0:00:02 > 0:00:03This is incredible.
0:00:03 > 0:00:07Want to see some of Wales's wildest animals?
0:00:07 > 0:00:08You've come to the right place.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13My name is Dr Rhys Jones and I'm based
0:00:13 > 0:00:17at Cardiff University's School of Biosciences.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21I'm licensed to handle some of the country's rarest
0:00:21 > 0:00:24and most dangerous animals.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28OK, everybody stay still.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31And if you find a snake in your bathroom,
0:00:31 > 0:00:35I'm a man the authorities will call in to help you.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37But it's not just snakes.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41I'm licensed to work with everything from owls...to iguanas.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Oh, my ear!
0:00:43 > 0:00:44Chimps...
0:00:44 > 0:00:47..to seals.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Because I love the scaly, the furry,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52the crawly and the unknown.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54What did you think you've seen?
0:00:54 > 0:00:57- A black panther.- A black panther? - Black leopard.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Oh, my God!
0:00:59 > 0:01:03And I can help you to love them too.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06'In this episode of Rhys to the Rescue,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08'I help an iguana with an eye issue.'
0:01:08 > 0:01:10That's terrible, isn't it?
0:01:10 > 0:01:14'I do a dirty job on the "cheep".'
0:01:14 > 0:01:15Hello, boys.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20'And I check in on my old friend, Billy the chimp.'
0:01:28 > 0:01:32I've helped to rescue owls, snakes, chimps and badgers
0:01:32 > 0:01:35but sometimes, you get an emergency call
0:01:35 > 0:01:38that forces you to drop everything, pull out all the stops
0:01:38 > 0:01:42and then enter the unknown without a thought for your own life or limbs.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45And one such call from a member of the public has brought me
0:01:45 > 0:01:51to a business park in Cwmbran on a life or death mission.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Today, we're saving some baby ducklings.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57The ducklings have fallen through a storm drain
0:01:57 > 0:01:59and if I can't get them out,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02it'll be curtains for these distressed chicks.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05We're going to have to try and wrench this drain up
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and that doesn't look as if it's going anywhere.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11So, we're going to need to try and lever this up somehow.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Mum is quite concerned.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16She's got seven other chicks with her there
0:02:16 > 0:02:18and it looks as if three have fallen down the drain.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Let's see if we can wrench it open and get them.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23DUCKINGS CHEEP
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Well, I don't think that's been opened for a while, has it?
0:02:32 > 0:02:36That was straight before we began.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Now, we have to get down there.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Hopefully, mum can see where we are. Hello, little one.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45OK...
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Oh! There's one of them.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50CHEEPING
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Hold on.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Ugh, it smells disgusting down here.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Got her. Three little chicks.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Now we've got to find where mum has gone.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06There she is, there she is. Mum!
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Hey! Hey!
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Just when it was going so well...
0:03:13 > 0:03:14This way!
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Mum's on the move.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20There's two that have made it so far.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22We're nearly over by the lake.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24I can't get those three to follow.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30Mum is in by there.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34You can hear the other chicks in there with her.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39That's their little brothers and sisters calling them now. Go on!
0:03:39 > 0:03:41On you go.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Nearly there, nearly here.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47What a charade, saving ducklings!
0:03:48 > 0:03:52I hope we don't get another call out for them tomorrow.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01'The bulk of my day-to-day work
0:04:01 > 0:04:04'is carried out alongside PC Mark Goulding,
0:04:04 > 0:04:09'Wildlife Crime Officer for South Wales Police.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13'The majority of our call-outs are to do with wildlife crime
0:04:13 > 0:04:15'and public safety, but occasionally,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19'we're called to deal with animal welfare issues.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21'On our way back from a wildlife crime case,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25'we receive an animal welfare call through the police switchboard.'
0:04:25 > 0:04:26..Charlie Bravo 64...
0:04:28 > 0:04:33We've just had a call from someone who's known to me
0:04:33 > 0:04:36that they have an iguana...
0:04:36 > 0:04:38It's got some kind of growth
0:04:38 > 0:04:43and they've asked if we could have a look at it.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- Is it this area now?- Yeah.- We may as well drop by and have a look at it.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51The iguana in question is a green iguana.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56In the wild, green iguanas are native to Central and South America.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59They can reach up to 6 ft in length and are herbivores,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02eating a varied diet of fresh fruit and vegetables.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08Because they're relatively docile, they've become popular as pets
0:05:08 > 0:05:12but in reality, they need a lot of careful looking after.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Unfortunately, the green iguana I've been brought in to see
0:05:15 > 0:05:17is in a bit of a sorry state.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- Is this a three-year-old iguana? - Yeah.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22He is tiny for a three-year-old, absolutely tiny.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Have you any problems with it feeding?
0:05:25 > 0:05:29He's fussy. He'll only eat salad.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32We tried him on crickets and meal worms, he don't want to know.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- Just pure salad.- OK, when you say salad, what type of salad?
0:05:35 > 0:05:37You know, the Florette bags?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Do you supplement for calcium as well,
0:05:40 > 0:05:41do you give him things like figs?
0:05:41 > 0:05:46- No. Now and again we get calcium sand.- Right, yeah.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49That's normally halfway across his tank. He has that as well.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52He just don't seem to have grown since I've had him.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56- So, basically, for three years, you've had problems?- Yeah.- OK.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Let's have a look at him.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01There you go.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03We didn't realise it was that bad.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07It looks like it's a quite nasty cyst. This has come up very quickly?
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Yeah, in the last week.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12There's a couple of ways they can get them, especially round the eyes.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16If they're not sloughing properly, shedding their skin properly,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18they can get infections very quickly.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20I'm kind of guessing it's down to nutrition.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23If they're not getting the right nutrition
0:06:23 > 0:06:25they can become ill very quickly.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29I'm just wondering why people can't be stopped buying them
0:06:29 > 0:06:32so there's not so many around for you to have to take,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35cos people don't know what's coming with them, do they?
0:06:35 > 0:06:38I think what happens is people go in and say, I can afford that,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42but it's looking further, it's having the foresight to understand the vet's bills,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45the extent of the diet that these animals will need.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48I don't have a problem with people owning reptiles, per se.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50It's just the way they sell them willy nilly.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53It's the fact that there's a huge responsibility,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55when you take that an exotic animal like that.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59People don't know what they're letting themselves in for.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03I really feel the best thing is that we take the iguana.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06I need to see my vet and get this lizard on a new diet completely.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Thanks very much for calling us out.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13'Whilst PC Goulding gets on with his policing duties,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17'I head off to one of Wales's leading reptile vets, Mark Evans.'
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Right, you've got another challenge for us, then?
0:07:20 > 0:07:23I don't know if you can have a look at this eye?
0:07:23 > 0:07:25It's either a cyst or an abscess or something like that.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30- Keeping things well in captivity is not easy, is it?- No, not at all.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31Let's have a quick look.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Can you see how that top jaw is rubbery?
0:07:35 > 0:07:38That makes me think that there's definitely been a problem with
0:07:38 > 0:07:43temperatures, vitamin D, UVB light, calcium, all of them together.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45That's terrible, isn't it, yeah?
0:07:45 > 0:07:49So, we've definitely got calcium problems.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51This could be a cyst, a tumour or an abscess,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55but the most likely thing is an abscess and I actually wonder
0:07:55 > 0:07:58whether something like a splinter might have tracked up under the eye.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04Time for some tough treatment and if you're squeamish, look away now.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08This is a culture swab that we would normally take a growth out...
0:08:08 > 0:08:14I'm actually going to use this as a scooping agent.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16It's OK. Hold on, little one. It's OK.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18It's OK.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- That's quite impressive, isn't it?- Yes.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Huge amount of pus coming out that eye.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Ugh...
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Well done.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Are you talking to me or the iguana?
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- I'm just going to almost pressure hose this now.- No problem.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- Getting any remaining pus out, hopefully.- Exactly.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47It's OK, little one. It's OK. He's been incredibly good.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50There we go, we're sorted.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54- Amazing. Thank you very much, Mark. - No problem.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56A course of antibiotics, saline flushes
0:08:56 > 0:08:59and a new diet should see this boy right.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01We'll check on his progress later.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05'But first, we're going back in time.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08'Two years ago, I was called out to Parc Penallta,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12'a wildlife park landscaped from a former coal tip
0:09:12 > 0:09:14'just outside of Ystrad Mynach.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17'I was there for a reptile rescue.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19'It was an odd time of year,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22'as winters in Wales are too cold for our native reptiles,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25'so they go deep underground and brumate -
0:09:25 > 0:09:27'the reptile equivalent of hibernating.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31'So, how on earth was I going to rescue reptiles
0:09:31 > 0:09:32'when there were none around?
0:09:32 > 0:09:34'Well, let me explain.'
0:09:34 > 0:09:36You might be wondering what I'm doing here
0:09:36 > 0:09:38on such a cold and frosty morning.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42I'm here for a rescue of a sort. I'm at Parc Penallta, South Wales
0:09:42 > 0:09:46and we're here to rescue a group of isolated slow worms
0:09:46 > 0:09:49just down towards that pylon over there.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52We know that there's a larger population of slow worms
0:09:52 > 0:09:54just outside of the park's borders,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57but in between both of these populations
0:09:57 > 0:10:00is some horrible rank grassland and bramble.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03It's just really no good for these reptiles.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07'The problem for the population of slow worms at the bottom
0:10:07 > 0:10:10'is that they've become cut off by this grassland
0:10:10 > 0:10:13'and become so isolated they've started to inbreed,
0:10:13 > 0:10:15'and now run the risk of developing genetic defects
0:10:15 > 0:10:18'that will lead to their slow extinction,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22'unless, of course, we can get them to diversify their gene pool
0:10:22 > 0:10:25'by uniting the two groups.'
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Our job here today is to create a wildlife corridor
0:10:28 > 0:10:32which will enable migration from the greater population outside
0:10:32 > 0:10:35to meet our small, isolated population here.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38We're here to save those reptiles.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41But I can't do this on my own.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45I've got a couple of friends coming down with some chainsaws, some strimmers,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48some hedgecutters, and also, a mini-digger...
0:10:50 > 0:10:54'..because we're not just here to chop bits down and rip things out,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57'we're also here to build stuff,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00'specifically, we're going to build a hibernacula.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03'A hiber-what?!'
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Now, you may be wondering what I'm talking about when I mentioned "hibernacula".
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Well, in true Blue Peter fashion, here's one I built earlier.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Underneath this enormous mound of mud is a reptile hotel,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16and it has very definite structure.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20There's around six tonnes of rubble, wood and bracken,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24all there to super-insulate these reptiles throughout the cold winter.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29So, why do we need to build these hibernacula,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32these big overwintering facilities for these reptiles?
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Well, we're trying to encourage them, right the way through this corridor,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39to connect up with the larger population on top of the hill.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Adult slow worms don't move that much in a year.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47In fact, the adults that are here will be quite happy to live here probably for the rest of their life.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50However, the kids, well, they'll need a new place to live.
0:11:50 > 0:11:55This hibernacula was built last year to accommodate the kids moving out
0:11:55 > 0:11:59from the population down at the pylon, and, well, this year,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03that's why we're building a hibernacula further up this corridor
0:12:03 > 0:12:08to try and connect this population with the population on the hill.
0:12:09 > 0:12:15And no extravagance will be spared in the construction of this reptile Ritz.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18The hotel will be sited in this two-metre-deep, four-metre-long hole.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Five tonnes of brick and rubble will be used
0:12:22 > 0:12:25to create chambers and passages large enough for slow worms,
0:12:25 > 0:12:30but too small for their predators - voles, mice and rats - to get at them.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Logs, brush and twigs are all packed down on top of the rubble
0:12:36 > 0:12:41to provide the reptile hotel with an efficient and green layer of insulation.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46Of course, no swanky residence is complete without a grand entrance.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49We're about to build the front door to our hotel.
0:12:49 > 0:12:55That will help the reptiles to understand there's a nice warm entrance
0:12:55 > 0:12:58for them to go into the main structure of the hibernacula.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Next, our reptile hotel needs a roof,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and the spoil from the hole is put back on top and compacted down.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10And for that final touch, a few wild seeds for the landscape garden.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12There...
0:13:12 > 0:13:15one hibernacula.
0:13:15 > 0:13:21One reptile hotel, ready for the next generation.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Of course, it might not look much to you or me,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27but this really is the reptile equivalent
0:13:27 > 0:13:32of an all-inclusive, six-star luxury hotel with views to die for.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35I'm just hoping that when we return later in the programme,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38we'll find some guests who'll agree with me.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49Back at Rescue HQ, Puff the iguana is responding well to treatment.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52For the past fortnight, I've been treating his wound
0:13:52 > 0:13:55with saline flushes...
0:13:56 > 0:14:00..and antibiotic injections.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02It's very, very tough skin,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04so a very sharp, tiny needle,
0:14:04 > 0:14:08so he's not going to feel any pain from that.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10'He's also been enjoying a gourmet diet.'
0:14:10 > 0:14:14We've got rocket, some watercress,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17some mango, some red pepper,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21and some grated butternut squash,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23and we're going to top this meal off
0:14:23 > 0:14:26with a sprinkling of calcium powder.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29And has all that TLC worked?
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Look at that eye!
0:14:31 > 0:14:37I can't believe we saved the eye, let alone that it's healed so well. Absolutely incredible!
0:14:37 > 0:14:40And his jaw, thickset and strong. The calcium's doing its job.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43He just looks fantastic!
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Puff is one lucky iguana.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50He could easily have lost that eye, or worse.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53When I took him to see Mark, he was severely malnourished
0:14:53 > 0:14:56and undoubtedly in some pain, but the trouble is,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00unlike cats or dogs, exotic animals can't bark or miaow when they're hungry.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03They don't cry or yelp when they're in pain.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07In fact, direct communication with an iguana, or a tarantula,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10or a snake, is really difficult, even for an expert like me.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14And yet exotic pets are becoming more and more popular,
0:15:14 > 0:15:21which worries me, because people often take them on without realising how difficult they are to keep.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26To start with, the vast majority of exotic animals are not habituated to our colder climate
0:15:26 > 0:15:29and need specialist housing, lighting, and diets,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32not just to flourish but to survive.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37But unfortunately, I'm increasingly coming across exotic pets in distress,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40although mainly through ignorance, not cruelty.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44For example, vet Mark Evans and I recently dealt with this corn snake,
0:15:44 > 0:15:45badly burnt by a heat lamp.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49We also dealt with the case of a blue-tongue skink
0:15:49 > 0:15:52fed on a totally inappropriate diet.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Native to Australasia, in the wild, skinks will eat mostly insects, such as crickets and grubs.
0:15:56 > 0:16:02But this poor young lady's owner had fed her almost exclusively on blueberries.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04X-rays...
0:16:04 > 0:16:07As a result, she had a severe calcium deficiency
0:16:07 > 0:16:10which had led to her developing a twisted spine.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13After we put her on an intense and varied diet,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17she thankfully made a good recovery. But although she's not in any pain,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20the spine will never heal.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22But it's not just diet.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I also encounter a lot of cases of people taking on reptiles,
0:16:26 > 0:16:31snakes in particular, without realising how big, strong and aggressive they'll become.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35That cute little six-month-old, two-foot-long Burmese python
0:16:35 > 0:16:39for sale at £175 at the pet shop down the road
0:16:39 > 0:16:43will grow to an average of 18 foot, will need a vivarium the size of a small bedroom,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46and will live for around 20 years.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49This 15-foot Burmese ended up living with me
0:16:49 > 0:16:54after being abandoned by owners who could no longer cope with her size and needs.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58I don't want you to think I'm against people keeping exotic pets,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02cos quite clearly I'm not. But all of the animals here -
0:17:02 > 0:17:04and I have over 20 in my care at the moment -
0:17:04 > 0:17:07are all exotic animals that have been rescued.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10They're expensive to feed, definitely expensive to house,
0:17:10 > 0:17:15and the veterinary bills don't come cheap either. I don't want to have to take on any more.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19What I want is for people to carefully consider before they try
0:17:19 > 0:17:24to purchase an exotic animal that they truly understand what they're letting themselves in for.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31'Time for me to return to Parc Penallta and my reptile hotel.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34'It's been some time since we built it.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37'It's high time I checked for residents.'
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Whoa! That's a total change, isn't it?
0:17:41 > 0:17:45That's a year and a half since we've been here, and...
0:17:45 > 0:17:50I can hardly recognise it. That's amazing, the transformation.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52That was all wet mud the last time I looked at it.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55The reseeding has really worked,
0:17:55 > 0:18:00where we put all the seeds out and we've got... It looks like a little meadow over there now.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Of course, the reason we're here, though, is slow worms.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06'Of course, my original plan was to build a reptile hotel -
0:18:06 > 0:18:11'a kind of love shack where two different local populations of slow worms
0:18:11 > 0:18:14'could meet, greet and breed.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17'But this area is now so successfully overgrown
0:18:17 > 0:18:20'I can't see my five-tonne hotel anywhere.'
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Ah, that's it there, I think!
0:18:27 > 0:18:31That's it. This is our reptile hotel.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Talk about camouflaged! I had a job to see it.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37I had to be right on top of it to see it myself.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40This really, really has worked well.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44We've a lot of different species growing around it now, insulating it.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46It's very useful for reptiles.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50'If I'm right, the corridors of my hotel
0:18:50 > 0:18:52'should now be populated by reptiles,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54'including, hopefully, slow worms.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58'But I'm not going to wreck my work by digging it out.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01'Instead, I've had tins placed around the hotel
0:19:01 > 0:19:05'and on a warm day like today, some of the reptiles should come out
0:19:05 > 0:19:08'of the safe but cold hotel to warm up under them.'
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Aw, too wet!
0:19:10 > 0:19:13'If slow worms have moved into this area
0:19:13 > 0:19:15'then I would definitely expect to find evidence,
0:19:15 > 0:19:20'and I'm sincerely hoping I'll find a slow worm under one of these tins.'
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Nothing, no. This one's too cold.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25It's a bit like the Goldilocks syndrome, isn't it, really?
0:19:25 > 0:19:29A little bit too hot, a little bit too cold. We need to find one that's just right.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34We need to keep an eye out cos it's not just under the tins where we're going to be finding these animals.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38They could be right out in the open. Here's another one.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45The fact that we're not finding them under the tins doesn't mean that they're not here.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- Oh, look at you! - RHYS LAUGHS
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Like a real toad, only a bit smaller!
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Yay! A slow worm! We've got one! Oh!
0:20:04 > 0:20:08That's brilliant. What this proves to me, if we're finding slow worms here,
0:20:08 > 0:20:13we're going to have slow worms right the way down towards the pylon
0:20:13 > 0:20:15and all the way back up towards the hill, so this is....
0:20:15 > 0:20:18I mean, this is great. A success story. Job done.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Well, there we are. Proof positive that blood, sweat and tears gets results.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29'I leave Penallta a happy man. My hotel's a success,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33'and I'm confident the slow worms will be giving it a five-star review
0:20:33 > 0:20:35'on the reptile Holiday Show!
0:20:35 > 0:20:39'Meanwhile, I've still got one last task to fulfil
0:20:39 > 0:20:44'before this series of Rhys To The Rescue draws to a conclusion.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50'In Episode One, I helped rescue Billy,
0:20:50 > 0:20:55'a 30-year-old chimpanzee kept in stark conditions in a Bulgarian zoo.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58'Until Graham Garen of Wales Ape And Monkey Sanctuary
0:20:58 > 0:21:03'persuaded the Bulgarian authorities to hand him over to his care,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06'Billy hadn't seen another chimp for at least 15 years.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09'Graham undertook a 4,000-mile round-trip
0:21:09 > 0:21:11'to bring Billy back to Wales.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16'I was called in to help introduce Billy to two potential playmates,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19'rescue chimps Tubman and Bimbo.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21'By nature, chimps are highly social
0:21:21 > 0:21:24'and our aim was to introduce the three of them to each other
0:21:24 > 0:21:27'in the hope that they would become lifelong companions,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'living in this large shared enclosure.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34'But it wasn't as simple as sticking them in a room together
0:21:34 > 0:21:36'to see how they got along. In the wild, and in captivity,
0:21:36 > 0:21:41'chimps will attack and even kill outsiders who come into their territory.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43'And we had to be certain that Bimbo and Tubman
0:21:43 > 0:21:45'wouldn't assault Billy.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48'And so, after a four-week settling in period...'
0:21:48 > 0:21:50This is it. This is the big moment.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54'..we finally introduced them to one another, face to face.'
0:21:54 > 0:21:58- THEY SHRIEK - 'To begin with, things were fraught.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01'An overexcited Bimbo terrified Billy.'
0:22:01 > 0:22:05It's OK, it's OK. We're here, we're here.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08It's OK. We're here, we're here.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11'But after a bit of coaxing, and a dance...
0:22:12 > 0:22:15'..a wonderful thing happened.' Look at that!
0:22:15 > 0:22:17It went so well. Did you see the way they were gripping hands?
0:22:17 > 0:22:21'Billy and Bimbo became buddies.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24'It's now two months since they were initially introduced.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29'I'm going back to the sanctuary to file my final assessment.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31'Have Billy and Bimbo remained friends?
0:22:31 > 0:22:35'And have Tubman and Billy formed any kind of bond?
0:22:35 > 0:22:40'If the three of them are to remain together, I need to see they're happily rubbing along -
0:22:40 > 0:22:44'eating together, playing, squabbling
0:22:44 > 0:22:47'and making up - just like any other family.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54'But before I'm reunited with the chimps,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58'I've got another task to perform at the sanctuary -
0:22:58 > 0:23:00'I'm going to the wolves.'
0:23:00 > 0:23:04In this pen are two Canadian timber wolves
0:23:04 > 0:23:06that were confiscated by the German government from a zoo
0:23:06 > 0:23:09and brought here to the sanctuary in Wales.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Now, they're not socialised wolves, they're not habituated to humans,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15and today, it's time for their monthly medicine,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17and that means getting hands on.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20- Morning, Graham.- Morning.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24'I absolutely love wolves and I've spent
0:23:24 > 0:23:28'a number of years studying them in the wild and in captivity,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32'which is why I'm confident about getting in the pen with them.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36'But before I can get near them to administer their medicine, they need to get used to me.'
0:23:38 > 0:23:42What I'm doing at the moment is getting the wolves used to my scent.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46I just want them to realise that I'm no threat to them whatsoever.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Wolves are very misunderstood.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I think most people think that if you sit down with wolves
0:23:54 > 0:23:57they're immediately going to attack you.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00And they're formidable predators, don't get me wrong,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04but the last thing they really want to do is run up and bite you.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08If they've got the choice, they'll avoid you. In the wild,
0:24:08 > 0:24:14there are very few cases of people being attacked by wolves. The signs are looking good
0:24:14 > 0:24:17because the wolves are coming closer and closer to me,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20which means they're becoming a little bit more habituated.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26'OK, time to get the medicine show on the road.'
0:24:26 > 0:24:31What we're doing now is bringing one wolf in at a time,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35and the wolf's doing exactly what we thought it would do -
0:24:35 > 0:24:38it's going under the cover, under the shelter there.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41We've now got to apply the pour-on to the neck.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Pour-on is a non-toxic, anti-parasite compound
0:24:44 > 0:24:46that soaks in through the skin.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49We have to do this to make sure that this animal
0:24:49 > 0:24:53is de-wormed, de-flea-ed and de-ticked.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58This is dangerous. Graham could get bitten here,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02and a wolf can bite down 1,700 lb per square inch. It's not like a dog bite.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06So we've just got to keep everything nice and calm.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16The next thing we do is put a towel
0:25:16 > 0:25:18over the animal's eyes, just to calm it down.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22OK.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25The pour-on has to be applied to bare skin.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27OK. All right there?
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Hold still, hold still.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Well done, well done. Backing away.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37There we go.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41The next thing to do is take the loop back off the neck.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42OK, Graham.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Job done. Good.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50'And we repeated the same treatment on the second wolf.'
0:25:50 > 0:25:55That went better than I anticipated and I just hope these guys forgive me before my next visit!
0:25:58 > 0:26:01'It's the moment I've been waiting for.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05'I'm about to be reacquainted with Bimbo, Tubman and Billy.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07'But suddenly, I'm a bit nervous.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11'I feel like the guy who's persuaded three of his mates to share a flat.'
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Hello, boys.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18'If the arrangement's worked out, I'll be welcomed with open arms.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22'But if it's a disaster, they'll probably throw bananas at me.' Do you remember the camera?
0:26:22 > 0:26:25'Thankfully, Billy seems happy to see me.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27'He's looking quite at home.'
0:26:27 > 0:26:28Come on, Billy.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33'It soon becomes apparent that Billy and Bimbo are still firm friends,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36'something Bimbo's more than happy to celebrate.'
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Come on! Whoo!
0:26:38 > 0:26:41THEY LAUGH
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Whoo!
0:26:43 > 0:26:46'Tubman's happy to join in, too.'
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Come on, Tubs. Get him out to play.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53'And Billy? Well, he's just taking it all in his stride.'
0:26:53 > 0:26:56Billy likes tangerines, too.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00- Oh, right.- When he came, he couldn't peel them himself.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Now it's not a problem!
0:27:01 > 0:27:05- Do you think he'd ever seen a tangerine before he came here? - Possibly not.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10They said they used to peel all his food and just chop it up.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14He's certainly enjoying himself now. Look at that.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19- How has he been since we've last seen him? - They've settled down really well.
0:27:19 > 0:27:25They spend their days inside the room here. They sit together, they groom each other, they play tag.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27They just look so, so happy.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32He's not at all bothered, Billy.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36RHYS LAUGHS
0:27:40 > 0:27:43You know, a lot of chimps, they see Tubman like that, now,
0:27:43 > 0:27:47then they think he's going to be nasty to them.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50You'd think he'd be worried, but he's just sat there eating his tangerines.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54- Yeah. It doesn't look as if anything would faze Billy at all now.- No.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57He's just totally happy.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02He's got this face of, "Yeah, I've seen it all before." He's seen all the dancing and commotion.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04He's got tangerines. He's not bothered.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07I am so happy for you.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10I am really so happy for you that you've fitted in so well.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17I am so proud of you, Billy - you have done so well,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20haven't you? You've fitted in so well.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Do you know, I...
0:28:23 > 0:28:27I undertake so many rescues each year -
0:28:27 > 0:28:29some happy, some sad,
0:28:29 > 0:28:33some good, some bad -
0:28:33 > 0:28:35and to get a success story like Billy,
0:28:35 > 0:28:40it just makes it all worthwhile
0:28:40 > 0:28:44and it just reminds me, I literally have the best job in the world.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Oh, and he's got me again!
0:28:52 > 0:28:56THEY LAUGH
0:29:01 > 0:29:05Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd