0:00:02 > 0:00:03I'm Gordon Buchanan.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09I've filmed the most amazing creatures on the planet.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Wow.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14These are animals that have killed people.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16But for me, some of the best wildlife
0:00:16 > 0:00:18is right here on our doorstep.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24And I'd like some of our best-loved household names to experience it
0:00:24 > 0:00:26as I do.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27It's just awe-inspiring.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30- God, that was unbelievable! - Yeah.- Beautiful.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Oh, what an experience.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37'I could spend weeks or even months tracking down these elusive creatures.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40'This time, I have just three days.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43'This could be the biggest challenge of my career.'
0:00:58 > 0:00:59I'm in Dartmoor,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03with someone you wouldn't normally associate with the natural world.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04'Sara Cox.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09'Television presenter, radio DJ and once-legendary party girl.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:24LAUGHTER
0:01:24 > 0:01:27But Sara's moved on from her ladette days.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29She grew up on a farm.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30She's crazy about horses
0:01:30 > 0:01:34and she has a real connection to the great outdoors.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38When it comes to wildlife, what's your knowledge or wildlife interest?
0:01:38 > 0:01:42I've got my robins... You know, "Booo!"
0:01:42 > 0:01:45..that come to our back garden, so I put food out for them.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49I've got some live mealworms that I kept in the fridge,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52because they're dormant in the fridge, aren't they, the mealworms?
0:01:52 > 0:01:54- And then they come alive... - Oh, great.- ..when you put them
0:01:54 > 0:01:57on the bird table, but then I started to feel really bad,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01because they were like, "Ooh, this is nice! Where are we?
0:02:01 > 0:02:05"Ooh, it's lovely!" and then they're like "Argh!" as the robins land.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09So, you know, I love the birds in my garden and try and point
0:02:09 > 0:02:13stuff out to the kids, but I don't really know what I'm on about.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18I've been on holiday to Devon. I didn't know Dartmoor was in Devon.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21I didn't strictly know where I was when I arrived.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Dartmoor is one of our national parks.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31A unique, historical landscape of 400 square miles.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Over the next few days,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38we'll be travelling across its wildest parts.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Today, we're on the lookout for bats and ponies.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Tomorrow, it's dormice and badgers, if we're lucky.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52And I'd love to show Sara a beaver.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59My dad's a bee farmer,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02so I know a bit more about farming and about keeping animals.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05But with wildlife, not much. I think it's an age thing.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Where now, I'm really taking more of an interest in the world around me
0:03:08 > 0:03:12and I was thinking maybe it is, like, your 20s
0:03:12 > 0:03:17for sort of growing up a bit and partying and your 30s are a bit of
0:03:17 > 0:03:20partying, but mainly parenting, and now I'm 40,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24- I kind of feel like I just want to learn stuff, which is weird.- Yeah.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31- I mean, this space is amazing, isn't it? It's proper countryside.- I know.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35But we've only got three days to track down these animals.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38So let's get cracking.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- Right, Dartmoor. Do you know this part of the world?- Nope.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Good, me too, because this is like going to a foreign country for me.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53So here in Dartmoor, it's the largest area of
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- relatively wild land...- Yes. - ..in southern England.
0:03:56 > 0:04:02I suppose for me, it's about picking a kind of relatively small area that
0:04:02 > 0:04:07we can cover in a few days that has the most amount of opportunities.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11I suppose one of the easiest animals to find... It's not a wild animal,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13but it lives wild... Dartmoor ponies.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16So you couldn't come to Dartmoor without looking for ponies.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19But badgers, all these little woodlands, there's going to be
0:04:19 > 0:04:23badgers roaming about here, which I would love to be able to show you.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26And beavers.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30- Amazing.- Yeah.- Are they building stuff all day, or is that just...in the cartoons?
0:04:30 > 0:04:34They... No, they will build stuff when it needs to be built, but they're always kind of busy.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38- They are busy, aren't they? Beavers are busy animals.- They're "busy as a beaver".
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- Is that an expression?- It is now.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41So, what's first?
0:04:41 > 0:04:47The first thing that we should do is set up our little camp.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49You always try and camp as close to the animals that
0:04:49 > 0:04:51you want to see as possible.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- Oh, really?- Yeah.- OK. - Let's get back in the car.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01I'm hoping it won't be long before we come across our first animal.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04They're Sara's favourite.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06And a fairly common sight on Dartmoor.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I just love horses. I love riding so much, I love horses.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14I feel like it's just part of who I am. Like, when I'm not riding,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17I feel like there's a bit of the jigsaw missing.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20So I'm always looking out for ponies or for horses, really.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23- And I just like... - There's one down there.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I can't believe you spotted it!
0:05:30 > 0:05:33We're going off-road, because I want to get as close as we can.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Ooh, look at those beautiful ponies.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42# Wolf mother, where you been?
0:05:42 > 0:05:45# You look so worn, so thin
0:05:47 > 0:05:51# You're a taker, devil's maker
0:05:51 > 0:05:55# Let me hear you sing, hey-aye, hey-aye. #
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Sara learned to ride when she was little.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59HORSES WHINNY
0:05:59 > 0:06:01It was just such a big part of my childhood,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05just pootling around on the little fat farm pony, you know?
0:06:05 > 0:06:08And I just feel like... I just love them.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Around 1,500 ponies live here on Dartmoor.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Over hundreds of years,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22they've adapted to survive in this wild place.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27And their grazing keeps the pasture healthy.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31There's something very joyous about horses.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Just kind of like... I don't know, really majestic and kind of... noble beasts.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41But they're also semi-feral and a bit unpredictable.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45I think they've lost interest.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49This is as close as we're going to get. For the time being anyway.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54So, we're going to be camping somewhere sheltered, down there.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55OK, good.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59So our nearest neighbours are going to be these Dartmoor ponies.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- That's really lovely. - They won't eat you or anything.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Wild camping is legal on most of Dartmoor.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09And I just hope we manage to get our tents up
0:07:09 > 0:07:12before it starts raining again.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16You've obviously got a glamorous side to you, but you're not like...
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Camping is not something that obviously terrifies you.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25- You're quite up for it.- No. Yeah, I'm totally up for it.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29My heart is the beating heart of a tomboy, really.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31When I was growing up, it very much was.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33I still can't walk in high heels.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38I'm much more comfortable in wellies or riding boots or trainers.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- This is beautiful. - We'll be happy here.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Right, this big one...
0:07:53 > 0:07:55..is the one that I'm...
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- You're carrying?- I'll carry it, yeah.
0:07:58 > 0:07:59- Um...- I can get my pillow.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Yeah, you take your... LAUGHTER
0:08:02 > 0:08:04..little jazzy, festival...
0:08:04 > 0:08:07So has most of your camping experiences been at festivals?
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Yeah, kind of at festivals and then...
