0:00:02 > 0:00:05This could be the most powerful typhoon ever to hit land.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Roads have become rivers, vehicles swallowed up by the rising waters.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12On November 8th 2013,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines in Southeast Asia.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22It brought winds of over 230mph
0:00:22 > 0:00:24and a huge storm surge over five metres high.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28This programme contains contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting
0:00:28 > 0:00:32In just 16 hours, the typhoon beat a deadly 25-mile-wide path
0:00:32 > 0:00:36right across the country's central islands.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44More than 6,000 people were killed and four million left homeless,
0:00:44 > 0:00:48triggering a massive humanitarian aid operation.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56The disaster made news around the world, but behind the headlines,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58there's another untold story.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02In a country where a third of the population rely on farming to survive,
0:01:02 > 0:01:07millions of animals were also affected by the typhoon.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11I'm Michael Mosley, and I've come to the Philippines
0:01:11 > 0:01:16in the aftermath of Haiyan to follow a unique team of vets.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18COW GRUNTS
0:01:18 > 0:01:19PIG SQUEALS
0:01:19 > 0:01:23They fly into the world's worst disaster zones,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27from droughts to floods, from earthquakes to tsunamis.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Go and check house by house how many animals so we can strategise.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34The vet's goal is not only to rescue animals...
0:01:34 > 0:01:36See you in the field, bye-bye.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40..but to turn this disaster into an opportunity
0:01:40 > 0:01:42to improve animal welfare in the long-term.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46I think you've done a splendid thing here. I think you're doing a really good thing here.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Thank you.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53I want to see exactly what happens when the team deliver emergency aid
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and discover how the innovative methods they bring...
0:01:56 > 0:01:58They're surprisingly effective.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01..could save the lives of many animals and the people who depend on them...
0:02:01 > 0:02:05I don't know how to, how to stand again.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08..the next time a disaster strikes.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10The typhoon did a great deal of damage,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13but it could, in the end, do a great deal of good.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26The team first arrived in the Philippines four days after Typhoon Haiyan hit.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30They work for the World Society for the Protection of Animals,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33a charity which funds an international network
0:02:33 > 0:02:35of specialist vets.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Then they said, "Yes," you know, "we don't have much to eat."
0:02:38 > 0:02:42They continually monitor the world for potential disasters.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43This is New Washington,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47which looks now like an atomic bomb dropped on them.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51We've got a clear roll-out over more than a period of three days there.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55James Sawyer is director of Global Disaster Management.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59When a disaster strikes, we'll try and assess what the animal need is.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I will make a decision within 12 hours as to whether
0:03:02 > 0:03:05we should deploy a team to go and have a look at that situation,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08and our teams normally get there within four days.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11The surprising thing about Cyclone Haiyan was that, er,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14it was looking like a kind of pretty medium-grade cyclone
0:03:14 > 0:03:17and then became a superstorm, so we had 24 hours' notice, really,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19of how bad it was going to be.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27The charity has spent 50 years working in disaster zones,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30so their vets have a well-practised system for delivering aid.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35The team first make a rapid assessment of animal health.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38You can prepare, you can equip yourself, you can...you can
0:03:38 > 0:03:40be confident about your experience,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43but what you find on the ground is different every single time.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44There is no milk here.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47After identifying the worst-hit areas,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50they go from village to village setting up mobile clinics to
0:03:50 > 0:03:53treat as many animals as possible.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Even animals which aren't badly injured by the immediate impact
0:03:57 > 0:04:02of a disaster can quickly die as a result of secondary infections,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06lack of shelter, food or clean water.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08The pressure on their time is immense.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14One, two, three, go.
0:04:16 > 0:04:22'It's hot, sweaty, dirty, hard work, long hours,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24'there's always one more animal.'
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Just as you're packing up the van,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28someone appears with another chicken or another cow.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34James' team each have a vital role to play.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Turn around.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37Lead vet Juan Carlos Murillo...
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Yeah, it's OK.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44..has spent more than 20 years travelling from one disaster to the next.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Wars, hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis...
0:04:48 > 0:04:51wherever they send me,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54wherever they request me to be, I'll be there.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56And they're coming from that farm, the survivors?
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Head of this operation is Gerardo Huertas.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04He decides where the team focuses its efforts.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08When we land in the places, it's usually been ravaged by nature,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12it's always in a mess, it's always chaos, and we need to put together
0:05:12 > 0:05:15something that makes sense inside that chaos.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18So if you need additional medication, just let me know.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23Cynthia Dias, the newest member of the team, is in charge of logistics.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26The sense of emergency you have in every disaster actually
0:05:26 > 0:05:30keeps you alive, and the faster you move, the more animals you reach.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36The team is one of two dispatched by the charity to the Philippines,
0:05:36 > 0:05:41a vast archipelago of over 7,000 islands.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Following an appeal from the local government,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47they're focusing their efforts on the island of Panay.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Roughly half the size of Wales, it has a population of four million.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Panay was kind of forgotten as an island.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00It's quite agricultural, people's livelihoods
0:06:00 > 0:06:05and their futures are absolutely woven into the lives of animals.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Today, the vets are working in a remote coastal village.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17When the typhoon swept through here,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19it devastated the local fishing industry.
0:06:22 > 0:06:2570% of the fishing boats here have been destroyed,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27that makes them more reliant on the animals, not less.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Cos fishing boats cost money to build, especially ones with engines.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Tens of millions of Filipinos rely on animals for their livelihood.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43- We only have time for two things - one is the goats at the end...- OK.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47..and I know the pigs cannot come here, so we'll go to see the pigs.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48OK.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51The people have their chickens with them right now.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Right now? Perfect.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Let's quickly split out what we need.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59The vets treat urgent cases first,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02then work through each species one at a time.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09He has tracheitis, which is a swelling of the trachea.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13And it's difficult for him to breathe, so we will provide some
0:07:13 > 0:07:18long-action antibiotic so the animal can breathe better.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Sorry, buddy.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25Super Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, killed more than
0:07:25 > 0:07:30six million animals. Those that were badly injured didn't last long.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34'Those animals that could not recover by themselves, then the owners,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36'to avoid losing the whole animal,'
0:07:36 > 0:07:40they then sell the animal or take the animal to the abattoir to
0:07:40 > 0:07:43be slaughtered and take advantage at least of the meat.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50The vet's initial aim is to prevent animals which survived the typhoon
0:07:50 > 0:07:52from falling sick and dying.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55THEY CONVERSE IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:07:55 > 0:07:59The drugs in their mobile medical kits are based on years of experience.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- How much?- We will have half a cc.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Those animals, like people when they're...when they get stressed,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10their immune system will drop and it'll make them more susceptible
0:08:10 > 0:08:15to infection, so we do carry and administer a lot of antibiotics.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17OK, we have a wound here.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Yeah, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory, please.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Parasites find it easier to infect weakened animals,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26so the team carry deworming medicine.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30I will use a dewormer too, because there are also parasites
0:08:30 > 0:08:35on the skin, and finally, she needs more vitamins to get better.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38This is painful, please hold.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41To combat the effects of malnutrition,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44they administer multivitamins and minerals.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47It might sound kind of simple and straightforward,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51but the combination of those... of those drugs and treatments really
0:08:51 > 0:08:55do make a huge difference to animals in the aftermath of a disaster.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01After typhoons and other disasters, the spread of disease is
0:09:01 > 0:09:07a major concern, so the vets must follow strict biosecurity protocols.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10We're obviously very concerned about zoonotic diseases,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12ones that spread between animals and people.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16In floods, we quite often see outbreaks of leptospirosis,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18bird flu, swine flu,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and they are quite significant public health concerns.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26And, of course, Asia is the birthplace, really, of those.
0:09:26 > 0:09:27Ready for the next!
0:09:29 > 0:09:32The animals here are a vital part of the economy.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Elmer Dayo is a father of three
0:09:35 > 0:09:38who relies on a single pig for his children's education.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42PIG SQUEALS
0:09:42 > 0:09:43A new... A new syringe, please.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45- With vitamins? - Yes, please. Thank you.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47SQUEALING CONTINUES
0:09:47 > 0:09:50This is normal behaviour, vocalisation,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52high vocalisation, so we are not harming them.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58We use the neck because, for ham production purposes,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02we cannot harm the legs, so that we use the neck.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07TRANSLATION:
0:10:20 > 0:10:24That's all they have left. They don't have any homes,
0:10:24 > 0:10:30their boats are broken and, er, if they ever have a chance,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32their kids have a chance to go to school,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35it's because of the little savings they have in their pigs.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40They know exactly what the pigs are for, chickens are for,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42the goats are for -
0:10:42 > 0:10:47we're talking First Communion, going to school, getting married.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Cows are for hospital costs.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56It's all so interrelated.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59You lose a pig, you lose a child going to school.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03You lose an opportunity for the country's individuals
0:11:03 > 0:11:06and communities to improve, to further their lives and have
0:11:06 > 0:11:11aspiration to have maybe many of the things that we want as well.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21After treating 9,000 animals in three weeks,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25the vets are today on their way to see a farmer,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28one amongst a million affected by the typhoon.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31This is Jeniffer Inamarga,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35whose farm supports her extended family of 14.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39It's also a major source of eggs and meat for the local community.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45Before the typhoon, she had 37 pigs and over 1,000 chickens.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Now, she is left with very little.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52I need your help.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55We will do our best.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- Almost everything is gone.- Yes.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01I don't know how to...
0:12:01 > 0:12:04how to...how to stand again.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11And it's very... You know, it's very sad to say...
0:12:13 > 0:12:17You are... You are in our country, you help us, but...
0:12:17 > 0:12:19No, don't worry about us, don't worry.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24The people around, there is no... No-one help us.
0:12:24 > 0:12:30That's why I am very thankful to you, you, all of you.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33We will do our best to help, seriously.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43She's lost pretty much everything,
0:12:43 > 0:12:48I mean, other than one group of kind of poultry that we're going to help.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51You don't just get a whole new bunch of pigs and chickens overnight,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55and, you know, it's...the breeding and things like that.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58You know, we have to get on with doing what we do,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01and there's still some animals still alive here.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04It is quite an upsetting experience at times.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08For a lot of us, it's just nice to get home and play with the kids,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10things like that, you know.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14The team can, on this occasion, do little,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18and soon they head off to other disaster zones.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- Thank you very much. - You're welcome, don't worry.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25But they plan to return, and when they do, they will use
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Jeniffer's farm to test out a novel idea,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30one that could have a major impact
0:13:30 > 0:13:33on the lives of animals throughout the Philippines.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53It's three months now since Typhoon Yolanda and I'm on my way to meet up
0:13:53 > 0:13:57with the vets who are all arriving from different parts of the world.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02They have done stage one of their mission, which was relief.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Now they're moving on to stage two
0:14:04 > 0:14:07which, in many ways, is harder - recovery.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13I trained as a doctor and I've seen the emergency services
0:14:13 > 0:14:17at work in warzones, but I'm very curious to find out
0:14:17 > 0:14:19what emergency vets do,
0:14:19 > 0:14:24and the unusual challenges they face here in the Philippines.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28I also have a personal connection to this place.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33My father worked in Manila when I was a child,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36and I spent my early years here.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39This will be my first trip back since I was five.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44- Have you met? - No, we haven't.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46This is Jeniffer.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49'I'm joining the vets team who are back at Jeniffer's ruined farm
0:14:49 > 0:14:53'to take the first steps in a new project.'
0:14:55 > 0:14:59So did you have a bulldozer or was this dug out by hand?
0:14:59 > 0:15:02By hand, we are doing it a primitive way!
0:15:02 > 0:15:03THEY LAUGH
0:15:04 > 0:15:08We are moving on from that immediate phase to now
0:15:08 > 0:15:12looking at the kind of longer term "build back better" work,
0:15:12 > 0:15:16looking at the next one rather than the last one.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20The recent super typhoon has created the chance to try something
0:15:20 > 0:15:22completely new to the Philippines.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26For those people who get hit by typhoons and hurricanes,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29we just need to help them reduce their vulnerabilities.
0:15:29 > 0:15:36Coming time after time to pick up the broken plates, it's sad.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37That's just not a good idea.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42A section of Jeniffer's land has been cleared, and construction
0:15:42 > 0:15:46is under way on a group of new buildings designed by Gerardo.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48His aim is to make this place
0:15:48 > 0:15:52the first typhoon-proof farm in the country.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58The scheme consists of a pig pen and two underground animal shelters -
0:15:58 > 0:16:00one for pigs and one for chickens.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05The biggest problem is designing it in such a way the wind
0:16:05 > 0:16:08doesn't come in underneath and lift the whole thing up, is that right?
