0:00:02 > 0:00:05Over the years, we've tried to bring you closer than ever
0:00:05 > 0:00:07to the animals here in the park, and today,
0:00:07 > 0:00:10we're trying something a little bit different.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Yes, we've invited a top cameraman, who's worked on some of the BBC's
0:00:14 > 0:00:17greatest wildlife shows, including Planet Earth,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20to see what he can get with his very specialist equipment.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Now, getting a killer shot of these guys, the lemurs,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26isn't that difficult. Even Kate and I could do that.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29But today, we're going to find out how he gets on with some of the
0:00:29 > 0:00:31fastest feeders on the planet.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33I think I might swap my Labrador for one of these!
0:00:33 > 0:00:36- Seriously. Or I'll just paint her tail.- Aw!
0:00:38 > 0:00:43All this week, we're bringing you the latest goings on from the park
0:00:43 > 0:00:46for our Easter specials. Coming up today:
0:00:46 > 0:00:49It's the annual weigh-in for these mighty giants,
0:00:49 > 0:00:51but how do you weigh a rhino?
0:00:52 > 0:00:58- SNORTS AND GRUNTS - I don't think he's too happy about having his weight taken today.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01We discover the lengths the keepers go to when they step in
0:01:01 > 0:01:03to raise the animal orphans.
0:01:03 > 0:01:08This isn't just a nine to five job, being a zookeeper, that's for sure.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11And the vital TB testing continues across the park.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13But what will be the outcome?
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Obviously, we're hoping for a clear result and that TB's not an issue.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19That's the hope.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Now, I've been lucky enough to come behind the scenes
0:01:29 > 0:01:33to meet the two newest additions to the carnivore section.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Yet to be shown to the public, somewhere over here,
0:01:36 > 0:01:41we have a beautiful Eurasian or European wolf called Alyeska
0:01:41 > 0:01:45and hiding in the back there, prowling, is Django.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Now, tell me a little bit about these guys.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50They're obviously from Europe and Asia.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54How do they differ from the timber wolves that you've already got here?
0:01:54 > 0:01:56So these guys are a little bit more tawny in colour
0:01:56 > 0:01:57than the Canadian wolves.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00The males tend to be sometimes a little bit larger.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Is there any specific reason that the male is hiding
0:02:03 > 0:02:06in the back there? Have they already got unique character traits?
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Yeah, they've both got their own characters.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Soon after she arrived with us, it quickly became clear that
0:02:12 > 0:02:15she's the more confident character out of the two.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18She'll investigate things new first and once he's seen her
0:02:18 > 0:02:21safely encounter with something, he might come in after,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23so she's actually the braver one of the two.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26John, are you hoping that these become a pair
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and actually mate and you have young cubs here?
0:02:29 > 0:02:33The plan is that these two effectively become our new pack of wolves we have here.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36We're slap bang right in the middle of breeding season at the moment,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38which generally runs from about January to April.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42So hopefully, if these two get on and have lots of little
0:02:42 > 0:02:45youngsters, they'll be the next generation of wolves.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Guys, thank you so much for introducing me
0:02:48 > 0:02:50to these magnificent creatures.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54The public are in for a real treat, that is for sure.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56There you go.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58There's a lot of hungry mouths to feed here,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01with over 1,000 animals calling the park home.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08In Animal Adventure, lead keeper Kim has her work cut out.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15This section houses the widest range of weird and wonderful species.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Catering for them all individually is no mean feat.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Feed time down here at Animal Adventure can be
0:03:22 > 0:03:26a massive operation, so there's so many different animals
0:03:26 > 0:03:28and there's so many different types of food.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Some of it's fruit and vegetables,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32some of it's live food, some of it's meat,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36so obviously it takes us an enormous amount of time to get it all ready.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39And obviously, we're feeding continuously throughout the day.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44Kim's worked here for 12 years, but she's never actually seen
0:03:44 > 0:03:47properly how some of the animals feed.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50There's one or two that fascinate me in a way,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53that it's so fast and it's so secretive sometimes,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57that it will be really cool to have that option to be able
0:03:57 > 0:04:01to watch them properly and see exactly how everything works.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07To see exactly how these super fast feeders actually eat,
0:04:07 > 0:04:13we've called in world-class cameraman Louis Labrom.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16He's filmed everything from komodo dragons in Indonesia
0:04:16 > 0:04:19to jumping vipers in Mexico.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23His state-of-the-art camera is capable of capturing
0:04:23 > 0:04:26high speed action and showing it in slow motion.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Sometimes, wildlife film-making can be a real challenge.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32You tend to spend a lot of time waiting around
0:04:32 > 0:04:34for not a lot to happen.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Luckily for me, today, the animals are already here, they're handled,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41so we're going to get them out and we're definitely going to see them.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45That's a dead cert. And the only hope is that they're hungry.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46Louis rigs up a mini studio.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Then it's lights, camera,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57action!
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Kim has the first creature at the ready.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05- Oh! - SHE LAUGHS
0:05:05 > 0:05:08I've got a huge... I've got a massive phobia of frogs.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Well, this is a toad. This is Michael.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13And Michael is a cane toad.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- Yeah. If you could just... - He's very cool.- That'd be great.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Oof!
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Cane toads prefer their food on the move.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29They press their tongues to the roof of their mouth to release
0:05:29 > 0:05:33a sticky substance, then flick it out to trap their prey.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36A flick of the tongue lasts milliseconds,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39so their prey would never see it coming.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43But Louis's camera is capable of showing the action 60 times
0:05:43 > 0:05:47slower than real life. So we'll see every detail.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Oh, dude, come on!
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Michael just needs to catch his runaway dinner.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04I think he has stage fright.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08You just don't want it, do you?
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Next.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Even tame wildlife can be incredibly difficult to film.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Sometimes, they're just not in the mood. Sometimes, they're not in the right environment.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Sometimes, they just aren't feeling it on the day
0:06:20 > 0:06:22and you can't do anything about it.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25So you've just got to sort of wait and see. Optimism.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Maybe the next contender is hungry for fame.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37This blue winged praying mantis will stalk its prey and grab it
0:06:37 > 0:06:39with its strong front legs.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- Yeah, I think we got that.- Go!
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Yeah!
0:06:53 > 0:06:55- That's amazing!- Right.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58The mantis grabbed its prey in a fraction of a second,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02but Louis's camera has captured it in super slow-motion.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04- Here we go.- Oh, yeah.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08So, she's spotted it. She's just lifting up her head.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14You'll see her front legs start to come out any second.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19There she goes. Ready?
0:07:19 > 0:07:23The mantis extends its claws and grasps the cricket.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Oh, that's so cool!
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Then bites its head off, before devouring it.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- She's like, got it, it's done. - That's amazing.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42Last to go under the spotlight is Bullseye the chameleon.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Just chill there, bro.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49This is the animal Kim is most keen to see in action.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I'm so excited to see this.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56The fact that we're going to get to see her so close up
0:07:56 > 0:07:59and so slow is just going to be fabulous.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04A chameleon's tongue is extremely long,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06up to twice the length of their body.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08And very sticky.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11They fire it out with four times more force than a fighter jet.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Kim's at the ready with a yummy cricket.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Hopefully, I'll catch this.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21It's very quick.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23(Come on.)
0:08:24 > 0:08:26He doesn't seem hungry.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Maybe he's in the mood for a waxworm.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Let's see how he goes with this.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Oh. No.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38No.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Next time, Bullseye.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44And it's nil points for Bullseye.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48It's really unfortunate that some of the animals weren't going to do
0:08:48 > 0:08:51it today, and unfortunately, that's the very nature of what we do.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Wildlife film-making is incredibly difficult.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56The Blue Planets and the Planet Earths,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59so much time is invested in it because you never can be too sure
0:08:59 > 0:09:02whether or not the wildlife's going to do what you want it to do.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07but unfortunately, today just wasn't our day.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Louis's determined to get Kim the chameleon footage she's after.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15So he'll be back to give it one more try.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17We'll be showing you the results later on.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23The first animals to be introduced here 50 years ago were the
0:09:23 > 0:09:25park's iconic lions.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30The original group was made up of mostly young males.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Nowadays, the females outnumber the males.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40In the wild, it's these hardworking lionesses who do the hunting
0:09:40 > 0:09:43and the keepers are always coming up with ways
0:09:43 > 0:09:46to keep those hunting instincts primed.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49The latest scheme is to pit them against one another in
0:09:49 > 0:09:51a game of tug-of-war.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Jean's joining keepers John and Caleb,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58as they prepare to put it to the test for the first time.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01So, we've got a long length of rope that weaves between the big loop
0:10:01 > 0:10:04we've got on the top of this pole and then we're going to have
0:10:04 > 0:10:07a grabbing device that they can kill, basically, on both sides.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- And you're hoping to get a battle. - Yeah, yeah.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11I suppose this is going to test all their natural instincts cos
0:10:11 > 0:10:15with lions, we know that they like anything new, anything fun,
0:10:15 > 0:10:19they like to explore and they're actually watching us over there.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21So they know that something's going on.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24And we've also got lion log cam down here to get some great
0:10:24 > 0:10:26close-up shots. I'm excited about this.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28- Let's get in the car. - OK, let's do it.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- They're on their way.- And here they come. They're on their way.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- They're taking their time, having a sniff around.- Yeah.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Just exploring this new toy that's been left out for them.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- They're just sniffing the log cam. - Someone's getting high up there.
0:10:49 > 0:10:50That's great, isn't it?
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Yeah, Pepper likes to jump up and pull on things.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Yeah, I think Malaika's got hold of the other side now as well.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00- They're splitting into two teams now, which is exciting.- Yeah.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06- What's happening here? - That was Sweetpea trying to...
0:11:06 > 0:11:10She wants control of it. That's what Sweetpea wants,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12so she's trying to get quite feisty with the others.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16And that aggression has come from the fact that it did suddenly move,
0:11:16 > 0:11:17so they think that it's getting away.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19They'll only stop when it stops moving,
0:11:19 > 0:11:20or they think they've killed it,
0:11:20 > 0:11:25so as long as someone else is playing on the other side, they're just grappling to try and stop it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28So that's what Sweetpea's doing. She's putting all her body weight into it.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30She's got it on the ground, so in her mind,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32she's actually killed it already
0:11:32 > 0:11:34and the other one at the top's pulling it.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37They're starting to work together, those two on the left-hand side.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39So one of them's got the bulk of the weight on the ground
0:11:39 > 0:11:41and pulling the slack up and then the other one's trying
0:11:41 > 0:11:43to gain a bit of an advantage, pulling down.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45So they would work together in the wild,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48so if one of them sort of can control the weight,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50then the other ones start to help pull them down as well.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53They can hold them there for quite some time, can't they?
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Yeah, they have been known to hold on to buffalos and things
0:11:56 > 0:11:58for anything up to an hour to try and bring them down.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- So it's a group effort in the wild, with the females.- Yeah.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Is there one that will do that initial attack
0:12:04 > 0:12:06and then the others get involved?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Yeah, so what we've noticed is they all sort of have almost
0:12:09 > 0:12:12a different body shape, so you'll get some lionesses with really
0:12:12 > 0:12:15big shoulders and are really good at pulling,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17and then you'll find smaller lionesses like this one
0:12:17 > 0:12:20on the side of us now, they're better at chasing,
0:12:20 > 0:12:21so they prefer to chase,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24so they would kind of herd prey and then you find the bigger,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27more muscly ones are designed to grapple with it.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34This is a better tug-of-war now. We've got Ghost on one side.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37You are not going to win against these two.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Look, they're just, like, digging in. They're not going to move.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43He's one of the stronger individuals in this group,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46so if one of those two lets go, there will be a change in the...
0:12:46 > 0:12:50- What's the chances of one of those two letting go?- Not a lot.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- Yeah, slim to none.- But you can see, they're just holding it.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Sweetpea's now having a rest, but she's holding it between her paws.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01- Yeah. She is not letting that prey go.- No.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04The tug-of-war has been a huge success and it's been great
0:13:04 > 0:13:07to see the power of the pride up close.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18This week, we've been following the vital testing for TB,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21a killer disease that threatens a lot of the animals
0:13:21 > 0:13:23on the park and surrounding farmland.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Many of the endangered species are at risk.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34So the veterinary team launched the biggest screening operation
0:13:34 > 0:13:35in the park's history.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42So far, the lions, thankfully, have tested clear.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Yeah, another pass.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Today, vets Chris and James are at the cheetah house.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52They need to perform a skin test on all of them.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55The only way they can do that is to sedate them first.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Anaesthetising animals always carries a risk.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05But these tests are vital to find out if any of the animals
0:14:05 > 0:14:07have been affected.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Obviously, we're hoping for a clear result and that TB's not an issue.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13That's the hope, that's what we're hoping for.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16If we can get to that place, then restrictions and things
0:14:16 > 0:14:19can be lifted and the park can just get on with life.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29The cheetahs are in the clear.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32The last of the carnivores to undergo testing
0:14:32 > 0:14:34are the park's three tigers.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37They first arrived ten years ago.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43They were just a year old and sisters from the same litter,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45named Soundari, Svetli, and Shouri.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Legendary tiger keeper Bob Trollope was put in charge of their care.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56It's really enjoyable to have young tigers again, you know?
0:14:56 > 0:14:58We're seeing things now that we haven't seen for years,
0:14:58 > 0:15:03like a lot more playfulness, climbing up trees, it's great.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05And it means that they're happy.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Bob was devoted to the tigers and loved introducing them
0:15:11 > 0:15:14to new things. I spent a great day with him,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16building their first paddling pool.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18That is such a lovely sight, isn't it?
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- Well, you can see how well they get on together.- Yeah.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24They are playful, but they don't mind each other's company.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Being solitary animals, you'd expect them to sort of have
0:15:27 > 0:15:29their own sort of area, but as you can see,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33these lot sort of enjoy their own company as well as the others.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40Very sadly, Bob passed away in 2014.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45He's much missed, but the way the keepers care for the big cats today
0:15:45 > 0:15:47is largely due to his legacy.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54- TIGER ROARS - You OK?- Yeah.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Svetli is the first of the three sisters to be sedated
0:15:58 > 0:16:02for her skin test, and time is of the essence.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04We darted over 20 minutes ago.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08We've probably got 20 minutes or so before we need really
0:16:08 > 0:16:10to be away from the tiger.
0:16:10 > 0:16:11It'll start waking up.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Go.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17She's put in her pen for the anaesthetic to wear off.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24But moments later, Svetli starts convulsing.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27She's still breathing.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30But she's just clearly had a fit.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34This is an unusual and worrying reaction to being sedated.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39Vet Chris must act fast to start trying to bring her round.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Do you want to get that into a dart?
0:16:42 > 0:16:44That's the reversal.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51The team aren't sure what's caused the fit.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53It could be a number of things going on.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56There could be something going on in its head,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58there could be something going on with its liver.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Equally, it may be that as she's coming round,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02she's just over-stimulated.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Will you just keep an eye on its breathing for me, John?
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Head of safari, John Merrington, has years of experience.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12He monitors Svetli while the team
0:17:12 > 0:17:15move on to their next patient, Shouri.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18I'm going to do the bits I need to in the cage with this one.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22Right.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Svetli should be starting to come round now.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Just sticking her tummy out now,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35so it looks like she is starting to come round, so hopefully,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39it's all good news and she'll be right as rain in a few minutes.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42There's just Soundari left to be tested.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46TIGER ROARS
0:17:50 > 0:17:54But then, Svetli's convulsions start again.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Chris can't examine her without giving her more sedative,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00but that could trigger further fits.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03There's absolutely nothing we can do.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06We're not going to go back in with a fitting tiger.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10The risks are too high. We can't...
0:18:10 > 0:18:12By the time they're waking up, you'd be crazy.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16And to be honest, I just wouldn't let anyone do it.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Full stop.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24To help keep her calm, Chris is trying to keep her eyes covered.
0:18:24 > 0:18:30We're just having real issues with her. She seems to...
0:18:30 > 0:18:35She's coming round and it seems to be the stimulation of looking
0:18:35 > 0:18:39to get up that is bringing on this fitting.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45The team make the house as dark as possible.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Absence of stimuli, hopefully, will help her recover that little bit
0:18:49 > 0:18:52smoother, so we're just giving her as much peace and quiet
0:18:52 > 0:18:55as we can, so hopefully it's better for her.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Chris performs Soundari's test by torchlight.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Lovely. Everybody out.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09The team won't leave until all three cats are up and awake.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14But they're still very concerned about Svetli.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19All they can do for her is wait and watch.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24They're hopeless when they're under anaesthetic and we're helpless
0:19:24 > 0:19:27as well cos we can't go in with them.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31She could jump up at any minute, so she's still a dangerous animal,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35so we can't rush in there and help her. It's down to her to recover.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38But it doesn't make it easier for the keepers that work there
0:19:38 > 0:19:40every day to watch.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43We spend all our time with these guys.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46We get quite attached and it's just seeing them fit,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48it's really not nice to see. I haven't seen it before.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51It's really horrible. It really sort of gets you.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54If that was your pet, you'd want to go in there and just sort of
0:19:54 > 0:19:57soothe it and stroke it and just make sure it's all OK.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Obviously, we can't do that with those.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02So it's hard to have to be hands off and just watch
0:20:02 > 0:20:05a monitor and make sure that everything's OK.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13But then, the unthinkable happens.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Svetli's just passed away, I'm afraid,
0:20:18 > 0:20:20which we're all really sad about.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29It could be anything. There could be something going on in the brain.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Could be something going on in the liver.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Multiple things that can lead to these fits.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42I think, unfortunately, we're dealing with an older animal
0:20:42 > 0:20:44and with these sedations,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48there's nothing risk free and it's just such
0:20:48 > 0:20:50a shame that we've got, you know,
0:20:50 > 0:20:55this endemic disease in the area that we're having to risk
0:20:55 > 0:21:00these animals for to try and get on top of it.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06We'll do some tests and stuff on her now and investigate fully,
0:21:06 > 0:21:10see if we can find exactly what the root cause of the fits were.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12And at least get an answer.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25For the keepers, dealing with the untimely death of the animals
0:21:25 > 0:21:29in their care is the most difficult part of the job.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31And when those animals leave behind babies,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34it often falls to the keeper to take over.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43Back in 2003, we followed the progress of keeper Bev,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47who became a surrogate mother to a baby wallaby after its mother died.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52When you're hand rearing any animal, a wallaby,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55you have to try and get to feed off a bottle and of course,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57this is not natural for a wallaby,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00so it's sort of a gradual thing that you've got to do,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03by letting them know the milk's in the bottle, really.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09The joey needed to be fed every two hours.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Look at this tiny little thing.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Wow!
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- So, you've been given the job of mum.- Yes, I have, yeah.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19So far, so good.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23- And is it basically a 24 hour job? - Yeah, so far.- Really?
0:22:23 > 0:22:25In the night, yeah.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33Bev named the baby Kimberley and set about providing her
0:22:33 > 0:22:35with round the clock care.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38In the wild, Kimberley would have remained in her mother's pouch
0:22:38 > 0:22:42until she was ten months old, so it was quite an undertaking.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48It's just like a human baby cos you've got to get up,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51you've got to feed it. If she gets too dirty,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55we've got to give her a quick wash to make sure she's clean.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59It does take a lot of time, but it's worth it.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Under Bev's loving care, she continued to thrive.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07When she was six months old, Kate paid them a visit.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12And look at this! Come on, show your face.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Let's have a look at you.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16She's such... Look!
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Hello!
0:23:18 > 0:23:20Look at you!
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Oh, Bev! She's looking so well!
0:23:22 > 0:23:26She's grown quite a lot since I've had her. She's got more fur as well.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28So she's doing really well.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Bev had even created a makeshift pouch for Kimberley.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37- So, she lives in this rucksack? - Yeah, this is her home, basically.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- In the rucksack, yeah.- And do you carry her around wherever you go?
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- Yeah, everywhere I go, she goes with me, on my back basically.- Really?
0:23:43 > 0:23:45She comes home with me.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47What if you have to go to the supermarket or something?
0:23:47 > 0:23:50She comes along as well, yeah. You get a funny few looks as well.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52- I bet! - It's good, yeah.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56You are just gorgeous, aren't you, Kimberley? Yes.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Eventually, it was time for Kimberley
0:23:59 > 0:24:01to join the rest of the wallabies.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Come on, Kim. Off you go. Go and see your friends.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12But whenever Bev came to visit, she was always guaranteed a cuddle.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Today, the art of parenting in the park continues.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- WHISTLES - Come on!
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Keeper George is mother hen to these flamingo chicks.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32So these are four Chilean flamingos.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35They range from about one month to two months old.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39And we've been hand rearing them from day one, basically.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42So, every day, we get them out for a walk.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45It's always nice, obviously, when the sun's shining,
0:24:45 > 0:24:50but it's very important for their leg development, basically, because they are a long legged bird.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51- SHE WHISTLES - Come on!
0:24:51 > 0:24:53We just walk them around here.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Sometimes we'll run a little bit with them,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57then they get their wings out as they get a bit bigger,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00so, yeah, it's great fun. It's great fun. Highlight of my day.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05In the wild, not all the chicks would survive.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08In order to give every chick the best chance,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11the keepers take all the eggs away for artificial incubation.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16When they're ready to hatch, they put some back with the parents
0:25:16 > 0:25:18and keep the rest for hand rearing.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21Come on then.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29These chicks really do see George as their mummy.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30When it comes to feeding,
0:25:30 > 0:25:34they respond to her as they would an adult flamingo.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37You'll see that he's looking up as he's being fed and that's
0:25:37 > 0:25:40completely normal. So they'll beg from their parents.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42This is how they'll get fed from them.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47They get a bit enthusiastic, but we kind of... Oh, there we go.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50These youngsters need feeding around the clock.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52So George needs to make sure
0:25:52 > 0:25:55her brood are looked after day and night.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59This isn't just a nine to five job, being a zookeeper, that's for sure.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Oh, I love working with these guys, yeah. It's great.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06We'll be catching up with these chicks later on.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08- SHE WHISTLES - Come on.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14All of the animals on the park have regular health checks.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17As part of this, they often need to be weighed.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Just pop her in the bucket. And she's 4.5 kilos.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Not so much of a challenge with the smaller animals.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27But today, it's the turn of Injano the rhino.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Jean's mission is to find out how on earth it's done.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Now, this is not something that's going to happen on
0:26:36 > 0:26:38a set of bathroom scales!
0:26:38 > 0:26:41How are we going to go about weighing a rhino?
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- We've got a much larger set of scales!- Good to hear it, yeah.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46As you can see just behind you there.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51Which hopefully, he will put all four feet on and we'll get a really accurate weight from him.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55I don't think he's too happy about having his weight taken today.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59So I'm just going to pop some nuts down to hopefully keep him in place.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02So, you'll encourage him through here, he'll stand there.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05- Fingers crossed, yes. - Right, how do we call him in?
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Um, if you want to do it, if you just pull that bit down there
0:27:08 > 0:27:12and then pull the handle and the door should slide.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Come on in.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16He's quite impatient cos he's ready to go.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Come on in, pop on the scale there.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Good rhino. There we go.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Right, so we've got him on here.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28So, your average car is probably around 1,000kg.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32I would say he's bigger than that, so let's take a look.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37Ah! 1,970. That's almost the size of two family cars.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- He's a big boy!- He certainly is.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- Yes.- Are you happy with that? - Yeah, very happy.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44That's a good weight for him.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Males can roughly be between sort of 1,800 kilos to
0:27:48 > 0:27:52about 2,500 kilos, so he's pretty good.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54He's quite a good weight.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57And what are you feeding him to help him maintain this weight?
0:27:57 > 0:27:59We give them grazer pellets,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03which we mainly use as a reward for doing things that we want
0:28:03 > 0:28:06them to do, so I've just given him some there,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08so that he comes on to the scales nicely.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11And then we also feed them hay as well.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14- So not a huge shopping list for your rhinos.- No.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16And his weight looks great,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19so I think that's rhino health check done.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23During the winter months,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27the veterinary team carried out a mammoth screening operation.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32After an outbreak of bovine TB on the estate,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35all susceptible species had to be tested.
0:28:36 > 0:28:42Without the all clear, the park and the nearby farms were under threat.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46This is a nightmare. Your business just grinds to a halt.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Go on, up you go, hup!
0:28:53 > 0:28:56One of the local farmers, Steve Crossman,
0:28:56 > 0:29:00is unable to trade while his farm is on lockdown.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03If his herd test positive this time,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06it could mean the end of his family business.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10He's had the vet there all day and he's just been given the result.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14That's the last one and if the bull's good,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18we've had a clear test, so we're back in business.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Thank God for that!
0:29:20 > 0:29:22That's really good.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25We're lucky, we're back in business,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29we can sell some cattle now and put some food on the plate.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Ha-hey!
0:29:31 > 0:29:35In the park, they've reached the end of their mammoth operation.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38All the big cats are TB free.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Total relief, honestly.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42It has been very stressful, I'm not going to lie.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Really, really stressful,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47so it's just a total relief that we've managed to sort this out now.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50TB testing is a long-term issue,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54but keepers and farmers on the estate are optimistic
0:29:54 > 0:29:57they're now controlling the spread of the disease.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00But of course, it came at a terrible price.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07The death of Svetli is a shocking loss.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09Darren Beasley, director of animals,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12understands the pain the team must be feeling.
0:30:12 > 0:30:17One of the worst things is when all your planning and all your care
0:30:17 > 0:30:21and all the keepers' love doesn't matter
0:30:21 > 0:30:25because something outside of your control happens.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29The vet's investigation showed she had an underlying heart problem.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33There was nothing that could have been done to save her.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37It turns out that she had a heart attack, heart failure,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40she had a large lump in the middle of her heart.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44She's probably had that from pretty much the day she was born
0:30:44 > 0:30:49and I hope the keepers just take that thought and say actually
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Svetli could have passed away chasing a car
0:30:52 > 0:30:56through the safari park or laying in the sunshine.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59It was supposed to be and it happened.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02The other two, they're our priority now. They're living.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06They need the love that those keepers give them and we'll do that.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10I've got a good bunch of keepers in there that will give
0:31:10 > 0:31:12those tigers everything that they deserve.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21Three months have passed since Svetli died.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25I've gone to meet my old friend and keeper Ian Turner to find out
0:31:25 > 0:31:29how the remaining tigers are getting on without their sister.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31Can you let the tigers out, please?
0:31:33 > 0:31:34I love this moment.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38- Where are they? - Here they come.- Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- Here they are, look at them! - Straight towards us, look.
0:31:41 > 0:31:42Oh!
0:31:42 > 0:31:45Oh, my goodness! Ian, they're looking so well.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49- Yeah, I know, they are. - They look fantastic!
0:31:49 > 0:31:52I was slightly worried because of the sad loss of Svetli,
0:31:52 > 0:31:56and, I don't know, having not seen them for a while,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58I did wonder whether they were going to be looking
0:31:58 > 0:32:01a little bit decrepit, but they're not at all!
0:32:01 > 0:32:03- No, they're looking fine. - Absolutely not at all.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07They look amazing. Absolutely amazing.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12Svetli obviously must have hit everybody incredibly hard.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14- And out of the blue.- Yes. - Out of the blue, yeah.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19Yeah, yeah. Have you noticed any sort of effect on them, not having Svetli around?
0:32:19 > 0:32:23- They've had a little bit more grumpiness between the two sisters, more than normal.- Yeah.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Other than that, they've played around and been as normal, yeah.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29I mean, I suppose because tigers by nature are fairly solitary
0:32:29 > 0:32:32- creatures anyway, aren't they? - Yeah, that's right.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34- So they're coping pretty well. - Yeah. They're fine.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38They're wandering around in the paddock at the moment and everything.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40How about the team? How are the team coping?
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Because everyone must have been devastated when Svetli went.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45It was a major shock.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47And obviously, it's like losing a member of the family,
0:32:47 > 0:32:49- without being funny.- Well, yeah.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51You've looked after somebody for ten and 11 years,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54fed them breakfast and looked after them, it's always a big shock.
0:32:54 > 0:32:55Yeah.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57And it was.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01I suppose I can't help thinking anyway of lovely Bob Trollope,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04also not with us any more.
0:33:04 > 0:33:10And he was so instrumental in this whole section of the park,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13but particularly with the big cats, particularly with the tigers.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17- Is he much missed?- Oh, tremendously.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- And this sort of thing always brings it back.- Yeah.- You know?
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Yeah.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23What about the future now?
0:33:23 > 0:33:27- I think the future plan is to bring in new tigers.- Right.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29- So we can physically breed.- OK.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Which will be really good.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33- That would be tremendously exciting. - Yeah.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37If you don't phone me the second that you know that there
0:33:37 > 0:33:40might be tiger cubs on the way, I'll never forgive you.
0:33:40 > 0:33:41That'll be fine. I'll do that.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Ian, it's always a pleasure to see them. Thank you very much indeed.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46Look how magnificent they're looking.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58Earlier, we were with Animal Adventure keeper Kim
0:33:58 > 0:34:00and top cameraman Louis.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05Kim wanted to see close up slow motion footage of the eating habits
0:34:05 > 0:34:08of some of the animals in her care.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12- I think we got that.- Go!- The praying mantis was caught on camera.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Oh, that's so cool!
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Kim was desperate to see a chameleon in action.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21But once Bullseye was in the limelight, he lost his appetite.
0:34:21 > 0:34:22No.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24No, not in the mood.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29Today, Louis's back and he's
0:34:29 > 0:34:31determined to get some killer footage.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Nothing has really changed about the set we've got here.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36We've still got the camera, we've still got the lights.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39I just think we got unlucky with the animals that we had last time,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42so I'm really excited to be back and I can't wait to just bank
0:34:42 > 0:34:45those shots and finally go home with a smile on my face.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Kim has selected a chameleon she reckons will give them
0:34:48 > 0:34:50a winning performance.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Obviously, last time it didn't work as well as we'd hoped.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55We didn't get exactly the right amount of footage and the
0:34:55 > 0:34:57feeding behaviours that we wanted.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01So hopefully, she's just poking into shot herself now,
0:35:01 > 0:35:03this little lady is going to do the job.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08So she's our little five-month-old chameleon.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11We're hoping that her being younger and obviously
0:35:11 > 0:35:14a bit more voracious, she's going to eat a bit more food.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16She seems to in her daily life,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19so fingers crossed she does it for Louis's camera today.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26So, Kim, we're all set up and ready. Let's get her on set.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29- Let's let her settle in and see what she does.- Definitely.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34We've got some crickets. So I'll see what she's up to.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36OK.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- She's definitely interested.- Mm-hm.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Very cautious of her surroundings.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47This is usually what they do in the wild, isn't it?
0:35:47 > 0:35:51Yeah, they naturally have one eye on the food and one eye on you.
0:35:59 > 0:36:00So, her mouth's open.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03And she keeps extending her tongue, but no strike just yet.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10The cricket's escaped.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Yep.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Oh, she's...
0:36:18 > 0:36:21No, she's decided she's not going to go for that one.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Here we go, here we go.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27She's just getting ready.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Ah, cool. Did you get it?
0:36:32 > 0:36:33Got it.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35- Wah!- Excellent! Fabulous! Well done!
0:36:35 > 0:36:39So we're just going to have a look back at that cos I just want
0:36:39 > 0:36:41to make sure that I got it, for good measure,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43because I'd hate to leave and not have the footage.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45No, exactly.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49OK, so here we go. We can have a look through what we've just shot.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51- Cool.- Let's get to the good stuff.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57- If you notice, you're looking at her eyes, look, they haven't moved.- Mm.
0:36:57 > 0:36:58She's continuously watching.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00She's not looking around with her eyes any more.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03She's just locked in and she's moving her head into position.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06Yeah, making sure that it's the direction she's going to go.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08She's incredibly patient.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10- Here we go. - So, tongue's a bit further out.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16It's amazing how just that tongue rolls ever so slightly further each
0:37:16 > 0:37:19time, but she's not going to waste her energy going for a false strike.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23- She's going to wait and wait until the perfect moment.- Yeah.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Which is looking like it's now.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30- There we go.- Wow! - Wow! Look at that!- Amazing!
0:37:30 > 0:37:32This bit that you can see going back into the mouth there,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36- that's all muscle.- Mm. - So that's the bit that will grab on and grasp the food properly.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39And when it actually grabs on, it's incredibly sticky, isn't it?
0:37:39 > 0:37:43- So as it grabs, it then clamps and rolls back into itself.- Yeah, yeah.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46People expect obviously the same as you would see on a cartoon,
0:37:46 > 0:37:50that it rolls back in, but that's completely wrong.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54A chameleon's tongue is propelled with incredible force.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56In car terms, it's the equivalent
0:37:56 > 0:37:58of going 0-60 in one hundredth of a second.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04- So that's very cool.- Oh! We got it! - Yeah!- Amazing! Happy!
0:38:06 > 0:38:09- And it's a wrap! - What an amazing thing to film.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14I'm just super happy and almost quite sad to see her go.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17You can always come back and say hello again.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26Earlier, we met keeper George taking these four-week-old flamingos
0:38:26 > 0:38:28for a walk.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30- SHE WHISTLES - Come on!
0:38:30 > 0:38:33They will eventually join the thriving flock of 70 birds
0:38:33 > 0:38:35at Flamingo Lake.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40The biggest step towards independence
0:38:40 > 0:38:42happens at eight weeks old.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Today, these chicks are moving house.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50We've hand reared these four Chilean flamingos.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54We're at a point now that we can put them out with the flock
0:38:54 > 0:38:58and we do that with like a soft release into the rest of the group.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10Flamingos don't respond well to change.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13So George keeps the process deliberately slow.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21The chicks will spend two weeks getting used to this house.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Then, when they feel secure, the doors are unlocked
0:39:24 > 0:39:27and they can join their fellow flamingos in the lake outside.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32But this door is key to the process of familiarisation.
0:39:32 > 0:39:33It means that from here,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36they get a bird's eye view of the rest of the flock.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42OK, so I'm just going to pull this one across for the day.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45So here they can see the other group that are just behind you and
0:39:45 > 0:39:49they can see what they're going out into, basically.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59Two weeks later and the chicks have just been released.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03Jean's with George, who's keeping a close eye on how they're getting on.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07- So, they just came out today? - They have, yes.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09That's exciting. How are they settling in?
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Yeah, so they're a bit sketchy at the minute.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14They haven't actually eaten their breakfast.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17Even with some of the grey birds, when they lift their wings,
0:40:17 > 0:40:19I can see a flash of pink under there.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22Yeah, so they actually start getting pink plumage come through within
0:40:22 > 0:40:28a couple of months, and, yeah, it'll start developing under their wings.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31The last to go is kind of on their heads, so you can even see like the
0:40:31 > 0:40:35previous year's babies cos they're still a little bit grey on top.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37When will they turn pink?
0:40:37 > 0:40:40It takes a good two years to fully develop their pink plumage.
0:40:40 > 0:40:41Two years? Wow!
0:40:43 > 0:40:45Watching their behaviours from here,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49they kind of all walk together in one direction.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Is that something the chicks will start learning,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- to copy what the other birds do? - Yes, definitely.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58- The drive for them to be part of the flock is really strong.- Mm-hm.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00- It's like a natural instinct. - Exactly.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Exactly, so they'll look for other birds and they feel safe in numbers.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11It must make you feel great when you see the new chicks fitting in
0:41:11 > 0:41:14so well with the rest of the flock and then seeing them getting
0:41:14 > 0:41:17in to routine, especially when you've hand reared these birds.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Yes, that's what you want when you hand rear any animal.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24You want them to be... live a normal flamingo life.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28You want them to go on and breed in the future in five years' time,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30so yeah, that's fantastic.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34So here's to these chicks becoming full blown pink flamingos.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- Let's hope they enjoy this. Get them fed.- Definitely.
0:41:44 > 0:41:45As any parent will know,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49it's not always easy putting your kids to bed and this evening is
0:41:49 > 0:41:52no different because I've joined David up at the lemur enclosure
0:41:52 > 0:41:55and it doesn't look like they're that keen to go inside.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57We've got one or two hanging around.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59But the first thing I want to know is about the weather.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Now, Madagascar's down near Africa.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03It's a lot warmer than we have down here.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Is it fair to say, David, these are fair-weather creatures?
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Yes, these guys definitely do prefer the sunshine and warmth.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12They are primates, so like us, they don't deal well with rain,
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- not a big fan of it. - And is it fair to say though that they have adapted pretty well,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19- these guys, to the British weather? - I would say so.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23They do tend to spend a lot more of their time outside nowadays
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- than when they first came. - Despite the overcast skies today,
0:42:26 > 0:42:29it doesn't look like they're that keen to go to bed.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32- Good luck.- Thanks, Ben.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36In the meantime, here's what's coming up on tomorrow's Animal Park.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Out of the Batcave and into the clinic.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Can this tiny creature survive his injury?
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Finding something that isn't fixable might actually mean
0:42:44 > 0:42:47a different ending for tomorrow for him.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50- Hold it, hold your line. - Operation Wolf.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Can this posse of keepers round up one of the world's toughest
0:42:53 > 0:42:56- long distance runners? - We've got one wolf in the paddock
0:42:56 > 0:42:58and then one's broken through the line behind us.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01And after a jam-packed week of animal antics,
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Jean has mastered the art of animal keeping.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07They are going mad for this food! They're loving it!