0:23:20 > 0:23:22This is incredible.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25'Want to see some of Wales's wildest animals?
0:23:25 > 0:23:27'You've come to the right place.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35'My name is Dr Rhys Jones, and I'm based at Cardiff University's School of Biosciences.'
0:23:36 > 0:23:38It's quite rigid.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43'I'm licensed to handle some of the country's rarest and most dangerous animals.'
0:23:43 > 0:23:47We've got it, we've got it, OK, everybody stay still.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50'And if you find a snake in your bathroom,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52'I'm the man the authorities will call in to help you.'
0:23:52 > 0:23:54SIREN
0:23:54 > 0:23:58'But it's not just snakes. I'm licensed to work with everything from owls...
0:23:58 > 0:24:00'to iguanas...'
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Oh! My ear!
0:24:02 > 0:24:03'..chimps...
0:24:03 > 0:24:06'to seals.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11'Because I love the scaly, the furry, the crawly and the unknown.'
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- What did you think you've seen? - A black panther.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17THEY GASP AND LAUGH
0:24:17 > 0:24:18My God!
0:24:18 > 0:24:22'And I can help you to love them too.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25'In this episode of Rhys To The Rescue...'
0:24:25 > 0:24:27This is wet, he's just sloughed his skin.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30'There's a squatter in an Abertridwr bathroom.'
0:24:30 > 0:24:32- Are you OK?- Yeah. - LAUGHTER
0:24:32 > 0:24:35'I get my claws into a big cat mystery.'
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- Up there. - We've got a little footprint here.
0:24:38 > 0:24:39Look at that.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43'And try to save a terrified chimpanzee from going ape.'
0:24:43 > 0:24:46They're not there to hurt you, they're there to play.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55'Abertridwr in the South Wales Valleys,
0:24:55 > 0:25:00'and I'm heading to an emergency call-out that sounds like most people's worst nightmare.'
0:25:00 > 0:25:04'It's a couple with an unwanted intruder in their bathroom -
0:25:04 > 0:25:06'a live snake.'
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Hiya, Rhys Jones, nice to meet you. What happened?
0:25:08 > 0:25:12I went to the toilet and saw a snake on the bath.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- What, just sitting there? - Yeah, doing nothing.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19- This isn't your snake, is it? Just to make clear. - No, we've never had a snake.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23- And you don't know, have any of your neighbours got snakes, or...?- No.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26We've only been here three, four weeks, anyway.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29I don't know the neighbours at all much, so I couldn't tell you.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- So you've just moved here three, four weeks ago.- Yes.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36So there's a real possibility the snake could have actually been here all that time,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38- and you weren't aware of it. - Yeah.- Yeah.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40That's very, very interesting.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42So, I could really do with a description.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47- It was about 36 inches, something like that.- OK.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- It's sort of this colour.- Right.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53- But a bit lighter than this, and I think it's a python.- OK.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Because of his markings, and he's an albino, because he had red eyes and a red tongue.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02- OK.- He was sniffing me, you know. - Let's have a look, see what we're dealing with here.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05'Donna and Anthony live in a rented property,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08'and the housing association have sent manager Karen
0:26:08 > 0:26:12'and handyman Andrew in case we have to dismantle the bathroom.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16'The only hitch is, Andrew's terrified of snakes.'
0:26:16 > 0:26:20If I can give you a call, all right, to follow me in if need be.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22- If not, stay safe.- Yeah.- OK.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25MENACING MUSIC
0:26:40 > 0:26:46- 'It appears that this snake has gone to ground, but where?'- He went down the back of that last night.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50This is going to be where he's gone, he's gone through here, hasn't he?
0:26:50 > 0:26:54- Yes, he went down there.- And I really think that needs to come off. Thank you.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57How many times have you been called out to do this, then?
0:26:57 > 0:27:00- I've worked for a few snakes in my time. - RHYS LAUGHS
0:27:01 > 0:27:05- I've got a horrible feeling we're going to need to take more than that off.- Yeah.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09It could well mean we've got to remove the panels on the side of the bath as well
0:27:09 > 0:27:13to get access to where he is, and just hope he's still in the area.
