0:00:02 > 0:00:04RHINO GRUNTS
0:00:04 > 0:00:05Someone's hungry.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09This is Emma and she's just one of the stars of the programme,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11cos today it's all about the animals.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14I know what you're thinking. It's going to be ZOOper!
0:00:19 > 0:00:22So, this week we celebrate all creatures great and small...
0:00:23 > 0:00:29..visit a school where the children share the playground with alpacas...
0:00:29 > 0:00:32and meet the dog who is more than man's best friend.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47Zoos are a great way of introducing children to animals
0:00:47 > 0:00:48from all over the world.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52And here at Chester Zoo, over 400 species fight for your attention.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Some are cheeky.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Some bigger...
0:01:03 > 0:01:04..and some...
0:01:04 > 0:01:07scarier.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14And zoos like Chester play an important role in conservation
0:01:14 > 0:01:16and ensuring generations to come will still be able
0:01:16 > 0:01:18to marvel at the animals.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22This is Liza. She's a sitatunga, a form of antelope.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Now, our music today celebrates creatures great and small,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29and our first hymn was written by St Francis of Assisi,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32who's the patron saint of all lovely animals.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22I wake up in the morning and I hear the sound of the gibbons
0:04:22 > 0:04:25alongside the morning chorus of the birds.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27In the afternoon and evening,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30you can hear the lions roar from some way away.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33So it's a fascinating place to live nearby.
0:04:33 > 0:04:39Local resident David Clough is Professor of Theological Ethics at the University of Chester,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and takes a keen interest in the plight of animals.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47I think zoos can be very important places,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and Chester has done a lot in relation to animal welfare
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and they work on preservation of endangered species here
0:04:52 > 0:04:56and they contribute to conservation projects around the world, too.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01One way of thinking about zoos in Christian terms would be to think about the story of Noah's Ark.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05There's a sense in which zoos are playing a role in preserving
0:05:05 > 0:05:08whole diversity of species, just as God charged Noah with
0:05:08 > 0:05:11in the story of the flood.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Some would say we're the number one species.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Why do we need the animals that aren't useful to us?
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Well, if Christians believe that God had a reason to create them,
0:05:21 > 0:05:26then Christians should be attentive to what God is doing in relation to other animals in the world
0:05:26 > 0:05:30and try to participate in that, and not be just attentive to human interests,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32but look much more widely.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37It's usually the saints that have some dealing with the animals.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40There's some magnificent stories that I think indicate
0:05:40 > 0:05:43that Christians have thought concern and harmony with the animal kingdom
0:05:43 > 0:05:46is very close to holiness and saintliness.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50One of my favourites is the story of St Kevin,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53and the story goes that he held up his hands in prayer
0:05:53 > 0:05:58and while he was praying, a little bird came and made its nest and laid eggs on top of his hand.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02And St Kevin was so concerned to be attentive to the welfare of that bird
0:06:02 > 0:06:06that he kept his hand out until all the birds had fledged
0:06:06 > 0:06:07and had flown away.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12I think if we have a strong sense that God has willed
0:06:12 > 0:06:14this magnificently diverse creation,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17then these partial encounters we can have with animals,
0:06:17 > 0:06:21even in the context of a zoo, can remind us of the magnificence
0:06:21 > 0:06:26of God's grace to human beings and to the whole of creation.
0:06:29 > 0:06:36# For the beauty of the Earth
0:06:36 > 0:06:41# For the beauty of the skies
0:06:41 > 0:06:48# For the love which from our birth
0:06:48 > 0:06:51# Of and around us lies
0:06:51 > 0:06:55# Of and around us lies
0:06:55 > 0:07:01# Lord of all, to thee we raise
0:07:02 > 0:07:08# This, our joyful hymn of praise
0:07:14 > 0:07:21- # For the joy of human life - # For the joy of life
0:07:21 > 0:07:25# Brother, sister, parent, child
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- # Brother, sister and child - # Friends on Earth
0:07:28 > 0:07:32- # Friends on Earth - # And friends above
0:07:32 > 0:07:33# Friends above
0:07:33 > 0:07:37- # For gentle thoughts and mild - # For gentle
0:07:37 > 0:07:41- # For gentle thoughts and mild - # Thoughts and mild
0:07:41 > 0:07:48- # Lord of all, to thee we raise - # Lord of all, we raise
0:07:50 > 0:07:57- # This, our joyful hymn of praise - # Our joyful hymn of praise
0:07:58 > 0:08:05# For each perfect gift of thine
0:08:05 > 0:08:11# To our race so freely given
0:08:11 > 0:08:18- # Graces human and divine - # Graces human and divine
0:08:18 > 0:08:23- # Flow'rs and buds of Earth - # A-ah
0:08:23 > 0:08:26# Flow'rs and buds of Earth
0:08:26 > 0:08:33# Lord of all, to thee we raise
0:08:34 > 0:08:40- # This, our joyful hymn of praise - # This, our joyful hymn of praise
0:08:42 > 0:08:49- # This, our joyful hymn of praise - # Our hymn of praise. #
0:09:02 > 0:09:05It's all very well school children going to the zoo,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09but you wouldn't really expect animals to go to school...would you?
0:09:10 > 0:09:15Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School in Coventry has its very own farm,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18and it was the brainwave of teacher Sean O'Donovan.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Well, the idea is really to get the kids out of the classroom
0:09:21 > 0:09:23and be caring for animals.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27We run an agriculture course and an animal care course.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30And it suits some kids. Really suits them well.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34We're a city school, so really this helps a lot, having animals here.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Many kids, before we got the pigs, didn't know what a pig looked like,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40how big it was, what it smelt like and so on.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- But it's not really a petting farm, is it?- No.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48And that's very important. There are certain animals here that have pet names
0:09:48 > 0:09:51and then the animals which are going to go in the food chain, they don't.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55And that's a very important distinction I think that schools need to make.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- How long have you been on the course?- Two months.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02- Are you enjoying it? - Yeah, it's good.- Great. - What's the best bit about it?
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Um, working with the animals.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Yeah, taking care of them, seeing all the different things we've got.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Working with animals in a farm is just amazing for me.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- It's great having all the animals in the school, isn't it?- Yes.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15What's your favourite animal?
0:10:15 > 0:10:17- Alpaca.- Why do you like that so much?
0:10:17 > 0:10:19- They're just really cool. - Are they?- Yeah.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22What do you hope they learn
0:10:22 > 0:10:25from the getting in and getting dirty aspect of it?
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Well, I want them to enjoy it.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31These are exam classes that they do, so they do that as well.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34But they learn this responsibility - they learn caring for people.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38That transmits then to caring for other humans,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41and that all goes back to our faith as a Christian,
0:10:41 > 0:10:42caring for other people.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- It's the best part of my week. - Really?- Yeah.- Why do you love it?
0:10:46 > 0:10:50I just like to be outdoors. This course is just brilliant.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Rather than sitting in the classroom just getting told what to do,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56you're outdoors, being practical.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- Being around the animals is great. - Should more schools copy yours?
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Yeah, definitely.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06It teaches a lot of the students about sustainability
0:11:06 > 0:11:08and how to do your own thing.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12This is a faith school. How does it fit in with that aspect of things?
0:11:12 > 0:11:16It is, and I think that's an important part of the whole setup.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19We have the idea of the Good Shepherd here -
0:11:19 > 0:11:23I think in St John's Gospel where he said, "I'm the Good Shepherd",
0:11:23 > 0:11:25and I think that's an important point,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28particularly with having the sheep and animals,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30and if you can get kids to care for animals,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32then they'll go on to care for people.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56Well, we all know the expression that a dog is a man's best friend.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Look at these painted dogs fast asleep.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04But there are some dogs who go above and beyond the call of duty.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08She is very uplifting.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Just her spirit, she is full of life.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16And a good distraction from what might be misery otherwise.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20She definitely takes your mind off the negative side of everything.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22She is full of energy and, you know,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26you can't stop to think about your woes, really.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31At the beginning of last year, Tony and Sandra's son Conrad
0:15:31 > 0:15:36was on a tour of duty in Afghanistan serving in the Parachute Regiment.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40They fought nearly every day, which I think is incredible.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Lots of the guys do lots of fighting out there,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46but I think that checkpoint came under particular...
0:15:46 > 0:15:49you know, difficult circumstances.
0:15:49 > 0:15:50But they faced it bravely.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Just last February, Conrad's patrol came under fire.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00He became the 353rd British soldier to die in Afghanistan.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04It's really difficult.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07The way we've tried to deal with it is to carry on
0:16:07 > 0:16:10as we thought he would have liked us to carry on,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12and carry on as he went on with life.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15We said the other day that he keeps us forever off our knees
0:16:15 > 0:16:18because you do just want to fall on your knees and give up.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22He'd written in letters how he had got this dog at the checkpoint,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24and how they were all looking after her -
0:16:24 > 0:16:28how he was feeding her and teaching her to sit and give paw and stuff.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30So, after he died, we thought about the dog
0:16:30 > 0:16:33because we'd been given an instruction at Christmas
0:16:33 > 0:16:35that he would like to bring the dog home.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38So, we thought that was our job.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44But the odds of getting Peg home safely were extremely low.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48She's at the most dangerous checkpoint in Helmand Province.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51We have to get her, bring her back, she has to make that journey,
0:16:51 > 0:16:52she has to be well, not diseased,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56and then she's got to fly back and do six months in quarantine.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58It is just incredible.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01And she's handled that as if it was a walk in the park.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05And at each point, somebody has helped. Somebody has helped.
0:17:06 > 0:17:11She's a great comfort, and it's almost spiritual, having her about.
0:17:11 > 0:17:12How precious is she?
0:17:12 > 0:17:14She is very precious.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16- Yeah.- Yes.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20She's our link to his time in Afghanistan,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24and, you know, by virtue of that, a link back to him.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27A reminder of him, yes.
0:17:27 > 0:17:28But a lovely reminder of him.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Yeah, definitely the same spirit -
0:17:30 > 0:17:33always on the go, looking for the next adventure.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37She'd patrol with them,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40she'd lie down when he lay down, she'd get up when they got up.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44I think she gave all the soldiers a real boost.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47And when you're out doing that job,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50and facing the enemy, and engaging the enemy,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54to get back and have something that is a reminder of home,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58and takes away that very unnatural environment,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01it has got to be really comforting.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06The other thing is, we know she gave Conrad and the guys a lot of comfort.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12# Whispers in a dream
0:18:13 > 0:18:19# The world is quiet and waiting
0:18:21 > 0:18:25# And all around the air is still
0:18:26 > 0:18:31# And sings the angels
0:18:31 > 0:18:35# When all is come to pass
0:18:35 > 0:18:39# The storm has breathed its last
0:18:39 > 0:18:43# And the rain
0:18:43 > 0:18:48# Has washed our fears away
0:18:48 > 0:19:00# Love will find
0:19:01 > 0:19:04# Whispers in the wind
0:19:05 > 0:19:10# The clouds part to let the light in
0:19:11 > 0:19:17# And all around the air is still
0:19:17 > 0:19:23# Then sings the angels
0:19:23 > 0:19:27# When all is come to pass
0:19:27 > 0:19:31# The storm has breathed its last
0:19:31 > 0:19:35# And the rain
0:19:35 > 0:19:41# Has washed our fears away
0:19:41 > 0:19:49# Love will fall
0:19:49 > 0:19:57# On us all
0:20:01 > 0:20:07# And we can smile
0:20:09 > 0:20:17# Again. #
0:20:22 > 0:20:25There are lots of references to animals in the Bible.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29The Wise Men travelled on camels, and a humble donkey was good enough
0:20:29 > 0:20:31to carry the Son of God into Jerusalem.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34We still recognise their importance today
0:20:34 > 0:20:39as more and more churches catch on to the idea of pet services.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44The teachings of St Francis of Assisi,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46friend and protector of all animals,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49are recalled at a Noah's Ark service.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54The services first became popular back in the 1940s
0:20:54 > 0:20:56and have hardly changed over the years.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02It's all about worshipping God,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04primarily through the animals.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06It's a time when we can come
0:21:06 > 0:21:09and bring our pets, and say thank you to God
0:21:09 > 0:21:15for what we cherish in them, how they enrich our lives,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17and their loyalty as well.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Who's this?
0:21:20 > 0:21:25We get various animals at our pet services, from dogs and cats,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28rats, rabbits,
0:21:28 > 0:21:29budgerigars...
0:21:29 > 0:21:34Oh, and hens. For the last couple of years, a lady has brought hens.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38We've never had any fights in the church.
0:21:38 > 0:21:44One or two strong minded dogs bark a lot sometimes when they come in,
0:21:44 > 0:21:45but they soon settle down.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52All creation is God made, and this is part of my faith.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54I look after God's creatures,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and they bounce around!
0:21:57 > 0:22:00I believe that I have been given guardianship of my animals
0:22:00 > 0:22:03I have to look after them to the best of my ability.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05It's important to come and give thanks
0:22:05 > 0:22:08for having my pets and remember the ones that I have lost as well.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Irwin's a canine partner.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Every day with Irwin, I feel blessed by him.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20So, I suppose this is like a little bit of payback for Irwin,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23that he comes today and he gets his blessing.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28I would like to think that all prayers are answered.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30And, in the Bible,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Jesus told us to have concern, even for the smallest of creatures.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38I think, probably, the pets do get something from it
0:22:38 > 0:22:42in that the thanks that their owners give,
0:22:42 > 0:22:47and the fact that we've taken them to God in prayer.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Loving God, you are a remarkable God,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57whose graciousness knows no limits.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02Not only have you created the great Earth,
0:25:02 > 0:25:07but also you are to every living creature, their kind and loving God.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Let us rejoice in the goodness of God,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13shown in the beauty of our animal companions.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18And the blessing of God Almighty the creator and the Redeemer,
0:25:18 > 0:25:25be upon you and upon all animals today and always.
0:25:26 > 0:25:27Amen.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Well, I have thoroughly enjoyed my day out at Chester Zoo.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39Our final hymn is a celebration of all of God's creation -
0:25:39 > 0:25:42that's me and my new little friends here.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Until next time, goodbye.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36Next week, inspiring hymns from the land of my birth
0:28:36 > 0:28:40as some of the finest male voice choirs in Wales
0:28:40 > 0:28:43sing classic Welsh hymns that will stir your soul.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd