Episode 4 Animal 24:7


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Britain's animals are under threat. All too often, our wildlife

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and pets are the victims of cruelty,

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persecution and neglect.

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Fighting to save them is a band of people

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trying to protect and care for them around the clock.

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This is Animal 24:7.

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'Today on Animal 24:7 -

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'Flint faces a desperate battle to save his leg,...'

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The main concern is the injury

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to his front right leg here.

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We may be looking at limb amputation.

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'..the precarious mission to return an injured swan to the wild...'

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We need to watch that he is waterproof

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and that he doesn't roll over in the water and drown.

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'..and I meet one of Britain's most controversial birds of prey.'

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He doesn't actually look scared. There's attitude in those eyes.

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When our pets have accidents, it usually means a trip to the vet.

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The RSPCA operate four animal hospitals around the UK

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and the busiest is in Manchester.

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There they take in around 30,000 animals every year

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and the vets are used to dealing with every kind of emergency.

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'9.15 on a Monday morning

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'and the waiting room at Manchester's animal hospital

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'is full of new patients.'

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'Among the dogs awaiting treatment is two-year-old Flint,

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'a schnauzer who's been the victim of a road-traffic accident.'

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Miss Jones with Flint.

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'Vet Andy Gibson's first priority is to check with owner Paula Jones

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'about how Flint suffered his injuries.'

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Explain to me what's happened, then.

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It happened last night. Sees a cat across the road, runs across,

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a car really hit his shoulder

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and just sent his arm right round, so it was right near his head.

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'Flint immediately saw an emergency vet for an initial assessment.'

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He's quite tense there.

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'Paula's brought him in to establish the full extent of his injuries.'

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-Did he lose consciousness at any point?

-No.

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He was just screaming, so we took him into the house,

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got him on a blanket and took him...

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You went straight to the emergency vet.

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'Andy knows that a high-speed impact

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'could cause internal injuries, so he examines Flint thoroughly.'

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OK, let's have a look at him.

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'But it's Flint's leg which is the prime focus

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'of Andy's attention.'

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The main concern is the injury he's got to his front right leg.

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There was a minor wound on the notes

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and they were concerned about a leg fracture,

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so he's stable at the moment, his heart's nice and slow

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and he seems OK mentally, so we'll admit him to the hospital

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and get him on some more pain relief

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and fluids and then we'll sedate him

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and take an X-ray of that leg and look at what's going on there.

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'An X-ray picture should show any major damage.'

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'But Andy knows that if there's a break, it may not be possible

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'to fix it.'

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Worse-case scenario, we may be looking at limb amputation,

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depending on the severity of the injury there.

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'For owner Paula, it's a very worrying time.'

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'We got him when he was six weeks old, he's a member of the family.'

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'The kids were devastated, none of us have really slept proper.'

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'They didn't want to go to school, they wanted to make sure he was OK.'

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You know, when you're all worked up? I just want him sorted out.

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Just want to know he'll be all right.

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'While Flint is admitted, another dog is brought in to be treated -

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'Rin has been suffering from a sore paw and his owner,

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'Susan Jones, is worried it's infected.'

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'Vet David Yates needs to take a closer look.'

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-How are you doing?

-Two weeks ago, she hurt her paw,

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so I took her to the other veterinary surgery that you have

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and she was given antibiotics.

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The paw is still swelling up and pus is coming out

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so I took her back this morning

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and the vet said she thought she could feel something in the paw

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and she thinks it's gone back in.

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'The other surgery couldn't X-ray Rin's paw, so Susan's come here,

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'hoping to get answers.'

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Do you want me to lift Rin up? No?

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Did she say what it looked like?

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No. She said she thought she felt something,

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she's not absolutely sure.

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-Can you pull Rin's head in towards you?

-Yeah.

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It's on the front paw.

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'So now David wants to take a closer look

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'to check that nothing else is lurking inside.'

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It's very swollen.

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-It is, yeah.

-We've got a swelling which has actually burst

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between these two digits.

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Because we've got an open, discharging wound

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we need to sedate your dog to look inside and X-ray

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to make sure we're not missing anything.

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It can be pieces of glass or thorns that can get embedded.

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'The paw's very swollen and David doesn't want to hurt Rin further.'

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Pull her in tight towards you.

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'He gives him an injection to send Rin to sleep.'

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It stings, so I'll be quick. OK.

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'In a few moments,

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'Rin will be asleep and won't feel a thing.'

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I'm hoping that if there is something in her foot, they find it,

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then the paw can heal.

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At the moment, it just keeps producing pus,

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so until that stops,

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it's not going to dry up and it's not going to heal.

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'With Rin dozing away,

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'David can get a look at what's causing the swelling.'

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'And immediately, he spots something tucked inside the fur.'

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A twig or something?

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It's a splinter of wood.

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I think I'd like to still take the X-ray.

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These abscesses, when they burst, they can bring the material out,

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but I want to get all the fragments,

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so we're going to take an X-ray just to be on the safe side.

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'It appears the problem was just a splinter, but David knows

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'this may not be the whole story.'

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It's not uncommon to get abscesses in the feet.

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What is unusual is to find what's causing it.

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A lot of the time, the foreign material comes out with the pus.

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'Now Rin is undergoing an X-ray to make sure

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'there's nothing else inside.'

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What we can see

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are the four digits, the four "fingers"

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and the main pad. I can't see any foreign material,

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I can't see any wood or splinters still in there.

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'After a couple of anxious hours, it's good news

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'for Rin's owner - she just needs advice on how to clean the wound.'

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So what I'd like you to do at home is bathe the foot in saltwater.

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Get a cup, put a teaspoon of salt in and stand the foot in.

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Don't squeeze too much because things can go up as well as down.

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-Just bathe, antibiotics, and we'll see you in a few days.

-Smashing.

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'Once Rin wakes up,

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'it's time to step gingerly home.'

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A tiny piece of wood did so much damage.

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I'm happy! SHE LAUGHS

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I'm sure me son'll be happy too cos it is his dog.

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He's only 14. He'll be able to take him for walks again soon.

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'Still to come - the vets face an uphill struggle

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'to save Flint's leg...'

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See how it's moving from side to side.

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We'll have to look on an X-ray to determine the level of damage.

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'..and the challenge of helping newborns survive their first weeks.'

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They get very tired very quickly. That's why we use a small syringe,

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cos we don't want to choke them.

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Britain is a haven for wildlife,

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though it's often hard to spot in our inner cities.

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Today I'm in Edinburgh, searching for a controversial bird of prey

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that even divides opinion amongst wildlife lovers.

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'The sparrowhawk - one of the country's smallest birds of prey.'

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'They're often spotted

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'in our gardens looking for food and this has led to many

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'seeing them as an enemy,

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'blaming them for killing off our songbirds.'

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'Now a new city-based project,

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'headed up by Mike Thornton,

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'is set to change all that.'

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-Hi, you must be Mike.

-I am.

-I'm Tom, nice to meet you.

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-What are we looking for in the city today?

-Breeding sparrowhawks.

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They're now breeding in Edinburgh after a population recovery

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and they're breeding in parks, gardens, cemeteries,

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and have become an urban predator.

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Tell me about your project.

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The Lothian and Borders Raptor Study Group

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are monitoring the productivity of sparrowhawks

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within urban green spaces in the city

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and this is telling us

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a lot about the quality of the biodiversity here in Edinburgh.

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-Do you think we might see some today?

-Yes, I think we will.

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-I can take you to some nest sites.

-Brilliant. Can't wait.

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'The first stop on our tour takes us to the botanical gardens,

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'right at the heart of the city.'

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'A new feathered family has chosen this tourist attraction as home

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'and now Tracey Stewart from the RSPB -

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'plus Big Brother - are watching.'

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Tracey, what are we looking at?

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It's one of our fantastic sparrowhawk chicks

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that we have nesting in the botanic gardens.

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This is one of six chicks that we've had in this nest this year.

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He's got bits of fluffy down left, but mostly he's all adult feathers.

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And a second chick's come in to peck at the feathers to show you!

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'But this watch station isn't just about pretty pictures.'

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'It's also about trying to change public opinion.'

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Are you saying they need good PR? Because they're blamed

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for attacking songbirds and people don't necessarily like them.

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Very much so. Sparrowhawks are a vilified predator

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by many people.

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People believe sparrowhawks are driving population decline in birds,

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but to date there's no real and strong scientific evidence

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which suggests they are causing these declines.

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-Is it always scenes of domestic bliss?

-Unfortunately it's not.

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We do usually have two nesting pairs of sparrowhawks here

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and the first live images we had

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were of this nest here. These eggs had been there about three days

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before we recorded some dramatic scenes which we'll see here.

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This is actually a carrion crow,

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trying to enter the nest.

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-He's big, isn't he?

-Yes. He has a go at those eggs,

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but the female sparrowhawk's not about to give up.

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Vigourously defending her eggs.

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That was the last time we saw her. We never saw her again,

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we're not entirely sure what happened,

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but the carrion crow sneakily came back about 20 minutes later

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-and he did eat the eggs.

-Oh, really?

-An unsuccessful nest attempt.

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-Do you try to stop this?

-Not at all.

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We want to basically not interfere

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with nature here.

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We want to showcase nature in a natural way and not interfere,

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but we want to observe and monitor it and interpret what we see

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and find to the general public.

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'Although Mike wouldn't interfere with nature,

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'he does want to monitor how the birds are doing.'

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'At this city golf course,

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'the team is ringing newborn chicks and I've come to see how it works.'

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Giles is our chief climber.

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And Alan, he is our ringer, very experienced ringer.

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So what's the plan here?

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The plan is now for Giles to climb the tree

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and lower down the chicks in a bag for Alan to ring.

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Alan will take some key measurements from the chicks and then ring them.

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'This is the nest we're interested in -

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'25 feet up in a tree and very much out of bounds.'

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'A short way into the rough and we arrive at the base of the tree.'

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'And after a few adjustments to his safety gear,...'

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-So is that you ready to go, Giles?

-Yeah, that's me kitted up.

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'..Giles can now begin the big climb to retrieve the chicks.'

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'He works quickly to reduce stress for the youngsters and the parents,

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'who'll want to return to the nest.'

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How are you doing, Giles? Can you see into the nest yet?

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There's two chicks here.

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'He's used to the pressure -

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'within a few minutes, the chicks are lowered down to the ground.'

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They laid a clutch of four here

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and only two of them have hatched

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out of the clutch of four.

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They're still small, which is interesting.

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Oh, look!

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They still look pretty young. They haven't really developed

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any body feathers. So I'd estimate these chicks are ten days old.

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-Would you agree, Alan?

-I would think so.

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Aren't they fantastic?

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He doesn't look scared, he looks like he has attitude

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-in those eyes.

-He does, yeah.

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You can see... Well, we think

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this one is probably a female.

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'A few measurements are taken and then it's time to attach the rings.

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'Each one has a unique number

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'which will allow the bird to be tracked throughout its life.'

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Why are we doing this ringing?

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-What do you hope to learn?

-By ringing sparrowhawk chicks

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and other birds' chicks, you can get good information on the survival

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of the young

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and the dispersal of young as well.

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Now we take the weight. That also gives us an indication of the sex.

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171.

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-171. That weight would indicate that we have a female.

-Males that size

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would be virtually fully grown.

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The average weight of an adult male is about 150 grams -

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these are already greater than that.

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So how long before

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she's flying and potentially catching birds for herself?

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In another 20, 25 days, this bird will start

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branching - they branch out of the nest.

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They essentially walk out the nest,

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start flapping their wings

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and then in three or four days, they take their first flight.

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'But now it's time for these two to be taken home.'

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So we probably shouldn't leave them

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too much longer. They'll need another feed as well.

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Well, gonna say goodbye to you.

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'And, after being popped swiftly back into their travel bags,...'

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OK, Giles!

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'..it's back to bed for these baby birds.'

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Well, it's time to leave the chicks

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up there in their penthouse flat overlooking Edinburgh

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and, in a few weeks, they'll be able to fly over the city themselves.

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'Still to come - fears grow for a cat trapped

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'and abandoned in an empty house.'

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There are scratch marks on the letterbox -

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I suspect there isn't much food and water left inside.

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Spring is a boom time for wildlife.

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But it's also when rescue centres are inundated with casualties.

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At one Lincolnshire centre, they're used to dealing with the rush,

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but that doesn't mean it can't come without unexpected challenges.

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'From outside, this semi-detached house

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'looks like many others.'

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'But, for the past 22 years,

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'owner Ali Townsend has been running Weirdfield Wildlife Hospital

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'from her back garden in Lincoln.'

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'Every year, more than 2,000 wild animals of all kinds

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'are nursed back to health by Ali and her team of volunteers.'

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'Feeding wild animals like this feller requires a trained hand

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'and plenty of patience too.'

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This is one of two squirrels

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that came in about three days ago

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and we needed to start them on some milk supplement

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and get them under some heat, which we've done.

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As you can see now,

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they are readily taking milk

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and, with all babies, we want their hands to be free.

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In the wild, they would be pounding on mum's tum to get the milk out.

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'At six weeks old, this squirrel needs feeding every two hours.'

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'But there are also

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'smaller orphan squirrels here

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'whose feeding is a more delicate and lengthy process.'

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These are much, much smaller.

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They've only opened their eyes today,

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but as you can see, they've still got that instinct to survive.

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Because these are so tiny, we have to go very slowly.

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These will run out of energy and get very, very tired,

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so we tend to give them a little bit, let them have a rest.

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But this one's quite hungry today.

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We'll hand-feed these squirrels

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probably for the next three weeks

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and then start to wean them.

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And that'll probably start with an egg-biscuit food that's made up

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with the milk they drink now and then they'll go outside in an aviary

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to ensure they can grow

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and jump and land safely and doing all the things squirrels should do.

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'Ali's next young, hungry customers

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'are a litter of fox cubs.'

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These cubs are fed on a supplement milk which is quite high in fat,

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so hopefully it mimics the amount of fat that mum's got in her milk.

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And we make sure it's always warm

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because if it was coming out of mum, it would be warm as well.

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If they're not taking well,

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we need to warm it up a little bit more.

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'The team checks every animal is putting on enough weight

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'on a daily basis.'

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Yesterday he weighed about 333 and today he weighs 361,

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so that's a sensible gain - about 30 grams a day. I'm pleased with that,

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he's doing very well.

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'It will be months

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'before any of these animals have grown strong enough to be released.'

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'But, on the other side of the centre,

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'Ali needs to assess whether another resident

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'IS well enough yet to be returned to the wild.'

0:21:030:21:08

When he came in, he'd crash-landed on a wet road

0:21:080:21:11

and was unable to use his legs.

0:21:110:21:13

And we worked out if we gave him some physio and exercise,

0:21:130:21:17

he would do very well.

0:21:170:21:19

This morning, he's been outside to see how he gets on.

0:21:190:21:22

He is a bit wobbly still,

0:21:220:21:24

still looks like he's had too much to drink,

0:21:240:21:27

he's had some exercise,

0:21:270:21:29

but later, he's going to go onto the water.

0:21:290:21:33

'But before he tests his water wings,

0:21:330:21:36

'Ali needs to assess his sea legs.'

0:21:360:21:39

-HE SNORTS

-When we want to use some exercise on their legs,

0:21:390:21:43

we tend to sort of bounce them to see how much weight they're taking

0:21:430:21:48

and as you can see, he's resisting quite nicely.

0:21:480:21:52

When we first started this, he would just drop onto the floor

0:21:520:21:56

and he wouldn't hold any weight at all.

0:21:560:22:00

But he is taking quite a lot of weight now

0:22:000:22:03

and bouncing works wonders really.

0:22:030:22:06

'Like all the wild animals at Weirfield, it's crucial for Ali

0:22:070:22:11

'that this swan still rejects human contact.'

0:22:110:22:14

It's good he's getting aggressive with us, trying to eat me,

0:22:140:22:18

because that's proving that he is feeling better in himself

0:22:180:22:22

and he doesn't like me holding him,

0:22:220:22:25

which is also a good sign, he doesn't want to be handled.

0:22:250:22:29

He's quite thin, so we'll get him built up a little bit.

0:22:290:22:34

'Ali's also anxious about another potential problem

0:22:340:22:38

'which could prevent the swan from being released back into the wild.'

0:22:380:22:42

We're looking to see how waterproof he is.

0:22:420:22:46

He looks quite lively, he's splashing around nicely,

0:22:460:22:50

he's having a drink, which is a good sign,

0:22:500:22:53

but we do need to watch that he is waterproof

0:22:530:22:56

and that he doesn't roll over in the water and drown.

0:22:560:23:00

If he's not waterproof, that is possible.

0:23:000:23:03

'At first, he looks like he's coping well, but when he's on dry land,

0:23:030:23:08

'Ali's experienced eye detects a problem.'

0:23:080:23:11

As you can see, the way the water's dripping off him,

0:23:110:23:14

he isn't very waterproofed,

0:23:140:23:17

whereas the swan at the back - the water's rolled off him

0:23:170:23:22

and he has got very soaked and wet.

0:23:220:23:25

So he's not as waterproofed as we'd like,

0:23:250:23:28

so we'll take him back in,

0:23:280:23:31

get him dry and try again tomorrow.

0:23:310:23:33

And he will start preening, like he is now,

0:23:330:23:37

which will bring the oils back.

0:23:370:23:39

I think this one's going to take some time to recover.

0:23:390:23:43

'Still to come - it's testing time for the swan - and Ali.'

0:23:520:23:58

This can either go very easily or it can be extremely difficult.

0:23:580:24:03

When our pets are injured or ill,

0:24:050:24:08

vets are called upon to deal with problems of all shapes and sizes.

0:24:080:24:12

Earlier, we saw how a schnauzer called Flint

0:24:120:24:15

came to the RSPCA animal hospital in Manchester

0:24:150:24:19

after being hit by a car.

0:24:190:24:21

Vets are now seeing whether they can save Flint's injured leg.

0:24:210:24:27

'It's now 24 hours since Flint's serious accident.'

0:24:340:24:39

OK, it's all right.

0:24:390:24:42

'Now vet Rachel Watkinson wants to assess the damge to his leg.'

0:24:420:24:47

Flint has been on fluids for four hours, on the drip,

0:24:470:24:50

and he's looking relatively bright,

0:24:500:24:53

so we're going to assess the injury he's got to the forelimb.

0:24:530:24:57

We'll try and remove the dressing

0:24:570:25:00

with him awake first so we can see how he's using the leg,

0:25:000:25:04

so we can see how bad the damage is

0:25:040:25:07

and whether we're likely to see anything on X-ray.

0:25:070:25:10

'If at all possible, the priority is to save Flint's leg.'

0:25:100:25:14

Good boy. HE SNUFFLES All right, all right.

0:25:140:25:18

'But, as the dressing comes off, it's clear that Flint

0:25:180:25:22

'is in some pain.'

0:25:220:25:25

HE YELPS

0:25:250:25:27

Good boy!

0:25:280:25:30

'Early indications aren't good.'

0:25:300:25:32

I don't like the way that leg moves.

0:25:320:25:35

'Every movement of the leg is causing Flint pain,

0:25:350:25:39

'so Rachel changes strategy.'

0:25:390:25:41

DOG GROANS That's as far as I'm going to take this dressing.

0:25:410:25:45

The way the leg is moving, there may be some bone damage,

0:25:450:25:49

so we're going to sedate him and carry on the examination.

0:25:490:25:54

'With Flint asleep, Rachel can get to grips with the injury

0:25:540:25:58

'and her fears are confirmed.'

0:25:580:26:00

See how it's moving from side to side,

0:26:000:26:04

so it's very likely we've got a couple of breaks,

0:26:040:26:07

or at least one break, in the two bones of the forearm.

0:26:070:26:12

We'll have to look on an X-ray to determine the level of damage.

0:26:120:26:16

'And the forearm might not be the only problem.'

0:26:160:26:19

The paw is swollen here

0:26:190:26:21

so we need to be careful

0:26:210:26:23

he hasn't got fractures to the bones of the toes as well.

0:26:230:26:27

I can't feel anything obvious, but we'll see those on X-ray as well.

0:26:270:26:32

'It's a crucial time. The X-rays will hopefully reveal

0:26:350:26:39

'exactly what's wrong with his leg.'

0:26:390:26:41

'It's not long before Rachel can see why he's in so much pain.'

0:26:410:26:46

A nasty break in the forearm

0:26:460:26:48

and it's clear to see the break in the radius.

0:26:480:26:52

'The second X-ray paints a more graphic picture of the damage.'

0:26:520:26:57

We've got a complete break, but also the bones are displaced,

0:26:570:27:01

they're not sitting with the ends next to each other.

0:27:010:27:04

'An injury this serious might be beyond the help of the vets

0:27:040:27:10

'and Flint could be looking at an amputation.'

0:27:100:27:13

The main problem is trying to get these bones together again

0:27:130:27:18

so they have any chance of healing.

0:27:180:27:20

'All Rachel can do is cross her fingers.'

0:27:200:27:23

'They can't put a cast on until the wounds have healed,

0:27:230:27:28

'so they put Flint in a splint

0:27:280:27:30

'and hope for the best.'

0:27:300:27:32

It is a nasty break and not an ideal situation for Flint,

0:27:320:27:36

but we'll have to do what we can to salvage the limb.

0:27:360:27:40

'They hope they can save Flint's leg,

0:27:400:27:42

'but for now he faces an uncertain future.'

0:27:420:27:47

'It's two weeks later and Flint's owner, Paula Jones,

0:27:500:27:54

'brings him back to the vets so they can see how his leg is healing.'

0:27:540:28:00

He was a bit quiet the first few days,

0:28:000:28:03

but he's back to his normal self now. He's got used to it,

0:28:030:28:07

he just hobbles along and sounds like a peg leg on the floor.

0:28:070:28:12

'Today, vet Andy Gibson will assess Flint's injuries

0:28:120:28:16

'and will decide whether the limb can be saved.'

0:28:160:28:20

If the fracture's still very unstable, two weeks down the line,

0:28:230:28:27

then,... it's not really good news.

0:28:270:28:31

But we'll take another X-ray to compare with two weeks ago

0:28:310:28:36

and make our decision from there.

0:28:360:28:39

'Flint gets a sedative before Andy starts to remove the splint

0:28:410:28:45

'from the leg.'

0:28:450:28:47

We don't want to move the fracture site more than necessary

0:28:470:28:52

because it won't be completely stable.

0:28:520:28:56

'The wounds at least are in much better shape.'

0:28:560:28:59

'But an X-ray will offer a clear image of the injuries and only then

0:29:020:29:06

'can the team decide the best course of action.'

0:29:060:29:10

'It's now nearly three months later

0:29:120:29:15

'and Flint's going for a walk with Paula and the rest of the family.'

0:29:150:29:21

'After weeks of hoping Flint's leg would heal,

0:29:210:29:25

'Paula took the hard decision to have it removed.'

0:29:250:29:29

Flint was getting really depressed,

0:29:290:29:32

just going out for a wee, chewing on the plaster -

0:29:320:29:35

wasn't socialising with us or anything.

0:29:350:29:38

I said to the vet "He's not himself" -

0:29:380:29:41

that's when we made the decision to have his leg amputated.

0:29:410:29:45

'But far from being a problem, Flint has got used to life on three legs

0:29:450:29:51

'and now there's no holding him back.'

0:29:510:29:54

As the weeks went by,

0:29:540:29:56

we all got more used to it and now we don't treat him any different.

0:29:560:30:01

He's up and down the stairs like a rocket, chases the kids,

0:30:010:30:05

he's just back to normal as if he has got four legs.

0:30:050:30:10

In tough economic times when money's in short supply,

0:30:180:30:22

it's often our pets that can be the first to suffer.

0:30:220:30:26

In 2009, more than 21,000 pets were abandoned by their owners

0:30:260:30:31

and left to fend for themselves.

0:30:310:30:33

That's an increase of six per cent on the previous year.

0:30:330:30:37

When cases like that do occur, it's often down to the RSPCA

0:30:370:30:41

to step in and save lives.

0:30:410:30:44

'Hull in East Yorkshire.'

0:30:470:30:50

'RSPCA Inspector Sarah Keith is responding to a neighbour's call

0:30:510:30:55

'that a cat has been locked in a house for the past three days.'

0:30:550:31:00

'And it's feared it has no food or water.'

0:31:000:31:04

CAT MEWLS This property that I sealed up on Friday,

0:31:040:31:08

there's a cat inside, a neighbour is feeding it through the letterbox,

0:31:080:31:14

these seals have been checked

0:31:140:31:16

and nobody's been in or out of the property.

0:31:160:31:19

It's difficult to assess the cat's condition

0:31:190:31:23

because it's just crying.

0:31:230:31:25

It looks in reasonable condition, there's a few piles of faeces.

0:31:250:31:30

'Now that it's been three days,

0:31:300:31:33

'Sarah is going to get the cat out of the house.'

0:31:330:31:36

'But she can't do it alone.'

0:31:360:31:38

'She begins by trying to find the owner of the rented property.'

0:31:380:31:43

Hi, I'm just wondering about a property in Hull.

0:31:430:31:47

I'm calling from the RSPCA, we need to find the housing association.

0:31:470:31:52

If I give you the address, can you tell me who I need to speak to?

0:31:520:31:56

'And she calls for help from the police.'

0:31:560:32:01

I need police assistance with a property in Hull.

0:32:010:32:05

We need the police on a job like this

0:32:050:32:07

because we have no power of entry or seizure.

0:32:070:32:10

Even if the housing association allows us into the property,

0:32:100:32:15

we can't remove the animal without permission or a police presence.

0:32:150:32:20

'As she waits, she contacts a vet

0:32:200:32:23

'to get a certificate saying the cat's welfare is at risk.'

0:32:230:32:29

'That will allow her to take the cat without the owner's consent.'

0:32:290:32:33

This sort of thing shouldn't happen. People, because it's a cat, think

0:32:330:32:38

"They can look after themselves",

0:32:380:32:41

but for nobody to check on it for a few days,

0:32:410:32:44

it could get ill or trapped -

0:32:440:32:46

they should be checked at least once every 24 hours.

0:32:460:32:50

The cat knows it's getting fed through the letterbox,

0:32:500:32:55

there are loads of scratch marks on the letterbox,

0:32:550:32:59

so I suspect there isn't a lot of food and water left in the house.

0:32:590:33:03

'The police turn up

0:33:030:33:06

'and then property manager Kerry Whitehead arrives.'

0:33:060:33:11

I can call our property-maintenance team and see if they can gain entry.

0:33:110:33:15

-That'd cause less damage to the door.

-OK.

0:33:150:33:19

'She offers to get the joiner to take the lock off the door,

0:33:190:33:24

'rather than have it broken down by the police.'

0:33:240:33:28

It's still on the window ledge!

0:33:280:33:31

'After being imprisoned inside the house for three days,

0:33:310:33:35

'the cat's clearly desperate to get out.'

0:33:350:33:39

Right, we're in.

0:33:390:33:41

'Sarah's anxious to check whether the cat's been left alone.'

0:33:410:33:46

No, no, not coming out. Staying in.

0:33:460:33:49

'But no-one's at home.'

0:33:490:33:51

Hello! RSPCA!

0:33:530:33:56

'Getting inside the house has been a struggle, but now there's another.'

0:33:560:34:01

Can someone open that? Quickly!

0:34:010:34:04

'After being confined for so long,

0:34:040:34:07

'a small cage is clearly the last place he wants to end up.'

0:34:070:34:11

Ow.

0:34:110:34:13

'With the cat finally in the basket,

0:34:130:34:16

'Sarah wants to assess how it's managed to survive.'

0:34:160:34:20

'There are signs that some food was left for him, but no water.'

0:34:200:34:24

There's a tiny bowl

0:34:240:34:26

that may or may not have had water in it at some point.

0:34:260:34:30

The toilet is full of excrement, so it couldn't drink there.

0:34:300:34:34

There's no access to any water. And it's very skinny.

0:34:340:34:38

'Sarah then gathers evidence for a possible prosecution

0:34:400:34:45

'and leaves a note for the owner to tell them she has seized the cat.'

0:34:450:34:50

I've left a property receipt and an abandonment notice

0:34:500:34:54

for when the owner comes back

0:34:540:34:56

to say that we've got his cat.

0:34:560:34:58

'Sarah's now named the cat Bec

0:34:580:35:02

'and her next priority is to take him for an urgent checkup.'

0:35:020:35:06

'John Levison is immediately concerned about its thin condition.'

0:35:080:35:13

Hi, sweetheart. He's got quite a thick coat,

0:35:130:35:16

but even from a distance, you can see his pelvic bones.

0:35:160:35:20

If you put your hand in there,

0:35:200:35:23

I'm onto bone,

0:35:230:35:25

the transverse processes of his spine.

0:35:250:35:29

So we class them from fat, just nice, thin to emaciated.

0:35:290:35:33

This chap's emaciated.

0:35:330:35:35

'John's next job is to establish just how thin Bec is.'

0:35:350:35:40

5.6.

0:35:400:35:42

'After taking the weight of the cage into account,

0:35:420:35:47

'John makes a shocking discovery.'

0:35:470:35:49

He's 3.05 kilograms. OK?

0:35:490:35:52

I would expect this cat to be, what, 5.5 kilos?

0:35:520:35:56

'After being stranded alone with little food for the last week,

0:35:560:36:00

'John's astonished to see how Bec responds to a free meal.'

0:36:000:36:06

I think you'd describe it as a voracious appetite.

0:36:060:36:10

There aren't many cats that eat like that. Starving.

0:36:100:36:13

'For Sarah, this case of neglect is totally unnecessary.'

0:36:130:36:20

It makes me angry

0:36:200:36:22

when I see a cat eat like that

0:36:220:36:24

cos cats don't eat like that. They pick. A cat, given the opportunity,

0:36:240:36:30

will eat eight times a day.

0:36:300:36:32

They don't want to wolf an entire meal like that.

0:36:320:36:35

From what the neighbours say, it's a regular thing, this person

0:36:350:36:40

leaves this cat unattended for long periods.

0:36:400:36:44

'Bec's owner couldn't be traced,

0:36:440:36:46

'so later he was taken to the RSPCA's animal home in Hull

0:36:460:36:50

'from where he'll be found a new home.'

0:36:500:36:53

Now we're heading back to Weirfield Wildlife Hospital in Lincoln.

0:36:550:37:00

Earlier, we saw founder Ali Townsend dealing with an influx of casualties

0:37:000:37:05

including baby squirrels and a swan.

0:37:050:37:08

But now there are some new arrivals which demand immediate attention.

0:37:080:37:13

'At the height of the spring breeding season,

0:37:180:37:21

'staff at Weirfield are run off their feet.'

0:37:210:37:24

'Today, Ali's dealing with a particularly sad case.'

0:37:240:37:28

These cubs came in last night.

0:37:280:37:30

Somebody was doing some building work and the digger killed the mum.

0:37:300:37:35

There were four alive cubs and one that was very poorly

0:37:350:37:39

and died on its way here,

0:37:390:37:41

so these four are very, very frightened,

0:37:410:37:45

very, very subdued.

0:37:450:37:47

They don't like noise or being here,

0:37:470:37:50

so we've decided that the best thing for them

0:37:500:37:53

is to put them outside in one of the aviaries.

0:37:530:37:57

They've eaten a bit, but not enough. There's too much stress in here.

0:37:570:38:01

'Before moving them to an outside pen,

0:38:010:38:05

'Ali gives them a health check.'

0:38:050:38:08

They look quite well in themselves.

0:38:080:38:10

They've got a good set of teeth.

0:38:100:38:12

And the skin looks good.

0:38:120:38:15

I'm happy for this one to go outside.

0:38:150:38:18

'With 22 years' experience

0:38:180:38:20

'dealing with wild animals, Ali knows

0:38:200:38:23

'it's the hidden factors which can prove fatal.'

0:38:230:38:27

Stress can be a killer, so we want to make it as stress-free as we can.

0:38:270:38:33

We've checked all four over,

0:38:330:38:35

there's no injuries to them.

0:38:350:38:38

Although they are very subdued, I think that will subside

0:38:380:38:43

once we get them out into somewhere that's quieter.

0:38:430:38:46

'They need food that reflects what their mother would've brought them.'

0:38:460:38:51

We need to keep their food as natural as possible.

0:38:510:38:55

We have roadkill bunnies brought in, so we will be feeding them those.

0:38:550:39:00

If something here doesn't survive and it's something foxes would eat,

0:39:000:39:05

we will feed it to them because that's their natural food.

0:39:050:39:09

But at this minute, the only thing we've got is the dead chicks.

0:39:090:39:13

So we just put those at the side.

0:39:130:39:15

'After all the trauma of the past few days,

0:39:150:39:19

'Ali thinks they'll be able to help these cubs have a brighter future.'

0:39:190:39:24

So now we just want them to grow, erm,

0:39:240:39:28

and basically stay wild.

0:39:280:39:31

If they do that, in a couple or three months,

0:39:310:39:34

we'll probably be able to release them successfully.

0:39:340:39:37

'Earlier, we saw how a young swan

0:39:430:39:46

'was being nursed back to health after injuring his legs

0:39:460:39:49

'in a crash-landing on a wet road.'

0:39:490:39:52

'Five weeks on, the swan is recovering well.'

0:39:530:39:57

Once he started eating properly

0:39:570:39:59

and gaining weight, he did recover.

0:39:590:40:01

His unbalanced stature

0:40:010:40:04

was a bit slow, but he's now much better on his feet

0:40:040:40:08

and he is swimming well.

0:40:080:40:10

He's had a busy morning, so he's now having a rest.

0:40:100:40:14

This can either go very easily or it can be extremely difficult.

0:40:140:40:18

'Catching swans can be tricky,

0:40:180:40:21

'but Ali's encouraged by his putting up a fight.'

0:40:210:40:24

'It's a sign that he's ready to be released.'

0:40:240:40:27

This is the original bird that came in,

0:40:270:40:31

that was very unsteady on his feet,

0:40:310:40:33

extremely unhappy,

0:40:330:40:35

was very light in his weight and was unable to stand up.

0:40:350:40:39

There's a big difference.

0:40:390:40:41

He looks loads better. Doesn't want to be handled

0:40:410:40:44

and that's a good sign.

0:40:440:40:46

If they don't want to be handled,

0:40:460:40:48

they're fit, they want to go back.

0:40:480:40:51

He's got shiny eyes, he's been eating well

0:40:510:40:54

and he's a lot better than he was.

0:40:540:40:57

I'm happy that this one goes back.

0:40:570:41:00

'Ali puts the swan into a special bag so he can be transported

0:41:000:41:04

'to the release site.'

0:41:040:41:06

'He'll be joining two others who are also ready to go back to the wild.'

0:41:080:41:14

'But their new home won't be some rural retreat -

0:41:140:41:18

'they're heading for a waterway in Lincoln city centre

0:41:180:41:21

'which has a large swan population.'

0:41:210:41:24

This is our Brayford Pool and it's common ground for the swans.

0:41:240:41:30

There is no territories, no issues on "This is my bit of the lake",

0:41:300:41:35

so we can actually safely release the birds here

0:41:350:41:39

and they can find their own way.

0:41:390:41:41

It's big enough that they can take off

0:41:410:41:45

and go where they want to be if they choose not to stay.

0:41:450:41:49

'After five weeks of care from Ali and her staff at Weirfield,

0:41:500:41:55

'this swan is clearly eager to get back on the water.'

0:41:550:41:59

'And so are his two friends!'

0:42:010:42:04

'All in all, it's a rewarding result for Ali.'

0:42:040:42:08

This is one of the best parts of a rehabilitator's job.

0:42:080:42:11

The birds come in

0:42:110:42:14

looking poorly, then we nurse them back to health

0:42:140:42:17

and then get the advantage

0:42:170:42:19

of being able to bring them here and take them for release.

0:42:190:42:23

That's what we do. That's what we're here for.

0:42:230:42:27

If you know of a case of wildlife crime

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or a creature that needs protection,

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there are dedicated professionals out there around the clock.

0:42:410:42:46

They are the people we meet on Animal 24:7.

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