0:00:03 > 0:00:07Today on Roar, Malika the lion needs an operation.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10So they're sending her to sleep with a tranquiliser dart.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16But will she come round afterwards?
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Oh, hello and welcome to Roar. I'm Rani and this is Johny.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50We're taking five minutes to use this new sock washing facility
0:00:50 > 0:00:52they've installed in the park.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55- Isn't that right, Johny? - That's right. This is brilliant.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57You can come to work, see all the animals,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59and give your feet a good cleaning treat.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02- They should have thought of this ages ago.- Absolutely!
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Excuse me, guys. What are you doing?
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Darren, we're just washing our socks.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10- Get yours off and I'll scrub them for you.- Sorry, not a hope.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12This is the new chipmunks' home.
0:01:12 > 0:01:18This is where they live and they actually sleep in the socks.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Yeah, I told you, Rani. Darren, I knew that.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25- Let's get on with today's show. - But you said, "Wash your socks"...
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Coming up today. Jess the tapir goes melon mad.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37I've never seen a tapir look so happy.
0:01:37 > 0:01:43We're going right in with the wolves to put the keeper to the test.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46But, who's the most worried? Her, us...
0:01:46 > 0:01:49or them?
0:01:49 > 0:01:53And even though Nico is a very old gorilla,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57it's not a good idea to get between him and his food.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01He's still a lot stronger than you and a lot stronger than me.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09If there's one new baby everyone at the park wants to see,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11it's a lion cub.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15They've had dozens in the past, but the last lot was four years ago.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Since then they haven't had a suitable male here.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22But now that's about to change.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28In a few weeks' time, a young male lion is coming from Germany.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Hopefully, it won't be too long
0:02:30 > 0:02:33before there are babies here once more.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36MALIKA ROARS
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Malika could be one of the first mums.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41The only problem is that for the past few years
0:02:41 > 0:02:45she's been on a contraceptive device to stop her having babies.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50The device is put just below the skin, between her shoulders.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Now it needs to be removed to give Malika the chance to have cubs.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56There are two vets here to do the job, Duncan and Chris.
0:02:56 > 0:03:02He reckons she's now the perfect age to start a family.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07She's just over five, so she could have a few litters of cubs,
0:03:07 > 0:03:12which makes this procedure worthwhile with the new male coming. MALIKA ROARS
0:03:14 > 0:03:17The first thing they need to do is send Malika to sleep
0:03:17 > 0:03:21with a tranquiliser dart. Brian, the keeper in charge of the lions,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24has an usual way of firing the dart.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28We use a blowpipe as it's more friendly for the animal.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It's a smaller dart. It's a small needle that goes into the muscle.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33She doesn't feel a thing.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40Brian's worked with the big cats for over thirty years.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44He's used the blowpipe hundreds of times to dart lions.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47But, right now, there's a problem.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48Too close, really.
0:03:48 > 0:03:54I can't get to fire somewhere at her back there, she's too tense, as well.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57I need her to move so she relaxes a little bit.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Otherwise a dart may bounce straight back out.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02MALIKA ROARS
0:04:04 > 0:04:09As soon as Malika gets up, Brian takes the shot.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Bull's-eye!
0:04:16 > 0:04:19MALIKA YAWNS I think just leave her now.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23The anaesthetic drug in the dart will take a few minutes to work.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26We're going to leave her alone now, let her go to sleep.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Then come back in and do the job.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34But the team will be watching Malika closely because,
0:04:34 > 0:04:39as vet Duncan knows, animals can react badly to the anaesthetic drug.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41There's always dangers with any anaesthetic.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45You're knocking the animal out. There's always a risk.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50So, don't go away, cos we'll be back shortly to see what happens
0:04:50 > 0:04:52when the vets go right in the lion's den.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55MALIKA ROARS
0:05:02 > 0:05:06The lion is the only kind of cat with a tuft at the end of its tail.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11They use it to signal to each other what kind of mood they're in.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14TAIL CLICKS
0:05:23 > 0:05:26On one side of the safari park, there's a lake.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28In that lake, there's an island.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33On the island lives a big silver-backed gorilla.
0:05:34 > 0:05:40His name is Nico. At fifty, he's one of the oldest gorillas in the world.
0:05:40 > 0:05:46In fact, if he was a human, he'd be getting on for 100 years old.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Nico is the park's longest standing resident.
0:05:48 > 0:05:54He came to the island in 1986, and these days his favourite pastimes
0:05:54 > 0:05:58are watching great programmes on his own TV,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00giving the visitors dirty looks,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02and eating.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04- 'Today, that's where I come in.' Hello, Sarah.- Hi...
0:06:04 > 0:06:07'I'm here to help give him his breakfast.'
0:06:07 > 0:06:11I'm really excited. I don't get to meet Nico very often.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15- He's a very special... he's right there! Oh, my God!- Oh, yeah!
0:06:15 > 0:06:17- Hello, Nico! - Still waiting for his breakfast.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20He seems really chilled out, but is he a grumpy old man?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Have you got to be careful?
0:06:22 > 0:06:24You definitely have to be careful around him.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29He seems quite chilled at the moment, but he's still got quickness in him.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Getting too close to the bars, he can grab you.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34So you've really got to be careful.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36- He just went like this... - CLAPS HANDS
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Is that sign language to say he wants something?
0:06:39 > 0:06:42He can see dried fruit in my hand, so he's very keen to get some.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45That's incredible! He went like that.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47We better give him it. How will we do this?
0:06:47 > 0:06:49We can't give it him straight up, can we?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52No. He will take your hands off if you try and feed him.
0:06:52 > 0:06:58What we will do today is put his fruit inside these brush heads here.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01He will have a bit of his breakfast in here today.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04We try to make a lot of animals work for their food
0:07:04 > 0:07:05to mimic what they do in the wild,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09but with Nico being so old, is it better to give him it outright?
0:07:09 > 0:07:12No, it's very good to keep them occupied, keep them fit and healthy
0:07:12 > 0:07:14and keep them working for food.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Life becomes easy if you put it on a plate for him,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21so I think it helps keep him fit and healthy for longer.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24We have bananas, oranges and apples. What do we have in there?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26We've got some dried fruit here.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29We have some dates and some apricots, which he really likes.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31He does favour his dry fruits.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- We're making an old man very happy this morning, then?- We are indeed.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38- Or an old gorilla. Shall we take this out?- I think that's plenty.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42- Brilliant. Are we going out here? - We're going out through the door.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Where are we going to put this, Sarah?
0:07:48 > 0:07:51We'll hang it off this tree here.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55What a beautiful place for Nico in his old age.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- The perfect old age retirement home. - We do our best.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01All we need to do is pick a link off here.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05- Is that done? - Yep, that's good. Let it go.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08So that's in place, Sarah. Can we let him out?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Definitely not while we're out on the island. It's far too dangerous.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15- He's not dangerous, is he? - He's still very strong.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18- A lot stronger than you and me. - OK, then.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21So we've got to get somewhere safe and then let him out.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26- If we go back inside, we'll watch from the pontoon.- Sounds like a plan.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Join us later to see what he makes of his breakfast provided by me.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52It's time now for Ask The Keeper.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56- Ladies, who's afraid of the big bad wolf?- ALL: Me!
0:08:56 > 0:09:01I am, too! They are just over there. There's a whole pack of them.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- Gemma, are we safe?- We are. We've got Bob keeping them occupied
0:09:05 > 0:09:10and as long as we don't make any sudden movements, we should be OK.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14That's a relief. If there's one person you'd want between you
0:09:14 > 0:09:17and a pack of wolves, it's Bob.
0:09:17 > 0:09:22He's deputy head of big cats and has over 30 years' experience.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25- Who wants to go first? - How does the pack communicate?
0:09:25 > 0:09:31The pack will communicate by howling. THEY HOWL
0:09:31 > 0:09:37If they're having a disagreement, they'll growl at each other.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42Snarl at each other, show teeth, that's how they do the hierarchy.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46If the lowest one's eating meat and the highest one doesn't want him to,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48they'll growl and then snap at them.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52- Mostly it's done by howling. - How fast does the pack run?
0:09:52 > 0:09:56The pack can run 55-60km, so quite fast.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01- Go on, Soph.- How long do they live? - They can live up to 14-16 years.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06Any more questions to catch out Gemma and her serious poker face?
0:10:06 > 0:10:11That's the first smile she's cracked all day! Go on.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- How small can a newborn pup get? - Ooh!
0:10:14 > 0:10:18A domestic dog, so if you've ever seen a domestic puppy,
0:10:18 > 0:10:19they're about that size.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24- Really small. - Are they bald when they're born?
0:10:24 > 0:10:28- They're just like a domestic dog. - How much does an average wolf weigh?
0:10:28 > 0:10:34Depending on how old they are, it's probably about 50-65kg.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39- Is that what they'd probably weigh? - The adult ones will, yes.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- Girls, how do you think Serious Gemma's doing?- Really well.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45She is. She knows her stuff!
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- Do you think we can catch her out? - Yes!
0:10:48 > 0:10:53All right then, it's time...for the Killer Question.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56All right then...
0:10:58 > 0:11:02All right then, Gemma, your Killer Question is,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06a pack of wolves can howl to deter their predators and even
0:11:06 > 0:11:11take on different tones to give the impression the pack is even larger.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16But do you know how many tones a wolf can sing in?
0:11:16 > 0:11:19THEY HOWL
0:11:19 > 0:11:24I'm just going to do a complete guess. I don't know that one.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26I'm going to say 12.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32- That is right! I can't believe you've guessed right!- Did my best.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36I think you secretly know and you're trying to make us feel better.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- No, it was a complete guess. - She knows everything.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44She certainly is the leader of the pack. Thumbs up or thumbs down?
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Purely for guessing, thumbs up. Well done, you. She beat us.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55What do you call a karate pig?
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Pork chops!
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Ribbit!
0:11:59 > 0:12:05Why do cats never play games in the jungle? There are too many cheetahs.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Ooh-ha-ha-ha-ha!
0:12:07 > 0:12:12What do you call a cow with two legs? Lean beef.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Earlier in the show, myself and keeper Sarah
0:12:36 > 0:12:40put on a breakfast spread for Nico the gorilla.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44We're about to let him out. Are we ready, Sarah?
0:12:44 > 0:12:45Here we go.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58I love the way he's just come out and he's just stood there.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02He looks like an old man. I think he's guarding his fruit.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07He's guarding his breakfast from us. Sarah, come over.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12Is this what he usually does? He doesn't yam it all down.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Normally he would go over,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17but there's been lots of people here today.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19He'll get there eventually.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- What type of gorilla is Nico? - Nico is a western lowland gorilla.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26We find them in the Cameroon, Central Africa area.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31- It looks like he's going over to our brush.- Yes.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Look at that!
0:13:33 > 0:13:36He's found it.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40"They've given me that banana again! They always give me banana!"
0:13:40 > 0:13:43There he goes, digging out the dried fruit.
0:13:43 > 0:13:49Out in the wild, how would gorillas eat? Would they pick berries?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- Is this mimicking that? - They do ground feed a lot.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55It saves energy. They will go up to bushes and bamboo
0:13:55 > 0:14:01and strip the leaves and they'll eat stems of plants as well.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06Also, they'll eat bugs as well. They'll pick away at tree bark.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10I saw Nico pick up a banana, have a good sniff and throw it down.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- Is he quite picky in his old age? - Definitely not.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18He prefers his favourite things first. He'll eat the rest later.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22The day he goes off his food, is the day we need to be concerned,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25but he's OK at the moment.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been going to the gym,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33but Nico just gets that big on fruit.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36There must be something else he eats.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40No, he just eats purely fruit and vegetation. How? I do not know.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45He's got good genes. I'm going to have to start working out with Nico.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Back at the Lion House, Malika is groggy from the tranquiliser dart.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55But before the vet team can go in,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59they must make sure she's really out.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03That can be hard to tell because the anaesthetic drug makes her
0:15:03 > 0:15:07eyes stay open, even after she's fallen asleep.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Shall we check her?
0:15:10 > 0:15:15Just going on the reactions. Stuart's given her a stimulus.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18The best way to tell is to test her blink reflex.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21They gently touch her eyelids.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24If she blinks quickly, it's still not safe to go in.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28But now, Malika's reactions are getting slower.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33I think she's out enough now. We can crack on.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40We're just checking her jaw, tongue now, which is an indicator
0:15:40 > 0:15:43of how anaesthetised she is and that's very relaxed.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48We do have a slight blink, so she's not really deep. But it's a short procedure.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52It doesn't take long to find the contraceptive device
0:15:52 > 0:15:56that was implanted just below the skin behind her shoulders.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00- That's what they're here to remove. - You can see it moving, look.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03So, from there to there.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Everyone needs to work fast.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09The longer Malika is under anaesthetic,
0:16:09 > 0:16:14the greater the danger that she might have a reaction.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17While vet Duncan shaves off a small patch of fur,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20vet Chris gets ready to do the surgery.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24It's vital that no infection gets into the wound.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28This is just a swab that's soaked in antiseptic.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33And I'm just cleaning the surgical site, so it's sterile.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39When everything's ready, Chris gets started.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43I'm just slicing down onto the implant now.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47And I'm going as close to her head as I can,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50so that she can't lick the wound afterwards.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Popped straight out.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57That's gone nice and quickly. We'll just put a quick little stitch in.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00There's the implant. And then we're done.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06These guys work fast. The operation is almost over.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10I'm just putting a little stitch in on top of the skin
0:17:10 > 0:17:13just to close the hole.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18This dissolves, so we won't have to knock her out again to remove it.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21We're just going to try and hide it as best we can,
0:17:21 > 0:17:27so that she doesn't aggravate it and none of the other lions do.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30And then it's job done.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34It's not often the team can get this close to a lion,
0:17:34 > 0:17:39so they're taking the opportunity to give her a quick health check.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42A nice big vein here, see?
0:17:42 > 0:17:45And she seems to be fit and well.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Great. We can give her a reversal agent.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55The reversal agent is a drug to wake Malika up.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58This can be a worrying time because sometimes,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02animals just don't come round.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06She's not round yet, so we're not out of the woods.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11The next hour, we should be seeing a bit more life, moving her head.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Now they need to watch her closely.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18We'll be back later to find out whether or not Malika comes round.
0:18:23 > 0:18:29There are a lot of games on the CBBC website, but there's only one
0:18:29 > 0:18:32that gives you your own park to look after, the Roar game.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Why not give it a go?
0:18:35 > 0:18:40But right now, make a note of this, today's cheat code.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45You use it in the game to get new animals, treats or extra features.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Happy gaming!
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Roll up! Get your grapes and melons.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Juicy and ripe...except with holes and tapir food inside.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13You're not buying it, are you? What do you think of my sales pitch?
0:19:13 > 0:19:18- Very good. Quite impressed.- We're here to give them to the tapir.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- Do you think the tapir will like them?- She'll love them.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25- We've got Jess. Isn't Jess one of your favourite animals?- She is.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30She's an amazing animal. She's really friendly.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33We're working with her today. What's all this about?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I've put some tapir food inside. What are we going to do?
0:19:36 > 0:19:40We've drilled little holes and we've got little lids.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44The plan is Jess is going to roll them about
0:19:44 > 0:19:46and bits of food will drop out as they go.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48What do I need to do with them?
0:19:48 > 0:19:51You can top up the squash with more grapes
0:19:51 > 0:19:54and then you need to stick lids on.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Who is Jess in there with? Is she on her own?
0:19:57 > 0:20:02At the moment, she's on her own. Her mate, Jethro, died last year.
0:20:02 > 0:20:07At the moment, we're trying to look for a new mate, a new fella for her.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12- She's on her own at the moment. - Let's go and keep her company.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16- If I pop this on. - That's great.- That's that one done.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20- And how are we doing this? - Squidge him in as well.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25I didn't look very masculine there! I can't get this pumpkin lid on!
0:20:25 > 0:20:30- Are we OK to go in there with Jess? - Yes, that's fine.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34She could have a temper on occasions, but generally she's very good.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39- I wouldn't let you in there on your own.- OK. Such big animals.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43There she is, at the top. Hello, lovely! Are you all right?
0:20:43 > 0:20:47- Look what we've got! - I've worked with tapirs before.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51They look strange. Where would you find them in the wild?
0:20:51 > 0:20:55She's a Brazilian tapir, so out in the Brazilian rainforest,
0:20:55 > 0:20:57in South America.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02- So she likes the warm weather. - She does a lot!- What shall I do?
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Just put it just in front of her and hopefully she'll roll it.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- Look!- The lid fell off! I'm gutted about that!
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- Is she still going to go for the melon?- We'll see.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17She's eating the nuts at the moment, but melon is one of her favourites.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20She's a big animal. Do you know how much she weighs?
0:21:20 > 0:21:23She weighs about 300kg. You couldn't pick her up.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27While we give her the melon, there's one more thing I'd like to do.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31- That would be to give her a tickle. - Yes, that's fine.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34If you come round to the side. She likes being tickled,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38all along the back she likes. And underneath on the tummy.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Oh, this is absolutely awesome!
0:21:40 > 0:21:43It's not every day you get to tickle a tapir!
0:21:43 > 0:21:48- She's really going for that melon! - She is. Stand back a bit, Johny.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53- She's having a good go at it. - Hilarious! What was all that about?
0:21:53 > 0:21:57She uses the swinging motion and her teeth and jaw to break off bits.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59She can't really use her hooves.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Is it OK that she's eating the whole thing?
0:22:02 > 0:22:06- Humans wouldn't eat the outside. - She's good. She eats banana skins.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09She eats all sorts of things out in the wild.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Any kind of fruit on the ground, she'd eat whole.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19- I've never seen a tapir look so happy.- Yes, she does enjoy herself!
0:22:19 > 0:22:22She might not have a partner at the minute,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26but she's got that melon and that's enough for her.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27She's loving it!
0:22:33 > 0:22:38Like many snakes, royal pythons have a row of heat sensitive pits
0:22:38 > 0:22:43along their upper lips. Scientists believe these heat sensors work
0:22:43 > 0:22:50like a thermal imaging camera, so the snakes can see warm things,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54such as their prey, even in complete darkness.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Cos snakes like their food nice and warm!
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Back up at the Lion House, Brian has been checking to see
0:23:07 > 0:23:11how Malika's doing after her operation.
0:23:20 > 0:23:26She's recovered pretty well. You can hear her grumbling a bit now.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31But I'm not sure she's fully recovered enough to let out yet.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Just trying to see if she'd move.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38I'm going to get her attention to see what she does. Malika!
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Come on, then.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48She may still be a little groggy...
0:23:50 > 0:23:54..and a bit grumpy, but she's recovering well.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04That's a good sign. She's being aggressive to us at the moment,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06apart from actually getting up.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10I think I'm going to leave her for a bit longer yet
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and come back tonight and check her and go from there.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16But it's going to take longer than that
0:24:16 > 0:24:19before she trusts the keepers again.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22She probably won't come up to me for a few days.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27She'll stay away cos she's probably worried I'll stick one of those horrible darts in her.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32I'm very pleased that she's pretty active, but she's not getting up.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Give her a few more hours and she'll probably be all right.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43So, tomorrow Malika should be able to re-join the rest of the pride.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46The whole operation has been a complete success,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50so now Malika has a good chance of becoming a mum.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52And if all goes well,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56it won't be long before there are new cubs in the park.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58So watch this space.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28The family of mara have moved to a new enclosure,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32so before we leave you, we'll pop along to see how they're getting on.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35- We popped up to see keeper Lucy. Hi, Lucy.- Hi, there.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38This woodchip is quite uneven to walk on, but do the mara like it?
0:25:38 > 0:25:40They love it.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43They especially like digging and they've got a special play pit.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47They love digging there and they often dig big holes round the back
0:25:47 > 0:25:50and we fill them in every morning and we have to do it again.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52It's a job we do every day.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Why do they dig? Are they burrowing or trying to get out?
0:25:54 > 0:25:59They do burrow. In the wild they make burrows to raise their young in.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Sometimes they do try to get out but they don't burrow out.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06The little ones try to sneak through the bars. They've got skinny hips.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10They slip through the bars and often go to Monkey Temple. There's lots of nice grass.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13I can't get used to them. What are these things?
0:26:13 > 0:26:19They're cute! They look like a capybara mixed with a guinea pig.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- Yeah, a sort of rabbit. They're just a bit odd.- A bit of a hare.- Yeah.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Their closest relative is a guinea pig.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27They're part of the rodent family.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32They look rather odd and sort of like a rodent and a deer mixed up.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35How are they getting on? Are they enjoying their new enclosure?
0:26:35 > 0:26:37They're loving it.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40They're constantly digging and they'll sunbathe.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44- So it's good.- A great life. I just think they're digging sandpits.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Sounds like they're living the Life of Riley.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50- I think we should chill out with them!- I'm loving your work, Johny.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53While we do that, check out what's on the next episode of Roar.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55- Budge over.- Ay!
0:26:57 > 0:27:00It's going to be a baby themed show,
0:27:00 > 0:27:06with the dramatic story of a newborn deer rescued in the nick of time.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08My first impression was that she was actually dead.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13I'll be meeting the new baby camels... If the grownups let me!
0:27:13 > 0:27:15SHE SCREAMS
0:27:15 > 0:27:17It's desperate to be on camera!
0:27:17 > 0:27:21And do you remember Kaseem and Sumalee, the baby otters?
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- Oh, they're unreal! - Cute, aren't they?
0:27:24 > 0:27:26They are so cute!
0:27:26 > 0:27:29We'll find out if they can still turn Johny
0:27:29 > 0:27:30into a lump of gooey mush.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Plus, it's their birthday and they're having a party!
0:27:34 > 0:27:35TOOT!
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:43 > 0:27:44E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk