0:00:02 > 0:00:04'Welsh wildlife is under attack
0:00:04 > 0:00:07'and I'm on the front line trying to protect it.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09'At sea, on land...' Oh, wow.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13'..and in the air our 5,000 native species
0:00:13 > 0:00:16'of birds, mammals and reptiles...'
0:00:16 > 0:00:17This is all fresh.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20'..are threatened daily by illegal activity.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Black Swan. '..vandals...'
0:00:23 > 0:00:27That was a slow worm cooked right through.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29'..and alien invaders.'
0:00:29 > 0:00:31That's not happy. That is not happy.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35'I'm Dr Rees Jones, and from my laboratory
0:00:35 > 0:00:40'at Cardiff University I work with the police...'
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Hello, police.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46'..wildlife groups, and concerned members of the public...'
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Tell me the story of exactly how you found him.
0:00:49 > 0:00:54'..in the fight to save our animals from humans
0:00:54 > 0:00:56'and humans from animals.'
0:00:56 > 0:00:59OK, everybody stay still. Stay still.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04'And in this programme, is there a poaching problem in Maesteg?
0:01:04 > 0:01:07'What's in the box, and why is it scaring this cop?
0:01:09 > 0:01:11'And there's a sting in the tail...'
0:01:11 > 0:01:13That is absolutely deadly.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15'..for a creepy-crawly lover.'
0:01:15 > 0:01:19If you get stung by that, you're lucky to survive an hour to two hours.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Each year, our four Welsh police forces
0:01:29 > 0:01:33deal with approximately 600 wildlife crime incidents.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38But it's also estimated that between two and three times that number goes unreported.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42That's because the majority of wildlife crimes -
0:01:42 > 0:01:47badger baiting, the killing of birds of prey, and poaching -
0:01:47 > 0:01:51occurs in the most remote and least populated parts of Wales.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56So when a concerned member of the public informed me
0:01:56 > 0:01:59that several wild fallow deer were visiting their garden
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and that they all had similar debilitating leg injuries,
0:02:02 > 0:02:08my first thought was, "Is this the result of a horribly botched poaching job?"
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Whatever was going on, it needed further investigation.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15So I made my way down to Cwmfelin near Maesteg,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17to the home of Sharon Whatley,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21whose large garden the injured deers had been visiting.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Most days we get visits from one or more,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27as many as ten deer.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32One of the things we've noticed is that a number of them have injuries
0:02:32 > 0:02:34and quite bad injuries.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38But when you are saying injuries, what, are they scagging themselves?
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Mostly it's... They look as though
0:02:40 > 0:02:42they've lost a rear foot just above the hoof.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47Completely healed over, and it almost looks like a clean amputation.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49And we've seen it in older deer
0:02:49 > 0:02:54and, in fact, a little while ago we saw it in a small fawn,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57and it's really heartbreaking to see them struggle.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00You know, they seem to get around all right on three legs.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04They obviously managed to survive, but something is doing it.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07I have no idea what.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10From these images taken by Sharon and her husband,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12my initial suspicion is that these injuries -
0:03:12 > 0:03:14clean cuts just above the hoof -
0:03:14 > 0:03:18are consistent with the use of an illegally set leg-hold trap.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22These traps have been banned in the UK since 1958.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29But it's way too early to jump to any conclusions.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31The house is surrounded by farmland as well as woodland,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and at this stage I wouldn't want to rule out the deer
0:03:34 > 0:03:37being caught in a cattle grid or stock fencing.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41So I want to take a forensic look around the area.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46'What I immediately find is plenty of evidence
0:03:46 > 0:03:50'of fallow deer activity all around the garden. Pathways...'
0:03:50 > 0:03:54You can see this is where they're jumping, and into the garden.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59'Tracks...' Hoof marks here. Little marks like that in the ground.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Of course, if the hooves were pointing out like that
0:04:02 > 0:04:06it would be sheep, but we can see that these are definitely deer.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08'And not forgetting poo.'
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Now that is fallow deer.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14If it was roe deer it would be far shinier, smaller and shinier.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Wow, this is really fresh as well. This is probably last night.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23'But it's not until I head into the surrounding countryside
0:04:23 > 0:04:28'that potential culprits begin to surface. Discarded fencing...'
