Pennod 6 Y Tyrchwyr gyda Iolo Williams


Pennod 6

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-Rural Wales offers some of the most

-spectacular sights in Britain.

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-But the countryside

-offers much more than just views.

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-It's home

-to some of our best-loved wildlife.

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-But one group of mammals

-is living a secret life.

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-By burrowing

-in tunnels miles underground...

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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's 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 lives underground.

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-We'll discover what water voles

-do every day in their tunnels...

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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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-Subtitles

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-Midsummer, and our time

-with the burrowers is almost over.

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-The warren

-is overrun with young rabbits.

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-The water voles are more than ready

-for their release into the wild.

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-The badgers are also ready

-to face the big, wide world.

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-In line with this experiment...

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-..we wanted to learn more about the

-least familiar burrower of them all.

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-The mole.

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-This is an animal

-that rarely surfaces above ground.

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-After long spells of darkness...

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-..the hidden cameras

-captured the mole on film.

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-It was living

-in this collection of boxes...

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-..using some of them to nest

-and others to store food...

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-..moving between the boxes

-through inter-connecting tubes.

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-This mole is special

-because she was rescued.

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-Moles are regarded as pests for

-creating molehills on golf courses.

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-This one was caught

-by a professional mole catcher.

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-Normally it would've been killed.

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-This is one of the most

-interesting animals in Britain.

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-It spends

-most of its life underground.

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-It is the best burrower

-out of all the burrowing mammals.

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-They exist

-in the safety of the tunnels.

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-Unlike the other burrowers...

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-..they have a lonely

-and self-sufficient existence.

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-In summer, they must find a mate

-in order to breed...

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-..deep underground.

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-The chances of seeing newborn moles

-are relatively slim.

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-No-one had ever

-filmed baby moles before...

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-..until the 1970s,

-when Peter Stafford's footage...

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-..won him the Wildlife

-Photographer of the Year award.

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-The young burrowers

-won't start burrowing...

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-..until they're two months old.

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-They will learn from

-inspecting the mother's tunnels.

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-They compete

-with their mother for food...

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-..which eventually

-drives them out of their tunnels.

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-They must establish their own

-territories around the mother's.

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-This is when the burrowers

-venture above ground...

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-..before burrowing new tunnels.

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-They sometimes burrow

-at the roadside or near buildings.

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-They must then resurface

-and try again.

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-Moles are never happy above ground.

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-Owls, like many other animals...

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-..eat food

-that is difficult to digest.

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-They swallow food whole.

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-The food

-is broken down in the crop...

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-..and the meat

-is separated from the bone.

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-The bones and fur

-are compressed into a ball...

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-..and vomited out of the beak.

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-By collecting

-and analysing these balls...

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-..it's possible to tell

-which small mammals...

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-..inhabit

-the same habitat as the owl.

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-I know you've studied

-the barn owl, Kelvin...

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-..and collected their pellets...

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-..which consist of fur and bones...

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-..that they've vomited

-from the mouth.

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-What information have you gleaned?

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-What information have you gleaned?

-

-I've two reasons for doing this.

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-It's a great way

-of engaging children.

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-By studying what they eat...

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-..you get a sample

-of the territory they inhabit.

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-Some of these

-have come from Dinas Dinlle.

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-I know the skull has come from

-Dinas Dinlle, at least.

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-But the skull of the water vole

-has come from Lleyn.

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-Of all the pellets I've collected,

-that's the only one from Lleyn.

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-That goes to show

-how rare the water vole has become.

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-We're old enough to remember them

-but now they're preyed on by mink.

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-That's not a very big skull because,

-quite often, they can be big.

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-They wouldn't eat

-the large ones whole, would they?

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-According to our research, yes.

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-They must swallow them whole.

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-They must swallow them whole.

-

-That's one heck of a mouthful!

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-You also have an example

-of the mole's remains.

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-Do you often come across them?

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-No, not very often. It's been

-pulverised in the bird's gullet.

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-It swallows the prey whole...

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-..and then its stomach acid

-digests what it can...

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-..and leaves

-the fur and bone for excretion.

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-The mole's skull isn't very strong.

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-What we have here are two chins...

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-..and are they two hips?

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-No, I'll tell you what they are.

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-I've an example of these here.

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-They're the main bones of the arm -

-the humerus.

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-Notice their shape.

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-A human's humerus

-looks like a proper bone...

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-..the kind you'd find

-in the mouth of a dog in a cartoon.

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-But this humerus

-looks almost like a hip.

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-Because they're so strong,

-they use them to burrow.

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-They're very wide, with plenty of

-room for the muscles to contract...

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-..giving them strength and power.

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-I've brought something else along...

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-..that's been discarded in

-an owl pellet - the skull of a mole.

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-As you say, it looks very fragile.

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-It's long and thin.

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-Check out those teeth.

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-They're very sharp.

-The only thing it eats are worms.

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-You need teeth like that

-to catch them.

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-And to kill them.

-Nature has a reason for everything.

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-This is a good way

-of mapping an animal like this.

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-There's no need to lay traps.

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-You just have to collect

-their remains.

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-You can tell what species they are -

-short-tailed voles or bank voles...

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-..as well as those they aren't.

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-It's interesting when you're

-sitting at home at night...

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-..and it's cold and wet outside

-to have a hobby like this.

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-The family might not be so happy

-but is passes the time!

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-The young badgers have left the sett

-and are inspecting the enclosure.

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-They must learn how to live

-above ground as well as underground.

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-So far, they've been fed by those

-who are looking after them...

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-..with all kinds of special foods.

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-But now they have to learn

-to fend for themselves...

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-..by catching worms.

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-Research has been carried out...

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-..and within a two-hour period...

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-..a person watched a badger

-eat 1,803 worms.

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-A worm weighs around three grams...

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-..so that's the equivalent

-to three kilograms of worms.

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-Worms are vital to their survival.

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-That's a hefty weight...

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-..when you consider that badgers...

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-..don't weigh

-more than 10kg-11kg themselves.

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-They're eating a third

-of their bodyweight in one night.

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-Worms are a vital food source.

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-If it's a dry summer,

-badgers find it difficult to forage.

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-They're capable of finding other

-foods but worms are their staple.

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-On a wet night, when the worms

-surface above ground...

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-..badgers venture out early evening

-to have their fill.

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-Our badgers are obviously capable

-of finding food.

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-They sniff out the worms...

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-..and eat them in the same way

-as badgers do in the wild.

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-It's a good sign they'll find their

-main food supply once released.

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-But life beyond the sett

-is by no means easy.

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-When they return underground, they

-bring unwelcome guests with them.

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-One of the disadvantages

-of living in an underground sett...

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-..is that mites co-habit with you.

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-Fleas are

-the scourge of animals everywhere.

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-Fleas burrow in the fur

-and feed on the poor animal's blood.

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-In spite of all the scratching,

-the fleas' legs cling to the fur...

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-..making it very difficult

-to get rid of them.

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-In spite of the fleas, badgers

-are incredibly clean animals.

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-Even our orphaned badgers have

-learnt to keep their nests clean...

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-..by dragging the straw outside

-for it to dry in the sun and wind.

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-What materials

-do they use for their nests?

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-Predominantly straw, but whatever

-they can find in their surroundings.

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-Fern, moss and vegetation

-that dries quite easily.

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-I've seen them drag their nests

-outside for them to dry...

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-..before dragging them

-back in again.

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-Yes, they do that.

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-In warm weather,

-they pull out the straw to air it.

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-That must get rid of the fleas and

-whatever else is living in it...

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-..before taking it

-back below ground.

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-So it's true

-that they're clean creatures?

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-Most definitely.

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-As summer passes,

-our experiment comes to an end.

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-But the young burrowers aren't ready

-to leave their homes just yet.

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-These final steps towards

-independence are the most important.

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-Each of our burrowers has developed

-a very different strategy...

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-..to prepare them

-for the big, wide world.

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-The badgers have created

-a close-knit social unit...

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-..which gives the group stability...

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-..and will be useful

-when they come to raise their young.

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-The rabbits, on the other hand,

-are completely different.

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-Their strategy is to breed non-stop.

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-High numbers of rabbits to

-replace those killed by predators.

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-The water vole

-has a far more orderly strategy.

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-Subtitles

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-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

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-The female water vole

-is nurturing her second litter.

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-The mother's milk helps them

-gain a gram of weight every day.

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-But there's no sign

-of the first litter.

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-The mother has driven them out of

-the burrow to live on the riverbank.

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-Three of them

-are now fending for themselves.

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-They must be careful.

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-In the wild, a young water vole

-is a tasty snack...

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-..for its arch-rival, the mink.

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-How will they be able to defend

-themselves once they're released?

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-Luckily, their father is burrowing

-tunnels whilst foraging for food.

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-The young water voles

-need a new home.

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-By observing

-the actions of their father...

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-..they learn to do the same.

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-Soon they'll have small shelters

-in which to hide when necessary.

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-Thrown out of their home at three

-weeks of age might seem cruel...

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-..but it's essential

-to ensure the water voles' survival.

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-Since they're

-so ferociously territorial...

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-..it's remarkable to think

-that the female in particular...

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-..allows her firstborn

-to stay relatively close.

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-Once the second litter is born...

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-..the population

-continues to rise...

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-..so there must be enough room

-for them to spread out.

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-The first litter stays close...

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-..whereas the second litter

-is pushed further away...

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-..from the mother's territory...

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-..and forced to find new habitats.

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-There might be another female 50

-metres away with the same structure.

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-The young

-are pushed further and further away.

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-One of the main

-conservational problems...

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-..is tracking the young that are

-consistently pushed further away.

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-That's a difficult strategy...

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-..because you're

-pushing the young further away...

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-..knowing they are the prey

-of buzzards, otters and so on.

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-Yes,

-it is a very difficult strategy.

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-But it's important in order

-for that strategy to work...

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-..and for the population

-to be self-sufficient.

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-The connection

-between the populations is vital.

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-Those ties must be formed

-in an ideal habitat...

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-..where there's enough room

-for them to burrow.

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-The males, for example...

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-..or the young boys, as it were,

-that are kicked out...

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-..must be able to travel

-and find other females...

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-..so that

-the genetic diversity is varied.

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-These connections are crucial...

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-..as are the habitats which

-connect these metapopulations...

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-..over a sprawling landscape.

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-There's

-a large population in Wales...

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-..especially in the upland areas.

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-The habitat is widespread...

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-..encompassing numerous dykes...

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-..and pools.

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-Within those small pools

-are different populations.

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-It's those important connections

-that make the strategy work.

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-Rabbit numbers continue to multiply

-in the warren...

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-..with the dominant female

-holding her own.

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-She keeps other rabbits at bay.

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-She and the dominant male...

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-..rule the roost.

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-There are now 40 kits

-in the rabbit warren.

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-But as numbers increase,

-one pair of subservient rabbits...

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-..must live in the chambers

-at the bottom of the warren.

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-Though the doe

-has recently given birth...

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-..the dominant male

-prepares to mate with her.

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-But the subservient male challenges

-him and it leads to a fight...

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-..in and out of the tunnels.

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-This behaviour

-endangers the newborns.

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-When the mother returns to the nest,

-she finds blood.

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-It appears

-that most of the kits are alive...

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-..but the fight between the two

-bucks has left at least one dead.

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-This is one of the females that's

-been thrown out of the warren.

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-She has started burrowing a new

-tunnel as a nest for her offspring.

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-This is how a new warren begins.

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-In the winter

-we studied an empty warren.

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-In a unique experiment,

-we filled the warren with concrete.

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-Once it had set,

-we dug up the earth...

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-..to uncover an elaborate warren.

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-This is the first time

-such a task has been undertaken.

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-The warren we built has shown us

-many new and exciting things.

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-But there's one thing

-it cannot show us.

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-For the first time, we're about to

-find out how a wild warren grows...

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-..to accommodate

-a rising number of rabbits.

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-Experts in mapping technology

-collate data...

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-..that will enable us

-to create a 3D scan of the warren.

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-The warren

-has developed in three stages...

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-..with each part corresponding

-to a new generation of rabbits.

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-This is the first part, with

-short tunnels, large chambers...

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-..and numerous entrances.

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-The second part

-seems larger than the first...

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-..with fewer slants and

-more tunnels between every chamber.

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-The third part, the most recent,

-looks longer than the other two.

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-But looking

-at the design mathematically...

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-..the tunnels are almost

-the same size and length...

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-..even in the most recent section...

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-..where the chambers

-look further apart.

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-It's interesting to think animals

-adhere to mathematical rules.

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-They can't afford

-to do things in a haphazard way.

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-There's a chance for

-the subservient rabbits to escape...

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-..and create a new warren

-that would thrive in the future.

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-The badgers have shown they are

-capable of surviving in the wild.

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-But one test remains.

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-They must prove

-they can build their own sett.

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-The young badgers know instinctively

-what to do. It's inherent in them.

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-They have already

-been burrowing their own sett.

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-These animals

-have given us an insight...

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-..into

-their secret lives underground.

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-We've learnt so many new things.

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-We now know the shape and form

-of a rabbit warren in the wild...

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-..and the individual role the

-water vole plays in its survival.

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-We know that moles can exist

-underground in total darkness...

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-..and how a group

-of orphaned badgers...

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-..can form a lifelong relationship.

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-Our journey underground...

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-..has been an incredible adventure.

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-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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