Pennod 1 Y Tyrchwyr gyda Iolo Williams


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-Rural Wales offers some of the most

-spectacular scenery in Britain.

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-But the countryside

-offers much more than just views.

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-It's home

-to some our best-loved wildlife.

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-But one group of mammals

-lives a secret life.

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-By burrowing miles

-of subterranean tunnels...

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-..the way these animals

-live their lives...

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-..has been a mystery until now.

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-We're going to do something

-that has never been done before.

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-By uncovering some of these

-burrowers' tunnels and chambers...

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-..we're going to recreate

-an artificial habitat.

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-For the first time ever...

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-..we'll get an insight into

-their secret subterranean lives.

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-We'll discover what water voles

-do in their tunnels every day...

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-..how rabbits cope with nurturing

-dozens of offspring each year...

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-..and how small badgers

-learn to cope...

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-..with the big world

-beyond the sett.

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-Join me, Iolo Williams,

-as we venture...

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-..to the magical, hidden,

-subterranean world of the burrowers.

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-To begin our journey underground...

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-..we've travelled to a farm near

-the Dartmoor National Park in Devon.

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-Among the animals and buildings

-you'd expect to see on a farm...

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-..is something completely unique.

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-The biggest artificial burrow

-ever to be created.

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-I've been watching

-and studying wildlife all my life...

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-..but never animals

-that live underground.

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-Doing that

-would have been too invasive.

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-But for the first time ever...

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-..we've created habitats

-for four very different burrowers.

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-Over recent months...

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-..a team of cameramen,

-scientists and experts...

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-..has been filming

-and studying burrowers...

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-..and analysing the footage...

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-..to reveal interesting facts

-and tales.

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-Some of the facts have been

-a revelation for the experts.

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-Our rabbit expert is Ceri Morris...

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-..a mammal ecologist who works

-for Natural Resources Wales.

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-It's incredible to see

-their world inside the chambers.

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-We're used to seeing rabbits

-in the countryside.

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-Rabbits are among most common

-mammals in the British Isles.

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-But we know next to nothing

-about their habits underground...

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-..which is the most important time

-in their lives.

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-They're expert burrowers...

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-..and we have a great deal

-to learn about them.

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-Britain's best-known warrens

-are off the Pembrokeshire coast.

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-Skomer Island and Skokholm Island.

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-The Normans introduced rabbits

-to the island in the 13th century...

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-..to provide a regular supply

-of meat and fur.

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-The next burrower is different

-from the rabbit in many ways.

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-Firstly,

-it's a rare creature nowadays.

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-It also burrows

-around riverbanks and under water.

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-Nobody knows more about water voles

-than Dyfrig Jones.

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-For years, we've watched them

-and searched for their tracks.

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-You never see the system.

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-You never see

-the network of chambers.

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-You never see a nest like that.

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-This is the first time you can start

-putting all the pieces together.

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-Archive footage of water voles

-is very rare...

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-..but we hope to discover how they

-use their lair, how they mate...

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-..and how they raise their young.

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-Data like this is important...

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-..in helping us repopulate our

-riverbanks with voles once again.

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-The last of the burrowers

-is perhaps the hardest to study.

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-Badgers are timid nocturnal mammals

-that are industrious at night.

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-Badgers are monitored

-by Owen Bidder on a daily basis.

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-They've done quite well.

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-They've nestled near the branches

-and roots of the tree.

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-Badgers in the wild

-burrow underground...

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-..close to branches and roots...

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-..to provide a structure

-for their tunnels.

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-It looks as though we've succeeded

-in creating a sett...

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-..that is acceptable to the badgers.

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-Only time will tell

-if they reveal their secrets.

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-The research work began in winter...

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-..with a visit

-to Bicton Park in Devon.

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-Rabbit numbers

-have had to be controlled there.

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-One rabbit warren had been vacated

-and provided a perfect insight...

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-..into how rabbits

-design their habitats...

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-..how deep they burrow

-and how complicated the tunnels are.

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-Park manager Cliff Cogger

-was on hand to help us.

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-By smoking the warren,

-it was possible to see...

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-..how many entry holes there were.

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-There were 13 holes altogether

-in the warren, but why so many?

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-To avoid predators, of course.

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-Animals that kill

-and feed on other animals.

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-The rabbits know their way around...

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-..unlike the predators,

-so it's easy to escape.

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-But how deep is the warren?

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-We've enlisted the help

-of another expert.

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-A ferret fitted with a GPS system.

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-At its deepest, the warren

-reaches 2.5 metres underground.

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-By inserting a camera

-into the tunnels...

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-..we can establish

-that they're 20cm wide...

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-..with a few leading to a chamber

-measuring the size of a football.

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-Using the data from the warren,

-we now have a design...

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-..to build a warren of our own.

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-One thing is very clear.

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-The warren will have to be big.

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-Very big.

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-These animals burrow

-with great force and instinct.

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-What's easy for them

-is much more difficult for us.

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-Building the rabbit warren

-started in winter.

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-Heavy machinery was needed to dig

-a hole larger than a tennis court.

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-To replicate its size,

-the interior had to be to scale...

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-..and as close as possible

-to a real warren.

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-Hopefully, our rabbits

-will react naturally...

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-..and bear their young

-in the warren...

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-..so that we can see how they

-go about their lives underground.

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-In addition to that...

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-..we must be able to see and film

-what the mammals do nocturnally.

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-Cameramen devised a way...

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-..to light and film

-within the chambers and tunnels.

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-In order to set lighting levels...

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-..cuddly toys were used

-to represent the rabbits.

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-These are the rabbits...

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-..that will eventually

-enter the warren.

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-They're partially-tamed rabbits.

-They're getting used to my presence.

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-We couldn't use wild rabbits.

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-If you grouped wild ones together

-in a very confined space...

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-..they would fight,

-often to the death.

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-They're ferocious animals

-and quite nasty, to be honest.

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-Partially-tamed rabbits

-must be used for this purpose.

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-.

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-Subtitles

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-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

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-As the work continues

-on the rabbit warren...

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-..work began

-on an artificial habitat...

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-..for another burrower

-with completely different needs.

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-The habitat

-is much more complicated.

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-It's the smallest

-of our burrowers...

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-..but they burrow with such force...

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-..that a concrete foundation

-is required for the den.

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-Our next subject is the water vole.

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-But how do they

-build their burrows...

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-..meet each other and mate?

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-Those are some of the questions

-we're hoping to answer.

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-But we have one fundamental problem.

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-No-one knows

-how water voles build their dens...

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-..so we decided

-to perform an experiment...

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-..that has never been tried before.

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-Letting the voles themselves

-show us.

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-Two water voles burrowed

-in a box of sand for a month.

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-They created their own lair.

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-For the first time,

-we've been able to establish...

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-..the size and form

-of a water vole's den.

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-This is the first time

-you can piece together the jigsaw.

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-It's interesting to see.

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-It's very complicated,

-much more so than I expected.

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-I foresaw a tunnel and two

-chambers, but there are many.

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-The two nests,

-one there and one over there...

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-..are quite far away

-from the point of entry.

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-Yes, and what I'd like to see

-is this in three dimension.

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-You could see if it was built

-on different levels then.

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-If you think about a dyke,

-a brook or a canal...

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-..you have that depth,

-from the bottom of the brook...

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-..all the way up to the bank.

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-It'd be lovely to see

-the different levels they use.

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-But I suspect that this is

-a good example of their habitat.

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-Space has been restricted

-because it's in a box.

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-Imagine if you were near

-a ditch or a canal...

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-..where you might have a depth

-of 10 metres or 15 metres.

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-Imagine how much burrowing

-these small creatures must do...

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-..in order to create this network.

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-They're very industrious.

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-They're very industrious.

-

-Two things stand out for me.

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-The two nests.

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-This isn't very deep, yet the nests

-are as high up as they can be.

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-We're very aware that the nesting

-chambers are higher up in the den.

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-If you think

-about a canal or a ditch...

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-..from the surface of the water

-to the bottom...

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-..there's sure to be

-a depth of three to five metres.

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-We know that they enter their dens

-in the water...

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-..and climb to the nesting chambers.

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-They're usually higher up

-in the structure...

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-..in a mud mound

-or whatever they choose to nest in.

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-There are features missing

-from this example.

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-Usually, there are more holes.

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-There's a point of entry

-to this network of chambers...

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-..and tunnels

-from one chamber to another.

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-But there is usually

-at least one other tunnel...

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-..serving as an escape route

-to dry land.

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-There's an opening at water level

-and another higher up.

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-That's usually the case.

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-The more information we collate...

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-..about the importance of these

-different chambers to them...

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-..the more we can do to preserve

-the habitat in which they live...

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-..and areas

-where we'd like them to repopulate.

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-This information

-is vitally important.

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-Using the data

-from the sand box experiment...

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-..we can create an artificial

-habitat for the water vole.

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-It must be by a river...

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-..with a network of tunnels

-and rugby ball-sized chambers.

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-This is where

-we'll be filming the water voles.

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-It's not quite finished,

-The lads are still working on it.

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-There'll be water

-where I'm standing now...

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-..while this is the riverbank.

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-They'll fill these holes

-with plants, rushes...

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-..vegetation and so on.

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-The tunnels themselves...

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-..are entered from this opening

-and another one further along.

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-They lead to this shed...

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-..where we'll film the animals

-underground.

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-The sand box showed us

-that water voles...

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-..build an orderly network

-of tunnels.

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-We've one more lair to build.

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-A badger sett.

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-The badger sett

-was constructed in Somerset...

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-..on the site of the Secret World

-wildlife rescue centre.

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-The centre

-offers a unique opportunity...

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-..to house homeless badgers

-sent there from all over the UK.

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-Every winter,

-veterinary nurse Sara Cowen...

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-..cares for dozens of stray badgers.

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-If they're strong enough by summer,

-they're released into the wild.

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-This year, Sara has agreed

-to let the badgers live and breed...

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-..in an artificial sett built by us.

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-A badger of this size...

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-..stands a better chance of survival

-if it's in a group.

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-Six badgers will be introduced

-to the sett to form a new family.

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-To have any hope

-of surviving in the wild...

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-..they must learn

-to rely on each other.

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-While the badgers

-settled in their new home...

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-..I met Rhys Gwyn,

-a Snowdonia National Park warden...

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-..to learn more

-about how badgers live in the wild.

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-It's always the same when you

-start looking for animal tracks.

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-You start noticing little signs.

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-Marks where badgers have burrowed

-in the ground for insects...

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-..scratch marks on trees...

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-..badger droppings...

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-..or even signs of where

-they've dragged ferns into the sett.

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-You can see

-where they've been foraging.

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-It's just a matter of noticing

-these signs around the place.

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-There's bound to be...

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-..a lot of earth

-beneath our feet here.

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-From the height

-of the fence nearby...

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-..you can see that a lot of earth

-has been dug up here.

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-This is small compared to some.

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-This is one hole, one entry point.

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-How many are there in total

-and where are they?

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-It's hard to tell because there are

-so many openings between the rocks.

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-In lowland areas, a sett

-could easily have 50 openings.

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-How many badgers live in this one?

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-From what I've seen...

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-..there's one large boar...

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-..and one sow.

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-They have two offspring.

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-I've also seen one younger female

-that wasn't born this year.

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-How far would these badgers wander?

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-How far would these badgers wander?

-

-It depends on the territory.

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-The size of the territory depends

-on how much food is available.

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-In lowland areas, territories

-tend to be relatively small.

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-In Scotland, where extensive

-research has been carried out...

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-..you'll find territories

-ranging from 130 to 300 hectares.

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-They're sprawling territories.

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-In lowland areas,

-territories are about 30 hectares.

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-That's enough to sustain

-a large family of badgers.

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-You're holding a mixture.

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-What exactly is it

-and what do you do with it?

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-One way of establishing

-the size of badgers' territory...

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-..is by leaving food out for them.

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-They're particularly fond

-of peanut butter...

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-..mixed with something sweet

-like syrup or honey...

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-..containing

-harmless plastic pellets.

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-They pass through the body, so that

-when they mark their territory...

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-..those pellets can be seen clearly

-in their droppings.

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-By using

-different-coloured pellets...

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-..and leaving them

-in different areas...

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-..we can establish the territories

-of each badger family.

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-We'd better spread that about

-and return in a couple of days.

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-Where do you leave it?

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-Where do you leave it?

-

-Close to the hole.

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-Do you leave it all there?

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-No, a little here

-and some more near another hole.

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-That should do it.

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-So we'll leave that for now

-and return in three days' time...

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-..to see if we can spot the pellets

-in the droppings.

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-Off we go then.

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-Now that we have an idea

-of the scale of a badger sett...

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-..we must build a network

-of tunnels and larger chambers...

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-..since badgers

-are very sociable creatures.

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-There's no time to waste.

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-Another small badger

-has reached the centre.

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-It's the smallest of them all.

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-She was found freezing and

-whimpering in a corner of a field.

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-Will the five that have lived

-together for a period of time...

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-..accept the new addition?

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-If she's not accepted

-by the group...

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-..life will be difficult for her.

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-Returning her to the wild

-would be impossible.

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-Back on the farm in Devon, the first

-of our new habitats is ready.

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-After being delayed by the weather,

-everything is finally in place...

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-..and the rabbits

-have started to settle in.

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-This is my first chance to go

-inside to see the rabbit warren.

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-It's like stepping

-into a subterranean world!

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-Let's go in.

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-Wow! This is what

-a proper rabbit warren looks like.

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-It could have been

-dug from the earth.

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-This has been modelled

-on an actual rabbit warren.

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-You can see that it's a network

-of tunnels and different chambers.

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-At the moment...

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-..it houses ten rabbits.

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-Two males and eight females.

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-The first burrowers

-have moved into their new home...

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-..and we're almost ready...

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-..to introduce

-the water voles and badgers...

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-..to their new homes too.

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-Next week, we'll discover

-if the animals have settled in.

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-Will the rabbits be ready to mate?

0:22:250:22:27

-How will the water voles

-adapt to their new home?

0:22:270:22:30

-And will the new family of badgers

-welcome the stray into the fold?

0:22:310:22:35

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

0:23:040:23:06

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