0:27:13 > 0:27:19- There's a skin down here. - Yeah, there's a snake skin there. So he has been here a while, Anthony.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24This is wet, he's just sloughed his skin. That's why he's come out, because he's hungry.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- This hasn't even had time to dry. - So it's a pretty long one.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31- Yeah, this is what we're dealing with.- It's got to be about four foot.- Yeah.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Just shows you, doesn't it, eh?
0:27:33 > 0:27:38This looks like a rat snake we're dealing with. They're not venomous, but they can bite.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43It all depends. If he's very hungry and a little bit upset, yeah... This is going to be fun.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48OK, Anthony, pull that away for me. As quickly as you can.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Right, let's have a look.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Ooh!
0:27:52 > 0:27:57Oh, where, where, where? Just on the top... Got it, got it, got it. Got it, OK, everybody stay still.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Stay still, stay still.
0:28:00 > 0:28:01Yeah, albino rat.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Are you all right?
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Everybody back and safe? OK.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Stay still, stay still.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16There. There we are.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20- Oh!- That's it?
0:28:20 > 0:28:23- I knew I weren't going... - No, you weren't going nuts at all.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26He's fine, no, he's not going to cause any harm.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30It's a little corn snake, it is. He's probably more frightened than you are!
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- HE LAUGHS - Are you OK?- Yeah.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37So what he's done, he's come out to your bathroom, nice damp place,
0:28:37 > 0:28:39he's shed his skin.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41There we go.
0:28:41 > 0:28:42Hello! Wow.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48'Corn snakes, a type of rat snake, are native to North America.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50'They're very varied in their colours,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54'and albino corn snakes are not at all unusual.
0:28:54 > 0:29:00'They're non-venomous and quite docile, which makes them very popular pets here in the UK.'
0:29:00 > 0:29:03I'm going to put him in a bag now, so that he can calm down.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06He's had the most traumatic time of all.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Us running around and frightening him.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12That wasn't a bad Rhys To The Rescue, was it?
0:29:13 > 0:29:15'While I leave Donna and Anthony
0:29:15 > 0:29:18'with a little memento of their memorable day,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22'I take the corn snake back to my place for a little TLC.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28'Starting with a welcome meal.'
0:29:28 > 0:29:31He probably hasn't eaten for weeks and weeks.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34But he's in very good condition.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38So he's obviously been previously loved and very well looked after.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41And my guess is he's escaped his tank.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43They're very good at doing that.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46And ended up in Anthony's bathroom.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52He can eat something physically three times wider than his head.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56He's certainly wolfing that down, as well.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05'Until I can rehouse him, this cute little fellow will join the rest of my rescue menagerie,
0:30:05 > 0:30:10'which currently includes 17 snakes, three lizards,
0:30:10 > 0:30:13'and a ferret called Oscar.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19'From the stuff of nightmares to the stuff of legend.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23'From the Beast of Bont to the Beast of Bangor.
0:30:23 > 0:30:29'Every year, Welsh police deal with multiple big cat sightings.'
0:30:29 > 0:30:31What's that?
0:30:31 > 0:30:34'The people reporting them genuinely believe they've seen a big cat,
0:30:34 > 0:30:38'but the reality is, in the vast majority of cases,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41'they've caught a glimpse of a dog, a deer, a fox,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44'or just a plain old tabby.'
0:30:44 > 0:30:45Hiya, Mark.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48'So when wildlife crime officer PC Mark Goulding calls on his day off
0:30:48 > 0:30:51'with a spate of credible sightings in a South Wales forestry block,
0:30:51 > 0:30:55'I know there's something to investigate.'
0:30:55 > 0:30:58I've had a call from the Forestry Commission.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02There's been a number of sightings made by a number of the rangers,
0:31:02 > 0:31:07and someone from a local mountain bike centre, saying they've seen a feline creature walking round.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11- As you know, we've had vultures dumped up here in the forestry previously.- Yeah.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14All sorts of things are dumped up here.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Crime does take place in the forestry,
0:31:16 > 0:31:20so if it's likely that somebody's dumped something feline,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24maybe a lynx, then this is a likely place to do it.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28'Our first port of call is an eyewitness account from Andrew Cox,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31'manager of the nearby mountain bike centre.'
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Just before it was getting dark, I saw quite a large animal,
0:31:35 > 0:31:37- I only saw the rear end of it... - OK.
0:31:37 > 0:31:43And it was about the size of a large dog, with a long tail,
0:31:43 > 0:31:47quite a... Probably a foot and a half, maybe a bit longer,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50didn't look like a fox, it certainly wasn't a deer,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53- it certainly wasn't a badger or anything like that.- Yeah.
0:31:53 > 0:31:54- Could have been a large dog...- OK.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57But the tail was far too big and fluffy.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59I mean, my first thought was, "That's a large cat."
0:31:59 > 0:32:03- Yes, OK.- Disappeared into the forest as soon as it heard me coming.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05I've just got one last question for you.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09If you had to put your money down on what you saw...
0:32:09 > 0:32:11I would say a large cat that didn't belong in this country,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14possibly escaped from somewhere, possibly dumped.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19I don't know, people say a black panther? I don't know.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21I wouldn't put any money on it,
0:32:21 > 0:32:25but I'd say it certainly wasn't something I was used to seeing round here.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27'Andrew is a very credible witness.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30'But what are the chances of a big cat being at large
0:32:30 > 0:32:32'in a Welsh forest?
0:32:32 > 0:32:35'Hypothetically, it is possible.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37'A big cat dumped by a private collector
0:32:37 > 0:32:40'would find it easier to survive in Wales's extensive forestry block
0:32:40 > 0:32:42'than, say, Bodmin Moor.
0:32:42 > 0:32:48'But speculation is cheap and easy. Mark and I are looking for hard facts.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52'To start, is there any evidence of a large mammal living in these woods?'
0:32:55 > 0:33:02- I guess this is a clear deer trail... - Mm-hm.- ..that if you're a predator, you're going to want to watch.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05- We've got something here.- What's that?- We've got a little footprint.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09- That's a rounded footprint, isn't it? - That's a domestic cat, by the look of it, so...
0:33:09 > 0:33:13- That is really, really surprising. - It's not a big cat, mind! - HE LAUGHS
0:33:13 > 0:33:15This far up? Is that possible?
0:33:15 > 0:33:21Cats, especially, you know, it doesn't take anything for them to revert back to their wild state.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24I mean, that's not without the realms of possibility.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26- That's what I'm getting out, yeah. - Interesting. OK.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30'So is our big cat a domestic tabby gone rogue?
0:33:30 > 0:33:34'Too early to say. We just need to keep gathering evidence,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37'and following my scientifically trained nose.'
0:33:38 > 0:33:40That's badger, to me.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43I'll tell you why, look. Lots of little beetles, could be fox,
0:33:43 > 0:33:46but beetles in like that, and...
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- Well, what we know is it's definitely not dog, is it?- No, no.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53Possibly fox, but if it is, it's a big fox!
0:33:53 > 0:33:55It's a very big fox.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57I'm really liking this area, you know.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58Yeah, this looks quite good.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01This is a deer highway, you know.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Aah, look at that.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06- Well, we've got this one here. - I think that's still deer.
0:34:06 > 0:34:12- You get a lot of information from the smell.- OK.- It can be very musky, and depending on the time of year,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15you can work out exactly what the animal's been eating.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19I thought that's why you brought me along, to do all that.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23- It's quite herby, isn't it?- Exactly. So what would you deduce from that?
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- It's a vegetarian.- Probably, yeah.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Look at that. That is animal scratches.
0:34:31 > 0:34:32That's a claw.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37- I think what's also of note, Rhys, is look...- Yeah.- All the bark... - Scratched off.
0:34:37 > 0:34:43This is obviously an area where an animal is coming to quite often.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46- OK.- It'll be interesting to find out what animal that is.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48I'll do the messy bit, if you like.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53'Time to get out the trail cams and the pork chops.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55'Chops to tempt our mystery animal,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58'and cameras to catch it in mid-feast.'
0:34:58 > 0:35:00That's good.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02That's ideal, isn't it, there.
0:35:02 > 0:35:07So any animal which is coming in is going to investigate this pork here,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09it's going to break this beam,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13and hopefully we'll get an image of our mystery animal.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16'Only time, and our two cameras, will tell.'
0:35:21 > 0:35:25'When I'm not yomping around hilltops in search of big cats
0:35:25 > 0:35:28'or rescuing snakes from people's bathrooms,
0:35:28 > 0:35:32'I spend the majority of my time undertaking scientific research.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35'As a fellow of Cardiff University, I get to work with everything,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38'from snakes in the lab...'
0:35:38 > 0:35:42This is Cathalina the cat snake, and yes, she's venomous.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45'..to rhinos in the field.
0:35:45 > 0:35:46'And I'm incredibly privileged
0:35:46 > 0:35:49'in that my work takes me all around the world,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53'not only as a biologist, but also as a licensed wildlife handler,
0:35:53 > 0:35:55'and as an animal behaviourist.'
0:35:55 > 0:35:57There's a mutual respect going on here.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01'But often, my greatest and most unexpected opportunities
0:36:01 > 0:36:03'occur right here in Wales.'
0:36:03 > 0:36:06As a fellow of Cardiff University,
0:36:06 > 0:36:10I work within a division of the School of Biosciences called Organisms and Environment.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15Part of our responsibility is the conservation of primates, and that includes chimpanzees.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17I've just been given a golden opportunity
0:36:17 > 0:36:20to work with chimpanzees here in Wales,
0:36:20 > 0:36:24A, because I'm an expert animal handler, and B, because I'm a bit of an expert with poo.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31'This is the Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary in the Swansea Valley.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35'It is home to a menagerie of unwanted and abused animals,
0:36:35 > 0:36:39'rescued from zoos and private collections around the world.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44'They include gibbons and lemurs from the UK,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46'and baboons from the war-torn Lebanon.
0:36:49 > 0:36:54'In total, proprietors Jan and Graham Garen care for over 300 rescued animals.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00'Graham has just left Wales on his latest rescue mission,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03'a 4,000-mile round trip to Bulgaria to rescue Billy,
0:37:03 > 0:37:08'a 30-year-old chimpanzee.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12'Accompanied by colleague and amateur cameraman Mike Williams,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15'Graham has driven his primate rescue ambulance across Europe
0:37:15 > 0:37:19'to the Stara Zagora Zoo in Bulgaria.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23'Like many cash-starved zoos in the former Soviet bloc,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25'Stara Zagora is full of neglected animals,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28'kept in stark and unstimulating conditions.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32'Billy the chimp's story is heartbreaking.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35'He spent half his life in a travelling circus,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37'and the other half in this cage.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40'Billy hasn't seen another chimp for 15 years,
0:37:40 > 0:37:45'and after all that time in isolation, he craves attention and affection.'
0:37:47 > 0:37:49Come on.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Ah! What's the matter?
0:37:58 > 0:38:02'Graham is bringing Billy back to Wales for a better life,
0:38:02 > 0:38:07'but before the journey begins, and for his own safety, Billy needs to be anaesthetised.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09'Bulgarian-style.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14'The anaesthetic won't last long,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18'so it's a dash to get him securely caged inside the ambulance.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24'Graham and Billy hit the road, and I join the preparations for their arrival.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28'What Billy doesn't know is that when he gets to his new home,
0:38:28 > 0:38:29'he won't be alone.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33'He's going to meet two other rescue chimps -
0:38:33 > 0:38:34'Bimbo and Tubman.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40'The hope is, after a period of adjustment, they'll all be happily housed together.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42'But it won't be easy.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46'In the wild and in captivity, chimpanzees are highly socialised animals.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50'They live in groups, and they interact and bond with one another,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53'but they're also very territorial, and they can be very violent,
0:38:53 > 0:38:57'attacking and even killing any intruding chimpanzee.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01'Whilst there's no way we'd let that happen here,
0:39:01 > 0:39:06'part of my role is to assess whether Tubman and Bimbo will make good companions for Billy.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10'Head keeper Nicola introduces me.'
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Come on, then. Don't be shy. This is Bimbo.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17- Hello, Bimbo.- And this is Tubman. - Hello, Tubman.
0:39:17 > 0:39:22- Basically, Billy will be into an empty bedroom first of all?- Yes.
0:39:22 > 0:39:27- Until we can assess how well he's doing.- He'll have the run of the two rooms during the day.- OK.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32Bimbo and Tubman will be able to come back into the day room. They'll have the day room and the outside,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35so they'll see each other through the door.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Right, you two...
0:39:37 > 0:39:39There we are. Good.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43'As an animal behaviourist, I'm looking for signs of aggression and dominance in these two,
0:39:43 > 0:39:49'but apart from some questionable table manners, these chaps are very passive and easy-going.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51'It's a good sign.'
0:39:51 > 0:39:55It depends how Billy behaves when he sees chimps for the first time.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59He might be totally freaked out, he might be really excited and pleased to see them.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01We'll just have to see how he is.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05OWL HOOTS
0:40:05 > 0:40:07EXCITED CONVERSATION
0:40:07 > 0:40:11'It's 2:00am by the time the ambulance finally arrives at the Sanctuary.'
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Well done, Graham.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18'And I get to clamp eyes on Billy for the first time.'
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Hello! This is your home.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23He's lovely.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Something here that might be of interest to him.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30Billy, would you like some apple? There we go, my friend.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33He's a very, very gentle chimpanzee indeed, isn't he?
0:40:33 > 0:40:36'We all agree to get a couple of hours' shut-eye
0:40:36 > 0:40:39'before introducing Billy to his new enclosure.'
0:40:39 > 0:40:41CHIMPANZEES SCREECH
0:40:41 > 0:40:45'Three hours later, and Billy's new home and playmates await him.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48'Graham wakes Billy up...'
0:40:48 > 0:40:49What's out there?
0:40:49 > 0:40:51What's out there?
0:40:51 > 0:40:53'..and I get his new digs ready.'
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Just making him a little bed in the corner here.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00To be honest, it doesn't really matter where I put anything.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Billy's going to come in here and rearrange his new enclosure to suit him.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06OK, let's go and get Billy out.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13'Cute as he is, Billy's still a wild animal,
0:41:13 > 0:41:17'so we're transporting him, cage and all, to his new digs.'
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Oh, fantastic!
0:41:19 > 0:41:20Hello!
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Hello!
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Oh...
0:41:24 > 0:41:26He has got to be so happy.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30'Bimbo and Tubman are brought into the adjacent day room.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34'But will they stop monkeying around long enough to notice Billy?
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- BILLY SCREECHES - 'Oh, yes.'
0:41:37 > 0:41:42- That's the first noise he's made since we've...- Yeah, excitement to see another chimp.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46- What's that, mate?- Isn't that... Oh, look at the grin! Which shows he's really happy.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48- Oh, look!- What's he doing?
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Well, they're quite calm, actually, there's not too much screaming.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Although they're banging about a bit, it's just...
0:41:55 > 0:41:57- BANGING - ..excited to see each other.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01Billy's jumping about, there's a little bit of banging,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03- but nothing to what a chimp could be.- No.
0:42:03 > 0:42:08'Whilst Billy settles in, I've got one last test to perform.'
0:42:08 > 0:42:11I'm going to take a small poo sample from Billy's cage,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14and it'll just help us to assess how healthy he is.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16'I'll analyse Billy's poo
0:42:16 > 0:42:19'to make sure there's no sign of infection or disease.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23'Until I can give him the all-clear, he'll have to remain alone.
0:42:23 > 0:42:28'But I'll be back for the moment Billy gets to end his years of isolation,
0:42:28 > 0:42:30'and meet his new companions face to face.'
0:42:30 > 0:42:32BILLY SCREECHES
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Aah, that's great to see, really successful.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41'Meanwhile, back on Big Cat Mountain,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44'it's been two weeks since we left the trail cams.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48'Time to return and see what we've got.'
0:42:48 > 0:42:49Timer is on.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51Where's the bait gone?
0:42:51 > 0:42:52It's gone.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57There are some big, big scrams here, and none of these were here previously.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Something has clearly gone up and leant, hasn't it?
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Leant and pulled out from here.
0:43:03 > 0:43:04This is something big enough
0:43:04 > 0:43:07to have actually grabbed the meat and yanked it out,
0:43:07 > 0:43:09so we're looking at a big animal.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12'Well, that's my considered theory, anyway.
0:43:12 > 0:43:13'But what does the camera say?'
0:43:13 > 0:43:16- It's not quite dark, is it?- No.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22- Oh!- Oh, yeah.- We got a jay.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25Can't be a jay that's snacking on that, can it?
0:43:25 > 0:43:27- No!- No!- No way!
0:43:27 > 0:43:31- That was not one of our suspects to take the meat.- No.
0:43:31 > 0:43:37That's ridiculous! We have a bird eating pork chops.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41It's incredible! How much meat can this bird eat?
0:43:42 > 0:43:46There we are - what can this be? It's been torn away.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50What can possibly have taken that piece of meat? A jay.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52People, though, are clearly not mixing up
0:43:52 > 0:43:58a jay with some type of feline-looking creature.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01- So you know what this means. - Set the cameras up.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04We've got to set the cameras up again. Come on.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06'We'd barely had time to reset
0:44:06 > 0:44:09'when we got wind of another big cat sighting.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13'This time, Nigel, a forestry worker,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16'has seen something feline in the woods.'
0:44:16 > 0:44:19- What do you believe this animal to be?- A black panther, a black leopard.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22- OK.- With his tail as long as me.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25The latest one I saw on the back side of the mountain,
0:44:25 > 0:44:27three stags came out shaking their heads
0:44:27 > 0:44:30and going in different directions trying to get away.
0:44:30 > 0:44:31And he came out, looked at me,
0:44:31 > 0:44:34and me and him had eye contact for seconds.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37It seemed longer. Must have taken my eyes for a second.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39- I looked back, he's gone.- OK.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42If I had to say to you, as a percentage,
0:44:42 > 0:44:45- how sure could you be that that was a black panther?- 100.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49You're absolutely adamant in your mind what you saw was
0:44:49 > 0:44:51- a black panther? - I've got very good eyes.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54'Nigel believes he's got conclusive evidence too.'
0:44:54 > 0:44:58It's an incredibly clean print.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01So, what I'd very much like is to get this photograph.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04- If you know how to get it out of there, you're welcome.- Great.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10'Whilst the image is clear and compelling, it's not conclusive.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14'It could be cat, or a dog, or a fox.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17'What it needs is some scientific scrutiny.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23'Actually, there's a really simple way to tell
0:45:23 > 0:45:25'if a paw print is feline or canine.
0:45:25 > 0:45:30'All you need are two plaster casts and the X factor.'
0:45:30 > 0:45:34What I've brought to the table, a Labrador print.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38- What have you brought?- Tiger. - Yours is bigger than mine. OK.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41If we look at a cat print like this, you can see that the digital pads
0:45:41 > 0:45:47are really spread here, and we've got the metacarpal pad here.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50- There's three very distinct lobes here.- Yeah.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52Now, the X test, if we were to bring
0:45:52 > 0:45:57an acetate of an X here, we try and fit that over a cat print.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00I can't get that to fit that print. It won't work.
0:46:00 > 0:46:05- So you're trying to get the cross in the gaps?- Absolutely.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07And that's not going to fit.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11Now, if we were to look at a Labrador cast,
0:46:11 > 0:46:14it fits very nicely straightaway.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17Clearly, I can dissect straight through the middle.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20- This is dog, it works even better on fox.- OK.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24- X marks the spot, then. - It does indeed.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28'But what's the X factor on Nigel's print?
0:46:28 > 0:46:32'Well, it has a clear X marked through it,
0:46:32 > 0:46:34'and that indicates a dog.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37'However, there are no claw marks on the print, and confusingly,
0:46:37 > 0:46:40'that could indicate a cat.'
0:46:40 > 0:46:43One thing, of course, is that with a dog print,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45you normally expect to see the claw marks.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48But I think that this print has slipped forward.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51As the foot has been put into the mud, it's slipped forward
0:46:51 > 0:46:56and to the right, and that's wiped out the claw mark, and it's slid and
0:46:56 > 0:46:59rounded, and that's why it's been such a difficult print to recognise.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02But to me, I'm completely convinced this is a dog.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04Absolutely, I'm in total agreement.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08'So, definitely a dog print.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11'Then what is it that Nigel
0:47:11 > 0:47:15'and all the other forestry workers have reported seeing?'
0:47:16 > 0:47:17What's that?!
0:47:19 > 0:47:21THEY SHRIEK
0:47:21 > 0:47:23Are you going to call the police?
0:47:23 > 0:47:26'OK, hands up, this particular footage was faked by us,
0:47:26 > 0:47:30'but we're all prone to being disorientated by unexpected
0:47:30 > 0:47:34'encounters with animals, especially when they're over in a flash.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40'Or glimpsed from a moving vehicle, or witnessed from a distance.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44'And our eyes and our imaginations frequently play tricks on us,
0:47:44 > 0:47:47'particularly when it comes to perspective.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52'That's not to say I disbelieve Nigel and the other witnesses -
0:47:52 > 0:47:54'quite the opposite.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56'I'm actually convinced they saw something
0:47:56 > 0:47:59'out of the ordinary in the forest block.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02'What's more - after months of persistence,
0:48:02 > 0:48:04'I think Mark and I have the footage to prove it.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08'Having left the trail cam in various spots around the forest,
0:48:08 > 0:48:12'we captured plenty of evidence of deer.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15'But these deer look nothing like the big cat our witness described.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17'They're not the size of a large dog,
0:48:17 > 0:48:20'and they don't have a big, fluffy tail.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25'But I think this beast fits the profile.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28'He's an enormous male fox we caught on the trail cam,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31'and I'm convinced he's our culprit.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33'And this case is closed.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40'Four weeks after he arrived at the sanctuary,
0:48:40 > 0:48:43'I'm able to give the all-clear on Billy's poo sample.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48'It's been years since Billy interacted with another chimp,
0:48:48 > 0:48:51'but all being well, today he'll finally get to meet Bimbo and Tubman
0:48:51 > 0:48:53'face to face.'
0:48:55 > 0:48:58How are your feelings about how Billy is going to interact now?
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Well, you can never tell.
0:49:00 > 0:49:04They're all right and playful when they've got a barrier between them.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07How they'll actually react when there's nothing
0:49:07 > 0:49:10is just something you've got to take a chance, and...
0:49:10 > 0:49:12Today is going to be the day.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17This is it. This is the big moment. Look how excited these two are.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19They know Billy's coming out.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21CHIMPS SHRIEK
0:49:21 > 0:49:25'But before Billy can get out, Bimbo and Tubman roll in.'
0:49:25 > 0:49:26It's OK.
0:49:28 > 0:49:30That lip curling is fear.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34You can all calm down now.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38BANGING
0:49:38 > 0:49:41Basically, the interaction is going well,
0:49:41 > 0:49:45because the other two chimpanzees are not being aggressive towards Billy.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47Billy is still putting his fingers through.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51He's basically looking for human reassurance.
0:49:54 > 0:49:55Situation a lot calmer.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59CHIMPS SHRIEK AGAIN
0:50:01 > 0:50:03'So maybe I spoke too soon.'
0:50:04 > 0:50:07They're trying to be playful with him,
0:50:07 > 0:50:09but at the moment, Billy doesn't understand that.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11'OK. Time for a different tack.'
0:50:11 > 0:50:15What we're hoping now is that by bringing Bimbo
0:50:15 > 0:50:19and Tubman out, just into the large enclosure,
0:50:19 > 0:50:23that it'll be less stressful and we're hoping that Billy will
0:50:23 > 0:50:27gently come out and interact with them in a far larger environment.
0:50:27 > 0:50:28Billy, come on! Yes!
0:50:32 > 0:50:36This is a very unusual environment for Billy.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39Full of new sounds and sights and there's a lot to take in.
0:50:41 > 0:50:45'Including Bimbo, who's not one for taking things slowly.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48'Obviously wanting to become fast friends,
0:50:48 > 0:50:50'he follows Billy back inside.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55'And tries to impress him with a few flash moves.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00'To begin with, Billy's not impressed. And then...'
0:51:07 > 0:51:09That went so well. Did you see how they were gripping?
0:51:12 > 0:51:15There's a real interaction going on between these two.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18Hey, you're doing really well, aren't you?
0:51:18 > 0:51:19You're doing really well.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25They're grooming each other now.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29That's a social behaviour, so that's great.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33We can see that these chimpanzees are really interacting now.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37Look at that. Billy has really calmed down now.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41It's incredible to think that Billy has only been here four weeks,
0:51:41 > 0:51:42and previous to that
0:51:42 > 0:51:46he hadn't seen another chimpanzee for over 15 years.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50And in that time...
0:51:53 > 0:51:57..he's now become habituated to being with other chimpanzees.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59It's incredible.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04'Next time on Rhys To The Rescue...'
0:52:04 > 0:52:06Wow! It's Christmas.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10'I get all over-excited about some squiggly slow worms,
0:52:10 > 0:52:12'I'm all eyes for two abandoned owl chicks,
0:52:12 > 0:52:16'and I help out a damsel in distress.'
0:52:16 > 0:52:18- I was scared to death. - It's very scary.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:52:26 > 0:52:30E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk