here, and with new babies
0:02:56 > 0:02:58arriving almost daily, keeper Bob knows
0:02:58 > 0:03:03he'll have to act fast to prevent the zebra doing any more damage.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Occasionally, some of the zebra stallions
0:03:05 > 0:03:08start attacking the young of other animals.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10All they're doing is protecting their own offspring.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13If they get rid of the opposition,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16their offspring will have more to eat, more chance of surviving.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19This Grevy's zebra is coming up to five years old,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22so his hormones are starting to flow. Unfortunately, he's turning into
0:03:22 > 0:03:25a troublesome lad, so we've got to perform a little operation
0:03:25 > 0:03:27on him, to control his hormones.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32The most effective way to calm the zebra down is to have him neutered.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35It's the same operation that many pets have.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38The difference is that this stallion weighs
0:03:38 > 0:03:41about 400 kilos more than the average pet.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44It's down to park vet Jane Harper
0:03:44 > 0:03:48to give the zebra an anaesthetic before performing the operation.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50First, we'll dart him. We're going to use a drug
0:03:50 > 0:03:53which is quite lethal to humans, so we need to be very careful.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57We're going to perform an operation so we can lower his hormone levels,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00make him a bit of a better-tempered chap and make him a bit calmer.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04For the sedative to be successful, Jane needs to fire a dart
0:04:04 > 0:04:06into the big muscle at the top of the zebra's leg,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10but Grevy's can run at an incredible 60 kilometres per hour,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13so she has to pick her moment carefully.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21It's a perfect hit.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24But the risks don't stop there.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27The operation is taking place in the heart of the safari area,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31and where the groggy zebra stops will be crucial to its success.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Hopefully, he won't go in the bog - there's no way we can
0:04:34 > 0:04:37do surgery there - but that's the fun of working in the African Experience.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39You never quite know what's going to happen.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42The dart has fallen out and thankfully,
0:04:42 > 0:04:46after a few twists and turns, the zebra falls clear of the swampy bog.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49But almost immediately, the other zebra stallions
0:04:49 > 0:04:51turn on the sedated animal.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Just as it would in the wild,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55the zebra herd here has a dominant male leader
0:04:55 > 0:04:58but competition for the top spot is fierce,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and as soon as the two stallion sense that the male is weak,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04they seize their chance to move up the pecking order and attack.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07Hey!
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Bob knows that the sedated zebra doesn't have a hope
0:05:13 > 0:05:17of defending himself and tries to move in to break up the fight.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22The situation is extremely dangerous for both animals and keepers,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24and unless the vet can get to the fallen zebra fast,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27the entire operation will be at risk.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31We'll be back soon to follow the drama.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48The sun is beating down, the temperature's rising fast,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52and all across the park, the animals are doing whatever they can
0:05:52 > 0:05:53to stay cool.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58But, bizarrely, it still seems to be raining in the colobus enclosure.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Ah, I have an umbrella to protect me from the rain
0:06:01 > 0:06:03on this lovely sunny day.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07All I need now is a rainbow, and there he is.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Holding his rain machine, it's keeper Simon Jeffery.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14- Hiya, Simon.- Hello.- Simon, it's not raining at all, is it?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- Not at all.- And that isn't a rain machine, is it?
0:06:16 > 0:06:18No, this is just a little sprinkler system.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Now, we're in the colobus enclosure.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24They're all up there in the trees, hiding away from us at the moment,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27but they're obviously a bit shocked because you have a sprinkler
0:06:27 > 0:06:29in their enclosure. What are we doing with this?
0:06:29 > 0:06:32This is a bit of fun for them. It does two things.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34It's nice for the grass, but it's also fun for them.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36It's a really hot day - one of the hottest this year,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39so it'd be nice to be able to put this down on the floor,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42give them a few peanuts and see if they'll come down
0:06:42 > 0:06:43and play amongst the rain.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46All right, then. Well, let's get the sprinkler down.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48It'll be fun for them.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51They're not used to this sort of thing, but they do get very hot.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54It's nice for them to be able to get cooled down. We don't know.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- We'll have to see what they do. - Here they are. Up there.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Look, there's one coming down.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01They're probably more attracted to the peanuts.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- Is that fair?- They might be, but you've got to involve food
0:07:04 > 0:07:08sometimes in the new stuff, so that they can at least get a treat
0:07:08 > 0:07:10once they've done something really good.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13OK. Now, remind us - where are colobus monkeys from?