0:16:08 > 0:16:12We hoist it up, so the plan is to put on bamboo slats on top of it.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15So it's going to be what we call a weight,
0:16:15 > 0:16:20and the side of it will be covered with soil so no wind will go in.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25This shelter is based on a large trench covered by a low roof
0:16:25 > 0:16:28constructed from natural materials.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31'We saw it first in Cuba, the underground shelters.'
0:16:31 > 0:16:35The most important concept there is to keep a really low profile
0:16:35 > 0:16:39on the roofs so the winds do not pick on them.
0:16:39 > 0:16:45'Gerardo has adapted the original concept. His design can be built
0:16:45 > 0:16:48'with skills and materials available in the Philippines.'
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Everything is made out of local materials.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57All they really need is a bit of wire there, the odd nail and hammer.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59HAMMERING
0:16:59 > 0:17:02And I guess that's the point. They're trying to create something
0:17:02 > 0:17:06here which they can test, which could be built anywhere by anybody.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15'Jeniffer's main source of income came from breeding,
0:17:15 > 0:17:20'fattening and selling her pigs for slaughter. Now she has none.'
0:17:20 > 0:17:24The piglets, when they are small, we put them there, in there.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Right, right. And the roof was all ripped off by the typhoon, was it?
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Yes, the piglets are all dead.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Surprisingly, half the animals lost in this kind of disaster
0:17:38 > 0:17:41die in the hours AFTER the storm has passed.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Of course, it's really important for pigs to have shade.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46So, at the moment, this was all ripped off.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Even the pigs that survived would have succumbed to heat stress
0:17:49 > 0:17:51- really, really quickly.- Yeah.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55And if you think about how hot concrete gets in the sun, you know...
0:17:55 > 0:17:56Yes, no, quite.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00..it got pretty ugly pretty quickly here for the pigs, I think.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07So, Gerardo and his team have come up with a novel way of protecting
0:18:07 > 0:18:10the roof from future typhoons.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13They have designed a pig pen with a detachable roof which can be
0:18:13 > 0:18:16stowed away during the storm and replaced when it's over.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21So the bolts come out and, what, it just slides into two parts smoothly?
0:18:21 > 0:18:25No, no... Yes, two parts, but I want to divide it in four parts
0:18:25 > 0:18:27- so it's easier to bring down.- Yeah.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Once you take the bolts, it's going to slide...
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Yeah, the roof will slide like that.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Has this actually been tested out in a typhoon before?
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Erm, no. We've never found a location like this where we know
0:18:44 > 0:18:47and pretty much guarantee that this stuff will be tested.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Unfortunately, they are short of time.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55The team have a week to complete the shelter and restock it with animals.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59If they succeed, this project will revive Jeniffer's livelihood.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03But, even more important, it will be the prototype for a pioneering way
0:19:03 > 0:19:07of safeguarding animals that could be spread across the country.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10If it works, it's, erm, it's big.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13It's very good...if it works.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Pigs are the most economically important animals
0:19:18 > 0:19:20in the Philippines.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24They are also one of the most vulnerable to storms.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28Building back the population is key to recovery.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33We're very keen, where restocking has to happen, for it to
0:19:33 > 0:19:36focus on local breeders and local breeds,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40because they're more likely to survive in those conditions.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46I'm off to see one of the local university vets
0:19:46 > 0:19:52who's doing his bit to restore pig numbers to pre-typhoon levels.
0:19:52 > 0:19:5312 million, to be exact.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57We're off to pick up some pig sperm.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00The local population of pigs crashed after the typhoon,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03partly because a large number of them died and partly
0:20:03 > 0:20:07because the stress of the typhoon meant that their reproduction levels
0:20:07 > 0:20:12have gone right down. So the local university are inseminating,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14a lot of artificial insemination going on.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Not something I've ever seen before.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Morning.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Hello, sir. Good morning, good morning, good morning.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25'Dr Cannoy, a vet from Aklan State University,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28'specialises in artificial insemination.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30- The pigs are around the back, are they?- Yes.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33'Since the typhoon, demand has soared.'
0:20:33 > 0:20:38- Whoa, blimey! Wow, he is large!- Yes!
0:20:38 > 0:20:44'The boar is five years old and weighs 400 kilos.'
0:20:44 > 0:20:48- It's really dangerous.- Oh, you...! - Just a little bit...
0:20:48 > 0:20:50That's an impressive pair of testicles.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Really never seen anything quite like it before in my life.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55HE LAUGHS
0:20:55 > 0:20:59- Can you please, for a while, just stay there, yes?- Step back, yes.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Yes, back here. Yes, up, up, up, up, up.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08He's going to get it on that metal thing, but what happens next?
0:21:08 > 0:21:10It boggles my imagination.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Right...
0:21:14 > 0:21:19'Extracting sperm from a boar is a tricky process.'
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Can we get closer?
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Yeah, I have to do this.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31BOAR GRUNTS
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Oh, you're a brave man. I'm not sure I'd be volunteering for this.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37It's a bit like milking a cow, isn't it?
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Here we go.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43It's concentrated.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47How are you doing over there?
0:21:47 > 0:21:52He seems very calm now. He's got a sort of sleepy look to him.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Looks a bit like Jeremy Clarkson from this direction. Satisfied.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59..And I squeeze bottle.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04'He is preparing the sperm for insemination -
0:22:04 > 0:22:07'30 bottles for 30 sows.'
0:22:08 > 0:22:11How many piglets would that produce, perhaps?
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Um, average of...ten.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16- Ten? Wow.- Yeah.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18With ten offspring per bottle,
0:22:18 > 0:22:23the boar could father 300 piglets today. Impressive.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26From the sperm, you can already determine the strength
0:22:26 > 0:22:28or the weakness of the offspring.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31They're a kind of different shape to human sperm.
0:22:31 > 0:22:32The head is much bigger in human sperm.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Yeah, yeah, and the tail is short, but this one, it's so slender.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Everything from the top up to the tail.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Right, interesting, yes.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44This one, you can really see the strength.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Yeah, every one a winner.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53This boar's sperm is destined for hundreds of small farms
0:22:53 > 0:22:57across the region who have requested it for their remaining sows.
0:22:57 > 0:23:05In pigs, artificial insemination has an amazing 98% success rate.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07How do you know when you're in the right place?
0:23:07 > 0:23:10You have to twist and lift side direction.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Dr Cannoy is one of many doing this work.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17It's the most efficient way of getting farms without piglets
0:23:17 > 0:23:19back in business.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29I'm beginning to appreciate the deep impact the typhoon has had,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31particularly amongst the remoter communities
0:23:31 > 0:23:34rarely touched by disaster relief.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36To reach these places,
0:23:36 > 0:23:41the charity has begun the other main strand of its mission here.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45'Tomorrow, the team will start training local Filipino vets
0:23:45 > 0:23:48'in emergency work. Tonight, they are preparing the equipment.'
0:23:48 > 0:23:49It's for vitamins.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Why does it all end up in your room, Cynthia?
0:23:59 > 0:24:03There is a lot of work in behind that needs to be done,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07and if you make one little mistake, it can delay the whole day.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12So I stay up till late and then when I get back home,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16I'm just going to sit and relax and sleep for two days.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Cynthia is putting medicines into backpacks that will allow
0:24:21 > 0:24:24local vets to treat animals in isolated communities.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28- So the idea is the vets will all wear one of these, will they?- Yes.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41Remember, we're deploying,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44so we need to get ourselves ready to go quickly.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49The next morning, I'm joining the trainees as they assemble
0:24:49 > 0:24:51with their new backpacks.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54The charity are buying motorbikes that will turn the local vets
0:24:54 > 0:24:59into the first mobile veterinary teams in the Philippines.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Getting around is always a problem in disasters,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05largely because the infrastructure is damaged.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09In the Pakistan earthquake we responded to in 2006,
0:25:09 > 0:25:13the communities that were affected were right up in the mountains
0:25:13 > 0:25:18and all the passes were closed because of snowfall
0:25:18 > 0:25:20so the only access was by helicopter.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23So sometimes access can be a real issue.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27OK, guys, are we all listening? Being in a disaster is different
0:25:27 > 0:25:31to doing normal veterinary outreach work.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33In the aftermath of Yolanda,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36the vet teams couldn't get out to their communities.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38They couldn't get out to the communities
0:25:38 > 0:25:40cos they didn't have the equipment,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43they couldn't get out to their communities because they didn't have
0:25:43 > 0:25:45the transport, so that's what today is about.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48You're the first of these teams that the Philippines will have seen.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Let's do it, let's get on the move.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59So we're heading by motorbike because it is the most convenient
0:25:59 > 0:26:02way to go, and in some places, it's the only way to get there.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Right, you ready to go?
0:26:05 > 0:26:09See you in the field, bye-bye. See you in the field.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Today our destination is a remote village which the team
0:26:24 > 0:26:27couldn't reach straight after the typhoon.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31This may be a training exercise, but the animal need is very real.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33WHISTLE BLOWS
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Oh, this is more like rural Philippines.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Juan Carlos has drilled the vets in his rapid assessment methods.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50OK, so ask the neighbours how many animals, species, what do they need?
0:26:50 > 0:26:53OK, please go and check house by house how many animals
0:26:53 > 0:26:58so we can strategise and also how will we prioritise.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Remember, prioritise, OK? Move, now.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16What sort of thing will you be treating in this village?
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Well, normally after a storm, animals that have small cuts,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24animals that are full of parasites.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Tapeworm, things like that?
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Tapeworm, hookworm, round worms, ring worms, yeah, lices, mites.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35It's only vitamin for this cow.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Next one.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45You cannot measure things because how many dead animals.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50You have to measure in what is the impact this specific event
0:27:50 > 0:27:54has in this community, has in this animal population
0:27:54 > 0:27:58and how can you help them to recover.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03This water buffalo or carrabao is particularly important.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Without it, the village would struggle to complete the harvest.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12They drag things, they plough the fields, they also carry you
0:28:12 > 0:28:16to wherever you want to go. They are fantastic animals.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Aww, that looks nasty.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21A fly bite just went bigger, but we're going to treat him.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Do they get anaemic as well, I mean, do you have to give them iron?
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Oh, yes, a lot of fly bites, a lot of internal parasites.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31This carrabao is getting vitamins,
0:28:31 > 0:28:36an antiseptic spray for the bite and an oral treatment for worms.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40There's a technique to make a reluctant animal take his medicine.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44They put the bottle on one side of the muzzle
0:28:44 > 0:28:48so with the tongue starts to distribute and swallow,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51You see?
0:28:51 > 0:28:53- It's very effective.- Yeah.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57It looks like one of the local brands of alcohol.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00How quickly before deworming potion gets into action?
0:29:00 > 0:29:01About two hours later.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05I love carrabaos, I love them very much.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06Gently, gently.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10One of the most critical parts of the training is handling animals.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14Juan Carlos is teaching the local vets a low-stress technique,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18invaluable when dealing with tense cattle after a typhoon.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23When possible, remember to touch the animal so he can calm down.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27Let him feel your tranquility, you know?
0:29:27 > 0:29:29You don't want to harm her
0:29:29 > 0:29:34so, OK, everything is OK, so what are we going to do with this animal?
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Vitamins and deworming.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38You have prepared the injection?
0:29:38 > 0:29:40The vitamins are already prepared.
0:29:40 > 0:29:41OK, good.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48Not all the trainees have mastered Juan Carlos's methods.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Although they are technically accomplished,
0:29:52 > 0:29:56handling animals is not a big part of their training.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58It's really interesting,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01because they were trying to put what JC had taught them into action
0:30:01 > 0:30:05and it's clearly quite difficult, so they have resorted
0:30:05 > 0:30:08to the good old-fashioned kind of "tug, tug, tug."
0:30:08 > 0:30:12It's hard. Animal welfare is tough.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16You cannot starve the animal, so keep massaging, keep massaging,
0:30:16 > 0:30:21not cleaning, massaging, exactly, do that and immediately after,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24you do the injection. Exactly, exactly, you see.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28What do you think about people like JC?
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Interesting. Yes, do you find that interesting?
0:30:45 > 0:30:49Simple holding, simple restraining, nice and easy and smooth.
0:30:49 > 0:30:50Good idea.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54Yeah, but first the massage, the massage, the massage, pow.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58Do you feel like you're leaving a legacy behind you?
0:30:58 > 0:31:01I hope, I really hope. I really hope, I really hope to be,
0:31:01 > 0:31:05to have been of help to these people,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08mainly for their animals. You know, when you help these animals,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11you actually are helping the people.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19I've come back to Jeniffer's farm but the team have started work on
0:31:19 > 0:31:25another part of the farm experiment, the floor of the pig pen.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Before the typhoon destroyed them,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31Jeniffer, like most other Filipino farmers,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34kept her pigs in harsh concrete and iron stalls.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37The new pig pen will be far more comfortable.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Do you want a hand? There seems to be another machete here.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47- You're doing a good job. - Yeah, chop it small.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51- Be careful with your foot though. - I'll try not to chop it off.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54It was a great opportunity to show people how to deal with
0:31:54 > 0:31:57the pre-existing animal welfare conditions by showing
0:31:57 > 0:32:00a more humane form of farming at the same time.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Gerardo is testing a more pig-friendly floor
0:32:03 > 0:32:06than the traditional concrete.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09You would have to say, I'm really looking forward to seeing
0:32:09 > 0:32:13the pigs in here because I've just been looking at
0:32:13 > 0:32:17a more traditional pig thing and it's very distressing.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21You see them just on concrete in these sort of iron wire cages
0:32:21 > 0:32:25and you've obviously seen a lot of it and you can see.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29We just couldn't bear keeping the animals in that condition
0:32:29 > 0:32:33while looking at the roofs so here we are doing this thing.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36This will allow the pigs to behave as they would
0:32:36 > 0:32:38in their natural habitat.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42The new pig pen rests on a foundation a metre deep
0:32:42 > 0:32:47of layer upon layer of organic compost, rotten banana trees,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50manure, charcoal and rice husks.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53It's perfect for pigs who love to root and burrow.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57- So are you going to fill up the whole of this place?- Yeah.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01And you're doing it in kind of layers, are you?
0:33:01 > 0:33:06Yes, it's like a cake and it's about 14 cubic metres, it's a lot.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07And how many pigs in here?
0:33:07 > 0:33:10- 12, there will be 12. - OK.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14To convince hard-headed farmers to copy this approach,
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Gerardo will have to prove it is worth the time and money,
0:33:18 > 0:33:22that happy pigs grow up bigger and more valuable.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26In here, we need to weigh them, have a scale around and weigh them
0:33:26 > 0:33:32every week or every two weeks and at the end of the day,
0:33:32 > 0:33:36our farmers be invited here and take this place apart,
0:33:36 > 0:33:40critique it, compare it to what they do, see what they could learn.
0:33:40 > 0:33:45And Gerardo's experimental design has one big advantage
0:33:45 > 0:33:48over traditional concrete stalls - it cleans itself.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51I love mangos this way.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53No, I agree I'm tempted to grab them off you.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55- Do you chuck the stone in? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Yeah OK, everything in there.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01This is science in action. We're chopping over-ripe local fruit
0:34:01 > 0:34:04to make a mush that will react with the compost.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Juicy.
0:34:09 > 0:34:14You know, the idea here with this is to put on the floor, the bed.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16Yes, in... In, yes.
0:34:16 > 0:34:21Yes, yes, so the poop can get metabolised by the bacteria.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27The mush will be left to ferment, then diluted to make a juice
0:34:27 > 0:34:30which Jeniffer will spray on the floor of the pen.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32The spray will help break down the piglets' muck,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35keeping their pen sweet-smelling and hygienic.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37It is wonderfully simple, isn't it?
0:34:37 > 0:34:40It is, and she knows the deal, so it's going to be easy.
0:34:40 > 0:34:45The team are helping Jeniffer restore her farm but their real goal
0:34:45 > 0:34:49is far more ambitious than simply replacing what was here before.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53WSPA in the past used to question why was it that we were
0:34:53 > 0:34:57helping farm animals, they were in hell,
0:34:57 > 0:35:01and were going to still be in hell afterwards, but it's in our DNA
0:35:01 > 0:35:06that we try to better the living conditions for those guys.
0:35:06 > 0:35:07Right, and so if it works here,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10then the idea can spread somewhere else, you hope.
0:35:15 > 0:35:21So the paradox coming here is that I do feel very sorry
0:35:21 > 0:35:25for Jeniffer having her livelihood ripped up, but you can also see
0:35:25 > 0:35:29that those concrete pens in which she kept the pigs
0:35:29 > 0:35:33must have been completely miserable with the sow sort of captured
0:35:33 > 0:35:38in an iron cage, so this represents a huge opportunity to do something.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43So, you know, the typhoon did a great deal of damage
0:35:43 > 0:35:46but it could in the end do a great deal of good.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54The simple fact is that disaster relief can help
0:35:54 > 0:35:59thousands of animals, but the team see their real challenge as
0:35:59 > 0:36:03changing animal welfare conditions which affect the lives of millions.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Do you think it is because you come in
0:36:07 > 0:36:12and you give aid after a disaster that governments listen to you?
0:36:12 > 0:36:16- That opens the door. - By all means, that opens a big door
0:36:16 > 0:36:19because you show up in the time of need.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22In the end it is about relationships, isn't it?
0:36:22 > 0:36:25- That's what humans are good at. - It's funny you say that
0:36:25 > 0:36:32because people think that we are blessed with playing with animals
0:36:32 > 0:36:37and touching a lot of animals. 95% of our job is convincing people.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39The animals don't have a problem.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41They're like, "Si, si, deal with them."
0:36:41 > 0:36:44It's the politicians, local people, universities,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46all the other people, yeah, yeah, those people.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59The team regroup after a long day in the field. Time to get nosy,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02find out a bit more about their motivation.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Being a disaster vet is a risky business.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Most have near-death experiences to recount.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12So are you the one who's been at it longest then, around the table?
0:37:12 > 0:37:15- This table, yeah. - How many years?
0:37:15 > 0:37:1732, I think. 31.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21Afghanistan was not nice.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24One of the most mined countries in the world.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28They were bringing their camels with shrapnel. We were treating them.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31You know, one camel will step on a mine and go to hell,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33and the rest got shrapnel,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35so we were just treating them in the local market.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41When I first worked out here, I contracted malaria in Ghana
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- and then it kind of came out when I was there.- Here?
0:37:45 > 0:37:48Yeah, and I got so bad that by the time they got me out,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51- I had no radial pulse. - Bloody hell.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54You know, I was in a complete state and I'd come back round
0:37:54 > 0:37:57and I can remember sitting there in a trolley in a corridor
0:37:57 > 0:38:02and thinking I'm going to die on a trolley in a Philippine hospital
0:38:02 > 0:38:04like thousands of miles from home.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08Blimey, that's quite... That's quite hardcore.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11It's a tough life to lead and balance family life.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14I mean, last year I was overseas for more than half the year,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18and I've got a one-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son
0:38:18 > 0:38:21and I missed both their birthdays last year.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25It does challenge the kind of traditional British view
0:38:25 > 0:38:29of where a dad should be and how a family unit should work.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35It seems you need an almost fanatical degree of commitment
0:38:35 > 0:38:36to do this kind of work.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38I alternated between thinking, you know,
0:38:38 > 0:38:42it's fantastic you're doing it and thinking you're hopeless idealists
0:38:42 > 0:38:44and it's never going to take off, you know.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49Well, the thing is it will never take off if we don't try.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52If we try, there is a slim chance it will, right?
0:38:52 > 0:38:55- Yeah. - So there you go.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57- That's the reason. - It'll take off if it makes money.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00If it makes money, yeah, it will.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13It is increasingly clear to me
0:39:13 > 0:39:17that being an animal aid worker is ethically challenging.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19What is the point of saving animals
0:39:19 > 0:39:24if they just end up living lives that are nasty, brutish and short?
0:39:26 > 0:39:29And what do the team think about delivering aid to a country
0:39:29 > 0:39:32where standards are different to their own?
0:39:34 > 0:39:36I'm heading off to a chicken farm
0:39:36 > 0:39:41but it's very different to any other sort of chicken farm that
0:39:41 > 0:39:45I will have visited before because these are actually fighting cocks.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50Cock fighting is legal and widespread in the Philippines
0:39:50 > 0:39:54as well as in many parts of Asia and Latin America.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57I've come to see it because it's the kind of farming
0:39:57 > 0:40:01that highlights the challenges that James and his team face.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03The vets, after all, treated fighting cocks
0:40:03 > 0:40:06during the rapid relief phase of their operation.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10You can't ignore animal farming systems that you don't agree with.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Largely, those systems are where a huge majority of animals suffering
0:40:13 > 0:40:16occurs around the world, so if you don't engage with those systems,
0:40:16 > 0:40:21you don't impact on the lives of those billions of animals.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24It looks nice and spacious. They're not crammed in, are they?
0:40:24 > 0:40:28They are tied to a post, obviously, so they don't fight.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32Though most animals in the Philippines are bred
0:40:32 > 0:40:35for their meat, fighting cocks are bred to kill.
0:40:35 > 0:40:40We were joined by Rohel Moises, one of the family which owns the farm.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42And is this valuable?
0:40:42 > 0:40:46Yeah, it cost 3,000 pesos.
0:40:46 > 0:40:523,000 pesos, so that would be about £50, £40 UK money.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Right, wow, that's quite valuable, isn't it?
0:40:57 > 0:41:00The Moises family owns 70 cockerels.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05We condition them and provide them for the fight.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Is it always a fight to their death?
0:41:08 > 0:41:09Yeah.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12It's very similar to boxing, in a sense. They have trainers
0:41:12 > 0:41:15and conditioners and there's a lot of commercial sponsorship
0:41:15 > 0:41:18of it in the Philippines as well, some very big brands.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- Associated with it too. - Yes.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25The birds go through a daily training session.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32Wild cockerels fight for territory using their rear talons
0:41:32 > 0:41:34which stick out from the heel of the foot.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Here, these talons are cut off
0:41:37 > 0:41:40to be replaced by a blade in a real fight.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43For their training, they wear protective gloves.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48There is a ritual preparation for the moment of the fight,
0:41:48 > 0:41:50orchestrated to raise the aggression
0:41:50 > 0:41:53and give the crowd a chance to place bets.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57First clawing...
0:41:57 > 0:41:59then touching...
0:41:59 > 0:42:01then full-on battle.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15This may look distressing, but the irony is
0:42:15 > 0:42:18that these are some of the best looked-after animals
0:42:18 > 0:42:19in the Philippines.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22I've no idea what his heart rate was doing beforehand
0:42:22 > 0:42:24but you can certainly feel the heart beating there,
0:42:24 > 0:42:28and you can see there's little, really little boxing gloves
0:42:28 > 0:42:29on the spur there.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34- And do you attach a blade?- Yeah.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38It's like a sort of doctor's bag. Can I?
0:42:42 > 0:42:45That is vicious.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Wow. It's like a surgical instrument.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51So I started off feeling quite gung-ho and it was certainly
0:42:51 > 0:42:54really interesting watching them in the ring there, if you like,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57sort of eyeing each other up and then going for it, and the way
0:42:57 > 0:43:00their ruffle came up and it was actually quite exciting.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03But after a little while, I started thinking,
0:43:03 > 0:43:05particularly after I'd seen those blades, I thought, I don't need
0:43:05 > 0:43:09to see this. I really, really don't need to see them slashing each other
0:43:09 > 0:43:13to pieces, so...I'm glad I did it but I don't want to see any more.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21Disasters create opportunities for foreign charities to improve
0:43:21 > 0:43:25animal welfare standards, but ingrained customs are hard to shift.
0:43:25 > 0:43:31Do you think there's a difference between rearing chickens to eat them
0:43:31 > 0:43:34and rearing chickens effectively to fight?
0:43:34 > 0:43:36It generates a huge amount of income,
0:43:36 > 0:43:41it's an industry in a country where there isn't a great deal
0:43:41 > 0:43:45of industry. They look reasonably well, you know, cared for
0:43:45 > 0:43:48and they have a short brutal ending, but...
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Yeah, and it gives you a, it gives you an idea of the challenges
0:43:51 > 0:43:56we have to work with because, when you think about, say,
0:43:56 > 0:44:00farming practices, you can...
0:44:00 > 0:44:04you can work to make them more humane, to prove
0:44:04 > 0:44:08that more humane methods are equally profitable or more profitable,
0:44:08 > 0:44:13but you can't change the end result of this kind of inhumane practice.
0:44:20 > 0:44:25Every year, 200 million people are affected by natural disasters.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29Most live in poverty and depend on animals,
0:44:29 > 0:44:31so the vets are always on the move.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34At the moment, we're looking at assessment of a drought
0:44:34 > 0:44:38that's emerging in Kenya, and then there's a volcano
0:44:38 > 0:44:41in Indonesia that is currently spewing ash all over the place,
0:44:41 > 0:44:45and there have been communities that have been evacuated away.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48The animals have been left behind.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52It's critical the team makes the most of its remaining time here
0:44:52 > 0:44:56to leave the new model farm up and running, but a farm obviously
0:44:56 > 0:45:00needs animals so I'm off with Juan Carlos to buy some piglets.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04Until the insemination drive bears fruit,
0:45:04 > 0:45:08they're still a scarce resource, but Juan Carlos has found a litter.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14I can close the mouth just to avoid reaching out, you see?
0:45:14 > 0:45:17This is not painful, it's not painful.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20The anatomy of them, this is for digging, for digging the hole.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23You can touch it, you can touch it here, it's not painful for them.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25No, no, you can pinch it. Pinch it. No, here, here.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29- Yeah, exactly, exactly, and this way. - It's quite tough.
0:45:29 > 0:45:30- Yes, yes. You can see... - It can shovel?
0:45:30 > 0:45:33Yes, it's a little shovel, exactly.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35So they can dig, they can do whatever, you see they...
0:45:35 > 0:45:37Why do they cut the tails off?
0:45:37 > 0:45:40Because when they start to waggle their tail, it's an attraction
0:45:40 > 0:45:43for the other animals, so they start to play and bite
0:45:43 > 0:45:47by the tail and when they bite the tail they can infection the tail.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50He's checking for signs of respiratory disease,
0:45:50 > 0:45:52common in the aftermath of disasters.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56Can you please hold the belly
0:45:56 > 0:46:01because I don't want excessive pressure on the spine.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04They're really docile animals, as you can see.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06Do you want to hear it?
0:46:06 > 0:46:09She's making quite a lot of noise
0:46:09 > 0:46:11so it's quite difficult to hear the lungs.
0:46:14 > 0:46:15Oh, yeah.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Yeah, it's quite clear, normal.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20- Very good.- Yeah.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23Once Juan Carlos has checked each piglet,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25he starts to assess them as a group.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27They're very inquisitive, aren't they?
0:46:27 > 0:46:29Exactly, that's one important thing.
0:46:29 > 0:46:34They're alert, they are curious and they will be easily trainable
0:46:34 > 0:46:37to move in and out of the natural pig pen.
0:46:37 > 0:46:42The good news is that these piglets are perfect for Jeniffer's farm.
0:46:42 > 0:46:47The bad news is that the farmer won't sell them yet.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50He's holding out for the highest possible price.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53It's actually extremely important for the project that
0:46:53 > 0:46:57the pigs are in place so that they see how they settle in and it would
0:46:57 > 0:47:01be hugely disappointing if everyone has to go home without the pigs.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05Back at the farm, it's the moment of truth
0:47:05 > 0:47:08for Gerardo's innovative pig pen roof.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14So they are now about to try and remove the roof,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16but the roof is awfully heavy, I have to say,
0:47:16 > 0:47:19and there seems to be a great number of them.
0:47:21 > 0:47:26The engineer has built a stronger, heavier design than Gerardo wanted.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29Jeniffer isn't necessarily going to have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
0:47:29 > 0:47:316, 7, 8, 9 people...
0:47:31 > 0:47:35- She's going to list two guys and they have to do it safely.- OK.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48So did that go as you planned?
0:47:48 > 0:47:51No, no. It's still slow and there's a lot of people.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55When this was reinforced and made really heavy,
0:47:55 > 0:47:57you know, the rules changed.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00I want it be done by two men, that's the...
0:48:00 > 0:48:03That's the rule of thumb.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07To make something that's more lightweight,
0:48:07 > 0:48:12they will have to switch one section of the roof from wood to bamboo.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15It's interesting because I think what's actually happened here
0:48:15 > 0:48:19is that the engineer's vision, which is to build something really sturdy,
0:48:19 > 0:48:22has got in the way of Gerardo's vision, which is to build something
0:48:22 > 0:48:24which you can actually pick apart quite easily,
0:48:24 > 0:48:27and two, maybe three people could remove.
0:48:27 > 0:48:32They're definitely running out of time. Not good.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44What a mess.
0:48:45 > 0:48:50One thing that's certain is that they will soon have another typhoon.
0:48:50 > 0:48:54From my childhood here, I can still remember the violent storms.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57They have an average of 20 a year.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01The success or failure of the next mission will be measured
0:49:01 > 0:49:03in just a few months' time.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14I've come to a final training session
0:49:14 > 0:49:19with the new team of emergency vets.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22Juan Carlos has one more thing to teach them,
0:49:22 > 0:49:25how to move nervous pigs in a storm,
0:49:25 > 0:49:28a skill they can then pass on to Filipino farmers.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31Don't kick, touch.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35Touch with the knee, touch with the knee,
0:49:37 > 0:49:40This corralling method is based on an approach
0:49:40 > 0:49:44developed by the Canadian rancher Bud Williams in the 1960s.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46They don't care what is happening
0:49:46 > 0:49:51because what they just feel is like a wall approaching from the back.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53So they move where they find space.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57It is surprisingly effective.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01Squeeze and touch, squeeze and touch.
0:50:01 > 0:50:05Moving animals quickly and calmly in a disaster is vital
0:50:05 > 0:50:07if you want them to survive.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10So it's much less stressful for the pigs
0:50:10 > 0:50:13than having to kind of hit them with sticks and make them go?
0:50:13 > 0:50:17Exactly. You don't need to scream, to yell at them, to hit them.
0:50:17 > 0:50:18Nothing, nothing at all.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21So you get a typhoon warning, you get one of these out,
0:50:21 > 0:50:24you get your neighbours, your friends along,
0:50:24 > 0:50:26you need to move the pigs into a shelter...
0:50:26 > 0:50:27- Exactly.- Use this method.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30- All you need is a bit of plastic like this.- Exactly.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35I can imagine with a kind of storm beginning to rage,
0:50:35 > 0:50:37a lot of pigs would start to get anxious.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40But that was very cool. Yeah, very simple. Elegant.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49Although it's been short and intense, the training does seem
0:50:49 > 0:50:51to have made a favourable impression.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54It will give the animals in this area a better chance
0:50:54 > 0:50:58of survival come the next typhoon.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Great input, team work.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04What we have done here is history because I think it's the first time
0:51:04 > 0:51:09in the Philippines that we use these kind of methods.
0:51:09 > 0:51:14So you are pioneers, and as pioneers you're not only the one
0:51:14 > 0:51:18that history will remember you, but also you have the responsibility
0:51:18 > 0:51:22to make this to continue, to be sustained in time.
0:51:22 > 0:51:27So this is the result, everybody happy, animals and us.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29Thank you, thank you very much.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32APPLAUSE
0:51:46 > 0:51:48It's the team's final day at Jeniffer's farm
0:51:48 > 0:51:52and they're rushing to finish their pioneering typhoon shelter.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55They need to complete the project before they leave to ensure
0:51:55 > 0:51:59it will be ready to be tested by the coming typhoon season.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05They certainly have made spectacular progress from essentially
0:52:05 > 0:52:07something here and a hole in the ground here
0:52:07 > 0:52:12and nothing there in a week, to what they have now.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15The typhoon shelters are ready,
0:52:15 > 0:52:18lightweight bamboo is replacing heavy wood panels
0:52:18 > 0:52:21on the pig pen roof, and the floor is full to the brim
0:52:21 > 0:52:23with pig-friendly compost.
0:52:23 > 0:52:28This is more or less done. We've just put greeneries and food there.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31OK. So you can put the piglets in there?
0:52:31 > 0:52:36Yes, but I need that bit with cement and they are just pouring it.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39So that needs to dry out.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45But there's one thing missing - the pigs themselves.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52Luckily, Juan Carlos has just received a call.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56Remember the piglets? OK, we are going there?
0:52:56 > 0:52:59The farmer whose piglets we inspected
0:52:59 > 0:53:01is finally prepared to sell.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09The piglets destined for Jeniffer's will be in for a pleasant surprise.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13Up till now they've been reared in old-fashioned concrete stalls.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17You look around and it just looks like
0:53:17 > 0:53:19some kind of medieval torture chamber.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21There's just metal and concrete
0:53:21 > 0:53:27and all completely unnatural, it really is.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32The piglets are expensive,
0:53:32 > 0:53:36as livestock often are in the aftermath of a disaster.
0:53:36 > 0:53:41The price of simple commodities like fuel and food can increase by 400%.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52For their own safety, we use the sacks.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58Finally the piglets are on their way.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00The first bit of good news, eh?
0:54:00 > 0:54:04Yes. Very good, good news and I'm very thankful.
0:54:04 > 0:54:08I enjoy giving birth to a baby idea
0:54:08 > 0:54:13and taking it all the way through the kindergarten into the school,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16and if we do the scientific method and do our job,
0:54:16 > 0:54:18it's going to be good.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21That will allow you, cause they're working with the piglets,
0:54:21 > 0:54:24you have homework to do next week.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26Every day!
0:54:26 > 0:54:31Whatever you learn, all the problems, all the information.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33- Yes.- You're part of a giant experiment.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39With the piglets finally arriving, the team have managed to complete
0:54:39 > 0:54:41their project just in time.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45One by one.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52It's the culmination of a week of very hard work.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57They're so warm, they're like little radiators, it's unbelievable.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05It can be a tough job. You know, not very much sleep,
0:55:05 > 0:55:09burn to pieces in the blazing sun. The everyday stress,
0:55:09 > 0:55:12but I can't really see myself doing anything else.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28At least for these animals, we did our job and we did it well.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31It doesn't matter if it's one person or one million person,
0:55:31 > 0:55:32we changed the world.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36I'm sure that wasn't the dignified way to do it!
0:55:36 > 0:55:40These penned piglets are pioneers in a new kind of farmer.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43Five girls and five boys.
0:55:43 > 0:55:44OK, that's very good.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48They're happy, they look healthy and happy and they're playing.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51Yes.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53Oh, I smell strongly of pig!
0:55:55 > 0:55:58The first thing they did was start digging around
0:55:58 > 0:56:02and they were obviously very excited.
0:56:02 > 0:56:07Now we need to gather enough data to have a good case on
0:56:07 > 0:56:09whether or not this is a good way of raising pigs.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11I'm genuinely moved, I'm really moved.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13I think you've done a splendid thing here,
0:56:13 > 0:56:15I think you're doing a really good thing here.
0:56:17 > 0:56:22These ten healthy piglets and their ingenious new home will offer
0:56:22 > 0:56:26Jeniffer and her family the chance to rebuild their lives after
0:56:26 > 0:56:31Typhoon Haiyan, and restore a vital source of food to her community.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34It may seem like a drop in the ocean
0:56:34 > 0:56:38but if this project goes well this one small farm could act as
0:56:38 > 0:56:42a catalyst to help improve the lives of animals across the Philippines.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47The next thing, I guess, is you need to crunch numbers.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49You need to persuade the farmers,
0:56:49 > 0:56:52you need to persuade the bureaucrats, you need to persuade
0:56:52 > 0:56:56other people that this is kind of a commercially viable future.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00I'm quietly confident that in two years' time,
0:57:00 > 0:57:04we'll be able to kind of prove that this is a viable farming system.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06Not just a rescue home for ten pigs.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11The charity will monitor the typhoon project at Jeniffer's to see
0:57:11 > 0:57:15if it can be used as a model elsewhere in the world.
0:57:15 > 0:57:16It shows how smart they are,
0:57:16 > 0:57:18the fact they can work it out so quickly.
0:57:18 > 0:57:22This experimental scheme has certainly shown me
0:57:22 > 0:57:25that it is possible to turn even the worst disaster
0:57:25 > 0:57:27into an opportunity for change.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30There's a really important part of our work which involves
0:57:30 > 0:57:34being there for animals when other people can't be.
0:57:34 > 0:57:39The immediate work is very powerful, beyond the point where you've
0:57:39 > 0:57:42removed the syringe from the cow or left the village.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45But I think we do have to use the aid side of things
0:57:45 > 0:57:48as leverage for the bigger change.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50God is with us.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52Something's with us, mate.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00I'm heading to the airport now.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02It has been an extraordinary week.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04I mean, I leave with huge respect for the team.
0:58:04 > 0:58:08They work incredible hours and they are utterly dedicated.
0:58:08 > 0:58:13The seeds they've planted here, transforming Jeniffer's farm
0:58:13 > 0:58:17and training a new generation of emergency vets,
0:58:17 > 0:58:21really could make a difference come the next disaster.
0:58:21 > 0:58:24Now, will they succeed in helping change attitudes towards
0:58:24 > 0:58:27animal welfare here in the Philippines? I don't know.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29One thing, however, is absolutely certain -
0:58:29 > 0:58:32if there is another disaster somewhere on the planet,
0:58:32 > 0:58:34they'll be heading there.