Episode 35 Roar

We've got a real rip-roaring show today,

packed with amazing stories, the funniest jokes,

the scariest animals and the cutest babies!

So sit tight and hold on,

cos here it comes!

-Hello and welcome to Roar. I'm Johny.

-And I'm Rani.

We're up on the safari area and as you can see,

we are surrounded by some of the 300 animals that live out here.

Normally, these guys graze on grass, browse on trees.

But each day, the keepers give them some extra food and some treats.

Yes, and speaking of treats,

we have an extra special edition of the show today.

As it's the last episode in this series,

what better way to end it than by showing you our favourite moments?

Have a look at this!

There's the heart-stopping moment

when we were called to the middle of an animal escape.

The time when Sam the Roar Ranger

found out whether he could conquer his fear.

And the story of three kids who went back to the wild.

And the keeper who went deep into the jungle

to discover how they survived.

We've also had quite a few dramas this year,

one of which involved this fella here, Kingo the rhino bull.

He's had trouble with his feet and has had treatment from the vet.

But to treat his feet, Jane has had to knock him out

and sometimes, things don't go to plan!

Kingo weighs well over a tonne

so whenever they send him to sleep with a dart,

vet Jane always likes to have plenty of help at hand.

Sedating a rhino is quite complicated.

The keepers here are brilliant and experienced in sedations

so it's a complete team effort.

With so much at stake, our crew was asked to keep out of the way,

though we were allowed to set up a fixed camera

which would show most of what happens in Kingo's stall.

With a dart prepared, Jane went inside to sedate the big rhino.

And very soon, she had the dart in his shoulder, right on target.

It usually takes just a few minutes for Kingo to fall asleep.

We don't envisage problems, but you never know what will happen

and these animals have a way of throwing problems

that you don't expect at you.

So we're all here and ready for anything!

When Jane went back in to keep an eye on him,

she spotted a problem.

His head is really dropping.

I'm not happy with this, that's all.

Unfortunately, we couldn't see the problem

because we couldn't move the camera.

But Kingo had his head stuck in a narrow gap at the end of his stall.

It's a safety gap for keepers to get quickly in or out in an emergency.

It was very bad luck that Kingo had somehow got his head stuck there.

We'll shut the door for a minute.

The team had an emergency on their hands.

This was so serious that we kept well back.

Jane called on the radio for equipment to help free Kingo.

Anyone at the maintenance yard,

could you bring a saw to cut through a large piece of wood

to the new rhino sheds by the lodges, please?

-'OK, I'll grab something and be there.'

-I've got a rhino stuck.

Have we got any more people? Shall we ask for more keepers?

They were pushing his head as well as pulling.

It does look rough, but rhinos are incredibly strong.

Keep going! Keep going!

The real danger was if he fell completely asleep

and collapsed with his head still stuck in that gap.

There were ten keepers trying to get Kingo free

and they were running out of time.

We've got to be quick!

Suddenly, his head started to come free.

Bit more! You're winning!

More! ..Yes!

-Keep going!

-Make sure he doesn't...

-Everybody out.

The keepers won the tug of war

and saved Kingo from what could have been a serious injury.

Panic over. We've got the rhino out. You can go now.

Now Jane and the keepers could get on with the operation

they sedated him for in the first place,

cleaning out his infected feet.

Still happy, Derek?

Since then, Kingo has continued to have problems

and his feet need to be checked every few months.

But the news is they're gradually improving.

One thing we love on Roar is getting to see all the new babies.

And this series, there's been quite a few.

# When I'm with you baby, I go out of my head

-#

-I just can't get enough I just can't get enough

# All the things you do to me

# And everything you say

-#

-I just can't get enough I just can't get enough

# We slip and slide as we fall in love

# And I just can't seem to get enough

# We were together We're walking down the street

-#

-I just can't get enough I just can't get enough...

-#

But for many people, the cutest baby of the whole series was this one.

The new Red Panda.

This was the first they'd had in the park for over three years

and Mum and Dad were taking good care of the youngster.

Now I want to see how much the baby has grown.

So I've come to meet keeper Helen down in their enclosure.

I'm desperate to meet the baby. There's two here.

Which one's Lyee and which one is Wingwar?

This one is Lyee and this one coming to feed is Wingwar.

Now, little one. Baby.

We're all desperate to see her/him.

We don't know exactly what it is yet.

But he's just having a little climb at the back there.

-Oh, yes! Very well camouflaged, actually.

-Yeah.

Oh, look!

He looks really fluffy.

It is really fluffy. He's got a fluffy body and white face.

Mum is absolutely loving her treats here.

What about little one? Still suckling or eating anything hard?

No, he should be pretty much fully weaned now.

He's eating the meat and fruit and bamboo

so he should be pretty all on solid food now.

Do you have to chop it up for the little one?

-Or can he bite it himself?

-Again, he's learned from Mum to pick it up

with his little paws and bite it.

There are some bits here which are smaller, which he'll go for.

They're easier, but no, he's learned from Mum and does it himself.

Now, compared to Mum, he's still quite small.

How long before he grows to this massive size of Lyee?

They're quite slow growing. Probably by about a year,

he'll be pretty much fully grown.

Helen, it doesn't matter that the little one hasn't come too close

cos even from here it's an honour to get this close to a baby Red Panda.

-They're really endangered.

-Yeah.

It's fantastic. If he stays like that or gets as cute as Mum,

he'll be a pleasure to come back and see over and over again.

-Thank you so much, Helen.

-That's all right.

I know you shouldn't throw your food around

but it's good for gorillas cos in the wild

they spend most of the day searching for food

and the keepers like to make them work for it here.

One of our favourite films was following Donna Honey to Africa

as she caught up with three baby gorillas

that she hand-raised here.

They're learning to live out in the wild.

It was a truly epic tale that really began three years ago

when two gorilla babies were rejected by their mums.

They'd have died if the keepers hadn't looked after them.

So Donna became their new mum.

Let's go and change your pants ready for work.

Those two were named Kouki and Oudiki

and they were later joined by another baby, little Tiya.

Then last year, all three went back to the wild.

Over 3,500 miles away to a country called Gabon in West Africa.

They're now being looked after in a special gorilla nursery

while they get used to life in the jungle.

When Donna set off to visit, we went too.

It took three days to reach the base camp.

And then a 40-minute hike to where the youngsters now live.

They hadn't seen Donna for over a year,

so the question was, would they remember their foster mum?

It's going to be a bit of a shock for them, so it may take a while

for them to come over. I'm hoping they'll be pleased to see me.

The best I can hope for is a little hello

and then they'll get on with their day.

We'll soon find out!

The youngsters have a house to sleep in

but they spend all day out in the jungle learning how to be gorillas.

But before they leave the house,

they always get a cup of milk.

Bless her!

Then after breakfast, they set off for the jungle.

But will they notice their special visitor?

Hello, handsome!

Oudiki was the first to spot Donna.

He came straight over to give her a welcome hug.

Kouki wasn't far behind!

In fact, the kids acted as if they'd never left her.

They climbed on for a ride, just like they used to.

That felt really good

to have Oudiki say hello and Kouki got a ride into the forest as well.

No, it was nice.

Probably the best outcome I could get, really.

After 12 months living in the forest,

the gorillas are growing up.

The biggest surprise was how Tiya's changed.

When she left Donna, Tiya was still in nappies,

not able to climb or find food on her own.

Tiya has changed dramatically.

She's climbing and she seems more with it.

She's grown up quite a lot

and she looks a bit different, too.

They're not just climbing a little bit.

These tough tots can now scamper to the tops of the trees,

over 15 metres high.

The jungle is the ultimate adventure playground.

This is fab to see them out in the forest.

They're doing what they want, you know?

Having pretty much a free choice

to go where they want

and spend their time pretty much as they please.

It's lovely.

Donna has been a gorilla keeper for over five years

so she knows how to behave around them.

When I'm with the gorillas, I'm trying to mimic their behaviour

while I'm with them

so that they know everything's OK and I'm quite content and happy.

Trying to give off the right signals, if you like.

I don't want to come across in a threatening way at all.

So I'm just behaving like them.

The gorillas may be free to roam,

but while they're still growing up,

they rely on their carers, Jamal and Lauren.

They get a cup of milk three times a day

because if they were still with their mothers,

they wouldn't be fully weaned yet.

They also need to be taught what is good and safe to eat.

The only way to do that is for Jamal and Lauren to show them.

Donna was delighted to see her three kids making such good progress.

It's great to be here.

It's a real privilege.

I'm very happy to be here and see gorillas out in the wild.

Doing their own thing, doing what they want, just being gorillas!

What do you get if you cross a football and a chicken?

David Peck'em!

GROANING SOUND

What bone will a dog never eat?

-I don't know.

-Trombone!

Miaow! Miaow! Miaow!

-What did the spider say to the bee?

-I don't know.

Your honey or your life!

-Ooph!

-Come on, Rani! Put your back into it!

-I'm trying, Johny.

-Honestly!

When you're a Roar Ranger, there's one thing you're sure to be doing,

shovelling poo!

With tonnes of it each year, there's no shortage!

But sometimes, our Roar Rangers have to do more than clean up.

Sometimes, they have to conquer their own fears.

Cockroaches...

spiders...

and snakes.

Most people have a problem with at least one of these.

But animal keepers have to be able to cope with all sorts of creatures.

So when Roar Ranger Sam got the Discovery Zone,

he was ready for the challenge.

First up was the giant hissing cockroach.

Do you want to touch it?

Feel it along the back. It's very smooth. No slime.

There you go.

Well done. That's OK, is it?

It was less scary than I imagined it would be.

Just touching it is brave. But would Sam go further?

Ready?

You'll feel the feet on it, the little hooks, the sticky pads.

If it... It'll just tickle a little bit.

There you go.

Sam wasn't even shaking

and he kept his hand steady

even when the cockroach decided to go for a walk.

-OK with that?

-Um...

-It's kind of tickly.

-Do you want me to take it?

-Yes, please!

-You'll feel it grip a little bit.

-There we go.

-Phew!

That's what they call a sigh of relief!

When it was about to fall off my hand, it really tingled.

It does give me a chill!

So, one down, two to go!

Would Sam cope so well

with one of the world's largest spiders,

the Chilean Rose tarantula?

Where is the venom kept?

The venom is in the top of the head here.

These bits in the front are where the fangs are.

I'm really scared, but I'll do it.

It's good to give it a go. She's going to walk on.

If you don't like it, let me know and I'll take her off.

There you go. She's happy now.

She's settled, very relaxed.

It's really hairy.

Sam's not alone. About one in three people have arachnophobia,

that's a fear of spiders.

I was really scared of them, but now I know there's nothing they can do

and they're not bad unless they want to eat something.

Having ticked off the creepy cockroach and the scary spider,

what would Sam make of the sinister snake?

I usually thought that snakes were deadly. I'd never go near one.

Most snakes are non-venomous.

Generally, there's nothing to worry about. They're like the spiders,

they don't want to bite. OK? Right,

we'll build up to you holding it now. Do you feel confident?

Snakes are much the same as any other animal.

They like to have their body supported.

Our heroic Roar Ranger didn't hesitate to pick up the snake.

He seems to be braver with every challenge.

There she goes. How does it feel?

-Really cool.

-Can you feel the muscles? They're very muscular.

I never thought I'd hold a snake in my entire life.

It's really cool.

On Ask The Keeper this year, we introduced a bit of a...twist!

You guys ask great questions

but those keepers always seem to know the answers.

Yes, so we thought we'd make it a bit harder

and introduced...

Some of these really were quite tough, and some quite fun, too!

The indigo snake. Do you know its name in Latin?

Ah!

I should know this!

You should know this, head keeper Rich Barnes.

Some questions were just hard.

Where does the word "serval" come from?

Ooh, that's a good one.

That's something I've never actually thought about, to be honest.

Some were just daft.

How many sets of bongo drums would it take

to weigh the same as an adult male bongo?

I don't know!

But most were hard and daft!

If you put a cockroach at the bottom of a swimming pool,

how long could it live under water for?

Ah, you've got me! You've got me!

So if a gorilla was to go to the gym and lift some weights,

how much do you think he could lift in kilos?

I don't know!

How many capybaras would it take to weigh the same as a family car?

Hah! That's slightly unfair!

An ocelot's eyesight is better than a human being's.

But by how much?

Well, I need glasses.

So their eyesight is definitely better than mine!

-I've never seen an ocelot...

-I don't think Tom knows the answer!

I'm working it out!

I'm working it out logically.

Wake us up when you're ready, Tom! Have a little snooze!

SNORING

Can you give us your best howler monkey impression?

I can't do a howler monkey impression. But I've heard you can.

So when a keeper actually got a question right...

Yes! Yes!

You do! You do!

It's not surprising that they went bananas!

You got it right. Well done!

Look at him! Look how proud he is!

He got the Killer Question right. What do you think?

Thumbs up or thumbs down for Tom?

Excellent!

Oh, Alec! Thumbs down!

Look at these baboons. They love their new open-top enclosure.

I'm not surprised. They've got loads of room to run around in,

they've got trees to climb

and, of course, they can get up to bags of mischief.

Speaking of mischief, we were here on the day they were released.

Remember?

There's a group of about 30 Guinea baboons here.

But the plan was to let just two of them out into the big new enclosure

to see how they got on.

It was early morning, well before the park was open to the public,

and everything was ready.

We have to point out this is an open-top enclosure.

They've never been in one before.

There's an electric fence around the enclosure for their own safety

and for the safety of the public as well.

Look, we've got our first one out now, Rani!

There you go.

-A little bit of a pace.

-I wonder what he's going to do.

He's looking at the enclosure where the rest of his family are.

This is something that might happen. He might want to be back with them.

They're very family-orientated animals.

-He's going to...

-OK, he's approaching.

SQUEAL

He's just felt the electric fence for the first time and he squealed.

There's another one approaching it. Has he learned from his mistake?

Yes, he's walked completely away from it,

-which is fantastic news for...

-But he's...

-Oh, no!

-OK. We've got a baboon out of the enclosure!

Don't panic!

We're all good.

He's made his way on top of the other enclosure.

We're going to back up and leave these guys to do their job.

With one of the baboons free on top of the cage,

the keepers put an emergency plan into action.

Jane, the vet, was already standing by

but our part was to get out of the way, indoors, in a safe place.

If you can see, we've got a view from the office

of the baboon who's still on top of the enclosure.

Jane, the vet, is out there with a dart gun.

Jane managed to get the baboon with a sedative dart,

to make him fall safely asleep.

Simon is checking that the baboon is out and he definitely is.

That's a lot of weight that Simon's carrying so he has to be careful.

Brilliant. The baboon is down now and Simon is safely off the roof.

It looks like mission accomplished. They've done a fantastic job.

We know the keepers know their stuff about the animals,

but what's amazing is their expertise in dealing with situations

that don't happen often, but they have to be ready.

Soon, the runaway baboon, along with the other one that was let out,

were both safely back with the rest of the group.

-You were scared that day!

-I don't like to admit it, but I was!

We were all scared. It was nerve-wracking stuff.

That was a few months ago,

but we're with now head of primates, Simon.

Are we safe? Cos the baboons are just there!

Very safe. They've done brilliantly in here now. Well relaxed.

It is such a good group in this cage now. It's brilliant.

OK. So what changed, then?

Did you go in and have a good chat with them? What happened?

How did suddenly they go from all trying to escape

to just loving it? They love it.

We changed what we did. We'd only let two out,

but next time we let the entire group out together.

So they're more relaxed, all happy together.

They're a lot happier being together than they are separately.

This is what we found worked.

It's worked brilliantly. The babies are together.

They go off and explore the enclosure together. It's great.

-Congratulations for the success. They look so happy.

-It's brilliant.

Now, then, all you Roar gamers!

Here's what you've been waiting for.

Today's cheat code is rock235.

Don't forget to check up on your animals.

Keep an eye on those visitors!

Happy gaming!

Just look at this greedy lot!

-I've only had one!

-I wasn't talking about you!

I was talking about the colobus monkeys

who are going mad for peanuts.

We're in the open-top enclosure with the colobus and De Brazza.

In the wild, these guys will eat fruit, nuts and leaves

and play an important part of forest life

because they spread the seeds to help new trees grow.

-So they're helping the environment?

-Exactly!

I like it. They're lined up ready to take a bow

because it's the end of this episode of Roar

and we hope you've enjoyed watching it.

This is the last programme in the series.

So from the colobus, Rani and me,

-it's goodbye for now.

-Goodbye!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd