0:00:02 > 0:00:04'Welsh wildlife is under attack.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09'And I am on the front line trying to protect it.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13'Our 5,000 native species of birds...
0:00:13 > 0:00:14'mammals...'
0:00:14 > 0:00:15Whoa!
0:00:15 > 0:00:19'..and reptiles are threatened daily by illegal activity...'
0:00:19 > 0:00:21- Police!- Go. Go!
0:00:21 > 0:00:22'..mistreatment...'
0:00:22 > 0:00:26- That's interesting. How did he...? - How did he lose the foot?
0:00:26 > 0:00:28'..and alien invaders.'
0:00:28 > 0:00:31That does not look like a happy spider.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33'I'm Dr Rhys Jones...'
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Oh, there it is!
0:00:35 > 0:00:39'..and from my laboratory at Cardiff University, I work with police...'
0:00:39 > 0:00:41- Hello! Police! - A bird in there.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43'..wildlife groups...'
0:00:43 > 0:00:44It's OK.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47'..and concerned members of the public...'
0:00:47 > 0:00:49I truly believed it was going to kill me.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52'..in the fight to save our animals from humans...
0:00:52 > 0:00:55'and human from animals.'
0:00:55 > 0:00:56Everybody stay still!
0:00:56 > 0:00:59'And in this episode, two legs - good...'
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Where is it?
0:01:01 > 0:01:02It looks like a real spider.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03'..eight legs - bad.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:06No, no, I don't want to see it.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07SHE SCREAMS
0:01:07 > 0:01:11'I get all wrapped up in a 4,000-year-old murder mystery.'
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Look at that!
0:01:13 > 0:01:14That is ridiculous!
0:01:14 > 0:01:16'And an owl in distress...'
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Goodness me!
0:01:18 > 0:01:21'..leads to a call from the cops.'
0:01:27 > 0:01:31'As a nation renowned for being animal lovers, it never fails
0:01:31 > 0:01:35'to surprise me how obsessed we get with owning inappropriate pets.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38'At the extreme end, I've dealt with people
0:01:38 > 0:01:39'who've bought venomous snakes...'
0:01:39 > 0:01:42This is Kathalina and, yes, she's venomous.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43'..scorpions...'
0:01:43 > 0:01:46If you went in to anaphylactic shock, this could kill you.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47'..and even a crocodile.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51'But when they find their dangerous trophy pets are taking over
0:01:51 > 0:01:55'their homes, they dump them and then someone calls someone like me.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59'In fact, I'm currently housing around 30 unwanted
0:01:59 > 0:02:02'and abandoned exotic animals.'
0:02:02 > 0:02:03Oh, my ear!
0:02:03 > 0:02:05'Mainly, they're fad pets.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08'So, at the moment, thanks to the TV dramas Game Of Thrones
0:02:08 > 0:02:12'and Merlin, I'm over run with unwanted bearded dragons,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14'which are lovely when they're this big...'
0:02:14 > 0:02:17But a bit more challenging when they've quadrupled in size
0:02:17 > 0:02:19and live for ten years.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25'In the recent past, I was plagued by terrapins that turned
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'overnight from little cuties to plate-sized monster that bite.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31'Horrified owners dumped them in the nearest lake or river,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34'where they killed the local wildlife,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37'and it was left to idiots like me to try fish them back out.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42'So, yeah, cheers for that one, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
0:02:44 > 0:02:48'But my own personal bete noire is Harry Potter.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50'I've had more call-outs
0:02:50 > 0:02:52'for unwanted, escaped and abandoned snakes...'
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Do you know how much trouble you've caused?
0:02:54 > 0:02:59'..than I can count, and all thanks in large part to the boy wizard.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02'And it's not just snakes.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03As this case is about to show,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06'young Harry has also had an unforeseen impact on owls.'
0:03:08 > 0:03:10I've just had a very interesting call from my friend,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Malcolm Jones, from the Festival Park Owl Sanctuary.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16He's just taken charge of a snowy owl
0:03:16 > 0:03:18and apparently it's in a far from good condition.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21He's requested that PC Mark Goulding and myself
0:03:21 > 0:03:23go up and have a look for ourselves.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26If Malcolm wants both Mark Goulding and myself to go up
0:03:26 > 0:03:29and have a look at this bird, there's got to be a lot more to it.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32'Of course, Harry Potter has a snowy owl called Hedwig.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37'But, unlike Harry, snowy owls are not native to the UK.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41'In the wild, they live largely within the Arctic Circle,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44'but due to the popularity of Harry and Hedwig,
0:03:44 > 0:03:49'more and more snowy owls are being captive bred and then sold as pets.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53'The trouble is, even captive bred snowies need an experienced
0:03:53 > 0:03:57'bird-handler because they're big, they're ferocious hunters,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00'and they need enormous aviaries.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03'So, I really do hope this case is nothing more sinister than
0:04:03 > 0:04:07'an inexperienced owner handing over a bird they could no longer handle.'
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Hiya, Mark, all right? A snowy owl?
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Yes.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15We've had a snowy owl brought into the sanctuary
0:04:15 > 0:04:19that has been brought to the police's attention.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22A member of the public was concerned where the animal
0:04:22 > 0:04:25was brought from and the condition of the animal.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Currently, the owl sanctuary are trying to rehabilitate it,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30but the condition is so bad
0:04:30 > 0:04:34that we're going to have to look at animal welfare issues.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40At first glance, the snowy owl looks in reasonable condition.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43She's a female, about four years old and in moult.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46But when sanctuary owner Malcolm arrives,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49a much more disturbing picture emerges.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Where's his tail, Malcolm? Goodness me!
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- Look at his feathers on his wings. - That is disgraceful!
0:04:56 > 0:04:59You can see where he was bleeding look, both wings.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Oh, my goodness me!
0:05:01 > 0:05:03That is absolutely disgraceful
0:05:03 > 0:05:05that anyone could let an owl get in that condition.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09That is neglect on a level that I've never seen.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13You don't have to be an expert to see the clotted blood,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15the exposure, I mean, look at the back.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Look at that! Goodness me!
0:05:17 > 0:05:21You can see through one side of the wing to the other.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24HE SIGHS That is just horrendous.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27- I've seen enough.- Goodness me. Let's put the bird back now.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Thanks, Malcolm.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33'No doubt about it, this poor bird is in a life-threatening condition.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36'The damage to its wings, the exposed flesh and bones
0:05:36 > 0:05:39'leave it prone to infection and disease.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42'And it is also malnourished.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44'But what has caused these injuries?
0:05:44 > 0:05:48'I reckon the bird has been chained at ground level on a gravel floor.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53'Any bird of prey's natural instinct is to perch on a high spot,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55'looking for its next meal.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59'So if it's chained, it will instinctively, and compulsively,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01'flap its wings, scraping them along the ground,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03'fraying the feather ends
0:06:03 > 0:06:05'and causing gravel to spray like shrapnel.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11'It's horrible but the question is, is it criminal?'
0:06:11 > 0:06:14OK, gents, I need the ring number.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18- I have 682...- 682...
0:06:18 > 0:06:20..80 Zulu.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24'A legally captive bred bird will have a numbered ring
0:06:24 > 0:06:27'and matching documentation.'
0:06:27 > 0:06:30OK, so we've got one live owl wearing a closed ring.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33So what we know is this is a captive bred bird
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and that the sale of the bird
0:06:36 > 0:06:41as questionable as the sale is,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43is legal.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44OK.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48The member of the public who bought this bird
0:06:48 > 0:06:51went there to buy a barn owl.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54The gentleman didn't have a barn owl, Rhys,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- so, do you want a... - So you get a snowy owl instead.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01This case is being investigated and enquiries are currently being
0:07:01 > 0:07:04made to check out the various persons involved.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06We've got a little while to go
0:07:06 > 0:07:08but I have a good idea of where this is going.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11This is going to be a warrant and a door knock,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13or kick the door in,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16because there's information that there's more birds of prey
0:07:16 > 0:07:19at the location where this animal was bought
0:07:19 > 0:07:22and apparently in just as poor condition.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26With our snowy owl far from out of the woods,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29we'll return to this story later in the programme.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35But if there's one thing we seem to enjoy even more than
0:07:35 > 0:07:38inappropriate pets, it's scaring ourselves silly
0:07:38 > 0:07:42with stories of wild wildlife on every corner,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44whether it's big cats prowling on Bodmin,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46crocodiles in Bristol
0:07:46 > 0:07:50or, this year's favourite, plagues of killer spiders,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52everywhere, apparently.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58A school in Gloucestershire has been forced to close
0:07:58 > 0:08:00after an invasion of venomous spiders.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Since the false black widow scare exploded across
0:08:04 > 0:08:08national media outlets last summer, I've fielded hundreds of calls,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12postings and tweets about killer spiders in people's houses,
0:08:12 > 0:08:14sheds, cars, toilets -
0:08:14 > 0:08:16especially toilets -
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and 99.9% of the time I can assure them
0:08:19 > 0:08:22it's not a hairy killer dangling above their loo.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26But then there's always that 0.01% of calls
0:08:26 > 0:08:30with a hysterical and scared individual at the other end
0:08:30 > 0:08:32where I'm really not quite sure....
0:08:36 > 0:08:38'I've just had a really peculiar call-out.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41'A young lady here in Cardiff has seen what she thinks
0:08:41 > 0:08:44'is a massive spider on the roof of a garage opposite her.'
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Hello, Dr Rhys Jones. Nice to meet you. Are you all right?
0:08:47 > 0:08:50- Nice to meet you.- So does somebody want to tell me what they've seen
0:08:50 > 0:08:53cos we're looking to find out whether this is real or not?
0:08:53 > 0:08:55So basically you were looking out the window, weren't you?
0:08:55 > 0:08:58And she just seen this massive spider and she wasn't sure
0:08:58 > 0:09:00if it was real or not cos obviously it was so big
0:09:00 > 0:09:03so we just thought we'd call up really just to see, just in case.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05But do you know you can get spiders that big?
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Goliath bird-eaters, for instance,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09so you can get big spiders like that.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12They are kept as pets in Britain
0:09:12 > 0:09:16so that's why I've come out, just in case it genuinely is something
0:09:16 > 0:09:21that's been released or escaped so, you know, we need to qualify that.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23We're really losing light, ladies.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Can you point out to me exactly where you've seen this spider?
0:09:26 > 0:09:29It's, like, in their garden. That thing.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31OK, that is...
0:09:31 > 0:09:33If that's real, it's a huge spider
0:09:33 > 0:09:36but I don't want you to worry because we don't even know
0:09:36 > 0:09:38if this is a spider yet.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41It could be a prank, it could be that somebody's thrown a skin there?
0:09:41 > 0:09:43And, as I said, it's just after Halloween
0:09:43 > 0:09:45so it may be that we've got a rubber spider.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48We need to get eyes on it to have a look and see what we've got.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50- Oh, my!- Oh, lordy.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53This really is a bit of a Nightmare On Elm Street for me.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Every bone in my body is screaming "fake plastic spider"!
0:09:57 > 0:10:00But ironically, it's the rational scientist in me saying,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04"A live exotic spider on a garage roof in Cardiff
0:10:04 > 0:10:08"in November is not actually outside the realms of plausibility."
0:10:10 > 0:10:14It might be cold and dark now but it's been unseasonably mild for
0:10:14 > 0:10:18the last two weeks and spiders, both native and non native, are thriving.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Hence the false widow hysteria.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23And in any case, Cardiff has previous
0:10:23 > 0:10:25when it comes to exotic spiders on the run.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30I was called in for this sensational story earlier in the year,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34but not before the national press had spun a colourful yarn out of it.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39So I've got little choice here. I'm going to have to call in the cops.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I've got a daylight picture here of what they've seen.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48You see, if that was just thrown up there, Mark,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51you wouldn't expect it to fall like that, would you?
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Surely, if this was a biological specimen,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57- wouldn't it have succumbed to the weather?- Not quite yet.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01It was quite warm earlier, so if you're an exothermic animal,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05if you're an animal that requires the environment to regulate
0:11:05 > 0:11:08the body temperature, I would have headed for a nice, warm metal roof.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12'Do you know the more I talk about it,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14'the more I persuade myself this could be real.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17'Even the fact the spider doesn't appear to have moved
0:11:17 > 0:11:20is perfectly normal. A spider such as the Goliath bird-eater
0:11:20 > 0:11:23will spend a large portion of its day stock still
0:11:23 > 0:11:26either warming up or, because it's too cold,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28waiting patiently for passing prey,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31or making sure its movements don't attract predators,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33particularly aerial ones.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Because ironically,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39the bird-eating Goliath is prey to being gobbled...by birds.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Nice to meet you. Hi.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44'So are we dealing with an escaped pet Goliath?
0:11:44 > 0:11:46'I need a fresh set of eyes on this one.'
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Do you know, now I'm here I'm not actually convinced
0:11:49 > 0:11:51that's a fake.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54The last thing I want is a venomous spider on the roof
0:11:54 > 0:11:56of a commercial premises.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'Enough talk. Time for some action.'
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Mark, the closer I'm getting to this, it looks like a real spider.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13'We need to get across to the commercial garage
0:12:13 > 0:12:15'whose roof this spider is on.'
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Right the way down there, and then you'll know where you are then,
0:12:18 > 0:12:20you'll see the garage on the left.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- Thanks ever so much.- No problem. - Appreciate it. Thank you.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24This is it, isn't it?
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Yes, this is where we came over so it's got to be here.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Right here. Stay there, Mark, OK?
0:12:29 > 0:12:31It's going to be difficult.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Right, hold on, Mark.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Rubber?
0:12:36 > 0:12:37Hold on.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42Is it rubber?
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Brilliant!
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Oh, man! I am really cheesed off.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52It's twenty to six,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54do you know how hard it is going to be to get out of Cardiff
0:12:54 > 0:12:58on a Friday evening, with all this traffic, for a plastic spider?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00I know.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01'Oh, boy
0:13:01 > 0:13:04'In fairness, this was a real rock and a hard place call.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06'Mark and I could've waited until first light,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09'but if the spider had been real it probably would have moved on
0:13:09 > 0:13:11'or even died.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14'And we also had the small matter of a member of the public
0:13:14 > 0:13:16'whose arachnophobia was so pronounced...'
0:13:16 > 0:13:19- Can we come in? - No, I don't want to see it!
0:13:19 > 0:13:21- It's safe! - No, I don't want to see it!
0:13:21 > 0:13:24..she even ran away from the plastic spider.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28- I don't want to see it!- It's there. It's plastic, I promise you.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32'In fact, later in the series, we'll have a scary spider incident
0:13:32 > 0:13:35'which shows why we take these call-outs so seriously.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38'Meanwhile, I guess the one saving grace is,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41'at least the media didn't get hold of the story.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47'Earlier in the programme, PC Mark Goulding and I
0:13:47 > 0:13:50'were called in to investigate a snowy owl brought to
0:13:50 > 0:13:54'the Ebbw Vale Owl Sanctuary in a life-threatening condition.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57'The owl had apparently been bought from a private bird trader
0:13:57 > 0:13:59'by a naive member of the public.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03'Whilst the owl responds slowly to treatment,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06'PC Goulding and I have been investigating possible
0:14:06 > 0:14:08'animal welfare violations,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11'and we have travelled to the Rhondda Fach to meet Owen,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13'the member of the public who bought the owl,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17'to get a background statement on his version of events.'
0:14:17 > 0:14:21I was looking on the internet and I come across a snowy owl.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26So I phoned up because it was local and I went over and purchased it.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30When you contacted this person, did he give his name?
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- Did he give any details?- No. He said if I go to Aberdare, phone him
0:14:33 > 0:14:36and he'll sort of give me directions on the way.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38- OK.- So we went over and it was late at night,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42- got to be about 11.30 in the night. - So he gave you no address?
0:14:42 > 0:14:44No address at first, no.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46- And no name.- No name, no.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49OK. So what happened when you got there?
0:14:49 > 0:14:52He was waiting in the car park, he was, waving.
0:14:52 > 0:14:57We went in and he took us in to the metal tin shed
0:14:57 > 0:15:02and she was on a perch about a foot off the floor
0:15:02 > 0:15:06on gravel, and she was on a leash.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10As we walked in she was thrashing about trying to get away from us.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12How much did he want for it?
0:15:12 > 0:15:13£200
0:15:13 > 0:15:15OK. At that time,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18did he mention anything about the condition of the bird?
0:15:18 > 0:15:24Yes, he said she needed moulting and she was soiled at the back.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27- Yeah.- He said that's just because she'd been
0:15:27 > 0:15:30sitting there on the perch and stuff like that.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34'As a first-time buyer, Owen took the seller at his word,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38'didn't question the snowy owl's condition any further
0:15:38 > 0:15:40'and handed over the £200.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42'But once he got the bird home
0:15:42 > 0:15:45'to the aviary he'd prepared for it, he was in for a shock.'
0:15:45 > 0:15:48- You brought the bird home...- Right.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51When you took it out of the box, it was at that point you noticed
0:15:51 > 0:15:54- the wings were bleeding?- Yes, once I got her off I noticed.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58I knew it was her wings because she had hit me on my arm as well,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00I had blood on my top.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02OK, so you're saying that's blood there?
0:16:02 > 0:16:06- Yeah.- And you've got blood on your clothing?- Yeah.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08I think it's fair to say, wouldn't you say, Rhys,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11- that there are some issues that we have to look at.- Definitely.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13It's just a matter of whether this goes to court
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- and who will ultimately be responsible.- Yeah.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Thanks very much for your time.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22'There's no question of Owen being involved in any wrongdoing,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24'he's just been naive.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27'And, in truth, his prompt action in contacting the owl sanctuary
0:16:27 > 0:16:30'might well have saved this snowy's life.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33'On the other hand,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36'the person he bought the owl from demands further investigation,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39'particularly as Owen also revealed that he witnessed
0:16:39 > 0:16:42'a number of other birds at the man's premises.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46'This story is not over and we'll be back to conclude this case later.'
0:16:52 > 0:16:56'As someone fortunate enough to make a living working with animals,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59'I love and appreciate all wildlife.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03'But since a close encounter with a grass snake as a young boy,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06'I've been particularly fascinated with reptiles.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10'And outside of work, my other great passion is ancient history.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14'So when Dr Richard Johnson
0:17:14 > 0:17:17'from Swansea University's College of Engineering, asked me
0:17:17 > 0:17:20'would I like to try and identify the remains of a mummified snake
0:17:20 > 0:17:23'from the university's Egyptian Centre,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26'he most certainly didn't have to ASP twice!'
0:17:28 > 0:17:30KNOCKS ON DOOR
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- Hi, Rhys!- Richard, good to see you.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37So this is from the Egypt Centre at Swansea University.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41This is a mummified animal.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43We know it's a snake but we're not sure what it is.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45We've seen it in two dimensions
0:17:45 > 0:17:47and what we want to see then is three dimensions, try and work out
0:17:47 > 0:17:50what we've got, using your expertise to tell us
0:17:50 > 0:17:53potentially what type of snake this is,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56with the data we can give you, and the visualisations, hopefully
0:17:56 > 0:17:59you'll be able to look at that and give us an idea of maybe what it is.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02'Blimey. There's a challenge.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06'Thankfully my knowledge of Egyptian snakes is pretty good.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08'I know that there are 36 different species,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11'ranging from horned vipers to sand snakes,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14'and it would have been the same number 4,000 years ago.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18'I also know that the ancient Egyptians had a completely different
0:18:18 > 0:18:21'attitude to the modern world when it comes to snakes.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25'They venerated them and worshipped them as Gods.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30'But which of the 36 species is in this mummified casing?
0:18:30 > 0:18:33'I think I'm going to need Richard's magic machine.'
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- So we're going to have a three-dimensional snake?- Yes.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Are you going to be able to move that image around
0:18:41 > 0:18:43and look in different places?
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Yes, whatever you need to do to identify that snake.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48You can fly through the vertebrae potentially, fly through the skull.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50This is new, this has never been seen before,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53and we're going to see the inside of that in detail
0:18:53 > 0:18:55for the first ever time.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57'The first image out of Richard's magic box
0:18:57 > 0:18:59'is a low-resolution 3D scan,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02'and he's warned me not to be too disappointed.'
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Goodness me! That's incredible.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07So you've literally peeled away the layers so all we've got now,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- we're just looking at bone, that's all we've got.- Yes.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11That's incredible.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13If you look at the skull, it's almost smashed, isn't it?
0:19:13 > 0:19:17There's sections missing. So we've only got sort of partial skull.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21'Hmm. Even from this low-resolution image,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23'I'm reasonably certain I know what this snake is
0:19:23 > 0:19:25'and how it was killed
0:19:25 > 0:19:28'but I'm hoping to see a clearer image before I make a final call.'
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Oh, that's at a higher resolution!
0:19:33 > 0:19:34That's our snake!
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Wow! That's a totally different ball game now, isn't it?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Actually, I'd like to know how big the skull is.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44We can measure the skull and we'll do that on the two-dimensional view
0:19:44 > 0:19:48so if we tip to the back of the skull we're about
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- 16 or 17 millimetres.- It's tiny!
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- So about the size of the tip of my finger?- Yeah.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57That snake's going to be definitely under a metre long.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02- OK.- Are we able just to get further down the vertebrae here?
0:20:02 > 0:20:05That is ridiculous.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07This is the most incredible view.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11I'm inside the spinal column of a 4,000 year old snake.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15That's the skull, isn't it?
0:20:15 > 0:20:20And I mean, even if I had the actual specimen in front of me here
0:20:20 > 0:20:23- I wouldn't be able to do that.- No.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25That is incredible!
0:20:25 > 0:20:28So is there information you can tell from this section
0:20:28 > 0:20:33- away from the skull?- There is indeed. This is a cobra.- Really?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- And it looks to be an Egyptian cobra.- OK.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42If I explain, this is what we couldn't see last time.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Look at... You can see these ribs coming off now
0:20:44 > 0:20:48and this is where the cobra will be able to inflate its hood,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50so it inflates its lungs like this
0:20:50 > 0:20:54and it can bring those ribs up to form that beautiful hood
0:20:54 > 0:20:56because the hood is not up all the time.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58They can inflate or deflate the hood.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Judging by the size of the skull,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I'd put it at just under a metre so it's a young one.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06That would be consistent with the beliefs of ancient Egyptians,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08they really revered these animals.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11And they'd see these animals seemingly die and then when
0:21:11 > 0:21:14they were shedding their skin they'd crawl out of that skin
0:21:14 > 0:21:17and it would be as if they were reborn.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19So what better animal to have
0:21:19 > 0:21:23than a snake to help you get from this world to the afterlife?
0:21:23 > 0:21:26'And for how the snake met its end?'
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- You've identified damage before down on the vertebra.- Here, look.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31There there's a break, isn't there?
0:21:31 > 0:21:34That's consistent with the way that they probably captured
0:21:34 > 0:21:36and killed the snake to mummify it.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39We saw some damage to the skull as well which looked like
0:21:39 > 0:21:41an impact from the side so if you imagine if
0:21:41 > 0:21:43you whip the snake, you break the backbone
0:21:43 > 0:21:46and if the skull had hit a wall that would be consistent with
0:21:46 > 0:21:50all of the injuries that we're seeing with this specimen.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52'And one final mystery to solve...'
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Is there any questions you've got about anything you're seeing there?
0:21:55 > 0:21:58We're used to scanning bones and things like that but there was
0:21:58 > 0:22:01something on here that stood out and it's this...
0:22:01 > 0:22:03It's within the mouth.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06This portion here, compared to bone, it is very different.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08I may know what that is.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Several mummified jackals
0:22:10 > 0:22:14and dogs have already been found with gemstones or stones placed
0:22:14 > 0:22:18in the mouth, and the mouth closed before the animal was mummified.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Remember that these are not so much sacrifices, but they're offerings
0:22:21 > 0:22:26to the gods, so they would put gemstones and stones around them.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29- I've never, ever seen that in a snake.- OK.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Only in mammals, so that is something special. OK.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36That makes it really interesting from my point of view.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Now we've got a snake with something that's ritualistic
0:22:39 > 0:22:41- within its mouth, which is... - Certainly.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44..potentially very interesting to the scientific community,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Egyptology as well.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Well, this is really something very special.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59In the case of the bleeding snowy owl, we're close to the endgame,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03with officers from the RSPCA, the Department for the Environment
0:23:03 > 0:23:06and South Wales Police preparing for an early morning door knock.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09This morning we're going to do a warrant.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11It's an animal welfare warrant.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15A member of the public reported to us that they bought
0:23:15 > 0:23:20a snowy owl from the address in a very poor condition.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23On top of that, when the witness went into the address,
0:23:23 > 0:23:27when they went into the back garden the reported person identified
0:23:27 > 0:23:32what he believed was a Harris hawk being kept in a small dog kennel.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It was also noted there was a leashed African spotted eagle owl
0:23:35 > 0:23:39on the grass in the back garden in the pouring rain.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41OK.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45'I assist in up to a dozen police warrants a year.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48'The majority are to do with animal welfare issues
0:23:48 > 0:23:51'and most of these turn out to be cases of well-meaning ignorance
0:23:51 > 0:23:54'rather than deliberate cruelty.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56'I'm hoping that whatever we discover this morning
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- 'will be the former...' - There is a bird in there.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01- '..and not the latter.' - Hello! Hello!
0:24:01 > 0:24:04We've got a warrant here to search your address
0:24:04 > 0:24:08in relation to birds of prey and animal welfare issues, OK?
0:24:08 > 0:24:09That's fine.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14'In the yard at the back of the house we find home-made sheds
0:24:14 > 0:24:18'housing six Harris hawks and two barn owls.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24'In a dog kennel on the yard floor is a European eagle owl.'
0:24:24 > 0:24:25I will leave that there for now.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28'Legally speaking, there are two issues to check.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31'Firstly, under the Wildlife & Countryside Act,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34'are the barn owls and the eagle owl captive bred
0:24:34 > 0:24:37'or have they been illegally taken from the wild?
0:24:38 > 0:24:40'We checked the paperwork and the rings.'
0:24:40 > 0:24:44Yes, that's a completely sealed ring, so that's fine. Yes, closed ring.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49'And all three are legally captive bred.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54'So our attention now turns to the Animal Welfare Act.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58'Are these birds being kept in a suitable environment?
0:24:58 > 0:25:00'Do they have a suitable diet?
0:25:00 > 0:25:04'Are they able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns?
0:25:04 > 0:25:09'Are they being protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease?'
0:25:09 > 0:25:12That's interesting, how did he only get one foot?
0:25:12 > 0:25:13- How did he lose the foot? Yes.- Yes.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Keith, what is your main concern around here?
0:25:17 > 0:25:20The aviaries are OK, I don't particularly like them
0:25:20 > 0:25:23all being wire. My main concern though is there's no water.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26- Yes, that is the issue. - A lot of falconers will say
0:25:26 > 0:25:28- they don't need water. - They don't need water...
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Well, they do. Birds of prey love to bathe
0:25:30 > 0:25:32so they so they should all be having access to water.
0:25:32 > 0:25:33It's against the law anyway.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37'The European eagle owl is also giving cause for concern.'
0:25:37 > 0:25:42Fractured radius ulna, that's calloused over.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45A stable fracture but, yeah...
0:25:45 > 0:25:49And that's why she's obviously got a problem with her feathering.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54- Right.- Only thing wrong with that, I bought it with a broken wing.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58- I had it given to me.- So it had a broken wing when you got it?- Yes.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01I can give you the number and everything.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- Have you taken it to a vet at all? Has the vet seen it?- No.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08- How long have you had this bird? - Two, three weeks, four weeks.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- Two to four weeks?- About four weeks.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15At the moment it's more animal welfare but
0:26:15 > 0:26:17it is not ideal but it's not the worst.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20And that eagle owl can get out, comes out and jumps on the lot,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23so it can stretch its wings. Again, it's not ideal,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26but under the Wildlife & Countryside Act we can't do anything about it.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29It's got a broken wing but the wing is fused together.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33- There's probably an advisory notice on water...- Yes.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37- ..and probably some kind of notice to get it to a vet.- Absolutely.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- I have seen far worse.- Yes.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43'Given the birds injuries, Ellie and Keith from the RSPCA
0:26:43 > 0:26:47'could seize the eagle owl and Harris hawk and press charges,
0:26:47 > 0:26:48'but the injuries are old
0:26:48 > 0:26:51'and there's no way of knowing how they were caused.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54'Also, the owner has been fully cooperative
0:26:54 > 0:26:57'and so he's given the benefit of the doubt.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01'Instead, RSPCA instructor Keith will issue him with a caution.'
0:27:01 > 0:27:04I'm not taking any of your birds off you.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08What I intend to do is give you a warning notice about the eagle owl
0:27:08 > 0:27:10for you to put the offence right,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12I want you to take the bird to the vet's.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Obviously if you don't take it...
0:27:14 > 0:27:17My point is, right, what is he going to do? If I take it to the vet's?
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Say the bird's got an infection, and needs antibiotics, job done.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25If it hasn't, job done, but for peace of mind for you and for me,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29otherwise I'll be taking the bird and I don't need that hassle,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- as you don't need that hassle.- Good. - So I am going to caution you, OK.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35So the time now is 8.14. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you
0:27:35 > 0:27:39do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence, do you understand that?- Yes.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44For me it's the same old story.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46I'm not saying that this is a bad man or that
0:27:46 > 0:27:48his heart's not in the right place,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51but year in, year out, I keep coming across these animals -
0:27:51 > 0:27:54reptiles, primates, birds of prey -
0:27:54 > 0:27:58being kept in far-from-ideal, in my opinion,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02and it IS my opinion, far-from-ideal conditions.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05I mean, an eagle owl, being kept in a kennel?
0:28:05 > 0:28:06Really?
0:28:06 > 0:28:11'In the case of the snowy owl, in spite of its obvious injuries,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14'no charges were brought.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17'It transpired that this poor bird had been through
0:28:17 > 0:28:19'a number of owners in the weeks leading up to it being taken
0:28:19 > 0:28:22'to the sanctuary and therefore, in law,
0:28:22 > 0:28:26'those injuries couldn't be attributed to any one individual.'
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Still, it's not all bad news.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35After six months of veterinary treatment and lots of love and
0:28:35 > 0:28:39attention from Malcolm, our snowy owl is finally out of the woods.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43That is remarkable.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46If you look at those wings now you can see where the damage was
0:28:46 > 0:28:48but it's healing up nicely and that tail,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51it's just going to be another moult and all done.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54'So, a happy ending to this one story
0:28:54 > 0:28:58'and, hopefully, we can all go back to enjoying Harry Potter on the page
0:28:58 > 0:29:00'and not in the cage.'