0:00:02 > 0:00:05- 'Welsh wildlife is under attack...' - SIREN WAILS
0:00:05 > 0:00:08'..and I am on the front line trying to protect it.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14'Our 5,000 native species of birds, mammals...'
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Whoa! '..and reptiles
0:00:16 > 0:00:19'are threatened daily by illegal activity...'
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Black swan.
0:00:21 > 0:00:22'..mistreatment...'
0:00:22 > 0:00:26This is neglect on a level I have never seen.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28'..and alien invaders.'
0:00:28 > 0:00:30That does not look like a happy spider.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34'I'm Doctor Rhys Jones,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37'and from my laboratory at Cardiff University,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39'I work with the police...'
0:00:39 > 0:00:41- Hello, police!- ..bird in there.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43'..international wildlife groups...'
0:00:43 > 0:00:44A little bit of a tank, isn't he?
0:00:44 > 0:00:47'..and concerned members of the public...'
0:00:47 > 0:00:49- SHE WAILS - It's plastic, I promise you.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51'..in the fight to save our animals from humans...
0:00:53 > 0:00:57'..and human from animals.' Stay still!
0:00:57 > 0:01:00'And tonight there's monkey business with a mandrill...'
0:01:00 > 0:01:02It'll be OK.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03'..I have a close encounter
0:01:03 > 0:01:06'with one of nature's most elusive mammals...'
0:01:07 > 0:01:09- We got one.- Police!
0:01:09 > 0:01:10'.and there's a police pursuit...'
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And there's another one there. And another one there.
0:01:13 > 0:01:14'..of some persistent poachers
0:01:14 > 0:01:17'through the forests of Wales.'
0:01:17 > 0:01:18Go, go.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30'This is Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary in Abercraf
0:01:30 > 0:01:32'at the top of the Swansea Valley.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36'Run by my friends Graham and Jan Garen,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40'it is full of unwanted primates that have been rescued from zoos,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43'laboratories and private collections around Europe
0:01:43 > 0:01:44'and the Middle East.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50'Graham himself makes regular trips over thousands of miles
0:01:50 > 0:01:53'in his ambulance to rescue these apes and monkeys
0:01:53 > 0:01:56'from zoos as far apart as Bulgaria and the Lebanon.'
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Get his arm up.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02'These zoos are either closing, struggling financially,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05'or keeping their animals in abject conditions.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09'Graham and Jan take it upon themselves
0:02:09 > 0:02:12'to offer any unwanted primate a home for life.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18'For my part, once Graham brings a primate back to the sanctuary,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21'I help in my capacity as an animal behaviourist
0:02:21 > 0:02:23'to interpret their body language.'
0:02:24 > 0:02:26This lip curling, this is fear.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28He's showing a little bit of fear,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30but not too much, he's calming down
0:02:30 > 0:02:31the lips are coming back down.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34- CHIMP CHATTERS - It's OK, we're here.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37'I also interpret their needs
0:02:37 > 0:02:40'and, yes, their poo...' Should be enough.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43'..when they first arrive at their strange new surroundings
0:02:43 > 0:02:45'in the Welsh hills.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50'But the latest arrival will be a first for me,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52'and for the sanctuary.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55'Graham, and his colleague, amateur cameraman Mike Williams,
0:02:55 > 0:03:00'are driving to Poland to bring back a mandrill called Titch.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07'Titch is an eight-year-old male mandrill.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10'Captive-bred, he has spent the whole of his life living on his own
0:03:10 > 0:03:14'at a zoo in Eastern Poland.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18'And although he's well loved by his keeper, the zoo is no longer able
0:03:18 > 0:03:22'to afford to look after Titch, and so Graham has agreed to take him on.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27'In preparation for his long journey back to Wales,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29'Titch needs to be anaesthetised.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33'The anaesthetic will last long enough
0:03:33 > 0:03:35'to get him safely from his cage
0:03:35 > 0:03:37'to the specially prepared carriage crate
0:03:37 > 0:03:39'in the back of Graham's ambulance.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46'And as they set off from the zoo, Titch is already coming around.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51'By the time they reach the Channel Tunnel,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54'he's fully awake and puzzling over his surroundings.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58'And bright and early the following morning,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01'I'm there to greet him when he arrives at the sanctuary.'
0:04:02 > 0:04:04He's looking incredibly calm.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07If he was looking nervous or aggressive, he'd be nodding at us
0:04:07 > 0:04:10and staring and we're not seeing any of that at all.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- Not yet, anyway!- He's quite passive. Not yet, yeah!
0:04:13 > 0:04:15See how we go, keep our fingers crossed.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20If he was looking upset at the moment, he'd be staring at us
0:04:20 > 0:04:24and nodding, doing this type of thing, and he's not at all.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28If anything, he's looking highly inquisitive and trying to work out,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30"What are these people doing?"
0:04:31 > 0:04:34There we go, good lad. It's OK, it's OK.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- Good boy.- It's OK, it's OK.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40'Unfortunately for Titch we have to make sure he isn't carrying
0:04:40 > 0:04:43'any diseases that might infect the other primates at the sanctuary,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47'so he's going to have to spend some time in isolated quarantine.'
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Hey, you're OK, you're OK.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51'But it's not all bad -
0:04:51 > 0:04:53'on the plus side he'll be moving into
0:04:53 > 0:04:55'a nice, big, swanky bachelor pad.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00'And whilst the landlord won't allow him to bring any girls back,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04'it is at least fully furnished with toys and treats.'
0:05:04 > 0:05:05You'll be OK now.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Lots of new noises, lots of new friends.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13- And in.- Exactly as expected - the first thing he's done
0:05:13 > 0:05:15is gone as high as possible.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17So are you going to come down and say hello?
0:05:17 > 0:05:18Hey!
0:05:19 > 0:05:23He's a little bit stressed - he's pulling at his hair there,
0:05:23 > 0:05:28which is a little sign of stress but only periodically
0:05:28 > 0:05:31and that's to be expected. He's come into a brand-new environment.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32There's lots of new sounds
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and he doesn't know where he can run to safety,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37he doesn't know what's going to happen next
0:05:37 > 0:05:39and just needs a little time to settle in.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44'In the wild, mandrills are found
0:05:44 > 0:05:47'in the tropical rainforests and savannahs of central west Africa.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53'Female mandrills are highly sociable and live in "hordes" -
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'enormous groups of anything up to 1,000 individuals.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59'But males such as Titch, on the other hand,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01'are solitary animals.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03'They'll join the hordes for the mating season,
0:06:03 > 0:06:07'but otherwise keep themselves very much to themselves.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12'Mandrills in the wild are categorised as "vulnerable" -
0:06:12 > 0:06:15'deforestation, wars, and being hunted for bush meat
0:06:15 > 0:06:19'mean the long-term future of this primate is far from secure.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24'Back in Wales, and an hour after his move,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27'Titch is settling in to his new bachelor pad.'
0:06:27 > 0:06:30This is great news cos Titch has just picked up some food
0:06:30 > 0:06:32and if he was stressed, he wouldn't be eating
0:06:32 > 0:06:34so he's started to consume some food.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36He's settling in, that's great.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39We'll see if we can give him a treat. We've got an egg here.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Hopefully, he may even take it off me
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and we can develop a bond of trust.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Are you going to come down for this egg?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Look what I've got.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53I've got some cherries as well.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Do you want some cherries?
0:07:02 > 0:07:07It's just incredible that this big monkey will come over
0:07:07 > 0:07:10and he just takes the cherries out of your hands.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13An incredibly powerful animal
0:07:13 > 0:07:15and yet so delicate.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21He finally took his egg.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Titch is really looking like he's really fitting in well.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26He's looking very happy
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and he's going to be in this enclosure for the next four months,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32then he'll be released into his home enclosure
0:07:32 > 0:07:36and I'm really looking forward to visiting him throughout that time
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and finally seeing him in the freedom of his own space.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45'We'll return later in the programme to see how Titch takes the move
0:07:45 > 0:07:49'from his indoor bachelor pad to an outdoor Welsh penthouse.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50'Brrrrr!'
0:07:50 > 0:07:53SIREN WAILS
0:07:53 > 0:07:59'People say to me, "Wow, your work, your life, it's so high-octane -
0:07:59 > 0:08:04'"exotic animals, dangerous animals, cutting-edge science,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- '"door-knocking crime..."' - Police, hello!
0:08:07 > 0:08:10'and I say, "Yeah, it certainly has its moments."
0:08:10 > 0:08:13'But behind the scenes, there's lots of dull desk work.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15'And, yeah, lots of poo.'
0:08:15 > 0:08:18That's badger. Anyone got any hand wash?
0:08:18 > 0:08:19'And when it comes to wildlife crime,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22'and setting a trap to catch a thief,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26'there's hours, days, weeks, months
0:08:26 > 0:08:31'of long, freezing-cold nights out in the worst of winter weather.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34'But it's all in the knowledge that the longer you are out there,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37'the more chance of catching the criminal red-handed.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42'December.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44'It's the bleak midwinter,
0:08:44 > 0:08:45'but at least Christmas is coming,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48'and the good folk are all at home preparing.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54'On the other hand, the bad folk are out there thieving, shoplifting,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58'and, in the case of wildlife crime, poaching.'
0:08:58 > 0:09:00GUNSHOTS
0:09:01 > 0:09:04'UK-wide, deer poaching is on the increase.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06'As venison meat gets more and more popular,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08'especially around the Christmas period,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11'there are more and more poachers willing to take a pot shot
0:09:11 > 0:09:12- 'for an easy buck.' - GUNSHOT
0:09:14 > 0:09:17'And these pot-shot poachers then sell their unlicensed meat
0:09:17 > 0:09:21'onto equally dodgy butchers, restaurants and pubs,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25'which, as we will see, is not only illegal -
0:09:25 > 0:09:27'it's also a threat to human health.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30'And one of the national hot spots for poaching
0:09:30 > 0:09:34'is the M4 corridor in South Wales,
0:09:34 > 0:09:38'which is why, alongside Wildlife Crime Officer PC Mark Goulding,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40'officers from South Wales Police,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'and forestry rangers from Natural Resources Wales,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46'I'll be spending the first of an inordinate amount
0:09:46 > 0:09:49'of my winter nights in the forestry along the M4
0:09:49 > 0:09:53'taking part in a UK-wide anti-poaching initiative.'
0:09:53 > 0:09:56The way we're going to do this - we've got officers coming in
0:09:56 > 0:09:59throughout the evening but we're the kind of starting crew.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Once we're in here, we're going to close the gate.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Where the gate closes, we're going to lay down sand
0:10:04 > 0:10:07cos it's clear that whoever is getting into the forest block
0:10:07 > 0:10:10are utilising keys. Where they're getting them from, I don't know,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12but they've obviously got a key.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15So if we put sand traps down, we'll have the vehicle tread pattern
0:10:15 > 0:10:17and from a policing point of view, that's evidence.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20We'll photograph the vehicle tread
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and then we'll start using the thermal-imaging cameras
0:10:22 > 0:10:25and we'll see if we've got a vehicle driving round here.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Once we stop that vehicle,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30we'll be able to match up the tyre with the entry point.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32There is intelligence indicating
0:10:32 > 0:10:35that some individuals have been using dogs
0:10:35 > 0:10:39and, of course, we have to mindful that deer poachers also use rifles.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44Firearms teams are on stand-by, all of the local community teams
0:10:44 > 0:10:49are aware of Operation Harriet and also they're on stand-by as well, OK?
0:10:49 > 0:10:50Cool.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55'We split into teams and agree to rendezvous once it gets dark.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58'We will then be joined by additional police crews.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03'Mark and I lock the gates and lay the sand-traps in our sector.'
0:11:03 > 0:11:05- So that's it.- Fantastic.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08So now, later on tonight, all we need to do is come down here
0:11:08 > 0:11:10and see a tyre track across there.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13- And we'll know if somebody's entered through the gate.- Yeah.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16'We now head up into the forest to wait and watch.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19'Deer are crepuscular animals,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23'meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27'And when the deer are active, so are the poachers,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29'although the obvious question is -
0:11:29 > 0:11:31'isn't this just needle in a haystack stuff?
0:11:31 > 0:11:36'14% of Wales is woodland, covering over 300,000 acres,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39'stretching from Betws-y-Coed in the north,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43'to Port Talbot in the south, so isn't this all pointless?
0:11:43 > 0:11:45'No, not at all.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47'This anti-poaching operation
0:11:47 > 0:11:50'involves every police force in Wales and England.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52'It has pooled intelligence,
0:11:52 > 0:11:53'including names and car numberplates
0:11:53 > 0:11:55'and tonight there are police crews
0:11:55 > 0:11:58'and rangers out across the whole country,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00'including our crews out in South Wales.'
0:12:02 > 0:12:04When I was out the other day with the rangers,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07they said this area's chronic for poaching.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09When you say, Nath, that it's chronic for poaching,
0:12:09 > 0:12:10how do they know?
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Because they had the shooting a fortnight ago in daylight.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16- In daylight?!- Yeah.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- Goodness me.- They would have driven up in the car
0:12:19 > 0:12:23- and literally just opened fire. - Out of the window?
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Put the window down and just started shooting?
0:12:25 > 0:12:27- Yeah.- Goodness me. - Just down by here.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32'The poachers may be brazen enough to shoot deer in broad daylight,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34'but tonight it seems they're staying at home,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36'polishing their guns.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39'And so, after ten quiet hours in the forest,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41'we decide to call it a day.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43'But this is far from over.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47'Slowly, slowly, catchy poacher -
0:12:47 > 0:12:50'and we shall be back to try and do just that
0:12:50 > 0:12:51'later in the programme.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55'Over the last two decades,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58'Welsh wildlife groups have gained a deserved reputation
0:12:58 > 0:13:00'for bringing back native wild animals
0:13:00 > 0:13:02'from the brink of extinction.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05'The red kite is the most celebrated example,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'but otters, red squirrel and osprey numbers
0:13:08 > 0:13:11'have all made significant recoveries.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16'But there is one shy, secretive, enigmatic water mammal
0:13:16 > 0:13:21'whose population has plummeted by over 90% in the last 30 years
0:13:21 > 0:13:25'and we are finally making a concerted effort to try and save it.
0:13:27 > 0:13:33This is the beautiful Magor Marsh - over 90 acres of prime wetland.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36They've got lots of bird life here, teals and herons.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39We know from the poo samples, they've even got otter
0:13:39 > 0:13:41and once it was a haven
0:13:41 > 0:13:45for those mysterious and elusive riverside mammals
0:13:45 > 0:13:48made famous by Ratty - the character in Wind And The Willows -
0:13:48 > 0:13:49the water vole.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Unfortunately, water vole haven't been seen here for over 12 years.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57And the reason the cute but vulnerable water vole
0:13:57 > 0:13:59has been disappearing from our waterways,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01is that it's been taken out
0:14:01 > 0:14:04by our most vicious and predatory alien invader -
0:14:04 > 0:14:06the North American mink.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09An equal opportunities killer,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12the mink will eat anything from ducks to fish.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15But their easiest prey is the water vole
0:14:15 > 0:14:19who they'll chase down and corner in their burrow.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21The dreadful irony about mink
0:14:21 > 0:14:24is how they came to overrun our countryside in the first place.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28For decades, mink were bred on farms in the UK for their fur.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31And whatever your opinion when it comes to animal furs as fashion,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I think we can all agree
0:14:33 > 0:14:36that the "freeing" of the occupants of a North Yorkshire mink farm
0:14:36 > 0:14:39by animal liberation activists in the early 1980s
0:14:39 > 0:14:42wasn't the brightest protest action in human history.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45As, over the last 30 years,
0:14:45 > 0:14:46the offspring of these escapees,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48and another escaped mink,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52have gone on to establish themselves in most of the UK's waterways,
0:14:52 > 0:14:53and have munched their way
0:14:53 > 0:14:58through an estimated 4.5 million water vole in the process.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02A vigorous nationwide culling programme
0:15:02 > 0:15:05is finally bringing the mink population under control,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09which means it's now time for us to help the water vole fight back.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15In June, 70 water vole were released here in the Magor Marsh
0:15:15 > 0:15:19with a view to reintroducing the species.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Three months later, I've been asked to come along
0:15:21 > 0:15:24to survey, to find out how the water vole are doing.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Are they surviving? Are they thriving?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Hopefully we're going to find out.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32"Hopefully" being the operative word!
0:15:32 > 0:15:33As a conservation scientist,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37I'm used to tracking many animals - otters, adders, dormice -
0:15:37 > 0:15:41but by far the most elusive animal to set eyes on is the water vole.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45I'm looking for pieces of cut vegetation.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Water vole are vegetarian
0:15:47 > 0:15:50and they love to cut down some of the big reeds we're seeing here,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52they'll cut them down at a 45-degree angle
0:15:52 > 0:15:56and it's quite obvious where they've been grazing.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57But do you know what?
0:15:57 > 0:15:59I believe the easiest way to find out where they are
0:15:59 > 0:16:01is just to listen,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05because water vole are the noisiest eaters I've ever come across.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08I've got to emphasise
0:16:08 > 0:16:11just how really difficult it is to see water vole.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Standardly, when we're looking for water vole,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16we're only looking for the signs of water vole.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19If we're extremely lucky you hear a "plop"
0:16:19 > 0:16:21and you see the tail of a water vole
0:16:21 > 0:16:24as it shoots down into the water.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33(That's a water vole eating - listen, listen, listen!)
0:16:33 > 0:16:34CRUNCHING
0:16:42 > 0:16:43HE MOUTHS
0:16:48 > 0:16:51So that's ear contact made with the voles.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54And there's also some visual evidence of their presence.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Great example there, look at that.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00You can see that's been sliced at 45 degrees.
0:17:00 > 0:17:01And there's a lot of activity,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05it looks like there's been a bit of a poo in that area as well.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08But can we make actual eye contact with one?
0:17:11 > 0:17:14There's a water vole! There's a water vole!
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Look at the reeds, look at the reeds. Look at the reeds here!
0:17:17 > 0:17:18There he is.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21There he is. We actually have a water vole on camera...
0:17:23 > 0:17:27..a living, breathing water vole in the Gwent Levels.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36We got one!
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Did I say just one?
0:17:39 > 0:17:41These water voles are like proverbial buses -
0:17:41 > 0:17:44the first one appears and then they just kept coming along.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48In the end, I catalogue 13 separate water voles
0:17:48 > 0:17:50in this one stretch of the Levels.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55And just as importantly, I see no evidence whatsoever of any mink.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Now what that means is that I am happy to say
0:17:58 > 0:18:02that water vole are doing really, really well here
0:18:02 > 0:18:05and we can bolster the numbers of water vole already present
0:18:05 > 0:18:07with a release of more animals.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10'And to help me do just that,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14'I'm joined by Richard Davies of the Environment Agency.'
0:18:14 > 0:18:16So, Richard, how old are these water vole?
0:18:16 > 0:18:18They're quite young actually.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21They've probably only been alive for...just over a month,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24they grow really quickly within the seven months.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27These are going to be very, very quick and scampering around then?
0:18:27 > 0:18:29They will be quite lively and full of energy.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31'Better watch my fingers then!'
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Here we go. There's a water vole for you.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36'These water vole have been captive-bred on a Devon farm
0:18:36 > 0:18:39'specifically for release into the wild.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41'They might only be a month old
0:18:41 > 0:18:44'but they live their lives at hyper-speed.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46'They're capable of breeding at three months,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49'can produce four litters a year
0:18:49 > 0:18:53'and, in the wild, have an average life expectancy
0:18:53 > 0:18:54'of just five months.'
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Five little water voles ready for release.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59So, Richard, this is the release pen,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01do you want to explain to me how this works?
0:19:01 > 0:19:02This is what we use
0:19:02 > 0:19:05to help the voles acclimatise to their new surroundings.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07These will stay in this cage for three days.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Once they become acclimatised to the area,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13then they can leave and come back as they see fit.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17It's a lovely soggy sight - look at that.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22'These five water vole are the first of another 80
0:19:22 > 0:19:26'to be released into the Gwent Levels over the next two weeks.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29'And six months after that steamy summer's day,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32'I'm returning to meet the Wildlife Trust's Alice Rees
0:19:32 > 0:19:34'at the release site
0:19:34 > 0:19:36'to see how the water vole have fared.'
0:19:36 > 0:19:38This was it, wasn't it?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It's completely unrecognisable to what it was.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42This has all been cut back.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45It has. We've cut back all the willow to really open it up
0:19:45 > 0:19:47and keep it back down to that natural wetland
0:19:47 > 0:19:50that would have been here 50 or 60 years ago.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Since I came here last year, I think it's rained every single day
0:19:53 > 0:19:55and everybody's fully aware of all the flooding,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58and has that affected the water vole population here,
0:19:58 > 0:19:59and especially your programme?
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Well, you can expect up to an 80% death rate over winter
0:20:02 > 0:20:04with the flooding and with the cold weather,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07but actually we hope we don't see as much of that here.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09It's difficult to say exactly how many we've got left,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11but we've certainly got plenty of signs around
0:20:11 > 0:20:14which indicate the population is here and it's thriving.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16'And a quick shufty round the marshes
0:20:16 > 0:20:17'confirm Alice's conclusions.'
0:20:17 > 0:20:18Look at that!
0:20:18 > 0:20:22Fresh water vole poo! I think this is absolutely conclusive.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24We haven't seen any water vole today,
0:20:24 > 0:20:25but if we saw them on every visit,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28then they wouldn't be as special as they are.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31But we've got some water vole poo there,
0:20:31 > 0:20:32we've got feeding signs,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35this is fresh feeding activity in this area,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39lots and lots of activity, and that is just great news.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43So, a big hurrah for the re-introduced water vole.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Now, when are we going to bring back the beaver?
0:20:48 > 0:20:50'Earlier in the programme,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54'PC Mark Goulding and I began work on an anti-deer-poaching operation.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58'In connection with this initiative, we've received a call from a farmer
0:20:58 > 0:21:01'who has found the scattered remains of a pregnant fallow deer
0:21:01 > 0:21:04'at one of our poaching hot spots.'
0:21:04 > 0:21:07What I noticed was, I think it had been shot in the skull,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11there was blood on the rips so it wasn't done after it'd died,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- whether there was dogs at it... - Yeah, dogs maybe.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16'It appears that the deer has been shot by poachers,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18'brought to ground by their dogs,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20'and then butchered for its meat,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22'as forest ranger Matt explains.'
0:21:22 > 0:21:25They've obviously had the rock up on this bank
0:21:25 > 0:21:27and suspended the deer
0:21:27 > 0:21:32to perform some sort of rough butchery.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- And "rough" butchery being the operative word.- Yeah.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38The brutality of killing a pregnant deer aside,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40poached meat is also a known risk to humans.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42'Like cattle, badgers,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44'and even domestic cats,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47'deer are known to be a reservoir for TB.'
0:21:48 > 0:21:50'Can they pass it on to humans?
0:21:50 > 0:21:54'Potentially, absolutely - through infected meat.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57'So anyone offered a cheap cut of poached venison
0:21:57 > 0:22:00'should first reflect that alongside the risk
0:22:00 > 0:22:03'of the meat being tainted by unhygienic handling,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05'there's also TB to consider.
0:22:08 > 0:22:09'Following this incident,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12'our next night patrol is in atrocious weather,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14'but on the poaching front,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16'things are starting to hot up.'
0:22:16 > 0:22:18We've just arrived at a gate here
0:22:18 > 0:22:20and the gate is open and it's not supposed to be.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Now, we don't want to give our position away with the white camera,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25so it's definitely time to switch to night vision.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28So they've opened that with a key?
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Yeah, that's been opened with a key.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34So the question we have here is could this be logging,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37or has somebody come in, left it open for a fast exit?
0:22:37 > 0:22:40'Whilst logging work is going on in the area,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43'this is hardly jolly logging weather.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45'And when we check the next gate into the forest block,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49'our suspicions that something untoward is going on are confirmed.'
0:22:49 > 0:22:51- It's open.- That one's open.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Neil! MAN SHOUTS IN DISTANCE
0:22:54 > 0:22:56- Where?- OK.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58We've just had a sighting of a vehicle
0:22:58 > 0:23:01which is travelling in this area, shouldn't be here.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02We're going to lock these gates back up
0:23:02 > 0:23:05and get back to our vehicles ASAP.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07'Our two police cars set off in pursuit of the mystery vehicle,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09'but it soon becomes apparent
0:23:09 > 0:23:12'that we're dealing with more than one point of focus.'
0:23:12 > 0:23:14There was a red light down there,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17and there's another one there, and another one there!
0:23:17 > 0:23:19'But is this one vehicle, several vehicles,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22'or are these individuals on foot with lamps?
0:23:22 > 0:23:25'We spend the next hour in a stop-start pursuit
0:23:25 > 0:23:26'of fleeting flashes of light
0:23:26 > 0:23:28'until Mark receives a phone call
0:23:28 > 0:23:31'confirming we're not just chasing shadows.'
0:23:33 > 0:23:34We've just received a phone call
0:23:34 > 0:23:36from the security guards that work in the area.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39They have had a very suspicious character
0:23:39 > 0:23:40who's driving a silver vehicle.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42He was with another man
0:23:42 > 0:23:45and the name that he gave
0:23:45 > 0:23:48is somebody of great interest to us.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51It feels as if we are right on top of something now.
0:23:53 > 0:23:54'And we are.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56'More lights in a distant field -
0:23:56 > 0:24:00'we give hot pursuit and come face to face with...
0:24:00 > 0:24:03'a local farmer putting his horse away.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:06We've just had a report of red lights down here,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08but you haven't seen any red lights?
0:24:08 > 0:24:10No, this is the only light I've got.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11OK, I hope we didn't frighten you.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13No, no, I just saw lights at the top.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- I was a bit worried. - No, this is the right thing.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18We're not lampers, we're out looking for them.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- All right.- We'll leave you to it with the horse, thank you very much.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- Pleasure.- Cheers.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30'In fact, this is the blunt reality of fighting wildlife crime.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33'Days, nights, weeks, chasing down suspects
0:24:33 > 0:24:36'in vast forest blocks in hideous weather.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40'But on nights like tonight when you come so close,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42'it's beyond frustrating.'
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It was just really unfortunate for us, Rhys,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50that we had the gentleman with the torch dealing with his horse
0:24:50 > 0:24:54when we also had, potentially, the red lamp.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57So we go to the man with the horse
0:24:57 > 0:24:58and the people with the red lamp
0:24:58 > 0:25:01had the opportunity to get back to the roadside,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03or back into the forestry.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06So, really frustrating.
0:25:06 > 0:25:07What do you think the message is, then,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10for anyone trying to come and poach in this block at the moment?
0:25:10 > 0:25:12The message is really clear -
0:25:12 > 0:25:14don't risk your firearm certificate
0:25:14 > 0:25:17coming out to illegally poach deer,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21because one day I will catch them.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23Right.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27'Whilst Mark and I drew a blank in our neck of the woods,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30'elsewhere in the UK the operation did result
0:25:30 > 0:25:32'in charges related to poaching offences.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35'And here in South Wales, a number of individuals
0:25:35 > 0:25:38'whose activities were brought to police attention
0:25:38 > 0:25:40'remain of ongoing interest.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49'Earlier I helped resettle Titch.'
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Hey, you're OK, you're OK.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54'An eight-year-old male mandrill rescued from a zoo in Poland
0:25:54 > 0:25:58'and re-homed by the Wales Ape And Monkey Sanctuary.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01'A full six months after he went into quarantine,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03'it's now time for Titch
0:26:03 > 0:26:06'to move into his new permanent outdoor penthouse.'
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Well, that says mandrill,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12so I take it this is the new enclosure.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Lots of environmental enrichment there,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17he's got places where he can swing and climb -
0:26:17 > 0:26:19hide if he needs to.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21It's really well thought out.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22He's going to be housed on his own
0:26:22 > 0:26:26so there's plenty of room afforded for him.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29But I haven't seen him for absolutely ages,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31so let's see how he's doing.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Titch, hello!
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Hello.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38I'm just looking at Titch now
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and this looks like a totally different animal.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42The coat is looking really healthy,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44he's obviously put on a lot of weight,
0:26:44 > 0:26:49and you just look beautiful, don't you? You do.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51He's really calmed down.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53He's not at all skittish now.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55You've really come on, haven't you?
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Yes.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59That's for you.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03I can hear Graham the other side of the small doorway there,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06he's setting up a cage so that we can capture Titch
0:27:06 > 0:27:09and take him finally out of quarantine
0:27:09 > 0:27:12and to his new enclosure.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15At the moment Graham is just trying to dart Titch,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18we don't want Titch any more aggravated than he needs to be.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22We want this to go as smoothly and as quietly as possible.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Titch has been given a light sedative,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28just enough to get him from his quarantine quarters
0:27:28 > 0:27:29to his new pen.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33He's a heavy boy, ain't he?
0:27:36 > 0:27:38He's finally into his new enclosure.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41You can see he's breathing quite heavily,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44so he's just about coming around now.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47He doesn't stay under for long, that's for sure.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Hello, mate. Where are you?
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I don't think he quite knows yet, Graham.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56And he's probably feeling very, very groggy indeed.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59So the plan of action today, Graham,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01is just to leave him in here to find his senses again.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04It will be tomorrow, then, that he'll go outside,
0:28:04 > 0:28:06- as long as there's no rain!- Yeah.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10I don't know, you're in Wales, so I wouldn't want to bet on that.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11But it's great to see he's moved
0:28:11 > 0:28:14and these new surroundings are going to be amazing for him.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20'The following morning,
0:28:20 > 0:28:22'I check in on Titch.'
0:28:22 > 0:28:26Hello! Hey, you. Hey, big boy.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28'And it's like greeting an old friend.'
0:28:29 > 0:28:32You look fabulous - you do, you do.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35He's so gentle for such a big boy.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38I say big, you can actually get twice the size of this.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40He seems to really have fitted in well now
0:28:40 > 0:28:44and he's going to be able to live out his days in relative comfort
0:28:44 > 0:28:46in such a lovely enclosure.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48There we are. One last one.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50I'll see you soon.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Having spent all those cold winter nights
0:28:54 > 0:28:57chasing idiots with guns around forests,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00what a lovely way to greet the spring!