0:00:29 > 0:00:32Hello and welcome to Animal Park. I'm Kate Humble.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35And I'm Ben Fogle, and this WAS Hamish,
0:00:35 > 0:00:39- before he disappeared into my jacket.- This is Scamp.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43They're ferrets. There are ten of them here at Longleat, and very entertaining they are.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47They seem to want to... There's one there, recording sound.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50- If you can't hear us, blame the ferrets.- What are you doing?
0:00:50 > 0:00:53All I can see is a little tail sticking out.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57- We're always invaded when we come in here.- We are. They've all left me now.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00We've got lots of stories about the animals
0:01:00 > 0:01:03and the house here at Longleat. Here's what's coming up today.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07The lion cubs love a bit of rough and tumble
0:01:07 > 0:01:12but now Malaika is hurt and her keepers are worried.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14The tigers are a bit more sedate
0:01:14 > 0:01:17but that's to be expected at their grand old age.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21- They're keen to do it but they just do it at a slower pace nowadays.- Yes.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26And don't be fooled by their comical appearance. Hippos can be deadly.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36But first we're going up to lion country, where Kabir's two daughters are growing fast.
0:01:36 > 0:01:43Malaika is now four and a half months old, while her half sister, Jasira, is two months younger.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46At this age, they're concentrating on the skills
0:01:46 > 0:01:51every lion needs to survive - hunting, stalking and fighting.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Keeper Bob Trollope is spending a lot of time watching them
0:01:54 > 0:01:58because learning to be a lion can be a dangerous business.
0:01:58 > 0:02:07We do like to keep an eye on them when they're fed because Kabir can be a bit aggressive over food.
0:02:07 > 0:02:13He is a very powerful animal, plus the fact he's ten times bigger
0:02:13 > 0:02:15than the little ones at the moment.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Even if he just sat on them, he'd do a lot of damage.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24At feeding time, it's important to Kabir to feel that he's got
0:02:24 > 0:02:28the lion's share, though, of course, there's always plenty for everyone.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Our cubs are such great time-wasters.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37We spend hours just watching them.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45It's great to watch them because they're
0:02:45 > 0:02:50picking up the skills they would use in later life in the wild.
0:02:50 > 0:02:56They're in deepest Wiltshire at the moment so they don't actually need those skills.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58But they are great time-wasters.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01It just amazes you how bold
0:03:01 > 0:03:03and courageous they can be.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Something as...
0:03:06 > 0:03:08normal to us as a tree
0:03:08 > 0:03:10is a mountain for them to climb.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14They will chase each other around, jump on each other.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Greatest thing to play with at the moment is Mum's tail.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24It is great fun. They do what any small kitten would do at home -
0:03:24 > 0:03:26play with virtually anything.
0:03:26 > 0:03:32But these kittens already weigh four times more than a fully-grown cat,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35and all this play is really part of their education.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40The mums - Luna and Yendi - help the cubs practise their fighting skills.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47They play quite rough at times.
0:03:47 > 0:03:53I've just noticed that Malaika has got a bit of a limp.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58Do you intervene too soon or let nature take its course
0:03:58 > 0:04:01and heal naturally? Why intervene?
0:04:01 > 0:04:03You might put her through more stress
0:04:03 > 0:04:06by getting in and catching her and having a look around.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09They are designed to take a certain amount of, um...
0:04:11 > 0:04:14..punishment from the bigger lions.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Bob needs to keep Malaika under close observation
0:04:19 > 0:04:23because that limp could be nothing, or it might be a serious problem.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26We'll be back to find out later on.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Out in Africa, the lion might be the king of the beasts, but he's not the most dangerous.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39Every year, more people are killed by another, even more dangerous creature.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Amazingly, it's a herbivore.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45I have to confess I'm feeling a little bit nervous.
0:04:45 > 0:04:52I'm here with head of section Mark Tye in the hippo field, and the hippos, several tonnes
0:04:52 > 0:04:58of what is supposed to be the most dangerous animal in Africa standing only a few metres away, Mark.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Is this a good idea?
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Probably not!
0:05:02 > 0:05:04But we'll have a go at it anyway!
0:05:04 > 0:05:06We've come to feed them.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12- Given that they might get angry if they're not fed, I think I better start. Hay.- Yep.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16- Pull that out. There we go. - Half a bale.- OK.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18What do you do, just spread this out?
0:05:18 > 0:05:20- We shake this up in a line along here.- OK.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Right.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25There we go. That's fairly well...
0:05:25 > 0:05:27shaken up now.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30We do have to shake it up well because they are quite fussy eaters.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34- Any bad, lumpy hay they tend to just tread into the ground.- Really?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37They're a pair of madams really.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39I have to say...
0:05:39 > 0:05:41You're getting nervous!
0:05:41 > 0:05:47I'm slightly speechless only because you hear so many stories about hippos.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Even though they only eat grass, and they're not going to attack us
0:05:51 > 0:05:59to feed on us, but what I've been told is that you never get between a hippo and the water.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- Which is exactly where we are.- Yeah.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04It is probably the worst place to be
0:06:04 > 0:06:07because if a hippo gets frightened, its safety net is water.
0:06:07 > 0:06:14So it will always run to water for itself to feel safe, and if anything gets in its way, too bad.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Just get trampled into the mud.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20- Plain and simple.- But presumably we're not being stupid here.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22They know this routine, they know you...
0:06:22 > 0:06:28And also we've got the vehicle right next to us, which obviously we can get into.
0:06:28 > 0:06:36Sometimes, when it's in the middle of winter, they do get extremely close, and that can be a bit of fun.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39When you have to rely on the other person to tell you when to run,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42you literally put the food out without looking.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43Just quickly doing it.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45They're fantastic to look at.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48I'll just get this other food so we don't hold them up too much longer.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51So, they get... Is it horse nuts?
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Yes. They get about 12 kilos of horse cubes.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00It's half a bale of hay and a few bananas and a bit of cabbage as well.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03For an animal of that size, they don't eat very much.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06That's true actually. Shall I sprinkle these...?
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Just sprinkle that along the top of the hay.- OK.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12How many tonnes are they?
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It's difficult to know an accurate figure,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19but we've always thought between two and a half and three tonnes each.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24They are quite big. When you look at them, one their stomachs is
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- dragging along the floor.- Yeah.
0:07:27 > 0:07:33You do look at them and the thought of them being fast is ridiculous.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35They've got short legs and enormous bodies.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Is it true they can run up to...?
0:07:37 > 0:07:4125mph, easily. Very easily.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45- Through thick mud as well, which is quite scary.- That is scary.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Right. That's all out.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Should we get back in the vehicle?
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Yeah. They won't come much closer with us here, so if we get back in and pull up the road a bit
0:07:57 > 0:07:59- then they'll probably come on over and eat.- OK.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04We'll get out of their way, and join us in a little bit to see Spot and Sonya having their lunch.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Back in Lion Country, the keepers have been watching Malaika, the eldest cub, closely.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17It's been a day since she was spotted with a limp,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21and now Bob Trollope has been able to get a close look.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24There's a small cut on Malaika's shoulder.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26In fact, it's already begun to heal
0:08:26 > 0:08:29so the best bet is to just leave it alone.
0:08:30 > 0:08:36Meanwhile, Malaika's younger sister, Jasira, is also causing some alarm.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39She may be a little too bold for her own good.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Jasira's very good at climbing trees
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and not very good at getting down them at the moment.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51To Mum, that would be just a simple bound down.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53But not to Jasira.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57She is the most adventurous one out of the two
0:08:57 > 0:09:01and she's into everything. Climbing up trees and logs and things
0:09:01 > 0:09:04is all part of her learning process.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09She's learning now that it's easier to get up than it is to get down.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30To us, I suppose, it's just a little jump
0:09:30 > 0:09:33but to something that small, it's quite a way.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36It must be a good eight, nine, ten feet off the ground.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41If she fell, obviously, she could do a lot of damage to herself.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44But if she just...
0:09:44 > 0:09:48used a bit of common sense
0:09:48 > 0:09:51and reversed down, it would be a lot easier.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57When a cat gets stuck up a tree, it's traditional to phone for help.
0:09:57 > 0:10:03I'd love to call the fire brigade up just to get her down to see what their faces look like.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05But I don't think we'd be allowed to.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Having completed today's exercise in tree climbing,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Jasira is now practising the art of stalking prey.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28As you can see, she's sort of stalking Dad
0:10:28 > 0:10:30before trying to take him down.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Hunting techniques, this is.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37She's just sort of grabbed a mouthful of...
0:10:37 > 0:10:40belly hair or mane.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42He's quite relaxed about it.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45He'll give her a bit of a growl but that'd be about it.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Out of the two, Jasira is much more courageous than Malaika
0:10:49 > 0:10:54and she doesn't mind to go out there and give
0:10:54 > 0:10:59Kabir a tug on the mane or play with his tail, where Malaika's a little bit more
0:10:59 > 0:11:04guarded against it, a bit more, "I don't know whether I should or not."
0:11:04 > 0:11:08A couple of days later, just when Malaika's leg had got better,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Jasira was spotted limping.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Unlike her sister, there was no visible injury to the leg,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and the problem was slow to improve.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21So the next time vet Duncan Williams was doing the rounds, Bob called him in.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24GROWLING
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Oh, shush, shush, shush.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29It's the one between...
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- GROWLING DROWNS SPEECH - Oh, shush!
0:11:32 > 0:11:35The family has been shut in the lion house.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Kabir's not happy about it, but it's best for Jasira.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44I was wondering - it's hard to tell with them -
0:11:44 > 0:11:48whether she's got a little bit of swelling on that joint.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51I suppose overenthusiastic playing, a bit of boisterous...
0:11:53 > 0:11:55So how long's it been going on, Bob?
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Three or four days.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Initially, she had a limp
0:11:59 > 0:12:02and then the following day she was just holding it up,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06didn't want to sort of move about on it much.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10In the ideal world, we'd have her in and X-ray it and see what's what.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14We can't do that because of having to separate her from Mum.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17We'd have to take her to the surgery, knock her out
0:12:17 > 0:12:20and transport her, so it's quite an undertaking.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22She's pretty lame on
0:12:22 > 0:12:25left fore.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28I think it's probably just a sort of
0:12:28 > 0:12:30soft tissue injury as opposed to a fractured leg
0:12:30 > 0:12:35or anything like that, because she is improving after a couple of days.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40She's putting a lot more weight on it than when it first happened,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44so I think it's a sort of...like a sprain or something like that.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Bob's already done the right thing by keeping her, cage rest,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51so she's not putting too much pressure on it.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55She's not having to go outside and keep up with her mother.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58She's using the bad leg now when she's playing there
0:12:58 > 0:13:01so I don't think it can be too serious.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05So, for now, Duncan's going to leave a course
0:13:05 > 0:13:08of anti-inflammatory medicine for Bob to give Jasira.
0:13:08 > 0:13:14If her leg isn't better in a couple of days, they'll have to consider more serious measures.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17We'll be back later to see what happens.
0:13:28 > 0:13:34I'm up at the hippo field with head of section, Mark Tye, and earlier, I thought
0:13:34 > 0:13:40we took our life into our hands and got out with the hippos very close by and spread out their food.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44We've just pulled away a little bit to give them a bit of space.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- Who's this who's come up to the food first, Mark?- This is Sonya.
0:13:47 > 0:13:53She's the larger of the two, and as you can see, she's positioning herself over the top of the food.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55She is looking quite proprietorial.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59- "This is mine, and you're not getting near it."- Very much so.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Poor old Spot's just standing there going, "Right.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03"How am I going to get round this one?"
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Also the fact she is slightly more nervous.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10- Of us?- Yes. So she's a bit reluctant to come forwards,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13although she is looking like she'll squeeze round now.
0:14:13 > 0:14:19A little bit shier, but, having said that, neither of them are to be trusted.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24We've had certain times in the past where you think
0:14:24 > 0:14:28you're far enough away from them, and then you realise you're not.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29- Really?- They move so quickly.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34They are extremely wild. There's nothing tame about these two at all.
0:14:34 > 0:14:41Even though they've been in captivity for 30 years, they are most definitely not at all tame.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45They came here aged two years old and were put into this environment.
0:14:45 > 0:14:51And other than seeing people around, people putting their food down, they've very rarely been locked away
0:14:51 > 0:14:57for anything, because we have the mud wallows, which is much better for them than any concrete house.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01So it is a wild, natural sort of state they live in.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04The boat's going past here making quite a noise.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08They look completely unconcerned by that, so they've obviously got used to that.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Yes, they've got used to the boat,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- although they don't like the boat if it gets too close to them.- Yep.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16The sea lions they've had to put up with.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Yes. That's something you'd never get in the wild -
0:15:19 > 0:15:23hippos and sea lions in the same environment. But they get on OK?
0:15:23 > 0:15:29Yes. It started off I think it was in the late '80s with Lindy, I believe, who, when she was a baby,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31decided that hippos were good fun to play on.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35They were like a mobile island that she could stop on around the lake.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37And all the others have picked it up.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Initially, the hippos didn't like it and got stroppy.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45In the end, they probably thought, "There's not a lot I can do about it,"
0:15:45 > 0:15:46so they just put up with it.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52I love their kind of mud lines around the middle there.
0:15:52 > 0:15:58Presumably, in the hotter weather they spend more time completely covered in mud, do they?
0:15:58 > 0:16:02In the summer when it's hotter, they spend most of their time in the water.
0:16:02 > 0:16:08They literally stay in the water in the lake all day long and come out at night to feed in the field.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10They use the wallow more in the winter.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15The wallows they make over there, they can just completely submerge themselves
0:16:15 > 0:16:18and sometimes you don't even know they're in there
0:16:18 > 0:16:23- and all you see is just ears and eyelids and that's it. - Popping out.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26They're great. Thank you very, very much indeed.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27A great treat.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32We shall leave Spot and Sonya to enjoy the rest of their meal.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37A few weeks ago, I was up in the park trying to
0:16:37 > 0:16:41figure out how many of their seven female pygmy goats were pregnant.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43It was hard to tell by eye.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48But today, on his rounds, Duncan the vet has brought along some hi-tech equipment.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55I'm up at the giraffery where head of section Andy Hayton, senior warden Bev Evans,
0:16:55 > 0:17:00and safari park vet Duncan Williams are scanning the pygmy goats to find out if they're pregnant.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Judging by the noises, I think they are.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Duncan, have you just spotted that...
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- Yes.- ..there is...
0:17:07 > 0:17:08- Is that it there?- You see there?
0:17:08 > 0:17:10That's it - the spinal cord.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Right.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14What sort of age do you think that is?
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Well, this is probably about four months now.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Probably due in about a month, five weeks' time.
0:17:19 > 0:17:25Bev, I know that this was a pygmy goat that you weren't actually sure whether or not she was pregnant.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27- That must be pretty good news for you.- Definitely.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Are there any preparations to do?
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Just keep an eye on their weight, feed them closer to the time,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37make sure their udders are coming down OK, make sure they're in good health,
0:17:37 > 0:17:39and then just let them get on with it, really.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44One by one, the other six nanny goats are brought in to be tested.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48See those lumps and the movement there? That is definitely a pregnancy.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50The results are looking good.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54I think that's the foetus again.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58- Right, this is, um...- This is G.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00This is the last of our patients, is it?
0:18:00 > 0:18:04- Why G?- Well, we have Ali and G, so it's Ali G.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08- A massive kick there.- Yeah.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Do you know what part of the body that is?
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Probably just a back leg. You can see both legs there.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17The black stuff's the fluid around the baby, you know...
0:18:17 > 0:18:19- Amniotic fluid?- That's right.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23I remember that from biology. So that's positive for all of them?
0:18:23 > 0:18:27- All seven, yes.- Well, congratulations, if I can say that.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31You've got a real smile on your face, a real proud smile.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35- They're your little babies, really. - Yeah, kind of.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Thanks very much, guys.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45And we'll keep you posted on the progress of the pygmy goats.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Now it's time to meet the ancestors.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58Over the course of this series, Alexander Thynne, the seventh Marquess of Bath, has volunteered
0:18:58 > 0:19:05to lead us back through the branches of his family tree, to visit some of his most influential forebears.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10It's a task for which Lord Bath is well qualified.
0:19:10 > 0:19:16Not only has he lived here most of his 74 years, surrounded by family lore and legend,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19but he's also recently published his own memoirs
0:19:19 > 0:19:24featuring many stories of the ancient Thynne dynasty.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Today we're going back four and half centuries, to when it all began.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34It was John Thynne who first brought the family to Longleat.
0:19:34 > 0:19:40He was born the son of a common farmer, and ended the master of one of the grandest palaces in Europe.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45And in Tudor times, you didn't get on by being Mr Nice Guy.
0:19:47 > 0:19:54"John Thynne was a typical specimen of the new Protestant breed of rapaciously acquisitive,
0:19:54 > 0:20:02"ruthlessly determined, shrewdly self-interested men on the make within the Tudor court."
0:20:02 > 0:20:06John left the Shropshire farm of his birth
0:20:06 > 0:20:08to seek his fortune at court.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12He got a job working for the Duke of Somerset, who himself
0:20:12 > 0:20:18had achieved power and wealth as the brother of Jane Seymour, one of Henry VIII's wives.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21By the time Elizabeth I came to the throne,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24John Thynne was also a wealthy man.
0:20:24 > 0:20:33"Sir John may have been an uncouth, domineering, formidable rogue of ill-gotten wealth, shrewdly cunning
0:20:33 > 0:20:40"and essentially ruthless, but he was now emerging as an eminent Elizabethan."
0:20:44 > 0:20:46He was nicknamed John The Builder.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50One of his most lavish projects was to oversee the construction
0:20:50 > 0:20:53of a sumptuous new palace in London
0:20:53 > 0:20:55for his master, the Duke of Somerset.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58But before Somerset House was even finished,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02both of them were arrested and thrown into the Tower of London.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06In Tudor times, the politics of court was a deadly business.
0:21:06 > 0:21:13His enemies said enough things for him to be thrown into the Tower for embezzlement.
0:21:13 > 0:21:19They executed the other one, Somerset, and they let him off.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23And he was a rich man.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29After that, Sir John spent a lot less time in London,
0:21:29 > 0:21:34and devoted more of his energies to his country estate, Longleat.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Originally, there was a priory here, but Henry VIII confiscated it
0:21:37 > 0:21:40at the time of the Protestant Reformation
0:21:40 > 0:21:43and sold the property off to the highest bidder.
0:21:43 > 0:21:49Sir John bought the priory and the surrounding 60 acres for just £53.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52A few years later, the old church buildings were
0:21:52 > 0:21:57destroyed in an accidental fire, but they'd never been good enough for Sir John anyway.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01He was becoming wealthy very quickly,
0:22:01 > 0:22:06and then I think he learnt the lesson that, um...
0:22:06 > 0:22:12court was a dangerous place where you tended to lose your head if you stayed there too long,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16so, having bought the plot of land here at Longleat,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20he retired here and spent the rest of his life,
0:22:20 > 0:22:26from his mid-fifties onwards, building this palace.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31It was the first Renaissance palace, or it could be called that, in England.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35So John The Builder was again planning a very grand house,
0:22:35 > 0:22:41despite the fact that, in Tudor times, ambition could so easily cause a chap to lose his head.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44We'll find out what happened later on.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53I'm in Pets Corner with my favourite bird, and almost my favourite keeper, Rob.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Thank you very much. Why "almost"?
0:22:55 > 0:23:00Now, Nelson isn't usually to be found in this part of Pets Corner, is she?
0:23:00 > 0:23:03No, we've created a new play frame for her.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07She used to spend her days on the back of our parrot show seating,
0:23:07 > 0:23:12and although it's nice for her there, we've given her some nice perches...
0:23:12 > 0:23:17She likes it on the seating, but she's sat on metal railings a lot of the time.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20It's her choice, because she can go where she wants.
0:23:20 > 0:23:26But we wanted her to be sitting on these nice thick branches and giving her a variety of things to do.
0:23:26 > 0:23:33And also, this is near our entrance to Pets Corner, so she's an instant hit because she's so popular.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37She is gorgeous. Remind me what sort of parrot she is?
0:23:37 > 0:23:40She's a Moluccan cockatoo, sometimes known as a salmon-crested
0:23:40 > 0:23:43because of these beautiful salmon-coloured feathers here.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48But she originated from the Moluccan islands just above Australia.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49That's what gives her her name.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52She was called Nelson accidentally!
0:23:52 > 0:23:55I was going to say, a SHE called Nelson! What happened?
0:23:55 > 0:24:01Before she came to Longleat, her previous owners didn't know the sex of her, because with parrots,
0:24:01 > 0:24:06you can't sex them by looking at them, so they assumed it was a boy and called it Nelson.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08It sticks, and we call her Nelly, really.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11And she is particularly soppy and friendly, isn't she?
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Very. She loves attention. She does get a bit overcrowded.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Sometimes when she's been on the seat
0:24:17 > 0:24:20and she gets overcrowded by the little ones,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23this is also a good idea, it gives her space.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24We can put a barrier across
0:24:24 > 0:24:28and choose who comes and sees her during the day.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Well, it's great to see that she has got her own area all of her own.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35It's been a long time coming, hasn't it?
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Rob, thank you very much indeed.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42We've got lots more coming up on today's programme, haven't we, Nelson?
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Up at the great house,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48I'll be getting into some ancient heavy metal...
0:24:48 > 0:24:52The tigers may be getting old but even as pensioners they're impressive.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56She's still an absolutely remarkable looking animal.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01And Bob has to rely on bribery to get a close look at Jasira's leg.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05But first...
0:25:07 > 0:25:10There are a few things every self-respecting
0:25:10 > 0:25:15stately home of any historical importance simply must have.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Plenty of ancestors on the walls,
0:25:17 > 0:25:22the odd ghost or two, and a certain amount of cold, hard steel.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28I'm in the great hall, hanging up some of Longleat House's armour with conservator Ken Windess.
0:25:28 > 0:25:35Now, Ken, the first thing I've really noticed is how heavy all of this stuff is. What's it made of?
0:25:35 > 0:25:39It's straightforward steel, but the breastplate is a lot heavier than the back plate.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- So this is obviously a breastplate.- That's right.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45They always assumed that you were gonna get attacked from the front.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- So whereas a back plate presumably is...- There's a back plate there.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51You can see it's very light compared with that.
0:25:51 > 0:25:58And I'm surprised that it's so dour and black and not shiny like I imagined armour would always be.
0:25:58 > 0:26:04- Yeah, shiny armour is just reserved, if you like, for the officers and knights of old, so to speak.- OK.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08These were made specifically for the soldiers,
0:26:08 > 0:26:10and the soldiers were made up of the staff
0:26:10 > 0:26:15of Longleat at the time, ie stable boys and the people like that, and
0:26:15 > 0:26:21probably most of it was made by the local blacksmith, because he was also an armourer as well.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23So this is during the Civil War?
0:26:23 > 0:26:24Civil War period, yeah.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29And if you'd been around in the house at that time, this would have been your task as well?
0:26:29 > 0:26:31That would probably have been my helmet.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Incredible. Tell me about the helmet.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36The helmets of this house, are called lobsters because of the shape of the...
0:26:36 > 0:26:40So lobsters have a sort of tail at the back to protect them.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41- Can I put it on?- Yeah, by all means.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43It all looks quite small, actually.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47- I think people tended to be a lot smaller in those days.- Right.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52And presumably this was to protect the face, the front, from swords?
0:26:52 > 0:26:55What sort of weapons would they have used?
0:26:55 > 0:26:59- Spears and things like that. - And we've got...
0:26:59 > 0:27:03So there's the helmet, and we've got the breastplate and back plate.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05This would have been for the arms?
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Is there left and a right?
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Yeah, you see on the display we've only got
0:27:10 > 0:27:18a left-handed, or left-armed, armour, simply because the sword arm was always kept free for...
0:27:18 > 0:27:22So literally you would have worn it on that hand and you would have swung...
0:27:22 > 0:27:24It would have been totally concealing that arm...
0:27:24 > 0:27:27That would be to protect the body.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31- Are there any kind of damage to any of the things?- Yes.
0:27:31 > 0:27:38You can believe, if you like, that these are musket ball indentations.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42- So that could have saved somebody's life at some point.- It does look...
0:27:42 > 0:27:43Do you think it's possible?
0:27:43 > 0:27:46I like to believe that, yeah.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49So, during the Civil War, where did the house stand?
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Where were their allegiance?
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Well, basically he was a King's man, underneath it all,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59- but he did tend to sit on the fence.- Went where it suited them.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03If he had to declare which side he was on, I think he would have gone for the King,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05but he never actually took up arms himself.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Was there ever a risk that the house was going to be plundered, did they ever...?
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Yes, there was that risk but what they did is they actually
0:28:11 > 0:28:13took the valuable stuff away.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18There is a story, how true it is I don't know, where they actually took
0:28:18 > 0:28:23all the silver and hid it and the silver has never been found to this day.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27So somewhere in the Longleat estate there could be a big horde of silver buried?
0:28:27 > 0:28:31I keep looking but I haven't found it!
0:28:31 > 0:28:33What an amazing story.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36I better get back to hanging. Where do you want this helmet?
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Back up in the lion's den, Jasira, the youngest cub, was seen limping,
0:28:50 > 0:28:55and has been on a course of anti-inflammatory medicine for a couple of days now.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59Keeper Bob Trollope has an easy way to administer the dose.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01What's this?
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Oh, yes, you're up for it, aren't you?
0:29:03 > 0:29:06If I can get a little chunk.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10Don't give her too much to start with, cos I want to make sure...
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Come on, darling. Good girl.
0:29:13 > 0:29:18Just put a bit in and see if she wants it.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Oh, yeah. Good girl.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23All the lions have been trained from an early age
0:29:23 > 0:29:26to take meat chunks for just this purpose.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31It's the lion equivalent of the old spoonful-of-sugar trick.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Good girl.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Up, up, up.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39It's obviously better than having to inject them or dart them.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43It's something that we do on a regular basis anyway,
0:29:43 > 0:29:50not only this sort of medication, but deworm her and things like that.
0:29:50 > 0:29:57It's such an easy way, and they get pleasure out of it rather than being stressed, so we're happy in a way.
0:29:57 > 0:30:03If we can get them at an early age like this to do that, then in later life when they're that age,
0:30:03 > 0:30:04it works wonders.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Stand up. Good girl.
0:30:07 > 0:30:08Now we can see your feet.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11And that one. Come on. Good girl.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13There you are.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Come on, let's have a look. Oh.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20There's obviously no pain in her foot.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24We're lucky that they are quite quiet.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Come on, good girl.
0:30:26 > 0:30:31That's it. Let's see if there's anything on there. ..Is there? No.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Good girl. Good girl.
0:30:34 > 0:30:40Today Jasira is being very trusting, so Bob can get a close look at that injured leg and foot.
0:30:40 > 0:30:46Quite good. We've been able to see the pad, so we know it's not in the pad.
0:30:48 > 0:30:53And she didn't seem too worried about me poking about on various parts of her leg.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56When you get the chance, you've got to take it.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59She's really up for it.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03The fact that they are quiet and we can do this while...
0:31:03 > 0:31:07that's it. Stand up a bit more.
0:31:07 > 0:31:08Does that hurt?
0:31:11 > 0:31:16Bob's pleased with what he's seen of Jasira's leg, but she's not all better yet.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20What we just gave her is an anti-inflammatory.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Obviously, if there's
0:31:23 > 0:31:27a sprain or strain, then there'll be some swelling.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32That's probably through a knock or bump or something from one of the others.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36She might have just jumped about and hurt herself.
0:31:36 > 0:31:42Obviously, if that doesn't change in a few days, we'll have to get Duncan back in
0:31:42 > 0:31:45and I imagine there'll have to be some sort of X-ray or whatever.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48But we don't want to do that.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55We'll be keeping an eye on Jasira's progress throughout the series.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Next to the lions in the large carnivore section
0:32:09 > 0:32:12live Siberian tigers Sonar and Kadu.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16Though they're both splendid animals they're getting on a bit
0:32:16 > 0:32:18and their health has been a worry.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22But both of them have made it through another hard winter
0:32:22 > 0:32:25and are out enjoying the warmer climate of spring.
0:32:25 > 0:32:31After dealing with his young lions, Bob's next job is up here in tiger country. And I've joined him.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33Hello, darling.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37I'm out in the tiger enclosure with keeper Bob Trollope.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39They're about to be fed, Bob.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42I have to confess, looking at Kadu here,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46I was quite worried about these guys over the winter,
0:32:46 > 0:32:51because both Kadu and Sonar are getting on a bit in years.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55They are. Kadu will be 21 this year, and Sonar 22.
0:32:55 > 0:33:00- Right.- And so...they're getting anything a pensioner would get.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04- They are geriatrics.- Yes.- So we do have to be careful with them.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08Shouldn't you just be putting down a bowl of meat for them?
0:33:08 > 0:33:12No, not really. If they're still capable of chasing the feed wagon,
0:33:12 > 0:33:16then, you know, it can only improve them.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Letting them just stand still and get things delivered to them
0:33:20 > 0:33:25- doesn't do them any good.- So this is quite good stimulation for them?
0:33:25 > 0:33:28- Stimulation and motivation, really. - Right.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32Because, apart from chasing the odd pheasant, what else have they got to chase?
0:33:32 > 0:33:37- So, should I start feeding now? - We'll just go round the corner.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- OK.- So they get a bit more of an exercise,
0:33:40 > 0:33:43even though they're only walking.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47A few years ago, they'd have been chasing after us and we'd have been going flat out.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51It's like sending your granny out to the ice cream van.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56Looking at Sonar here, he had quite a few health problems last year
0:33:56 > 0:33:59but he's looking very good, Bob.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04Yeah, he is. Touch wood. He's doing great guns.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08- We do give him a little bit extra just to keep the weight on him.- Yes.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10Which he is benefiting from.
0:34:10 > 0:34:15- Both of their coats are looking good.- They are looking good.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17- They're looking healthy. - I think they are.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21I don't care what anyone says, she doesn't look 21.
0:34:21 > 0:34:26No, she doesn't. She's still an absolutely remarkable looking animal.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30- Shall I put a piece down? - Yes, she's quite eager.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Here you are, girl.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34- There you go.- She's grabbed that.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38She's certainly not worried about her appetite.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42- Oh, no, she's got a good appetite. - Shall I give Sonar a piece too?
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- Yes.- There you are.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47There he goes.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51They're ever so keen to do everything, just at a slower pace.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56Yeah, well, that's a privilege all of us can look forward to, don't you?
0:34:56 > 0:34:57I think so. I hope so!
0:34:57 > 0:35:01Well, Bob, I'm delighted that they made it through the winter,
0:35:01 > 0:35:05that they're looking so healthy and it's great to see them. Thank you.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08It's always a privilege to feed them.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Longleat House was designed to make a big impression.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26That was important to Sir John Thynne
0:35:26 > 0:35:31when he started building work in 1568, during the reign of Elizabeth I.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Today, Alexander Thynne, Lord Bath,
0:35:34 > 0:35:39is the 13th generation of his descendants to live here.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44In his memoirs, he's written about Sir John's architectural ambitions.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48"It was a daring enterprise, in that it set out to build something
0:35:48 > 0:35:53"in a style that had never yet been ventured upon British soil."
0:35:55 > 0:35:57He was a member of the court,
0:35:57 > 0:36:03he was...seeing his rivals... starting on
0:36:03 > 0:36:06having grandiose buildings.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11He was a newcomer and wanted a more grandiose building than they had.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14So he made it his business
0:36:14 > 0:36:21to see that the finest palace that had ever gone up in England outside royalty was his.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25He was definitely a nouveau riche of that time and proudly
0:36:25 > 0:36:33being a vigorous entrepreneur and a vigorous controller of everything.
0:36:33 > 0:36:39News of the splendour of Longleat soon reached the court, and Queen Elizabeth I
0:36:39 > 0:36:43decided to visit on one of her Royal Progresses through the West Country.
0:36:43 > 0:36:50Fearing the expense of entertaining her, Sir John tried to put her off with a series of excuses.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55There were diseases in the household.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57There were, er...
0:36:57 > 0:36:59Poachers were dangerous.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Every kind of excuse was put up there.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05And for a while, she swallowed them.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08But in the end, she just felt that she was being...
0:37:08 > 0:37:14made a monkey of. So insisted, gave some very fierce words.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18I think he probably knew from experience that if she felt things
0:37:18 > 0:37:22were too good, she might sort of say, "Well, you owe that to me."
0:37:22 > 0:37:26Um, but, er...she did get her way in the end
0:37:26 > 0:37:31and then was lavish in her praise for his preparations for the visit.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41Elizabeth was impressed, but kindly allowed Sir John to keep his fine house.
0:37:41 > 0:37:47Through the centuries since, Longleat has continued to impress its many visitors,
0:37:47 > 0:37:49whether they be kings, queens,
0:37:49 > 0:37:55or experts on historic architecture, like Nick Molyneux from English Heritage.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58I always am excited arriving here.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00I think the arrival down the drive
0:38:00 > 0:38:03is one of the great experiences of English country houses.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07The approach that the visitor has today, as you come over the hill,
0:38:07 > 0:38:12look down into the valley and see the house sitting there in this fantastic landscape.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Then you remember it's not a 18th-century country house,
0:38:15 > 0:38:18as you first think it is, it's actually 16th-century.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21And it's a very, very grand house for its date.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25Um...and then, you come inside and this space is just a "Wow!"
0:38:25 > 0:38:29For me, the great hall is one of the great spaces of its period in England.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Sir John did much of the design work himself.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40And that's one of the enigmas of Longleat, that a man who started as
0:38:40 > 0:38:44an uneducated farm boy could produce a building as significant as this.
0:38:48 > 0:38:54So how do you rate Longleat amongst all the other European architecture that was going up?
0:38:54 > 0:38:57For its period, it's one of the great houses of Europe,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59certainly of England.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04And, of course, Sir John was employing some of the best stonemasons around.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Although, as we know, he was quite keen
0:39:06 > 0:39:09to have his own hand in designing the place as well.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11One of the great features of the house - is the fact
0:39:11 > 0:39:14that it's got a symmetrical facade,
0:39:14 > 0:39:18which was a very new idea when he was here building.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Yes, well, I like the way, though, that once you get up to the roof
0:39:21 > 0:39:24that it sort of certainly begins to get an originality
0:39:24 > 0:39:27that isn't in the other houses. Individualism creeps in.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32As we know, Lord Bath is particularly keen on individualism,
0:39:32 > 0:39:36so he's recently created a private terrace garden on the roof.
0:39:36 > 0:39:42Here, over 60 feet above the ground, on top of a house that boasts 99 chimneys,
0:39:42 > 0:39:47the scale of Sir John's ambition becomes clear.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54It could be called the first Renaissance house in Britain, or I don't know which one...
0:39:54 > 0:39:56The first Renaissance palace.
0:39:56 > 0:40:02Palace is fair - and certainly the best surviving one. We've lost one of the two of the royal ones.
0:40:02 > 0:40:10Sir John Thynne died in 1580, aged 65, leaving 18 children to carry on the dynasty.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14And the tradition of innovation continues today.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17When Longleat opened to the public in 1949,
0:40:17 > 0:40:21it was the first private stately home to do so in Britain.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23And have a tradition of "got to be the first".
0:40:23 > 0:40:27It's quite a good one - a difficult one - but it's good to have that prompting.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30- I thought you carried on in that tradition.- Yes, we have.
0:40:30 > 0:40:36It's a difficult one to keep up now, but I think we've done not too bad on that tradition.
0:40:36 > 0:40:41Lord Bath will be back with more tales of his illustrious ancestors later in the series.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00We've come up to the rhino house to help with the end-of-day feed.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03We're here with deputy head of section Kevin Nibbs.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06We seem to be feeding outside, Kevin.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09- I thought the rhinos were shut inside at night.- Normally, yes.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14But we've got a new facility here that they've got access to all night.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17It's really good for them. It's a bit of a stimulus.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- They get to stay out at night. - Who is out here now?
0:41:20 > 0:41:24The two girls. This is Rosina closest to us.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27- And Harachi.- Shall I just stick this...?
0:41:27 > 0:41:30- Yes, we have two piles.- Through there. I'll do Rosina's pile.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34- I'll pop this through here, Kevin? - And tip that over.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36What have we got in the bucket?
0:41:36 > 0:41:40It's just a few horse pellets and a little bit of additives for them.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43- Vitamins and minerals.- Perfect.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47And they're quite happy staying out here overnight?
0:41:47 > 0:41:51- Presumably the weather's nice and warm.- They're very happy.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55They get more sun on their backs so it's really good for them.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59And this is a controlled environment and they're safe and happy.
0:41:59 > 0:42:04That's it. Pretty solid - all this steel. They can't get out.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07I don't think the two piles worked.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11I think my feeding went down rather better than yours!
0:42:11 > 0:42:13We could start on that one, Kate.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Kevin, thank you very much.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17That's all we've got time for today.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23There's a murder mystery to solve on meerkat mountain
0:42:23 > 0:42:28with a twist in the plot that's stranger than fiction.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32Down on the farm, the student vet is going to find out what's what at lambing time.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36And we'll see what happens
0:42:36 > 0:42:40when everyone at Longleat is told that a lion has escaped
0:42:40 > 0:42:44and is running loose somewhere on the estate.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48So don't miss the next Animal Park.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd - 2006
0:43:12 > 0:43:14E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk