0:00:29 > 0:00:32Hello and welcome to Animal Park.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34- I'm Kate Humble.- And I'm Ben Fogle.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38And this is the perimeter fence of the lion enclosure here at Longleat.
0:00:38 > 0:00:44Now, it's 12-feet high and designed to keep the large powerful cats safely inside.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48But what if the worst case scenario were to happen and a lion DID escape?
0:00:48 > 0:00:54Well, today in a special drill, Head Warden Keith Harris will be putting the keepers to the test.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58But will they stay calm or will they lose their heads? We'll find out later.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02In the meantime, here's what else is coming up on today's programme.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06There's a murder mystery to solve on Meerkat Mountain.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11And the investigation has uncovered a twist in the plot that's stranger than fiction.
0:01:11 > 0:01:18Lady Bath knows that people will be staring at her new portrait for centuries to come.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20So what if she doesn't like it?
0:01:20 > 0:01:28And down on the farm, the student vet is going to find out what's what at lambing time.
0:01:28 > 0:01:34But first, an emergency has been scheduled, and now the drama is about to begin.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Well, it's early morning outside the lion enclosure here.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39As you can see, it's firmly closed up.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43I'm waiting for keeper Bob Trollope so that we can go out on patrol.
0:01:43 > 0:01:49Within the lion enclosure, count them, and something tells me one of them is going to be missing.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55The different areas and departments at Longleat are called sections.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59And already the staff in each section have begun their first jobs of the day.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03For some, that's feeding, while others start with mucking out.
0:02:03 > 0:02:09The keepers who look after the large carnivores have different priorities.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12A lot of their routine is concerned with safety.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17But there's going to be nothing routine about today, though so far everything seems normal.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22I've joined Bob Trollope as he does his usual rounds.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26So, Bob, obviously you do this every morning. We've just counted the wolves.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30- Yeah. The first thing we do every morning is a head count.- Yep.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33- Obviously, as we are driving around, we do a fence check as well.- Yeah.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36See if any trees or branches that have come across
0:02:36 > 0:02:39or any other unlikely thing that might have happened.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Is that the biggest hazard then? A tree falling and crushing the fence.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45As you know,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- the safari park is built in a wood... - Mmm.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51..and no matter how well you trim the trees up,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54there's always a possibility that one might
0:02:54 > 0:02:57fall over or a limb might come down.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00That is always a worry, that's for sure.
0:03:00 > 0:03:06While Ben's out with Bob, I'm in position to follow the action in the safari park's nerve centre -
0:03:06 > 0:03:08the office of Head Warden Keith Harris.
0:03:08 > 0:03:16So as not to arouse suspicion at this stage, we're pretending to be here to do an interview about something else.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20You can tell it's the Head Warden's office because it's got the biggest chair. ..Morning.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24'The lion-escape drill has been kept secret from all the other staff,
0:03:24 > 0:03:29'so right now we're just playing along, waiting for the emergency to begin.'
0:03:29 > 0:03:33I'm glad that cameras are here because I can now prove that I do do some work.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35There's lots of paper and stuff about.
0:03:35 > 0:03:42'In the outer office, Deputy Head Warden Ian Turner is blissfully unaware of the impending crisis.'
0:03:44 > 0:03:50There's only three people that know about this and that's me, Brian and Keith.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53I've noticed Craig is coming nearer.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57- This is when I tell him what is actually going on.- OK.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04- And, what we're doing is basically a lion-escape jail.- Right.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I'll let you know that all the lions are in.
0:04:07 > 0:04:14If anyone asks you or gets in contact with you, you've got to act just as surprised as we are.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- OK.- All right.- Yep.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19- So, the first thing is to double check all the lions are in?- Yes!
0:04:19 > 0:04:23- So, which pride is this we're going into?- This is Charlie's pride.- OK.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Are they going to be surprised to see us?
0:04:26 > 0:04:31The fact is that me and Brian sneaked in yesterday evening and actually put them all in.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- So, we know they're all there. - LOUD GROWLING
0:04:36 > 0:04:40'Close up, you can really appreciate how dangerous these animals are.
0:04:40 > 0:04:46'Thankfully, since the safari park opened 40 years ago not one has ever escaped.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50'Now we're about to find out what would happen if one did.'
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- Are we ready for this?- I'm actually quite nervous, even though...
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- A lot of planning's gone into this. - We've been planning this for weeks.
0:04:58 > 0:05:04- Mm-hm.- It's been so hard not to let things slip.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08- Craig, you hadn't got a clue about it, had you? - Not at until this morning!
0:05:08 > 0:05:10That's good. That bodes well.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Shall we make the first call?
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Er, 392, Brian.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18'Bob's first call is to his Head of Section, Brian Kent.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22'Brian is in on the secret, but all the correct procedures
0:05:22 > 0:05:25'must be followed to keep the exercise as real as possible.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31'And, of course, most of the other keepers have radios, too, so they can already hear what's going on.'
0:05:31 > 0:05:36I've checked all the Lions in the second and we have one missing.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Could you have another look round just in case
0:05:39 > 0:05:42'one's got up a tree or something?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44'It's possible.'
0:05:44 > 0:05:50Yeah, I will do. We have had a pretty thorough search, but we haven't seen anything yet.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54All right, have another look again and give me a shout back.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Give it five minutes and I'll make another call.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01'OK. So far, the situation is still in the hands of the lion keepers.
0:06:01 > 0:06:08'But very soon, it's going to turn into a full-scale emergency that will involve everyone in the park.'
0:06:13 > 0:06:20Meanwhile, down at Meerkat Mountain, the keeper in charge, Darren Beasley, has his own drama to deal with.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Last year they brought in a new male meerkat to join
0:06:23 > 0:06:28their group of females, in the hope that they would soon start breeding.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32But for some unknown reason, that just didn't follow.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35And now something dreadful's happened.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38We've had a terrible time down here at Meerkat Mountain actually.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43Um, a few days ago, the meerkats started fighting amongst themselves.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48We thought it was a normal, hierarchical scuffle, cos they have these falling-outs.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53The alpha male and the alpha female keep everybody else in line.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58And it didn't stop. The fighting went on pretty much solid for well over an hour.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01We split them up and they were fighting through the barriers inside
0:07:01 > 0:07:04underneath the mountain in their night house.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08And even though we administered a bit of first aid and antibiotics,
0:07:08 > 0:07:14I'm afraid they basically murdered one of the meerkats - they killed one of their gang.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18A gang of meerkats is properly known as a mob.
0:07:18 > 0:07:24And although they look harmless, and even cute, these animals come from a tough neighbourhood,
0:07:24 > 0:07:30the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa, one of the harshest environments on earth.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33But now Darren has a mystery to solve.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37What was the motive for the murder, and will the killer strike again?
0:07:37 > 0:07:44The victim was male, so perhaps it was a courtship or mating ritual gone horribly wrong.
0:07:44 > 0:07:50When a little boy meerkat wants to chat up a lady meerkat, he basically will attack her.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53He will try and overpower her,
0:07:53 > 0:07:58if you like, to convince her that he's big and strong and she's got to do what he says.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01It may be in this case that this male,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05because it was a male that was killed, um... picked on the wrong girl.
0:08:05 > 0:08:12Squabbling and fighting is a normal part of meerkat society, as animals jostle for position within the group.
0:08:12 > 0:08:19The females are feisty, though it's usually the males who are the most confrontational.
0:08:19 > 0:08:26So, when the new male arrived last year, Darren introduced him to the girls slowly and carefully
0:08:26 > 0:08:28in order to avoid any trouble.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36But the group settled down in no time, and everything seemed to be going perfectly.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40So why did it come to end in a violent tragedy?
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Could there be another explanation?
0:08:42 > 0:08:48Darren has taken his investigation further to pursue a startling theory.
0:08:48 > 0:08:55Well, the one that passed away and been killed was a boy. We saw that.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59We caught all the others to check for injuries and check for wellbeing and stuff.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01We think we've got another male in here.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Now that could prove to be a fatal error.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08When they arrived from another collection, we sexed them and put them in.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Meerkats aren't the easiest things to sex, I know.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14But we thought we had all girls and just this one boy.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19So, what we do know is, we know that the one male that we know of had a transponder in,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21which is a tiny little microchip.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26It's a way of identifying animals. It gets injected under the skin at the back of the neck.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31A lot of dogs and cats have it now. It's a really good idea. So, Duncan, the vet, is coming in.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35We're going to use the transponder reader to see if any of the ones left have got a chip.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40If they have, we know that the male in here is our original male
0:09:40 > 0:09:45and the one that was actually murdered was an impostor or someone that shouldn't have been here.
0:09:45 > 0:09:51If one of the remaining meerkats DOES turn out to be male, then the fatal fight
0:09:51 > 0:09:56would have been natural behaviour to establish who was the alpha male.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00It could all be down to a tragic case of mistaken identity.
0:10:00 > 0:10:06We'll be back on Meerkat Mountain shortly when the vet arrives to solve the mystery.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Back in Lion Country, keeper Bob Trollope is about
0:10:22 > 0:10:26to launch an emergency that could send panic across the safari park.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30It's only Bob, his head of section, Brian Kent,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34and Head Warden Keith Harris who know that this is a safety exercise.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39Everyone else is about to be told that a lioness has gone missing.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Right now the deception is still brewing.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48Bob's going through the motions of double-checking the area normally occupied by Charlie's pride.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52What they call the "second section" of the lion enclosure.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56- 'Any luck yet?- No, not a thing. Definitely not in the second.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01'All right, I'll check the fence along by gate four in a minute.'
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- Brian's just going to do a perimeter check.- Right.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11BRIAN'S VOICE ON RADIO
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- Who's he calling? - He's calling Keith now.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Right. So, this is when things are starting to get more serious.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21- Yeah. As soon as Keith's involved, it's a full-scale emergency.- Right.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25'Brian has called in to talk to Head Warden Keith Harris,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29'but it's his deputy, Ian Turner, who comes on the radio.'
0:11:29 > 0:11:34I got a shout from Bob. There's a lion missing in the second. He's had a good look round,
0:11:34 > 0:11:40'and, um, can't find it. I'm just going along the fence by gate four at the moment.'
0:11:40 > 0:11:43So, that was Ian. Ian won't have a clue about what's...
0:11:43 > 0:11:51Ian doesn't know. Keith is making out he's being filmed just so it throws Ian a little bit.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- OK.- So, Ian is going to have to going there and tell Keith the news.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58A big banana split, I think it's going to be, but raw.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02- And then, um, it's... - KNOCK ON DOOR
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Sorry, but we've got a lion missing in the second section at the minute.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- Not this one that's...?- I'll keep the radio on.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16- What should we do at this point? - We'll just hang on. He's going to call Brian.
0:12:16 > 0:12:22'Because Ian doesn't know it's a drill, it's important for Keith and me to keep up the deception.'
0:12:22 > 0:12:24What's happened?
0:12:24 > 0:12:27I'd just got a call from Bob.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29There's a lion missing in the second.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32He's had a good look round, but can't find it.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36I'm along the fence line from gate four at the moment, just having a look.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40OK, well, give us a shout if there's a problem.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Surely there IS a problem if a lion's out.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Only between the fences at the moment.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- OK. So, there's a double layer of fences?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51A lion is a killing machine.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53- Yes.- They're born to kill.
0:12:54 > 0:13:00- Um, and for one to escape, there's obviously going to be a lot of fear about.- Mm-hm.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04It will be unnatural territory for the lion.
0:13:04 > 0:13:10- So, it's going to be frightened. - Mm-hm.- Um, for all we know, it could be hid up somewhere.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11- Mm-hm.- Who knows?
0:13:14 > 0:13:19KATE: The safari park is now just one step away from a full-scale emergency.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24Brian Kent must check the perimeter fence one last time.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28If he finds a break or hole, the entire safari park will be told
0:13:28 > 0:13:32that there's a deadly lion on the loose somewhere on the estate.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Meanwhile, there's a cloud of suspicion hanging over Meerkat Mountain.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48A young male's been killed in a fight.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Head of Pets Corner, Darren Beasley, assumed that he was the new male
0:13:52 > 0:13:56who was brought in last year to join the all-female mob.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59But now the plot thickens, because they suspect that
0:13:59 > 0:14:04the new male is actually one of the three meerkats who are still here.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08The problem is that these meerkats look almost identical
0:14:08 > 0:14:11but there is one sure-fire way to identify the new male.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16They know he's got a microchip transponder inserted beneath the skin.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21Now vet Duncan Williams has arrived with his microchip reader.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26You're going to solve a real mystery for us.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Regarding the big fight where we had a meerkat
0:14:29 > 0:14:34picked on and killed basically by one of the others in here.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38That shouldn't happen. There are various reasons why it may happen.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43When Val was health-checking the others, the remaining ones, we think we saw another boy
0:14:43 > 0:14:47which would explain a lot as we're meant to have one boy and the rest girls.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Um, they're notoriously hard to sex.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51So, that's good.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53That's all three in here.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58So, we've separated the meerkats now.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02It's like putting your hand into a tiger pit, really,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04cos they're so vicious.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05All right, my love.
0:15:07 > 0:15:13That's it. Hopefully, we won't find any chips on this one.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15No, there's nothing there.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19That's a female. That is a female. Look at those teeth!
0:15:19 > 0:15:23They eat insects. Goodness gracious, what do you want teeth like that for?
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Incredible. Let's put her in there.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31Oh, I nearly fell in.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Grab my ankles, Val, I'm going in.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36It looks a bit ungainly but...
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Nothing at all.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45- Superb. - Now, there's just one left to try.
0:15:45 > 0:15:51If this one turns out to be the new male, it would explain why the fatal fight was so intense.
0:15:51 > 0:15:58In the wild, a conflict to determine the alpha male can easily turn into a battle to the death.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02- BEEPING - You've got a chip already. - You've got a chip already?- Yep.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05So, in a way, that is good news.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09This means, this little feisty fellow is our original male.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13That explains a lot. That explains, the other one was an impostor.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17It obviously was a sub-adult when it arrived. We thought it was a female.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21It's grown up to a male and he's seen it off, but in, I'm afraid, the ultimate way.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24So, the mystery is solved.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27The victim was only a youngster when he arrived,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31which is what made it so difficult to spot that he was actually a male.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34As long as he was still a juvenile there was no trouble.
0:16:34 > 0:16:42But when he reached sexual maturity, he was driven to challenge the alpha male - with fatal consequences.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46We treated it, obviously, just after a fight when it was very badly injured, but...
0:16:46 > 0:16:48it didn't survive.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50The injuries were too much.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53It died a couple of days later really.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57But, you know, we know why now, which is the main thing.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Hopefully, we won't get any more.
0:17:00 > 0:17:06Fighting, most days, most weeks, is part of this hierarchical structure.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10It's the two top ones that want to breed and want to rule the roost.
0:17:10 > 0:17:16Everybody else is secondary. Nature says, as you get bigger and stronger, you're going to compete.
0:17:16 > 0:17:23In the wild, you might drive someone away or you might just live in, not harmony, but live knowing your place.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Obviously here, the balance...
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Somebody somewhere decided that these two,
0:17:27 > 0:17:32they weren't going to live in peace and harmony and they both wanted to be top cat.
0:17:32 > 0:17:33And there can't be two top cats.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37But something good may come from these tragic events.
0:17:37 > 0:17:44Now that the hierarchy of the mob is stable, there's nothing to stop them from finally starting to breed.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48We have two unrelated females with an unrelated male, all of a good age.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51There shouldn't be any infighting now.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53They balance themselves out.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57I'd like to be having this conversation with you in ten years' time,
0:17:57 > 0:18:02saying we've got 40 meerkats here and we've a lovely colony. So, we'll just have to wait and see.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09KATE: 'Back in the safari-park office only a few minutes have passed
0:18:09 > 0:18:13'since keepers Bob Trollope and Brian Kent reported a missing lion.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17'Head Warden Keith Harris is now waiting for news that will confirm
0:18:17 > 0:18:21'everyone's worst fears - actual evidence of an escape.'
0:18:21 > 0:18:27I found several holes along the fence line. I'd imagine it's possible it could have got out of there.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29OK, Brian. We'll come straight there.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42'Could I have any available vehicles mobile?'
0:18:45 > 0:18:48So, there probably will be some very real panic going on now.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53There's going to be a lot of panic. People will be zooming in to an area.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Now, O'Brien is down at gate four
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- where he's spotted a hole.- Yep.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01I would imagine people will aim for that direction.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Like everyone else, Deputy Head Warden Ian Turner
0:19:05 > 0:19:09doesn't know that this is actually an elaborate safety exercise.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14- A lion's gone missing... - VOICE ON RADIO
0:19:14 > 0:19:16..and there's a lioness.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Ian, can you grab the dart kit, please?
0:19:20 > 0:19:24- Deputy Head Warden Ian Turner is going to be going to get a...? - Dart kit.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27He's the person that does most of the darting here.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30You always nominate a certain person to go and do a job.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32I'm just picking up the dart stuff, really.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Yeah, OK.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I'll take the pistol.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40We've had ones between fences before.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Usually, it's if a tree's come down or something.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49I hope she's just...
0:19:49 > 0:19:51hiding somewhere, out of the way.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59If she's been bullied, that could be a reason why she's gone over.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Which way do you think it's gone?
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- I think it's gone up that way. I'm not 100% sure, mind.- OK.
0:20:07 > 0:20:13Well, if you follow what you think are the tracks along there, I'll have to give the gardeners a shout.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17- I'll go down to the junction in a minute.- I haven't got out, being on my end.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19But I'd imagine it's gone that way.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- 293, Bob.- Yes?
0:20:25 > 0:20:31Bob, can you put the rest of the lions in, if possible, please?
0:20:31 > 0:20:34I'll meet you down by gate four.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Yeah, me and Craig, we've already done that.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39And there is definitely one missing.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42The rest of the lions are in. Definitely one missing.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45There's dog walkers out there. What does this mean?
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Well, we'd got to...
0:20:47 > 0:20:52get everybody mobile and get people like that picked up.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Right.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Tommy, I need everything shut down, mate.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01I've got a problem already. On the picnic area, there's a dog walker.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03We need him evacuated.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10I need to stop all traffic. One of the biggest dangers at the moment is, we know she's out, we don't know
0:21:10 > 0:21:14where she is but there's people walking on the estate already.
0:21:15 > 0:21:21About 4,500 acres of the estate is open for public access.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24But now everyone has swung into action.
0:21:24 > 0:21:32Keepers, gardeners, security and house staff are all working together to lock down the whole place.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37Darren Beasley has left Pets Corner to get to his emergency station at one of the gates.
0:21:37 > 0:21:44- Hiya. If you go up there, they are a little bit tense up there, so... - What's going on?
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- I'm not sure, really. It's an emergency of some sort.- OK.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Buster, Buster, this is Safari Base.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Um, we have an incident. I need...
0:21:55 > 0:21:57immediate assistance, please.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59We've got an animal that's escaped. We know it's a lion.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03- I do need mobile, immediate assistance, please.- Be careful.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06We don't know where the lion is.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11- All right?- All right. - If you can take a few people with you.- OK.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Can you organise somebody at the safari office to close the gate and not let anybody through, Mark?
0:22:24 > 0:22:28OK, there's just somebody. Yeah, OK.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30So, they've closed the safari park as well.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35They're shutting the gates, so that no cars can come down.
0:22:35 > 0:22:41You want the least amount of people as possible to be
0:22:41 > 0:22:43- wherever this lion might be.- Mm-hm.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Bob, could you get to Heaven's Gate proper?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49No, the top.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Make sure nobody comes through there.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59I have to say, it's incredibly impressive.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02This was only discovered about five minutes ago.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05The whole park is mobilising very, very fast.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Yeah. The only thing is now, we've got to find the lion.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12And when the lion is found, then the emergency will really go into top gear.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15We'll be back to see what happens very soon.
0:23:37 > 0:23:43For over 450 years, Longleat has been the home of the Thynne family,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47dating back to Sir John Thynne, who built the house in the 16th century.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Since then, each generation has commissioned
0:23:53 > 0:24:00at least one portrait of themselves, so that they could take their place on the walls, amongst the ancestors.
0:24:00 > 0:24:07Last year, the official portrait of Lord Bath was painted by the noted artist Paul Benney,
0:24:07 > 0:24:12and hung in the Ante Library where it would be seen by visitors at the start of their tour.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Lord Bath, an artist himself, was pleased with the result.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18I think it's a good likeness.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21I think it's got the air of not being too carefully dressed.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25It's all a bit sort of ruffled up, as I normally am.
0:24:25 > 0:24:33Um, and an expression different than the ones...the self-portraits I've done of myself.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36So, it's all an addition to the array.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41Lord Bath is a colourful character and his wife, Anna, Lady Bath,
0:24:41 > 0:24:45expected to see a little more of that in the portrait.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50He's a real peacock. He dresses far more exotically than I do
0:24:50 > 0:24:53and with more colours and more, more, more...
0:24:53 > 0:24:56I'm not sure how to define it.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58More in every way.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03But now, artist Paul Benney has another picture to paint, because
0:25:03 > 0:25:09having done the Marquess, it was felt he ought to do the Marchioness.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13So it's Lady Bath's turn to sit for her portrait, in Paul's studio in West London.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17This picture is a different kind of challenge.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21To me, it's an elegant portrait.
0:25:22 > 0:25:28Um, it's almost opposed to Lord Bath's painting, which is quite
0:25:28 > 0:25:32flamboyant and dramatic and full of interest.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37This one is quite sort of minimal and...restrained.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39I kind of like that.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44In choosing her outfit, Lady Bath has gone for a vintage classic.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49It's an Yves St Laurent poncho from the 1960s.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53When I meet somebody, if I don't know them, we sort of mooch around,
0:25:53 > 0:26:00finding a place where the light will be good for them.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05It's quite difficult in the studio. You've got skylights. You have to find the right spot.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09That actually takes a long time and can be a bit trying.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14A situation that didn't escape Lady Bath's attention.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19'I noticed that the lighting was from way above the head which is not the most flattering lighting.'
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I did tell him that last time we saw each other.
0:26:22 > 0:26:29I thought that he made me look terribly, if not sad, as having the whole world on my shoulders,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31which of course I do, but I don't want it to show.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34I don't.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37So, I said, I looked a bit sad to him in his portrait.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41But the art of a portraitist is to put on the canvas something
0:26:41 > 0:26:45of the character, not just the outward appearance of the subject.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49And Paul is one of the most renowned painters in the field.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53His portraits are done over several sittings and many months.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56This particular portrait, I think, is...
0:26:56 > 0:26:58of somebody...
0:26:58 > 0:27:00about to get up and go.
0:27:00 > 0:27:08And...Anna Bath is very much like that. She's always on the move.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Something that Lady Bath cannot deny.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12How are we doing time-wise actually
0:27:12 > 0:27:14cos I've got a flight to catch?
0:27:14 > 0:27:16- So...- Right.- It's all right?
0:27:16 > 0:27:18- It's not half past yet, is it?- No.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21'To me, when I'm painting somebody,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25'it's somebody coming into my life for a short while
0:27:25 > 0:27:29'who I, um...find out a lot about.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32'and develop a relationship with.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36'And, that part of it is always fascinating.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39'The painting is a sort of...
0:27:39 > 0:27:44'result of the time we spend in the studio.'
0:27:44 > 0:27:46We talk quite easily, don't we?
0:27:46 > 0:27:53- Yeah.- And, um...no, I think it will be unnerving when you are...
0:27:53 > 0:27:56a young girl. I had a portrait done of me when I was fairly young.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Then you feel very ill at ease.
0:27:58 > 0:28:04The older you grow, the more... at ease with yourself and the world you are, I suppose.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06The less self-conscious, I would say, you are.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10There are people who just try and manipulate it
0:28:10 > 0:28:14as it's going along because they feel like they can sort of...
0:28:14 > 0:28:16put a little bit of spin on it, just a bit.
0:28:16 > 0:28:22Anna's actually been very good and hasn't made too many comments about it.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Only today.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30But when it's finished, what will Lady Bath really think of her portrait?
0:28:30 > 0:28:33We'll find out later on.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43Back in the safari park, the staff are all at action stations.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46They've been told that a lioness has escaped.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Only the lion keepers Bob Trollope and Brian Kent,
0:28:50 > 0:28:55along with Head Warden Keith Harris, know that this is actually a safety drill.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Where are you with that rifle?
0:28:58 > 0:29:03Yeah, just going past the hippo field now towards gate four.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Keith is in charge now. We have to take our directions from him.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Obviously, if we see things that will
0:29:09 > 0:29:13help him out, then obviously will do that.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16What's happening now, we are doing a sweep of this area.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21- Right.- We've had a report that it was in what we call this hanging here, underneath the hill.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25Quite good camouflage up here, in this lion-coloured...
0:29:25 > 0:29:29The lion's coming in from our left, and he's going along that hanging.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31OK, let's be optimistic here.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33We find the lion.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37- Then what happens?- The first thing we have to is assess
0:29:37 > 0:29:41whether it's either "dartable" or we've got to destroy the animal.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45- Right.- When I say "dartable", it's got to be in an accessible area we can get to.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49- Right.- In which case, we might chance darting it.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51So, darting it would mean tranquillising it,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54- and then you can move it back into the enclosure?- Yeah.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Worst-case scenario, if you had to put it down -
0:29:58 > 0:30:01in what circumstances is that?
0:30:01 > 0:30:04If we believe there's a risk of it escaping further,
0:30:04 > 0:30:08- or a risk to the public, then the animal will be destroyed.- Right.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14You wouldn't get out at this stage, still?
0:30:14 > 0:30:18No. If you don't know where the animal is, then you don't get out.
0:30:18 > 0:30:25It's as simple as that. Because, it could be down in that gully, and if we went marching off down there,
0:30:25 > 0:30:30- guns in hand...- Yes.- ..then you're making yourself vulnerable.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32That's one thing you don't want to do.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39It would be scared, frightened.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43It would be more dangerous than normal, I'd have thought.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45You just don't know where it would be.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49It could be hid up, or run in sheer panic.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54And keep running. And then suddenly stopping somewhere and hiding up. It could go for miles.
0:30:56 > 0:31:02In fact, Brian knows exactly where the lion is hiding, because he put it there last night.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Now to find out how the team reacts.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Will they do the right thing to recapture the animal?
0:31:08 > 0:31:13Brian starts the next phase of the exercise.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15Yeah, found the lion, Keith.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17- It's up here.- OK, is it "dartable"?
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Just about see it, yeah.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Somebody's spotted something, they reckon.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28It might be a false alarm, but we've got to check it out to make sure.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33- The lion's been found.- If you can withdraw a minute. Ian's behind you.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36'If everybody else just stands still for a minute, please.'
0:31:36 > 0:31:40- That's Brian up there, isn't it? - Brian's spotted the lion.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Keith has directed everyone to stand still.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48Because, now we've spotted it, we don't want it to run off any further and potentially lose it.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54I've worked here for 31 years.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58It's the first time we've it physically had a lion out.
0:31:58 > 0:32:04We've had them between fences, when we've had major storms.
0:32:04 > 0:32:11These animals are used to vehicles. Does that make your job easier or more difficult?
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Sometimes. It works both ways.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17What we don't want is this lion to be scared and pushed away.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21Brian is assessing the situation. We know we've got the darting equipment here.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23Ian would have been making up a dart.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28- 'Is Ian on his way up?' - Yep, Ian's just coming through now.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33'So now the safari park is locked down, the lion is cornered
0:32:33 > 0:32:38'and Ian is standing by in position to shoot it with a tranquilliser dart.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41'Time for Keith to end the exercise.'
0:32:41 > 0:32:44OK, Safari Base to a Safari Park.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46OK, stand down now. We've caught the lion.
0:32:46 > 0:32:52- 'Thank you very much for everybody's assistance.'- Let's reveal our lion.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59It was exhausting...
0:32:59 > 0:33:03and all...for that.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05A cardboard lion.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Gets the old adrenaline going, doesn't it, eh?
0:33:11 > 0:33:14- Did you know it was a drill? - Not at all. No, didn't have a clue.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19It seems like an elaborate joke, but, actually, this was a serious matter.
0:33:19 > 0:33:24Yes, whether there are cameras here or not, this is the sort of thing we have to practise,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27and this time we've involved everybody on the whole estate,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30to see how the whole estate would cope in an emergency.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32So, guys, can I quickly ask.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36did you all realise that this was perhaps an exercise, or were you...?
0:33:36 > 0:33:40- No, not at all.- Really?- We took it very seriously.- Yes, of course.
0:33:40 > 0:33:46Because I knew... We realised it was an exercise, but, even I...
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- All the hairs stood up on my arms. - Yeah!
0:33:49 > 0:33:50What went through your minds?
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Still pumping away there.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55We jumped in the trucks, and...
0:33:55 > 0:33:59we just followed the procedures and orders, and here we are.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04Deputy Head Warden, would you mind coming and having a word with us, please?
0:34:04 > 0:34:08Probably not the ideal way to start your day!
0:34:08 > 0:34:12How do you feel about Keith at this precise moment?
0:34:12 > 0:34:15What's so funny is, it never entered my head it was a test.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19Not once. Because we've got a little bit of trouble with lions. And I thought, no, no.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22And, literally, it's still going now.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25- You are trembling, aren't you? - I said to the other lot,
0:34:25 > 0:34:29"That's the only way to do it. You can't let everybody know."
0:34:29 > 0:34:35So, are you both pleased, as Head Warden and Deputy Head Warden, with how the operation went today?
0:34:35 > 0:34:38We're going to have a debrief now and talk it over.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42As far as I can see from what I was looking at, it went very well.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47'The emergency ends with the recaptured lion taken safely into custody.'
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- What a morning!- It certainly...!
0:34:50 > 0:34:54'Now the staff all over the safari park can go back to their routine duties,
0:34:54 > 0:35:00'safe in the knowledge that if the worst WAS ever to happen, they would all know what to do.'
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Still to come on today's programme...
0:35:29 > 0:35:35The new portrait of Lady Bath causes quite a stir when it arrives at Longleat.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39We'll be getting a bug's eye view of the world's most beautiful bugs.
0:35:39 > 0:35:46And down on the farm, the student vet finds out just how the orphaned lambs get fostered.
0:35:50 > 0:35:57But, now, in the West London studio of the artist Paul Benney, the last sitting is just coming to a close.
0:35:57 > 0:36:03The new portrait of Lady Bath is almost complete, though the finishing touches are yet to be done.
0:36:03 > 0:36:08- I will say, au revoir. - You're going to get changed?
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Shall I? Yeah. I'm frightened of catching the rush hour, you see.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15I'm going to...finish off the...
0:36:15 > 0:36:18hands - there's a little bit more to do on those.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22Just a bit of tidying up, tickling it up a little bit.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24I'm relatively pleased with it now.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27As always with these portraits, I have to wait a long time
0:36:27 > 0:36:31before I can actually really look at it and decide whether it's any good.
0:36:31 > 0:36:36Normally about two years later when I can look at it, without...
0:36:36 > 0:36:40me thinking, "Oh God, I should have done some little thing."
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Right after I've just finished it, I'm always thinking I could have done this, could have done that.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49But later on, you see it as a whole when you look at it again.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52You can decide whether it's any good or not.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56At the moment, I'm fairly pleased, yeah.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04Back at Longleat, the portraits of the six previous Marquesses of Bath,
0:37:04 > 0:37:09along with their Marchionesses, are hung together in one room.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13But the present Lord Bath, the Seventh Marquess, is currently elsewhere.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16The hope was that when Lady Bath's portrait is finished,
0:37:16 > 0:37:20they could both come in here to take their places amongst the ancestors.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25But there's a problem, as estate manager Tim Moore is only too aware.
0:37:28 > 0:37:34We're in the breakfast room at Longleat, which is a room where most of the family
0:37:34 > 0:37:41portraits are, with a sequence of the marquesses and marchionesses, from the first through to the sixth.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46And, as you can see, there's not a lot of wall space left.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50First, over there, with a wig, looking pretty learned.
0:37:50 > 0:37:55Second, probably Knight of the Garter or something - a big and important portrait.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57Third in this corner here.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01And then we've got cracking picture of the Fourth.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04And then Fifth over the fireplace.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07And then Sixth, the present Lord Bath's father.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12Tim hasn't seen the new painting yet, but he's very excited about it.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15It's fantastic in a house like this, it continues a tradition.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19But you know, footballers ought to be commissioning portraits flat out.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Anybody with wealth should be commissioning portraits.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27They're just so much more special than photographs, photographic images.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30And then you'd have a whole resurgence of portraiture.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35There is quite a one. There are some good younger artists. I think that's a really good way to spend money.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40So everyone's expecting great things from the new portrait of Lady Bath.
0:38:40 > 0:38:46We'll find out just how it's received when it arrives at Longleat later on.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55As well as the house and safari park,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59the Longleat estate also includes several thousand acres of farmland.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02And right now, it's lambing season.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07Sheep farmer Simon Baggs is expecting 2,800 lambs to be born,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10and many of the ewes will need a helping hand.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14It's an enormous task, and this year Simon's recruited
0:39:14 > 0:39:19Naia Knight, a student from the Bristol Veterinary School, to help.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23I'm in my first year, so I've done two terms.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26And I've got four years to go.
0:39:26 > 0:39:32As part of my extra-mural studies, we have to do 12 weeks in the first two years,
0:39:32 > 0:39:37so I'm doing three weeks on a sheep farm here, and learning basically sheep husbandry.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41Lambing time is not just a matter of letting the ewes get on with it.
0:39:41 > 0:39:47A couple of months ago, all these sheep were scanned to find out how many lambs they're carrying.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51The problem is that ewes have only two teats.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55In the ideal world, every sheep we want to send out wants to have two lambs.
0:39:55 > 0:40:01So we have the ones carrying triplets, which are the threes with the red dots in here.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04And then the singles are in the other shed.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08What we can do then, when the singles lamb and the triplets lamb,
0:40:08 > 0:40:12we can take a triplet off and put it straight on to a single ewe.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15As it's unlikely for all the triplets to be born at
0:40:15 > 0:40:21the same time as the singles, there's a holding pen for the extra lambs awaiting mothers.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25This is our shepherdess that we use to feed the orphan lambs.
0:40:25 > 0:40:26It's much easier than bottle-feeding them.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29So, in here's a bucket of milk.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34The machine keeps it warm. And they drink out of these teats.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37We teach them to drink like this.
0:40:39 > 0:40:44Hopefully, we'll orphan them off on to a single - a sheep that's only got one lamb.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46And then they'll go out into the fields.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53It remains to be seen whether mothers can be found for all the orphaned lambs.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57Their survival depends on it, and it has to happen soon.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03Now we're going to investigate a mysterious world,
0:41:03 > 0:41:09as we find out about one of Longleat's most unusual collections.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14The tropical butterfly house is filled with exotic species from all across the globe.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19Because of their size, it can be difficult to appreciate these fabulous insects,
0:41:19 > 0:41:24so we've invited wildlife cameraman Steve Downer to bring in his specialist lenses
0:41:24 > 0:41:29and equipment to see if he can take us right into this miniature world.
0:41:29 > 0:41:36In fact, we've set him a challenge, to show us the entire life cycle of the butterfly.
0:41:36 > 0:41:43Fortunately, Longleat's own butterfly expert, Derek Longuet, has just spotted shot number one.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50This is the first stage in reproduction, the mating of the owl butterfly.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54Three or four days after this, they start egg-laying.
0:41:54 > 0:42:00And then there'll be a series of eggs, they'll lay them in a chain down the rib of a banana leaf.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06That's just what's happening nearby.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08The owl butterfly gets its name
0:42:08 > 0:42:10from the markings on the wings,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12"eyes" to confuse predators.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14We spotted her laying her first egg.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17And now she's laying the second egg.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21In many cases, she'll go on and lay a string of eggs
0:42:21 > 0:42:24along the mid-section of the leaf.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29We can get good shots with OUR camera,
0:42:29 > 0:42:32but then Steve moves in to show what he can do.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38These eggs are quite interesting.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41They're not smooth like some I've seen. They're ridged.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43- May I have a look?- Yes, certainly.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50The detail on that - the banding is so clear.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56Eggs come in many different shapes and sizes,
0:42:56 > 0:42:57but they all hatch out
0:42:57 > 0:43:02within two to four days to reveal small caterpillars.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06The front pads or legs are for propulsion.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10They have a couple of sticky pads at the back,
0:43:10 > 0:43:12which they use for grip.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16These are interesting, they're swallowtail caterpillars.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19At this stage, they look like...
0:43:19 > 0:43:21small bird droppings.
0:43:24 > 0:43:29These caterpillars eat almost continuously and grow very fast.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33If a human baby weighing about nine pounds grew at the same rate,
0:43:33 > 0:43:37it would tip the scales at 11 metric tonnes as an adult.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43After two to three weeks of stuffing themselves silly,
0:43:43 > 0:43:47the growing caterpillars develop a hard outer case
0:43:47 > 0:43:49as they enter the pupal stage.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51This does happen naturally in the butterfly house,
0:43:51 > 0:43:56but Derek boosts the numbers with more pupae from the Far East.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58It's another delivery of pupae.
0:43:58 > 0:44:05Twice a week, I get pupa coming in to supplement what I'm breeding here.
0:44:05 > 0:44:06It's just like Christmas.
0:44:09 > 0:44:16It never loses its appeal and I never know exactly what's coming in and the selection.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19Some beautiful chrysalis here,
0:44:19 > 0:44:26that mimic a leaf insect, complete with pretend legs.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29And little silver spots.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32That warns predators to keep away.
0:44:32 > 0:44:36And there we are, some of nature's jewels.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40Pretty enough to be worn as earrings. Golden colour.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43Nature's protection, that.
0:44:43 > 0:44:48I think I can get some amazing detail from some of these.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50Some of these that look leaves.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52I can try some back lighting
0:44:52 > 0:44:55and maybe see what's inside.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58Maybe we can see details of what's inside the chrysalis.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12The next stage is for the fully formed butterfly to emerge
0:45:12 > 0:45:16from the pupa, but we may have to wait a bit for that.
0:45:16 > 0:45:21It's quite difficult to know exactly when a butterfly is going to emerge from its case.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25And I've often had to wait for a couple of days
0:45:25 > 0:45:27for the emergence.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33But luck is on our side.
0:45:33 > 0:45:38Soon after Steve sets up the camera by the butterfly emerging cabinet.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42There's one butterfly which has just emerged and I'm going to get
0:45:42 > 0:45:47some really tight close-ups of its head and its eyes and its tongue.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56Once they've emerged, the wings are folded and what's going to happen
0:45:56 > 0:46:00over the next hour, is that the blood is going to pump through the wings
0:46:00 > 0:46:03and they'll gradually expand until they're this size.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07I've set up on a big close-up of its eye and its proboscis, Derek.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09Do you want to have a look through the viewfinder?
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Wow! That's amazing.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22Butterflies don't bite and chew their food like we do.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26Instead, they have a long straw-like feature called a proboscis,
0:46:26 > 0:46:29which they use to drink nectar and juices.
0:46:29 > 0:46:35When they're not using it, it coils up just like a garden hose.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37I've never seen detail like that.
0:46:37 > 0:46:43I mean, I'm obviously looking at them each day, but I'm speechless.
0:46:50 > 0:46:56You can see where they get the strength in the wing, allied to the lightness.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58That really is amazing.
0:46:58 > 0:47:03I find all stages interesting, from discovering eggs,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06caterpillars splitting their skin
0:47:06 > 0:47:09and going on to the next stage of the cycle.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13Coming in each morning and spotting something just about to hatch,
0:47:13 > 0:47:17watching it unfold like a parachute. It's all magic.
0:47:25 > 0:47:30Back in Longleat House, the new portrait of Lady Bath has arrived.
0:47:30 > 0:47:35Estate manager Tim Moore has been looking forward to this for some time.
0:47:35 > 0:47:41Yes, at last we've got it in the house, which is a thrill
0:47:41 > 0:47:45because it's been such a long time since the project first started.
0:47:45 > 0:47:51And...even better is we think we've got the right place to hang it,
0:47:51 > 0:47:55but, of course, that'll depend on Lady Bath's views.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58Where to hang the portrait has been a big problem.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02There's no space for either Lord or Lady Bath in the Breakfast Room
0:48:02 > 0:48:05amongst the other marquesses and marchionesses.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09And there's no place for her next to where he's hung in the Ante Library.
0:48:09 > 0:48:14Like husband and wife, the interest is in the association, isn't it?
0:48:14 > 0:48:19There you are as a personality and then there you are with your partner, It's different, isn't it?
0:48:19 > 0:48:24They're not a pair to be hung together, although they would, I think, hang very happily together.
0:48:24 > 0:48:29I think, in some ways, they may be better apart, which is the suggestion.
0:48:30 > 0:48:35So for now the new portrait is up in the room next door, the Red Library.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39It was acting house steward Steve Blyth's idea to put it here.
0:48:41 > 0:48:47It all goes, doesn't it? The red on the shawl goes with the wallpaper in the Red Library.
0:48:47 > 0:48:52The frame goes pretty much with the ceiling and the gold,
0:48:52 > 0:48:56so, yeah, built to hang there, I think.
0:48:56 > 0:49:00Just hope Lady Bath's pleased with it, yeah, which I'm sure she will be.
0:49:01 > 0:49:06Lady Bath has been away, so she hasn't yet seen the finished painting, in position.
0:49:06 > 0:49:11But Lord Bath, who's an artist himself, has had a chance to appraise the portrait.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18I think it's an excellent portrait,
0:49:18 > 0:49:22but I'm slightly critical on the...the size.
0:49:22 > 0:49:28I feel that with that figure there, it should have been a slightly smaller painting,
0:49:28 > 0:49:33but I see the answer is it's made to match the one that was done of me.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36I mean just shrink everything, the background down,
0:49:36 > 0:49:40I think it would have been... I think it IS a lovely portrait.
0:49:40 > 0:49:45But my feeling is she's... They've made her lost in space a bit.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50But, now, what will Lady Bath think?
0:49:50 > 0:49:53So, let's have a look at it all.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59I can see it right from here, that it's just right, Steve.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01It fits in just right. It's perfect, isn't it?
0:50:01 > 0:50:05- It is. A perfect spot for it. - Perfect. There's nothing to say.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07You had a stroke of genius.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Stroke of luck.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12Anyhow, well done, you.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15Well, often genius is luck and luck is genius, who knows?
0:50:15 > 0:50:19- Who knows? Maybe Einstein said that. - Quite likely.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22I'm happy. I'm relieved to find a place for it.
0:50:22 > 0:50:28I'm relieved I don't have to do any more sittings because I came in from Paris, went to the sitting,
0:50:28 > 0:50:32came down to Longleat and it went on for practically a year.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34So, it's a lot of hassle and, as I say,
0:50:34 > 0:50:39I thought there were plenty enough of souvenirs of me around the place.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42But there you are. Now you're happy, yeah.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47It's nice. Probably it makes me better-looking than I am, but that's good.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50It's no harm. Why not?
0:50:50 > 0:50:53Probably flattering a bit, but I don't know, you know, slightly.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56I did tell him. I said, "I don't want to be savaged.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00"Please make me look all right and if anything, better than I am."
0:51:00 > 0:51:05Why not go down to posterity looking as well as you can?
0:51:05 > 0:51:07But I don't know. He's a good painter.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14Back at Simon Bagg's estate farm,
0:51:14 > 0:51:21student vet Naia is looking after the lambs awaiting foster mothers.
0:51:21 > 0:51:26Naia, we've just got a single given birth, so I think we can put one of these lambs on her hopefully.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31Right, we'll tie his legs up.
0:51:31 > 0:51:37The reason why we're tying them up now is so obviously when we've got the lamb all wet,
0:51:37 > 0:51:42he doesn't run off, because he's older than the ones being born over here obviously.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45So then she thinks it's sort of new-born.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24Got to just orphan this lamb on so we need to...
0:52:24 > 0:52:28HER lamb, we need to put in the bucket to get all the fluids,
0:52:28 > 0:52:31so we can wash the lamb we're going to orphan off.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33Just leave that one over there.
0:52:42 > 0:52:48What we do now is put this orphan on to her. Cheers.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52Just lie down now. That's it.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55She's got to start licking now.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01Now put her own...there as well.
0:53:01 > 0:53:07Licking sort of cleans them because they're a bit slimy when they come out,
0:53:07 > 0:53:12and she gets all that off their fur dries out and they warm up.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16It's a bonding process. You can hear her making chuckling noises to them.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21And she's smelling them, and they're getting to know her and that's how they bond.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23She's quite a good one.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25She'll be a good mum.
0:53:29 > 0:53:33Basically, it's a really good sign that she's letting it suck
0:53:33 > 0:53:36because if she wasn't going to accept it as her lamb,
0:53:36 > 0:53:39she wouldn't be letting him suck from her,
0:53:39 > 0:53:40like he's doing now.
0:53:42 > 0:53:47Once it looks as though the lambs have been safely adopted,
0:53:47 > 0:53:53they need to be protected against infection and disease with iodine and antibiotics.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56The ewes are now left to recover for a day.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00The lambs will get stronger, too, and bond with their new mothers,
0:54:00 > 0:54:06with whom they now share a number, so they can be reunited if they lose each other.
0:54:06 > 0:54:11All the lambs obviously that were in the pens 24 hours ago, they're in here.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15So we're going to take these out to the field, so we've wrote down the ewe numbers
0:54:15 > 0:54:20and we've got the lambs, put them in the top deck and we'll put the ewes in afterwards.
0:54:20 > 0:54:26OK, so we've got to catch the lambs, then the ewes can go on up in.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32But that could be easier said than done.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35SHEEP BLEAT
0:54:35 > 0:54:38BLEATING
0:54:50 > 0:54:57BLEATING
0:54:58 > 0:55:05Only 24 hours after an orphan lamb is introduced to its new mother,
0:55:05 > 0:55:09it joins the rest of its playmates on the hills above Longleat House,
0:55:09 > 0:55:13just as its ancestors have done for hundreds of years.
0:55:23 > 0:55:28Thankfully, it's very unlikely that any lion will ever escape at Longleat.
0:55:30 > 0:55:35But should it happen, after today's exercise, the staff now know what to do.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46Well, that's the end of another day here at Longleat, but not any old day.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49It was a fairly high-octane sort of day, wasn't it?
0:55:49 > 0:55:53In all my years working at Longleat, I haven't seen such excitement,
0:55:53 > 0:55:56but really impressive how everyone just pulled together basically.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00I know, it was an incredible operation, given that, you know,
0:56:00 > 0:56:04really nobody knew what was happening apart from a few key people.
0:56:04 > 0:56:09- Exactly.- It was a really impressive reaction. Everyone very quick, everyone working together.
0:56:09 > 0:56:14- Makes you feel very safe.- It really does. Let's just hope a real lion never escapes.- Let's hope so.
0:56:14 > 0:56:19Well, that is all on today's programme, but we've got lots more coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:56:19 > 0:56:25It is time to declare the venue...open!
0:56:26 > 0:56:29Lord Bath has a warm welcome for the vultures.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32We'll see how they settle into their new home.
0:56:34 > 0:56:39The great house has many secrets, and now he's retiring,
0:56:39 > 0:56:43Ken the house steward must reveal all.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45Don't use that in the event of a fire escape.
0:56:45 > 0:56:50And two of the park's staff go to extraordinary heights
0:56:50 > 0:56:53to help save the endangered mountain gorilla.
0:56:53 > 0:56:58We'll have all that and more next time on Animal Park.
0:57:30 > 0:57:34Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd - 2006
0:57:34 > 0:57:38E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk