:00:14. > :00:19.Britain's animals are under threat. All too often our wildlife and
:00:19. > :00:24.domestic pets are the victims of cruelty, persecution and neglect.
:00:24. > :00:30.Fighting to save them is a dedicated band of people trying to
:00:30. > :00:40.protect and care for them right around the clock. This is Animal
:00:40. > :00:51.
:00:51. > :00:57.Today on Animal 24:7... Concerns for the animal lover whose home is
:00:57. > :01:04.more like a zoo. Is this animal being provided with its environment
:01:04. > :01:11.the best of its possible needs? It is not. On the trail of an illegal
:01:11. > :01:21.bird of prey. He has said, the Old Bill is coming down, get rid of the
:01:21. > :01:26.Gospel. I arrive at feeding time at that hospital. They may be small
:01:26. > :01:33.but that looks pretty sharp. Yes. The days are long gone when the
:01:33. > :01:39.only pets we own our cats, dogs and the odd budgie. More than a million
:01:39. > :01:44.people own exotic pets. They are all increasingly popular. Exotic
:01:44. > :01:54.pets require a lot of specialist care and attention which sometimes
:01:54. > :01:57.
:01:57. > :02:02.even the most devoted owners find hard to provide. RSPCA inspectors
:02:02. > :02:10.now fury and Lorna Campbell have come to a house on a Manchester
:02:10. > :02:19.estate after complaints that a man is keeping a large number of
:02:19. > :02:24.animals. Brian Wilcox answers the door. Hello. Sorry to bother you. I
:02:24. > :02:29.am from the RSPCA. Someone has complained about various different
:02:29. > :02:35.animals. I wonder if we can look around. A quick inspection shows
:02:35. > :02:45.the collection includes Canaries, tarantula has... This is the bird
:02:45. > :02:46.
:02:46. > :02:51.eating tarantula. A hen. And rats. That is just the start of it.
:02:51. > :02:56.used to be the bird of prey rescue centre for the area. I have retired.
:02:56. > :03:00.People are still bringing me animals. Brian may have years of
:03:00. > :03:06.experience with animals but the inspectors still need to check they
:03:06. > :03:13.are healthy and house properly. What a will do is I will give the
:03:13. > :03:21.waters called an animal welfare assessment notice. -- give you what
:03:21. > :03:27.is called. We will do each animal separately. First to be looked at
:03:27. > :03:33.are a pair of bearded dragons. These two were not looked after
:03:33. > :03:39.properly. They were not fed properly when they were babies. One
:03:39. > :03:48.is blind in one night and the other one has only one I. Bryant took
:03:48. > :03:58.them on after they had been badly cared for. -- O'Brien. His tale is
:03:58. > :03:59.
:03:59. > :04:06.quite bad. That is one of my favourites. The tank is not big
:04:06. > :04:12.enough. It needs to have a good run about. The improvised homes are a
:04:12. > :04:17.cause for concern. I'm not happy about it being in there. It needs
:04:17. > :04:25.to be in a vivarium. If the lizard is to live in anything approaching
:04:25. > :04:31.natural conditions, it needs a warmer and much larger home. He can
:04:31. > :04:38.go over that side and get warm and he can cool down. That is more what
:04:38. > :04:47.I would want to see. But, a close inspection of the bearded dragons
:04:47. > :04:56.is causing her greater concern. think he has a mouth infection. He
:04:56. > :05:03.has a sore eye. This cannot be sorted out because it has gone
:05:03. > :05:08.beyond repair. It does concern me. The visit to the vet is not just
:05:08. > :05:13.the price, he receives a legal caution. You do not have to say
:05:13. > :05:18.anything but it could harm your defence when you are question
:05:18. > :05:26.something you later rely on in court. You are not under arrest.
:05:26. > :05:31.That is a caution, to reach you your rights. She can see that Brian
:05:31. > :05:36.loves his menagerie but has let numbers get out of hand. She wants
:05:36. > :05:42.to help him cope. You can see they do mean a lot to you so I'm not
:05:42. > :05:48.going to say, give me this, give me that. I am trying to help you as
:05:48. > :05:55.much as possible. You do need to say, I need you to help me out.
:05:55. > :06:02.That is not a problem. He welcomes the advice but, as an animal lover,
:06:02. > :06:09.he has his own concerns. I am not accepting any more animals.
:06:09. > :06:16.need to make sure the ones that are here... They are being looked after.
:06:16. > :06:22.Where are people going to go? can come to us. We are here to help
:06:22. > :06:30.people. We get lizards and reptiles on a weekly basis. His caring
:06:30. > :06:37.nature has led him to take on any animal. Who is in this one? That is
:06:37. > :06:45.a whistling cockroach. Is it a hissing cockroach? A Madagascar and
:06:45. > :06:51.hissing cockroach. Even if he is not sure what it is. This is a
:06:51. > :06:59.snake that someone did not want. we know what it is? I have been on
:07:00. > :07:05.the internet but I do not know. looks like a garter snake. 8 garter
:07:05. > :07:10.snake! The uncertainty over the identity of the snake is worrying.
:07:10. > :07:16.If you do not know what animal it is, how do you know how to feed
:07:16. > :07:21.him? How do you know the specific needs if you do not know what
:07:21. > :07:27.animal it is. I am not really into snakes. The only reason I took it
:07:27. > :07:34.was because it was not being looked up to where it was. Whatever kind
:07:34. > :07:40.of snake it is, it needs a bigger and the warmer home. It needs to be
:07:40. > :07:49.in a vivarium. Right. The list of things for Brian to do is adding up
:07:49. > :07:54.and so it is the cost. It will cost me a fortune! They are expensive.
:07:54. > :08:01.Finally he reluctantly agrees to hand over the snake. OK, we will
:08:01. > :08:11.have this one. I want the tank! That is one animal taken into care
:08:11. > :08:12.
:08:12. > :08:19.but there are bigger surprises waiting for them in the backyard.
:08:19. > :08:25.Still to come: It is far from ideal, to be honest. The animal kingdom
:08:25. > :08:35.knows no bounds. I have a serious problem with these been kept as
:08:35. > :08:37.
:08:37. > :08:47.pets. I help with flight changing - - training at the Bat Hospital.
:08:47. > :08:51.Goshawks are popular birds of prey with Falcon us. There is a fragile
:08:51. > :08:58.wild population. Because of the high value, some are removed from
:08:58. > :09:08.the wild by criminals aiming to make a profit. It is an illegal
:09:08. > :09:09.
:09:09. > :09:16.trade. There are teams dedicated to tackle the problem. 6am, Torquay
:09:16. > :09:21.police station. Today we are looking to execute warrants at two
:09:21. > :09:26.addresses on suspicion they may be taking wild goshawks. Nevin Hunter
:09:26. > :09:32.is breaking his team. They have received a tip-off that goshawks
:09:32. > :09:38.are being taken from the wild. suspect there may be birds at one
:09:38. > :09:45.or both addresses. The plan is to rate two houses. We want to find
:09:45. > :09:51.the birds and relevant paperwork. They head off across Torquay. He is
:09:51. > :09:57.supported by the police, the vets and wildlife crime officers. It is
:09:57. > :10:04.an early morning wake-up call at the first address. The suspect is a
:10:04. > :10:11.name keeper of captive-bred goshawks. Hello! The team can see
:10:11. > :10:17.some of them in the backyard. Their owner is at home. We are going to
:10:17. > :10:22.conduct a warrant at this address under the Wildlife and Countryside
:10:22. > :10:27.Act. Keating captive-bred goshawks is legal, providing they are
:10:27. > :10:34.registered. -- keeping. We will need your assistance in examining
:10:34. > :10:43.the birds. He is registered to keep four birds. As the team searches
:10:43. > :10:48.the property, the numbers do not add up. He says he has six birds.
:10:48. > :10:58.To prove the two extra birds have not been taken from the wild, he
:10:58. > :11:00.
:11:00. > :11:04.must provide the necessary paperwork. He is unable to do so.
:11:04. > :11:09.The team believes the birds are being kept illegally and they need
:11:09. > :11:15.to find out where they have come from. Are they have registered with
:11:15. > :11:23.other people? We have to take account of the fact they could be
:11:23. > :11:27.from untoward sources. It is an alarming situation. If there are
:11:28. > :11:35.suspicions the birds are taken from the wild, that can impact upon the
:11:35. > :11:40.population of the birds in the world. The reality of it, from what
:11:40. > :11:46.we have seen already, there appeared to be anomalies in terms
:11:46. > :11:51.of paperwork, suggesting something untoward has been going on.
:11:51. > :11:56.suspects there is already a strong case for prosecution, said they
:11:56. > :12:00.gather evidence. The vets take blood samples from the birds and
:12:00. > :12:05.documents are seized. The team heads off to the second house and
:12:05. > :12:14.takes Paul hill with than to assist with their inquiries. It is
:12:14. > :12:20.believed another goshawk is being kept here. In an aviary at the back
:12:20. > :12:27.of the property, he finds an eagle owl, but no goshawk. Then his
:12:27. > :12:32.friend makes a dramatic confession. He has explained to us that he had
:12:32. > :12:37.a phone call from beekeeper we have been to see this morning asking to
:12:37. > :12:42.arrange a swap of the birds. He said he had a friend pick up a
:12:42. > :12:46.goshawk that was believed to have been here and that person has taken
:12:46. > :12:50.that bird away with him today. has already been found with two
:12:50. > :12:57.illegal birds at his home and now he has been discovered from trying
:12:57. > :13:03.to conceal a third bird from the police. It has staggered PC Chris
:13:03. > :13:08.Smithy. He has used a mobile phone to ring the occupant. He has said,
:13:08. > :13:15.get rid of the Gospel. He knows there is something with this
:13:15. > :13:23.goshawk that he does not want us to find out about. Sat outside in a
:13:23. > :13:31.police vehicle, he has a lot to answer for. Just sit back in the
:13:31. > :13:34.car. I think we need to have a chat. He wants him to come clean. I think
:13:34. > :13:41.there is stuff you are withholding. Now would be a good time for you to
:13:41. > :13:45.tell us. Since arriving, I am in receipt of more information. Is
:13:45. > :13:52.there anything you want to tell us about goshawks or anything like
:13:52. > :13:59.that? You should give serious consideration to your situation.
:13:59. > :14:07.But he still does not want to co- operate. He is not playing ball.
:14:07. > :14:14.Not playing at all. But his friend does. He agrees to take the team to
:14:14. > :14:22.rate their property. He hopes this will be the end of the trial. -- a
:14:22. > :14:32.third property. There must be something untoward going on with
:14:32. > :14:33.
:14:33. > :14:40.this. Still to come: More damning evidence. I think the penny has
:14:40. > :14:47.dropped. He is thinking, how do I get out of this? Brian's Animal
:14:47. > :14:57.Care gets a cool reception. cuddles up to the cat. I am not
:14:57. > :15:01.
:15:01. > :15:07.During the summer months British wildlife thrives, but inevitably it
:15:08. > :15:11.gets into trouble and they end up here at this wildlife hospital.
:15:11. > :15:18.Today am expecting to see a large influx of a tiny and unusual new
:15:18. > :15:25.arrival. West Hatch Wildlife Centre deals with all kinds of sick and
:15:25. > :15:28.injured animals. But one of the most mysterious is the bat. These
:15:28. > :15:36.nocturnal creatures might be the stuff of nightmares for some but
:15:36. > :15:41.not for animal care assistant Christa Van Wessem. Hi Christa.
:15:42. > :15:46.Hello. You all right? Very well. You are running intensive care for
:15:46. > :15:50.bats, I see. We are very busy at the moment. You have one in your
:15:50. > :15:54.hand already. Yes, just cleaning him out. He came in 21st July and
:15:54. > :15:57.it says brought in, found on the road playing in the rain. As bats
:15:57. > :16:02.do! Summer is the breeding season for bats in the UK which means it
:16:02. > :16:11.is the busiest time of year for Christa and the team. At the moment
:16:11. > :16:15.we have about 60 in. -- 16. That number is still growing. We are
:16:15. > :16:18.getting more as we speak. So the bat ward is pretty full? All the
:16:18. > :16:22.beds are busy. We have a lot of babies at the moment, young bats
:16:22. > :16:28.that come in after their roosts have been disturbed or because they
:16:28. > :16:31.were brought in by cats. And the ones that, for whatever reason,
:16:31. > :16:36.cannot hunt properly so get malnutrition. You have one in your
:16:36. > :16:43.hand, can I have a look, you never see bats close-up. So this is a
:16:43. > :16:46.Natterer's bat? Natterer's bat. Yes. The thing you can immediately tell
:16:46. > :16:49.is the big features, the ears and nose, whereas the eyes are
:16:49. > :16:54.difficult to see because that is not that important for them? They
:16:54. > :16:57.do see, they are not blind, like some people think. This species has
:16:57. > :17:07.relatively big ears. But they do echolocate so they hunt by hearing
:17:07. > :17:11.
:17:11. > :17:14.rather than seeing. And they just love to eat! A healthy adult can
:17:14. > :17:17.get through 3000 insects in just one night. But some of these
:17:17. > :17:20.youngsters need a little help. have a few bats that need hand
:17:20. > :17:23.feeding, they are not feeding for themselves yet for whatever reason.
:17:23. > :17:33.They are too young, or they just don't understand eating the worms
:17:33. > :17:36.from a bowl. This is a common pipistrelle. Pipistrelle bats often
:17:36. > :17:40.roost in urban areas which makes them easy prey for domestic animals.
:17:40. > :17:49.The person that brought him in, her cat caught it and she tried to
:17:49. > :17:53.release him but he couldn't fly Before we can feed this little
:17:53. > :18:02.fellow, Christa needs to weigh him so she can keep an eye on his
:18:02. > :18:06.progress. We want to make sure he maintains, or gains weight.
:18:06. > :18:09.centre won't release a bat unless it is a healthy size, so this is an
:18:09. > :18:13.essential part of Christa's job. Because the bats are so tiny
:18:13. > :18:18.Christa weighs them in a plastic bag to get an accurate reading.
:18:19. > :18:22.grams. How does that compare on his chart? He was 4 1/2 yesterday.
:18:22. > :18:32.you could do with him gaining weight? Yes. A pipistrelle in
:18:32. > :18:32.
:18:32. > :18:36.general would be about five grams. Even at optimum weight, this bat
:18:36. > :18:40.will only be as heavy as a 20 pence coin, but at the moment he still
:18:40. > :18:44.has some way to go. So it's meal worms for lunch. They are close to
:18:44. > :18:48.a bat's natural diet. The worm's outer skin is full of calcium that
:18:48. > :18:57.makes it the perfect super food to help the bats grow bigger. He's
:18:57. > :19:03.getting away! Here's a nice juicy one. Fancy that? Those teeth, they
:19:03. > :19:13.may be small, but they look pretty sharp. Yes. Is he going back in?
:19:13. > :19:15.
:19:15. > :19:18.Pop him back in. To give the bats the best chance of survival when
:19:18. > :19:21.released back into the wild is essential they are good flyers.
:19:21. > :19:25.Christa needs to check the progress of two young pipistrelles she is
:19:25. > :19:29.hand rearing. They are still babies learning to fly so are their flight
:19:29. > :19:33.may not be stunning but doing a few lengths in here may help. OK, so do
:19:33. > :19:37.I lift the top hand off? Drop your hand a bit. Because you have been
:19:37. > :19:40.holding him like this for a bit he is probably nice and warm. Just
:19:40. > :19:44.lift off the top hand and hopefully he will start flying off. A bat's
:19:44. > :19:53.wings are very thin which means they can manoeuvre more quickly and
:19:53. > :20:00.accurately than birds. But this takes some practice. And I need to
:20:00. > :20:05.practise picking them up. So you just have to catch him and lift him
:20:05. > :20:10.up a bit. If you can get him on your hands, you can raise him a bit
:20:11. > :20:15.and he can fly off your hand again. You did well there, buddy. He did
:20:15. > :20:22.all right. Pretty good, yes. It is only the beginners' level. So once
:20:22. > :20:24.again, just lift off? Yes. It takes young bats a little while to become
:20:24. > :20:32.experienced in using their echolocation skills which is why
:20:32. > :20:38.they often flies straight into things. -- fly. So how do you feel
:20:38. > :20:41.about their progress overall? have been doing well so far so if
:20:41. > :20:45.they get their flight up to speed it will be looking very good.
:20:45. > :20:53.reason why they can't have a happy life out there? No reason why.
:20:53. > :20:56.future is looking bright for these little guys. I think these two have
:20:56. > :20:59.earned their rest after their effort in the makeshift Bat Cave.
:20:59. > :21:09.Hopefully it won't be too long before they are out there, flying
:21:09. > :21:16.
:21:16. > :21:22.for real and catching their own Piecing together the puzzle of the
:21:22. > :21:29.missing goshawk. He did not want us to find that bird. No. There is a
:21:29. > :21:32.reason for that. Yeah. Now we are heading back to Manchester. Earlier
:21:32. > :21:36.we joined the RSPCA inspectors Mel and Lorna as they investigated a
:21:36. > :21:45.man who was keeping a large number of exotic and domestic pets in his
:21:45. > :21:48.Among the animals discovered so far are snakes, spiders and two bearded
:21:48. > :21:57.dragons which inspectors feared were suffering due to being kept in
:21:57. > :22:04.poor conditions. As Mel and Lorna continue their checks, there are
:22:04. > :22:07.more surprises in store. After finding a veritable zoo in the
:22:07. > :22:15.living room the inspector simply cannot guess what is being kept in
:22:15. > :22:20.the backyard. If we go through to the back... The first surprise is a
:22:20. > :22:26.barn owl. I have a bit of an issue with birds of prey in cages like
:22:26. > :22:30.this. If you do not fly him, it is not as though you are a hobbyist
:22:30. > :22:35.and taking him out and flying him. Ideally the aviary would be big
:22:35. > :22:38.enough for him to fly from A to B, in an ideal world. Owls, like other
:22:38. > :22:46.birds of prey, need to be flown frequently, not confined in a
:22:46. > :22:52.cramped cage. It is just not fair to having sat in there. It's no
:22:52. > :23:02.life. Doris is an eagle owl, who Brian says is flown regularly.
:23:02. > :23:05.
:23:05. > :23:10.she is flown, is she? Yeah. Mel has concerns about her living
:23:10. > :23:14.conditions. It's far from ideal, Brian, to be honest. You have to
:23:14. > :23:17.think from this bird's point of view - what it would usually do in
:23:17. > :23:21.the wild, or if somebody had time to spend flying it. They are
:23:21. > :23:24.amazing to look at, they are beautiful, I would love one but I
:23:24. > :23:29.don't have the facilities to give one a good home. But the biggest
:23:29. > :23:35.shock is Blue. He's absolutely gorgeous, isn't he? He's a meerkat
:23:35. > :23:38.who has been kept in a cage with a domestic cat. I have a serious
:23:38. > :23:43.problem with these being kept as pets. Hello, beautiful boy. You are
:23:43. > :23:47.part of the family. Both inspectors are experienced but neither have
:23:47. > :23:51.come across a meerkat being kept as a pet before! I'm not saying I am
:23:51. > :23:55.an expert on meerkats but I'm quite sure they are supposed to be kept
:23:56. > :24:05.in groups. They try to convince Brian a backyard cage is totally
:24:06. > :24:09.
:24:09. > :24:13.Obviously in the wild they live in a massive area so they need as big
:24:13. > :24:16.an area as you can possibly provide which I don't think that is big
:24:16. > :24:22.enough. I don't think it's big enough for the cat. Meerkats are
:24:22. > :24:32.social creatures, living in the wild in packs of 40, or more. Blue
:24:32. > :24:32.
:24:32. > :24:37.simply has the family cat as his With them being brought up together
:24:37. > :24:47.they are inseparable, they really are. But they're not interacting.
:24:47. > :24:52.They do. Brian says the meerkat sleeps in the house at night, in a
:24:52. > :24:56.cat box, and maintains it is well looked after. He's well looked
:24:56. > :24:58.after as in he's fed and watered but as opposed to providing him
:24:58. > :25:06.with his appropriate environment, he's absolutely not being provided.
:25:06. > :25:10.But this is his environment. It's the environment provided for him,
:25:10. > :25:13.it does not mean it is right. Is this animal being provided to the
:25:14. > :25:16.best of its possible needs? It's not. It's in the backyard with a
:25:16. > :25:23.cat. The inspectors have serious concerns. Meerkats need company,
:25:23. > :25:33.deep soil to tunnel in and heat for basking. Is there any form of
:25:33. > :25:40.heating in there? No. So how does a meerkat stay warm? It cuddles up to
:25:40. > :25:43.the cat. I'm not buying it. It does. If the animal's from the desert
:25:43. > :25:49.supposed to be kept in hot climates, it's certainly not suitable to be
:25:49. > :25:57.in a back garden in Manchester. It's not just the meerkat that's
:25:57. > :26:00.feeling the cold. Come on in, because I've only got these on.
:26:00. > :26:05.you're getting cold, the meerkat must be cold. Back inside, the
:26:05. > :26:10.inspectors tried to persuade Brian that blue should be rehoused. But
:26:10. > :26:14.he's determined to hang on to his family friend of nine years. What
:26:14. > :26:24.you want to do? Try and change the meerkat's environment here? I'll
:26:24. > :26:26.
:26:26. > :26:34.try and change it, definitely. has one last attempt to persuade
:26:34. > :26:40.Brian Blue would be happier in a zoo. But do you not want that for
:26:40. > :26:43.him? Of course. For him to be in his own environment with other
:26:44. > :26:47.meerkats? I will do anything to keep him here, whatever you say.
:26:47. > :26:50.Absolutely. I'm not being horrible here but I feel as though bats for
:26:50. > :26:55.selfish reasons because he is your son's meerkat, you what the meerkat,
:26:55. > :27:00.we're not thinking about the meerkat here. Realising that Brian
:27:00. > :27:03.won't be parted from Blue, Lorna spells out her demands. If you make
:27:03. > :27:06.the substrate deep enough, as you go down in the soil the temperature
:27:06. > :27:09.goes warmer, it doesn't matter what it is his outside, the soil
:27:09. > :27:13.temperature is warm. If you put heat mats underneath you can keep
:27:13. > :27:15.the soil temperature at a certain temperature. When he burrows he can
:27:15. > :27:18.sleep outside in his natural environment. They give Brian an
:27:18. > :27:23.ultimatum. Either look after the meerkat properly, or preferably
:27:23. > :27:30.give it up. I'm just saying for now, two weeks to make your decision.
:27:30. > :27:39.Put a plan into place. A lot to think about. It is. It a big
:27:39. > :27:43.decision. -- it's. Mel turns her attention to the snake that Brian
:27:43. > :27:47.has been persuaded to hand over. wonder how much he is not going to
:27:47. > :27:52.like me. After a brief tussle with the snake... There he is. A
:27:52. > :27:56.beautiful colour. The inspectors are ready to take him to a home
:27:56. > :28:00.where he can be properly cared for. Thank you. They have only convinced
:28:00. > :28:06.Brian to part with one animal and mail is concerned he has not taken
:28:06. > :28:11.in the extent of the challenge ahead. The animals he had are very
:28:11. > :28:15.expensive to keep, their needs are very specific, some of them are
:28:15. > :28:20.from tropical climate so it is a mammoth task to look after so many
:28:20. > :28:25.different types of animals and do it well. I just hope that when I go
:28:25. > :28:29.back in a couple of weeks he has done as I asked. So that is a
:28:29. > :28:39.fortnight for Brian to make a lot of improvements, or slim down his
:28:39. > :28:44.
:28:44. > :28:48.Still to come... The new start for the bearded dragons. Mel's
:28:48. > :28:58.frustration reaches breaking point. It is shocking people get these
:28:58. > :28:59.
:28:59. > :29:03.animals and have absolutely no idea Earlier we were in Devon and joined
:29:03. > :29:08.a team of police and wildlife crime officers as they investigated a man
:29:08. > :29:13.suspected of keeping wild birds of prey. After raiding Paul Hill's
:29:13. > :29:17.home, they found two goshawks which they feared could be taken from the
:29:17. > :29:27.wild. It is now suspected a third bird is being held at another
:29:27. > :29:34.
:29:34. > :29:40.This bird keeper is in big trouble. Investigators have discovered what
:29:40. > :29:45.they believe to be two illegal goshawks in his home. He is trying
:29:45. > :29:53.to hide a third bird at a separate address. He has used a mobile home
:29:53. > :29:58.and said, the Old Bill is coming down, Ipswich the goshawk! The plan
:29:58. > :30:04.has backfired. The friend has confessed to the police about the
:30:04. > :30:10.whereabouts of the bird. The police have gone to a third address. He
:30:10. > :30:16.waits outside in the police car. Nevin Hunter is hoping it is the
:30:16. > :30:20.end of the trail. We would like to chat to you about the bird.
:30:20. > :30:27.owners of this property up bird keepers and take the team to a
:30:27. > :30:33.garage at the back of the house. he in a box? Can we close these
:30:33. > :30:38.windows? We need to take a blood sample from this bird. It has been
:30:38. > :30:48.a challenging day. They hope they have finally found the bird they
:30:48. > :30:50.
:30:50. > :30:57.are after. Success! It is immediately identified as eight
:30:57. > :31:01.goshawk. To calm the bird down, the effects cover its head with a cloth.
:31:01. > :31:11.They take blood samples which will determine whether this bird has
:31:11. > :31:12.
:31:12. > :31:16.been taken from the wild. concern is how did this bird end up
:31:16. > :31:22.here in the first place? The rings will give the team vital
:31:22. > :31:30.information about whether this bird is legal or not. A problem is
:31:30. > :31:34.detected. I have done a quick check. The details about registration are
:31:34. > :31:44.conflicting. It seems a third illegal bird is in the possession
:31:44. > :31:50.
:31:50. > :31:56.of poor health. -- Paul Hill. did not want us to find that bird.
:31:56. > :32:03.I think the penny has dropped and he is thinking... How do I get out
:32:03. > :32:08.of this? Inside the garage, he takes the necessary action. We need
:32:08. > :32:14.to consider what is going on with regard to the bird. From a
:32:14. > :32:20.practical point of view, we need to seize the bird. This goshawk will
:32:20. > :32:25.be kept safe and could be used as vital evidence in the future
:32:25. > :32:31.prosecution. We are concerned at the bird may not be of legal origin.
:32:31. > :32:39.We will have to find somewhere to house the bird. With the goshawks
:32:39. > :32:45.safely removed from the property, the team decides how to charge him.
:32:45. > :32:52.Possession of wildlife... Of it is left to PC Chris Smithy to lay down
:32:52. > :32:59.the law. I am arresting you on suspicion of possession of a wild
:32:59. > :33:06.bird. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. We are going to
:33:06. > :33:16.Torquay custody. We will get to put 10 and interviewed. He has a lot of
:33:16. > :33:18.
:33:18. > :33:24.questions to answer. -- get you brought in. The police are taking
:33:24. > :33:29.wildlife crime seriously. I would like to think the action we have
:33:29. > :33:36.taken is a good thing and a positive thing and can be viewed as
:33:36. > :33:44.such. He is taken away. They reflect on a difficult
:33:44. > :33:47.investigation. Today has proved quite challenging. We had warrants
:33:47. > :33:54.for two addresses and have actually gone to a bed a dress and found the
:33:54. > :34:01.bird we did not expect to find. -- a third address. It takes time to
:34:01. > :34:06.deal with this and do it properly. Extensive DNA tests from the blood
:34:06. > :34:12.samples revealed that none of the goshawks had been taken from the
:34:12. > :34:19.wild. But, in court, he was convicted of illegally selling a
:34:19. > :34:23.captive bred goshawk and failing to register three others. He was fined
:34:23. > :34:29.�900, ordered to do 150 hours' community service and was banned
:34:29. > :34:39.from keeping goshawks and other rare UK birds of prey for five
:34:39. > :34:42.
:34:42. > :34:47.years. Now, we are rejoining Melissa Fury, who was earlier
:34:47. > :34:51.concerned about an unusual collection of exotic animals being
:34:51. > :34:56.kept at a house in Manchester. She gave the owner some strict advice
:34:56. > :35:00.and promised to return to check conditions had been improved. First,
:35:00. > :35:10.she has to respond to a call about another exotic animal that leaves
:35:10. > :35:11.
:35:11. > :35:17.her help. -- needs her help. She is off to seek the lane and his pet
:35:17. > :35:23.royal python. He has been diagnosed with leukaemia and knows he can no
:35:23. > :35:31.longer give his beloved snake the level of care it needs. He is
:35:31. > :35:41.signing it over to the RSPCA. Are you OK? Local reptile expert
:35:41. > :35:41.
:35:41. > :35:48.Crocodile Joe has also come to help. What is his name? Slither. He has a
:35:48. > :35:52.good sense of humour. I know what he is doing. His wife has been left
:35:52. > :36:00.to look after the snake but she does not share the same passion for
:36:00. > :36:08.these cold-blooded animals. I am frightened of hem. I cannot handle
:36:08. > :36:15.him. I have been feeding him and watering him. It is and not for him
:36:15. > :36:23.being handled, -- if it were not for him being handled but I cannot
:36:23. > :36:33.do it. I am scared. I am glad you have rung us. A lot of people just
:36:33. > :36:33.
:36:33. > :36:40.let it go. He is beautiful, isn't he? He is in very good condition.
:36:40. > :36:46.He shed his skin last week. knows handing over Slow that is the
:36:46. > :36:53.right thing to do but it is still a wrench. He has been part of the
:36:53. > :37:00.family for two years. I am sad he has to go. I know when he wants to
:37:00. > :37:05.go to the toilet, when he is thirsty, when he wants to come out.
:37:05. > :37:14.They need to transport him in a special container to make sure the
:37:14. > :37:21.body temperature stays at the right level. All that is left is a
:37:21. > :37:29.farewell. Bye-bye. Do you want to put him in? You are fine. You can
:37:29. > :37:38.put him in his new home for now. will just calm him down. That just
:37:38. > :37:43.comes him down. We will make sure he does not get out. With the snake
:37:43. > :37:51.comfortable and secure, it is time for him to move to his new home.
:37:51. > :37:57.you want to know how he is doing, just been us a ring. It is not a
:37:57. > :38:07.problem. -- give us. He takes some comfort knowing that the snake will
:38:07. > :38:13.
:38:13. > :38:23.get all the care and attention he can no longer provide. Slither the
:38:23. > :38:26.
:38:26. > :38:31.snake, come on! Is he nice and warm? Still boiling. That was
:38:31. > :38:37.really sad. Difficult circumstances but that gentleman has to put his
:38:37. > :38:44.health first. The snake is going to have a lovely life. He will be
:38:44. > :38:52.handled every day. It is a good job well done. Unfortunately, not all
:38:52. > :38:58.owners do what is best for the pets. Earlier we saw how Melissa and her
:38:58. > :39:01.colleague visited the home of Brian Wilcox in Manchester. They were
:39:01. > :39:10.concerned about the welfare and poor living conditions of some of
:39:10. > :39:18.the exotic animals. They included two bearded dragons which she
:39:18. > :39:21.thought needed better read treatment. I think he has a mouth
:39:22. > :39:27.infection. Nothing could have prepared her for the shock of what
:39:27. > :39:33.she sought outside. I am not saying I am an expert on minicabs but I'm
:39:33. > :39:39.quite sure they are supposed to be kept in groups. After Brian refused
:39:39. > :39:44.to hand over the animals she was most concerned about, a warning
:39:44. > :39:48.notice and ultimatum was issued. She needed to improve the care and
:39:48. > :39:53.conditions or he would risk losing them full bid. It is nearly three
:39:54. > :39:57.months on and she is reflecting on some interesting developments.
:39:57. > :40:05.Since being at the property, when I issued the owner with a warning
:40:05. > :40:12.notice in relation to the bearded dragons, I returned 10 days later.
:40:12. > :40:17.The Environment had worsened. They had no water, no fruit, no heat.
:40:17. > :40:22.Then they had lost weight. The owner was interviewed under caution
:40:22. > :40:27.and the animals were removed and immediately taken to be examined by
:40:27. > :40:34.a better resurgence. When she returned a few days later, there
:40:34. > :40:38.was an even more unexpected turn of events. All the animals had
:40:38. > :40:43.disappeared. He had re-homed them but was not willing to say who he
:40:43. > :40:47.had re-homed them with or where they had gone. I hope he had re-
:40:47. > :40:53.homed them responsibly and they are in the correct environment and
:40:53. > :40:57.receiving their basic needs. Brian Wilcox later admitted we homing
:40:57. > :41:04.many of the animals, including the meerkat, elsewhere, fearing they
:41:04. > :41:09.would be taken away. He pleaded guilty to two animal welfare
:41:09. > :41:14.offences. He was given a six-month discharge but the ban was later
:41:15. > :41:21.lifted pending appeal. We are dealing with exotics in lizards and
:41:21. > :41:26.snakes. We were dealing with the rats, chickens, birds of prey - a
:41:26. > :41:31.meerkat. That was very interesting. I have never come across one in the
:41:31. > :41:38.six years I have been working for the RSPCA. It is shocking that
:41:38. > :41:43.people get the animals and have no idea what their needs are. It is 11
:41:43. > :41:50.weeks since she seized the bearded dragons. Crocodile Joe has provided
:41:50. > :41:56.a new home. He is looking much better. He has put on lots of
:41:56. > :42:03.weight. Look at the size of it! animals are being kept in exactly
:42:03. > :42:08.the right way for them to thrive. They were underweight and were not
:42:08. > :42:14.in the appropriate environment. They had been in the care of the
:42:14. > :42:22.RSPCA for 10 weeks. You can see a massive improvement. He has a
:42:22. > :42:29.barely on him now. He has muscles in his legs. He is looking really
:42:29. > :42:34.well. They have done a 360 turn. They are looking so much better. I
:42:34. > :42:44.am really pleased we got him out of that situation and put them in the
:42:44. > :42:44.
:42:44. > :42:49.situation where they will thrive. If you think you know of a case of