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Britain's animals are under threat. All too often, our wildlife | 0:00:02 | 0:00:06 | |
and pets are the victims of cruelty, | 0:00:06 | 0:00:09 | |
persecution and neglect. | 0:00:09 | 0:00:11 | |
Fighting to save them is a band of people | 0:00:11 | 0:00:14 | |
trying to protect and care for them around the clock. | 0:00:14 | 0:00:18 | |
This is Animal 24:7. | 0:00:18 | 0:00:20 | |
'Today on Animal 24:7 - | 0:00:34 | 0:00:37 | |
'Flint faces a desperate battle to save his leg,...' | 0:00:37 | 0:00:40 | |
The main concern is the injury | 0:00:40 | 0:00:43 | |
to his front right leg here. | 0:00:43 | 0:00:45 | |
We may be looking at limb amputation. | 0:00:45 | 0:00:48 | |
'..the precarious mission to return an injured swan to the wild...' | 0:00:48 | 0:00:53 | |
We need to watch that he is waterproof | 0:00:53 | 0:00:56 | |
and that he doesn't roll over in the water and drown. | 0:00:56 | 0:01:00 | |
'..and I meet one of Britain's most controversial birds of prey.' | 0:01:00 | 0:01:06 | |
He doesn't actually look scared. There's attitude in those eyes. | 0:01:06 | 0:01:11 | |
When our pets have accidents, it usually means a trip to the vet. | 0:01:16 | 0:01:20 | |
The RSPCA operate four animal hospitals around the UK | 0:01:20 | 0:01:24 | |
and the busiest is in Manchester. | 0:01:24 | 0:01:26 | |
There they take in around 30,000 animals every year | 0:01:26 | 0:01:30 | |
and the vets are used to dealing with every kind of emergency. | 0:01:30 | 0:01:34 | |
'9.15 on a Monday morning | 0:01:40 | 0:01:42 | |
'and the waiting room at Manchester's animal hospital | 0:01:42 | 0:01:45 | |
'is full of new patients.' | 0:01:45 | 0:01:48 | |
'Among the dogs awaiting treatment is two-year-old Flint, | 0:01:48 | 0:01:52 | |
'a schnauzer who's been the victim of a road-traffic accident.' | 0:01:52 | 0:01:56 | |
Miss Jones with Flint. | 0:01:56 | 0:01:58 | |
'Vet Andy Gibson's first priority is to check with owner Paula Jones | 0:01:58 | 0:02:03 | |
'about how Flint suffered his injuries.' | 0:02:03 | 0:02:06 | |
Explain to me what's happened, then. | 0:02:06 | 0:02:09 | |
It happened last night. Sees a cat across the road, runs across, | 0:02:09 | 0:02:14 | |
a car really hit his shoulder | 0:02:14 | 0:02:17 | |
and just sent his arm right round, so it was right near his head. | 0:02:17 | 0:02:23 | |
'Flint immediately saw an emergency vet for an initial assessment.' | 0:02:23 | 0:02:27 | |
He's quite tense there. | 0:02:29 | 0:02:31 | |
'Paula's brought him in to establish the full extent of his injuries.' | 0:02:31 | 0:02:36 | |
-Did he lose consciousness at any point? -No. | 0:02:36 | 0:02:39 | |
He was just screaming, so we took him into the house, | 0:02:39 | 0:02:43 | |
got him on a blanket and took him... | 0:02:43 | 0:02:46 | |
You went straight to the emergency vet. | 0:02:46 | 0:02:49 | |
'Andy knows that a high-speed impact | 0:02:49 | 0:02:52 | |
'could cause internal injuries, so he examines Flint thoroughly.' | 0:02:52 | 0:02:57 | |
OK, let's have a look at him. | 0:02:57 | 0:02:59 | |
'But it's Flint's leg which is the prime focus | 0:02:59 | 0:03:03 | |
'of Andy's attention.' | 0:03:03 | 0:03:05 | |
The main concern is the injury he's got to his front right leg. | 0:03:06 | 0:03:11 | |
There was a minor wound on the notes | 0:03:11 | 0:03:14 | |
and they were concerned about a leg fracture, | 0:03:14 | 0:03:17 | |
so he's stable at the moment, his heart's nice and slow | 0:03:17 | 0:03:21 | |
and he seems OK mentally, so we'll admit him to the hospital | 0:03:21 | 0:03:26 | |
and get him on some more pain relief | 0:03:26 | 0:03:29 | |
and fluids and then we'll sedate him | 0:03:29 | 0:03:31 | |
and take an X-ray of that leg and look at what's going on there. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:36 | |
'An X-ray picture should show any major damage.' | 0:03:36 | 0:03:40 | |
'But Andy knows that if there's a break, it may not be possible | 0:03:40 | 0:03:44 | |
'to fix it.' | 0:03:44 | 0:03:47 | |
Worse-case scenario, we may be looking at limb amputation, | 0:03:47 | 0:03:51 | |
depending on the severity of the injury there. | 0:03:51 | 0:03:54 | |
'For owner Paula, it's a very worrying time.' | 0:03:54 | 0:03:59 | |
'We got him when he was six weeks old, he's a member of the family.' | 0:03:59 | 0:04:04 | |
'The kids were devastated, none of us have really slept proper.' | 0:04:04 | 0:04:09 | |
'They didn't want to go to school, they wanted to make sure he was OK.' | 0:04:09 | 0:04:14 | |
You know, when you're all worked up? I just want him sorted out. | 0:04:14 | 0:04:19 | |
Just want to know he'll be all right. | 0:04:19 | 0:04:22 | |
'While Flint is admitted, another dog is brought in to be treated - | 0:04:25 | 0:04:29 | |
'Rin has been suffering from a sore paw and his owner, | 0:04:29 | 0:04:33 | |
'Susan Jones, is worried it's infected.' | 0:04:33 | 0:04:36 | |
'Vet David Yates needs to take a closer look.' | 0:04:40 | 0:04:43 | |
-How are you doing? -Two weeks ago, she hurt her paw, | 0:04:43 | 0:04:48 | |
so I took her to the other veterinary surgery that you have | 0:04:48 | 0:04:53 | |
and she was given antibiotics. | 0:04:53 | 0:04:55 | |
The paw is still swelling up and pus is coming out | 0:04:55 | 0:04:59 | |
so I took her back this morning | 0:04:59 | 0:05:02 | |
and the vet said she thought she could feel something in the paw | 0:05:02 | 0:05:06 | |
and she thinks it's gone back in. | 0:05:06 | 0:05:08 | |
'The other surgery couldn't X-ray Rin's paw, so Susan's come here, | 0:05:08 | 0:05:14 | |
'hoping to get answers.' | 0:05:14 | 0:05:16 | |
Do you want me to lift Rin up? No? | 0:05:16 | 0:05:19 | |
Did she say what it looked like? | 0:05:19 | 0:05:21 | |
No. She said she thought she felt something, | 0:05:21 | 0:05:24 | |
she's not absolutely sure. | 0:05:24 | 0:05:26 | |
-Can you pull Rin's head in towards you? -Yeah. | 0:05:26 | 0:05:30 | |
It's on the front paw. | 0:05:30 | 0:05:32 | |
'So now David wants to take a closer look | 0:05:32 | 0:05:36 | |
'to check that nothing else is lurking inside.' | 0:05:36 | 0:05:39 | |
It's very swollen. | 0:05:39 | 0:05:41 | |
-It is, yeah. -We've got a swelling which has actually burst | 0:05:41 | 0:05:46 | |
between these two digits. | 0:05:46 | 0:05:48 | |
Because we've got an open, discharging wound | 0:05:48 | 0:05:51 | |
we need to sedate your dog to look inside and X-ray | 0:05:51 | 0:05:55 | |
to make sure we're not missing anything. | 0:05:55 | 0:05:58 | |
It can be pieces of glass or thorns that can get embedded. | 0:05:58 | 0:06:01 | |
'The paw's very swollen and David doesn't want to hurt Rin further.' | 0:06:04 | 0:06:09 | |
Pull her in tight towards you. | 0:06:09 | 0:06:12 | |
'He gives him an injection to send Rin to sleep.' | 0:06:12 | 0:06:15 | |
It stings, so I'll be quick. OK. | 0:06:15 | 0:06:18 | |
'In a few moments, | 0:06:18 | 0:06:21 | |
'Rin will be asleep and won't feel a thing.' | 0:06:21 | 0:06:25 | |
I'm hoping that if there is something in her foot, they find it, | 0:06:25 | 0:06:29 | |
then the paw can heal. | 0:06:29 | 0:06:32 | |
At the moment, it just keeps producing pus, | 0:06:32 | 0:06:36 | |
so until that stops, | 0:06:36 | 0:06:38 | |
it's not going to dry up and it's not going to heal. | 0:06:38 | 0:06:41 | |
'With Rin dozing away, | 0:06:41 | 0:06:43 | |
'David can get a look at what's causing the swelling.' | 0:06:43 | 0:06:47 | |
'And immediately, he spots something tucked inside the fur.' | 0:06:47 | 0:06:53 | |
A twig or something? | 0:06:57 | 0:06:59 | |
It's a splinter of wood. | 0:07:00 | 0:07:03 | |
I think I'd like to still take the X-ray. | 0:07:03 | 0:07:06 | |
These abscesses, when they burst, they can bring the material out, | 0:07:06 | 0:07:11 | |
but I want to get all the fragments, | 0:07:11 | 0:07:14 | |
so we're going to take an X-ray just to be on the safe side. | 0:07:14 | 0:07:19 | |
'It appears the problem was just a splinter, but David knows | 0:07:19 | 0:07:24 | |
'this may not be the whole story.' | 0:07:24 | 0:07:26 | |
It's not uncommon to get abscesses in the feet. | 0:07:26 | 0:07:30 | |
What is unusual is to find what's causing it. | 0:07:30 | 0:07:34 | |
A lot of the time, the foreign material comes out with the pus. | 0:07:34 | 0:07:38 | |
'Now Rin is undergoing an X-ray to make sure | 0:07:40 | 0:07:43 | |
'there's nothing else inside.' | 0:07:43 | 0:07:46 | |
What we can see | 0:07:46 | 0:07:48 | |
are the four digits, the four "fingers" | 0:07:48 | 0:07:51 | |
and the main pad. I can't see any foreign material, | 0:07:51 | 0:07:55 | |
I can't see any wood or splinters still in there. | 0:07:55 | 0:07:58 | |
'After a couple of anxious hours, it's good news | 0:07:58 | 0:08:02 | |
'for Rin's owner - she just needs advice on how to clean the wound.' | 0:08:02 | 0:08:07 | |
So what I'd like you to do at home is bathe the foot in saltwater. | 0:08:07 | 0:08:12 | |
Get a cup, put a teaspoon of salt in and stand the foot in. | 0:08:12 | 0:08:16 | |
Don't squeeze too much because things can go up as well as down. | 0:08:16 | 0:08:20 | |
-Just bathe, antibiotics, and we'll see you in a few days. -Smashing. | 0:08:20 | 0:08:25 | |
'Once Rin wakes up, | 0:08:25 | 0:08:27 | |
'it's time to step gingerly home.' | 0:08:27 | 0:08:31 | |
A tiny piece of wood did so much damage. | 0:08:33 | 0:08:36 | |
I'm happy! SHE LAUGHS | 0:08:36 | 0:08:38 | |
I'm sure me son'll be happy too cos it is his dog. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:43 | |
He's only 14. He'll be able to take him for walks again soon. | 0:08:43 | 0:08:48 | |
'Still to come - the vets face an uphill struggle | 0:08:56 | 0:09:00 | |
'to save Flint's leg...' | 0:09:00 | 0:09:02 | |
See how it's moving from side to side. | 0:09:02 | 0:09:06 | |
We'll have to look on an X-ray to determine the level of damage. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:11 | |
'..and the challenge of helping newborns survive their first weeks.' | 0:09:11 | 0:09:17 | |
They get very tired very quickly. That's why we use a small syringe, | 0:09:17 | 0:09:22 | |
cos we don't want to choke them. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:24 | |
Britain is a haven for wildlife, | 0:09:27 | 0:09:29 | |
though it's often hard to spot in our inner cities. | 0:09:29 | 0:09:33 | |
Today I'm in Edinburgh, searching for a controversial bird of prey | 0:09:33 | 0:09:38 | |
that even divides opinion amongst wildlife lovers. | 0:09:38 | 0:09:42 | |
'The sparrowhawk - one of the country's smallest birds of prey.' | 0:09:42 | 0:09:47 | |
'They're often spotted | 0:09:47 | 0:09:50 | |
'in our gardens looking for food and this has led to many | 0:09:50 | 0:09:54 | |
'seeing them as an enemy, | 0:09:54 | 0:09:57 | |
'blaming them for killing off our songbirds.' | 0:09:57 | 0:10:01 | |
'Now a new city-based project, | 0:10:02 | 0:10:05 | |
'headed up by Mike Thornton, | 0:10:05 | 0:10:07 | |
'is set to change all that.' | 0:10:07 | 0:10:10 | |
-Hi, you must be Mike. -I am. -I'm Tom, nice to meet you. | 0:10:10 | 0:10:14 | |
-What are we looking for in the city today? -Breeding sparrowhawks. | 0:10:14 | 0:10:17 | |
They're now breeding in Edinburgh after a population recovery | 0:10:17 | 0:10:21 | |
and they're breeding in parks, gardens, cemeteries, | 0:10:21 | 0:10:25 | |
and have become an urban predator. | 0:10:25 | 0:10:27 | |
Tell me about your project. | 0:10:27 | 0:10:29 | |
The Lothian and Borders Raptor Study Group | 0:10:29 | 0:10:32 | |
are monitoring the productivity of sparrowhawks | 0:10:32 | 0:10:36 | |
within urban green spaces in the city | 0:10:36 | 0:10:39 | |
and this is telling us | 0:10:39 | 0:10:41 | |
a lot about the quality of the biodiversity here in Edinburgh. | 0:10:41 | 0:10:46 | |
-Do you think we might see some today? -Yes, I think we will. | 0:10:46 | 0:10:50 | |
-I can take you to some nest sites. -Brilliant. Can't wait. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:54 | |
'The first stop on our tour takes us to the botanical gardens, | 0:10:54 | 0:10:59 | |
'right at the heart of the city.' | 0:10:59 | 0:11:02 | |
'A new feathered family has chosen this tourist attraction as home | 0:11:02 | 0:11:07 | |
'and now Tracey Stewart from the RSPB - | 0:11:07 | 0:11:10 | |
'plus Big Brother - are watching.' | 0:11:10 | 0:11:13 | |
Tracey, what are we looking at? | 0:11:13 | 0:11:15 | |
It's one of our fantastic sparrowhawk chicks | 0:11:15 | 0:11:18 | |
that we have nesting in the botanic gardens. | 0:11:18 | 0:11:21 | |
This is one of six chicks that we've had in this nest this year. | 0:11:21 | 0:11:27 | |
He's got bits of fluffy down left, but mostly he's all adult feathers. | 0:11:27 | 0:11:32 | |
And a second chick's come in to peck at the feathers to show you! | 0:11:32 | 0:11:36 | |
'But this watch station isn't just about pretty pictures.' | 0:11:36 | 0:11:40 | |
'It's also about trying to change public opinion.' | 0:11:40 | 0:11:44 | |
Are you saying they need good PR? Because they're blamed | 0:11:44 | 0:11:47 | |
for attacking songbirds and people don't necessarily like them. | 0:11:47 | 0:11:52 | |
Very much so. Sparrowhawks are a vilified predator | 0:11:52 | 0:11:56 | |
by many people. | 0:11:56 | 0:11:58 | |
People believe sparrowhawks are driving population decline in birds, | 0:11:58 | 0:12:03 | |
but to date there's no real and strong scientific evidence | 0:12:03 | 0:12:06 | |
which suggests they are causing these declines. | 0:12:06 | 0:12:09 | |
-Is it always scenes of domestic bliss? -Unfortunately it's not. | 0:12:09 | 0:12:14 | |
We do usually have two nesting pairs of sparrowhawks here | 0:12:14 | 0:12:18 | |
and the first live images we had | 0:12:18 | 0:12:21 | |
were of this nest here. These eggs had been there about three days | 0:12:21 | 0:12:25 | |
before we recorded some dramatic scenes which we'll see here. | 0:12:25 | 0:12:29 | |
This is actually a carrion crow, | 0:12:29 | 0:12:32 | |
trying to enter the nest. | 0:12:32 | 0:12:34 | |
-He's big, isn't he? -Yes. He has a go at those eggs, | 0:12:34 | 0:12:38 | |
but the female sparrowhawk's not about to give up. | 0:12:38 | 0:12:42 | |
Vigourously defending her eggs. | 0:12:42 | 0:12:44 | |
That was the last time we saw her. We never saw her again, | 0:12:44 | 0:12:48 | |
we're not entirely sure what happened, | 0:12:48 | 0:12:52 | |
but the carrion crow sneakily came back about 20 minutes later | 0:12:52 | 0:12:56 | |
-and he did eat the eggs. -Oh, really? -An unsuccessful nest attempt. | 0:12:56 | 0:13:01 | |
-Do you try to stop this? -Not at all. | 0:13:01 | 0:13:04 | |
We want to basically not interfere | 0:13:04 | 0:13:07 | |
with nature here. | 0:13:07 | 0:13:09 | |
We want to showcase nature in a natural way and not interfere, | 0:13:09 | 0:13:14 | |
but we want to observe and monitor it and interpret what we see | 0:13:14 | 0:13:19 | |
and find to the general public. | 0:13:19 | 0:13:21 | |
'Although Mike wouldn't interfere with nature, | 0:13:23 | 0:13:28 | |
'he does want to monitor how the birds are doing.' | 0:13:28 | 0:13:31 | |
'At this city golf course, | 0:13:31 | 0:13:34 | |
'the team is ringing newborn chicks and I've come to see how it works.' | 0:13:34 | 0:13:39 | |
Giles is our chief climber. | 0:13:39 | 0:13:41 | |
And Alan, he is our ringer, very experienced ringer. | 0:13:41 | 0:13:45 | |
So what's the plan here? | 0:13:45 | 0:13:47 | |
The plan is now for Giles to climb the tree | 0:13:47 | 0:13:50 | |
and lower down the chicks in a bag for Alan to ring. | 0:13:50 | 0:13:55 | |
Alan will take some key measurements from the chicks and then ring them. | 0:13:55 | 0:14:01 | |
'This is the nest we're interested in - | 0:14:01 | 0:14:04 | |
'25 feet up in a tree and very much out of bounds.' | 0:14:04 | 0:14:08 | |
'A short way into the rough and we arrive at the base of the tree.' | 0:14:08 | 0:14:13 | |
'And after a few adjustments to his safety gear,...' | 0:14:13 | 0:14:17 | |
-So is that you ready to go, Giles? -Yeah, that's me kitted up. | 0:14:17 | 0:14:22 | |
'..Giles can now begin the big climb to retrieve the chicks.' | 0:14:22 | 0:14:27 | |
'He works quickly to reduce stress for the youngsters and the parents, | 0:14:27 | 0:14:32 | |
'who'll want to return to the nest.' | 0:14:32 | 0:14:35 | |
How are you doing, Giles? Can you see into the nest yet? | 0:14:35 | 0:14:38 | |
There's two chicks here. | 0:14:38 | 0:14:41 | |
'He's used to the pressure - | 0:14:41 | 0:14:44 | |
'within a few minutes, the chicks are lowered down to the ground.' | 0:14:44 | 0:14:49 | |
They laid a clutch of four here | 0:14:53 | 0:14:55 | |
and only two of them have hatched | 0:14:55 | 0:14:58 | |
out of the clutch of four. | 0:14:58 | 0:15:01 | |
They're still small, which is interesting. | 0:15:01 | 0:15:04 | |
Oh, look! | 0:15:04 | 0:15:06 | |
They still look pretty young. They haven't really developed | 0:15:06 | 0:15:10 | |
any body feathers. So I'd estimate these chicks are ten days old. | 0:15:10 | 0:15:15 | |
-Would you agree, Alan? -I would think so. | 0:15:15 | 0:15:18 | |
Aren't they fantastic? | 0:15:18 | 0:15:20 | |
He doesn't look scared, he looks like he has attitude | 0:15:20 | 0:15:24 | |
-in those eyes. -He does, yeah. | 0:15:24 | 0:15:27 | |
You can see... Well, we think | 0:15:27 | 0:15:30 | |
this one is probably a female. | 0:15:30 | 0:15:32 | |
'A few measurements are taken and then it's time to attach the rings. | 0:15:33 | 0:15:38 | |
'Each one has a unique number | 0:15:38 | 0:15:41 | |
'which will allow the bird to be tracked throughout its life.' | 0:15:41 | 0:15:46 | |
Why are we doing this ringing? | 0:15:46 | 0:15:48 | |
-What do you hope to learn? -By ringing sparrowhawk chicks | 0:15:48 | 0:15:52 | |
and other birds' chicks, you can get good information on the survival | 0:15:52 | 0:15:57 | |
of the young | 0:15:57 | 0:15:59 | |
and the dispersal of young as well. | 0:15:59 | 0:16:02 | |
Now we take the weight. That also gives us an indication of the sex. | 0:16:02 | 0:16:07 | |
171. | 0:16:07 | 0:16:09 | |
-171. That weight would indicate that we have a female. -Males that size | 0:16:09 | 0:16:14 | |
would be virtually fully grown. | 0:16:14 | 0:16:16 | |
The average weight of an adult male is about 150 grams - | 0:16:16 | 0:16:20 | |
these are already greater than that. | 0:16:20 | 0:16:22 | |
So how long before | 0:16:22 | 0:16:25 | |
she's flying and potentially catching birds for herself? | 0:16:25 | 0:16:28 | |
In another 20, 25 days, this bird will start | 0:16:28 | 0:16:32 | |
branching - they branch out of the nest. | 0:16:32 | 0:16:35 | |
They essentially walk out the nest, | 0:16:35 | 0:16:37 | |
start flapping their wings | 0:16:37 | 0:16:40 | |
and then in three or four days, they take their first flight. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:43 | |
'But now it's time for these two to be taken home.' | 0:16:43 | 0:16:47 | |
So we probably shouldn't leave them | 0:16:47 | 0:16:50 | |
too much longer. They'll need another feed as well. | 0:16:50 | 0:16:54 | |
Well, gonna say goodbye to you. | 0:16:54 | 0:16:57 | |
'And, after being popped swiftly back into their travel bags,...' | 0:16:58 | 0:17:03 | |
OK, Giles! | 0:17:03 | 0:17:05 | |
'..it's back to bed for these baby birds.' | 0:17:05 | 0:17:08 | |
Well, it's time to leave the chicks | 0:17:12 | 0:17:15 | |
up there in their penthouse flat overlooking Edinburgh | 0:17:15 | 0:17:18 | |
and, in a few weeks, they'll be able to fly over the city themselves. | 0:17:18 | 0:17:24 | |
'Still to come - fears grow for a cat trapped | 0:17:28 | 0:17:32 | |
'and abandoned in an empty house.' | 0:17:32 | 0:17:35 | |
There are scratch marks on the letterbox - | 0:17:35 | 0:17:38 | |
I suspect there isn't much food and water left inside. | 0:17:38 | 0:17:42 | |
Spring is a boom time for wildlife. | 0:17:44 | 0:17:47 | |
But it's also when rescue centres are inundated with casualties. | 0:17:47 | 0:17:52 | |
At one Lincolnshire centre, they're used to dealing with the rush, | 0:17:52 | 0:17:56 | |
but that doesn't mean it can't come without unexpected challenges. | 0:17:56 | 0:18:00 | |
'From outside, this semi-detached house | 0:18:03 | 0:18:07 | |
'looks like many others.' | 0:18:07 | 0:18:09 | |
'But, for the past 22 years, | 0:18:09 | 0:18:11 | |
'owner Ali Townsend has been running Weirdfield Wildlife Hospital | 0:18:11 | 0:18:15 | |
'from her back garden in Lincoln.' | 0:18:15 | 0:18:18 | |
'Every year, more than 2,000 wild animals of all kinds | 0:18:18 | 0:18:21 | |
'are nursed back to health by Ali and her team of volunteers.' | 0:18:21 | 0:18:25 | |
'Feeding wild animals like this feller requires a trained hand | 0:18:25 | 0:18:30 | |
'and plenty of patience too.' | 0:18:30 | 0:18:33 | |
This is one of two squirrels | 0:18:33 | 0:18:35 | |
that came in about three days ago | 0:18:35 | 0:18:39 | |
and we needed to start them on some milk supplement | 0:18:39 | 0:18:43 | |
and get them under some heat, which we've done. | 0:18:43 | 0:18:46 | |
As you can see now, | 0:18:46 | 0:18:48 | |
they are readily taking milk | 0:18:48 | 0:18:51 | |
and, with all babies, we want their hands to be free. | 0:18:51 | 0:18:55 | |
In the wild, they would be pounding on mum's tum to get the milk out. | 0:18:55 | 0:19:00 | |
'At six weeks old, this squirrel needs feeding every two hours.' | 0:19:00 | 0:19:04 | |
'But there are also | 0:19:04 | 0:19:06 | |
'smaller orphan squirrels here | 0:19:06 | 0:19:08 | |
'whose feeding is a more delicate and lengthy process.' | 0:19:08 | 0:19:12 | |
These are much, much smaller. | 0:19:13 | 0:19:16 | |
They've only opened their eyes today, | 0:19:16 | 0:19:19 | |
but as you can see, they've still got that instinct to survive. | 0:19:19 | 0:19:24 | |
Because these are so tiny, we have to go very slowly. | 0:19:24 | 0:19:28 | |
These will run out of energy and get very, very tired, | 0:19:28 | 0:19:32 | |
so we tend to give them a little bit, let them have a rest. | 0:19:32 | 0:19:36 | |
But this one's quite hungry today. | 0:19:36 | 0:19:39 | |
We'll hand-feed these squirrels | 0:19:39 | 0:19:41 | |
probably for the next three weeks | 0:19:41 | 0:19:44 | |
and then start to wean them. | 0:19:44 | 0:19:47 | |
And that'll probably start with an egg-biscuit food that's made up | 0:19:47 | 0:19:52 | |
with the milk they drink now and then they'll go outside in an aviary | 0:19:52 | 0:19:56 | |
to ensure they can grow | 0:19:56 | 0:19:58 | |
and jump and land safely and doing all the things squirrels should do. | 0:19:58 | 0:20:03 | |
'Ali's next young, hungry customers | 0:20:03 | 0:20:05 | |
'are a litter of fox cubs.' | 0:20:05 | 0:20:08 | |
These cubs are fed on a supplement milk which is quite high in fat, | 0:20:08 | 0:20:13 | |
so hopefully it mimics the amount of fat that mum's got in her milk. | 0:20:13 | 0:20:18 | |
And we make sure it's always warm | 0:20:18 | 0:20:20 | |
because if it was coming out of mum, it would be warm as well. | 0:20:20 | 0:20:24 | |
If they're not taking well, | 0:20:24 | 0:20:26 | |
we need to warm it up a little bit more. | 0:20:26 | 0:20:31 | |
'The team checks every animal is putting on enough weight | 0:20:31 | 0:20:35 | |
'on a daily basis.' | 0:20:35 | 0:20:37 | |
Yesterday he weighed about 333 and today he weighs 361, | 0:20:37 | 0:20:41 | |
so that's a sensible gain - about 30 grams a day. I'm pleased with that, | 0:20:41 | 0:20:46 | |
he's doing very well. | 0:20:46 | 0:20:49 | |
'It will be months | 0:20:49 | 0:20:51 | |
'before any of these animals have grown strong enough to be released.' | 0:20:51 | 0:20:57 | |
'But, on the other side of the centre, | 0:20:57 | 0:21:00 | |
'Ali needs to assess whether another resident | 0:21:00 | 0:21:03 | |
'IS well enough yet to be returned to the wild.' | 0:21:03 | 0:21:08 | |
When he came in, he'd crash-landed on a wet road | 0:21:08 | 0:21:11 | |
and was unable to use his legs. | 0:21:11 | 0:21:13 | |
And we worked out if we gave him some physio and exercise, | 0:21:13 | 0:21:17 | |
he would do very well. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:19 | |
This morning, he's been outside to see how he gets on. | 0:21:19 | 0:21:22 | |
He is a bit wobbly still, | 0:21:22 | 0:21:24 | |
still looks like he's had too much to drink, | 0:21:24 | 0:21:27 | |
he's had some exercise, | 0:21:27 | 0:21:29 | |
but later, he's going to go onto the water. | 0:21:29 | 0:21:33 | |
'But before he tests his water wings, | 0:21:33 | 0:21:36 | |
'Ali needs to assess his sea legs.' | 0:21:36 | 0:21:39 | |
-HE SNORTS -When we want to use some exercise on their legs, | 0:21:39 | 0:21:43 | |
we tend to sort of bounce them to see how much weight they're taking | 0:21:43 | 0:21:48 | |
and as you can see, he's resisting quite nicely. | 0:21:48 | 0:21:52 | |
When we first started this, he would just drop onto the floor | 0:21:52 | 0:21:56 | |
and he wouldn't hold any weight at all. | 0:21:56 | 0:22:00 | |
But he is taking quite a lot of weight now | 0:22:00 | 0:22:03 | |
and bouncing works wonders really. | 0:22:03 | 0:22:06 | |
'Like all the wild animals at Weirfield, it's crucial for Ali | 0:22:07 | 0:22:11 | |
'that this swan still rejects human contact.' | 0:22:11 | 0:22:14 | |
It's good he's getting aggressive with us, trying to eat me, | 0:22:14 | 0:22:18 | |
because that's proving that he is feeling better in himself | 0:22:18 | 0:22:22 | |
and he doesn't like me holding him, | 0:22:22 | 0:22:25 | |
which is also a good sign, he doesn't want to be handled. | 0:22:25 | 0:22:29 | |
He's quite thin, so we'll get him built up a little bit. | 0:22:29 | 0:22:34 | |
'Ali's also anxious about another potential problem | 0:22:34 | 0:22:38 | |
'which could prevent the swan from being released back into the wild.' | 0:22:38 | 0:22:42 | |
We're looking to see how waterproof he is. | 0:22:42 | 0:22:46 | |
He looks quite lively, he's splashing around nicely, | 0:22:46 | 0:22:50 | |
he's having a drink, which is a good sign, | 0:22:50 | 0:22:53 | |
but we do need to watch that he is waterproof | 0:22:53 | 0:22:56 | |
and that he doesn't roll over in the water and drown. | 0:22:56 | 0:23:00 | |
If he's not waterproof, that is possible. | 0:23:00 | 0:23:03 | |
'At first, he looks like he's coping well, but when he's on dry land, | 0:23:03 | 0:23:08 | |
'Ali's experienced eye detects a problem.' | 0:23:08 | 0:23:11 | |
As you can see, the way the water's dripping off him, | 0:23:11 | 0:23:14 | |
he isn't very waterproofed, | 0:23:14 | 0:23:17 | |
whereas the swan at the back - the water's rolled off him | 0:23:17 | 0:23:22 | |
and he has got very soaked and wet. | 0:23:22 | 0:23:25 | |
So he's not as waterproofed as we'd like, | 0:23:25 | 0:23:28 | |
so we'll take him back in, | 0:23:28 | 0:23:31 | |
get him dry and try again tomorrow. | 0:23:31 | 0:23:33 | |
And he will start preening, like he is now, | 0:23:33 | 0:23:37 | |
which will bring the oils back. | 0:23:37 | 0:23:39 | |
I think this one's going to take some time to recover. | 0:23:39 | 0:23:43 | |
'Still to come - it's testing time for the swan - and Ali.' | 0:23:52 | 0:23:58 | |
This can either go very easily or it can be extremely difficult. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:03 | |
When our pets are injured or ill, | 0:24:05 | 0:24:08 | |
vets are called upon to deal with problems of all shapes and sizes. | 0:24:08 | 0:24:12 | |
Earlier, we saw how a schnauzer called Flint | 0:24:12 | 0:24:15 | |
came to the RSPCA animal hospital in Manchester | 0:24:15 | 0:24:19 | |
after being hit by a car. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:21 | |
Vets are now seeing whether they can save Flint's injured leg. | 0:24:21 | 0:24:27 | |
'It's now 24 hours since Flint's serious accident.' | 0:24:34 | 0:24:39 | |
OK, it's all right. | 0:24:39 | 0:24:42 | |
'Now vet Rachel Watkinson wants to assess the damge to his leg.' | 0:24:42 | 0:24:47 | |
Flint has been on fluids for four hours, on the drip, | 0:24:47 | 0:24:50 | |
and he's looking relatively bright, | 0:24:50 | 0:24:53 | |
so we're going to assess the injury he's got to the forelimb. | 0:24:53 | 0:24:57 | |
We'll try and remove the dressing | 0:24:57 | 0:25:00 | |
with him awake first so we can see how he's using the leg, | 0:25:00 | 0:25:04 | |
so we can see how bad the damage is | 0:25:04 | 0:25:07 | |
and whether we're likely to see anything on X-ray. | 0:25:07 | 0:25:10 | |
'If at all possible, the priority is to save Flint's leg.' | 0:25:10 | 0:25:14 | |
Good boy. HE SNUFFLES All right, all right. | 0:25:14 | 0:25:18 | |
'But, as the dressing comes off, it's clear that Flint | 0:25:18 | 0:25:22 | |
'is in some pain.' | 0:25:22 | 0:25:25 | |
HE YELPS | 0:25:25 | 0:25:27 | |
Good boy! | 0:25:28 | 0:25:30 | |
'Early indications aren't good.' | 0:25:30 | 0:25:32 | |
I don't like the way that leg moves. | 0:25:32 | 0:25:35 | |
'Every movement of the leg is causing Flint pain, | 0:25:35 | 0:25:39 | |
'so Rachel changes strategy.' | 0:25:39 | 0:25:41 | |
DOG GROANS That's as far as I'm going to take this dressing. | 0:25:41 | 0:25:45 | |
The way the leg is moving, there may be some bone damage, | 0:25:45 | 0:25:49 | |
so we're going to sedate him and carry on the examination. | 0:25:49 | 0:25:54 | |
'With Flint asleep, Rachel can get to grips with the injury | 0:25:54 | 0:25:58 | |
'and her fears are confirmed.' | 0:25:58 | 0:26:00 | |
See how it's moving from side to side, | 0:26:00 | 0:26:04 | |
so it's very likely we've got a couple of breaks, | 0:26:04 | 0:26:07 | |
or at least one break, in the two bones of the forearm. | 0:26:07 | 0:26:12 | |
We'll have to look on an X-ray to determine the level of damage. | 0:26:12 | 0:26:16 | |
'And the forearm might not be the only problem.' | 0:26:16 | 0:26:19 | |
The paw is swollen here | 0:26:19 | 0:26:21 | |
so we need to be careful | 0:26:21 | 0:26:23 | |
he hasn't got fractures to the bones of the toes as well. | 0:26:23 | 0:26:27 | |
I can't feel anything obvious, but we'll see those on X-ray as well. | 0:26:27 | 0:26:32 | |
'It's a crucial time. The X-rays will hopefully reveal | 0:26:35 | 0:26:39 | |
'exactly what's wrong with his leg.' | 0:26:39 | 0:26:41 | |
'It's not long before Rachel can see why he's in so much pain.' | 0:26:41 | 0:26:46 | |
A nasty break in the forearm | 0:26:46 | 0:26:48 | |
and it's clear to see the break in the radius. | 0:26:48 | 0:26:52 | |
'The second X-ray paints a more graphic picture of the damage.' | 0:26:52 | 0:26:57 | |
We've got a complete break, but also the bones are displaced, | 0:26:57 | 0:27:01 | |
they're not sitting with the ends next to each other. | 0:27:01 | 0:27:04 | |
'An injury this serious might be beyond the help of the vets | 0:27:04 | 0:27:10 | |
'and Flint could be looking at an amputation.' | 0:27:10 | 0:27:13 | |
The main problem is trying to get these bones together again | 0:27:13 | 0:27:18 | |
so they have any chance of healing. | 0:27:18 | 0:27:20 | |
'All Rachel can do is cross her fingers.' | 0:27:20 | 0:27:23 | |
'They can't put a cast on until the wounds have healed, | 0:27:23 | 0:27:28 | |
'so they put Flint in a splint | 0:27:28 | 0:27:30 | |
'and hope for the best.' | 0:27:30 | 0:27:32 | |
It is a nasty break and not an ideal situation for Flint, | 0:27:32 | 0:27:36 | |
but we'll have to do what we can to salvage the limb. | 0:27:36 | 0:27:40 | |
'They hope they can save Flint's leg, | 0:27:40 | 0:27:42 | |
'but for now he faces an uncertain future.' | 0:27:42 | 0:27:47 | |
'It's two weeks later and Flint's owner, Paula Jones, | 0:27:50 | 0:27:54 | |
'brings him back to the vets so they can see how his leg is healing.' | 0:27:54 | 0:28:00 | |
He was a bit quiet the first few days, | 0:28:00 | 0:28:03 | |
but he's back to his normal self now. He's got used to it, | 0:28:03 | 0:28:07 | |
he just hobbles along and sounds like a peg leg on the floor. | 0:28:07 | 0:28:12 | |
'Today, vet Andy Gibson will assess Flint's injuries | 0:28:12 | 0:28:16 | |
'and will decide whether the limb can be saved.' | 0:28:16 | 0:28:20 | |
If the fracture's still very unstable, two weeks down the line, | 0:28:23 | 0:28:27 | |
then,... it's not really good news. | 0:28:27 | 0:28:31 | |
But we'll take another X-ray to compare with two weeks ago | 0:28:31 | 0:28:36 | |
and make our decision from there. | 0:28:36 | 0:28:39 | |
'Flint gets a sedative before Andy starts to remove the splint | 0:28:41 | 0:28:45 | |
'from the leg.' | 0:28:45 | 0:28:47 | |
We don't want to move the fracture site more than necessary | 0:28:47 | 0:28:52 | |
because it won't be completely stable. | 0:28:52 | 0:28:56 | |
'The wounds at least are in much better shape.' | 0:28:56 | 0:28:59 | |
'But an X-ray will offer a clear image of the injuries and only then | 0:29:02 | 0:29:06 | |
'can the team decide the best course of action.' | 0:29:06 | 0:29:10 | |
'It's now nearly three months later | 0:29:12 | 0:29:15 | |
'and Flint's going for a walk with Paula and the rest of the family.' | 0:29:15 | 0:29:21 | |
'After weeks of hoping Flint's leg would heal, | 0:29:21 | 0:29:25 | |
'Paula took the hard decision to have it removed.' | 0:29:25 | 0:29:29 | |
Flint was getting really depressed, | 0:29:29 | 0:29:32 | |
just going out for a wee, chewing on the plaster - | 0:29:32 | 0:29:35 | |
wasn't socialising with us or anything. | 0:29:35 | 0:29:38 | |
I said to the vet "He's not himself" - | 0:29:38 | 0:29:41 | |
that's when we made the decision to have his leg amputated. | 0:29:41 | 0:29:45 | |
'But far from being a problem, Flint has got used to life on three legs | 0:29:45 | 0:29:51 | |
'and now there's no holding him back.' | 0:29:51 | 0:29:54 | |
As the weeks went by, | 0:29:54 | 0:29:56 | |
we all got more used to it and now we don't treat him any different. | 0:29:56 | 0:30:01 | |
He's up and down the stairs like a rocket, chases the kids, | 0:30:01 | 0:30:05 | |
he's just back to normal as if he has got four legs. | 0:30:05 | 0:30:10 | |
In tough economic times when money's in short supply, | 0:30:18 | 0:30:22 | |
it's often our pets that can be the first to suffer. | 0:30:22 | 0:30:26 | |
In 2009, more than 21,000 pets were abandoned by their owners | 0:30:26 | 0:30:31 | |
and left to fend for themselves. | 0:30:31 | 0:30:33 | |
That's an increase of six per cent on the previous year. | 0:30:33 | 0:30:37 | |
When cases like that do occur, it's often down to the RSPCA | 0:30:37 | 0:30:41 | |
to step in and save lives. | 0:30:41 | 0:30:44 | |
'Hull in East Yorkshire.' | 0:30:47 | 0:30:50 | |
'RSPCA Inspector Sarah Keith is responding to a neighbour's call | 0:30:51 | 0:30:55 | |
'that a cat has been locked in a house for the past three days.' | 0:30:55 | 0:31:00 | |
'And it's feared it has no food or water.' | 0:31:00 | 0:31:04 | |
CAT MEWLS This property that I sealed up on Friday, | 0:31:04 | 0:31:08 | |
there's a cat inside, a neighbour is feeding it through the letterbox, | 0:31:08 | 0:31:14 | |
these seals have been checked | 0:31:14 | 0:31:16 | |
and nobody's been in or out of the property. | 0:31:16 | 0:31:19 | |
It's difficult to assess the cat's condition | 0:31:19 | 0:31:23 | |
because it's just crying. | 0:31:23 | 0:31:25 | |
It looks in reasonable condition, there's a few piles of faeces. | 0:31:25 | 0:31:30 | |
'Now that it's been three days, | 0:31:30 | 0:31:33 | |
'Sarah is going to get the cat out of the house.' | 0:31:33 | 0:31:36 | |
'But she can't do it alone.' | 0:31:36 | 0:31:38 | |
'She begins by trying to find the owner of the rented property.' | 0:31:38 | 0:31:43 | |
Hi, I'm just wondering about a property in Hull. | 0:31:43 | 0:31:47 | |
I'm calling from the RSPCA, we need to find the housing association. | 0:31:47 | 0:31:52 | |
If I give you the address, can you tell me who I need to speak to? | 0:31:52 | 0:31:56 | |
'And she calls for help from the police.' | 0:31:56 | 0:32:01 | |
I need police assistance with a property in Hull. | 0:32:01 | 0:32:05 | |
We need the police on a job like this | 0:32:05 | 0:32:07 | |
because we have no power of entry or seizure. | 0:32:07 | 0:32:10 | |
Even if the housing association allows us into the property, | 0:32:10 | 0:32:15 | |
we can't remove the animal without permission or a police presence. | 0:32:15 | 0:32:20 | |
'As she waits, she contacts a vet | 0:32:20 | 0:32:23 | |
'to get a certificate saying the cat's welfare is at risk.' | 0:32:23 | 0:32:29 | |
'That will allow her to take the cat without the owner's consent.' | 0:32:29 | 0:32:33 | |
This sort of thing shouldn't happen. People, because it's a cat, think | 0:32:33 | 0:32:38 | |
"They can look after themselves", | 0:32:38 | 0:32:41 | |
but for nobody to check on it for a few days, | 0:32:41 | 0:32:44 | |
it could get ill or trapped - | 0:32:44 | 0:32:46 | |
they should be checked at least once every 24 hours. | 0:32:46 | 0:32:50 | |
The cat knows it's getting fed through the letterbox, | 0:32:50 | 0:32:55 | |
there are loads of scratch marks on the letterbox, | 0:32:55 | 0:32:59 | |
so I suspect there isn't a lot of food and water left in the house. | 0:32:59 | 0:33:03 | |
'The police turn up | 0:33:03 | 0:33:06 | |
'and then property manager Kerry Whitehead arrives.' | 0:33:06 | 0:33:11 | |
I can call our property-maintenance team and see if they can gain entry. | 0:33:11 | 0:33:15 | |
-That'd cause less damage to the door. -OK. | 0:33:15 | 0:33:19 | |
'She offers to get the joiner to take the lock off the door, | 0:33:19 | 0:33:24 | |
'rather than have it broken down by the police.' | 0:33:24 | 0:33:28 | |
It's still on the window ledge! | 0:33:28 | 0:33:31 | |
'After being imprisoned inside the house for three days, | 0:33:31 | 0:33:35 | |
'the cat's clearly desperate to get out.' | 0:33:35 | 0:33:39 | |
Right, we're in. | 0:33:39 | 0:33:41 | |
'Sarah's anxious to check whether the cat's been left alone.' | 0:33:41 | 0:33:46 | |
No, no, not coming out. Staying in. | 0:33:46 | 0:33:49 | |
'But no-one's at home.' | 0:33:49 | 0:33:51 | |
Hello! RSPCA! | 0:33:53 | 0:33:56 | |
'Getting inside the house has been a struggle, but now there's another.' | 0:33:56 | 0:34:01 | |
Can someone open that? Quickly! | 0:34:01 | 0:34:04 | |
'After being confined for so long, | 0:34:04 | 0:34:07 | |
'a small cage is clearly the last place he wants to end up.' | 0:34:07 | 0:34:11 | |
Ow. | 0:34:11 | 0:34:13 | |
'With the cat finally in the basket, | 0:34:13 | 0:34:16 | |
'Sarah wants to assess how it's managed to survive.' | 0:34:16 | 0:34:20 | |
'There are signs that some food was left for him, but no water.' | 0:34:20 | 0:34:24 | |
There's a tiny bowl | 0:34:24 | 0:34:26 | |
that may or may not have had water in it at some point. | 0:34:26 | 0:34:30 | |
The toilet is full of excrement, so it couldn't drink there. | 0:34:30 | 0:34:34 | |
There's no access to any water. And it's very skinny. | 0:34:34 | 0:34:38 | |
'Sarah then gathers evidence for a possible prosecution | 0:34:40 | 0:34:45 | |
'and leaves a note for the owner to tell them she has seized the cat.' | 0:34:45 | 0:34:50 | |
I've left a property receipt and an abandonment notice | 0:34:50 | 0:34:54 | |
for when the owner comes back | 0:34:54 | 0:34:56 | |
to say that we've got his cat. | 0:34:56 | 0:34:58 | |
'Sarah's now named the cat Bec | 0:34:58 | 0:35:02 | |
'and her next priority is to take him for an urgent checkup.' | 0:35:02 | 0:35:06 | |
'John Levison is immediately concerned about its thin condition.' | 0:35:08 | 0:35:13 | |
Hi, sweetheart. He's got quite a thick coat, | 0:35:13 | 0:35:16 | |
but even from a distance, you can see his pelvic bones. | 0:35:16 | 0:35:20 | |
If you put your hand in there, | 0:35:20 | 0:35:23 | |
I'm onto bone, | 0:35:23 | 0:35:25 | |
the transverse processes of his spine. | 0:35:25 | 0:35:29 | |
So we class them from fat, just nice, thin to emaciated. | 0:35:29 | 0:35:33 | |
This chap's emaciated. | 0:35:33 | 0:35:35 | |
'John's next job is to establish just how thin Bec is.' | 0:35:35 | 0:35:40 | |
5.6. | 0:35:40 | 0:35:42 | |
'After taking the weight of the cage into account, | 0:35:42 | 0:35:47 | |
'John makes a shocking discovery.' | 0:35:47 | 0:35:49 | |
He's 3.05 kilograms. OK? | 0:35:49 | 0:35:52 | |
I would expect this cat to be, what, 5.5 kilos? | 0:35:52 | 0:35:56 | |
'After being stranded alone with little food for the last week, | 0:35:56 | 0:36:00 | |
'John's astonished to see how Bec responds to a free meal.' | 0:36:00 | 0:36:06 | |
I think you'd describe it as a voracious appetite. | 0:36:06 | 0:36:10 | |
There aren't many cats that eat like that. Starving. | 0:36:10 | 0:36:13 | |
'For Sarah, this case of neglect is totally unnecessary.' | 0:36:13 | 0:36:20 | |
It makes me angry | 0:36:20 | 0:36:22 | |
when I see a cat eat like that | 0:36:22 | 0:36:24 | |
cos cats don't eat like that. They pick. A cat, given the opportunity, | 0:36:24 | 0:36:30 | |
will eat eight times a day. | 0:36:30 | 0:36:32 | |
They don't want to wolf an entire meal like that. | 0:36:32 | 0:36:35 | |
From what the neighbours say, it's a regular thing, this person | 0:36:35 | 0:36:40 | |
leaves this cat unattended for long periods. | 0:36:40 | 0:36:44 | |
'Bec's owner couldn't be traced, | 0:36:44 | 0:36:46 | |
'so later he was taken to the RSPCA's animal home in Hull | 0:36:46 | 0:36:50 | |
'from where he'll be found a new home.' | 0:36:50 | 0:36:53 | |
Now we're heading back to Weirfield Wildlife Hospital in Lincoln. | 0:36:55 | 0:37:00 | |
Earlier, we saw founder Ali Townsend dealing with an influx of casualties | 0:37:00 | 0:37:05 | |
including baby squirrels and a swan. | 0:37:05 | 0:37:08 | |
But now there are some new arrivals which demand immediate attention. | 0:37:08 | 0:37:13 | |
'At the height of the spring breeding season, | 0:37:18 | 0:37:21 | |
'staff at Weirfield are run off their feet.' | 0:37:21 | 0:37:24 | |
'Today, Ali's dealing with a particularly sad case.' | 0:37:24 | 0:37:28 | |
These cubs came in last night. | 0:37:28 | 0:37:30 | |
Somebody was doing some building work and the digger killed the mum. | 0:37:30 | 0:37:35 | |
There were four alive cubs and one that was very poorly | 0:37:35 | 0:37:39 | |
and died on its way here, | 0:37:39 | 0:37:41 | |
so these four are very, very frightened, | 0:37:41 | 0:37:45 | |
very, very subdued. | 0:37:45 | 0:37:47 | |
They don't like noise or being here, | 0:37:47 | 0:37:50 | |
so we've decided that the best thing for them | 0:37:50 | 0:37:53 | |
is to put them outside in one of the aviaries. | 0:37:53 | 0:37:57 | |
They've eaten a bit, but not enough. There's too much stress in here. | 0:37:57 | 0:38:01 | |
'Before moving them to an outside pen, | 0:38:01 | 0:38:05 | |
'Ali gives them a health check.' | 0:38:05 | 0:38:08 | |
They look quite well in themselves. | 0:38:08 | 0:38:10 | |
They've got a good set of teeth. | 0:38:10 | 0:38:12 | |
And the skin looks good. | 0:38:12 | 0:38:15 | |
I'm happy for this one to go outside. | 0:38:15 | 0:38:18 | |
'With 22 years' experience | 0:38:18 | 0:38:20 | |
'dealing with wild animals, Ali knows | 0:38:20 | 0:38:23 | |
'it's the hidden factors which can prove fatal.' | 0:38:23 | 0:38:27 | |
Stress can be a killer, so we want to make it as stress-free as we can. | 0:38:27 | 0:38:33 | |
We've checked all four over, | 0:38:33 | 0:38:35 | |
there's no injuries to them. | 0:38:35 | 0:38:38 | |
Although they are very subdued, I think that will subside | 0:38:38 | 0:38:43 | |
once we get them out into somewhere that's quieter. | 0:38:43 | 0:38:46 | |
'They need food that reflects what their mother would've brought them.' | 0:38:46 | 0:38:51 | |
We need to keep their food as natural as possible. | 0:38:51 | 0:38:55 | |
We have roadkill bunnies brought in, so we will be feeding them those. | 0:38:55 | 0:39:00 | |
If something here doesn't survive and it's something foxes would eat, | 0:39:00 | 0:39:05 | |
we will feed it to them because that's their natural food. | 0:39:05 | 0:39:09 | |
But at this minute, the only thing we've got is the dead chicks. | 0:39:09 | 0:39:13 | |
So we just put those at the side. | 0:39:13 | 0:39:15 | |
'After all the trauma of the past few days, | 0:39:15 | 0:39:19 | |
'Ali thinks they'll be able to help these cubs have a brighter future.' | 0:39:19 | 0:39:24 | |
So now we just want them to grow, erm, | 0:39:24 | 0:39:28 | |
and basically stay wild. | 0:39:28 | 0:39:31 | |
If they do that, in a couple or three months, | 0:39:31 | 0:39:34 | |
we'll probably be able to release them successfully. | 0:39:34 | 0:39:37 | |
'Earlier, we saw how a young swan | 0:39:43 | 0:39:46 | |
'was being nursed back to health after injuring his legs | 0:39:46 | 0:39:49 | |
'in a crash-landing on a wet road.' | 0:39:49 | 0:39:52 | |
'Five weeks on, the swan is recovering well.' | 0:39:53 | 0:39:57 | |
Once he started eating properly | 0:39:57 | 0:39:59 | |
and gaining weight, he did recover. | 0:39:59 | 0:40:01 | |
His unbalanced stature | 0:40:01 | 0:40:04 | |
was a bit slow, but he's now much better on his feet | 0:40:04 | 0:40:08 | |
and he is swimming well. | 0:40:08 | 0:40:10 | |
He's had a busy morning, so he's now having a rest. | 0:40:10 | 0:40:14 | |
This can either go very easily or it can be extremely difficult. | 0:40:14 | 0:40:18 | |
'Catching swans can be tricky, | 0:40:18 | 0:40:21 | |
'but Ali's encouraged by his putting up a fight.' | 0:40:21 | 0:40:24 | |
'It's a sign that he's ready to be released.' | 0:40:24 | 0:40:27 | |
This is the original bird that came in, | 0:40:27 | 0:40:31 | |
that was very unsteady on his feet, | 0:40:31 | 0:40:33 | |
extremely unhappy, | 0:40:33 | 0:40:35 | |
was very light in his weight and was unable to stand up. | 0:40:35 | 0:40:39 | |
There's a big difference. | 0:40:39 | 0:40:41 | |
He looks loads better. Doesn't want to be handled | 0:40:41 | 0:40:44 | |
and that's a good sign. | 0:40:44 | 0:40:46 | |
If they don't want to be handled, | 0:40:46 | 0:40:48 | |
they're fit, they want to go back. | 0:40:48 | 0:40:51 | |
He's got shiny eyes, he's been eating well | 0:40:51 | 0:40:54 | |
and he's a lot better than he was. | 0:40:54 | 0:40:57 | |
I'm happy that this one goes back. | 0:40:57 | 0:41:00 | |
'Ali puts the swan into a special bag so he can be transported | 0:41:00 | 0:41:04 | |
'to the release site.' | 0:41:04 | 0:41:06 | |
'He'll be joining two others who are also ready to go back to the wild.' | 0:41:08 | 0:41:14 | |
'But their new home won't be some rural retreat - | 0:41:14 | 0:41:18 | |
'they're heading for a waterway in Lincoln city centre | 0:41:18 | 0:41:21 | |
'which has a large swan population.' | 0:41:21 | 0:41:24 | |
This is our Brayford Pool and it's common ground for the swans. | 0:41:24 | 0:41:30 | |
There is no territories, no issues on "This is my bit of the lake", | 0:41:30 | 0:41:35 | |
so we can actually safely release the birds here | 0:41:35 | 0:41:39 | |
and they can find their own way. | 0:41:39 | 0:41:41 | |
It's big enough that they can take off | 0:41:41 | 0:41:45 | |
and go where they want to be if they choose not to stay. | 0:41:45 | 0:41:49 | |
'After five weeks of care from Ali and her staff at Weirfield, | 0:41:50 | 0:41:55 | |
'this swan is clearly eager to get back on the water.' | 0:41:55 | 0:41:59 | |
'And so are his two friends!' | 0:42:01 | 0:42:04 | |
'All in all, it's a rewarding result for Ali.' | 0:42:04 | 0:42:08 | |
This is one of the best parts of a rehabilitator's job. | 0:42:08 | 0:42:11 | |
The birds come in | 0:42:11 | 0:42:14 | |
looking poorly, then we nurse them back to health | 0:42:14 | 0:42:17 | |
and then get the advantage | 0:42:17 | 0:42:19 | |
of being able to bring them here and take them for release. | 0:42:19 | 0:42:23 | |
That's what we do. That's what we're here for. | 0:42:23 | 0:42:27 | |
If you know of a case of wildlife crime | 0:42:34 | 0:42:38 | |
or a creature that needs protection, | 0:42:38 | 0:42:41 | |
there are dedicated professionals out there around the clock. | 0:42:41 | 0:42:46 | |
They are the people we meet on Animal 24:7. | 0:42:46 | 0:42:50 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:43:13 | 0:43:18 |