0:08:09 > 0:08:13- Sorry, just stereotyping you. - Yeah, basically.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Look how clean and clear it is. It's gorgeous.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Even if there are one or two obstacles.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23There's quite a lot of cow muck here, isn't there?
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Do you want a big cowpat next to where you sleep? Are you bothered?
0:08:26 > 0:08:28I'm not. I don't really care, they don't really smell.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- No, but you can stand on that. - I'm a vegetarian anyway.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Feed that one through from the bottom.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37If that goes in the eyelets.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42- I really love sleeping in tents. - Because you're snug, aren't you?
0:08:42 > 0:08:46As long as you're warm enough. As long as you're warm and dry.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49But I don't think a tent is going to be much protection
0:08:49 > 0:08:53against another animal that could be prowling these moors.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56I hope that Sara doesn't scare easily.
0:08:57 > 0:09:05This area has the highest numbers of big cat sightings in the country.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07You must have heard stories about big cats being sighted?
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Yeah, but I don't think it's something that's going to eat you, though.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14- The Beast of Bodmin!- Like a "Beast of Bodmin".- That's not far from here.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- LAUGHING:- What, is he going to get a taxi from Bodmin and come here just to terrorise us?
0:09:18 > 0:09:21No, but then, I think in the last sort of ten years,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25there've been numerous sightings of big cats in this area.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30When the Dangerous Animals Act came into force almost 40 years ago,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33big cats needed a licence.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37And the theory goes, many were just released into the wild.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Is pegging your favourite part? You seem to have just completely commandeered all the pegs.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47SARAH LAUGHS "Um, yeah, I'll do the pegging."
0:09:50 > 0:09:54If big cats do exist here, they have everything they need to
0:09:54 > 0:09:59survive, given the size of Dartmoor and the number of grazing animals.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03There are photographs of horses from this area with kind of
0:10:03 > 0:10:05scratch marks on them.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Quite suspicious-looking sheep carcasses that have been eaten.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15So far though, the evidence has been inconclusive.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17So, look at that.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20This is like somebody has taken this picture and they've said,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24- "Ah, that's a big cat!" - That's a fake, isn't it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27But for every person that genuinely thinks that they've seen
0:10:27 > 0:10:30something, I bet there's going to be ten people that think,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34"Oh, yeah! I'm going to take a picture of my domestic cat or my dog
0:10:34 > 0:10:37"and try and pass it off as a big cat."
0:10:37 > 0:10:41OK, so this one is... This is quite interesting.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Can you see that?
0:10:43 > 0:10:46This is a guy that was taking a sunset shot.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49And when he got home and looked on his computer...
0:10:50 > 0:10:54..that was sitting on one of the tors. It looks like a puma.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58But it's got that intense stare that cats have.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03It's too far away to tell if it's cuddly toy or not.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- Do you want it to be true? - I kind of do want it to be true.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11So with that in mind, I'm going to get my camera traps.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14'I've often used camera traps to film elusive big cats
0:11:14 > 0:11:20'and almost always, I've been successful. But do they exist here?
0:11:20 > 0:11:21'Who knows?'
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Anything that comes through, it will trigger this motion sensor
0:11:25 > 0:11:29- and it will record a clip of it. - Do I need to test that?
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Do you want me going past? Cat-style?
0:11:31 > 0:11:34I'll tell you what, I need... I'm going to put it... Can you pull
0:11:34 > 0:11:41these bits of grass, so the image is kind of roundabout there?
0:11:41 > 0:11:42So if you pull those out
0:11:42 > 0:11:46and I'll run down and get some stones from the river.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49I'd be quite happy with a rabbit.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52That'd be wild enough for me.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Or a hare.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Um...
0:11:56 > 0:11:59It'd be quite fun to see what actually is pottering around
0:11:59 > 0:12:01while we're asleep.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Um... And it's going to be a bit of an anti-climax
0:12:05 > 0:12:07if there's nothing going on.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08You going to be the cat?
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Yeah, definitely.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16That's going to work. That is going to work.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19I'm absolutely feeling it. It's going to happen.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22This is a little thing that I do.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Give it a little kiss! THEY LAUGH
0:12:25 > 0:12:27That's creepy.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29I do it a lot with different pieces of equipment.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30SARA LAUGHS
0:12:32 > 0:12:33It's getting dark.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37So I'll leave the camera traps to do their thing, while Sara and I head
0:12:37 > 0:12:42off to a top-secret location and one of our most mysterious animals.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48- So, um, are we going to bat country, then?- Bat country.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52- We must be guaranteed a bat?- We're guaranteed that we are going to see a bat.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56You've got to guarantee that. Yeah. Going to see a man about a bat.
0:12:56 > 0:13:02Greater horseshoe bats have declined by whopping 90% in recent decades.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05This part of Devon is one of the few areas where they're found
0:13:05 > 0:13:07in any number.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09And that's why they're a protected species.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12It's a criminal offence to disturb them.
0:13:12 > 0:13:19So, guaranteed, this is the most fun that you will have at sunset
0:13:19 > 0:13:21in Dartmoor. SARA LAUGHS
0:13:21 > 0:13:25- Really? Are we going to see some bat action?- Er, yeah.
0:13:25 > 0:13:31- Inside this building...- Yeah? - ..is the largest indoor
0:13:31 > 0:13:34roost of greater horseshoe bats in Europe.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40'There are over a thousand bat species worldwide.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42'And 18 of them are in the UK.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47'Although we have permission to be here, it would disturb them'
0:13:47 > 0:13:51if we went in. But night-vision cameras film the bats continuously.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57At sunset, almost bang on, they'll start to come out.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02So we'll have 2,000 bats kind of wheeling about our head.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Oh, my gosh!
0:14:04 > 0:14:08So the biggest bat that we have in this country.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09And the wings...
0:14:09 > 0:14:12- The wings are 16 inches.- Whoa! That's quite big, isn't it?
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I was thinking like diddy ones that look a bit like swallow sizes.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- No, 16 inches.- Oh, my God! - 2,000.- 2,000 of them.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23'Did I mention that Sara doesn't like flappy things?'
0:14:25 > 0:14:27- This used to be a pigsty.- OK.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30And then they had started roosting in there, but then it was
0:14:30 > 0:14:35renovated to suit the bats, to provide a safe place for them.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36The other thing that bats need,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- they need somewhere to hibernate in the winter.- Get away!
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Do bats hibernate?
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Yeah, when you start getting cold weather and frost,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46insects stop flying about, insects start dying off,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49and so there's nothing for the bats to eat.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53So their survival strategy is just to conserve as much
0:14:53 > 0:14:54energy as possible.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56- Do all bats hang upside down?- Yup.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59So they give birth upside down, they feed their young upside down.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02- They do not give birth upside down! - Yeah, they have sex upside down!
0:15:02 > 0:15:04- Do they really?- Yeah.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07The male's got this kind of specially adapted penis that
0:15:07 > 0:15:12kind of is like a big hook. So they're upside down, it comes..
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- Oh, it sounds lovely.- Yes, very peculiar.- Very Mills & Boon(!)
0:15:17 > 0:15:21'Like all bats, they make a high-pitched call as they fly.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24'And use the returning echoes to build up a sonic
0:15:24 > 0:15:26'map of their surroundings.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29'It's called echo location.'
0:15:29 > 0:15:32You won't have one of these. You don't have a bat detector, do you?
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- Is that an actual thing? - It is an actual thing.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40We can't hear the frequency of the bats' echo location.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45- It's too high.- It's kind of beyond our audible range.
0:15:45 > 0:15:51But with this, what this does is it tunes in to their range.
0:15:51 > 0:15:52There you go. Go in there.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55BEEPING ON DETECTOR
0:15:55 > 0:15:57- Can you hear it?- Oh, my God!
0:15:59 > 0:16:02HIGHER PITCHED SOUNDS
0:16:06 > 0:16:08So that's their echo location.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13'When it's dark enough, they'll come out to feed.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17'They can eat up to 3,000 insects in a single night.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23'The only way to see us is with these night vision cameras.'
0:16:23 > 0:16:27I'm quite worried that I'll like just freak out and run.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30'But I'm excited.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33'These bats are really rare and it's a sight few of us
0:16:33 > 0:16:35'will ever actually see.'
0:16:35 > 0:16:37As long as they're not going to hit me.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39They won't hit you, I promise.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- If a bat hits me, you give me £100.- Define "hit".
0:16:42 > 0:16:45OK, well, that won't happen. You might get a...
0:16:45 > 0:16:49- Argh!- You might feel a waft. SHE GASPS
0:16:49 > 0:16:52But I doubt it.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55They come this way. Stop worrying.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04You're not going to move off from me, are you? Seriously, Gordon.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- No, no. I promise. - Don't leave my side, please.
0:17:20 > 0:17:21Argh!
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Ha!
0:17:26 > 0:17:29What they're doing at this time is just having a look,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32so that's like one of the bravest bats cos he's thought,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36"Right, OK, it's still a bit light, there might be birds of prey about,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39"there might be other predators, but I'm kind of brave
0:17:39 > 0:17:43"enough to come out and just see what the light levels are."
0:17:45 > 0:17:50- So when they go back in, they will literally be...- Telling the others.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54- Telling the others. At the moment... - Weird people.- Yeah.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59There's a woman clinging to a man, just out in the courtyard.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09They're coming out at a real rate now, aren't they?
0:18:09 > 0:18:13The braver the bat, the faster it can start feeding.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15The ones that disappear over the roof,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17they don't have to travel that far.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21They can probably just start feeding as soon as they get up over
0:18:21 > 0:18:23this patch of forest.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30So you can imagine them flying at that speed, echo locating,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34sending out that kind of warbling sound, that will
0:18:34 > 0:18:37bounce off a moth, bounce back at them,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40for enough time for them to adjust their flight and catch them.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Every animal kind of takes a calculated risk,
0:18:43 > 0:18:47so these bats, "OK, tonight might be my last night on Earth
0:18:47 > 0:18:51"because I might come out too early and a sparrowhawk nobbles me
0:18:51 > 0:18:54"or I might run into a tawny owl and get nailed that way."
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Tony owl?
0:18:56 > 0:19:00- MOBSTER ACCENT:- Hey, Tony Owl!
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Tony Owl, Mafioso, Italian owls, they're so vicious.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10I whipped myself open to a bat frenzy beforehand.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13I just didn't quite know how intense it was going to be,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16pinging out at like four or five at a time at one point,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19which was pretty cool, but that was enough for me.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21And so, when we get back to our little camp,
0:19:21 > 0:19:25all these thousands of bats will be flying about, filling their bellies.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30Yeah. Bless them, little things. I do wish them well.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Good luck, bats!
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- Farewell, bats!- Let's go.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39- Yeah. And I want to see if any... - Big cats.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41I'm not staying in that tent if there's a cat.
0:20:02 > 0:20:09'It's almost 8am and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some sunshine.'
0:20:09 > 0:20:12It's beautiful!
0:20:12 > 0:20:14- Are you all right?- Coffee?
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Oh, lovely, ta, darling.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18You're welcome.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22- Did you sleep OK?- Yeah. It was good. You know what? I slept brilliantly.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25I'm worried that you might have sparked some like new
0:20:25 > 0:20:28thing in me now where I just want to be a nomad and that
0:20:28 > 0:20:31and like just live like this, but in North London, and my children will
0:20:31 > 0:20:34have to come and knock on the tent every morning and go,
0:20:34 > 0:20:38"Come and feed us now and get us to school."
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- Speaking of which, are you hungry? - Yeah, I am. What have you got?
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Do you want...? I could do some eggs.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48'At times, it can be really grim looking for wildlife
0:20:48 > 0:20:49'when the weather's bad.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52'It's why I always have a good breakfast to set me
0:20:52 > 0:20:54'up for the day ahead.'
0:20:54 > 0:20:57- They look delicious, actually. - Do you like smoked salmon?
0:20:57 > 0:20:59I do, yes.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02I've brought these little candles for last night.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06The midges would have been bothering us,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09so this candle would have kept them at bay, but..
0:21:09 > 0:21:11As it was, we just had whisky
0:21:11 > 0:21:15and hot chocolate under an umbrella really quickly and went, "Night!"
0:21:15 > 0:21:19- Here we go.- Would you like salt and pepper?- Yeah.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Oh, I just presumed this was your make-up and concealer
0:21:25 > 0:21:27when I saw these little pots.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29The other one, that's what's in there.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33If the egg doesn't fill me up, the pepper will! Big chunks!
0:21:38 > 0:21:42'I think I spoke too soon about the weather though.'
0:21:42 > 0:21:46God, it's really rainy, isn't it?
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I missed the window of dry weather to pack away the tent.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54I'm amazed at how well Sara is coping with this
0:21:54 > 0:21:59because I think when I planned this little trip, I had kind of blue
0:21:59 > 0:22:01skies and perfect weather in mind
0:22:01 > 0:22:06and it's kind of been far from that, but she's just super chirpy.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08She's still up for it, still having fun,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11so I think that's a result in itself.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18'The rain finally stops and we're heading off to
0:22:18 > 0:22:21'Fingle Woods on the northern edge of Dartmoor.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24'It's where we've got the best chance of finding dormice
0:22:24 > 0:22:28'and badgers and I think I did promise Sara I'd find her a badger.'
0:22:30 > 0:22:35I love a cattle grid. My dad's got a cattle grid at the end of his farm.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- Really? Has he got a hedgehog kind of recovery system in it?- No.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Why?
0:22:40 > 0:22:41Because with cattle grids,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44there's a problem with hedgehogs kind of crossing them
0:22:44 > 0:22:47and falling between the bars and then they just die in there.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51The hedgehog friendly cattle grid has two little ramps at either
0:22:51 > 0:22:55end, so if they fall in, they can just walk up the ramp.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59No, what he's actually got is tiny rope ladders.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02For the hedgehogs.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04So they can get back up.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07There's not a lot of hedgehogs actually
0:23:07 > 0:23:08because the cows eat them all.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10- Yeah?- Yeah. That's what we've found.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28'Fingle Woods date back to at least 1600
0:23:28 > 0:23:31'and are now owned by the National Trust and Woodland Trust.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39'There's an astonishing diversity of wildlife here
0:23:39 > 0:23:42'and that's what makes them so special.'
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- Oh.- Lead on, Macduff. - Is that a spa Jacuzzi I hear?
0:23:48 > 0:23:52- Yeah, just head for the Jacuzzi. - It's dry.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55If it's dry, I'm happy.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58If it's wet, I'm happy, but I'm happier if it's dry.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Here we are. I'm just at one with nature. I'm loving this place.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20'After last night's bats, I want to show Sara something more cute
0:24:20 > 0:24:25'and cuddly. With its woods and hedgerows,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28'this is a prime stomping ground for dormice.'
0:24:28 > 0:24:32If we go through the woods here, we'll look for signs of dormice,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35so what we're looking for is the food that they've eaten.
0:24:35 > 0:24:41- If we start looking on the ground for cherry stones...- Yeah.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44..that might have been gnawed away.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53Dormice are really like meticulous, tidy little eaters, so you find
0:24:53 > 0:24:58nuts and these stones with perfect circular little holes in them.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00There's one there, I can see.
0:25:00 > 0:25:06'The name may come from the French word "dormir", which means to sleep.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10'And dormice do spend three quarters of their lives snoozing.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14'The most likely place we'll find them is up a tree.'
0:25:14 > 0:25:16- See if.. - How high up do they go then?
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Dormice...
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Some dormice can spend their entire lives in the trees,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24in a cherry tree like this,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27so they'll come out of their little nest at night time
0:25:27 > 0:25:32and then they'll start clambering up, so like for a little
0:25:32 > 0:25:35critter, that's like us scaling the Empire State building.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Are we going to see any of these things, Gordon?
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- We will.- Are we going to put a little camera trap thing?
0:25:40 > 0:25:43No, we're going to meet a nice man, Matt, from the Woodland Trust
0:25:43 > 0:25:47and he's going to kind of hopefully show us one
0:25:47 > 0:25:51because they are protected, so there's a project to try
0:25:51 > 0:25:57and encourage dormice to breed and to give them not just habitat,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00but to give them sort of actual places that they can sleep
0:26:00 > 0:26:04and so the Woodland Trust has got this project, putting up nest boxes.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08- They're not for birds, they're for little mice.- Little mice.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09Cute.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Has he got any badgers we can look at?
0:26:14 > 0:26:17'I'm not sure how committed Sara is to waiting
0:26:17 > 0:26:19'patiently for wildlife to show up.'
0:26:23 > 0:26:26You ain't going to find me a dormouse.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28More likely find me a unicorn
0:26:28 > 0:26:32than a dormouse and they aren't going to come out, are they?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35I think there's a man who has got a box of them though.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40I hope he's got a crate of badgers and beavers as well.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43And an otter. Then we can go to the pub then.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49'It doesn't really help that the creatures on my list
0:26:49 > 0:26:52'are mainly nocturnal.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55'And it's started raining again.'
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- Can we go and see a dormouse then? - Let's find Matt.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02- There's been a bit of a build up to this dormouse.- Matt?
0:27:02 > 0:27:05'Wildlife expert Matt Parkins is one of the few people
0:27:05 > 0:27:07'in the country legally allowed
0:27:07 > 0:27:09'to handle these lovely little critters.'
0:27:09 > 0:27:12So, levels of excitement,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- obviously never having seen a dormouse before..- Yes.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19- I mean, I'm nudging at a strong 6.5. - That's good. I'm happy with that.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21If a unicorn's a ten.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23- It's a strong 6.5.- This way.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27- We'll creep up to this box. - She's not very good at that.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31Was that directed at me? "If we're quiet" bit.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34I'll gently take the box off the tree..
0:27:34 > 0:27:36I feel kind of bad for them.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Will there be mums and babies? Oh, not this time of year.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41No, there could be cos the babies stay
0:27:41 > 0:27:43with their mums for like ten weeks.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48And then to stop them running away, we capture them in this bag.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50- Oh, wow!- Oh, my gosh!
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Look at that!
0:27:52 > 0:27:54So, we've got one here.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Oh, look, look, look.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Got one there. Very, very lively.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Will they nip you?
0:28:01 > 0:28:05Dormouse are relatively friendly and they don't tend to bite.
0:28:05 > 0:28:06Oh, my gosh!
0:28:06 > 0:28:08'It's Matt's job to monitor the dormice
0:28:08 > 0:28:10'and keep an eye on their numbers.'
0:28:12 > 0:28:15I need to put the scales on the bag there.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17And you can tell me how heavy that one is.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21I'll hold it and you do the... Oh, my goodness! It's really light.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24So it's like 20. Is it 20 grams?
0:28:24 > 0:28:29What you need to do is actually work out whether it's male or female.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- Is that a female? - So that one's actually a female.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35- Mm-hm.- So, you are expert already. - There we go.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38And interestingly, there's a little white tip on the tail as well.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40- You see its little... - Look at its little face!
0:28:40 > 0:28:45- ..front feet.- There we go. - Ooh!- Don't move, anybody.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Stay still. Behind...
0:28:49 > 0:28:50Argh!
0:28:50 > 0:28:53- I didn't. I stayed still. - Try not to move your feet.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56I didn't move my feet. It just made me jump. I'm so sorry.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00- Behind me.- Yeah.- Oh, there it is. Right there, look.- Where is it?
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Right between my feet, under my boot. I'm not going to move.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11- I'm so sorry.- You said it was just things that flap.
0:29:11 > 0:29:12Dormice don't flap.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15I really like rodents as well, but it just made me jump.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17- So that's the one.- Hi, sweetie.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20If you'd squashed one, you'd have been off the job.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22I think I would have had to send you home.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26- The dormice police knocking at my door.- Thank you.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31Thanks so much, Matt. That was super cool. That was exciting.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34'There's another animal that lives alongside the dormice,
0:29:34 > 0:29:38'but they're a lot more elusive.'
0:29:38 > 0:29:42So I think maybe head up under here cos there's lots of tracks coming...
0:29:42 > 0:29:46- Little trails coming down out of the woods, onto the path.- OK.
0:29:46 > 0:29:47Don't fall.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49Badger tracking!
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Here, badgy, badgy!
0:29:52 > 0:29:53It's dark, isn't it?
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Yeah.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59So, look for holes in the ground.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03How big are badger-sized holes?
0:30:03 > 0:30:04About the size of a badger,
0:30:04 > 0:30:07but, yeah, there wouldn't be just one hole, there'll be several.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10So, will it be at the foot of a tree or something?
0:30:10 > 0:30:13No, quite often in a raised mound of earth
0:30:13 > 0:30:17because some of these sets are used for generations and generations.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Hang on!
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Look! Bingo! bingo!
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Wow!
0:30:33 > 0:30:37'Just what we're looking for - a badger's set.'
0:30:37 > 0:30:39It's kind of magical.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41This is definitely, I think, a main set.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44'Badgers have a really good sense of smell
0:30:44 > 0:30:47'and they won't come out if they know we're are around.'
0:30:47 > 0:30:50We want to be downwind from them. Hang on, let me do the old...
0:30:52 > 0:30:53No, there's, like...
0:30:53 > 0:30:57Yeah, there you go. See how the needles are blowing towards you.
0:30:57 > 0:31:02- That's clever.- So, we want to sit that side of the set.- OK.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05I'll just double-check. Yeah.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07- Yeah, you happy now?- Yeah.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17I'll set the camera traps up, you're on peanut detail.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21'I don't normally put food out for animals,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24'but it's raining, it's late in the day
0:31:24 > 0:31:27'and this might be our only chance of seeing them.'
0:31:28 > 0:31:29- Peanut butter.- Yeah.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31- Stick.- Of course.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36On the prominent bark, so, like, that log, on stones.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Just dot it around. A good dollop.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41- Like a good, big teaspoon?- Yeah.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44- And then you can start to scatter the nuts around.- OK.
0:31:46 > 0:31:47Oh, it's lovely. Lovely stuff.
0:31:49 > 0:31:50Here we go.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57It's like I am the Delia Smith of the badger world.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03To be honest, if I was a badger I'd be suspicious of this.
0:32:03 > 0:32:08I'd be like, "Who's left all this peanut butter everywhere?
0:32:08 > 0:32:10"I am staying in tonight, some weirdos about!"
0:32:10 > 0:32:13And they wouldn't be wrong.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17- Got the peanuts there?- Yeah. - Stop eating them!
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Take a couple of big handfuls.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Like you are sowing.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26Like a swing?
0:32:26 > 0:32:30No, just scatter them around in any way you see fit.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33The one issue, I suppose, with any badger set
0:32:33 > 0:32:37is that there are holes all over the place, so you never know.
0:32:37 > 0:32:38When I'm in a situation like this...
0:32:38 > 0:32:42In a situation like this, I'm always really desperate to see the animal,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46but, for Sara, I really want her to see a badger, I really do!
0:32:46 > 0:32:50I could be minutes away from my first ever live badger experience!
0:32:51 > 0:32:54I feel pretty...
0:32:54 > 0:33:01Or I could be looking at a few hours of cold disappointment.
0:33:04 > 0:33:05Oh, here he is.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08The nut man of Dartmoor.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15'We retreat to a safe distance and wait until it gets dark.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21'The only way we'll see the badgers now is with night vision goggles.'
0:33:22 > 0:33:23You take these.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Other way round!
0:33:30 > 0:33:32So, can you see where the set is?
0:33:32 > 0:33:36If they're completely relaxed they'll have, like, a whole family
0:33:36 > 0:33:40moving about over the set area and grooming.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44A badger's number-one favourite pastime is grooming
0:33:44 > 0:33:48because underground in the set they pick up
0:33:48 > 0:33:50parasites and ticks and lice.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Come on Mr and Mrs Badger!
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Some badger sets can have up to 50 exits.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26I just hope we've chosen the right one.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33The are not, like, 30 badgers over the side of the hill right now
0:34:33 > 0:34:37having a barbecue, giving each other piggybacks?
0:34:37 > 0:34:39I doubt it. But you never know.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41And the other side wasn't an option because...
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Because it can't be downhill?
0:34:43 > 0:34:45..the wind direction.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Lovely perfume would be wafting towards the badgers
0:34:48 > 0:34:49and they won't like that.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59I have got a box set I could be getting on with, you know?
0:35:02 > 0:35:03Hang on!
0:35:05 > 0:35:07I thought I saw something.
0:35:08 > 0:35:09No.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13False alarm.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16'That was a rat, not a badger.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Wildlife can be so unpredictable.'
0:35:19 > 0:35:23- Are they just taking a while to come out?- Hopefully.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27'I'm well used to waiting in the cold and rain and seeing nothing,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30'but Sara is a novice at this.'
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Oh, God! That's not good!
0:35:33 > 0:35:35The first yawn!
0:35:35 > 0:35:37At 9.25pm!
0:35:39 > 0:35:43'And just when I think it can't get any worse...'
0:35:45 > 0:35:48- Is it raining?- I think so.
0:35:48 > 0:35:49That's unusual(!)
0:35:54 > 0:35:56- Hey, hey, hey!- What?
0:35:56 > 0:35:58- A badger!- Shut up!- No, there is.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00Look, look!
0:36:00 > 0:36:02- Shut up!- Yeah, there was.
0:36:02 > 0:36:03It ran up the bank.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10- I saw a badger. - Do you think more will come now?
0:36:10 > 0:36:14It is hard to say because it actually ran off.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19Maybe it's gone to tell its friends about the peanuts.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23OK, come on, show yourself again!
0:36:23 > 0:36:24I can't believe I missed it.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28'Come on, you badgers!
0:36:28 > 0:36:31'You're making me look bad in front of Sara.'
0:36:32 > 0:36:34- I'm bloody cold.- Are you?
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Just because I'm damp and sitting still.
0:36:39 > 0:36:44I have got, like, "Twitcher's Neck" or something it's probably called.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48- Badger's Bum! - I've got Badger's Bum.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51"Night-Watch Neck".
0:36:54 > 0:36:59'OK, so we've been here a sum total of one hour and 27 minutes.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04'I caught a glimpse of one, but it was too quick for Sara.'
0:37:06 > 0:37:09I hate to say it, Gords, I just think we should go.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13- I am so cold.- OK.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18- We're done.- Yeah.
0:37:18 > 0:37:19We're done here.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24I'm a Northerner so I'm used to rain,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26but this has taken the biscuit.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29The biscuit, the plate and the doily
0:37:29 > 0:37:31has all been taken by the weather today.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33I've been dripped on, drizzled on,
0:37:33 > 0:37:37showered on, rained on,
0:37:37 > 0:37:39pitter-pattered on.
0:37:39 > 0:37:40It's just been horrible.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43I kind of got a sense when she got into her tent
0:37:43 > 0:37:45that she is, like, "Argh..."
0:37:45 > 0:37:47She's not having fun any more
0:37:47 > 0:37:51and that, for me, kind of feels like a failure.
0:37:51 > 0:37:58Tomorrow is beaver day and I'm not convinced now...
0:37:59 > 0:38:01..about seeing anything...
0:38:03 > 0:38:04..if I'm honest.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06I think more than ever before,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09with any single species in any part of the world,
0:38:09 > 0:38:14I'm feeling kind of feeling a huge amount of pressure
0:38:14 > 0:38:17to show Sara these animals.
0:38:27 > 0:38:33'It's 7.00am and it's still raining.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37'I really hope it turns out to be a better day than yesterday.'
0:38:38 > 0:38:42I thought I might get up and you'd actually just decided
0:38:42 > 0:38:44to walk back to London, you'd had had enough.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48I do worry that my reputation isn't holding up too well.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51'She was really disenchanted last night.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53'I was losing her fast!
0:38:53 > 0:38:59'So the fact that I still have her with me, on day three,'
0:38:59 > 0:39:03after two very rainy days, two very rainy nights,
0:39:03 > 0:39:09maybe that's what I've got to cling on to - that Sara is still here.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16Oh! The first thing I feel is that drizzle.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30I'm kind of worried that there might be loads of, like,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33little woodland creatures stuck in that peanut butter.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36"I'll just go and find an acorn...", and, "Argh!"
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- Like quicksand?- Yeah!
0:39:39 > 0:39:41And then the badger comes along, "Oh, peanut butter!",
0:39:41 > 0:39:44- And dormouse stuck in it.- Yeah! - "My favourite!"
0:39:44 > 0:39:49If this habitat is as teeming with wildlife as you keep alleging...
0:39:49 > 0:39:52It is teeming world with wildlife, like, oak tree...
0:39:52 > 0:39:54It just hides, doesn't it?
0:39:54 > 0:39:57I didn't even see the frog, did I? I wasn't quick enough.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59I love a frog, as well. Go and get us a frog!
0:39:59 > 0:40:00I'll set you challenge now.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Could you get me a frog in, like, four minutes?
0:40:03 > 0:40:07Gordon Buchanan, one frog, four minutes!
0:40:07 > 0:40:09Time starts now!
0:40:15 > 0:40:17- Almost 30 seconds gone.- Come on.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21Look at you, disturbing all the habitat for a challenge.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23Two and a half minutes.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- To find this frog. - Where is the nearest pet shop?
0:40:28 > 0:40:31- Come on, frogs.- I'm really rooting for you here, Gords.- Come on.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34You've got two minutes, that's a long time to find a frog.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38- This isn't where you went for a pee, is it?- No. I went the other side.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Ssh! Ladies don't pee in the undergrowth.
0:40:42 > 0:40:43As if!
0:40:43 > 0:40:4760 seconds? Is he going to do it? The crowd are on their feet.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51Come on, froggy. Where are you?
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Will he succeed?
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Or will his reputation be in tatters?
0:40:56 > 0:40:59Says me, with a massive Velcro roller in me fringe!
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Looking like a...
0:41:01 > 0:41:03moose.
0:41:03 > 0:41:0430 seconds.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Come on, froggy.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13The great Gordon Buchanan frog spot challenge.
0:41:16 > 0:41:17Five,
0:41:17 > 0:41:18four,
0:41:18 > 0:41:19three,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21two, one.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23MELODIC CHIMES
0:41:23 > 0:41:28Such a happy sound but marking such a sad event.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31Right.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35Set it for 24 hours, I'm going to find you a beaver.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36SARA CHUCKLES
0:41:38 > 0:41:43You've got 12 hours to get me a beaver. Go.
0:41:43 > 0:41:48Ironically, me ringtone is "I've Had The Time Of My Life".
0:41:48 > 0:41:50From Dirty Dancing.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Slight exaggeration.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55- How this trip's gone.- Right.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57I know this is not the original challenge
0:41:57 > 0:42:01but I'm going to give it another few minutes.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03- For a frog?- Froggy watching.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Gordon refuses to give up.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08Nine hours later, Gordon is still searching for a frog.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14- Yes!- Shut up!- Yes!- No. I don't believe you.- Yes!- Aah!
0:42:15 > 0:42:19I thought you were winding me up. Hello! What sort is he then?
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- He's a common frog. - Oh. He's nice.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25They're not constantly swimming about in the water.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28The reason I, kind of, looked in all that vegetation is
0:42:28 > 0:42:33that's where the frog would be...hunting.
0:42:33 > 0:42:38- Get that, and you'll see how beautiful its eyes are.- Oh, my gosh!
0:42:38 > 0:42:39- Unless...- Argh!
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Made her scream again!
0:42:43 > 0:42:46It glanced off my eye.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49This frog. It's, kind of, way past the mating season.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52- There will be lots of froglets... - Is that what they're called?
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Froglets, yeah. Baby frogs.
0:42:55 > 0:42:56That... You'd be...
0:42:56 > 0:42:59"Actually, I'm not going to kiss it and see if it turns into a prince"
0:42:59 > 0:43:02because I think it's quite attractive.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05- Now, ladies.- As it is. - I'm already married. Sorry, froggy.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07- Shall we let him go? - Yeah. Let him go.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10I'm going to put it back where I found it,
0:43:10 > 0:43:12as you should always do.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14Off he goes.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17I was actually very pleased that he managed to catch that frog.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20Like he was an actual eight-year-old.
0:43:20 > 0:43:21Well done. You caught a frog.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23It was fun.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27I am interested in wildlife, it's more interesting when there is some.
0:43:27 > 0:43:32Not here to look glamorous, people. I mean, I know I do, accidentally.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35For me, it's not just about looking for wildlife
0:43:35 > 0:43:38but experiencing nature every way I can.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42- So, I'm going to go for a swim. - Are you really?- Yeah.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45I haven't had a shower for a couple of days.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49You see, I'm just warming up and I just feel dry
0:43:49 > 0:43:51for the first time in, like, 48 hours.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53No doubt, you're feeling the same.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56You're feeling warm and dry for the first time.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59So, now, you're going to get wet and cold on purpose?
0:44:05 > 0:44:06Whoo! Ooh! Aah!
0:44:06 > 0:44:08- How is it?- It's boiling.
0:44:08 > 0:44:14- It's actually...- Is it not that bad? - Startlingly cold.- Is it?
0:44:14 > 0:44:16It's a bit chilly.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18Crocodile!
0:44:23 > 0:44:27Imagine if he just got pulled under now, like shark style.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41- It's a bit, sort of, Rambo movie. - Really?
0:44:41 > 0:44:44It's not the vibe I'm getting.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46I'm thinking more Mr Bean goes wildlife.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52The thing with Gordon, you see,
0:44:52 > 0:44:57he's such a lovable character cos he's genuinely passionate about,
0:44:57 > 0:44:59you know, everything from, right,
0:44:59 > 0:45:03a hole that's been chewed in a cherry pip to, like,
0:45:03 > 0:45:05living with polar bears.
0:45:05 > 0:45:12So it's the whole spectrum of nature and wildlife that he just loves.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16So, you've got to hand it to him. He's a complete barmcake.
0:45:16 > 0:45:21But that he means it. He's dedicated in his madness.
0:45:21 > 0:45:22Anything?
0:45:22 > 0:45:23MUFFLED SPEECH
0:45:23 > 0:45:27- Huh?- I'm really cold now. - Yeah. I bet.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29Did you see anything?
0:45:31 > 0:45:33There's lots of little minnows.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36I can't really talk to you without looking at your nipples
0:45:36 > 0:45:37and it's making me uncomfortable.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40Do you want me to get a couple of Elastoplast.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43- You won't see anything interesting. - OK.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47- One, two...- Come on, young 'un. Do you feel invigorated?
0:45:47 > 0:45:48I feel invigorated.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52You see, an otter would be just up and away.
0:45:54 > 0:45:55Thank you, darling.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02Before we look for beavers, there's just time to check the footage
0:46:02 > 0:46:04from our big cat camera traps.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09Who knows? We may just be lucky.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11What if we suddenly hit it
0:46:11 > 0:46:15- and there's a big male puma staring at us.- Be amazing, wouldn't it?
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Shiny, shiny puma.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21Yeah. No wildcats.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25Sadly, no pumas.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28But we were lucky with the other camera we set up by the river.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35- Oh!- Ah! Little wagtail. Look at it.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Out doing it's little waggy taily thing. Coming for its close-up.
0:46:38 > 0:46:44- That's good. I somewhat feel I've redeemed myself.- Yeah.
0:46:46 > 0:46:51And, as for the camera on the badger set. We didn't see a badger.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54But we did spot something.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57- Oh! Look at him.- Aah!- Squirrel.
0:47:00 > 0:47:05That for me is a result. Because we got something. We did get something.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09- It wasn't at all what we were expecting.- The wagtail was the best.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11- Yeah.- I'll always look know what a wagtail is now.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13That's what I'll take away from this.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16You get different species, by the way. They all look the same.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19You've got pied wagtail, a grey wagtail, yellow wagtail.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24- Right.- Let's go. Let's go beaver. - Let's pack up and find these beaver.
0:47:31 > 0:47:36# Upside, inside out, living the beaver loca! #
0:47:37 > 0:47:40Who's your favourite movie star?
0:47:40 > 0:47:41- Oh...- Sigourney Beaver?
0:47:45 > 0:47:48We're heading towards the northern edge of Dartmoor
0:47:48 > 0:47:51to another top-secret location.
0:47:53 > 0:47:58- # Then I saw her face, now I'm a be-beaver. #- Right, Sara.
0:47:58 > 0:48:04- You are a genius.- So many of them. - Um, costume change.
0:48:04 > 0:48:05- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:48:05 > 0:48:10You big into waders? Size...14?
0:48:10 > 0:48:13Why are we putting these on, by the way. I've not even questioned it.
0:48:13 > 0:48:14I've just put them on.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16Don't want to be hampered by our inability to...
0:48:16 > 0:48:18Ooh. Hamper?
0:48:19 > 0:48:23You want to go where beaver go, you've got to get like a beaver.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25Ha-ha!
0:48:25 > 0:48:28- Ooh. They are quite warm, actually, aren't they?- Yeah. They are.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30We're getting to that age, anyway,
0:48:30 > 0:48:33where we'll start wearing elasticated waists.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36Soon, all our clothes'll be like this.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38Speak for yourself, dear.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40Let's find some beaver.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43- # I've been waiting... - For a girl like you.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45# To come into... #
0:48:45 > 0:48:50- Can you do a comedy, like... You know, one of them?- A heel click?- Oh!
0:48:52 > 0:48:53Perfect.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57Beavers were once widespread
0:48:57 > 0:49:00but were hunted to extinction in the 1500s.
0:49:01 > 0:49:02Over the last few years,
0:49:02 > 0:49:06there have been several schemes to reintroduce them.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11In 2011, the Devon Wildlife Trust
0:49:11 > 0:49:15released a male and female into this dedicated beaver area.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19Yeah. This is a, kind of...
0:49:19 > 0:49:23a trial with beavers in a, kind of, wild...environment.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27To see what impact they have on the spread of vegetation,
0:49:27 > 0:49:29but also, kind of, what they do to the flow of water.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32So, this, is called V-notch.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36- It measures the quantity of water that is flowing into the site.- OK.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38And also the quality of the water.
0:49:38 > 0:49:42But to get correct readings with quality and quantity,
0:49:42 > 0:49:45they have to keep this free.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48But the beavers, they hear running water and they want to block it up.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51As a job, you're, sort of,
0:49:51 > 0:49:54helping this research project by clearing out the V-notch.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58- The fence has been put around to stop the beavers...- Who is? I am?
0:49:58 > 0:50:01Yeah. You want to do it just, kind of, hop over...
0:50:01 > 0:50:05- Whoa!- Right. Good job.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07And get as much of it out as you can.
0:50:09 > 0:50:14"What did you do today, darling?" "Oh! I cleaned out a V-notch."
0:50:14 > 0:50:17- I hope I've not plucked my waders. - That would be disastrous.
0:50:17 > 0:50:21OK. Up! Nine stone? Are you serious?
0:50:22 > 0:50:26Ha! I do like you Gordon, cos you could have just let me go then.
0:50:28 > 0:50:29Look at that now.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33We're getting close to potential beaver o'clock, Sara.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35- Cool.- We are. We are.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40At just under seven acres, this site is massive.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45And there are signs of beavers everywhere.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48Even if there's no guarantee that we'll see one.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50Oh! Look, look, look!
0:50:51 > 0:50:54- What is that? - That's their lodge.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56Yeah.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58That's their home.
0:50:58 > 0:51:03So they've piled up mud, chewed off all these branches
0:51:03 > 0:51:06- and created a beaver lodge.- A lot of stuff's going on here.- Yeah.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10- But, you see, it was really well disguised.- Yeah.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12You can tell something's made that.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16It's not just fallen in that cluster of mud and sticks.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20So, the entrance will be underground.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23- So, for example, if you're... - Under the water?
0:51:23 > 0:51:26..a bear or wolf coming along and you spy a beaver
0:51:26 > 0:51:29going into its hole, it could dig you out,
0:51:29 > 0:51:31whereas, if your entrance is underwater,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34you can get into your home without anyone seeing you.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37- You know, they are, kind of, nature's engineers.- Yeah.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40It's a bit James Bond-esque, isn't it?
0:51:40 > 0:51:41- Underground lair.- Yeah.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Right, let's go for a wander.
0:51:44 > 0:51:48'Beavers are a vital missing link in the UK's ecosystem.'
0:51:48 > 0:51:52I mean, for a little animal to do all this stuff...
0:51:52 > 0:51:54- Yeah, it's amazing.- It is.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56You wouldn't get these flowers, you wouldn't get the insects
0:51:56 > 0:51:59that feed on these flowers, you wouldn't get, you know,
0:51:59 > 0:52:00the bats that feed on the insect.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02It is phenomenal what they do.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06'The beavers have created a whole new habitat
0:52:06 > 0:52:08'by damming parts of the water flow.'
0:52:09 > 0:52:12To talk about beavers as being kind of destructive,
0:52:12 > 0:52:15they're not creating some kind of desert.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19They're totally enriching the wild environment.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Classic beaver activities is strip the bark.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Oh, and is it eating it? Or is it using it to build stuff?
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Eating the bark.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28What they'll do, you know, for the wintertime,
0:52:28 > 0:52:31is drag food up to the lodge
0:52:31 > 0:52:33- and... - They don't hibernate, do they?
0:52:33 > 0:52:37No, they've got storage food, so they can feed through the winter.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40'I am willing a beaver to show up.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43'After the badger no-show, we can't have a beaver no-show.'
0:52:44 > 0:52:48'Definitely don't want to leave Sara disappointed.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52'And I'm just hoping that the beavers'
0:52:52 > 0:52:55are going to be, kind of,
0:52:55 > 0:52:57the cherry on a slightly soggy cake.
0:52:57 > 0:52:58Oh, it is cold.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01So, this is not something that would be encouraged.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04This is something that not everyone gets a chance to do,
0:53:04 > 0:53:07is wade to a beaver pond.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09So, this in itself is a treat.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11Does it feel like a treat?
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Feels like my waders are leaking a bit.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15It's just the cold water.
0:53:15 > 0:53:16- Is it?- Yeah.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19OK, so I'm going to do the splits.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29This is definitely different from Radio 2,
0:53:29 > 0:53:31from what I'm normally doing.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34You've got a good, intrepid story there.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36"When I was wading through a beaver pond..."
0:53:36 > 0:53:39I really don't want you to fall over.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41No, I mean...
0:53:41 > 0:53:43I'm straight back to my luxury Winnebago
0:53:43 > 0:53:44if I go over in this.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46I've not actually got a luxury Winnebago.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48- SHE GASPS - There's a beaver there.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Right there.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55Wow.
0:53:55 > 0:53:56Stay really still.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Oh, my goodness.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Isn't that something?
0:54:06 > 0:54:07Oh, my goodness.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14I have never been so close to a beaver in my life.
0:54:18 > 0:54:19It's big, isn't it?
0:54:19 > 0:54:21- Yeah.- That's the adult male?
0:54:21 > 0:54:23All of them...
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Do you see how the eyes, the ears...
0:54:32 > 0:54:34- You're not worried, are you?- No.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36You haven't screamed yet.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42There.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46When he comes up again, you'll see that the nostrils,
0:54:46 > 0:54:51the eyes and the ears are on this same line.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53- So, it can pop up.- Yeah, so it can keep its entire body
0:54:53 > 0:54:59under the water, but all the important senses can come above,
0:54:59 > 0:55:02so it can smell, it can see and it can hear
0:55:02 > 0:55:04without having to reveal itself.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08Phew.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10I'm so, so happy.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13It's amazing.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15I couldn't believe my eyes.
0:55:15 > 0:55:16I was just like...
0:55:18 > 0:55:19I'm welling up.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23Brilliant, eh?
0:55:23 > 0:55:25If it comes here, what do we do? Just stay still?
0:55:25 > 0:55:27Just stay nice and still.
0:55:27 > 0:55:28Oh, look, there it is.
0:55:30 > 0:55:31Hiya.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35We obviously wanted to show Sara a beaver
0:55:35 > 0:55:39and I would have taken a glimpse, so I could just say,
0:55:39 > 0:55:42"Oh, there you go, there's a beaver."
0:55:42 > 0:55:45But to actually be sharing this experience, like,
0:55:45 > 0:55:50something that I've never experienced or had before,
0:55:50 > 0:55:53it's like just mind-blowing.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56I will never forget this.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03He just was gliding along.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07I'm so relieved.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11I've never been in a beaver pond with a beaver.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13I've never been so close to a beaver,
0:56:13 > 0:56:17so this is like the number one beaver sighting of my life
0:56:17 > 0:56:19and I'm sharing it with Sara.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21The lovely Sara Cox.
0:56:21 > 0:56:22It's brilliant.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25- What an amazing way to end. - I know, brilliant.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31- God, that was unbelievable. - Yeah, it was brilliant.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33- I'm so happy.- Really? OK.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35I feel slightly overwhelmed by that,
0:56:35 > 0:56:39coming to the end of our wildlife weekend
0:56:39 > 0:56:44and I don't think I've turned you into, like, a wildlife watcher,
0:56:44 > 0:56:46or a twitcher,
0:56:46 > 0:56:51but I think, you know, you can look at the wild world
0:56:51 > 0:56:54in a different way.
0:56:54 > 0:56:55Well...
0:56:56 > 0:56:59I'm going to know what a wagtail is when I see a wagtail.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03I don't think I'll ever have an experience like that
0:57:03 > 0:57:06of bats flying out and towards me again.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12- Badger... I'll have to come back and do the badgers.- Yeah.
0:57:12 > 0:57:13The dormice.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16The frog.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18You know what? We've laughed a lot.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21We've done well cos we've had rotten luck with the weather.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23It's been fab, it's been really great.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27We've had an encounter, mind-blowing.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29Unless it gets out and does a tango with us...
0:57:29 > 0:57:31I don't think that's going to happen.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33- ..we're not going to improve on that.- No.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36Just leave him to it cos he's given us such a big gift, hasn't he?
0:57:36 > 0:57:38By giving us a little swim past.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40Have you got your phone?
0:57:40 > 0:57:41What did I say?
0:57:41 > 0:57:44I had 12 hours, I forgot. I said I wasn't making any promises,
0:57:44 > 0:57:47but I've achieved the mission
0:57:47 > 0:57:50with an hour and 20 minutes to spare.
0:57:50 > 0:57:51Yeah.
0:57:51 > 0:57:52Thank the lord.
0:57:52 > 0:57:56I can now turn off the beaver alarm because we got the beaver.
0:57:57 > 0:58:02I would put that as one of my top five wildlife encounters.
0:58:02 > 0:58:06- Brilliant.- Really?- Yeah, I do. - I'm genuinely really flattered
0:58:06 > 0:58:07cos you've had a lot.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10- BOTH:- Two, one...
0:58:11 > 0:58:12You're still better.