0:00:30 > 0:00:33Hello and welcome to Animal Park. I'm Kate Humble.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37I'm Ben Fogle, and behind us is one of Longleat's beautiful lakes.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41Looking at it, it's hard to believe that it's not in fact natural.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44All the lakes were designed by Capability Brown
0:00:44 > 0:00:48in the mid-18th century and they were all dug out by hand.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Given that there are 70 acres of lakes and some of them
0:00:52 > 0:00:55are as much as 30 feet deep - that's an awful lot of digging.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59We'll be bringing you stories from not only the lakes,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02but all across the safari park, including:
0:01:02 > 0:01:03Eight-month-old cub Malaika
0:01:03 > 0:01:08has been kicked out of the lions' den as her mum has a new litter.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12But will she be able to survive on her own?
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I get to meet the latest arrival at Half Mile Lake.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Hello, Patrick. How you doing?
0:01:20 > 0:01:24And what will Kenyan wildlife ranger Patrick Lengilili
0:01:24 > 0:01:27make of the park's African residents?
0:01:27 > 0:01:30He's really huge and enormous.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32I haven't seen such a big animal.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42But first, it's been a hugely successful year
0:01:42 > 0:01:46for the park's famous lion breeding programme.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52Male Barbary lion Kabir arrived at the park last year,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56and quickly mated with female lions Yendi and Luna.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Luckily, both became pregnant.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03Seven months ago, Yendi began showing signs
0:02:03 > 0:02:06that she was almost ready to give birth.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12We wanted to film a cub being born for the first time.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15So we called in specialist wildlife cameraman Andy Milk.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17He rigged up a night-vision camera,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21in such a way that it would not disturb the expectant mother.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25We've installed everything
0:02:25 > 0:02:29outside and there's actually nothing in the cage at all
0:02:29 > 0:02:32so the lion can't get to it, can't touch anything.
0:02:32 > 0:02:33It's all quite safe.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Five nights later, Yendi delivered her cubs.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Andy's camera recorded these unique scenes of the litter being born,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48and their first hours of life.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Lions can give birth to up to six cubs per litter,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59and this time Yendi delivered three.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Keepers Brian Kent and Bob Trollope
0:03:04 > 0:03:08have overseen the lion breeding programme for decades,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11but they've never actually seen a cub being born before,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13so they were excited to see the footage.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Time limit was getting on a bit.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Every time we'd be saying, "Oh, it'll be next week."
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Never happened. Um...
0:03:20 > 0:03:25Nature takes its course, and eventually, out they come.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26So it was nice.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28All the years I've worked here
0:03:28 > 0:03:31not to be able to see something that close up. It's great.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36Later they went up to the lion house to check on mum and cubs,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and we got more shots of the litter in daylight.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42She was very protective of them.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43As soon as we walked in,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46she was up at the front of the cage, trying to see us off.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48When we went in first of all,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52you couldn't quite see how many there was because she was
0:03:52 > 0:03:54out there trying to protect them.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58We don't want to spend an awful lot of time in there.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02It's best just to keep away. As long as you've checked them twice a day.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04You don't really need to stay there all day.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07There's just no need. You can make things worse.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08It's better to stay away.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Let her get on with it.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13The cubs seemed healthy enough,
0:04:13 > 0:04:18but in the wild only one in five survives to maturity, and, sadly,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21two of Yendi's cubs died in the first week.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27But eight weeks later, there was some better news.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Yendi's remaining cub, Malaika,
0:04:29 > 0:04:35was joined by another female cub, Jasira, born to lioness Luna.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41At first, mums and cubs were kept on their own.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46At 12 weeks old, the cubs were given their inoculations, and allowed out
0:04:46 > 0:04:49into the enclosure to play with each other for the first time,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51and also to meet their father.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53LION ROARS
0:04:53 > 0:04:58Soon the whole pride had bonded, and were living happily as a unit.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05All seemed settled in Kabir's new pride,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08but this week there's been some dramatic news.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12We've had a bit of a surprise, I suppose,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14even though we knew something was going on.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Yendi has given birth to some more cubs.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Now Yendi will have to stay in the lion house,
0:05:21 > 0:05:26separated from the others, until the new cubs have been inoculated.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30Malaika might harm the cubs if she was kept in with them.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35So despite her very young age she has to be separated from her mother.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38The fact is, Malaika isn't too old.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41She's only about seven months old at the moment.
0:05:41 > 0:05:48So, really and truly to have another litter so soon is quite unusual.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51You would normally find they would wait
0:05:51 > 0:05:53anything between 12 and 18 months
0:05:53 > 0:05:56before they would come into season properly again.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Now little Malaika will have to fend for herself,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02without a mother to look after her.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05We'll be back to find out if she copes.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Over at Half Mile Lake, the breeding season is also underway.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Eight-year-old Californian sea lion Jo-Jo has given birth
0:06:23 > 0:06:25to a healthy male pup.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29I've been wanting to meet the new arrival,
0:06:29 > 0:06:34so today I've come to pay mother and baby a visit.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38I'm down at Half Mile Lake with a very proud Jo-Jo and her new pup,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and head of section Mark Tye.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- Mark, how's he doing?- Very well.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Um. As you can see, he looks very content.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48Very happy to lie there in the sun.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52- On this beautiful day. - They are literally sunbathing here.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Yep.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56She's been pretty good with it.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58This is her third baby now.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03And does it always go that the more babies they've had, the better mum -
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- the better mum they are? - In general, yes.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Normally, their first-borns, they can have a bit of a nightmare with,
0:07:10 > 0:07:11if you like.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14They're not that clever and a bit clumsy with them.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17But they definitely get better with age.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18Although, having said that,
0:07:18 > 0:07:23it's a rather unfortunately sloping deck that they're asleep on now.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Is this where they're staying most of their time?
0:07:25 > 0:07:30No. This pup was actually born here in the bridge where we're standing.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33And Jo-Jo has taken it round there.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36She's taken it for a few enforced swims early on!
0:07:36 > 0:07:39When you say "taken it", is that like a dog picks up pups?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Does she pick it up by the scruff of the neck?
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Yep, she grabs them by the scruff, drags it out into the water
0:07:46 > 0:07:47and then leaves it.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49But we're lucky here with this nice sloping edge
0:07:49 > 0:07:52that the pups, sort of, learned how to find that.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54And can climb out quite easily.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56How long before he can properly go in
0:07:56 > 0:07:59and dive in and out of the water like Mum can?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01They're all individual,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03but normally from about two weeks.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07They're quite, sort of - they grow quite a lot in the first few weeks,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11very strong flippers, and they get much more mobile from then on in.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16We can't help but notice the big blob at the end of the jetty here!
0:08:16 > 0:08:17That's Dad, isn't it?
0:08:17 > 0:08:20That's Buster, proud father.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Does he take much interest in the new pup?
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Um. No, he doesn't.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28But he's very good with them.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30He doesn't ever cause us any worry at all.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Some males can be overly aggressive.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35He just turns up, has a look, sees what he's done,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and then he's quite happy just to sit there and sleep.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41And back to him. Does he have a name yet?
0:08:41 > 0:08:43No. We haven't named him yet.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47He's obviously suckling still, and how long will that go on for?
0:08:47 > 0:08:51He'll suckle, really, for nearly 12 months.
0:08:51 > 0:08:57They are dependent on their mum entirely for the first six months.
0:08:57 > 0:09:03From six months onwards, they will start finding small fish in the lake.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05They will start to take them for themselves.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08But they will continue to suckle off their mother
0:09:08 > 0:09:10until we take them away at about 11 months time.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Jo-Jo there, that's being protective?
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Is she saying, "I'm happy with you being that distance away,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19"but don't invade our space here?"
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Absolutely. She's just being protective. "Don't come any closer."
0:09:22 > 0:09:24But she's quite relaxed.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28We can just see Nico in the distance there.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31What do the gorillas make of the pups? Do they notice?
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Yes, they notice sea lions a lot, they really don't like them.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38A couple of years ago, we had a sea lion give birth on the front
0:09:38 > 0:09:41of the gorilla house which upset the gorillas immensely.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Which is one of the reasons why we've fenced it off now.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45But proud, happy?
0:09:45 > 0:09:47I'm chuffed to bits.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48This is what we're here for.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51We like to breed these animals and it's good to see that even though
0:09:51 > 0:09:56it's had a few enforced swims it's fine and things can only get better.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58And very popular with the public.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Absolutely.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01Mark, thank you very much.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04And best of luck with the new pup. Thanks, Mark.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Earlier this year, Deputy Head Warden Ian Turner took
0:10:16 > 0:10:18a group of staff to Kenya,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21to learn more about how the animals they care for at home
0:10:21 > 0:10:22behave in the wild.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28This part of Africa is a wildlife hotspot,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31where many of the species kept at Longleat roam free
0:10:31 > 0:10:33in their natural habitat.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39While in Kenya, the keepers visited the Kigio Conservancy -
0:10:39 > 0:10:43a wildlife reserve covering 3,500 acres.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48One of their hosts was Patrick Lengilili -
0:10:48 > 0:10:52a park ranger and tracker from the local Samburu tribe.
0:10:52 > 0:10:58- We've got some tracks here. They're walking that way.- OK.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- You can tell, because this is the front toe here.- Uh-huh.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06- So they should be now down that way. - Down that way.- Right.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Patrick's worked at Kigio for eight years.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16There's not a lot he doesn't know about the animals here.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- (There you go, you see? There you go.)- Right, yes.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25The visit was such a success that Longleat invited Patrick to pay them
0:11:25 > 0:11:30a return visit, to see how some of the animals he manages in the wild
0:11:30 > 0:11:32are cared for in captivity.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Now Patrick has come to Wiltshire, on his first ever trip abroad.
0:11:44 > 0:11:50- Very nice.- Nice view of the whole area.- Yeah, nice view.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Ian is looking forward to getting his expert opinion
0:11:54 > 0:11:56on some of the African animals in the park.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00The first stop is the giraffe house,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04so Patrick can catch up with head of section Andy Hayton.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Hello, Patrick, how are you doing?
0:12:07 > 0:12:09THEY GREET EACH OTHER IN SAMBURU
0:12:09 > 0:12:10Fine thanks.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15When Andy visited Kenya, he was impressed by the condition
0:12:15 > 0:12:17of the wild Rothschild giraffes,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21which are the same sub-species he looks after at Longleat.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25Now he's keen to find out what Patrick thinks of the park's herd.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Nice looking giraffes. They're really healthy.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30- Yeah?- Healthy!
0:12:30 > 0:12:33I think the weight on them is pretty much the same.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Very much the same.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37The weight is the same. I recommend that.
0:12:37 > 0:12:43It's really interesting getting close to all these giraffes and the babies
0:12:43 > 0:12:45and they all really look healthy.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47So you can actually tell they are really healthy
0:12:47 > 0:12:48because they're really close to you.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53So it's another advantage that you can just have a look at the giraffes,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57you can tell maybe if they have scratches or something like that.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Whereas ours, sometimes, they just run away.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02And you don't have to find them every day!
0:13:02 > 0:13:06We know exactly where our giraffes are!
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Because we shut the door and we keep them here!
0:13:09 > 0:13:10That's easy for you.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Ours is like, every morning, "Oh, giraffes, OK. We started there..."
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Mind you, Patrick, you can seem them from about three miles away anyway.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21You see that much giraffe in the distance and know where they are.
0:13:21 > 0:13:27At Kigio, Patrick's giraffe browse naturally on available foliage,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30but in the park their diet must be carefully controlled.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35They have a ration of these - these pellets every day.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38And we do put extra supplements on.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40They do graze in summer.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44They get grass and we cut branches to feed for the giraffes.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48But your guys are browsing on acacia all day.
0:13:48 > 0:13:49That's right, all day.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53For us to go out and cut that amount to feed them is very difficult,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55so we just supplement them.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Despite the differences in feeding, Patrick is impressed.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01I've seen your giraffes,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and you looking at ours and saying the condition is the same.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08- Yes, the same.- It's really nice, we're doing the right thing.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12- You're doing the right thing. - We're obviously getting it right.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Some of the other animals are even more difficult
0:14:15 > 0:14:17to look after in captivity.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21We'll see what Patrick makes of the rest of the park later on.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34Back over at the lion house, Yendi is nursing her newborn cubs.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38At just a week old, they need her constant attention.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Keeper Bob Trollope is worried that her older cub, Malaika,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45might harm the young ones.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49So he's had to separate her from her mother and new siblings.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Malaika is out with the rest of the pride,
0:14:53 > 0:14:59which is fine because Luna keeps an eye on her and looks after her.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03It's working. We're lucky that we've got Malaika and Jasira,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07who are only a couple of months difference in age.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09So they've got each other.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10And Dad's being quite good.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15He's quite chilled. He'll tolerate them a little bit more than normal.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Whether it's because he knows what's going on,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21or whether he's just being nice, I don't know.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24He seems to tolerate them a little bit.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29In their natural habitat, where food is scarce,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32young lions rarely survive without a mother to look after them.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37In the wild, if she was pregnant,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41the other cub would have to fend for itself and most probably die.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Unless there's another - some cubs of that age.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Because he wouldn't have anyone to look after him.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53At feeding time, Bob must keep a close eye on Malaika,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55to make sure she doesn't go hungry.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59The lions compete for the choicest chunks of meat,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02but there should be enough for everyone.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08Luna is still making sure that her own cub, Jasira, has plenty of food.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12But poor little Malaika must learn to fend for herself.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Come on.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17No, you just walked past one.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21But eventually Malaika gets her dinner.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25She's happy at the moment. She's got something to eat.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27She's obviously gonna
0:16:27 > 0:16:30nip off on her own so no-one else can pinch her meat.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34It's a good sign, because that's what we want to see.
0:16:34 > 0:16:35It's good news.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Malaika is coping well while Mum Yendi's
0:16:38 > 0:16:40looking after her new litter.
0:16:40 > 0:16:46It's brilliant to have some more little ones to keep an eye on.
0:16:46 > 0:16:47It's only going to get more exciting.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52We've got all the rigmarole of growing up to go through again.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Jasira and Malaika meeting up close for the very first time.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59So it's something to look forward to.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04We'll be following the progress of Kabir's expanding pride
0:17:04 > 0:17:05later in the series.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Over at Pets' Corner, there's another new arrival.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20It's the newest member of the Meet The Creatures team -
0:17:20 > 0:17:22a baby Chilean rose tarantula.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Despite its reputation,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27this tarantula is not dangerous to humans.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32Nevertheless, I think I'll leave it to head of section Darren Beasley
0:17:32 > 0:17:33to do the introductions.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37- It's very small.- Yes, this is a Chilean rose tarantula,
0:17:37 > 0:17:39which is the variety we like most at Pets' Corner.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41These are the ones that all our visitors handle.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43And this is what we call a sub-adult.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45It's a young spider.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Um...and, basically, we get them in fairly small, fairly young.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53When they are born in captivity they are actually called spiderlings.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- Spiderlings! Oh, that's quite sweet! - Tiny little things.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59And then the breeders separate them off as they get
0:17:59 > 0:18:01older because I'm afraid they'll eat anything they can grab.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05So they might eat each other, and you have a few problems there.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07As they get to this sub-adult size here,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10they are ideal for us because we can start handling them.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14- If I show you... - This is the bit I dread.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17He's probably fairly quick, this one. I say he, it's probably a she.
0:18:17 > 0:18:24Let's, just, just while we've got this beautiful view of him or her.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Ooh, there she goes.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Chilean rose presumably because of this beautiful pink colour?
0:18:30 > 0:18:32It comes in different shades as well,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and changes slightly as they get older.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37This sort of a rose pink. The name says it all.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41And you've got to remember that all these hairs have a job to do.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45It looks nice to us, but in fact the hairs are very important.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48- The hairs on the back - is it all right if I pick her up?- No, do, do.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50She's not really used to being handled,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- so I've got to go very careful.- She is quite speedy.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55She's very fast. Come on, sweetheart.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Ooh-ooh! Don't get her too close to me!
0:18:58 > 0:19:01The thing with spiders you have to remember is
0:19:01 > 0:19:03that they've got terrible vision. This species...
0:19:03 > 0:19:05But they've got so many eyes!
0:19:05 > 0:19:08I know, eight eyes. See 'em right in the middle at the top there?
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Right in the middle, at the back there.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16But they see, we think, about 30cms on average, which is terrible.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18So they rely on all the hairs at the front.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22They are sensory hairs and they can sense chemicals
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- and air pressure and things like that.- Wow!
0:19:25 > 0:19:28I'm quite often asked, do they sense adrenalin?
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Because people that handle them are often scared.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35They probably can, but it's more for their safety.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40They're checking what's around, if there's a fast movement.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43They can't see it. They can feel the change in air pressure.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45I picked her up from underneath?
0:19:45 > 0:19:48- Yes. - So my hands really are a surface.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53She's checking to see what chemicals I've got on, and am I a danger.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55And the front two...
0:19:55 > 0:19:57The sort of shorter legs, almost...?
0:19:57 > 0:19:59That's it. They are actually like little feelers.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04A bit like you'd use a stick to guide yourself if it was dark.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08She just taps the floor to make sure the ground is nice and solid.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11And in the wild, what would she eat?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Do they spin webs like other spiders?
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Yes, the web comes out of the back, from the two finger-like things
0:20:18 > 0:20:19back here.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23And the idea is that if her little web is triggered,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26she'll jump out and grab her dinner.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29And again, using sensory hairs to follow her prey as well.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31If it comes too close, or she comes across a trail,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33she'll track it and grab it.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35And what type of thing would she eat?
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Would it be small insects like flies and things, or...?
0:20:38 > 0:20:40I think spiders have got it completely worked out,
0:20:40 > 0:20:41cos they will eat all -
0:20:41 > 0:20:43anything small enough they can grab.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44And they use their venom.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48They've got very mild venom, these guys, like a bee sting for us.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53They'll bite it, and if it's a large prey, or anything they can
0:20:53 > 0:20:58come back to, they wrap it in cobweb, and it's like a pre-digester.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00- Sounds really terrible...!- Wow! So they're sort of marinating it?
0:21:00 > 0:21:04That's it! And then they'll come back and they'll drink the soup later on.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05She might be fairly small.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09She's going to get perhaps half this size again as she grows,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13but already she could take a large cricket and even a locust
0:21:13 > 0:21:17if she was to grab it strong enough, and wrap it, and come back later on.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22She's a fascinating creature, Darren, absolutely beautiful.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25I love looking at her while you're handling her,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29but I think I've got too much adrenalin for her to be comfortable!
0:21:29 > 0:21:30Darren, thank you very much.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And enjoy your time at Longleat, little spider.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34Do you want to go back in?
0:21:34 > 0:21:36No, stay there, you look prettier.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Back at the rhino house, visiting Kenyan ranger Patrick Lengilili
0:21:48 > 0:21:51is continuing his tour of inspection.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Patrick is familiar with white rhino,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59which roam freely on the Kigio Reserve where he works.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03But he seldom gets to see them at close quarters.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06To find out how they are cared for in here in Wiltshire,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09he's come to meet keeper Kevin Nibbs.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13When you let these guys out in the morning,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16do you have difficulty getting them in again in the evening?
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Not really, no, we've got an old tractor with a big metal plate
0:22:20 > 0:22:23on the front to manoeuvre them in and out.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27It's almost part of the rhino herd.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29That kind of moves them in and out.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31They work a lot for food.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35We feed them in here at night so they know where their main food is.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- Where the food is. - The good food, the nice food.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Keepers here face a problem unknown in Kenya -
0:22:41 > 0:22:46how to keep the rhino's skin healthy in a cold climate.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50They get a lot of additives into the pony cubes that they get.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52We give them lots of oils, like linseed oil,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54which is supposed to help their skin.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56He's had very bad skin, it's all very dry.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00By doing things with the diet, bits of oils and things like that,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03we're trying to help him out with his skin.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07At 38 years old, the park's veteran bull, Winston,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10is an incredibly impressive specimen.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12He's really huge and enormous.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17I haven't seen such a big animal like that before.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21So, I'm just telling them he must be the founder of this place here.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24This guy is really huge! Big!
0:23:24 > 0:23:26There we go.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Keeper Adrian Lanfear is responsible for letting
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Winston out into the enclosure, where he'll spend most of the day.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35A little help from Winston there. That's it.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38It's just like he was waiting for the door to be opened
0:23:38 > 0:23:40and then he comes straight in!
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Winston's temperament is much gentler than the wild rhino
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Patrick is used to.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47It is really amazing how you can just call him.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51"Winston." He calls him and then he just walks on.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Here he comes!
0:23:53 > 0:23:55It's unusual.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59The safari boats are Patrick's next port of call,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02and a chance for him to see something completely new.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08Jo Hawthorne and Darren Beasley are keen to show him the surprises
0:24:08 > 0:24:10of Half Mile Lake.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13SEA LION BARKS
0:24:13 > 0:24:15- Is it a sea lion?- Yeah!- Ooh!
0:24:15 > 0:24:19- They follow you. They'll follow us out.- Yeah?
0:24:19 > 0:24:21HE IMITATES SEA LION'S BARKING
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Patrick is fascinated by the sea lions,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34and keen to learn more about how they are cared for.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38We're very lucky that our sea lions have lived here for many years
0:24:38 > 0:24:39and this is a freshwater lake.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Normally they'd live in the oceans
0:24:42 > 0:24:45so we give them salt tablets in their diet.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48That just makes up for the lack of salt in the water.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56Nico and Samba are Western Lowland Gorillas, which do hail from Africa.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59But they live in tropical rainforests many hundreds
0:24:59 > 0:25:00of miles from Patrick's home,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03so he's never had the chance to see the species before.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Nico! Nico! He's come to greet you, look.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12I see!
0:25:15 > 0:25:18- What a welcome from Nico!- Wow!
0:25:20 > 0:25:22I've never seen this before.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26The next lake residents Patrick spots
0:25:26 > 0:25:29are some of the most dangerous animals in Africa.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33In Kenya, they kill more people than lions.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37- They're hippos. - How do we track a hippo?
0:25:37 > 0:25:39I don't like these guys! They want to kick you!
0:25:44 > 0:25:49Patrick's clearly enjoying his voyage of discovery around the park.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55I've seen sea lion, hippos and gorillas.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57I've never seen gorillas before.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00So it's really nice. I really enjoyed that.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02That was really nice. Thank you very much.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03It was really lovely.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06But Patrick's visit isn't over yet.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10There are still a host of animals he has yet to see.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Kate and I are up in the giraffe room
0:26:27 > 0:26:29with head of section Andy Hayton.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31And we have a most unusual task.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36And quite a painful one, even with gloves on! You didn't tell me this!
0:26:36 > 0:26:39What on Earth are we stuffing nettles in a cage for?
0:26:39 > 0:26:43This is environment enrichment for the giraffes.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Not only are nettles good green food and full of iron,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49but it's really good enrichment for the giraffes.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51We put the main bulk of their feed in the troughs.
0:26:51 > 0:26:58But this is giraffe TV. They can sit here all night, picking away at this.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Ooh! And my hair! Hang on!
0:27:01 > 0:27:03They'll pick away at this through the night,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06so we make this really difficult for them to get at.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11- We ram it in. They'll pick all night. They love them.- They can't wait!
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I have to ask, does it not sting their tongue or their lips?
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Obviously not. We stick some really big, nasty thistles in here as well.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19And they really go for them well.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22You're presumably going to hang it from the...?
0:27:22 > 0:27:24We hang it high, so it spins around,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26so it's really, really awkward for them.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- You don't make it easy for them at all!- Absolutely not.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32They're all waiting for it.
0:27:32 > 0:27:38As this swings around and spins as well, it's really tough.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40That should last the night, should it?
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Hopefully that'll last most of the evening, yes.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48- They're coming in straight away. - Excellent.- Look at that!- Very good.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51We're going to leave the giraffes to their nettle browse.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Sadly, that's all we've got time for on today's programme.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56But here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01There hasn't been a baby eland in the park for eight years,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04but could that be about to change?
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Oh my word! Goodness me!
0:28:06 > 0:28:09I'll be meeting the world's largest rats,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12who can grow up to a whopping two-and-a-half feet long.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16- That's about the size of a cat! - Yeah, big, big tomcat!
0:28:17 > 0:28:23And visiting Kenyan ranger Patrick Lengilili gets up close and personal
0:28:23 > 0:28:25with the park's real big cats.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29Feeding a tiger, hand-feeding - that's unusual!
0:28:29 > 0:28:33That's all coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd - 2007
0:28:53 > 0:28:56E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk