Pennod 2 Y Tyrchwyr gyda Iolo Williams

-Rural Wales offers some of the most

-spectacular sights in Britain.

-But the countryside

-offers much more than just views.

-It's home

-to some our best-loved wildlife.

-But one group of mammals

-is living a secret life.

-By burrowing tunnels

-miles underground...

-..the way these animals live

-their lives beneath the surface...

-..has been a mystery until now.

-We're going to do something

-that's never been done before.

-By uncovering some of these

-burrowers' tunnels and chambers...

-..we're going to recreate

-an artificial habitat.

-For the first time ever...

-..we'll get an insight

-into their secret lives underground.

-We'll discover what water voles

-do all day in their tunnels...

-..how rabbits cope with nurturing

-dozens of offspring each year...

-..and how small badgers

-learn to cope...

-..with the big world

-beyond the sett.

-Join me, Iolo Williams,

-as we venture...

-..to the magical, hidden,

-subterranean world of the burrowers.

-Subtitles

-So far, we've discovered the size

-and scale of a rabbit warren...

-..a water vole's den

-and a badger sett.

-Work on the artificial

-tunnels and chambers is ongoing.

-But the rabbit warren is complete.

-The rabbits have settled in...

-..and are beginning to reveal

-their underground secrets.

-The impression you get about life

-in a rabbit warren in winter...

-..is of animals hanging around,

-foraging and relaxing.

-That might be the case

-for only a short time.

-Things change in the New Year.

-The reason for that change

-is hormones.

-This is revealed when two male

-rabbits begin to fight each other.

-That's why partially-tamed rabbits

-are used in our artificial warren.

-Wild rabbits might not only feel

-uncomfortable in a fake warren...

-..they could possibly

-end up killing each other.

-The strongest buck

-chases the other out of the warren.

-The strongest male

-mates with each of the females...

-..and eradicates the competition.

-Life isn't any easier for the does.

-They are under pressure, but why?

-What happens next is a clue.

-This is very interesting.

-The doe is urinating

-and marking her territory.

-We're seeing her do it underground.

-We see them do it above ground, so

-why do they do it underground too?

-It's pitch black in the warren...

-..and they need to know

-who owns which chamber and so on.

-The female rabbit,

-the queen bee, if you like...

-..has chosen

-the best chamber in the warren.

-She's marking her territory.

-She's marking her territory.

-

-What does she do with the chamber?

-I can see her carrying straw,

-so is she preparing for birth?

-Yes, she's preparing the nest.

-Once she's ready to give birth...

-..she'll pluck the fur

-from her own skin...

-..to prepare a warm nest.

-It must be very warm in there...

-..with a combination

-of straw and fur, and here she is.

-She's starting with the straw.

-Remember the last time I was here

-with the water voles?

-It was the beginning of the project

-and only the framework was in place.

-It's been completely transformed

-from all the concrete and twigs.

-They've a place to swim,

-a food supply...

-..and somewhere to shelter.

-They appear to be very happy

-in their new home.

-The tunnels and chambers

-follow the same pattern...

-..as the burrows they

-made previously in the sand box.

-Built on this foundation, the ideal

-artificial habitat has been created.

-So far, a pair of water voles

-have settled into their new home.

-If I start from the top

-and work my way down...

-..there's a nest here

-and another over there.

-The level of the water

-on this side is very low.

-But in the wild,

-the level rises after it rains.

-What they don't want is for

-the nest and their young to drown.

-These are

-as high as they can possibly be.

-Moving down, this small chamber here

-is where they leave their droppings.

-That one is far enough away from

-the nest so that they don't soil it.

-Right at the bottom, you'll notice

-that there are tunnels...

-..going from that channel

-and that channel...

-..out to the stream itself where the

-animals spend most of their time.

-These two are under pressure to

-demonstrate what water voles do...

-..in their underground dens.

-With a bit of luck, they'll breed.

-If that happens, the young will

-also be released into the wild...

-..to an appropriate territory in

-order to protect this rare species.

-But it doesn't look

-too hopeful so far...

-..because the two

-are fighting regularly.

-It's obvious that the light brown

-female is the boss.

-This is interesting, Dyfrig...

-..because they've just been

-introduced to their new home...

-..and they're fighting ferociously.

-No matter if they're

-two females or two males...

-..they have to

-establish their own territory.

-They ferociously defend

-the best areas...

-..where there's

-a good supply of food...

-..and a wide variety of ideal

-nesting areas within their habitat.

-Whether they're two males

-or two females...

-..they're establishing

-who's the boss.

-Small mammals like these

-are constantly feeding.

-When a pattern is established,

-they settle down.

-These two have segregated their home

-into two areas...

-..with the female's chambers on the

-left and the male's on the right.

-There's no chance of them mating

-if they continue like this.

-At the Secret World

-rescue centre in Somerset...

-..the big day has arrived.

-The badgers' new home is ready.

-Having been raised in a kitchen

-for the past six weeks...

-..the six orphaned badgers

-can move into their new home.

-This is where they'll live

-for the next three months.

-Take a look at this -

-the artificial badger's sett.

-You can see

-a badger scurrying about up there.

-This is the first time I've seen

-badgers underground like this.

-It's artificial but they've tried

-to make it as authentic as possible.

-You can see

-three or four badgers up there...

-..in what I assume

-is the sleeping chamber.

-There are at least

-three or four animals there.

-There are four chambers in all

-with tunnels beyond the wall...

-..that are interconnected, enabling

-the badgers to venture outside.

-This is fantastic - they've

-created the roots of a tree...

-..and provided pieces of wood

-for them to sharpen teeth and play.

-The fact they've tried to make it

-as natural as possible is important.

-The framework

-follows what Rhys and I learnt...

-..from studying a badger's sett

-in the forest during winter.

-Sizable chambers that allow them...

-..to familiarize themselves

-with one another.

-Badgers spend the first three months

-of their lives underground...

-..without venturing to the surface.

-Nobody has ever seen

-young badgers like these...

-..during

-this crucial time in their lives.

-It soon becomes apparent...

-..that the badgers

-have taken to their new home.

-They are eager to explore

-every nook and cranny.

-Though badgers have poor eyesight...

-..their sense of smell

-is much better than ours.

-One of the cubs

-creates a nest straightaway...

-..by moving and carrying nesting

-material around the chamber.

-He does this in exactly the same way

-as adult badgers do above ground.

-This teaches us that cubs

-don't rely on their parents...

-..to create a nest

-and a bed for them to keep warm.

-The information is inherent.

-Two of the badgers are fighting...

-..and that's going to be important

-for them later on.

-They're working out

-who's the strongest.

-When they're older, they might

-have to defend their territory.

-There are six badgers in all.

-Five of them are inside and

-the other is in a different hole.

-The six have come from

-all over the country.

-Two have come from Wales.

-They're usually found

-by dog walkers.

-Often the mother has been killed.

-We see plenty of badgers

-knocked down by cars on the roads.

-They're brought to Secret World...

-..with the eventual aim

-of reintroducing them into the wild.

-They keep them

-in an artificial sett like this.

-They make sure

-there's a family of them.

-They're reintroduced into the wild

-in a suitable place...

-..to ensure

-they have the best start...

-..and are able to survive

-their new life in the countryside.

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-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-Here in the Dolgellau area...

-..Rhys and I

-have been studying badgers.

-In the previous episode, we placed

-red plastic pellets in their food...

-..to establish

-the scale of their territory.

-I don't know

-how old these droppings are...

-..but you can see

-red pellets in amongst them...

-..which indicates that this is

-part of their territory.

-These are probably

-one or two days old.

-There are more nearby,

-and this is often the case.

-They're

-in close proximity to each other.

-Some of the burrows

-are substantial...

-..especially those dotted around

-the fringes of the territory.

-From what I've seen...

-..they're situated close to

-a natural, or unnatural, boundary.

-A stone wall, a stream,

-a path or a fence.

-Yes, you see that often.

-Within the territory...

-..you see the same sort of pattern.

-There's a burrow in the woods

-near a fence where badgers roam.

-I know they're badgers

-because there are old tracks there.

-They've been there

-for such a long time...

-..it's possible

-to get an aerial view of them.

-Often you find

-their fur snagged on barbed wire.

-Badger fur is distinctive

-and found near those places...

-..which cross

-a boundary of some kind.

-Often you notice their fur

-in those locations.

-The red plastic pellets

-can be seen in the faeces.

-They've caused no harm at all

-to the badger.

-It demonstrates

-that the science works.

-That there's a means of establishing

-the nature of their territory.

-If you wanted

-to take this a bit further...

-..you'd go to the nearest burrow

-and leave other coloured pellets...

-..to build some sort of a picture...

-..and determine their territory.

-You can map an entire area.

-It's a very interesting study,

-even in an area such as this.

-Back at Secret World,

-it becomes obvious...

-..that there's a problem.

-Five of the badgers are living

-in harmony and sharing the chambers.

-But one of the cubs is absent.

-This is the smallest cub,

-and the last to be rescued.

-She spends most of her time hiding

-in one of the other chambers.

-It's a short season

-before the first winter arrives...

-..so they must

-quickly learn to feed...

-..and co-exist with other badgers

-to protect themselves.

-This very small cub

-is set apart from the others.

-It's important for her

-to become part of that group.

-Definitely,

-because naturally in the wild...

-..the number of offspring a female

-produces is three at the most.

-Often, the smallest of them...

-..doesn't survive.

-For the smallest

-to be able to survive...

-..she has to be part of the family.

-If that happened in the wild,

-she'd die.

-Yes, she would.

-If she doesn't

-become part of the group...

-..she won't be released

-into the wild.

-No. She'd be doomed in the wild.

-As winter turns to spring

-in the countryside...

-..new life blossoms in the meadows.

-I've come to the rabbit warren...

-..where they've found

-quite a lot of rabbit fur.

-Believe me, in rabbit terms,

-that's a good sign.

-Let's go inside.

-Although it's difficult to see

-what's happening...

-..a little nose provides a clue.

-Five little rabbits have just

-been born and they're miniscule.

-It's odd that the mother comes in to

-feed her young after giving birth...

-..and leaves right away.

-She spends no time at all with them.

-They spend around three minutes

-a day with their young.

-She quickly gives them milk...

-..so that

-she can go out and feed herself.

-She doesn't want to

-draw attention to the nest.

-She refrains

-from going back and forth...

-..to avoid attracting predators.

-A week later and the warren

-is full of exciting developments.

-Four nests are full of baby rabbits.

-But the mothers rarely visit.

-How do the young manage to survive

-without their mother?

-A thermal camera reveals many

-interesting things about the nest.

-If the mother spends

-so much time away from the nest...

-..they must

-eventually get very cold.

-The nest keeps them warm.

-The fur and the straw

-keep them warm...

-..and also

-they keep each other warm.

-They sleep alongside each other.

-When the kits

-on the outside get cold...

-..they can scramble

-into the middle to keep warm.

-The warm kits from the centre

-then move to the outside.

-They move around quite a bit.

-The thermal camera

-suggests they're nice and warm.

-The mother's returning.

-So she's

-only coming back to feed them?

-That's right.

-She's only there enough time to feed

-them and she's straight back out.

-They latch on straightaway,

-don't they?

-It's odd, isn't it?

-They have no fur

-and are unable to see.

-If the mother hung around...

-..and attracted a predator...

-..they'd all be killed in a flash.

-I was trying to understand why the

-warren was such an ideal place...

-..to raise their young.

-Even with

-plummeting temperatures outside...

-..inside the warren, the young kits

-are warm and comfortable.

-Back to the water voles...

-..and the pair are making the most

-of their new home, inside and out.

-For the first time ever...

-..we're able to see how water voles

-burrow to create tunnels.

-They don't look equipped to do that,

-just by looking at them.

-Take the mole for instance.

-Its front feet are like shovels.

-It's able to burrow.

-How on earth

-can water voles do it so quickly?

-With their teeth, predominantly.

-The teeth are incredibly sharp.

-They're out of proportion

-to the head.

-They're very big and prominent

-at the front of the face...

-..beneath the nose.

-They use

-their front teeth to burrow...

-..and kick away

-the earth with their back feet...

-..and flick it out of the hole.

-They burrow into roots

-which provide nourishment in winter.

-They might be small

-but they're powerful creatures.

-I've been bitten by one

-and it does hurt.

-They cling on to you too,

-don't they?

-Inside the den, there is

-still friction between them.

-The whole process

-of mating and breeding is...

-How can I say it politely?

-Ferocious.

-Ferocious.

-

-Exactly.

-A few days later...

-..and the pair finally get together.

-Though things

-are slow to begin with...

-..the pair eventually do

-what we all hoped they would do.

-In a short space of time,

-we notice an important development.

-They've blocked the entrances

-to some of the tunnels, but why now?

-Perhaps it's similar

-to what they do in the wild?

-They block the tunnels just before

-or just after giving birth.

-It's a possibility.

-We can see them

-building nests now, Dyfrig.

-What materials do they use?

-Any straw-like material...

-..which grows above ground.

-Anything that would make

-a comfortable nest underground.

-As we see from this wall,

-they have more than one nest.

-Why's that?

-They respond very well

-to flood-like conditions.

-As the water level rises, the main

-chamber at the top, as it were...

-..is taken over by the female.

-When the water level rises,

-she moves to the highest chamber...

-..and takes her young with her.

-When the water level drops,

-she'll have more chance...

-..of recreating the nest lower down.

-We'll have to wait

-to see the new offspring...

-..but this gives us

-a unique opportunity...

-..to see what happens

-when these animals grow.

-Nobody has had the opportunity

-to do this before.

-We've already learnt

-how rabbits burrow...

-..how they prepare the warren...

-..and how they

-use the chambers inside.

-We've learnt that water voles

-are incredibly neat animals...

-..and that

-it's the females who dominate.

-We've also learnt that badgers

-rely on each other for survival.

-Next time,

-we'll discover how kits...

-..respond to multiple births.

-We'll meet

-the new-born water voles...

-..and introduce

-another burrower to the series.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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