0:00:32 > 0:00:36Hello, and welcome to a brand-new series of Animal Park.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38- I'm Kate Humble.- And I'm Ben Fogle.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43It's a momentous year here at Longleat, as the safari park is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
0:00:43 > 0:00:50We'll be getting close up, not just to the giraffes but to the 40 other species of animal who live here.
0:00:50 > 0:00:56Telling stories from all parts of the estate both on land and on water.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58And of course we'll be meeting Lord Bath
0:00:58 > 0:01:02and exploring his magnificent house and its extraordinary contents.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Here's what's coming up on today's programme.
0:01:05 > 0:01:12A life and death struggle when things go very wrong for Imogen the pregnant giraffe.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17There's monkey mischief afoot after we hide their breakfast.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21And there are new babies in the lions' den.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25We'll be there to capture rare footage of ther latest cubs
0:01:25 > 0:01:28as they're actually being born.
0:01:33 > 0:01:39First, we're going up to the giraffe house where, recently, there were some dramatic events.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43When babies arrive, it's not always good news
0:01:43 > 0:01:47because sometimes the miracle of birth can go horribly wrong.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Imogen's ten-years-old, everyone was pleased for her
0:01:53 > 0:01:58because, after several years of trying, she finally managed to carry a baby to term.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01With giraffes, that's 15 months.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06When it looked like her time had come, one of the first there was keeper Bev Evans.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10It was really exciting when we came in
0:02:10 > 0:02:12and she was starting to go into labour,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15but obviously with that came the complications.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20From really exciting to really worrying in quite a short space of time, actually.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24When Imogen's labour went on for over a day,
0:02:24 > 0:02:30it was clear to Andy Hayton, the keeper in charge of the giraffes, that something was wrong.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Sunday morning, a vet came out, looked at her
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and the decision was taken - we would probably have to pull the calf.
0:02:37 > 0:02:43The calf was badly presented. We thought possibly it could have been a breach birth,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46or the head was tilted back so she just couldn't push it out.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Pulling the calf out by hand would be the only way to help,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55but to do that, Imogen would have to be sedated with an anaesthetic.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59And that's always a risky business, as vet Duncan Williams knows.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Anaesthetic-wise, I think giraffes are the most dangerous.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06The literature of reports are, basically,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10one in three anaesthetics with giraffes ended in fatalities.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15But if they didn't do something, Imogen and the baby would certainly die.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Nevertheless, deputy head warden Ian Turner didn't like the odds.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22The last thing you want to do is knock out a giraffe.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Even worse is knock out a giraffe that's got a baby inside.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30So it was a last resort. We hadn't got any choice in the matter.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34We'd waited until the last minute and it was just fingers crossed from then on.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42A whole team of vets and staff has been urgently summoned to help.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47Nothing like this has ever been done here before, and Ian is concerned to record every detail,
0:03:47 > 0:03:52so he and his keepers are going to film whatever happens.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00The anaesthetic is administered using a syringe on the end of a pole.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Andy's dreading what will happen next.
0:04:05 > 0:04:12When they go, sometimes what they'll do is force themselves into a corner and try to prop themselves up.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16What can happen is they'll flip themselves straight back over
0:04:16 > 0:04:21where they just can't fight any more and are out on their feet, almost, and just collapse.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26The big worry for us is if she goes over straight backwards, she could break her spine.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27Um...
0:04:27 > 0:04:32The boxes are all lined out with large bales of hay to soften it as much as we can do.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37The straw on the floor has also been piled up to cushion the impact.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46The next minutes will be critical,
0:04:46 > 0:04:51and we'll be back very soon to find out if Imogen and her baby survive.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Longleat is home to a troop of over 80 rhesus macaque monkeys.
0:04:57 > 0:05:04The species is found all across Asia, from the tropics right up to the chilly foothills of the Himalayas.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08So they're quite happy to live outside in Wiltshire all year round,
0:05:08 > 0:05:13just as long as they've got something to keep them occupied and plenty to eat.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17I'm up at Monkey Jungle with keeper Kevin Knibbs,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and we're trying a bit of an experiment this morning, Kev?
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Yes. We've come here this morning with the dry food.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28I was looking at this, because don't you usually feed them fruit and vegetables and things?
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Yep, they get the fruit and veg in the afternoons. We feed this in the mornings.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34- We've got primate pellets here.- OK.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38It's pretty much like Weetabix, muesli, that we have in the mornings.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42- It gets them going for the rest of the day. - OK, so what's the experiment?
0:05:42 > 0:05:46We've noticed a lot of birds around this time of year.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51They tend to steal all the monkeys' food, so we're feeding them twice as much food as what we need to.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52This winter has been cold.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57We've moved the buffalo out of the jungle, where they needed a bit more shelter.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02- We've got a spare shelter here now. - This is where the buffalo hang out when they want shelter?
0:06:02 > 0:06:06We've put loads of straw in here. Wewant to put the food in the straw and the bedding,
0:06:06 > 0:06:12- kick fresh straw over the top and let the monkeys help themselves.- So they can forage for it?- Absolutely.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16- Brilliant idea. So shall I just put handfuls out? - Yeah, throw it anywhere you want.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19- Throw it around in the straw. - Yes, that's it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25- We'll just come over afterwards and kick fresh straw over the top so it's hidden.- OK.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29So we can literally... I suppose hiding it quite well
0:06:29 > 0:06:33- is better for the monkeys, makes them work harder for it.- Exactly.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37It's very good enrichment for them and it's like a natural behaviour.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41In the wild they'd forage through leaf mould and leaf litter, for bugs
0:06:41 > 0:06:45and bits of fruit and veg. This is just recreating that, really.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Lucky monkeys.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Right. We're nearly done here.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55We'll get out of the way. Shall we kick that over there like that?
0:06:55 > 0:06:56Yep.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Join us later to see if the monkeys like their new experiment.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Last year, new blood arrived at Longleat -
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Kabir the Barbary lion.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14He was brought from Port Lympne animal park in Kent
0:07:14 > 0:07:17to try to establish a new pride.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22The hope was that this would, in time, a real family with cubs to raise.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Kabir's intended mates were a couple of young sisters - Luna
0:07:28 > 0:07:32and Yendi. They settled down straightaway
0:07:32 > 0:07:34and it seemed to be a match made in heaven.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38In fact encouraging behaviour was soon spotted
0:07:38 > 0:07:41but would it lead to anything?
0:07:41 > 0:07:44We just had to wait and see.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Now keeper Brian Kent has some wonderful news.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52We've got a lion cub born
0:07:52 > 0:07:55so that's really exciting cos it's Kabir's.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59There's a new lion here and he's been here, what, seven months?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01So he's produced some goods.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06The new cub is a little girl.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10She's Yendi's first baby
0:08:10 > 0:08:16but that's a worry because sometimes new lion mothers don't know how to look after their young.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20But, so far, Yendi's been doing all the right things.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Basically we've noticed her caring for her and licking her,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27making sure she's clean.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31The cub's now seven weeks old so she's still on milk
0:08:31 > 0:08:33and also starting to eat food, as well,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35so she's doing well.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38And, hopefully, her sister - who's on the other side -
0:08:38 > 0:08:40is due as well for some cubs.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43I thought she was going to have them last week
0:08:43 > 0:08:44but no such luck.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47So it's just a matter of waiting at the moment.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51While her sister Yendi had one cub,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Luna is looking large.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55They think she may be carrying more.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Lions normally have between two and four at a time.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02But lions are secretive and only have their cubs
0:09:02 > 0:09:05when they're alone - usually the middle of the night.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10It's a rare event that's almost never been seen. Certainly no-one here has ever been lucky enough.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14So we've called in Andy Milk. He's a specialist cameraman.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18He's had a lot of experience finding ways to film the unfilmable.
0:09:18 > 0:09:24We're hoping he'll help us to witness the miracle of birth for the very first time.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28I've just fitted the brackets up and got all that ready.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32I'm just now doing the final connection
0:09:32 > 0:09:34and, hopefully, it's in the right place
0:09:34 > 0:09:38and we're not going to be obscured by the wire on the cage.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43What I've done is installed everything outside
0:09:43 > 0:09:46and there's nothing in the cage at all so the lion can't get to it,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48can't touch anything and it's all quite safe.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52The spy camera works like a CCTV system
0:09:52 > 0:09:55so it won't disturb Luna at all.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58And it can get pictures in complete darkness
0:09:58 > 0:10:00by using infra-red lamps.
0:10:00 > 0:10:06Infra-red is just basically light of a different wavelength to what the human eye can respond to.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Um, I don't think a lion will see it
0:10:08 > 0:10:13although they're not actually that concerned about light at all so it wouldn't matter.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16But if we were to come in at night,
0:10:16 > 0:10:21the picture on here would be fine but we wouldn't be able to see anything in the cage itself.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24The system can record continuously for up to ten hours.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28So, as night approaches, it's turned on.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30We'll be back later to find out
0:10:30 > 0:10:34if our spy camera really can capture these precious moments -
0:10:34 > 0:10:37the very first minutes of life.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Back in the giraffe house,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48the process of giving birth seems more like a nightmare.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Vet Duncan Williams has just given Imogen an injection of anaesthetic.
0:10:52 > 0:10:58The trouble is, with giraffes, the anaesthetic itself can be the most dangerous thing.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03I think the big problem is, you know, a massive animal,
0:11:03 > 0:11:08when they fall down, you've got the risk of regurgitation of stomach contents -
0:11:08 > 0:11:13it can go up the oesophagus and get swallowed into the lungs.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18So, as quickly as possible, an air tube needs to be inserted
0:11:18 > 0:11:21all the way down that long throat, to the top of the lungs.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24That's the most important thing to do.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28That didn't quite go according to plan.
0:11:28 > 0:11:34Just as we were getting the tube down, she regurgitated, but luckily the tube was just down in time.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37One of the four vets on the team is an anaesthetist
0:11:37 > 0:11:41from Bristol University's veterinary school - Pamela Murison.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45She's responsible for the air tube and life support.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47They're so big!
0:11:47 > 0:11:51I'm used to anaesthetising large animals,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54but they're very long with long legs, long necks,
0:11:54 > 0:12:01and you know in the back of your mind all the time that it is such a risky procedure.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05With Imogen anaesthetised, Duncan can start his examination.
0:12:05 > 0:12:12He needs to find out what state the calf is in, and how it's lying, just by feel.
0:12:12 > 0:12:18The ropes are essential for everyone's safety, and it takes a lot of hands to hold them secure.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Ian's called in staff from all over the safari park to help.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26There's 30 odd people around, so if the giraffe kicks,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30somebody's going to end up seriously injured or even worse.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35If they kicked a lion, for instance, it would be dead.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40I've actually been trampled on by a giraffe and it's not really pleasant.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42They've got really big hooves.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44You've got that big swing from a distance,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47and they don't know they're doing it.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52If you imagine a leg going like that back and you're just in the wrong place, it sends you flying.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53Not recommended.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Duncan's internal examination has revealed some sad news.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04The calf inside is already dead.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08It may have been dead for some time.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13Keeper Bev Evans had been looking forward to having a new baby in the giraffe house.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17It was quite sad to lose the calf.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21The vets and everybody couldn't do anything about that.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25We couldn't have done anything, so there's no point worrying too much about that
0:13:25 > 0:13:30but, yeah, it's such a shame that we lost him. It was a little boy.
0:13:30 > 0:13:37Now all their efforts are concentrated just on trying to save Imogen.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40They have to get the dead calf out
0:13:40 > 0:13:42but there's been a complication.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46Unfortunately, the drug that we gave her
0:13:46 > 0:13:48to relax the uterus
0:13:48 > 0:13:52has made her body think that she's stopped being in labour,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55so she's actually closing her cervix down.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00So a cervix that's capable of holding in a baby giraffe
0:14:00 > 0:14:04is obviously quite a strong muscle, so that's closed down.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06What we're trying to do is pull something this big
0:14:06 > 0:14:09out of something that big, which isn't happening.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14You can see the amount of effort that the guys are putting in trying to pull the calf.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20There was no way that it was going to come,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23because everything had closed down again.
0:14:23 > 0:14:29We did quite a major pull on it and it just wasn't shifting, unfortunately.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Duncan and the team must come up with a new plan, and fast,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36because now Imogen's life is balanced on a knife-edge.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40We'll return to the giraffe house very soon.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01I'm back in Monkey Jungle with keeper Kevin Knibbs.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Earlier we spread food out, hidden in the straw in that shelter.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09The monkeys are just starting to come around, Kev.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10They've obviously...
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Do you think they knew what we were up to?
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Do they smell it? How do you think they know that there's food around?
0:15:16 > 0:15:18They're very curious as a species,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21so anything we do, they're there straightaway.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24As soon as they find food they'll make little noises to each other,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27communicating that they've found some food.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32So all the rest of the troupe? There are monkeys scattered around in the dead wood up there,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35and they are beginning to head over this way.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37They pick up these signals.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39"Oi, there's food over here!"
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Yes. This is great.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43This is perfect natural behaviour.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46This big guy at the front is Timmy, our dominant male.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48- He's there straightaway.- Right.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50As he would be in the wild.
0:15:50 > 0:15:56Obviously that food, we buried it quite well, and the little maize pellets are tiny.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00How are they finding it? Are they using smell or sight or everything?
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Mostly, it's sight. They'll dig through it with their hands.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07If they see something they can eat, they'll put it into their mouth,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11bite it. If they can eat it, great, if they can't they'll throw it away.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14They sniff things well. They've got a very good sense of smell.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18They're just going to fill up their cheek pouches.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20They get bigger cheeks on them, and off they go.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36That's brilliant, that one, sliding down the pole!
0:16:36 > 0:16:38They are just fantastic to watch, aren't they?
0:16:38 > 0:16:42They've blown it. I was going to say I'm quite surprised how calm they all are.
0:16:42 > 0:16:48- There's no fighting, presumably that's because there's enough to go round.- Yeah, definitely.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50They all know their role as well.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Occasionally you get a very brave little one coming in to try and steal some food,
0:16:54 > 0:17:00and that's not acceptable in monkey society, and they get told very quickly it's not acceptable.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02But it is amazing. If you just saw that scene,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05it would be very difficult to tell which one is dominant.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08We've got some very small ones in there,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13and it seems to be they've got the society quite well worked out.
0:17:13 > 0:17:14Exactly.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18The males are the big dominant ones and the females come after that.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- Normally the females rule it. They're very clever.- Are they?
0:17:21 > 0:17:26They make sure nothing happens, and the males lay back and do their bit.
0:17:26 > 0:17:27MONKEY SQUEAKS
0:17:27 > 0:17:31When you get a squeak like that, is that a warning?
0:17:31 > 0:17:33"Just be careful." Look at that.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Is this Timmy at the front?
0:17:35 > 0:17:38This one's called Maggie, a female.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43She's always on the lookout for people and likes to make faces at people. This is a threat.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45So she's pulling a face at our cameraman?
0:17:45 > 0:17:50Yeah, because we're looking at her - she's threatening us to stay away from the food.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55Do you think, now, this might be something you repeat?
0:17:55 > 0:17:59- Has this been a successful experiment?- Yes. I'd like to do this every day, if we can.
0:17:59 > 0:18:05Every morning we'll do this until they get bored. If they do, we'll think of something else.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Come up with another idea. Kev, thank you very, very much.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10It's just a fantastic sight.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Monkeys everywhere!
0:18:24 > 0:18:28With Imogen's baby not only dead but also hopelessly stuck,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31there's only one way left to try to save her life,
0:18:31 > 0:18:37despite the fact that, as senior keeper Andy Hayton knows, there's little chance of success.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41We're gonna attempt a Caesarean, just to give her a go.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46We can't just decide we're going to put her down and quit here.
0:18:46 > 0:18:52We've got to... Like I say, even if it doesn't come out
0:18:52 > 0:18:56the right decision or the right outcome that we want,
0:18:56 > 0:18:57we've got to at least try it.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01So we're going to attempt a Caesarean now and see how we go.
0:19:01 > 0:19:07This will be the first Caesarean that's ever been performed on a giraffe at Longleat.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Duncan Williams is the vet in charge of the team.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13'We do Caesareans in cattle all the time.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18'The actual operation itself is very much similar to a cow.'
0:19:18 > 0:19:23But it is different... She was lying down, cows are normally standing up.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28'We don't normally have quite so many people helping.'
0:19:28 > 0:19:31I've never done anything like that in a giraffe at all. No.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36Imogen has now been under anaesthetic for over two hours.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39For a giraffe, that's a dangerously long time.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43It's up to Pam Murison, the veterinary anaesthetist, to monitor her condition.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46'We monitored her blood-pressure, making sure
0:19:46 > 0:19:50'that that was within normal range and not too high, not too low.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54'Also trying to make sure she's adequately anaesthetised,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57'so that she is not either very, very deeply anaesthetised,
0:19:57 > 0:20:02'which is going to cause problems for her organs'
0:20:02 > 0:20:05and reduce the amount of blood getting to them,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07or very, very lightly anaesthetised
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and liable to move or be aware of what's going on.
0:20:10 > 0:20:16Meanwhile, the other three vets are desperately trying to get the dead calf out.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20Even deputy head warden Ian Turner is losing hope.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22I've never seen a Caesarean on a giraffe.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Literally, if the giraffe survived it would be a miracle.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Here it comes. Towards me.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Go on. It should come now. Pull.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33We've just taken a baby giraffe out of her stomach,
0:20:33 > 0:20:39which, as you know, is a 6ft-odd baby, so that's removed.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43So the actual wound, the stitches, we're talking that sort of size stitching.
0:20:43 > 0:20:49She's got two lots of internal stitching plus the external stitching.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53You know, it's going to be touch-and-go whether she survives this operation
0:20:53 > 0:20:55but to go through that time and all this...
0:20:55 > 0:20:57She's been prodded around, poked,
0:20:57 > 0:21:02stitches here and the rigmarole of what's gone on -
0:21:02 > 0:21:04it's quite a traumatic time for her.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08The stitches need to be made very strong, because giraffes
0:21:08 > 0:21:12must always stand up, even when they've got such a massive wound.
0:21:12 > 0:21:18The moment of truth will come when the job is finished and they try to revive Imogen.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21We'll be back to see what happens later on.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42I'm down in Pets Corner with keeper Bev Alan and two very sweet little guinea pigs.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44They're young. How old are they?
0:21:44 > 0:21:46- About nine weeks old now. Two females.- OK.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49This is Tia and that's Maria.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51I like those names.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Do guinea pigs of this age take a lot of care?
0:21:53 > 0:21:57They do. You've got to make sure that you feed them the correct diet,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59lots of hay in their diet.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Also a dry mix as well, and lots of fruit we give ours as well.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06They're obviously very popular pets with children.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Would you recommend them?
0:22:08 > 0:22:11For younger children I recommend guinea pigs because they're fun.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Also long-haired, you must groom them often.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17- Do you have to run a brush, a comb, through their hair?- We do, yeah.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Haircuts as well now and then.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Wow. They are very sweet, aren't they?
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- They are. - How long will they live for?
0:22:24 > 0:22:27- About four to five years, average.- OK.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32Bev, thank you. Don't go away, because here's what's still to come on today's programme.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36'Ben and I take on a challenge to see if we can become Longleat guides
0:22:36 > 0:22:38'in just one day!'
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Yendi's got her new baby
0:22:43 > 0:22:47but how will it go when Luna gives birth?
0:22:48 > 0:22:51And we'll find out what happens to Imogen.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58But, now, up in Longleat House,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02kate and I are about to face a test that will try us to the limits.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Every year, a quarter of a million visitors enjoy a tour
0:23:06 > 0:23:08of the magnificent state rooms
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and it's up to the house guides to make sure they go away
0:23:11 > 0:23:14both enlightened and enthralled.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16If you worked in the court of Henry VIII
0:23:16 > 0:23:19you didn't just acquire a few acres of land...
0:23:19 > 0:23:21It's a challenging job
0:23:21 > 0:23:23but then we like a challenge.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Kate and I have come up into the great house here at Longleat
0:23:29 > 0:23:32with guide Sarah Bartlett and head guide Clare Mound,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35to learn how to become a guide in just one day.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39- Claire, how long have you been a guide at Longleat?- I've been here for 12 years.
0:23:39 > 0:23:46- OK. We are going to try and absorb 12 years' worth of information in just a day.- Possibly.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49OK. We're gonna start in this room. Is that right? You and I.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50You and I are going to start here,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and Ben and Sarah are going to go next door and try and absorb that room.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56OK. We'll get going.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00If somebody wants to be a guide at Longleat, what's the process?
0:24:00 > 0:24:03You start with an interview, we see if we like each other
0:24:03 > 0:24:06and then you start training with other guides
0:24:06 > 0:24:08and you gradually absorb information
0:24:08 > 0:24:11from lots of reference books and lots of hands-on.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15So, how many rooms are open to the public?
0:24:15 > 0:24:18How many rooms do you have to get to know intimately?
0:24:18 > 0:24:21You get to know, we usually say, about a third of the house,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25- sort of 16, 17 rooms.- Wow. - That will keep you going.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Looking at this room, they're just so packed full of things.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Presumably, the public can ask you about anything.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34They can ask you about anything, but you will start
0:24:34 > 0:24:38by telling them that this is the lower family dining room,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41a little bit about their porcelain, the portraits
0:24:41 > 0:24:43and the wonderful ceilings.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46So we would get to the ceiling, as you say, and it is staggering.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48You can't miss it.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51What sort of information would you give about this?
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Lord Bath's great-grandfather fell in love with Italy.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58He employs a London firm, John Dibblee Crace,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00to put in very dramatic ceilings.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04They're largely copied from the Ducal Palace in Venice.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- Wow.- They were put in in the 1870s and early 1880s.- Yeah.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10OK. There's an awful lot to remember.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14- A lot to learn, but one or two things in each room.- OK. - That'll see you through.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19I'll carry on swotting up. Go and see how Ben's getting on.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21While Kate learns about the lower dining room,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25I'm in the breakfast room with Sarah. We've got the type of room right.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28What are the features in here that I need to learn about?
0:25:28 > 0:25:31You need to know the table. That's the important feature.
0:25:31 > 0:25:39It was laid out for the opening of the house on 1st April 1949.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- So, this is as it was laid on that date?- Correct.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44What's the significance of that?
0:25:44 > 0:25:47That is the date that the house opened to the general public.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52That was because Lord Bath's grandfather, Thomas...
0:25:52 > 0:25:56- Who's in the portrait above the fireplace, is he?- Yes.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58That's right. He had died in 1946.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02The family had had to sell vast quantities of the estate
0:26:02 > 0:26:03- to pay the death duties.- OK.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05The table is all original, is it?
0:26:05 > 0:26:08- Is that the original paper? - That's the original.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- The eggshells are the same? - Probably.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- Highly probably. Yes. - What else in this room?
0:26:14 > 0:26:18The ceiling strikes me as amazing.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23- The ceiling is 24 carat gold leaf. - Is it really?
0:26:23 > 0:26:26There's so much to take in, isn't there?
0:26:26 > 0:26:29How long have you been guiding for?
0:26:29 > 0:26:31- I've been guiding for four years now.- Right.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Did you used to take books home, homework, notes and things
0:26:35 > 0:26:37to study for the next day?
0:26:37 > 0:26:41You did, yes. But as you went round the house, you learnt things.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43People asked you questions
0:26:43 > 0:26:46which helps because you have to think what the answer is.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50I think I have a lot to learn. So the ceiling is 24 carat gold.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53- Table 19...- 49.- 49.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54I really do have a lot to take in.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Join us later when we'll be put through our paces.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Back at the lion house, we've set up a spy camera
0:27:07 > 0:27:09to try to capture a secret and rarely seen event -
0:27:09 > 0:27:13the moment when a lioness gives birth.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18But, so far, Luna, the lioness in question, is keeping everyone on tenterhooks.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Still no cubs.
0:27:21 > 0:27:27Keeper Brian Kent has been expecting to find new cubs every morning for the last week.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31She does look very big now so she's going to have them soon.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34It's just a matter of waiting.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Four days later, in the dead of night, it finally happened.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44Our spy camera was able to get this unique footage.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Two cubs are out,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48and here's the third.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Immediately, Luna starts to clean the baby.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59In all the years they've been looking after the lions,
0:27:59 > 0:28:04this is the first time Brian Kent and Bob Trollope have ever witnessed these precious moments.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06The time limit was getting on a bit.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11It was, "Oh, it'll be next week." Never happened.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15No, nature takes its course and eventually, out they come.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18It was great. It was good to see them.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21And to see what I've seen on here now, which is nice.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24All the years I've worked here, not to be able to see...
0:28:24 > 0:28:28and to be able to see something that close up is great.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Good detail as well.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34Now, with daylight, the camera can get
0:28:34 > 0:28:38better-quality pictures, in colour, of the cubs' first few hours.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41It would normally be impossible to watch this natural behaviour
0:28:41 > 0:28:45because of the way Mum reacts when anyone comes in,
0:28:45 > 0:28:49as Bob and Brian saw first thing this morning.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52She was very protective of them.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55As soon as we walked in you knew that she'd had them
0:28:55 > 0:28:58because, apart from the noises they were making,
0:28:58 > 0:29:02she was up at the front of the cage trying to see us off.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05When we went in first of all,
0:29:05 > 0:29:10you couldn't quite see how many there was, because she was obviously out there trying to protect them.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13We didn't want to spend an awful lot of time in there.
0:29:13 > 0:29:14It's best just to keep away.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17As long as you've checked them twice a day,
0:29:17 > 0:29:23you don't really need to stay there all day, there's just no need because you can make things worse.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26It's better to stay away and let her get on with it.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30It is amazing to see, because quite often when we go in there
0:29:30 > 0:29:34and find the cubs there, they've either been cleaned or have just been born.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39To actually see how quick it is that they go to the nipple
0:29:39 > 0:29:42and how quick it is between each cub being born...
0:29:42 > 0:29:43And how strong they are.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47- Yeah, amazing.- You can see them hammering around straightaway.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49That's really great to see.
0:29:52 > 0:29:57Luna's babies are very vulnerable, each weighs little more than a kilo,
0:29:57 > 0:29:59and at this stage they're still blind.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05In the wild, only one in five cubs make it to adulthood,
0:30:05 > 0:30:11and even in captivity the future of these little ones is far from certain.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13You know, you can lose cubs.
0:30:13 > 0:30:18Mum may sit on them by accident. It can happen.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22So you've just got to wait and hope things go well.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26You can't do nothing about it. That's how it goes.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30And hopefully she'll do fine.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32See how it goes.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Now, with everything looking good,
0:30:34 > 0:30:38we'll leave Luna's cubs on their very first day of life.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42But, of course, we'll be following all developments in the Lion House
0:30:42 > 0:30:44right through the series.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54The emergency Caesarean to try to save Imogen's life
0:30:54 > 0:30:56has taken three and a half hours.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00Her calf was dead inside and it took all the efforts of four vets
0:31:00 > 0:31:03and a whole team of keepers to get it out.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Now the time has come to try to wake Imogen up,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09and the stress is starting to show.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12'It feels like we've been doing this for about a week.
0:31:12 > 0:31:13'It has been a long day.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16'We've been stood around.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19'It's the vets and anaesthetists that have done all the hard work.'
0:31:19 > 0:31:21The Caesarean was done,
0:31:21 > 0:31:26unfortunately a dead baby, but we were pretty much sure of that.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Surprisingly, for two days of the calf being dead
0:31:29 > 0:31:31it started to decompose already.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36The big worry is if the calf has decomposed so far,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39that she's infected.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42'Once we'd finished all the operation,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45'Duncan had stitched it all back up and got the stitches done
0:31:45 > 0:31:49'and cleaned the wound up and give it all the antibiotics and stuff,
0:31:49 > 0:31:54'they give it a Revivon. What we do is -'
0:31:54 > 0:31:57Andy, Ryan and a couple of others
0:31:57 > 0:32:00'stayed in there and we moved out with just Ryan and Andy in there.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02'You sit on its neck
0:32:02 > 0:32:04'and wait for it to come round.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08'At the last minute, once it's up, you get off its neck
0:32:08 > 0:32:10'and it sits up.'
0:32:10 > 0:32:15It's an anxious time for Pam, the veterinary anaesthetist.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17To a certain extent, I think you are relieved
0:32:17 > 0:32:19that one part has gone well,
0:32:19 > 0:32:22but still nervous about the part that still has to go.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27It's not completely finished until she's up standing and well.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31For me, particularly, I find that period very nerve-racking,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34because beyond... We've got very little control
0:32:34 > 0:32:37of how she gets up and she could easily injure herself.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44Get out, lads. Get out.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53They were expecting Imogen to at least try to stand up
0:32:53 > 0:32:54as soon as she came round.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58Something is wrong, because lying down is unnatural to a giraffe.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02It's dangerous to their health and can lead them to just give up
0:33:02 > 0:33:04and lose the will to live.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09The longer the anaesthetic, the more likely you are
0:33:09 > 0:33:11to have some of the other problems
0:33:11 > 0:33:13associated with anaesthesia in large animals.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16For example, there's pressure on the muscles
0:33:16 > 0:33:18which have been lying in an awkward position
0:33:18 > 0:33:23with 600 kilos of giraffe lying on top of certain areas.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28'It's a difficult situation. How much do you intervene? Do you let her do it herself?'
0:33:28 > 0:33:31You always worry that you don't do enough
0:33:31 > 0:33:35and something bad happens and you'll be blaming yourselves.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43But a few minutes later, Imogen finds the strength to sit up.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54And then, finally, to stand.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14The big step is she didn't die in the operation.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18The next big step is she got up, or woke up and got up.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21If we can... We'll slowly get her eating again.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25It is just tiny little steps all the way.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29It's a miracle that Imogen has come this far,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32but after major surgery on the stable floor,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35infection is a very real danger.
0:34:35 > 0:34:40If she makes it through tonight, tomorrow, and days on after that,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42if she gets to two weeks then we can breathe out.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47We'll return later to find out whether or not Imogen makes it
0:34:47 > 0:34:50through the hours and days ahead.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15I think my brain's going to explode. Ben and I have spent the entire day
0:35:15 > 0:35:18trying to learn how to be guides at Longleat House.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22There is so much to remember I can't tell you. But now is test time.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25I have a willing group. Please come in.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29I shall tell you about the lower dining room.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33I know that this looks like the most fabulously luxurious room,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36but actually this was the day-to-day dining room.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38The family would have eaten here every day.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43The first thing you notice in this room, if you look up,
0:35:43 > 0:35:45is the amazing ceiling.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48This ceiling was put in by the fourth Marquess,
0:35:48 > 0:35:52the present Lord Bath's grandfather.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57He loved Italian - the Italian style.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02This ceiling is actually copied from the Ducal Palace in Venice.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06- How do they clean it?- Painstakingly. You know your blusher brushes?
0:36:06 > 0:36:08That's what they do.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13They'll stand up on ladders and get into the... It's so delicate, and obviously it's all gilt.
0:36:13 > 0:36:19They will get in and brush it away literally with blusher brushes.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22It's not something you want to do too often.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24How often do they have to repaint it?
0:36:24 > 0:36:28It's done roughly every ten years or so,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32but because it's kept in very good condition and is cleaned,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35it's kept very well so things do stay preserved
0:36:35 > 0:36:40- in this magnificent state. - It's a good job.
0:36:40 > 0:36:46If you want to go through into this room, my colleague Ben will meet you in there.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48(What a swot!) Follow me in here.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Now, I would like to welcome you into the breakfast room.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54Please come along, everyone.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Very impressive.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01Lots of paintings of various Baths along the ceilings,
0:37:01 > 0:37:03all sorts in fact.
0:37:03 > 0:37:11The table is laid still originally from the 1st April 1949,
0:37:11 > 0:37:13believe it or not. All totally original.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18The original newspaper, even the original egg that was left there at that time.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22That was when the fourth Marquess, maybe the fifth,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25in the painting above the fireplace passed away.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28There were incredible death duties that had to be paid,
0:37:28 > 0:37:30so the house had to open to the public
0:37:30 > 0:37:35so that you lucky people could have a look around and see what went on in here.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37Very impressive ceiling.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39In terms of the painting on the ceiling,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42would that have been painted and then set into the ceiling?
0:37:42 > 0:37:48It would very likely have been painted and then put up there, yes.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50Absolutely.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52Any questions from anybody?
0:37:54 > 0:37:59I hope you enjoyed the room. Please join Sarah this way. Thank you very much for coming, everybody.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01(I think I did rather well.)
0:38:03 > 0:38:06- Well done, Ben. - SHE LAUGHS
0:38:10 > 0:38:15It's been a month now since Imogen underwent an emergency Caesarean.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17The baby was already dead,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21and no-one really thought that Mum had much chance either.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27But here she is, and she's doing fine.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37We had hardly any infection to speak of.
0:38:37 > 0:38:38In fact it was so little infection
0:38:38 > 0:38:41it's not even really worth mentioning.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Yeah, she's just fantastic.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47I think, the kind of animal she is,
0:38:47 > 0:38:49she's very, very quiet, very laid back.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51I think that stood well in her stead
0:38:51 > 0:38:55because obviously the stress level from the pain and the darting
0:38:55 > 0:38:57and the hassle was very low.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Obviously she didn't know anything about the op
0:38:59 > 0:39:01because she was completely out,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04but stress will get them in a lot of other ways.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06That didn't affect her.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Yeah, really, really pleased.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14It's unlikely that Imogen will be allowed to get pregnant again -
0:39:14 > 0:39:16the risks are just too high.
0:39:16 > 0:39:21But with her steady nature, she still has an important role to play.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23She's got a great future in the herd
0:39:23 > 0:39:25because she'll be central to a lot of things.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Unfortunately, the one thing she possibly isn't going to do
0:39:28 > 0:39:30is have calves of her own.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32But she's got two sisters here.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36So there are going to be offspring from that family,
0:39:36 > 0:39:39and she can just be everybody's dear old maiden aunt
0:39:39 > 0:39:41being a bit dotty in the corner, I suppose.
0:39:47 > 0:39:48Hello, girls.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51Imogen has been getting a lot of visits
0:39:51 > 0:39:54from all the staff that helped that day.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58It's an experience Head Warden Keith Harris won't forget in a hurry.
0:39:58 > 0:40:03I've been involved with giraffes for 30 years ever since I've been here,
0:40:03 > 0:40:09but we've sedated them for foot trimming and lameness,
0:40:09 > 0:40:14that type of problem, but never a Caesarean.
0:40:14 > 0:40:20So for it to actually be successful as well
0:40:20 > 0:40:23is quite something, so we're quietly quite chuffed.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27The operation what she went through,
0:40:27 > 0:40:32fantastic, an absolute miracle of nature that she would recover so well.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35Fantastic it is.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39Makes her extra-special now to have gone through all she's gone through.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41We thought we'd lose her
0:40:41 > 0:40:45in the bottom of our hearts - even though you've got to try these things -
0:40:45 > 0:40:46we thought she was going to die.
0:41:04 > 0:41:09Back up in the house, it's time to find out who's won the guide's challenge -
0:41:09 > 0:41:10Ben or me?
0:41:10 > 0:41:14The judge is Head Guide Claire Mound,
0:41:14 > 0:41:16and I don't know what Ben's been up to,
0:41:16 > 0:41:19but I'm beginning to suspect a hint of bias.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23I think you did brilliantly, Ben. You didn't lose anybody, did you?
0:41:23 > 0:41:26- I hope not!- No-one's still hidden under the table.
0:41:26 > 0:41:31- Your answered spontaneous questions that might have floored you, and got them right.- Thank you.
0:41:31 > 0:41:38- It's all sounding very good. What about Kate?- Kate did all right, too, didn't you?- I thought I did.
0:41:38 > 0:41:43- You got the grandfathers muddled. - I did. There are too many grandfathers in this family.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46There are too many Thomases and Johns and things.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50- It was great-grandfather, wasn't it? - It was. Otherwise...
0:41:50 > 0:41:54No, you were getting there but, by a small whisker,
0:41:54 > 0:41:59I think that Ben got slightly better,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02- and we'll give you a badge.- No!
0:42:02 > 0:42:07- It does mean we might ask you to do some work now.- Oh, really? Does that mean bigger groups?- Yes.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10I've got 30 small children waiting downstairs.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12I'm going to wear that with... What?!
0:42:12 > 0:42:17- How many more rooms do I have to learn about?- Oh, about 10 more. Yes.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22- Oh, dear. I have my work cut out. Do you want the badge, Kate? - No, no, no. See you next year.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Sadly that's all we've got time for on today's programme.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33There are dramatic developments when Babs the rhino
0:42:33 > 0:42:35takes a turn for the worse.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39Back with the lions,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42it's time to give the youngest cub her injections.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45And down in Pets Corner,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48we'll meet two new bouncing babies -
0:42:48 > 0:42:51the first otter cubs born at Longleat in over 30 years.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54So don't miss the next Animal Park.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd - 2006
0:43:20 > 0:43:24E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk