Episode 26 Roar

Today on Roar, the keepers think Rosina the rhino may be pregnant.

They've called in experts for a test.

It's been a long time since they had a baby like this

at the safari park, so everyone is crossing their fingers

and holding their breath.

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

-And I'm Rani.

I'll show you how to make this porcupine quill

practical and fashionable.

Cool! I'm going to show you how to make this porcupine quill disappear.

-Oh, now that's magic.

-Thanks, Rani. I can't find it.

No, seriously, I can't find it.

I think we should get on with today's show.

Ouch!

Coming up: the tigers might look like lazy cats, but don't be fooled.

They are excellent climbers, but how high will they climb up this tree?

I'll be catching up with the cutest babies on the park.

It's walkies time for the baby otters.

And a group of ferrets is called a business,

but will the keeper know her business

when this lot give her a grilling?

But we start today with a story about baby rhino.

These shots of the park were taken over 20 years ago.

Young Ronnie was the last baby born here,

as head of the safari park Keith Harris remembers.

All babies are nice, but baby rhino are so prehistoric

and they're a lot of fun.

With white rhino, the calf leads the way, so the mother follows the calf.

Most other species, it's the other way round.

When you let them out, the mother follows the baby,

even though the mother knows where she's going, she doesn't care.

Wherever the baby goes, she goes.

The babies are born without horns which grow at about 7cm a year.

Seeing baby rhino at the park again would be a dream come true

for Deputy Head Ian Turner.

A baby rhino is very, very special.

Of all the animals we've got in the safari park,

if I could have one wish for one baby,

it would be a baby rhino for sure.

60 years ago, because of poaching,

white rhino were critically endangered.

There were less than 1,000 in the world.

Now, thanks to conservation, their numbers have increased.

As part of that international effort,

the safari park wants to restart their breeding programme.

Keith travelled to South Africa to collect three young rhino

from breeding centres.

But catching the youngsters in the bush is not easy.

The actual darting was done by helicopter

and then trackers go out and track the rhino

because obviously once they're darted, it's very important

to keep an eye on them - the helicopter does that.

He watches where the rhino goes and he guides in trackers,

and the Land Rovers and the boxes to actually pick the rhino up.

After sedating them, the trackers put cotton wool in their ears

and cover their eyes to keep them calm.

It is quite exciting and it has to be done very quickly

because the biggest thing we try to avoid is stress to the animal.

The young animals were carefully put into travelling crates,

loaded on to the back of gigantic lorries and sped across the country.

It took one giant aeroplane, a team of vets,

and a 10,000km flight to get this precious cargo safely to the UK.

After arriving at the park, the youngsters settled in well

and everyone hoped that one day they may have babies.

They are an animal that were nearly extinct

and we are actually trying to be here for a purpose

that we can breed rhinos successfully.

And if ever something goes wrong in the wild again,

we've got rhino that could go back,

so it is very important for conservation,

that we are able to breed rhino.

That all happened seven years ago

and today Rosina, Anjanu and Marashi are now mature adults.

Head of section Andy Hayton has been monitoring them

and thinks there might be good news.

In December, we had another mating from Rosina and Anjanu.

He hasn't mated her again. So they won't mate if she's pregnant.

So, mathematically, we're saying she should be pregnant.

If Rosina is expecting, this would be fantastic for the species

and for everyone at the park.

It's very hard to tell with rhinos.

They don't get really big like people do, you know, it's hard to tell.

The only way the keepers can know is to do an ultrasound scan of Rosina.

There aren't many people in the world

with the right equipment to do it.

The procedure we do isn't the kind of thing that your average vet can do.

There's one particular group of people in Germany,

one guy in particular, who is a rhino-breeding expert.

He's the best man for the job. He's the man that's coming to do it.

The expert's test will tell the team on-the-spot the good or bad news.

A lot of people will be waiting for the result.

So there will either be a cheer or a few very numb faces and we'll see.

We'll be back at the rhino house later

when the team arrives for the test.

Up in the Big Cat Reserve,

the tigers have their own pool to chill out in.

Keeper Bob Trollope tells me

they're not just good swimmers, they are also excellent climbers.

So today we're going to try and find out just how high tigers can climb.

I'm not afraid to say I'm scared of heights and of big ferocious cats.

So the thought of a tiger up a tree fills me with dread

and that's exactly what keeper Bob intends to do today.

Bob, what are you thinking?

Well, what we're going to do is hide some meat up there

to encourage them up the trees a bit.

-You want to encourage tigers to go up trees?

-We do.

-All right.

Tigers, they're over there.

Can they actually climb or are we leaving a ladder out for them?

-No, this is solely for me.

-Right, OK.

-Because they can climb brilliantly.

Sandari is excellent.

She'll be straight over there, much quicker than I can get up there.

She can get the meat and jump down from a great height,

go off and eat that and go back for some more hopefully.

-Let me give you a hand here.

-OK.

-Have you ever tried this before?

We do it from time to time, just to add a bit of variety in their life.

And how are you expecting tigers to actually get up the tree like that?

I should imagine they will leap half of it, at least, from the ground.

They'll leap two or three metres

and then clamber up to get the meat and jump off.

Bob, in my eyes, that's really high for a tiger to climb.

Looking at the size of them, they're big and heavy,

I'm thinking they're clumsy. You want them to go higher.

Yeah, they'll go a lot higher than this!

I think the STAKES will be too high.

Why don't you join us later

and see if the tigers are willing to climb the trees for a chunk of meat?

Come on, Bob, I'll give you a hand.

It's exam time for another keeper.

Being put to the test today is Animal Adventures Alexa.

She will be answering questions about ferrets.

Alexa, have you been doing your homework?

Lots of homework.

Hercules is here to help me as well.

I'm glad to hear it. Who's going to fire away with a question first?

-Do ferrets make good pets for young children?

-It depends.

You need to have a lot of time.

They sleep 18 hours a day. The six hours they're awake, they're crazy,

so you need to have lots and lots of time.

You need to know how to care for them.

Don't buy one and think it'll be fine.

-You need to know about them.

-Got another question?

-What's a ferret's life span?

-Ah, a ferret's life span.

Here, in captivity, they can live to around 10 or 12 years

and we've heard that some can get up to 15.

-So quite a long time.

-Do ferrets really run up people's trousers?

Well, ferrets, as lovely as they are, do like dark places.

So, if you're wearing very wide-legged trousers

they might think it's a nice tunnel to run up,

but they can't get a grip up your leg, so they won't get too far.

-Where do ferrets come from?

-You won't find a ferret out in the wild.

They've been bred from animals such as polecats and many, many years ago,

monks used them for hunting mice and things like that.

-Can I touch it?

-Of course, you can. Give him a lovely big stroke!

He likes a lot of fuss and attention.

He seems friendly. Do you want to have a little stroke? Is that OK?

-Of course, have a lovely stroke of him.

-He feels really soft.

So do ferrets moult?

Do you get ferret hairs all over the place, like dogs when they moult?

They do moult. They have summer and winter coats

like most animals do - obviously a lot shorter in the summer

and gets nice and thick and warmer in the winter.

Ferrets can actually put on about 40% of their bodyweight in the winter

just staying nice and warm.

So they need a lot of fur there.

Their hairs are short and fine, so you don't often find them around.

Alexia, it has been lovely having a chat with you about ferrets.

It's going to get serious

because we're going to have you ferreting about for an answer

when we ask our Killer Question!

Come on, guys.

OK, we're ready.

FAKE LAUGHTER

A-ha. Here we go.

The Latin name for a ferret is Mustela putorius,

but what does it mean?

Ah, that is a very good question.

It means smelly, weasel-like thief.

She got it right. I can't believe it.

Well done, a round of applause for that, guys.

Overall, how do we our Alexa did today? A thumbs-up or a thumbs-down?

It's got to be thumbs-up all round, Alexa, you did smashingly well.

So, if I told you a 150kg tiger was going to climb up a tree

all for a little bit of meat, would you believe me?

I don't know if I believe Bob,

but you seem to think this is the case, don't you?

I'm not sure if all three will go up a tree,

but I'm sure one of them will.

-Yeah, which one is that?

-Sandari.

All right, earlier on the show we placed meat up those trees.

We placed some meat about five metres.

We have placed them even as high as six or seven metres

so we're going to find out if the tigers can climb.

Bob, release the beast, please.

Do you think she will run straight up the tree?

-They're big!

-She knows we're up to something.

She's got to sniff around. She knows we're here.

Because we were walking around that would be a scent as well.

She's gone straight over to our car.

That's our other Roar production team.

They're trying to capture more of the action.

Yeah, she's just intrigued on the smells that we laid.

Obviously the meat is going to be a strong smell

so she's going to have to realise that it is up there.

She knows it's here. She's looking at that tree.

When she sees it, she'll be up there.

-Feel like saying, "Getting hotter."

-There she goes.

-Oh, my goodness.

-She's...

-RANI GASPS

-Oh, wow.

-She's got to work her way up there.

-That is unbelievable.

-She's got a piece. Straight down.

So that's one. There are several more pieces up there.

Bob, I think I am quite speechless.

-That was unbelievable.

-It is incredible, isn't it?

I think I was expecting them to have a really good run up

to get up to the tree, but actually it was quite close

where Sandari pushed herself up.

That is a lot of power in the legs as well.

That spring which they needed to sort of get so far up

and then you can see the power of pulling her weight.

If you think 150 kilos, pulling on her front legs,

that's an incredible feat.

They realise there is a piece of meat.

-They are going to bully her off.

-Ooh-hoo!

Sandari will now be protective

because she has virtually claimed that tree as hers now.

-So it is just not the meat, it is the whole tree?

-Yes.

She knows there's food there and doesn't want the others to get it.

She'll protect that meat.

Wow! Did you see that?

-That's incredible.

-That was amazing!

That's going against the lean of the tree.

She has all her weight there and that's about seven metres.

Seven metres.

That's higher than a giraffe.

Bob, she took up half of the tree.

She just went up and then she just clambered...

-Was that Sandari again?

-That's Sandari again.

Look, look, we're going again.

There she goes.

She's got to work out how to get down.

-Wow!

-Mugged again!

She just looks like she is really enjoying it, getting up there.

-Do you think she is?

-I think she is.

If she was hungry, she would sit down and munch away,

but she's just playing.

Bob, she's a little bit close for comfort

and now we know that tigers can swim, they can run very fast

and climb trees, I think the best thing for us to do is drive off.

Go on, Bob.

Back up at the rhino house, it's a big day for Rosina.

International rhino doctor Robert Hermes and his team have arrived

to give her a pregnancy test.

He's brought along an ultrasound machine which uses sound waves

to create a picture of what is happening inside the rhino's body.

It's a bit like the ones they use on pregnant mums,

but with rhinos, it's different.

They're very big animals.

They have a very thick skin so different from humans

where you ultrasound that from the outside

and you can see everything very nicely.

In these guys, you have to do it from the inside.

But with rhino, any procedure is risky.

They can weigh up to 2,500 kilogrammes.

That's twice the weight of the keepers' trucks.

Park vet Chris Mangham needs to give Marashi a small sedative

to keep her calm during the scan.

He has to be very careful.

I think the major danger with these guys is

you have got a lot of metal about and a big rhino.

You don't want to get caught between the two.

Rhino, are attracted to the colour white so Robert uses a cloth

to guide Rosina into a small pen so vet Chris can sedate her.

Come on, then. Come on, then.

They want Rosina to be standing for the scan

so they will only give her a small amount of the drug.

Well, ironically they are the biggest in the park,

but they are really soppy and you can stroke their ears.

So we're going to lull them over to the side of the cage,

give them a stroke and put the needle in without them noticing.

The skin is this sort of thickness and they really won't feel it.

Good girl. Steady, then.

Steady. Good girl.

The sedative will just make her feel drowsy.

The keepers keep her calm and happy with food and strokes.

With Rosina relaxed, Robert can get to work, but what will they find?

We'll be up at the rhino house later.

-How does a tiger stop the TV?

-I don't know.

Paws.

Moo!

Why did the dog go to court?

Because he got a barking ticket.

Woof-woof, woof-woof, woof-woof.

-What do you call a crab that doesn't share his food?

-I don't know.

Shellfish.

OK, all you gamers, it's cheat code time.

Today's secret code is fog 120. Type that in and see what you get.

Happy gaming.

Bev and I are having a stroll

with the cutest little cuddly-wuddly things in the park.

It's the baby otters. Check these guys out.

-They're quite interested in my shoe at the moment.

-They are.

It is not often that you see them running freely around,

-but it's a quiet day today.

-It's a quiet day

so they walk across for a bit of play time.

So what will these otters play around with?

I've got toys for them. I've got some balls for them.

I've got some teething dummies as well for them

because they do like chewing a lot as well.

I can't get over how cute they are.

And you know what, Bev, we've followed them

throughout their life cycle so far.

So we've got Kazeem and Samali, a boy and a girl. How old are they now?

-They're ten weeks old now.

-They're both developing well?

Yeah, Kazeem is the biggest.

-Samali is definitely the bossy one out of the two.

-The little girl?

The little girl, yeah. He has to do what he is told.

He's giving my finger a bite.

They're not sharp enough to do any damage, but are they teething?

They have got some of their teeth already

and the rest are starting to come through now

so this is to prepare them for when they eat solid food.

But they will get quite sharp. This is a play thing.

-They don't mean it when they nip.

-Are otters playful animals?

They're young otters, but will that change as they grow older?

They are very playful.

Even when they are adults, they're playful with each other,

especially in the water.

In their pool, they will jump around

and play with each other, so, yes, it is just throughout life they are.

So what kind of toys have we got here? I've seen a dummy.

Yes. Yes, I have got some dummies for them

and this is important especially when their teeth

are starting to come through like babies.

They like to chew on things so I got teething dummies for them.

The balls, they like to play with.

They are always using their hands, their paws, basically,

so it's important to give them things to do.

As well being playtime, they're learning how to control their arms

and how to become otters?

Yes, very much so. It is important

for them to get used to... they don't like sharing at times.

-What is that noise?

-It is basically him saying, "That's mine!"

-Have we just heard a baby otter growling?

-Yes, we did.

Is there a point where you have to release them into the big wide world

and let them go and not look after them any more?

Yes. It won't be long now really

and we're going to start introducing them back with Mum and Dad.

It'll be great and they'll start realising they are otters

and not human like me, so it will be great.

It will be great, but it must be a sad for you as well

because they are so cute?

Yeah, I'm going to miss them.

I'm going to miss not taking them home

and not having them run around my house.

It is funny to see them getting confident

and a cheeky now, playing around with your shoelace.

As far as I'm concerned, any time is playtime

with these beautiful baby otters.

Back up at the rhino house, Dr Robert Hermes

is doing an ultrasound test on Rosina

to see if she's carrying a baby rhino.

This machine uses sound waves to create a picture

of what's happening inside an animal.

It is the moment of truth a little bit

because we know she's been mating regularly

and it would be so lovely if she's pregnant.

I think for a lot of us here it is almost ten years of work

coming to fruition. We will see.

The hopes of all the keepers now rest on what Robert can see

with his machine.

Can he see a baby rhino?

It's taking a worrying long time.

Nothing.

Not even... No remnants, nothing.

So if it's six months that she cycled the last time, then she's...

It's not good news.

Rosina isn't pregnant. For the team, it's a devastating blow.

Rosina isn't pregnant.

It is really, really depressing, but what do you do?

I'm majorly disappointed that she's not pregnant.

It was really disappointing,

but we have just got to look on the bright side.

There is no reason she can't get pregnant.

There are things we can still do and we have just got to keep trying.

It's not the end of the road.

Robert thinks he knows why she's not got pregnant.

If you have two females that are very close friends to each other,

they seem to think, "We are already two,

"we don't need more in this place. So we're happy with each other.

"We don't need to reproduce."

So the idea is to give them separate territories, we call it,

so that they feel, "I'm here, I'm the boss here now. I'm all by myself.

"I have enough space and I can get offspring and can get babies."

Separating the females will be the next step for the team.

Try and pick everybody up

and get things going again, but, yeah, disappointed,

but she is still fit and healthy.

Rosina and Marashi are still young and there is plenty of time

for them to breed.

In the wild, female rhinos live on their own

so hopefully the new plan will work

and it won't be too long before baby rhinos are once again

running around the safari park.

We're almost at the end of another show,

but head keeper Mark has invited us to the Chilean flamingo enclosure

for the "one-legged challenge" before we leave.

-Hiya, Mark.

-Mark, tell us about this challenge.

Well, you have asked me lots of questions.

It's time to turn the tables.

You know what? OK. I think we've picked up a few things

along the series so I think, "Bring it on," you know.

We can answer some questions,

mainly about my favourite colour and what I had for lunch.

It's not going to be that.

-It's going to be about the Chilean flamingos, I'm guessing?

-Yes.

-So how does this work then?

-OK, you have to stand on one leg.

If you get the answer right, you are allowed to swap.

If you get it wrong, you stay on that leg

and you are out if you fall over.

OK. Legs up.

The first question, which is the tallest type of flamingo?

Beep. The greater flamingo.

-Correct.

-Yes! I swap legs.

You swot! I can't believe that.

How long does it take a Chilean flamingo to build its nest?

I do know this one because I like to build things and stuff.

-Is it around six weeks?

-About that.

It will do. You are not doing well here, Johny.

-OK. I'm going to get this next one.

-What's the difference

between a flamingo that sleeps with its head on its right-hand side

-as opposed to one that sleeps on its left-hand side?

-Male or female.

-No.

-Is one right sided and one left sided?

-No.

-Is it something to do with age?

-No.

-Is it just more comfortable?

-No.

-OK, tell us the answer.

-You failed.

The bird that sleeps with its head on the left-hand side

-is more aggressive.

-I sleep on the right, I wouldn't have known that!

One more question.

One more. One more.

On the flamingo's leg, a nice long leg,

-what is the joint you can see half-way down?

-Knee?

-Wrong.

-Ankle.

-Correct.

-Yay! So what's the score, then?

2-1 to me.

That's a sore loser and I've got flamingo poo on me hand.

OK, while I wash me hands,

check out what's on the next episode of Roar. High five.

She's going to kill me!

Next time, if you don't like snakes, then hide behind the sofa

because for the first time on Roar,

we're going to see just how fast a snake can strike.

Trust me, you wouldn't want to be a mouse!

SCREAMING

-Oh, wow!

-Oh, my goodness. It made me jump.

Most people would call in pest control

if they had bugs in their bedroom, not keeper Graham, though.

He has tarantulas, baboon spiders, and cockroaches.

And our Roar Rangers meet a snappy customer

who doesn't bother about chewing his food, he just swallows it whole!

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