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Colobus come from Africa...
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- Which is very hot.- Yeah, very, very hot and, as you can see,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22they do have a nice fur coat on them, so they do get very hot.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25We'll see what they react like now in amongst the rain.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28OK, cos at this side they're munching on the nuts,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30look a bit nervous. The sprinkler's going to go over,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32it's going to go over!
0:07:32 > 0:07:34SHE GIGGLES
0:07:36 > 0:07:38They've all raced up there! Oh, bless!
0:07:38 > 0:07:42It is going to be quite a shock to them if they've never had it before.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44They've never had it. It's something new, it's always a shock,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48- but you watch - they'll be back.- They are all still watching, and look -
0:07:48 > 0:07:51here they go again. But will they be quick enough to move out of the way
0:07:51 > 0:07:55- when it comes?- Or will they notice? - This is quite exciting, isn't it?
0:07:55 > 0:07:58OK, we're at 90 degrees. What's going to happen?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Oh-ho! Got a little jump there.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05So, in Africa, what would they do to keep themselves cool?
0:08:05 > 0:08:08They're at a higher altitude, so it's a little bit cooler
0:08:08 > 0:08:11higher up the trees. They can shade themselves in amongst the trees.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Here they go again!
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Oh, look, he's a bit more tentative. Oh, so they know.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18They're watching it come across now.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Well, I think it's great, Simon,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24and you say it's something new for them. It's also new for us.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26It's so fantastic to watch them, and you never know -
0:08:26 > 0:08:29they may beat the sprinkler yet and get all those peanuts.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I think I've got a bit of nut in my tooth.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Today's Roar Ranger is 11-year-old Jake from Barnsley.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46When I heard I was going to be a Roar Ranger, I was just so excited.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49It's the first time I've ever done anything like this.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51With a black belt in tae kwon do,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Jake's got some pretty special moves,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56but how does he think he'll get on as a Roar Ranger?
0:08:56 > 0:09:00I'll be all right doing the food and all that,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03but the thing that I would not want to do
0:09:03 > 0:09:06is definitely picking up the animals' leavings.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Uh-oh! With hundreds of different animals in the park, our Roar Ranger
0:09:10 > 0:09:14could be picking up the "leavings" of any one of them.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16So which one will it be?
0:09:19 > 0:09:21"Jake, today you're a red river hog keeper.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24"Hurry up, because Mum's expecting!"
0:09:24 > 0:09:27By seeing that, I think it means that
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Mum's expecting a baby or an early lunch - whichever.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35The expectant mum is one of the park's red river hogs.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39All the way from central Africa, these colourful characters
0:09:39 > 0:09:42are far from your average pig, with their hairy red coats,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45razor-sharp tusks and enormous whiskers.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Hi, I'm Jake.- Hello, Jake, I'm Barry. - Nice to meet you.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Have you any idea what sort of task you'll be doing with us?
0:09:52 > 0:09:56- No.- No idea? Well, I'm glad to see you've got your wellingtons on,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59because you might get a little bit messy. We're going to clean out
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- one of the bedrooms.- I'm always prepared.- Are you? That's good.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04I understand that, er...
0:10:04 > 0:10:06you don't like the smells of poo and things,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09so I've brought you a mask as, er,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12something to keep you nice and dust-free.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15And we've also got you some gloves as well, cos I have to say,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17it's going to be a bit messy.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20So, this is their house. I hope you're prepared for this, Jake.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- Is there poo in it?- Er...there is.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Just a little bit.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Oh, just a little bit(!)
0:10:29 > 0:10:31The red river hog's toilet -
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Jake's worst nightmare.
0:10:34 > 0:10:35It's messy!
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Two days' worth of poo from five pigs.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- It needs cleaning. - It does, doesn't it?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47- Right.- So, are you prepared? - Unfortunately, yes.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Time for the shovels.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52I can race you if you like.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54No, cos you're the expert.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Fortunately, red river hogs only poo in one place,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59so at least this is everything.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01So, Jake, how's the aroma?
0:11:01 > 0:11:03I can give you a few words.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05It absolutely honks in here.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10Well, the sooner we get it out, the sooner we won't have to smell it.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Look at that. Fabulous.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- I think that's all out.- Well done.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22And why are we putting sawdust down?
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- When they have a wee, it will soak it all up.- Right.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31With the sawdust down, the hard part's over.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Join Jake later in the show, when all that work pays off
0:11:34 > 0:11:38and he finally gets to meet the hogs in person.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43What animal goes to bed with its shoes on?
0:11:43 > 0:11:44I don't know.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46A horse! THEY CHUCKLE
0:11:46 > 0:11:50HE SQUAWKS
0:11:50 > 0:11:52What goes "oom-oom"?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55I don't know. What goes "oom-oom"?
0:11:55 > 0:11:56A cow walking backwards!
0:11:58 > 0:11:59HE HISSES
0:12:01 > 0:12:05What does a frog say when he's washing the car windows?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07"Rub-it, rub-it, rub-it!"
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Out on the safari area, one of the park's rare Grevy's zebras has been
0:12:21 > 0:12:25sedated to prepare him for an operation that will reduce his
0:12:25 > 0:12:29hormone levels and stop him attacking the other animals.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32But at the moment, it's him who's under attack.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35The other zebra stallions have spotted a chance
0:12:35 > 0:12:40to get him while he's down and are trying to take out the competition.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44The hoofstock team have stepped in to try and break things up,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46but it's getting ugly.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Now the zebras are rounding on the keepers,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51so Bob hastily calls for reinforcements.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Rob, cat section, can you come to Coombe, please?
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Chris, if you'd come up now, as quick as you can, please.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Right, your job...
0:13:04 > 0:13:07After some timely teamwork,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10the angry stallions are finally held at bay.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15It was interesting when his companion started trying to beat him up.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18I wasn't expecting that.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Thanks to the team's speedy reactions,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23the sedated zebra has escaped injury,
0:13:23 > 0:13:28and now Jane can move in to perform the open-air operation.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Keeper Chris is finding this difficult to watch,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36especially with his bird's-eye view.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38It's not good watching this. It hurts.
0:13:38 > 0:13:44It might hurt Chris to watch but, thanks to the anaesthetic,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46the zebra won't be feeling a thing.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51The operation took a little time, but went very well.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54It's quite hard to do it half-way up a hill but it went very well.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58But the day is by no means over.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02We've got an incredibly heavy zebra to drag uphill.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04To safely monitor the recovering zebra,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07he needs to be moved off the safari area for a few weeks,
0:14:07 > 0:14:12and that means carrying him to the trailer on a stretcher.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14It's going to be a bit of a slope to carry him up,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17but I'm sure, with lots of young keepers here, they'll manage.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21But with the zebra weighing almost as much as the keepers combined,
0:14:21 > 0:14:26shifting him turns out to be easier said than done.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30We might have to borrow some film crew, I'm afraid.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33All right, one, two, three, go.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Uphill, two, three.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44With a little extra man- and woman-power,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48the zebra finally makes it safely on board the trailer.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Well, he was heavier than I thought!
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Time to make the short trip to his temporary new home,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59if the cheeky ostrich will let them.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00BRAKES SCREECH, HORN HONKS
0:15:07 > 0:15:08The zebra will stay
0:15:08 > 0:15:11in his private enclosure until he's fully recovered from the operation,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14and Bob and Jane are hopeful that
0:15:14 > 0:15:18a friendlier stallion will be returned to the safari.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21The zebra's woken up well. I hope the operation will make him calmer,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24less aggressive, and get on better with others.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27He's up and about so I don't see any problems now.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29ZEBRA SNORTS
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Hmm! Let's wait and see later on, shall we, Bob?
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Earlier in the series, we followed Oumbi, the huge silverback gorilla,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56when he left the park and moved to a new home in Warwickshire,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00to start his own family in a new collection.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Unfortunately, since then, his brother Oujiji's been living alone,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07but now there's a plan to change things around.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09I've come to meet up with head keeper Phil
0:16:09 > 0:16:12to find out what's going on now. How you doing, Phil?
0:16:12 > 0:16:14- All right, yeah.- How is Oumbi, then? - He's doing very well.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Settled in very well. He's with two females
0:16:17 > 0:16:20and a young male at the moment, and things are looking good.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22He did leave behind his brother here, but it's
0:16:22 > 0:16:25not much of a sob story, is it, cos they didn't really get on, did they?
0:16:25 > 0:16:29They kind of tolerated each other, yeah, towards the end,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32now they're adult. They got on really well when they were younger,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34but as they grow up into adults...
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Is that him saying, "That's my brother you took away from me!"?
0:16:38 > 0:16:40That's him showing how big and strong he is.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44He does look a little bit sort of lonely in here, though.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49Yeah, I mean, he has changed his mood a little bit since Oumbi's gone.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53He was with Oumbi for a long time so it's quite understandable, really.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56But what we're planning to do with him is to mix
0:16:56 > 0:17:00another one of his brothers - a young male called Boo Boo -
0:17:00 > 0:17:02and another almost-adult male Jumba.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05We're trying to mix those two with him.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08They're actually next door to him at the moment.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11They've been next door to him for a few years now.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14They've seen each other through the mesh and interacted through
0:17:14 > 0:17:20the partition mesh and hopefully, opening the door won't be too bad.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24You can never tell until you do it what will happen.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28They are bachelor gorillas, aren't they? Do you find that...
0:17:28 > 0:17:32They'd obviously be the leaders amongst their own family, I suppose,
0:17:32 > 0:17:34but when you put silverbacks in together, do you find
0:17:34 > 0:17:38- there's a battle for leadership? - There's certainly potential for it.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41They do interact in a nice way through the mesh at times,
0:17:41 > 0:17:45and they do sometimes display kind of aggressively and assertively
0:17:45 > 0:17:46as well, so, er...
0:17:46 > 0:17:50It does look... It looks better than it looks worse.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Phil, good luck moving the boys in with Oujiji. Thanks for joining us.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Time to grab a pen, pencil, crayon or keyboard
0:18:00 > 0:18:04and make a note of today's cheat code for the Roar online game.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Ready?
0:18:06 > 0:18:07It's rain350.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10If you're not a Roar gamer yet, you should definitely give it a go.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15It's easy to find on the CBBC website and it's great fun.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Happy gaming!
0:18:20 > 0:18:23So far, our Roar Ranger has shovelled,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27scrubbed and forked two days' worth of poo that was left behind
0:18:27 > 0:18:28by the park's red river hogs.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Whoa! Here they come.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34And his reward is finally to meet and talk to
0:18:34 > 0:18:37the famous five in person.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Roh! Roh, roh!
0:18:40 > 0:18:45And contrary to popular belief, these pigs don't go "oink, oink".
0:18:45 > 0:18:48As you can hear, what they're actually doing,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50they're making like a snorting noise,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54and it's kind of like a "roh, roh" noise. Would you like to try that?
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- Yeah.- Right. So, it's like a "roh, roh". Go on, then.
0:18:57 > 0:18:58Roh, roh!
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Seems to be a bit of a one-way conversation.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06- Roh! That's it. - Rrr!- That's more of a growl.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Right, so what we're going to do is take it in turns.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- And throw some food.- So just take a handful of this
0:19:14 > 0:19:16and literally just throw it into the enclosure.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18We're just scattering it all around,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21so they all get a fair share of something to eat.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Red river hogs are omnivores,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27which means they'll trough anything and everything, meat and veg.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30They use the disc-like ends of their snouts
0:19:30 > 0:19:33to dig over the ground and sniff out their food.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36How big are red river hogs when they're first born?
0:19:36 > 0:19:39They're teeny. They're probably no bigger than about that size.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41They're the cutest things you've ever seen.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45As you can see from these shots of last year's litter of piglets,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48red river hogs are born with stripes.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51This helps to keep them camouflaged and out of sight of predators.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54As they grow older, the stripes disappear.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58And they become this lovely red, luxurious...
0:19:58 > 0:20:01- Red river hog colour.- Exactly - red river hog colour.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Barry and Jake may be enjoying watching the hogs,
0:20:04 > 0:20:05but expectant mum Tafika
0:20:05 > 0:20:09isn't going to let anything get in the way of her food,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11even if it means an early bath for Jake.
0:20:12 > 0:20:13Whoa!
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Let's see that again.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18- Whoa! Lucky I were wearing me wellies!- Did you get that?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Now my feet feel all weird!
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Thanks to the super strength in their necks, which helps when
0:20:24 > 0:20:28digging and scuffing about, Tafika had no problem flipping
0:20:28 > 0:20:30that heavy trough full of water.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Time for Jake to beat a hasty retreat.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Well, thanks again, Jake, and hopefully see you again soon.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38- OK.- Come back and join us. All right?
0:20:38 > 0:20:40- See you, then. - Oh, you might want these.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42You might want to take these back.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- Thank you very much. You put them to good use. Thank you.- See ya.
0:20:45 > 0:20:46See you. Bye-bye.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49So, what does keeper Barry think of our Roar Ranger?
0:20:49 > 0:20:51He came with a bit of a reputation,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54because I'd heard on the grapevine that he didn't do poo
0:20:54 > 0:20:57and doesn't like smells, so I came prepared with a mask and gloves,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01but surprisingly, he did really well. He got stuck in.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05I'm glad that he gave me a gas mask when I went into t'house,
0:21:05 > 0:21:10cos when I took it off, it absolutely honked!
0:21:10 > 0:21:12And was his hard work appreciated?
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Certainly, in a few years' time, I think we'd welcome him back.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16He'd make a good keeper.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30Rani, I don't know about you, but I'm a little bit scared.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34You know what? I've got to say, this is absolutely unbelievable.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36You are really seeing this.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39We are carrying a Burmese python with keeper Ben Warren.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Ben has got the head end for our own safety. That's right, isn't it, Ben?
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Yeah. He's pretty chilled out, though, at the moment.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51- Yeah, he's not going to attack us or anything?- No.- You sure about that?
0:21:51 > 0:21:55He weighs a ton, Ben. Now, why are we doing this and what are we doing?
0:21:55 > 0:21:58And he's coming towards me! Keep his face that way!
0:21:58 > 0:22:00- Well, this is a snake MOT.- OK.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02- Right, lovely.- What's that?
0:22:02 > 0:22:03Basically, we just check him over,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06see his weight, and we're going to see how long he is as well.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08OK, how can we help you, Ben?
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Well, basically, we need all his body on this board.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Right, I've got the tiny little tail. That's the lightest bit.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18His tongue is now sticking out at me. Is that a friendly thing?
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Just reassure me here, please, Ben.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Basically, this is a new environment for him
0:22:22 > 0:22:24and there's lots of smells in the air.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27They can't smell through their nose, so they use their tongue to do it.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- Right.- They taste the air, then the tongue goes back in the mouth,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33touches some senses, then they work everything out.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36OK, one other question, Ben. Has he eaten today?
0:22:36 > 0:22:38No, he hasn't eaten for about a week.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Oh, Ben, you could've told us that before we came out here!
0:22:41 > 0:22:43He's rolling off the scales, so let's get him back on.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45How do you know he's not going to run off, Ben?
0:22:45 > 0:22:48- That's why I'm holding him!- Oh, right!- OK, let's get him back on.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- 49.- 49. That's his weight.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53- 49 - what's that in...?- Kilograms.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55OK, that's his weight. Has he gained weight?
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Do you know what he was last time?
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Yeah, he was about 45 last time.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03- Right, so he's gained... - He's gained a little bit.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05And have you been feeding him extra?
0:23:05 > 0:23:07SHOULD he be gaining weight?
0:23:07 > 0:23:09- Is he old?- He's quite old now,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13so his weight will just level out and he'll hold a steady weight.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15And is that a healthy weight for a python?
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Yeah, it's a very healthy weight. you can see the size of him.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19He looks quite good.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22So why is it important to weigh these guys, then?
0:23:22 > 0:23:25It just gives us a rough reading of how much we're feeding,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- make sure he's OK. - Yeah, well, this guy's really heavy.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31We've weighed him. What's next to do? Please don't say open his mouth!
0:23:31 > 0:23:34- No, cos I'm going nowhere near that. - You have to kiss him!
0:23:34 > 0:23:36What's next?
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Basically, our next job is to measure him.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Why don't you guys join us later on in the show
0:23:41 > 0:23:45to see if Rani's still here, and to see how long this fella is?
0:23:45 > 0:23:46He could never eat me.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Two weeks have passed since the aggressive Grevy's zebra
0:23:56 > 0:23:59was operated on and put in a separate paddock to recover.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05He's now been put back out in the safari area with his buddies
0:24:05 > 0:24:10and the safari's babies under the watchful eye of Bob Saville.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14We've been keeping tabs on him.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18As you can see, he's up there. He's quite happy.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21He looks calmer, but has the operation
0:24:21 > 0:24:25turned this naughty zebra into Mr Nice Guy?
0:24:25 > 0:24:27The good news is, so far, he's come across the baby eland,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31the baby wildebeest and all the other babies which are out here,
0:24:31 > 0:24:32and so far he's been fine.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37Hopefully he'll just sit out here and become quite docile and friendly and,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39you know, that's the end of that.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43With its new and improved polite zebra, the safari's a safer place
0:24:43 > 0:24:45for all the new babies.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Let's just hope it stays that way.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56OK, welcome back. We are still with the Burmese python.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Now, we've already weighed him but it's now time to do
0:24:58 > 0:25:01something very, very scary. We're going to measure his length.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04We're still with keeper Ben, and Ben is working his guns,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06he is, cos he's pretty heavy,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09so we'd better relieve you, Ben, and help you out, so how can we do this?
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Basically, I need him in a long line.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14- How do we do that?!- I'll go with the head end one way, and you go
0:25:14 > 0:25:17- with the tail end the other. - It's like a piece of string.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20You're taking the head because, for our safety, we do have to keep away
0:25:20 > 0:25:24- from the head, don't we?- Yeah. Obviously, that's the end that bites.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27He's a big guy. Could he actually physically eat one of us?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29He could probably give YOU a go.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31- Johny's a bit big.- I'm all right!
0:25:31 > 0:25:34I'm going to take the tail end. Johny, you're up this end!
0:25:34 > 0:25:35THEY CHUCKLE
0:25:35 > 0:25:38We'll lay him out. Rani, do you want to do the measuring?
0:25:38 > 0:25:40There's bits of skin hanging off.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Yeah, he's just about to shed.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- Imminently?- Yeah, you can see it's just starting to peel now.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- How often does he shed? - Depends on how much they eat.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51The more they eat, the more they grow, the more they have to shed.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52RANI SHRIEKS
0:25:52 > 0:25:55- Sorry. It was only his tail moving. - Are you OK?- It was just his tail.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57The head's that side.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58Just lengthen that.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Thank you, cos it's not quite straight, so hopefully...
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Sorry, I'm stepping all over a Burmese python.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07It's the craziest thing we've ever done.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Now, he is actually edging towards our cameraman, Ben. Is he safe?
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Yeah, I've got hold of him at the moment. That's a rough guide.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16What, 410 centimetres?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- Centimetres, yeah.- 410 centimetres.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22It's absolutely unbelievable, and you said he's gained how much?
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Nearly five kilos.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Five kilos. Is there anything else we need to do for the MOT?
0:26:27 > 0:26:30No, we're pretty much there. That's it, we're done.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31Are you happy with that?
0:26:31 > 0:26:35I am quite happy. I feel actually like I'm shaking a little bit.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Ben, you say that we're done,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39but now we've got to try and get him back in there.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- Carry him back.- Er, Chris!- Hi.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Chris is here to help Ben because we kind of need some man muscle now,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47to get him back into his enclosure.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Ben, it's been a most amazing experience.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51One thing with these Burmese pythons -
0:26:51 > 0:26:53are they great to keep as pets?
0:26:53 > 0:26:57They're so little(!) You know, I was thinking I could get one as a pet.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58- No, Ben?- I don't advise it.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01While Rani tries to sort me out,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03why don't you catch what's coming up on the next episode of Roar?
0:27:05 > 0:27:07People say cats don't like water.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Well, nobody told the tiger cubs.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16The head of primates gets a grilling about baboons in Ask The Keeper,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18but is he scared?
0:27:18 > 0:27:20We're feeling confident, Simon, but are you?
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Bring it on!
0:27:22 > 0:27:24As a heatwave hits the parks,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Johny finds out what it takes to stay cool.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30I think it's working!
0:27:30 > 0:27:32That's all coming up on the next Roar.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:49 > 0:27:52E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk