Episode 9 Animal 24:7

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

domestic pets are the victims of cruelty, persecution and neglect.

Fighting to save them is a dedicated band of people trying to

protect and care for them right around the clock. This is Animal

Today on Animal 24:7... Concerns for the animal lover whose home is

more like a zoo. Is this animal being provided with its environment

the best of its possible needs? It is not. On the trail of an illegal

bird of prey. He has said, the Old Bill is coming down, get rid of the

Gospel. I arrive at feeding time at that hospital. They may be small

but that looks pretty sharp. Yes. The days are long gone when the

only pets we own our cats, dogs and the odd budgie. More than a million

people own exotic pets. They are all increasingly popular. Exotic

pets require a lot of specialist care and attention which sometimes

even the most devoted owners find hard to provide. RSPCA inspectors

now fury and Lorna Campbell have come to a house on a Manchester

estate after complaints that a man is keeping a large number of

animals. Brian Wilcox answers the door. Hello. Sorry to bother you. I

am from the RSPCA. Someone has complained about various different

animals. I wonder if we can look around. A quick inspection shows

the collection includes Canaries, tarantula has... This is the bird

eating tarantula. A hen. And rats. That is just the start of it.

used to be the bird of prey rescue centre for the area. I have retired.

People are still bringing me animals. Brian may have years of

experience with animals but the inspectors still need to check they

are healthy and house properly. What a will do is I will give the

waters called an animal welfare assessment notice. -- give you what

is called. We will do each animal separately. First to be looked at

are a pair of bearded dragons. These two were not looked after

properly. They were not fed properly when they were babies. One

is blind in one night and the other one has only one I. Bryant took

them on after they had been badly cared for. -- O'Brien. His tale is

quite bad. That is one of my favourites. The tank is not big

enough. It needs to have a good run about. The improvised homes are a

cause for concern. I'm not happy about it being in there. It needs

to be in a vivarium. If the lizard is to live in anything approaching

natural conditions, it needs a warmer and much larger home. He can

go over that side and get warm and he can cool down. That is more what

I would want to see. But, a close inspection of the bearded dragons

is causing her greater concern. think he has a mouth infection. He

has a sore eye. This cannot be sorted out because it has gone

beyond repair. It does concern me. The visit to the vet is not just

the price, he receives a legal caution. You do not have to say

anything but it could harm your defence when you are question

something you later rely on in court. You are not under arrest.

That is a caution, to reach you your rights. She can see that Brian

loves his menagerie but has let numbers get out of hand. She wants

to help him cope. You can see they do mean a lot to you so I'm not

going to say, give me this, give me that. I am trying to help you as

much as possible. You do need to say, I need you to help me out.

That is not a problem. He welcomes the advice but, as an animal lover,

he has his own concerns. I am not accepting any more animals.

need to make sure the ones that are here... They are being looked after.

Where are people going to go? can come to us. We are here to help

people. We get lizards and reptiles on a weekly basis. His caring

nature has led him to take on any animal. Who is in this one? That is

a whistling cockroach. Is it a hissing cockroach? A Madagascar and

hissing cockroach. Even if he is not sure what it is. This is a

snake that someone did not want. we know what it is? I have been on

the internet but I do not know. looks like a garter snake. 8 garter

snake! The uncertainty over the identity of the snake is worrying.

If you do not know what animal it is, how do you know how to feed

him? How do you know the specific needs if you do not know what

animal it is. I am not really into snakes. The only reason I took it

was because it was not being looked up to where it was. Whatever kind

of snake it is, it needs a bigger and the warmer home. It needs to be

in a vivarium. Right. The list of things for Brian to do is adding up

and so it is the cost. It will cost me a fortune! They are expensive.

Finally he reluctantly agrees to hand over the snake. OK, we will

have this one. I want the tank! That is one animal taken into care

but there are bigger surprises waiting for them in the backyard.

Still to come: It is far from ideal, to be honest. The animal kingdom

knows no bounds. I have a serious problem with these been kept as

pets. I help with flight changing - - training at the Bat Hospital.

Goshawks are popular birds of prey with Falcon us. There is a fragile

wild population. Because of the high value, some are removed from

the wild by criminals aiming to make a profit. It is an illegal

trade. There are teams dedicated to tackle the problem. 6am, Torquay

police station. Today we are looking to execute warrants at two

addresses on suspicion they may be taking wild goshawks. Nevin Hunter

is breaking his team. They have received a tip-off that goshawks

are being taken from the wild. suspect there may be birds at one

or both addresses. The plan is to rate two houses. We want to find

the birds and relevant paperwork. They head off across Torquay. He is

supported by the police, the vets and wildlife crime officers. It is

an early morning wake-up call at the first address. The suspect is a

name keeper of captive-bred goshawks. Hello! The team can see

some of them in the backyard. Their owner is at home. We are going to

conduct a warrant at this address under the Wildlife and Countryside

Act. Keating captive-bred goshawks is legal, providing they are

registered. -- keeping. We will need your assistance in examining

the birds. He is registered to keep four birds. As the team searches

the property, the numbers do not add up. He says he has six birds.

To prove the two extra birds have not been taken from the wild, he

must provide the necessary paperwork. He is unable to do so.

The team believes the birds are being kept illegally and they need

to find out where they have come from. Are they have registered with

other people? We have to take account of the fact they could be

from untoward sources. It is an alarming situation. If there are

suspicions the birds are taken from the wild, that can impact upon the

population of the birds in the world. The reality of it, from what

we have seen already, there appeared to be anomalies in terms

of paperwork, suggesting something untoward has been going on.

suspects there is already a strong case for prosecution, said they

gather evidence. The vets take blood samples from the birds and

documents are seized. The team heads off to the second house and

takes Paul hill with than to assist with their inquiries. It is

believed another goshawk is being kept here. In an aviary at the back

of the property, he finds an eagle owl, but no goshawk. Then his

friend makes a dramatic confession. He has explained to us that he had

a phone call from beekeeper we have been to see this morning asking to

arrange a swap of the birds. He said he had a friend pick up a

goshawk that was believed to have been here and that person has taken

that bird away with him today. has already been found with two

illegal birds at his home and now he has been discovered from trying

to conceal a third bird from the police. It has staggered PC Chris

Smithy. He has used a mobile phone to ring the occupant. He has said,

get rid of the Gospel. He knows there is something with this

goshawk that he does not want us to find out about. Sat outside in a

police vehicle, he has a lot to answer for. Just sit back in the

car. I think we need to have a chat. He wants him to come clean. I think

there is stuff you are withholding. Now would be a good time for you to

tell us. Since arriving, I am in receipt of more information. Is

there anything you want to tell us about goshawks or anything like

that? You should give serious consideration to your situation.

But he still does not want to co- operate. He is not playing ball.

Not playing at all. But his friend does. He agrees to take the team to

rate their property. He hopes this will be the end of the trial. -- a

third property. There must be something untoward going on with

this. Still to come: More damning evidence. I think the penny has

dropped. He is thinking, how do I get out of this? Brian's Animal

Care gets a cool reception. cuddles up to the cat. I am not

During the summer months British wildlife thrives, but inevitably it

gets into trouble and they end up here at this wildlife hospital.

Today am expecting to see a large influx of a tiny and unusual new

arrival. West Hatch Wildlife Centre deals with all kinds of sick and

injured animals. But one of the most mysterious is the bat. These

nocturnal creatures might be the stuff of nightmares for some but

not for animal care assistant Christa Van Wessem. Hi Christa.

Hello. You all right? Very well. You are running intensive care for

bats, I see. We are very busy at the moment. You have one in your

hand already. Yes, just cleaning him out. He came in 21st July and

it says brought in, found on the road playing in the rain. As bats

do! Summer is the breeding season for bats in the UK which means it

is the busiest time of year for Christa and the team. At the moment

we have about 60 in. -- 16. That number is still growing. We are

getting more as we speak. So the bat ward is pretty full? All the

beds are busy. We have a lot of babies at the moment, young bats

that come in after their roosts have been disturbed or because they

were brought in by cats. And the ones that, for whatever reason,

cannot hunt properly so get malnutrition. You have one in your

hand, can I have a look, you never see bats close-up. So this is a

Natterer's bat? Natterer's bat. Yes. The thing you can immediately tell

is the big features, the ears and nose, whereas the eyes are

difficult to see because that is not that important for them? They

do see, they are not blind, like some people think. This species has

relatively big ears. But they do echolocate so they hunt by hearing

rather than seeing. And they just love to eat! A healthy adult can

get through 3000 insects in just one night. But some of these

youngsters need a little help. have a few bats that need hand

feeding, they are not feeding for themselves yet for whatever reason.

They are too young, or they just don't understand eating the worms

from a bowl. This is a common pipistrelle. Pipistrelle bats often

roost in urban areas which makes them easy prey for domestic animals.

The person that brought him in, her cat caught it and she tried to

release him but he couldn't fly Before we can feed this little

fellow, Christa needs to weigh him so she can keep an eye on his

progress. We want to make sure he maintains, or gains weight.

centre won't release a bat unless it is a healthy size, so this is an

essential part of Christa's job. Because the bats are so tiny

Christa weighs them in a plastic bag to get an accurate reading.

grams. How does that compare on his chart? He was 4 1/2 yesterday.

you could do with him gaining weight? Yes. A pipistrelle in

general would be about five grams. Even at optimum weight, this bat

will only be as heavy as a 20 pence coin, but at the moment he still

has some way to go. So it's meal worms for lunch. They are close to

a bat's natural diet. The worm's outer skin is full of calcium that

makes it the perfect super food to help the bats grow bigger. He's

getting away! Here's a nice juicy one. Fancy that? Those teeth, they

may be small, but they look pretty sharp. Yes. Is he going back in?

Pop him back in. To give the bats the best chance of survival when

released back into the wild is essential they are good flyers.

Christa needs to check the progress of two young pipistrelles she is

hand rearing. They are still babies learning to fly so are their flight

may not be stunning but doing a few lengths in here may help. OK, so do

I lift the top hand off? Drop your hand a bit. Because you have been

holding him like this for a bit he is probably nice and warm. Just

lift off the top hand and hopefully he will start flying off. A bat's

wings are very thin which means they can manoeuvre more quickly and

accurately than birds. But this takes some practice. And I need to

practise picking them up. So you just have to catch him and lift him

up a bit. If you can get him on your hands, you can raise him a bit

and he can fly off your hand again. You did well there, buddy. He did

all right. Pretty good, yes. It is only the beginners' level. So once

again, just lift off? Yes. It takes young bats a little while to become

experienced in using their echolocation skills which is why

they often flies straight into things. -- fly. So how do you feel

about their progress overall? have been doing well so far so if

they get their flight up to speed it will be looking very good.

reason why they can't have a happy life out there? No reason why.

future is looking bright for these little guys. I think these two have

earned their rest after their effort in the makeshift Bat Cave.

Hopefully it won't be too long before they are out there, flying

for real and catching their own Piecing together the puzzle of the

missing goshawk. He did not want us to find that bird. No. There is a

reason for that. Yeah. Now we are heading back to Manchester. Earlier

we joined the RSPCA inspectors Mel and Lorna as they investigated a

man who was keeping a large number of exotic and domestic pets in his

Among the animals discovered so far are snakes, spiders and two bearded

dragons which inspectors feared were suffering due to being kept in

poor conditions. As Mel and Lorna continue their checks, there are

more surprises in store. After finding a veritable zoo in the

living room the inspector simply cannot guess what is being kept in

the backyard. If we go through to the back... The first surprise is a

barn owl. I have a bit of an issue with birds of prey in cages like

this. If you do not fly him, it is not as though you are a hobbyist

and taking him out and flying him. Ideally the aviary would be big

enough for him to fly from A to B, in an ideal world. Owls, like other

birds of prey, need to be flown frequently, not confined in a

cramped cage. It is just not fair to having sat in there. It's no

life. Doris is an eagle owl, who Brian says is flown regularly.

she is flown, is she? Yeah. Mel has concerns about her living

conditions. It's far from ideal, Brian, to be honest. You have to

think from this bird's point of view - what it would usually do in

the wild, or if somebody had time to spend flying it. They are

amazing to look at, they are beautiful, I would love one but I

don't have the facilities to give one a good home. But the biggest

shock is Blue. He's absolutely gorgeous, isn't he? He's a meerkat

who has been kept in a cage with a domestic cat. I have a serious

problem with these being kept as pets. Hello, beautiful boy. You are

part of the family. Both inspectors are experienced but neither have

come across a meerkat being kept as a pet before! I'm not saying I am

an expert on meerkats but I'm quite sure they are supposed to be kept

in groups. They try to convince Brian a backyard cage is totally

Obviously in the wild they live in a massive area so they need as big

an area as you can possibly provide which I don't think that is big

enough. I don't think it's big enough for the cat. Meerkats are

social creatures, living in the wild in packs of 40, or more. Blue

simply has the family cat as his With them being brought up together

they are inseparable, they really are. But they're not interacting.

They do. Brian says the meerkat sleeps in the house at night, in a

cat box, and maintains it is well looked after. He's well looked

after as in he's fed and watered but as opposed to providing him

with his appropriate environment, he's absolutely not being provided.

But this is his environment. It's the environment provided for him,

it does not mean it is right. Is this animal being provided to the

best of its possible needs? It's not. It's in the backyard with a

cat. The inspectors have serious concerns. Meerkats need company,

deep soil to tunnel in and heat for basking. Is there any form of

heating in there? No. So how does a meerkat stay warm? It cuddles up to

the cat. I'm not buying it. It does. If the animal's from the desert

supposed to be kept in hot climates, it's certainly not suitable to be

in a back garden in Manchester. It's not just the meerkat that's

feeling the cold. Come on in, because I've only got these on.

you're getting cold, the meerkat must be cold. Back inside, the

inspectors tried to persuade Brian that blue should be rehoused. But

he's determined to hang on to his family friend of nine years. What

you want to do? Try and change the meerkat's environment here? I'll

try and change it, definitely. has one last attempt to persuade

Brian Blue would be happier in a zoo. But do you not want that for

him? Of course. For him to be in his own environment with other

meerkats? I will do anything to keep him here, whatever you say.

Absolutely. I'm not being horrible here but I feel as though bats for

selfish reasons because he is your son's meerkat, you what the meerkat,

we're not thinking about the meerkat here. Realising that Brian

won't be parted from Blue, Lorna spells out her demands. If you make

the substrate deep enough, as you go down in the soil the temperature

goes warmer, it doesn't matter what it is his outside, the soil

temperature is warm. If you put heat mats underneath you can keep

the soil temperature at a certain temperature. When he burrows he can

sleep outside in his natural environment. They give Brian an

ultimatum. Either look after the meerkat properly, or preferably

give it up. I'm just saying for now, two weeks to make your decision.

Put a plan into place. A lot to think about. It is. It a big

decision. -- it's. Mel turns her attention to the snake that Brian

has been persuaded to hand over. wonder how much he is not going to

like me. After a brief tussle with the snake... There he is. A

beautiful colour. The inspectors are ready to take him to a home

where he can be properly cared for. Thank you. They have only convinced

Brian to part with one animal and mail is concerned he has not taken

in the extent of the challenge ahead. The animals he had are very

expensive to keep, their needs are very specific, some of them are

from tropical climate so it is a mammoth task to look after so many

different types of animals and do it well. I just hope that when I go

back in a couple of weeks he has done as I asked. So that is a

fortnight for Brian to make a lot of improvements, or slim down his

Still to come... The new start for the bearded dragons. Mel's

frustration reaches breaking point. It is shocking people get these

animals and have absolutely no idea Earlier we were in Devon and joined

a team of police and wildlife crime officers as they investigated a man

suspected of keeping wild birds of prey. After raiding Paul Hill's

home, they found two goshawks which they feared could be taken from the

wild. It is now suspected a third bird is being held at another

This bird keeper is in big trouble. Investigators have discovered what

they believe to be two illegal goshawks in his home. He is trying

to hide a third bird at a separate address. He has used a mobile home

and said, the Old Bill is coming down, Ipswich the goshawk! The plan

has backfired. The friend has confessed to the police about the

whereabouts of the bird. The police have gone to a third address. He

waits outside in the police car. Nevin Hunter is hoping it is the

end of the trail. We would like to chat to you about the bird.

owners of this property up bird keepers and take the team to a

garage at the back of the house. he in a box? Can we close these

windows? We need to take a blood sample from this bird. It has been

a challenging day. They hope they have finally found the bird they

are after. Success! It is immediately identified as eight

goshawk. To calm the bird down, the effects cover its head with a cloth.

They take blood samples which will determine whether this bird has

been taken from the wild. concern is how did this bird end up

here in the first place? The rings will give the team vital

information about whether this bird is legal or not. A problem is

detected. I have done a quick check. The details about registration are

conflicting. It seems a third illegal bird is in the possession

of poor health. -- Paul Hill. did not want us to find that bird.

I think the penny has dropped and he is thinking... How do I get out

of this? Inside the garage, he takes the necessary action. We need

to consider what is going on with regard to the bird. From a

practical point of view, we need to seize the bird. This goshawk will

be kept safe and could be used as vital evidence in the future

prosecution. We are concerned at the bird may not be of legal origin.

We will have to find somewhere to house the bird. With the goshawks

safely removed from the property, the team decides how to charge him.

Possession of wildlife... Of it is left to PC Chris Smithy to lay down

the law. I am arresting you on suspicion of possession of a wild

bird. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. We are going to

Torquay custody. We will get to put 10 and interviewed. He has a lot of

questions to answer. -- get you brought in. The police are taking

wildlife crime seriously. I would like to think the action we have

taken is a good thing and a positive thing and can be viewed as

such. He is taken away. They reflect on a difficult

investigation. Today has proved quite challenging. We had warrants

for two addresses and have actually gone to a bed a dress and found the

bird we did not expect to find. -- a third address. It takes time to

deal with this and do it properly. Extensive DNA tests from the blood

samples revealed that none of the goshawks had been taken from the

wild. But, in court, he was convicted of illegally selling a

captive bred goshawk and failing to register three others. He was fined

�900, ordered to do 150 hours' community service and was banned

from keeping goshawks and other rare UK birds of prey for five

years. Now, we are rejoining Melissa Fury, who was earlier

concerned about an unusual collection of exotic animals being

kept at a house in Manchester. She gave the owner some strict advice

and promised to return to check conditions had been improved. First,

she has to respond to a call about another exotic animal that leaves

her help. -- needs her help. She is off to seek the lane and his pet

royal python. He has been diagnosed with leukaemia and knows he can no

longer give his beloved snake the level of care it needs. He is

signing it over to the RSPCA. Are you OK? Local reptile expert

Crocodile Joe has also come to help. What is his name? Slither. He has a

good sense of humour. I know what he is doing. His wife has been left

to look after the snake but she does not share the same passion for

these cold-blooded animals. I am frightened of hem. I cannot handle

him. I have been feeding him and watering him. It is and not for him

being handled, -- if it were not for him being handled but I cannot

do it. I am scared. I am glad you have rung us. A lot of people just

let it go. He is beautiful, isn't he? He is in very good condition.

He shed his skin last week. knows handing over Slow that is the

right thing to do but it is still a wrench. He has been part of the

family for two years. I am sad he has to go. I know when he wants to

go to the toilet, when he is thirsty, when he wants to come out.

They need to transport him in a special container to make sure the

body temperature stays at the right level. All that is left is a

farewell. Bye-bye. Do you want to put him in? You are fine. You can

put him in his new home for now. will just calm him down. That just

comes him down. We will make sure he does not get out. With the snake

comfortable and secure, it is time for him to move to his new home.

you want to know how he is doing, just been us a ring. It is not a

problem. -- give us. He takes some comfort knowing that the snake will

get all the care and attention he can no longer provide. Slither the

snake, come on! Is he nice and warm? Still boiling. That was

really sad. Difficult circumstances but that gentleman has to put his

health first. The snake is going to have a lovely life. He will be

handled every day. It is a good job well done. Unfortunately, not all

owners do what is best for the pets. Earlier we saw how Melissa and her

colleague visited the home of Brian Wilcox in Manchester. They were

concerned about the welfare and poor living conditions of some of

the exotic animals. They included two bearded dragons which she

thought needed better read treatment. I think he has a mouth

infection. Nothing could have prepared her for the shock of what

she sought outside. I am not saying I am an expert on minicabs but I'm

quite sure they are supposed to be kept in groups. After Brian refused

to hand over the animals she was most concerned about, a warning

notice and ultimatum was issued. She needed to improve the care and

conditions or he would risk losing them full bid. It is nearly three

months on and she is reflecting on some interesting developments.

Since being at the property, when I issued the owner with a warning

notice in relation to the bearded dragons, I returned 10 days later.

The Environment had worsened. They had no water, no fruit, no heat.

Then they had lost weight. The owner was interviewed under caution

and the animals were removed and immediately taken to be examined by

a better resurgence. When she returned a few days later, there

was an even more unexpected turn of events. All the animals had

disappeared. He had re-homed them but was not willing to say who he

had re-homed them with or where they had gone. I hope he had re-

homed them responsibly and they are in the correct environment and

receiving their basic needs. Brian Wilcox later admitted we homing

many of the animals, including the meerkat, elsewhere, fearing they

would be taken away. He pleaded guilty to two animal welfare

offences. He was given a six-month discharge but the ban was later

lifted pending appeal. We are dealing with exotics in lizards and

snakes. We were dealing with the rats, chickens, birds of prey - a

meerkat. That was very interesting. I have never come across one in the

six years I have been working for the RSPCA. It is shocking that

people get the animals and have no idea what their needs are. It is 11

weeks since she seized the bearded dragons. Crocodile Joe has provided

a new home. He is looking much better. He has put on lots of

weight. Look at the size of it! animals are being kept in exactly

the right way for them to thrive. They were underweight and were not

in the appropriate environment. They had been in the care of the

RSPCA for 10 weeks. You can see a massive improvement. He has a

barely on him now. He has muscles in his legs. He is looking really

well. They have done a 360 turn. They are looking so much better. I

am really pleased we got him out of that situation and put them in the

situation where they will thrive. If you think you know of a case of