0:04:28 > 0:04:31This is the issue of using barbed wire. This is not malicious,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35they've just tied two pieces of barbed wire together,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37but you can imagine that an animal
0:04:37 > 0:04:39could really trap its leg in something like that.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Luckily, there's no evidence that a deer has done that.
0:04:43 > 0:04:48'..fly tipping...' This is really thoughtless and selfish, isn't it?
0:04:48 > 0:04:52We've got milk bottles there. That could cut deer limbs.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55You know, it takes two minutes to go down the road
0:04:55 > 0:04:57and put this in a recycled centre.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Why on earth would you go to the effort of parking up
0:05:00 > 0:05:05and throwing this down into a beautiful woodland? Senseless.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09'..and finally, fencing laced with more barbed wire.'
0:05:10 > 0:05:14There's some barbed wire here. I can see some of it's broken off.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17It looks quite messy, it could do with repairing.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I just can't see how that barbed wire
0:05:20 > 0:05:25is going to inflict the injuries that we've seen on the cameras.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30I mean, we're seeing whole sections of limbs severed
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and I can only imagine that this would scag or rip the skin.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40'At this point in my investigation,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43'I have no solid leads as to what is causing the injuries.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47'Is it poaching? I honestly don't know.
0:05:47 > 0:05:53'I need better evidence, so I set up trail cameras and treats.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'I want to try to get a closer look at these injuries.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58'If I can study film of the deer,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01'I'll be able to make a clearer judgement call.'
0:06:01 > 0:06:04This is where he's going to eat, so...
0:06:04 > 0:06:06'If I see any snagging or tearing,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10'it's more likely they'd be caused by barbed wire or cattle grids.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12'But if these injuries are clean,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14'as they first appear in the still images,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18'it could be poachers using a leg-hold trap.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20'And if so, I'll need to call in my colleagues
0:06:20 > 0:06:24'from the Police Wildlife Crime Unit.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27'In the meantime, I'll leave the cameras for 48 hours
0:06:27 > 0:06:32'then return to see what, if anything, they reveal.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37'I must say, I do enjoy my work with wildlife.
0:06:37 > 0:06:42'I love my outdoor office and the variety of challenges I face.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46'One minute I'm out in the open air investigating suspicious activities,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50'the next, face-to-face with many people's worst nightmare.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52'Just like my next case.'
0:06:55 > 0:06:58OK, time for a big, hairy spider alert.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03'An issue I find myself increasingly involved in
0:07:03 > 0:07:07'is the international black market trade in exotic wildlife.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11'In recent times, I've worked on cases involving venomous snakes...'
0:07:11 > 0:07:14This is Cathalina the cat snake.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16'..escaped boa constrictors...'
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Oh, my goodness.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22'..big crocs in Africa, and believe it or not,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26'a not-much-smaller croc in a flat in Newport, of all places.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31'So when I received a call about somebody trying to post a spider in Swansea,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34'I wasn't nearly as surprised as PC Nathan Smith,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36'the officer who's dealing with the incident
0:07:36 > 0:07:40'and has now called me in to identify the hairy horror in the box.'
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Somebody was actually caught trying to post this through Royal Mail?
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Yeah, well, it was going to be sent special delivery.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51It was the case that the lady came in and said,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53"Can you send this to a foreign country?"
0:07:53 > 0:07:58And when the postmistress questioned her on what was inside the container
0:07:58 > 0:08:00she said it's an insect.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03And obviously her suspicions were raised then
0:08:03 > 0:08:07and the lady did confess it's some form of spider.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10They spoke then to their helpline which said
0:08:10 > 0:08:15under no circumstances can animals be sent, you know, on welfare issues,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17across to other countries.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20It's not against the law, believe it or not, is it?
0:08:20 > 0:08:24It's actually just against the policy of the Royal Mail to post them.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28'OK, time to find out what's exactly in the box.'
0:08:28 > 0:08:32And I'm proceeding with extreme caution.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Spiders make popular pets.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Goliath bird-eaters, Honduras curlies, Mexican redknees,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41but my biggest fear is that this package could contain
0:08:41 > 0:08:44one of the more aggressive tarantula species,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47such as a cobalt blue, fast and highly strung.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50It'll bite first and ask questions later.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53By which time, I'll be going home in an ambulance.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Oh, there we go.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00I can see one container with a spider in with a tarantula,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03which looks like a whiteknee, doesn't it?
0:09:05 > 0:09:07That does not look like a happy spider.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Oh, that's not happy. That is not happy.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Can you see the way it's all hunched up like this?
0:09:14 > 0:09:17So this is going to be quite an aggressive animal.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Certain tarantula, if they get agitated or upset,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22can fire tiny hairs from the abdomen
0:09:22 > 0:09:25into the eyes of the person looking at them or handling them,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29and this is not something you can go to hospital and have the hairs removed -
0:09:29 > 0:09:32they're just going to be in there burning and it's horrible.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35It can last for years. And, of course, they've got fangs.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39They're venomous, so although most of the tarantula won't cause problems,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43there are tarantula species that can certainly put you in hospital.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45In truth, a bite from this whiteknee tarantula
0:09:45 > 0:09:50will give me nothing worse than a sore finger and banging headache.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53In its native South America, it lives on small insects
0:09:53 > 0:09:56and its venom is relatively mild.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59But if it started firing hairs, I'd be in trouble.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04Unfortunately for me, this spider needs a quick health check.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- He's poised to go absolutely ape. - I know!
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Absolutely poised on this foot here, all right?
0:10:13 > 0:10:15There's a live cockroach inside the package -
0:10:15 > 0:10:18the tarantula's lunch - but aside from being dehydrated
0:10:18 > 0:10:23and severely hacked off, this tarantula is in reasonable nick.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25So let's just quit while I still got my sight.
0:10:28 > 0:10:29I took the tarantula home with me
0:10:29 > 0:10:34to join my menagerie of rescued snakes, lizards and mammals.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37But that wasn't quite the end of the story.
0:10:37 > 0:10:38After further investigation,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41PC Smith was able to establish that the lady
0:10:41 > 0:10:44who was trying to send the tarantula through the post
0:10:44 > 0:10:49was not a dealer breeding, selling and posting these animals on a regular basis.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51This was merely a one-off event,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54so, as the animal was in fairly good nick,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56we were able to return it to her.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59However, not every such story ends so happily.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04There is a thriving internet-based market in exotic species,
0:11:04 > 0:11:09which is allowing dangerous wild animals to enter Wales through the post.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Basically, if you know the right people, channels, forums, chatrooms,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14you can have pretty much anything sent to you,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17even animals such as snakes, scorpions and spiders
0:11:17 > 0:11:21that would normally require a dangerous wild animals licence.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23You know the right people,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26they're prepared to post it to you... for the right price.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30This is a desert hairy. They've got quite a nasty sting on them,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34I'm just keeping an eye on him, because they do like to go for fingers
0:11:34 > 0:11:36and they do like to use their stinger.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38If I was stung now, I'd feel very ill indeed.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Quite easily if you run into anaphylactic shock,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45this could kill you. There is no question of that.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50And nobody gets more excited about seeing scorpions in the wild than me,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54but I find it challenging how that translates
0:11:54 > 0:11:58to a need to have one of these in your own home.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03But, you know, these are readily available on the Internet.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05You can order these and get them posted to you.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Which is exactly what one man from Cardiff did,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12but the market is so unregulated
0:12:12 > 0:12:16that what came through the post from a German internet site
0:12:16 > 0:12:18was not the desert hairy that he'd ordered.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Oh, no. It was something altogether more deadly.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26When I received a call to immediately attend
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Llanishen police station in Cardiff,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30I already knew it was a serious situation.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34The previous evening a local man had been stung by his pet scorpion
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and although his life was no longer in danger,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40he was still in a Cardiff hospital.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Alongside PC Jamie Davies,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Wildlife Crime Officer Sergeant Ian Guildford
0:12:45 > 0:12:48and officials from the council's environmental department,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52I was now going to his property to try to identify the scorpion
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and other animals he was apparently keeping on the premises.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Basically what we're doing now is we're en route to have a look
0:12:58 > 0:13:01at this gentleman's house and see what's in his collection
0:13:01 > 0:13:03and check there's nothing deadly there,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06nothing that requires a Dangerous Wild Animals Licence for.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10'But what I need to do first is identify the species of scorpion
0:13:10 > 0:13:13'that has put the gentleman in hospital.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15'And for that I need to speak to his partner,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18'who is so upset and angry about this incident
0:13:18 > 0:13:20'that she wants to remain anonymous.'
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Can I ask what happened to him then? What exactly happened?
0:13:23 > 0:13:24Well, I can only tell you what he told me
0:13:24 > 0:13:26because I was fast asleep at the time.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28He came and woke me up and said,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31"I need to go to hospital, I've been stung by a scorpion."
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Right, can I ask how he has obtained this? Do you know?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36He told me Germany, but I've only learned that now.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40From Germany, OK. And how was that? In the post, or...?
0:13:40 > 0:13:43I presume so. I don't know.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- Yeah, on the internet.- That's fine.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49I'm looking at the sting here and this does look to me
0:13:49 > 0:13:51- like a fattail scorpion. - That's what he said it was.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55That is absolutely deadly. There is no antivenom for it
0:13:55 > 0:13:57and if you get stung by that
0:13:57 > 0:14:01you're lucky to survive an hour to two hours.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05The fattail scorpion is a native of Africa and the Middle East.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10Its Latin name, Androctonus, literally translates as man killer.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13The gentleman who bought this fattail
0:14:13 > 0:14:16is incredibly fortunate to still be alive,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19but it is terrifying to think he received it through the post.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Particularly as he says what he actually ordered was a desert hairy.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26I'm more concerned now, if that one was misidentified
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and sold to you through an internet site
0:14:29 > 0:14:31and they've sold the wrong scorpion,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34as I said, that scorpion's deadly and you actually need
0:14:34 > 0:14:37a dangerous wild animals license to be able to keep that.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41'Which leaves me wondering if anything else in his collection
0:14:41 > 0:14:44'of spiders, snakes and scorpions is not what he believes it to be.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50'The gentleman has a collection of boas and tarantulas
0:14:50 > 0:14:52'and an eye-catching emperor scorpion.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56'But there's nothing to cause me any alarm,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58'apart from the fattail scorpion.'
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I really do need to take that with me.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04If this particular animal had got out...
0:15:04 > 0:15:07I don't want to think about it and that's why I'm angry and, er...
0:15:07 > 0:15:12- And you should've had a licence for these.- That's if he knew.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- I'm trying to look at it from both sides.- Yeah, and now we're here...
0:15:15 > 0:15:17If he's ordered a scorpion that he believes to be one thing
0:15:17 > 0:15:19and he's been sent completely the wrong animal,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21I've got to take his word for it first of all.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Don't they check these through Customs?
0:15:23 > 0:15:25If they come through the post,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27they come through Coventry sorting office.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- Right.- I can imagine some poor old Royal postie,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33"I wonder what's in this package?" There wouldn't be time to respond.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36By the time they realised what it is, the gentleman could be dead.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40'There have been no deliberate criminal offences committed here.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42'All we can do is seize the scorpion,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44'notify German wildlife crime
0:15:44 > 0:15:47'and hope they take action against the seller.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51'Fortunately, the gentleman who was stung made a complete recovery.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54'But if this market continues unregulated like this,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56'how long will it be before an unmarked package
0:15:56 > 0:15:59'containing a dangerous wild animal, spills open
0:15:59 > 0:16:02'in a postal sorting office near you?
0:16:13 > 0:16:17'It's time to get back to the unsolved injured deer case.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21'Two days after setting the trail cams, I return to Cwmfelin to see
0:16:21 > 0:16:23'if we've captured anything on film.'
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Well, we've got no peanuts left at all.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30To me, this is evidence that deer have visited.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Have we got them on camera?
0:16:32 > 0:16:34That's another question.
0:16:34 > 0:16:35'The answer?
0:16:35 > 0:16:37'Oh, yes!
0:16:38 > 0:16:41'After a couple of false alarms with a curious cat,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45'followed by very brave mouse
0:16:45 > 0:16:47'and a posse of greedy grey squirrels and jays,
0:16:47 > 0:16:49'we get our first fallow deer.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51'Now this fellow, is a fully-grown buck.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54'He's at least five to six years old and he's a big lad.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57'I'd say he's pushing a metre at the shoulder
0:16:57 > 0:16:59'and he's got to be weighing in
0:16:59 > 0:17:01'about 90 kilograms, so he's a bruiser.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02'And with antlers like that,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04'you wouldn't want to meet him down a dark alley.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08'Although, given that limp, you'd easily slip past him.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13'This buck fits the pattern of the previous evidence.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16'He's completely missing the bottom of his right hind leg
0:17:16 > 0:17:19'and it looks like a neat and clean cut
0:17:19 > 0:17:21'just above where the hoof should be.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25'He's soon joined by another buck, younger, around three years old.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28'He is also limping.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31'And by his gait, it is his left hind leg that is injured,
0:17:31 > 0:17:36'which is confirmed when he quickly moves across the camera.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38'So there we have it in black and white -
0:17:38 > 0:17:42'two bucks, both with very similar injuries.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45'But I need daylight to bring some colour and clarity.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50'And the next morning, the big buck obliges.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53'What I can now clearly see from the shape and the colour
0:17:53 > 0:17:56'of the injury, is that this is an old wound,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59'that it has healed cleanly and,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01'given the shape of the wound,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03'it is consistent with having been
0:18:03 > 0:18:05'caused by a poacher using a leg-hold trap.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10'However I also know that deer poaching
0:18:10 > 0:18:13'is not the problem it once was in Wales.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16'Only four years ago it was a big issue,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19'but then South Wales police forces and the Forestry Commission
0:18:19 > 0:18:22'ran Operation Antler, with stakeout and checkpoints
0:18:22 > 0:18:26'in vulnerable forest blocks throughout South Wales.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28'The police also targeted butchers
0:18:28 > 0:18:32'and restaurants known to sell venison - deer meat.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35'Operation Antler resulted in a sharp decline
0:18:35 > 0:18:37'in reported deer poaching incidents.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41'But in today's hard times, has the temptation of some free venison
0:18:41 > 0:18:44'persuaded a rogue poacher to surface?
0:18:44 > 0:18:47'I contact PC Mark Goulding, Wildlife Crime Officer
0:18:47 > 0:18:52'with responsibility for Welsh Police strategy on deer poaching.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55'I show Mark some of the trail cam footage.'
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Oh, yes, I can see it.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01It's missing the hoof. That is suspicious.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05I've seen similar injuries before but I don't want to draw
0:19:05 > 0:19:08any conclusions on how they were caused.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10I think what's best is that
0:19:10 > 0:19:13we take this investigation a stage at a time.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15We'll have a look at my initial feelings
0:19:15 > 0:19:18being that of misuse of a spring trap
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and then we'll take some steps from there.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25'Time for some investigation and experiment.'
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Mark's brought a couple of animal traps along with him today.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31The first one is a fenn trap. It's a legal trap.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33It's used to control rats, mice, rabbits, grey squirrel
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and it works quite simply.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37The prey comes, steps on the plate...
0:19:39 > 0:19:42'We conclude that while this would leave a deer with a nasty bruise,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45'it's nowhere near powerful enough to sever its leg.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49'And any deer caught in a fenn trap would quickly shake loose.'
0:19:49 > 0:19:54This monstrosity however is a home-made, illegal gin trap.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57The jaws - and these are made of screws -
0:19:57 > 0:20:01are designed to clamp in, rip in and hold the flesh of the animal.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06'Gin traps are deliberately designed not to kill
0:20:06 > 0:20:09'but to hold a live animal until the poacher returns.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11'After all, poachers wouldn't want to come back to
0:20:11 > 0:20:13'a spoilt and rotting carcass.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20'So they're barbaric but could they sever a large mammal's leg?'
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Goodness me. Keeping my fingers right at the top here, Mark.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Phew!
0:20:26 > 0:20:27That was CLEAN through!
0:20:29 > 0:20:34Goodness me, the force! That's incredible force.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37I cannot imagine what that would do to an animal's leg.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38'Well, let's do the science.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41'Carrots are 89% water
0:20:41 > 0:20:45'and a mammal's muscular flesh is 75%.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47'Therefore, in my opinion,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50'this trap would undoubtedly rip into a deer's leg.'
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Of course, the big question is would this monstrous thing
0:20:54 > 0:20:56slice through bone?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Well, in boffin garble, it would take the pressure of about
0:20:59 > 0:21:03100 megapascals to be able to cut through a deer metacarpal.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04In plain English?
0:21:04 > 0:21:05That's about the equivalent
0:21:05 > 0:21:08of cutting through this glass jar of pasta sauce.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10'So, in the name of science,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13'I volunteered Mark to lead the experiment.'
0:21:15 > 0:21:17OK. Three...two...one.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- No.- No.- Isn't that interesting?
0:21:23 > 0:21:24You can see those teeth are biting
0:21:24 > 0:21:28- and they're even scratching the glass there. Look.- Yes.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30- But it hasn't pierced the glass. - Yeah.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33So I still think screws like that
0:21:33 > 0:21:35are going to really cause some damage.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Yes, I mean, I think this is actually highlighting
0:21:38 > 0:21:40what these are designed for.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Don't forget this is designed not to sever the foot of an animal.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- If it severs the foot of an animal, the animal'll get away.- Yes.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52So the fact that it is not breaking the glass in any way,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55shape or form, shows that the spring has been designed
0:21:55 > 0:21:57so it's powerful enough to clamp
0:21:57 > 0:21:59but it's not powerful enough to snap the bone.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02So what conclusions can we draw from that?
0:22:02 > 0:22:04With the injuries that we're seeing,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06I could imagine that a trap would hold a deer
0:22:06 > 0:22:08but wouldn't snap the leg off.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12The only way I can see those injuries being caused by a fenn trap
0:22:12 > 0:22:16is if the fenn trap has been pulled out of the ground,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19the fenn trap has been pulled along on the leg of the animal,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21it's jumped the stock fence and pulled its leg off
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- with the weight of the animal as it's jumped the fence.- Yeah.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26- It's too complicated.- Yes.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30- We need to find a far more simple explanation to this.- Yes.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35'So our experiments have led us to conclude that in the balance
0:22:35 > 0:22:38'of probability, poaching is not responsible for these injuries.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40'So what is?
0:22:40 > 0:22:45'Honestly? We don't know. But we will solve this mystery
0:22:45 > 0:22:48'and we'll be back with the answer later.'
0:22:52 > 0:22:56'Which leaves me just enough time to do a quick emergency call-out.'
0:22:56 > 0:22:59I've just had a call-out from a couple in Aberdare.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Apparently they've got a snake trapped in their garden.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Looks as if it's caught its head in some netting.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07We're not quite sure what type of snake it is yet
0:23:07 > 0:23:09but we really need to move.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12The longer that snake is trapped in the garden, the more likely it is
0:23:12 > 0:23:15a big bird, something like a crab, would come down and attack it.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19'Given the location and the warm weather,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21'my money is on it being a grass snake
0:23:21 > 0:23:23'that has got itself tangled up hunting frogs.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26'But let's see, shall we?'
0:23:26 > 0:23:29- Is there... A snake, is there, just in this side?- Yeah, it's here.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34- Ah, fantastic. The snake is at the top there?- Yes, just up here.- OK.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Let's have a look. Oh, it is. It's a grass snake.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39It is a grass snake. I'm going to put some gloves on
0:23:39 > 0:23:41because I don't know if you know
0:23:41 > 0:23:44but with grass snakes they can secrete...
0:23:44 > 0:23:48- Yeah.- ..a WONDERFUL smell(!)
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Let's have a look. Come on.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Oh, she's really jammed her head in there.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Let's see if we can just gently snip her out.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59I've blunt-ended scissors here
0:23:59 > 0:24:04so I'll be able to snip her out without actually catching her skin.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08The good news is that she doesn't seem to have cut herself at all.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11She's just in a big old tangle. So let's see
0:24:11 > 0:24:14how many cuts it takes to release her.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17You all seem very pro-snake. You've been OK with it?
0:24:17 > 0:24:19- Yeah.- Well, that's good.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Feel a bit sorry, to be honest with you.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Well, that's exactly what we should be feeling.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Going to watch now as we've got to go right over the top of the eye.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29When did you first notice the snake here?
0:24:29 > 0:24:33Paul was doing a bit of landscaping in here. He noticed it this morning.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35He said, "Come and have a look at this."
0:24:35 > 0:24:37So we were looking to see what it was.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39We thought it was grass snake
0:24:39 > 0:24:42but we thought it was a bit big for a grass make.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Well, this is quite a small grass snake.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- They can get to 1.6 metres... - Right.- ..in the UK.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53It's our largest terrestrial reptile here.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55THEY CHUCKLE
0:24:55 > 0:24:57OK, I'm hopeful.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02We've got her. There we go. Shall we have a look at her in the light?
0:25:02 > 0:25:04There we go. That's our grass snake.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06You can see that the scales have taken
0:25:06 > 0:25:10a bit of a battering her and she's a little worse for wear.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14I think she's been little sorry for herself. You're perfectly safe.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17If you just want to very gently smooth that animal
0:25:17 > 0:25:19you'll notice it is actually bone dry.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Do you want to have a smooth as well?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23There we are.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27The skin is so shiny and smooth that it refracts sunlight
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- and that's why it looks slimy to the touch.- Are you releasing it?
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Yes, we'll release this animal back into the wild.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36I'm going to give it a once over, just examine it,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38and check that we haven't got any cuts.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41I can't identify any cuts at the moment.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43She's a very lucky girl indeed but, obviously,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46she's been really traumatised by this.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48We'll try and find some woodland nearby
0:25:48 > 0:25:51which has got a good water source as well.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Oh, this looks like an ideal area to release our girl.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58It's got lots of cover.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01We know that we've got a small canal down the other side,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03lots of running streams
0:26:03 > 0:26:06so there'll be lots of food for her - lots of frogs and toads.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Oh, look at her - bright-eyed, alert, she's looking good,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15head held high, strong body - she's ready for release.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28'Meanwhile, back in Cwmfelin, PC Mark Goulding and I
0:26:28 > 0:26:33'strongly believe we've resolved the mystery of the injured fallow deer.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36'Having consulted with forest rangers at Natural Resources Wales,
0:26:36 > 0:26:41'between us we have come up with the culprit - stock fencing.'
0:26:41 > 0:26:45This is what we're talking about, isn't it? Look at that.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50'More specifically, stock fencing that has been topped with
0:26:50 > 0:26:54'two parallel lines of barbed wire instead of the standard one line.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58'This type of stock fencing isn't illegal
0:26:58 > 0:27:01'but we're convinced it's causing these injuries.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03'And this is how.'
0:27:04 > 0:27:08The way I understand it is that the deer are basically jumping
0:27:08 > 0:27:12the stock fencing and whether it's their hind leg or their forelegs,
0:27:12 > 0:27:17they're basically catching and they're stepping through like that.
0:27:17 > 0:27:18So if you imagine this is the deer leg,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and of course because they're jumping they've got momentum.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24So what's happening is they're twisting right over
0:27:24 > 0:27:28and then you've got a firm grip.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31And of course, a flighty deer, Rhys,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34it's going to be pulling and pulling, and pulling,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36and pulling and pulling...
0:27:38 > 0:27:40to get out. That's going to dislocate, surely?
0:27:40 > 0:27:43And it's consistent with the injuries that we've in seeing
0:27:43 > 0:27:45on both the video and the pictures.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49I'm absolutely satisfied that this is the cause
0:27:49 > 0:27:53- of the injuries to the deer in this area.- I'm in complete agreement.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- Case closed.- I think so. It's case closed on this.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59'Except, of course, for one thing.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01'What about those injured fallow deer?
0:28:01 > 0:28:05'Well, the good news is they don't need to be humanely destroyed.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08'Their wounds are healed, they're not in any obvious pain
0:28:08 > 0:28:13and they're seemingly able to feed and graze without any hindrance.'
0:28:13 > 0:28:15The bad news is that the bucks won't be able
0:28:15 > 0:28:18to compete in the rut. When it comes the mating season,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22they'll be left in the corner looking on forlornly.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32'Next time we have owls with insomnia..
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Look, Dave! Dave!
0:28:34 > 0:28:36'..a buzzard in takeaway trouble...'
0:28:36 > 0:28:38A lot of oil in its feathers.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41'..and an unlicensed, seafront, snake wrangler
0:28:41 > 0:28:42'who feels the full force of the law.'
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Hello. Police!
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd