0:00:31 > 0:00:34Hello and welcome to Animal Park. I'm Kate Humble.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38I'm Ben Fogle, and these are Longleat's Bactrian camels.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Although there's quite a crowd here, they're actually quite rare in the wild.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47To find them, you would have to go to Mongolia or to China, where there are only a few hundred left.
0:00:47 > 0:00:53They survive in one of the most extreme environments in the world, where temperatures plummet to -20.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58Well, we've got lots of other remarkable animals on today's programme, including...
0:00:58 > 0:01:03White rhino bull Winston becomes a sperm donor.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Will artificial insemination allow him to become a father at last?
0:01:09 > 0:01:14The bat cave needs a makeover, but first Darren and his troops must round up the bats.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Got one. ..Oh! Dropped it.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21And the lion cubs are keen to play with their new toy,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23but Kabir's got there first.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26He's thinking, " I want a go and my dad won't let me!"
0:01:26 > 0:01:29- Oh!- Aaah!
0:01:33 > 0:01:36But first, for decades, Longleat has played an important role
0:01:36 > 0:01:41in preserving the white rhino from extinction.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Though breeding rhino in captivity is notoriously difficult,
0:01:45 > 0:01:50in the 1980s, the park successfully bred eight calves.
0:01:51 > 0:01:57Adult male Winston moved here in 1993 from Windsor Safari Park.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02It was hoped that he would carry on the breeding tradition, but sadly Winston never mated.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04OK, let's see what he does.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09Recently, we saw keepers introduce him to a new female, Marashi.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Here we go!
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Wow, what a reaction.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19But though they hit it off at first, so far romance has not blossomed.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Now Winston's 39 years old, and his time is running out.
0:02:26 > 0:02:33To maintain genetic diversity amongst rhino, it's important to preserve Winston's bloodline,
0:02:33 > 0:02:38so Head Warden Keith Harris has decided to try a new experiment -
0:02:38 > 0:02:41artificial insemination for rhinos.
0:02:41 > 0:02:47It's quite important we do use genes or blood from him within the breeding population.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51So if this works, it will be very good.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Winston will have left us with something
0:02:55 > 0:02:58when he goes to where all the rhinos go.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04Last year, a veterinary team from the Berlin Institute For Zoo And Wildlife Research,
0:03:04 > 0:03:08who are pioneering artificial insemination for rhinos,
0:03:08 > 0:03:13came to Longleat to see if Winston's sperm was healthy enough to use.
0:03:13 > 0:03:20To everyone's delight, tests showed that Winston's sperm is very potent indeed.
0:03:20 > 0:03:26Now the Berlin team has come back to take another sample, and try to implant it into a rhino cow.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31Vet Robert Hermes is hopeful that, using their new technique,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Winston could become a father at last.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38A semen collection lasts about 20, 30 minutes.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43We'll look at what we have and then pack up as quickly as we can,
0:03:43 > 0:03:49and drive up to the West Midlands Safari where two females are waiting to be inseminated.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54But first, Winston must be sedated.
0:03:56 > 0:04:02It's a painless procedure, but the gun is needed to get the syringe through Winston's thick hide.
0:04:04 > 0:04:10To keep him calm while the drug takes effect, keepers muffle his ears and cover his eyes.
0:04:11 > 0:04:17Once Winston is unconscious, the team will have to move fast,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21so he remains sedated for as little time as possible.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32It's a rare opportunity to get a really close look at Winston.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Last time he was sedated, a tumour was discovered on one of his testicles,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and now Keith needs to find out if it's grown.
0:04:40 > 0:04:46They've just been scanning the testis that had the tumour on.
0:04:46 > 0:04:52I think the early thought is that it hasn't actually grown...
0:04:52 > 0:04:57in size any more than last time, so that is slightly encouraging.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Can I get you here to hold this? Come on.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06In order to extract sperm, Winston must be unconscious, but not too deeply asleep.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12Moment by moment, vet Mark Combert monitors his condition.
0:05:12 > 0:05:18These spasms are normal. It's sort of a nervous reflex reaction.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23So it's not that he's waking up, it's just he gets a bit stimulated.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31It looks painful, but actually this procedure is far from unpleasant for Winston.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37The Berlin vets have successfully used artificial insemination with elephants in the past,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39but not, as yet, with rhino.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43If this new technique works, it will be a world first.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49He's a bit too awake.
0:05:50 > 0:05:56So we're gonna give him 0.05ml of Immobilon.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03It's going OK. We had to give him
0:06:03 > 0:06:06a little bit more to relax him.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10He's a bit more tense today.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12It could be a lot of reasons,
0:06:12 > 0:06:18but they're actually getting sperm as we speak, so it's all going according to plan.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23We'll catch up with Winston and the team later on.
0:06:27 > 0:06:33Many of the animals in the park breed regularly all by themselves.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38None are more prolific than the giraffes. Over 100 calves have been born here in the past.
0:06:38 > 0:06:44Just two days ago, Becky give birth to a beautiful baby girl.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Luckily for us, staff are on hand with a camera
0:06:48 > 0:06:53to record the little giraffe's first tentative steps.
0:06:55 > 0:07:01Now that she's up and about, keeper Ryan Hockley has invited me down to meet her.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05This is my first chance to see it!
0:07:05 > 0:07:07I'm ridiculously excited.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Oh! Look at her!
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- She's a beauty, isn't she? - Oh, my word.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- She's tiny.- She is quite, um...
0:07:15 > 0:07:20I suppose I'd have to say a bit below that average height you'd expect.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25She's a female. Quite often, they come out a little bit smaller.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29- She's perfect in every way. - Isn't she!
0:07:29 > 0:07:35She's still got that slightly crumpled up face, like she's been stuck inside Mum for a bit.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I think they have to grow into their face, basically.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43- They all have this wrinkled look about them.- She's very steady on her legs.- Yeah. Very sure footed.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Obviously, seeing her being born and that,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51and within a couple of hours... She was up inside an hour,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55but within two hours, she was steady, walking around the pen,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59bright, alert, taking an interest in her surroundings,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- so really was textbook, from start to finish.- Fantastic.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08- And she's continued feeding well and all the things you have to worry about?- Yeah.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Everything's going perfectly at the moment.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15- Which is tempting fate, but there you go.- Touch wood, touch wood!
0:08:15 > 0:08:21Becky, she's obviously aware that we're here, and we're keeping our voices down,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24but she seems pretty calm and relaxed as well.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- So far, so good. - She's coming right up to us.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Oh, this is lovely to see.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- Look at this!- She wants to explore.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36I can't believe how confident she is.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38- Yeah.- Hello.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Look at you.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42You're amazing!
0:08:42 > 0:08:45That's incredible.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- Most of the grown-up giraffes won't do that.- I know.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52It's like their born without that natural fear of us.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54It's almost something they learn.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58Not that we're doing things to make them fear us!
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Like I say, they seem to come out and be very inquisitive of us,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05and approach us, but then, over the weeks and months,
0:09:05 > 0:09:11they key off their mums and see how the rest of the group interact with us, which isn't very much,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14and they probably just follow suit, really.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19- Now, you've put them both in with Jolly and Century.- Yeah.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22When was Century born? Two months ago?
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Just over, yeah.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- Was Century significantly bigger than this one?- He was.- Was he?
0:09:27 > 0:09:32You don't expect that she'll be quite that big in two months' time?
0:09:32 > 0:09:34- He's enormous.- He's a brute.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37He was born with these massive knees.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42- His knees were probably twice the size of hers at birth.- Really?
0:09:42 > 0:09:49- You know, from looking at those knees, that's a big joint. It'll support a big animal.- Yeah.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52And this is Jolly with Becky's calf now.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55This is lovely to see, as well.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00She's integrating herself in with key members of the group already.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05I don't think there'll be a problem when we mix her in with the rest.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08That sort of chewing - you see horses do that sometimes -
0:10:08 > 0:10:13- but is this just exploring different textures, surfaces...?- Yeah.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Exactly. It's exactly that.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19They don't have hands and fingers to feel things, like we do,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23so most of their exploring is done by their mouth.
0:10:23 > 0:10:30Obviously, that instinct to browse at things, pick away, constantly pick away,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34- they're born with that instinct. - Even though she's suckling?- Yeah.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38She won't take hard feed for a while but she'll suckle...
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Well, as long as Becky lets her, really,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44- but it could be several months. - She's an absolute joy.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Get your tongue out of your nose!
0:10:47 > 0:10:48Your eyes will fall out.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50KATE LAUGHS
0:10:50 > 0:10:55We'll be keeping track of this little lady throughout the series.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Now we're off to Pets' Corner,
0:11:03 > 0:11:09where head of section Darren Beasley is on a difficult mission in the Bat Cave.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15Today, he has to move the Egyptian fruit bats so their cave can be given a makeover.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20There are 14 of them in here, so he's called in the troops to help.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25You've got the whole team, the whole posse of us.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30We're going to do some painting and cleaning in here, because bats are pretty messy creatures.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35We're going to mess around with the lights, so we're going to paint the ceiling.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39But it's a bit of a military operation, because these are Egyptian fruit bats.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42They're designed not to bump into things. We've got to catch 'em.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50Because bats use echo location, they fly and bounce sound off things,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and can steer round everything.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58It's not easy to catch them. So we need the team to try and chase them.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03The bats will get a little bit tired, and hopefully they'll start,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06not flying into them, but making my life a bit easier.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10So, forward planning, a bit of military precision here, clear the decks.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14And you need everybody as fit as world-class athletes.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15So that's why I brought them along!
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Darren and the team will have to get their tactics right.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29Nets at the ready, they deploy in a pincer movement.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Got one. Oh, dropped it.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33If you can...
0:12:35 > 0:12:36Ah, lovely.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41So, bat number one.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Look at him.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Lovely fella, isn't he?
0:12:46 > 0:12:50You don't often get many chances.
0:12:50 > 0:12:56We do like an MOT, where we grab random ones throughout the year.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58But we haven't had any problems with them.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03Look at those beautiful wings. I love them to bits. Absolutely love them.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13I tell you, I honestly don't think I could hit a barn door!
0:13:15 > 0:13:21As the bats are captured, Darren takes the chance to show his team how to give them a health check.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28You're looking for things like rips in the wings, maybe poor body weight condition.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29Take your glove off,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32and gently put your finger on his chest.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36There's plenty of meat coating, you can't feel the breastbone at all.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37Got one.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Some people call them flying foxes.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45This one's not as friendly as the last one, so I've got to watch my hands a bit.
0:13:45 > 0:13:52They've got these nasty looking teeth, but really, these are totally fruit and flower eaters.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56But there can be tough skin on some of the fruit, and they've got to get through that.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59His little heart's beating, bless him. You see they've developed these...
0:13:59 > 0:14:02claws, for hanging upside down.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Absolutely beautiful. All right, mate?
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Darren's bat catchers are winning the battle, but slowly.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11In you go. That's three.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14We're going to be here a little while!
0:14:14 > 0:14:16We'll come back to see how the team get on.
0:14:22 > 0:14:28Up in lion country, the cubs Malika and Jsira are growing bigger and bolder every day.
0:14:28 > 0:14:35As the weather gets warmer, they've been exploring the wide, open spaces of the enclosure,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38testing their limits all the time.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Lion cubs earn the crucial skills of hunting and fighting
0:14:44 > 0:14:49by playing with each other, and with their parents.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Even the larger lions could be playful beasts.
0:14:52 > 0:14:57Recently, they took a real shine to their brand-new scratching post.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02But today, there is another treat in store for Malika and Jsira.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06A happy lion family in the sun.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09I'm out in the lion enclosure with keeper Bob Trollope.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Why are they shut in the compound today?
0:15:12 > 0:15:17It seems like a perfect day for Kabir and his pride to be out in big, open spaces.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22- We're doing a bit of DIY in their section and it's safer if they're not with us.- OK!
0:15:22 > 0:15:26So what sort of DIY? It's just a big area of grass, surely?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Well, we do sort of enrichment every now and again.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33We've done a scratching post with Charlie's pride,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36so we thought we'd try something in with Kabir's pride.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41- Seeing as they've got a natural climbing frame...- This is fantastic!
0:15:41 > 0:15:44- ..we thought we'd add something to it.- Right.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48- A few toys for them to play with. - Brilliant idea.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52- I can see the ropes hanging.- We've dangled a few things.- Fantastic!
0:15:52 > 0:15:54They're gonna love this!
0:15:54 > 0:15:56We're hoping they are.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59It's completely new to the cubs.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03They won't have seen anything like this. I doubt the big ones have.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Hopefully, this is to encourage the cubs to play a bit more around here,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11- because it is such a lovely setting. - It's absolutely brilliant.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- It'll be great for the visitors, as well.- Yeah.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19Presumably, this will play on natural hunting instincts, anyway.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24Hopefully, what we'll see is what your domestic cat would do with a new toy -
0:16:24 > 0:16:29- using their claws, biting it, all that sort of behaviour.- Brilliant.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32I can see head of section Brian Kent, looking puzzled.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Brian, do you want a hand?
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- I'm left doing all the work! - Oh, I'm sorry.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40I'm on the last one.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Right, OK. So what are you going to do with this one?
0:16:43 > 0:16:49- Try and get it wrapped round this position here.- OK. Shall I throw that over the...
0:16:49 > 0:16:54over the top of there? How's that looking?
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- What do you think?- I think...
0:17:01 > 0:17:02That's quite tough.
0:17:02 > 0:17:08What do you think, Brian? Do you think they're going to react quite favourably to having new toys?
0:17:08 > 0:17:11I think they'll really enjoy it. Especially the cubs.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14It's ideal for 'em.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16If we hammer it down...
0:17:16 > 0:17:22then join us a little bit later, when we've finished the cub playground, and see how they react to it.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34In the rhino house, Winston's still under sedation
0:17:34 > 0:17:40while his sperm is collected, ready to be taken 100 miles up the road to West Midlands Safari Park.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45West Midlands have had considerable success in breeding exotic animals.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50This year, they have a hippo calf, and even one rhino calf conceived naturally.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56But two of their female rhino have never bred.
0:17:56 > 0:18:02Head keeper Bob Lawrence has been giving them hormone injections, in preparation for the insemination.
0:18:02 > 0:18:08You get to the point with large animals, elephant and rhino, if they don't breed by a certain age,
0:18:08 > 0:18:14they probably never will, and these two old girls, we need to get them breeding urgently now,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17otherwise they never will and it'll be a terrible waste.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20The park does have a bull named Sharka,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23but so far, he hasn't been up to the job.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28It's a funny thing with rhinos, they always get too familiar with each other.
0:18:28 > 0:18:34It's significant that the bull came with these two girls, and it's almost like a brother-sister thing,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37rather than an up-and-running mating scenario.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43Now Bob is hoping that where nature has failed, the experimental insemination procedure will work.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48It's important that if we can do this with these relatively common species of rhino,
0:18:48 > 0:18:53it could perhaps be done on Indian rhino or black rhino, which are a lot rarer.
0:18:53 > 0:18:59When this place opened in 1973, there were hundreds of thousands of rhino, possibly, on the Earth,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03and in that intervening 33 years, 98% of those rhinos have gone,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07so it's very important that we retain the ability to do this sort of thing,
0:19:07 > 0:19:12and look forward, think forward, think of new ways of achieving the means to an end.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18Back at Longleat, the team of expert vets from Berlin have collected Winston's sperm
0:19:18 > 0:19:26and he's waking up. He doesn't seem too bothered by the experience, to head warden Keith Harris's delight.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31It's always nice to see him standing up, that's the main thing, because...
0:19:31 > 0:19:342.5 tonnes of rhino is not easy to move.
0:19:34 > 0:19:40Obviously, for his sake and everybody else's, he has to get straight back up.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43He'll never know what happened.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Vet Mark Combert is passionate about the work he does.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54What we're trying to do by
0:19:54 > 0:19:57breeding in captivity is guaranteeing that there
0:19:57 > 0:20:00will be animals to release into the wild if needed.
0:20:00 > 0:20:06If for reasons of population decline, whether it's
0:20:06 > 0:20:11disease or deforestation or hunting and poaching,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14we'll have places for these guys to go.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Before they do anything else, Berlin team leader Robert Hermes
0:20:18 > 0:20:21must check that Winston's sperm is still healthy.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29Obviously the sperm have to move. In the rhinoceros, it's about 1 metre 50 from where
0:20:29 > 0:20:35the bull puts them to the cervix, then they have to travel all the way to the oviduct.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40The sperm movement is very important.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Winston's sperm passes the test. It's important
0:20:43 > 0:20:48to use sperm as quickly as possible, so Robert immediately
0:20:48 > 0:20:53takes the sample and sets off for West Midlands Safari Park.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00- Hi, Rob. A good trip? - Yes, thank you.- Hi.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Hi. The things we do on a Sunday afternoon, eh?
0:21:04 > 0:21:10Now Robert and the Berlin team will implant Winston's sperm into female rhino Mtuba.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13We'll come back to see how they get on.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Back at Longleat's bat cave, Darren and his troops
0:21:21 > 0:21:26are still trying to round up the last three Egyptian fruit bats.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30I've got him.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32- All right. - You can have the noisy one.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35You can bite all you want, I've got gloves on.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37All right, sweet, let's get your wings in.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38Here we go.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Beautiful. Look at that. See all the veins and capillaries and things.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50That's my finger through there, look how delicate that is.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51OK, let's pop that one in.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Yes, got it, all right.
0:22:00 > 0:22:06Something very interesting about the bat we noticed on one we MOTed back in the summer, was when they arrived
0:22:06 > 0:22:11we didn't know how old they were, and they were all adults of varying age. These guys can live, what?
0:22:11 > 0:22:1620, 25 years. The way to age them,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20look into his mouth. All the teeth are worn almost all the way down on the bottom layer.
0:22:20 > 0:22:27Can you see that? This is a very old bat and he's worn all his teeth, so he's an aged fellow.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Also, if you gently pull that wing out, John, gently.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Pull it out slightly. I've got this one.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36I actually think, if you look at the condition of the wing,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38- he looks older. See that?- Yeah...
0:22:38 > 0:22:40He might have trouble in a little while.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43We have to keep an eye on him.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Can you fit dentures to a bat?
0:22:46 > 0:22:49I don't know. But he's probably a very old bat.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53He could be pushing 20... the 25 mark, who knows?
0:22:55 > 0:23:00'That's 13 in the box, but there's still one bat holding out.'
0:23:00 > 0:23:03There he goes.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05This is a fast one!
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Actually, if I let him go in...
0:23:12 > 0:23:15All right, mate. I'll get him, I nearly got him last time.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17People think bats get stuck in your hair.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Jo's got really long hair. They don't get stuck in your hair.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22They bounce sound off of you.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- They'll avoid you. - All right, darling, I've got you.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26And just to prove it...
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Jo, don't get it stuck in your hair. Here it comes.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Stay there, Jo, for us.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37This one. Thanks, yeah. Well done.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Hello, beautiful.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Yeah, that's right.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Last, but not least.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Well done. Thank you.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Thank you. Thank you. Well done.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- So, if you can get it all painted, cleaned, revamped- ...
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- By tonight.- 20 minutes(?)
0:24:00 > 0:24:03I'll be having a cup of tea over there, all right?
0:24:05 > 0:24:08'The fruit bats would normally roost in dark caves.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11'The team's mission is to make their enclosure
0:24:11 > 0:24:14'as much like their natural habitat as possible.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17'It's going to be a long job.'
0:24:27 > 0:24:31I'm with Derek Longway, the manager of the butterfly garden here at Longleat.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34We're with some of your residents. Who have we got here?
0:24:34 > 0:24:38These are the owl butterflies, so called because of their eye markings.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Which is incredible, because it really does look like an owl's eye.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Yes, it's used as a deterrent for predators.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49They'll flap their wings and flash the eye, which is a false eye,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53and the predators will either be discouraged,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57or if they do attack, they'll attack the back end of the wing,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00- thereby letting the butterfly escape.- Incredible.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05- The fruit that they are dining off looks quite old and manky.- Yes.
0:25:05 > 0:25:10As the fruit rots down, it releases the sugars and makes a sugary,
0:25:10 > 0:25:16syrupy liquid, which is readily digested through the proboscis.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19That's the thing just going into the banana there.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Are they sucking it up, like through a straw?
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Absolutely, yes, like a hydraulic suction.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Presumably, where there are butterflies, there must be caterpillars.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36Yes, I can see one not too far away, on the citrus here. That's a citrus swallowtail.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Oh, it blends in incredibly well to the leaf.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42I can just make out its two little eyes.
0:25:42 > 0:25:47- Otherwise I wouldn't have spotted that. Presumably it's a camouflage. - Yes, nature's camouflage.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49And what sort of butterfly will that turn into?
0:25:49 > 0:25:52That will be a swallowtail.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Fascinating. Derek, thank you very much.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Here's what still to come on today's programme.
0:25:59 > 0:26:05- We'll find out if Winston's sperm donation will make him a father at last.- She's good, very good.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08She should ovulate tonight.
0:26:10 > 0:26:16They may be shy creatures, but this tortoise doesn't hold back when faced with a tasty treat.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21And we'll see what the lion cubs make of their new climbing frame.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30At West Midlands Safari Park,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33the German veterinary team are preparing
0:26:33 > 0:26:37to artificially inseminate rhino Mtuba using Winston's sperm.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41First, they must check whether Mtuba is fertile enough
0:26:41 > 0:26:42to receive the sperm.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46Head keeper Bob Lawrence has been giving her hormone treatment
0:26:46 > 0:26:51so her chances of getting pregnant should be at their highest today.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55This is the point where we'll see whether the last 60 days or so of medication
0:26:55 > 0:27:00has worked, whether she is cycling and just how receptive she might be.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04If she's not quite ready, we'll probably inseminate anyway,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06but revisit her again tomorrow.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11But he'll know in a minute or two just how set she is.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13She's good, very good.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Excellent follicle on the right ovary, 3.5 centimetres,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and that should ovulate tonight.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Vet Robert Hermes and his team have spent five years
0:27:25 > 0:27:29developing the magic wand that will help artificially inseminate Mtuba.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33It's made to replicate what a male rhino would do.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36They have a very long genital tract.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38The entire length is about 1 metre 50.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40That's why we need special tools.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43The arm of us is not long enough to reach.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48The ovaries are right in the middle of a rhino,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50but using their specialist tool,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Robert and the team are able to reach easily.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56It looks very, very promising. Just about finished.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58We want to get her up quickly
0:27:58 > 0:28:01because she's lying on this right front knee,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05but we're almost done and we'll keep everything crossed.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07It may save populations, or may be a modern way
0:28:07 > 0:28:11of introducing fresh bloodlines into existing populations.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14At the end of the day, it's a lot easier to move semen around
0:28:14 > 0:28:16than it is to move rhinos, isn't it?
0:28:16 > 0:28:19The operation is over.
0:28:19 > 0:28:26Mtuba's legs begin to twitch naturally, showing she's recovering well from the anaesthetic.
0:28:26 > 0:28:32It's been a long day, but with the future of the white rhino at stake, no-one minds the effort.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35If you see the other small calf in the other stall,
0:28:35 > 0:28:39you'll really cross fingers and hope that we'll achieve another one.
0:28:41 > 0:28:42Once you see one of these guys
0:28:42 > 0:28:48and you know the problem throughout zoos in Europe and North America,
0:28:48 > 0:28:55that they don't breed, you try to figure out a way t o have more running around. It keeps you going.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59It's fantastic to work with animals like this
0:28:59 > 0:29:01and you don't punch the clock at any time.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03You just keep going as long as you can.
0:29:04 > 0:29:09It's impossible to tell straight away if Mtuba is pregnant or not.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11We'll find out later on.
0:29:23 > 0:29:28Back at Longleat, the lions have been let loose.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33I'm out in the lion enclosure with head of section Brian Kent
0:29:33 > 0:29:35and keeper Bob Trollope,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38and the lions, Kabir and his two wives and the cubs,
0:29:38 > 0:29:40have just been let out.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44A little earlier, we hung up toys for them,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46on the dead tree here,
0:29:46 > 0:29:48and waiting to see...
0:29:48 > 0:29:50THEY LAUGH
0:29:50 > 0:29:53..what reaction we have, but Kabir's more interested in us!
0:29:56 > 0:30:00So we've got...is it Jsira on the left? The slightly smaller one?
0:30:00 > 0:30:03She's the smaller one, then Malika.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06They're not too sure about this!
0:30:06 > 0:30:10Is this a typical reaction? A bit superstitious at first?
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Oh! Oh! Kabir's having a go.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15He likes that one!
0:30:15 > 0:30:19- He's straight into that, isn't he? - It's a good job we nailed them down.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22We needed to, didn't we?
0:30:22 > 0:30:26He would have been the last one I'd have thought would have played with them.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30Oh, Jsira's thinking, "Can I come in and play?"
0:30:30 > 0:30:32She obviously thinks it's food.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Will it stay there?
0:30:34 > 0:30:39That'd be the test - whether it stays up to his strength.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Yeah. How heavy is a big male lion, like that?
0:30:42 > 0:30:47He's anything in the region of £450 to £500, I'd have thought.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50He's pulled it out the tree already.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54You can just see those teeth, as well!
0:30:54 > 0:30:59It's interesting that both Luna and Yendi, the females,
0:30:59 > 0:31:04don't seem really that interested in playing. More just looking at what's going on.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07I think they will do, eventually,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10but they're obviously a little bit more cautious.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13They are the hunters in the pride,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15so they're taking it steady, I suppose.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17THEY LAUGH
0:31:17 > 0:31:21- Jsira with Dad.- Jsira thinking, "I want a go but my dad won't let me."
0:31:21 > 0:31:25- She'll have to watch out if he let's go.- Oh...
0:31:25 > 0:31:26Aw...
0:31:26 > 0:31:29That's it. Lion skittles.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32We can see Malika just off to the side here.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34She's got the end of the other rope.
0:31:34 > 0:31:39We put a big knot in the end so they could tug on that, play with it.
0:31:39 > 0:31:46They're putting their full force into that, look. Obviously not as much power as Kabir.
0:31:46 > 0:31:47Oh! And is that Jsira?
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Go on, jump on it, then!
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Frightened her a bit.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55That's it.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57THEY LAUGH
0:31:57 > 0:32:03I mean, in the wild, they're not going to find beautiful rope fenders
0:32:03 > 0:32:05hanging up from trees,
0:32:05 > 0:32:10but presumably this is quite natural behaviour for them, discovering new things?
0:32:10 > 0:32:13It is. They're obviously very inquisitive anyway,
0:32:13 > 0:32:20and something new, like this, then they're going to suss it out first,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23and play with it, as they're doing.
0:32:23 > 0:32:29It looks like play, put there's hunting instincts coming out here.
0:32:29 > 0:32:34There is, yeah. They're pretending to kill something, basically,
0:32:34 > 0:32:35the way they're going at it.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39So, as you say, although they look quite small and cute,
0:32:39 > 0:32:45there's that strength that they've got, even in those early days, is really important for survival.
0:32:45 > 0:32:50Incredible power. Their teeth are incredibly sharp, as are their claws.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53They would do you an awful lot of damage.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Kabir is loving this, isn't he?
0:32:55 > 0:32:58I think he's here for hours.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02- Yeah.- That's great. I think we can call that a success, don't you?
0:33:02 > 0:33:07I think you've got a very happy family of lions. Bob, Brian, that you very much indeed.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24At Pets Corner,
0:33:24 > 0:33:28Jo Hawthorne is checking on the 14 Egyptian fruit bats.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30They're waiting patiently in their box
0:33:30 > 0:33:33while the bat cave gets a makeover.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37Huddling together is normal behaviour for bats
0:33:37 > 0:33:40and it's how they like to sleep in the wild.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43They'll hang out in trees, actually, obviously,
0:33:43 > 0:33:44because they're fruit bats,
0:33:44 > 0:33:49so they'll just choose a bough or branch, and just hang about there.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51But they tend to stick together.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55They feel more security when they're actually hanging together.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57I'm sure they can't wait to get out of there,
0:33:57 > 0:33:58so I can't wait to let them out!
0:33:58 > 0:34:01But, yeah, I think they'll be out tomorrow morning,
0:34:01 > 0:34:03which will be great.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12The team have spent hours painting and installing new lighting.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Finally, the finishing touches go on.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Oh, thank goodness for that!
0:34:20 > 0:34:22It's done!
0:34:22 > 0:34:24SHE LAUGHS
0:34:24 > 0:34:28Time to see what the bats make of it.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30Here we go...
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Yo!
0:34:32 > 0:34:35At first, it seems they can't see the box is open.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38But, in fact, they're probably just cosy.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43Bats actually have keen eyesight, to keep a lookout for predators,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46though they only see in black and white.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51There's lots of myths about bats being blind and everything.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56I think that's basically due to the fact they are a creature that flies at night
0:34:56 > 0:35:01and for all those people that go walking up the lanes, and they're flying and darting very near,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04they don't know that they're using the echo-location,
0:35:04 > 0:35:08getting that bounce of sound off of you, hence why they're flying so close.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13But with their eyes, in this light, they can see as well as you or I.
0:35:13 > 0:35:19I think what we'll do now is we'll probably go away and leave them now.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21We'll leave you to it, chaps.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32Soon the bats emerge and start enjoying their newly decorated cave.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Even if they can only appreciate it in black and white.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58I've come up to the tortoise paddock with senior warden Bev Evans
0:35:58 > 0:36:02and it's feeding time for Michelle and Thomas. Now, Michelle and Thomas are...?
0:36:02 > 0:36:05- African spur tortoises. - This is where they are?
0:36:05 > 0:36:08- They are still in bed at the moment. - Do they go in here every night?
0:36:08 > 0:36:12They do, for security reasons, and because it's too cold at night for them.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15- But it's a nice day today.- It is and it's about time they got out.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17How do we entice them out?
0:36:17 > 0:36:19We're going to have to lift them out, to be honest,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21because they are not very fast.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25- Can I help you with that?- Yes, you can. Put the food down on the side.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26If you lift the roof, Ben.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28- Just lift it up?- Yep.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- That's it.- Wow! There they are.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35And then if we open both of the side doors.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40And just pull these out. So how old are these two?
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Tommy's this one here and he's about 12 years old.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46Michelle's only five,
0:36:46 > 0:36:48although she's already near enough the same size.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51It's incredible. Shall we lift them out?
0:36:51 > 0:36:52Is there a best way to pick up a...?
0:36:52 > 0:36:56Just go for the sides, cos if you put your fingers in there,
0:36:56 > 0:36:59he can pinch you between his shell and his feet.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Wow, he is heavy, isn't he?
0:37:01 > 0:37:03- Incredibly heavy.- Is this Thomas?
0:37:03 > 0:37:06- Yes.- OK, Thomas. Gosh, how much do you think he weighs?
0:37:06 > 0:37:08He's about 20 kilograms.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10That doesn't say much for my weightlifting.
0:37:10 > 0:37:11Ah, there you go.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Fantastic.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17Obviously, we've carried them out,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20- but do they like spending the day outside?- They do.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22They do a lot of grazing throughout the day,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25and this is a nice paddock, because as well as the grass,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27you've got dandelions and clover.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29We've picked some dandelions here
0:37:29 > 0:37:32and, intriguingly, we've got some melon here.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34Yes, we do. This is a treat.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37OK, so this isn't their usual diet?
0:37:37 > 0:37:40No, and if you fed them on melon or any kind of lettuce
0:37:40 > 0:37:43or cucumber every day, it would be quite bad for them.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46But it's good to have a treat every so often?
0:37:46 > 0:37:48And also you can add mineral supplements, so...
0:37:48 > 0:37:50So, how do you feed a tortoise?
0:37:50 > 0:37:54- If you just grab a piece of melon. - I'll take this one here.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56Stick it in front of Thomas and see if he is hungry.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59He's already started on the dandelions.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02What do you think of this?
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Wow, look at that.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Look at the chunks he's taking.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Because tortoises have a beak, don't they?
0:38:09 > 0:38:12They don't have teeth, they have a sharp edge to their mouth,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15and if they do actually accidentally catch your finger,
0:38:15 > 0:38:17it does actually hurt quite a lot.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20- Really? - Yes.- So I should hold it at the end.
0:38:20 > 0:38:21That would be best.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25I can't believe how quickly he's getting through that. I'm feeling sorry for Michelle.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Between the two of them, is there one that's greedier?
0:38:28 > 0:38:32- Is Thomas here...?- Thomas, he's more of a confident character anyway,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34so he'll get straight in and eat.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Michelle's reasonably shy. She's still finding her feet here.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Thomas has been with us a lot longer,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41so Michelle's still a bit shy.
0:38:41 > 0:38:46Now, what shall I do with this last little bit? Shall I pass it to him? There we go.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50I would like to keep my fingers just now.
0:38:50 > 0:38:55- Well, Bev, that was a huge success. - He did enjoy that. - Thank you for letting me feed him.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- Can he have another one or is that too many?- No, that would be lovely.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02Why not try this type of melon? I think he'll like that one.
0:39:02 > 0:39:03Some more, Thomas?
0:39:19 > 0:39:24Today is a big day for bull rhino Winston.
0:39:24 > 0:39:30Dung samples from West Midlands female Mtuba were sent for tests
0:39:30 > 0:39:36to find out if the artificial insemination with Winston's sperm made her pregnant or not.
0:39:37 > 0:39:43Head warden Keith Harris is anxiously standing by for a phone call with the results.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46PHONE RINGS
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Oh, dear, what a shame.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51Oh, that's a bore.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Right, well, we'll see if
0:39:54 > 0:39:58they want to try again then. Presumably you'd like to do it again.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00Oh, well, I'm sorry to hear the bad news.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04But hopefully we'll be more successful in the future.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06OK, then. Bye, then.
0:40:11 > 0:40:16The artificial insemination may not have worked this time,
0:40:16 > 0:40:22but the good news is, that at the grand age of 39, Winston's sperm is still fertile.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27Everyone hopes that artificial insemination for rhinos will continue to develop
0:40:27 > 0:40:31and that Winston may still become a father in the future.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33How are you doing, Winny?
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Try, try and try again.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Certainly, from their future,
0:40:39 > 0:40:44you can actually store the sperm and then, theoretically,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47the conservation of rhinos will be a lot easier
0:40:47 > 0:40:52because there will never be a time when we haven't got rhinos.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54Extinction will not be a thing.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57So that's very important, and there's a lot of benefits
0:40:57 > 0:41:00to be able to do AI with these animals
0:41:00 > 0:41:05because trying to move large animals like this isn't always easy.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09So, if you can take the sperm rather than the animal, then again,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12that's got to be better for the species.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15So there's a whole lot of different things that will
0:41:15 > 0:41:19hopefully improve the life of the rhinos across the board.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45We're up in Monkey Jungle with deputy head warden Ian Turner,
0:41:45 > 0:41:50and over here are the water buffalo, really living up to their name!
0:41:50 > 0:41:54- I don't think I've ever seen them in the water before.- The go in often.
0:41:54 > 0:42:00- It's got to be warm, and today's a day when you want to join them. - This is what they do in the wild?
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Yes, water buffalo. You can see how they splash themselves to cool down.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08And, presumably, if there were lots of flies or biting insects around,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11- that's a good way of escaping them. - That's right.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14The only bit you'll see is the head.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18And, occasionally, like that one's doing, just flicks it over the top of the head.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20I'm very tempted to join them,
0:42:20 > 0:42:24- but I don't think it would be a good idea.- I'm not sure it would.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25Ian, thank you very much.
0:42:25 > 0:42:30Sadly, that's all we've got time for, but here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34Longleat's littlest lions are coming to dinner,
0:42:34 > 0:42:38but who taught them their table manners?
0:42:38 > 0:42:42This rare Pere David calf is the most precious baby in the park,
0:42:42 > 0:42:45but can she survive with a broken leg?
0:42:46 > 0:42:51And young Gertie is in danger of catching a fatal infection,
0:42:51 > 0:42:55so now the keepers must take desperate measures.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59That's all coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:43:17 > 0:43:22Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd - 2006
0:43:22 > 0:43:27E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk