0:00:02 > 0:00:05Today on Roar, the dramatic story of what happened
0:00:05 > 0:00:10when a hurricane hit the park and two of the largest tigers escaped.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41- Hello and welcome to Roar. I'm Rani. - And I'm Johny. And these monkeys
0:00:41 > 0:00:45- are the dusky langurs. - They are called Old World monkeys
0:00:45 > 0:00:48because they come from places like Africa and Asia.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52This particular species can be found in Thailand and the Malay Peninsula.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56But you won't mistake these guys. Take a look at the white rings
0:00:56 > 0:01:01around their eyes, which is why they are also called spectacled langurs.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Keep YOUR eyes peeled because we have a jam-packed show coming up.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10On Roar today... The gang are out to discover why the macaque monkeys
0:01:10 > 0:01:13always go for that crazy hairstyle.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Do you fancy a game of footy with this...?
0:01:15 > 0:01:18That weighs a ton!
0:01:18 > 0:01:20..The elephants do!
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And what on earth is Johny doing
0:01:23 > 0:01:26with a fishing rod, a toy seagull
0:01:26 > 0:01:29and Winnie the honey badger?
0:01:29 > 0:01:32You'll have to watch the show to find out!
0:01:36 > 0:01:41First, though, we've got the story about the time when a hurricane
0:01:41 > 0:01:44blew through England, and terror stalked the park.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54But the tale starts today, very early in the morning
0:01:54 > 0:01:57when the place is deserted, except for one keeper -
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Chris from Big Cats.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04OK, right, I'm at the park a lot earlier than everybody else
0:02:04 > 0:02:07and the main reason for this is that we're doing the cat check,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09which is something we do every day
0:02:09 > 0:02:12before anybody else is allowed into the park.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16We're checking to make sure all of our nice, big carnivores
0:02:16 > 0:02:20are still within the enclosures, and also that the enclosures are safe,
0:02:20 > 0:02:25nothing's happened to them that might allow the animals to escape.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27So, Chris is in early to check
0:02:27 > 0:02:31that none of the park's bloodthirsty killers have escaped.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Hello, girl, how are you doing?
0:02:35 > 0:02:39One of the people who helps keep everyone safe and secure
0:02:39 > 0:02:43is Adrian Harland. These days, he works in the office
0:02:43 > 0:02:46but he used to do Chris's job.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49For my first 15-odd years, I worked on the Large Carnivore section here
0:02:49 > 0:02:52at Port Lympne. It was a wonderful time.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56I got to know a number of these cats quite well.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01In fact, he hand-raised one of our favourites on Roar,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Tug the Siberian tiger, when he was just a little cub.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Back when Adrian first started working here,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13keepers sometimes went in with animals that had been hand-raised,
0:03:13 > 0:03:18even after they'd grown up. But, of course, that was very dangerous
0:03:18 > 0:03:22because every big cat is absolutely deadly,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26and no-one has been in with any of them for many years now.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29One of the most important things when dealing with big cats
0:03:29 > 0:03:33is health and safety. We try and keep all the animals safe
0:03:33 > 0:03:37and in their enclosures. We don't like to have any escapes at all.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41However, these are probably the group of animals we least want to have out
0:03:41 > 0:03:45because these are the ones that hunt, and we don't want to end up as prey.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Tug is wonderful and if he got out, he'd be down at the burger bar,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51queueing up peacefully, waiting for it to open.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55But they're not all like that. Some of them would like to see
0:03:55 > 0:03:57the back of your head, because they'd have you,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01so the first job in the morning for the Large Carnivore section
0:04:01 > 0:04:06is to make sure that all of the big cats are where they should be.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10And this morning, Chris still has a few more carnivores to find.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Hello! We've supposedly got five Barbary lions in this enclosure,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21a nice little family group. I can see two of them so far.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24How are you doing? OK, that's three.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28There have been scary moments where we've come down
0:04:28 > 0:04:31to one of the enclosures and we've searched and there's just one cat
0:04:31 > 0:04:35that we cannot find. That's when you start watching your back
0:04:35 > 0:04:38outside the enclosure as well just in case they're somewhere around you.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Luckily, Chris has never had to deal with a big-cat escape.
0:04:43 > 0:04:48But Adrian has. He once had two tigers on the loose,
0:04:48 > 0:04:53- and it was all because of the trees. - These tigers come from the forests
0:04:53 > 0:04:57of Siberia. We like to give them the same kind of habitat here.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Overnight, if there's been some wind, a tree could come down,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04it could knock the fence down and we could have an animal out.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07And that has happened, yes.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It was on a dark and stormy night
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and it's quite a tale. Stay tuned to find out what happened
0:05:16 > 0:05:21when two of the largest big cats in the world escaped.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Oh, she's a big un! She's a big 'un!
0:05:42 > 0:05:46There we go. It's not a fish, it's a bird. And you might think that's odd
0:05:46 > 0:05:49but there is an explanation for this, because I'm here
0:05:49 > 0:05:53with Jim and Mark, and we've got an experiment with a honey badger.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56In the wild, honey badgers would follow birds
0:05:56 > 0:06:01- to get their ideal meal - honey. Isn't that right, guys?- Yes.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05I've got some here to prove it. Some honey. This is for her.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09What I'm going to do, whilst you and Mark distract her,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12is quickly hide this in her enclosure and then you'll come around
0:06:12 > 0:06:16and hopefully she'll follow that and you'll take the bird to the honey,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20- she'll follow and get the reward at the end.- This really happens
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- in the wild? They follow a bird to get honey?- That's right.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27- How does it work?- It's co-operation. The bird wants the honey
0:06:27 > 0:06:31but can't get it because the bees are quite nasty
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and the stings are very potent. But a honey badger doesn't worry
0:06:35 > 0:06:39- about stings.- Doesn't the badger have all the honey and forget the bird?
0:06:39 > 0:06:43No, it seems the honey badgers are pretty good, they leave a bit
0:06:43 > 0:06:47- for the bird. Not a lot, just enough. - So they co-operate?- That's right.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51So, Jim, can we go in there WITH the honey badger?
0:06:51 > 0:06:54No, unfortunately not. This is a very dangerous animal.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59Everyone knows that this is the most dangerous animal in the park!
0:06:59 > 0:07:03That's why you and Mark are going to go off that way and distract her,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05while I go in her enclosure to hide the honey.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08So there's no pressure on us, then, Mark!
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- If we get it wrong, Jim will lose a leg.- Well, I've got two!
0:07:11 > 0:07:15You're a brave man, Jim! OK, if you want to go and hide the honey.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Mark, we better try and do something with this badger over here.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22What have we got to distract the honey badger?
0:07:22 > 0:07:26- I brought with me one of her other favourite foods, a rat.- Right.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27Winnie!
0:07:27 > 0:07:29So, Mark, is Jim good to go in?
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Yeah, if you want to give him a quick shout.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37Jim, you can go in the enclosure now, we've got Winnie here.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39OK, so we better keep her here then.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41She's got very sharp teeth, hasn't she?
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Yeah, she's actually quite an old animal,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45so they're a lot more worn down
0:07:45 > 0:07:47than they would be if she was in her prime.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50But still, they can lock their jaws as well,
0:07:50 > 0:07:51so even if they are blunt teeth,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54she's not going to let go very easily.
0:07:54 > 0:07:55Right. Wins!
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Jim, she's got the rat.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Do you think Jim's going to be all right in there, then?
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Well, I hope so.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07We've managed to keep her distracted for quite a while now,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09so hopefully he should be out
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and have all his fingers and toes still intact.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Join us in part two later on in the show
0:08:15 > 0:08:18to see if that IS the case and Jim is all right,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22and our honey badger follows this bird to its meal.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36It's time now for Ask The Keeper.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Now, the keeper in question today is head keeper, Matt Ford.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43This lot have got loads of questions. Unfortunately, Matt,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45they're all about lion-tailed macaques,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48but I've heard it's actually about boxing, is that right?
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Slightly true. We're going to chuck some boxes in with them today.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- A bit of enrichment.- Right. - Just to give them something to do
0:08:55 > 0:08:59- while you're asking the questions, really.- OK, let's have a look.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03- That looks appetising(!)- No, I know. It's basically just all bits of wood,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05mixed in with nuts.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09So they'll have to rummage through to get the nuts out, basically.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12OK, do you want a hand chucking them in or will you do the honours?
0:09:12 > 0:09:15I'll chuck 'em in, just so we can clear the electric fence,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17we don't want them landing there.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Watch the fence. Good throw!
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Anyone going to come over?
0:09:21 > 0:09:25- Check him out.- How do they know how to get into the box?
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Macaques are very inquisitive,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30they'll rip apart anything that we give them,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34so they'll destroy it to see what's inside. So they just do it naturally.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38- How do they get into the nuts?- Their teeth are designed to get into nuts.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41They put them to the back of their teeth, into their molars,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44which are powerful and strong, and they crack them that way.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48- Are they endangered?- Lion-tailed macaques are, there's only a couple
0:09:48 > 0:09:52of thousand left in India and the Western Ghats, where they came from.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Due to many reasons, mainly deforrestation and habitat loss,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58but they were also hunted as well. It's not good.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- How long do they live? - They can live to quite a good age.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05In the wild it'll be around 30, so they do live quite old.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09In captivity you can increase that slightly, to about 40, 45.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11So they're quite long-lived.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15- Do they get grey when they get old? - They don't actually go grey at all.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19All they are is grey around their face, but they'll stay jet-black.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- Are they good climbers?- They are.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24In the wild, they live all their life in the canopy.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26They don't come down to the floor at all.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30In captivity it's a bit different, they don't have the natural predators
0:10:30 > 0:10:34they would on the floor, so they're more likely to be on the ground.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37But they are really good climbers and will go to the tops of poles
0:10:37 > 0:10:39in their enclosure and swing on the ropes.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43I think you're doing quite good so far, but I think we're going
0:10:43 > 0:10:47to give you a killer question. Guys, come over here.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Excuse us one second, watch the boxes.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51THEY WHISPER
0:10:53 > 0:10:54OK, come on, then.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58We have done our research, we have a question for you.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01How many species of macaques are there around the world?
0:11:01 > 0:11:05Off the top of my head, I'd say...nine.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07RANI LAUGHS
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I'm so sorry to laugh - did you say nine?
0:11:10 > 0:11:15- Yeah.- There are actually 21. What do you think to that?
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Um, I'm a bit embarrassed now. That's not very good, is it?
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Not very good at all, but I can tell you
0:11:20 > 0:11:23lion-tailed macaques are one of the rarest of them.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26What do we think - thumbs up or thumbs down?
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Ooh, they're harsh, aren't they? Matt, I'm going to give you
0:11:29 > 0:11:32a thumbs up cos I learned loads, thank you very much.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Make sure you join us next time on Roar for more Ask The Keeper.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41- What do you call a cat that swallowed a lemon?- I don't know.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43A sour puss!
0:11:46 > 0:11:49How do cats greet each other at Christmas?
0:11:49 > 0:11:52A furry merry Christmas and a happy meow year.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Owwww!
0:11:55 > 0:11:59- What do you get when you cross a honey bee with a bear?- I don't know.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00Winnnie the Pooh.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Earlier on in the show, myself and Mark came up with an idea
0:12:19 > 0:12:22to try and lure the honey badger to its honey
0:12:22 > 0:12:26with this bird guide, cos they do that out in the wild.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Jim bravely went in there and planted some honey in the enclosure.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33- You're still alive, Jim, you're doing all right?- Yeah, just about!
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- Are we ready to do this, then? - Go for it.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Let's see if it'll follow the bird. It's quite interested, look at this.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47We're getting close to the honey now.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49I can see you've put the honey in there.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51She seems to be following it.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Once she's smelt the honey, do you think she'll leave the bird alone
0:12:55 > 0:12:57and be more interested in the honey?
0:12:57 > 0:13:00She'd follow it, she wouldn't attack it.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- She relies on it to find the honey. There you go, look.- She's found it.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06I want to test out your theory,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08see if Winnie really would leave the bird alone,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11I'm going to put the bird in there, is that OK?
0:13:11 > 0:13:12Drop it down, see what she does.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Oh!
0:13:16 > 0:13:20This bird has no harmful parts, it won't hurt Winnie?
0:13:20 > 0:13:22No, that's why we're using it,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25- because there's no parts that will hurt her.- Right, brilliant.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- It's a bit of fun for her. - This is kind of a seagull,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32but apart from the honey guider, will they attack other birds?
0:13:32 > 0:13:33They'll eat anything.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- Really?- They'll attack anything.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39You, me, lions, hyenas, leopards, everything.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43They are not afraid of anything.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Jim, she's taken the honey off into the bushes somewhere.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49What do you think she'll do with it once she's got it?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Normally she'll take her food underground to her den
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and eat it at her own leisure.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58They love digging, she's got a few different tunnels underneath
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- this enclosure, hasn't she? - Yeah, more than a few.- Really?
0:14:01 > 0:14:05No-one really knows how many, or how far they go under or anything.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08She's got a particular den that she likes to take her food,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12sometimes she'll take all her food down there and stay down and eat.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Or sometimes take it down, store it, come back.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- So she prefers to eat in private? - Yeah, sometimes.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20The honey badger's had its honey. And you know what?
0:14:20 > 0:14:22It's made a mess of our bird in the process.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26I didn't believe they were so dangerous before this experiment,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29but now I can say that honey badgers are definitely king of the park!
0:14:35 > 0:14:41Every single day, first thing in the morning, one of the big-cat keepers
0:14:41 > 0:14:46checks that none of their predators have escaped. That HAS happened!
0:14:46 > 0:14:51And the last time was when the park was hit by an incredible storm.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Now we're going back in time to hear the full story.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01In 1987, the then-head cat keeper banged on my door,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03it was about 3 o'clock in the morning, he said,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05"It's getting very windy out there,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09"I think we ought to go around and just have a quick check on the cats."
0:15:12 > 0:15:15We set off into the park to go round and check the cats.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17As we came in at the top of the park,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20I got blown off my feet and landed on my bottom.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24It wasn't just a bit windy,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28the park was in the grip of a full-blown hurricane,
0:15:28 > 0:15:33the like of which hadn't been seen in Britain for 200 years.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39The dangers was if trees were blown over, they could crush the fences
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and that would allow the animals to escape.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44So, the keepers were trying
0:15:44 > 0:15:47to get them safely into their sheds and houses.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51It was a night that Neville Buck will never forget.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53On the night the hurricane happened,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56there was a horrendous amount of noise. Myself and a colleague,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00we had been allocated our area, making sure all the small cats
0:16:00 > 0:16:04and the clouded leopards and things like that were where they should be.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07We were actually walking through the woodlands
0:16:07 > 0:16:10with trees crashing down around our heads.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14As Neville set off to save the small cats,
0:16:14 > 0:16:19Adrian was approaching the big-cat section.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24When we got down onto the main drive down here, there were two tigers out.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25What did he just say?
0:16:25 > 0:16:29When we got down onto the main drive down here, there were two tigers out.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33My first thought was, "Who are they?"
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Because it was dark and we had torches
0:16:35 > 0:16:38but couldn't really see too well.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Tigers make a kind of greeting noise, "Fffff, ffffff!" kind of sound,
0:16:42 > 0:16:47and we were approaching them with our torches and they fuffed at us.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52Luckily, it was two of the hand-reared tigers that had escaped.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Tigers aren't driven purely by a killing instinct.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59They were scared, and I was, too, to be honest.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03They came up to us, they were rubbing up against our legs
0:17:03 > 0:17:05because the trees were coming down.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08They just wanted to be put where they'd be safe,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10and when we led them into the shed,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13they went into the shed and we shut the door on them
0:17:13 > 0:17:16and we just hoped that nothing would hit that shed.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21So, Adrian managed to walk two tigers into safety.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24But, on the other side of the park,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Neville was getting close to the lions' enclosure.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Find out what happened there a little later on.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47All right, there's an emergency, there's an emergency,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49I haven't got time to talk, I'm here with my hosepipe,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52I'm at the ellie section. Jen, where's the fire, I'm ready to go!
0:17:52 > 0:17:56There's no fire, don't worry.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01We're going to use this to make some toys for the elephants.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Right, you want to use a fire hose to make toys for the ellies?
0:18:04 > 0:18:09- What are we going to make?- We're going to make some fire-hose cubes.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14Actually, I've already made them, but I'm going to tell you about them.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- OK.- Then, later on put them in with the elephants.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21- I like the sound of that. I'm guessing these are them here?- Yeah.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Impressive! You've weaved all this, it's all just old hose.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- Where's the hose from? - The hose came from a fire brigade,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32- it's all condemned, so it can't be used any more.- Excellent.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37Instead of wasting it, we managed to talk them into letting us have some.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41I'm very impressed with your skills, cos they look unbelievable.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43What do you think the ellies will make of it?
0:18:43 > 0:18:47I'm hoping they'll kick them around, pick them up, throw them around.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51But you never know. It's just something to give them to do, really.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53All right, enough chat.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56I want to see what the ellies do with their new big cubes!
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- OK.- We've got one here.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59You said it was heavy,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03- but it shouldn't be a problem for us ladies.- Feeling strong?
0:19:03 > 0:19:06That weighs a ton! I think we need to bring in the big guns.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Now, you guys, you all stand around and watch,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11can we have a bit of help, please?
0:19:11 > 0:19:14There you go, finally get this lot doing some work.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Join us later on in the show when, hopefully,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18this will be in the ellie enclosure
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and the ellies can have a good kick around.
0:19:21 > 0:19:22They're so strong!
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Now, if you're a Roar gamer, you'll want to make note of this -
0:19:34 > 0:19:37grass33, that's today's cheat code.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41And if you're not a Roar gamer, why not give it a go?
0:19:41 > 0:19:45You'll find it on the CBBC website and it's great fun.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54We've got the fire-hose cube into position.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Now all we need are the ellies.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58OK, ready.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Now, how many ellies are going to come out here?
0:20:01 > 0:20:05Only two. Just mother Lara and her daughter Issa.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09So am I going to be able to tell the difference between Lara and Issa?
0:20:09 > 0:20:12- Yeah, Lara's got the long tusks. - That's Mum.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Yeah, and Issa is just coming through the gate,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17- she's got the little pegs sticking out.- Aw!
0:20:20 > 0:20:25One little sniff and then walked away? Lara!
0:20:25 > 0:20:26Well, at least they touched it.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Jen was like that, "Please, please play with it!"
0:20:30 > 0:20:33You're right, because it is something new in their enclosure,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36sometimes they need a little bit of time to get used to it.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Yeah, they might just be like, "Ooh, what's that?"
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Also, they've got their breakfast out here as well,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45cos they're going to spend most of the day out here.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48We need to keep them occupied with food and stuff.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Maybe when that runs out, they might come and play with it again.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55There you go, Jen. She may have her food in her mouth,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58but she's still sniffing out the cube.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01It'll be full of lots of new smells and stuff,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05so she's interested to see what it is and where it's been.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10We've had a little bit of interest in the cube,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13do you think they're avoiding it cos of the colour?
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Does red signify danger to ellies, are they a bit nervous?
0:21:16 > 0:21:19No, I don't think so. Have you seen the size of them?
0:21:19 > 0:21:21I don't think they're scared of many things.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24So, no, colour shouldn't bother them,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27they can see the same amount of things that humans can.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29They've got all their food out here,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33I don't want to rush their breakfast or lunch or whatever this may be,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36but do you think they're going to be at that for a while?
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- Yes, probably.- They're not going to play with this cube
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- until they finish that? - Yeah, that's right.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Which is only right,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45you can't go out and play until you've had your meal.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Would it be OK if we left our cameraman, Adam, here
0:21:48 > 0:21:50to keep an eye on the cube?
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Once they have finished and come and have a play,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54- we'll catch all the action.- Sure.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Thank you. Adam, are you happy with that? You going to stick around?
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Don't look at me, look at the cube!
0:22:01 > 0:22:02Thank you.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08And, sure enough, when she's finished her food,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10young Issa is up for a bit of footie.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14But hang on, what do the rules say about using your trunk?!
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Does that count as a hand ball?
0:22:30 > 0:22:33One night, over 20 years ago, a freak hurricane
0:22:33 > 0:22:36tore through the Southeast of England.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42At the park, trees were blown over and fences were damaged.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45The keepers were sent out into the storm
0:22:45 > 0:22:48to make sure the dangerous big cats hadn't escaped.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Two tigers got out,
0:22:50 > 0:22:55but luckily they were both hand-raised and quite friendly.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Meanwhile, the patrol sent to check on the lions
0:22:59 > 0:23:01couldn't reach their enclosure.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05And that left Neville Buck in a terrifying situation.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09We were down at the fishing cats, just above the lions,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11and then we get a call to say,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15"Whatever you do, be careful as you're going around there,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19"a tree's come down across the road and they can't get to the lions."
0:23:19 > 0:23:23So it was like, "OK, excellent. Now what are we going to do?"
0:23:23 > 0:23:27We were wandering around, probably 100 yards of the lion enclosure,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30we didn't know whether they were in or out.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34The lions, as a group, they are extremely dangerous.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36The lions that we've got now,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39they're pussycats compared to what we had in the past.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44We had a male lion, by the name of Zem, and he absolutely hated people
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and you could just see it in his eyes
0:23:47 > 0:23:51that he would relish the chance of making a meal of anybody.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Obviously, if he was out, then nobody was safe, really.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58But, thankfully, when we heard that call to say,
0:23:58 > 0:24:03"No, it's OK, they're all indoors," it was a moment to remember, I think!
0:24:08 > 0:24:11That night, 200 trees were blown down in the park.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16Dozens of enclosures were damaged but, thankfully, no animals escaped.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21The whole area was what you would expect if a bomb went off somewhere.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23You couldn't get anywhere by vehicle,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27there was a huge amount of trees down and they weren't just small trees.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30It's the only time in the park's history that we've actually had
0:24:30 > 0:24:33to shut down for any significant length of time.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38Luckily that, apparently, only happens once every 100 or 200 years,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42that we get hit by a hurricane. Thank goodness for that.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45But the odd tree can come down at any time,
0:24:45 > 0:24:50and so that's one of the main reasons why we do this cat check.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57This morning, Chris has almost finished today's cat check,
0:24:57 > 0:25:01and all the trees and the carnivores are just where they should be.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07I wasn't actually here then, I was only seven years old,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10but there's been a lot of tales that came from that night and,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13obviously, it was just devastation.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17That just gives us an idea of how important doing this is,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19because it only takes one tree to come down
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and we could have animals out.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24This is really, really important for us to do.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Hi, cat check done. Thanks.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Thanks, Chris. We're OK to open, everyone.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Cat check's done, we're free to open up the park now.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Another day starts.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39And now we've got to get on with things!
0:25:39 > 0:25:43# It's a beautiful day
0:25:43 > 0:25:47# Sky falls, you feel like It's a beautiful day
0:25:49 > 0:25:52# Don't let it get away
0:25:52 > 0:25:54# You're on the road... #
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Johny, I always get a bit sad when it's the end of the show.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01And then I think, "There's Chris! I'm going to be all happy now!"
0:26:01 > 0:26:04These are the Grant's zebras. Is it true we're going to be giving them
0:26:04 > 0:26:06an afternoon snack now?
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- Yeah, just some bread. If you guys want to throw some out.- Yay!
0:26:09 > 0:26:12I better watch my aim, I don't want to hit any of them.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Why bread, Chris? Is this their favourite food?
0:26:15 > 0:26:17It might be their favourite food,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21but because they eat so much grass, this is just a little treat for them.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24How much bread are they getting through a day?
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- We tend to give them maybe a loaf each a day, maybe.- No way!
0:26:27 > 0:26:31- They eat a loaf of bread a day? - Easily. They could eat more
0:26:31 > 0:26:34but it's a treat, so we don't feed it to them all the time.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37It's only a little loaf for them, which is nothing to these guys.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39What do they eat in the wild?
0:26:39 > 0:26:4380% grass, really. Cos they're grazers and they live on the plains,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46but they will eat fallen fruits or any other vegetation,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- but it's just pretty boring grass. - That's their treat, then, the fruit?
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Yeah, if they find fruit as they're grazing, they might eat that.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55They're fairly happy with just grass.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58It's been absolutely amazing to get this close to them.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Thank you so much, Chris. That's all we've got time for today,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04but check out what's on the next episode of Roar.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10To catch three wild dogs, the vet and the keeper
0:27:10 > 0:27:13must go inside their enclosure, and that's a dangerous move
0:27:13 > 0:27:17because these guys are absolutely deadly.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Our Roar Rangers love the lemurs.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23The lemurs might come up. It's OK.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26But are they brave enough for a close encounter?
0:27:26 > 0:27:30And Quinto, the new male rhino, was getting on great with the girls -
0:27:30 > 0:27:34and then he attacked them! So what went wrong?
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk