0:00:29 > 0:00:32Hello, and welcome to Animal Park. I'm Kate Humble.
0:00:32 > 0:00:38And I'm Ben Fogle, and we're in the lion enclosure, helping with feeding time.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42There are seven lions in this enclosure - six females, and this big male
0:00:42 > 0:00:45is the head of the pride, and he's called Charlie.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49While Kate and I get on with the task in hand,
0:00:49 > 0:00:51here's what's coming up on today's programme.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56With cubs on the way, there are dramatic developments in Wolf Wood.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03I'll be getting friendly with one of the biggest creepy-crawlies I've ever seen.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05- I'm supposed to hold this, aren't I? - You are!
0:01:05 > 0:01:09And when we try to help Alema with her spring makeover,
0:01:09 > 0:01:14I'll discover why Bactrian camels are famous for their bad manners.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16But it's... Whoops!
0:01:22 > 0:01:26But first, we're going to catch up with Trevor and Honey, the ostriches,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29to see how they're getting on with the new clutch.
0:01:29 > 0:01:35A few weeks ago, I was helping to make a nest and to fill it with the eggs that Honey had been laying
0:01:35 > 0:01:38here and there, all over the park.
0:01:38 > 0:01:44But when we finished, there was no guarantee that the ostriches would actually decide to sit.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Now Kate's gone up to find out the latest.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52I'm out in the East Africa Reserve with head of section Andy Hayton.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56We've come down to see Honey, the ostrich, who doesn't look very well, lying about like that!
0:01:56 > 0:01:58She's actually sat on about 22 eggs.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02- 22?!- Yeah. She's been laying like crazy.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05- We normally get an egg every other day.- Wow!
0:02:05 > 0:02:10And she's sat on them properly now, and she's starting to incubate them.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12And how long does that incubation take?
0:02:12 > 0:02:17- 40 days.- But 22 chicks, that sounds like a lot.- No.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21I think in the wild it's 5% or 10% of...
0:02:21 > 0:02:26hatch out of the eggs, and 5% or 10% of those chicks that hatch
0:02:26 > 0:02:29survive, so it's a very, very high mortality rate.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34But even here where there aren't any predators...or are there dangers for them out here?
0:02:34 > 0:02:39You'll get the giraffe come down here and occasionally we get the odd egg smashed
0:02:39 > 0:02:43where the giraffe are paddling in the nest, and Trev and Honey are running around demented
0:02:43 > 0:02:46trying to protect their eggs.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50These two are doing all the proper stuff, it's just lovely to watch.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54It seems strange, looking at her lying that way...
0:02:54 > 0:03:00You can understand her body being sort of spread out to cover the eggs, but why the neck down?
0:03:00 > 0:03:03You'd have thought she'd put the neck up, to look around.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07This is where the myth of ostriches hiding their head in the sand comes from.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12If we ever have to shove eggs in, because she stirs all the eggs up and turns them round
0:03:12 > 0:03:14she'll kick eggs out from underneath her.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19When you shove them back under her, she'll lay her neck straight out flat across the floor,
0:03:19 > 0:03:24so if there's any what she perceives as a threat, she'll just lay her head flat out
0:03:24 > 0:03:27so it doesn't make a silhouette.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28She'll just...
0:03:28 > 0:03:33- From a distance...- She looks like a rock or a small bush or something like that,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37so it's a defence thing but that's where the thing of burying their heads in the sand comes from.
0:03:37 > 0:03:43- So they don't actually do that at all.- No, not even an ostrich is that daft to put its head in the sand!
0:03:43 > 0:03:48Now, it looks like Honey does all the sitting
0:03:48 > 0:03:53and Trevor, who actually WAS right here, disappeared completely uninterested over there.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Does he not do any of the brooding of the eggs?
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Yeah, the males do the night shift
0:03:58 > 0:04:01because that's the really dangerous time because it's dark
0:04:01 > 0:04:04and that's when predators may come and take them
0:04:04 > 0:04:07so you'll have the big bad lad sat on the eggs at night
0:04:07 > 0:04:11so he's going to be far more of a threat
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and he can defend himself better, so these guys swap over,
0:04:14 > 0:04:19around four or five o'clock every evening. Trevor comes to do the night shift and Honey starts feeding
0:04:19 > 0:04:23- and does her own thing all night. - That's nice to hear, that chivalry isn't dead in the ostrich world!
0:04:23 > 0:04:27He's a modern man. He takes his turn. And the males as well,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31when the eggs hatch, the males will do most of the protection and looking after the chicks.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35The females are pretty much done then. When the eggs hatch, it's the middle of summer,
0:04:35 > 0:04:39so you have these little, like, bumble bees, almost, running around.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43And a couple of years ago we had two baby giraffe out here and two baby ostrich,
0:04:43 > 0:04:48and there was more queues of cars for the baby ostrich than there was the baby giraffe,
0:04:48 > 0:04:49so people love them.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53We'll keep our fingers crossed that there are more of them this year.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- Andy, thank you very much indeed. - OK.
0:04:56 > 0:04:57HOWLING
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Up in Wolf Wood, there's been a dramatic development.
0:05:04 > 0:05:11The last time we were here, we heard that Freda, the alpha female, was thought to be pregnant.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13That was as expected,
0:05:13 > 0:05:19and everyone was hoping that this would be a bumper breeding season, just like last year.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23But recently, as signs of the pregnancy finally started to show,
0:05:23 > 0:05:29keeper Bob Trollope noticed that Freda was not the only female who was looking round in the belly.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33This year we've got two females that are pregnant.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36One, you can see just up by the road there.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38That's Freda.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40That's the alpha female.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44But we also have a lesser-ranking female that's pregnant as well.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48She's not actually here at the moment because she's very close to her den site.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52She doesn't tend to go very far away from there.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56So it's an exciting time of year for us.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00It may be exciting, but it's also a worry.
0:06:00 > 0:06:06The wolf pack works best as a team, when everyone knows their place in the hierarchy.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11Normally it's only the alpha pair that will breed because it's the strongest pair,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14so the offspring would be, obviously, stronger.
0:06:15 > 0:06:21You do sometimes get another female that will come into season,
0:06:21 > 0:06:27but if the alpha female is doing her job, then she'll suppress that season.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31She does that by dominating and stressing the other females.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35It's the natural way that wolves control the birthrate out in the wild,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38where the food supply is usually scarce.
0:06:38 > 0:06:44Of course, here at Longleat, they don't keep any of the animals in a state of constant hunger.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48In the wild, if there was plenty of food around, plenty of animals to hunt,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52then the female would allow another one to get pregnant.
0:06:52 > 0:06:58And now there are indications that both Freda and the other pregnant female
0:06:58 > 0:07:01are only days away from giving birth.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05We've noticed that they have been building little nest sites,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09so that's a positive sign.
0:07:09 > 0:07:15Plus the fact that, on Freda, you can see signs that she is, sort of, imminent.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18So the keepers are also doing what they can to get things ready.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22We're not allowing anyone up to the Wolf House.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27We're basically trying to keep that as quiet as possible.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32We haven't mucked the house out for a week, just so that any wolf that's going in there
0:07:32 > 0:07:37is obviously leaving their smell down there, so it's a bit more alluring for the females to go in there
0:07:37 > 0:07:40and find somewhere quiet for themselves to give birth in.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48This year, the keepers have gone to extra lengths to encourage the wolves to have their cubs indoors.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54A few weeks ago, they built a wooden den and installed it inside the Wolf House.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59The hope was that the mums-to-be would find it cosy and safe, an ideal nursery.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05In the past, cubs have always been born out in the enclosure
0:08:05 > 0:08:09in one of the many dens the wolves dig under the roots of the trees.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14The problem with that is there's always the risk that the dens could flood after heavy rain,
0:08:14 > 0:08:20and of course, there's no way for the keepers to monitor the cubs in case of emergencies.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24The wooden den, on the other hand, has been fitted with a spy camera
0:08:24 > 0:08:30so that we and the keepers will have a chance to see the new cubs actually being born.
0:08:30 > 0:08:36For now, though, Bob's using the camera to check for encouraging activity inside the den.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47It's pretty hard to say who it is at the moment, but it looks like a young female.
0:08:47 > 0:08:52She's actually in...nest-building, she's actually making a nest,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54which is...
0:08:54 > 0:08:56You don't normally see them do this.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59We know they do build nests...
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Like most dogs, to make themselves comfy, they'll turn around... but these are more in-depth.
0:09:05 > 0:09:12They're building the banks up a little bit, which is a good indication
0:09:12 > 0:09:16that they're going to be giving birth pretty soon.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20But while this young mum seems to have settled on the wooden den
0:09:20 > 0:09:22as the best place to have her cubs,
0:09:22 > 0:09:27Freda, the alpha female, hasn't yet been seen anywhere near it.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Perhaps she's intending to stick to the traditional hole in the ground,
0:09:31 > 0:09:36but of course we only need one litter to get some pretty special footage.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39This is really exciting because we would never see this.
0:09:39 > 0:09:45In previous years, they've always burrowed under the trees and give birth in total secrecy.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50As soon as we got these cameras set up, it's brilliant for us to be able to keep an eye on them
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and also to see how many cubs are born.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Because we don't know until the first few weeks.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Within the next day or two,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02I'd put money on the fact that this one is going to give birth.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05You know, she's...
0:10:05 > 0:10:10She's acting how you'd expect a pregnant wolf to act.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15But this is her first pregnancy, and there's still a lot that can go wrong.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19We'll be back later to see what happens in Wolf Wood.
0:10:26 > 0:10:32Recently, an era came to an end when Ken Windess retired as house steward,
0:10:32 > 0:10:37but after a short break, he was back in a new job, and as busy as always.
0:10:39 > 0:10:45I'm up in Longleat House with conservator Ken Windass. Ken, what's happening today?
0:10:45 > 0:10:49I'm going to make some bobbins for the curtains in the Green Library.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- OK.- Similar to that.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56- This is a bobbin, is it? - That's right, yeah. - What exactly does a bobbin do then?
0:10:56 > 0:10:58It's part of the curtain arrangement.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02It's part of the tie-backs. You've got a gold rope that runs through...
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Goes through it...and it's to hold the curtain back, is it?
0:11:05 > 0:11:10- That's right, yeah.- And how many of these have you got to make?- 11. - 11 of them.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Ken, you've sort of come full circle in the house, haven't you?
0:11:13 > 0:11:18- You started doing this job, then you became house steward for 15 years, was it?- 15 years, yeah.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22And now you're back here in this room. How does it feel?
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Strange, really, sort of a time warp.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- No-one has actually done this job in the interim, have they?- No.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30So is it sort of where you left off? Are there literally still jobs...
0:11:30 > 0:11:35There's literally jobs I've got to do that I sort of started over 15 years ago.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37- That must be extraordinary!- Yeah.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42- But you feel happy in here, don't you? This is the grass roots of Ken. - That's right, yeah.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45So what other things are going on in here then?
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Well, I mean, we've got this sort of thing, the doll's house...
0:11:49 > 0:11:54- repairs to the doll's house. The windows are broken.- And who discovers there's a bit of glass there
0:11:54 > 0:11:58that's broken... And who discovers all these things?
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Just everyone who's going around the house?
0:12:00 > 0:12:05Generally speaking it's the cleaners. I rely heavily on the cleaners to pick up things on a daily basis
0:12:05 > 0:12:08that are falling off or broken or something like that.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Then once I get those sorts of things, then I obviously repair them.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14And how do you prioritise? Or do you just work...
0:12:14 > 0:12:17I try to, but of course, sometimes you can't.
0:12:17 > 0:12:23Sometimes things need to be done immediately even though they're not perhaps so important as older ones.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27I'm amazed that this is actually a room within the house that's your workshop.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32There aren't many workshops have such a fantastic view outside.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34What else have we got here?
0:12:34 > 0:12:39We've got an antique table here that wants a bit of tender loving care, a bit of restoration on that.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44Right. Is this a new table? Is this one that's just come in recently?
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Yes, from Lady Bath's library.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49She wanted me to do this while she was away.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51And what's this is intriguing thing over here?
0:12:51 > 0:12:56- This rather dangerous-looking thing here is...- Is that woodworm? - It's woodworm, yeah.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00- They've got to be renewed totally. - And what is it?- It's a back plate for the elk horns.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03The elk horns? Of course, yes.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08So have you got to literally make a new version of that to then remount the elk horns?
0:13:08 > 0:13:09There's five of those to do.
0:13:09 > 0:13:15I suppose with a house this large, Ken, there are constantly things needing repairs,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17obviously, but also breaking.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Yeah, I mean, I've got a drawer full of things here that...
0:13:20 > 0:13:24This is the sort of thing that the cleaners actually give me.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29- So as they're cleaning the house, they'll find... Can I dip in and pull something out?- By all means.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33So that, for example, they'll have discovered in the house somewhere?
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- Yeah. - And will they know where it belongs?
0:13:36 > 0:13:41This is why it's important for them to tell me. Because you've got an envelope similar to this,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44that's come off the table underneath the Cobhams'.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46- OK.- Right?
0:13:46 > 0:13:47Can we see what's in there?
0:13:47 > 0:13:49You can, yeah, we can open it up.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52They give it to me sealed, so obviously...
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- So it's a surprise! - It's a surprise to me!
0:13:55 > 0:13:58We're looking at pieces of...
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- OK, so there's little bit of... - That's a little bit of gilt...
0:14:01 > 0:14:03That needs to be replaced.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06And you'll basically, once you've got time,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10you'll pick this envelope, go out, either bring the piece of furniture in here...
0:14:10 > 0:14:14- Will you work out of the workshop as well?- Oh yeah. It depends what it is.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19If you're talking about a big desk or something like that, then it can't be dragged all the way in here.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24So I need to cordon the area off and do it there.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26You must be a very busy man, Ken. That's all I can say.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Let's put those safely back in there for a rainy day.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32I think I'd better leave you to it.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34You've got 15 more bobbins to make, do you?
0:14:34 > 0:14:37- No, there's another 10.- Another 10.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40- You've got your work cut out for you.- That's today, anyway!
0:14:40 > 0:14:43- Thank you very much! Good luck. - Thank you.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01I'm up at the new area with head of section, Tim Yeo, and keeper Kevin Nibbs.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Two of the Bactrian camels. Who have we got here, Tim?
0:15:04 > 0:15:11Kate, we've got Alema here, in the foreground, the white one, and her mother, Mrs Bruce, in the background.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Now, I have to say they're not looking at their best at this time of year, are they?
0:15:15 > 0:15:19- They're looking a little bit ragged. - I think it's fair to say that, isn't it?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21They do look scruffy, don't they?
0:15:21 > 0:15:27- But this is an entirely natural process.- Exactly. It's an annual sort of event,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31when their winter coat starts to come away and it's just beginning now,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and I mean, where you can see it's sort of hanging from...
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Yeah, I mean, can we go and have a look at Alema here?
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Kevin's doing a wonderful job of distracting them.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43It comes off in great kind of mats, doesn't it?
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- It does, it certainly does, yes. - Can you just pull it out?
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Absolutely extraordinary. It's so thick and woolly...
0:15:50 > 0:15:55You'd think this could be used for something, actually.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57I think most certainly.
0:15:57 > 0:16:04I think, just like we use our sheep's wool in this country and around the world, I think that in Mongolia,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06where these animals come from,
0:16:06 > 0:16:12I think the local tribes that live in that area would use this very much.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15It would make amazing blankets, wouldn't it?
0:16:15 > 0:16:19- It's fantastically...dense wool. - Yes.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Exactly, I mean... SNORT!
0:16:22 > 0:16:27- Oh, dear!- She's just done a big snort at our poor cameraman!
0:16:27 > 0:16:31That wasn't very polite, wasn't very polite at all! Right.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Is that because you're hurting her?
0:16:33 > 0:16:37Why do we need to actually remove this for her?
0:16:37 > 0:16:40I must admit, we... SNORT!
0:16:40 > 0:16:45I think she resents the camera up so close there, which is why she's eating...
0:16:45 > 0:16:49She's saying, "I'm not looking at my best, don't do close-ups, OK?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51"Just back off, back off."
0:16:51 > 0:16:56Does this hurt, this removing it from her?
0:16:56 > 0:16:57To be honest, it would be...
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Thank you very much, love! Thank you.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04It would be if you kept, sort of, tugging.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07I think you probably have to know when to stop, really.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I think we probably need to perhaps do that!
0:17:12 > 0:17:13Whoops!
0:17:16 > 0:17:20It can get worse than that, believe me!
0:17:20 > 0:17:24She's not impressed with us at all, is she?
0:17:24 > 0:17:27But why do you need to help her out with removing this hair?
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Surely it just falls off naturally, doesn't it?
0:17:29 > 0:17:34It does, Kate. It'll come out on its own perfectly well.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37I must admit, we tend to remove it ourselves
0:17:37 > 0:17:43because if we don't, it gets strewn all over the park and it looks like a rubbish tip out there,
0:17:43 > 0:17:49although it's only camel hair. But when it's ready to come, we do help it along and collect it.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53I have to say we like to leave some of it, a small amount of it
0:17:53 > 0:17:58for birds to use for lining their nests, which they do very much.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Yeah, it would make a wonderful nesting material!
0:18:00 > 0:18:06Well, Alema, we look forward to you looking sleek and beautiful and perhaps improving on your manners!
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Tim, Kevin, thank you very much indeed.
0:18:13 > 0:18:19Up in Wolf Wood, they've been looking forward to the birth of two separate litters of new cubs.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23For the second year running, Freda, the alpha female, was pregnant,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26but in addition, a young female was also expecting.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30And it looked like she'd have her cubs in the new wooden den in the Wolf House,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33which has been fitted with a tiny spy camera.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41But when Bob Trollope and Brian Kent came in this morning,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44they found that the young mum-to-be was missing.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48I had a look round the section, couldn't find her for ages.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52I thought perhaps she's gone inside and had her pups.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56I kept on looking for a while, to try and find her.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Eventually I did. She was outside,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02laying down...dead, unfortunately.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09There was no sign whatsoever to warn us, of something going wrong.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14It was just one of those things unfortunately that does happen.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18A post-mortem revealed that the young female had suffered pre-natal complications
0:19:18 > 0:19:22and a deadly infection had set in.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Death would have come quickly and the cubs had no chance.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28It was unexpected. You don't expect that.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32It's just turned up and she was there dead, unfortunately.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37It's not very nice, but there was no other signs, that we know of, wrong with her.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40I saw her a few days ago. She seemed fine.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44She was even coming in here, hoping she was going to use it to pup down.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49But now Bob and Brian still need to get things ready for Freda, the alpha female.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54Perhaps with the other one gone, she'll come and have her cubs in the wooden den.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59We've actually cleaned out the box, something that we weren't gonna do initially
0:19:59 > 0:20:06but we've thought out it and if there are any smells in there, it's a bit too strong.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10Just to encourage Freda in there, we've put clean bedding in.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Hopefully fresh smells...
0:20:13 > 0:20:19she might just come in and hopefully give birth in the den.
0:20:19 > 0:20:25Prior to today, it was the young female that was using the box more than Freda.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Hopefully we want to encourage her in a bit more.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36But the next day there's another surprise.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Freda was spotted acting strangely.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43We came in to check all the cameras were still working,
0:20:43 > 0:20:49and we noticed that she had laid up in a bed of nettles.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52On walking back to the vehicles,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56we could hear some whimpering noises
0:20:56 > 0:21:01and it was...obviously she'd started to give birth.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06And, lo and behold, she actually picked one up and wandered off with it.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08So we knew she had given birth.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12It was an amazing sight to see something that had just been born.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17With her cubs out in the open, Freda's likely to be very protective,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20so it's vital for everyone to stay well away.
0:21:20 > 0:21:26Bob's been watching what we're getting with our camera which has a powerful telephoto lens.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29They're a really dark colour
0:21:29 > 0:21:36which, I suppose, if she had given birth in a den, a tree or whatever, they'd blend into the surroundings.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39From what we can see of them they do look very, very healthy.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41They're all doing what we'd expect them to do.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45They're all tucked in near Mum.
0:21:45 > 0:21:51There's a possibility we've even seen them suckling but it's hard to tell.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54The other members of the pack have rallied round
0:21:54 > 0:21:57to help Freda look after the new cubs.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02They're amazing. If she was to get up and go for a drink
0:22:02 > 0:22:05then there would always be someone protecting those cubs.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06There would always be a babysitter.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10This is a big team effort just to raise these cubs.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15They are young. They're not even 24 hours old yet.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19So we've got a long way to go, yeah, honestly.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25Needless to say, we'll be there to follow all the action later in the series.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50I'm in Pets' Corner with head of section Darren Beasley,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53an enormous crowd of people and an African millipede.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Darren, this is an extraordinary insect - it is an insect, is it?
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Well, it's slightly different to your normal insect family.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04This is, as you can see, a millipede, by the legs
0:23:04 > 0:23:07but people always get confused between millipedes and centipedes.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11The millipedes have two pairs of legs on every single segment. Can you see that?
0:23:11 > 0:23:15- Yep.- The centipedes are the meat-eating ones that only have one pair.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19So it's not true that a millipede has 1,000 legs and a centipede has 100 legs?
0:23:19 > 0:23:24No, we believe an adult centipede maybe has 200 at the maximum.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27This can have anywhere up to 200, 300.
0:23:27 > 0:23:28So millipedes are the plant-eaters.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32- They live on the forest floor and eat all the old leaves.- OK
0:23:32 > 0:23:38That's your first ever recycler here. These are the things that create the good soil for the plants to grow.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43I'm assuming there's not much difference between the head and the bottom?
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Sorry, Mr Millipede! Presumably those are the little antennae...
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Yeah, that's the antennae, and they have fairly poor eyesight.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54They rely on chemical sensors. They come out when it's dark or perhaps first thing in the morning,
0:23:54 > 0:23:59- and they feel their way along the forest floor.- Are you holding that?
0:23:59 > 0:24:01No, he's actually got me there, Ben.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04So have the legs got little kind of claws?
0:24:04 > 0:24:08- Tiny little spikes on the end of their leg. It feels a little like Velcro.- Right.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13You put on your clothes... So he has to feel secure. I wouldn't wave him around cos he'd drop.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Darren, I know that you bring some of the animals out
0:24:17 > 0:24:21to show everyone but you're gonna sex this today, is that right?
0:24:21 > 0:24:28Well, we have several of these and we always get asked questions about its name and where it comes from
0:24:28 > 0:24:32but it's always handy to know if you're dealing with a boy or a girl.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Millipedes are actually not that difficult, but you have to look very, very close.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40- What we're looking at, see on the legs here at the front.- Yes.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- If you count seven segments back. - Right.- They have two pairs of legs.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46It's easier said than done, with the legs moving.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48They have two pairs of legs on every segment.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53Except in the adults, roughly seven segments back, there's a gap because they've lost those legs,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57and that helps them when they meet the girl millipedes. So I'm looking very closely here.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01- Yeah.- One, two, three, four, five, six, seven... I'm looking down there.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03- There looks like there's a bit of a gap there.- There's a gap.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07To me that would say this is going to be a little boy.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08Or a big boy, should I say.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Does that mean you can name it? Do you name a millipede?
0:25:11 > 0:25:13We normally let the visitors... Give him a name?
0:25:13 > 0:25:18- What would you call him? It's a boy. - I dunno.- What do you want to call him? Come up with a name.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20- Ben!- John! John, the millipede.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23There we go, it's settled.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26- Have you ever seen a millipede before?- Er, yeah.- Have you?
0:25:26 > 0:25:28- I bet not that size, though.- No.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30- You're not scared of it, though?- No.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34You're braver than me. At which point I'm supposed to hold this.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37- You are really. - I beat you to it. Shall I...?
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Normally what we do is rest your hand there and because he can't see you,
0:25:41 > 0:25:47he'll tap you with his antennae and hopefully he'll go for a little walk once he feels safe and secure.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Here he goes.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53What sort of environment does a millipede like this need? Warm...?
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Yeah, fairly warm, these tropical ones, the African ones need warm.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01We keep them in heated tanks and bring them out on nice, sunny days like today.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Really, in the wild, millipedes will live on the forest floor,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09particularly in the leaf litter, and they will... Oh, there we go.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13They will eat just about anything they come across, so any of the vegetation.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15All the soil, or all the nice stuff, comes out that end.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20- Wow! He's surprisingly fast and very heavy.- He likes you.- OK, Darren, you can have him back now.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22I'm on my tea break now, mate, sorry.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26OK, that's it from me and John and millipede.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Kate and I are up in the tapir enclosure
0:26:45 > 0:26:49with deputy head of section Ryan Hockley and some of the tapirs here.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53- Ryan, this is...- Jethro. - And that's Jessie?
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- Yeah.- And we've still got Gomez with his stripes over there.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00He's gonna be a couple more months before he loses those.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03So we've got to make the most of it while we've got them.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05I think they look better with stripes!
0:27:05 > 0:27:09Is he still dependant on Mum, or is he eating hard food as well now?
0:27:09 > 0:27:14He's taking a lot of hard food now, Kate, but he still suckles off Mum.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- You can see he's really solid, he's doing ever so well.- Yeah.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21He could do without it, I think it's comfort suckling, really.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26When will she finally say, "Sorry, Gomez, but you've got to go and look after yourself"?
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Probably within about five or six months time.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34That'll be the time when she'll really just kick him away from her teats and say, "That's enough."
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Presumably he's proving really popular with all the public?
0:27:38 > 0:27:43Oh, every time people get out of their cars and approach the section you hear all the "oohs and aaahs".
0:27:43 > 0:27:47I'm surprised he doesn't have a bigger head!
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Well, he's gorgeous. Thank you, Ryan.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55Sadly, that's all we've got time for on today, but here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57A baby camel's born with a dodgy leg.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Will he ever be able to stand up for himself?
0:28:05 > 0:28:10It's breeding time in the aviary, with not an ugly duckling in sight.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13And I'll be taking a chance in the lions' den.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Oi! Hey! Go on!
0:28:18 > 0:28:21When you bend down, you're vulnerable.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24I feel even more vulnerable now!
0:28:24 > 0:28:26So don't miss the next Animal Park!
0:28:30 > 0:28:34Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 2007
0:28:34 > 0:28:38E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk