Episode 16 Animal Park


Episode 16

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Hello, and welcome to Animal Park.

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-I'm Ben Fogle.

-And I'm Kate Humble, and if you ever needed to be

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convinced that spring is on the way, then surely this will do it.

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Thousands of yellow daffodils making this one of the most colourful walks around Longleat.

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And we're going to be bringing you stories from the house, the estate, and of course the safari park.

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Here's what's coming up on today's programme.

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This baby Bactrian camel was born with a dodgy leg.

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Will he ever learn to stand up for himself?

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It's breeding time in the aviary, and not an ugly duckling in sight.

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And the injured Pere David deer needs urgent medical attention.

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But the keepers have to catch her first.

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But first, alongside Ankole cattle and deer, scimitar horned oryx

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and white rhino, live Longleat's six Bactrian camels.

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Native to the Gobi desert and plains of central Asia,

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Bactrian camels have evolved to withstand one of the most extreme climates in the world.

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Their shaggy coats protect them from driving winds and extreme cold,

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allowing them to survive in temperatures as low as -30 degrees.

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Sadly, Bactrians are now critically endangered in the wild, and so keepers are eager to

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breed them in the park.

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There are five females living here, and one adolescent male called Khan.

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Khan joined the herd just two years ago as a calf, and keepers

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thought it would be a few years yet before he reached sexual maturity.

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But today, to the keepers' surprise, one of the females has started

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showing some unusually broody behaviour.

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What we've noticed this morning is that Bhali,

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one of our Bactrian camels, has been going away from the group and showing an enormous amount of restlessness.

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She goes right away and she appears to be looking for somewhere to

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give birth.

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That, coupled with the size of her udder, is suggesting to me that she's very close to calving.

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The baby could arrive any time now, so Tim and deputy head of section

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Kevin Knibbs set to work turning the stable into a comfy nursery.

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With an imminent birth, we have to make sure we can get the pens prepared for her for comfort

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and then we have to keep watching her all the time to make sure that,

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when she gives birth, she will actually look after it properly.

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If she doesn't, we can step in and help her in any way we need to.

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We're talking hours rather than anything else.

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It's imminent really.

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Once the pen is ready, Bhali is brought into the house with her mum, Mrs Bruce, for company.

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Now all we do is leave her and let nature take its course.

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Now all Tim and Kevin can do is wait and see if tomorrow will bring a brand new Bactrian baby.

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All over the park, the breeding season is underway and baby animals are emerging into the sunshine.

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Over at the aviary, the sacred ibis are getting broody.

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Last year they successfully raised four chicks, even though they made their

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nests on the ground and ignored the specially-built nesting platforms.

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Come on, guys, come and get your nests.

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'Not long ago, I went down with keeper Michelle Stevens to make

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'sure that they had enough sticks to make their nests again this year.'

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A few weeks have passed and now I want to see if our hard work has encouraged the ibis to breed.

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So, on a windy spring day, I've come down to check up on their progress.

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I'm in the aviary with head of section Mark Tye.

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Spring has definitely come now.

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-It's peak breeding season, so have they done anything?

-Yes, definitely.

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Up in the tree up there, we have two ibis nests.

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-Fantastic!

-They have sensibly this year built up in the tree.

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I suppose it's difficult to tell whether they have got eggs or not.

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I've seen two eggs in the lower nest, so I should imagine there are two eggs in

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the other. They both reared successfully last year so I don't see why they shouldn't this year.

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That's great news.

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I feel quite proud of my hand in their nest-building then.

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What about the others? Obviously the spoonbills are not going to be breeding.

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No, four males, that won't be happening.

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No, but you have got some really

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-pretty little ducks.

-We've got the white-faced whistling ducks.

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Those are the ones that really do make a lovely whistling call.

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Yes.

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They're from South America through to Africa below the Sahara.

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-It's a duckling!

-That's the Carolina duckling.

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The Carolinas, which ones are they?

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The females are,

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for want of a better word, the boring brown one.

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-Always the way.

-The male is the fancy black with white stripes on his head.

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It's beautiful. Just one duckling?

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Just the one, yes, unfortunately.

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Quite a lot of water birds do pair up, it's thought, for life.

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Do you see evidence of that amongst this collection?

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I've seen it with the whistlers. They definitely seem to have picked mates and stayed with the same ones so far.

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The ring teal have definitely stayed together.

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It's difficult to know with the Carolinas, they are a bit of a mob. We have got too many males.

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We can't obviously leave out the flamingos.

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They've gone from being - I hate to say it - but slightly dowdy, not terribly exciting looking birds,

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to really magnificent proper pink flamingos now.

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Yes. When we first brought them in, most of them were

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between one and three years old so they are all juveniles.

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They had this browny colour to them, but now they are coming up to sexual maturity, they are adult birds now.

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They look beautiful.

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It is the most joyous thing to sit in here, in the sunshine,

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looking at birds, with eland in the background.

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You do actually have the nicest section in the park, don't you?

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-I think I do.

-Well, thank you very much.

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Many of the animals housed in the safari park are under threat in the wild.

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Part of the park's purpose is to breed them so that they never become extinct.

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Every birth is crucial, which is why Head of Section

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Tim Yeo is eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new Bactrian camel.

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But he's already had exciting news this spring

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with some of his most endangered animals, the Pere David deer.

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These are the rarest residents of the park.

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There are just a few thousand Pere Davids left in the world, six of them here at Longleat.

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Tim was delighted to find one of the does had given birth to a beautiful calf.

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But just days after the baby was born, Tim saw something which gave him cause for concern.

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The calf was lying down by itself and not moving.

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Immediately, he called in vet Duncan Williams.

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The baby Pere David has got a really serious fracture of its left foreleg.

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It's not just a simple break, which would heal really easily,

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it's a split and there is a segment bit loose.

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No-one knows how the leg was broken so badly, but keepers think it was caused by an adult deer.

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In the wild, the calf would surely have died, but with Duncan's treatment she has a chance.

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We stabilized it as best I could and put a plaster cast on it, which

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is a very lightweight one made out of plastic rather than plaster of paris.

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It sets really hard but it's nice and light,

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and will also be waterproof so it can stay outside.

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It's just a question of how many complications we've got now.

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In the 1970s the Pere David species dwindled to just 18 animals in one captive herd.

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Since then, breeding programmes have brought the

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species back from the brink and some have been reintroduced to the wild.

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But there are still only a few thousand Pere David in the world, and every single baby is precious.

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Two weeks have passed and the calf seems to be doing well.

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Now it's time for the cast to be changed...

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..but even a lame deer will be hard to catch.

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The calf is growing at such a rate that Duncan feels he really must take this cast off.

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We're here to try to catch it this morning.

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It's very mobile, this little one,

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and it can move surprisingly well on three legs really so it could be interesting.

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Even though being captured will cause stress to the calf, it's vital that the cast is taken off.

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Tim's hoping that a flanking movement will take her by surprise.

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Down to the fence then.

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Run him along the fence.

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Even on three legs, the baby deer is much faster than her pursuers,

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and rather more nimble.

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Finally, keeper Ross Ellis manages to corner her near the fence and catch hold of her safely.

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If you sit down, then...

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just shovel yourself back...

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We're going to take it down to Rhino House, take the cast off, have a look down there.

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We have got electricity and stuff.

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I have never run like that in my life!

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She looks all right.

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We'll be back when the cast comes off.

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Earlier this year, up in Lion County, Barbary lion Kabir

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fathered two beautiful female cubs - Malaika and Jasira.

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Over the spring, the cubs have been growing up fast, testing their own limits by exploring their enclosure.

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The keepers make the surroundings stimulating for the lions.

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Recently they gave them a new set of ropes to play with, which was real hit with the cubs.

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The cubs are more than

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six months old now, and they're ready for another

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new experience.

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I'm out in the lion enclosure with head of section Brian Kent,

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and keeper Bob Trollope, who are constantly coming up with ways of enriching the lions' lives here.

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Today, guys, we have a bag of rhino dung. Is that right?

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-Yes.

-What on earth are we going to do with this?

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Basically it's for enrichment.

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We come across different smells as we would in the wild.

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We've got rhinos in here with them, so we thought we'd bring some rhino

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dung to see what they would do, how they would react to different smells.

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Bob, what do you think they will make of it?

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I should imagine they'll be a bit cautious.

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-I would have thought maybe Luna would be the one who'd come up first.

-We'll see what happens.

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We're going to take full advantage of this opportunity. Just over here

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is specialist wildlife cameraman Andy Milk. Hi, Andy.

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What have we got here then?

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Just a small remotely controlled camera.

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Being very low on the ground, we can get a point of view we don't

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normally get when you are in a hide.

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So if we spread the rhino dung all around here, we will be able to track a shot all the way round?

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Yes.

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It will be a nice low shot looking up at them.

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A shot you don't normally see.

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Absolutely. You've cleverly camouflaged it to blend in with the Wiltshire countryside.

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I know you've used similar cameras out in Africa.

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Has it always survived?

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Yes. We've not had a problem.

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Brian thinks we may have a problem here.

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Apparently their lions are very inquisitive.

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We'll leave you to it and join you later.

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Guys, you've heard what Andy's said.

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-Do you think this is going to survive the lions of Longleat?

-No!

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I think they're going to maybe have a pull on it, it's possible.

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Time will tell. Join us later in the programme when we see what the lions make of the dung and our camera.

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Back at the camel barn, there's excitement in the air.

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Yesterday Bactrian Bhali started showing signs that she was ready to give birth.

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First thing this morning head of section Tim Yeo went to check,

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and found what he was hoping for.

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I sort of heard, as I was approaching.

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And looked in and there was the little one, mum standing over him.

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I think he was actually sucking the wall at the time.

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The little boy looks healthy, but there's a problem.

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I don't think he wants to get up.

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He should be on his feet and feeding by now.

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That animal has to drink the vital colostrum,

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the first milk that comes through from the mother.

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That milk holds the antibodies which help to build up an immunity to

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different ailments that the camel may be subjected to.

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So it's vitally important that they do.

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I think it is probably within the first three hours,

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they need to have that colostrum.

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Worryingly, Tim notices a weakness in one of the calf's hind legs,

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which is making him unsteady on his feet.

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The calf, having been folded up miraculously inside the uterus,

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it's rather crooked when it comes out.

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It's not fully straightened up.

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That can hamper the calf from actually standing up properly.

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Tim wants to interfere as little as possible, but the baby must get up and feed soon.

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He decides to support the leg with a bandage.

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Tim tries again to encourage the calf to suckle, but even with the support

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the little camel is just not steady enough on his feet to manage it.

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It's still going out a bit.

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With the calf still unsteady on his feet and weak from hunger,

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Tim decides he's going to have to take matters into his own hands.

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I'll just try and take some milk off her. See if I can.

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If the calf does not begin to suckle, keepers may have to step in and hand-rear him.

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But the baby will need to be fed every three hours for months to come.

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Hand-rearing would be a huge task, and could lead to more problems

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down the road, as Tim knows from bitter experience.

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The last calf born at the park was a lima.

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She had to be hand-reared because her mother rejected her.

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Although she grew up strong and healthy, she was a bit confused about her identity.

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For a while, she bonded with the Ankole cattle and used to follow them around.

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Tim's done all he can to help the young camel bond with his mother and begin to feed by himself.

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Now he can only hope that hand-rearing won't be necessary.

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Now we just leave her alone.

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But I would like to see very much a situation where we look in and we see

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the little one feeding from mum.

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We know then that everything we've done this morning has been

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OK and we haven't mucked anything up, and it's helped.

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And that's it. I'll be happy then.

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We'll be back to see if the new baby Bactrian

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will begin to feed from mum, or whether he'll end up on the bottle.

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Every animal at the park, whether large or small, has a place to shelter from the elements.

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Many of the shelters are specially adapted for the animals that use them.

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Over at Pets Corner, Kate's introducing some of the

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park's smallest residents to their new "des res".

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It's moving day at the guinea house.

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I'm here with Bev Allen at Pets Corner.

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And all sorts of things going on.

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We've got a new house which was made for us.

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And we've got quite a few guinea pigs, 26 guinea pigs altogether.

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-Crikey.

-Plus we've got four babies down there who are moving in as well today.

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Yes, look, tiny little things.

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Very sweet. What do we need to do?

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We need to get all the guinea pigs out of the basket and put them in the house.

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I know this is going to be chaotic.

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Right. Now what does a guinea pig need?

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These are quite elaborate houses.

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What are the important things to make sure your guinea pig is fat and happy like you?

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They need a nice secure house.

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We put wood shavings in for them on the floor.

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Also lots of hay which they like to bed down in and eat.

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It's important to give them hay to eat.

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And it's got to be warm and dry as well.

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And of course they've got room to go outside and exercise.

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They can sleep in here, go out and run around.

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It's guinea pig heaven basically!

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Yes, they love it here.

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Just looking at all these, they come in every colour and shape and size.

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They're amazingly varied.

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It's nice to see all the different colours together as well.

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It is, they all look extremely content.

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I've got the babies round here.

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Let's have a look at you.

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Look how sweet you are. How old are these?

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They're about 13 weeks old now.

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What sort of age would you wean them?

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They can actually start

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eating solid food within 24 hours of being born.

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But they still need mum's milk.

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Usually they want be with mum for about five weeks, six weeks.

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Then they are ready to be separated.

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And be independent.

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So these look like they've all come from the same litter.

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It's fantastic colouring.

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-Wonderful colouring.

-Where are these going?

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-They will go in this little house.

-They get the new house,

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lucky you! Let's see.

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They're going to be very scampery.

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Got you. I'll give you that one. Little bundles of fluff, these.

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There you go. Next.

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So you would have to, with a long-haired guinea pig

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like these, you would actually have to brush them.

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Would they end up looking like me if you didn't?

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You've got to give them lots of hairbrushes.

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It's really good to do it because it gets them used to being handled.

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So it's quite good.

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It gives you a chance to give them a health check when you're doing this,

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to feel for lumps and bumps, check the nails and make sure you check the teeth as well.

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They're all settled in.

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I know you've got a bit of clearing up to do around here before they go.

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I hope you're very happy in your new homes, guineas.

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And we have got lots more for coming up on today's programme.

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It's the moment of truth for the baby Pere David deer.

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-Oh, right.

-We find if she'll recover from her broken leg.

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The lions are released for their smelly surprise.

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But will our camera survive to tell the tale?.

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I wonder whether he can hear the camera moving?

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And in Longleat House, conserving a precious work of art

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has accidentally uncovered a hidden family secret.

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But now, up in the Deer Park,

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the injured Pere David calf has been brought inside so vet Duncan Williams

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can remove the cast and check on the broken leg.

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I think what we'll do is take the cast off, see how the leg is.

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See if it's going to be any use. It was really badly broken.

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And then if necessary we can stick another cast on.

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This is the moment of truth for the young Pere David.

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Head of section Tim Yeo and the team are desperate to find out if the leg has actually healed.

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Just hold that up out of the way.

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Have you got the leg, Kev? Support it under there.

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Ooh, right.

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You see what's happened there.

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It's actually, since we casted it,

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the bones have gone through, it's stinking, it's really rotten.

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This is going to fall off and die.

0:24:030:24:07

The leg is going to die.

0:24:070:24:09

The news could not be worse.

0:24:090:24:12

All the best efforts of the team have been in vain.

0:24:120:24:15

Unfortunately the fracture's not healed at all.

0:24:170:24:21

The bone ends where the fracture is, has actually broken through the skin.

0:24:210:24:28

Because it's been out in the mud, it's all infected.

0:24:280:24:30

The bottom end of the leg is actually dead now, gangrenous really.

0:24:300:24:37

Unfortunately we will have to put the calf to sleep.

0:24:370:24:41

Putting the calf out of its misery is the kindest thing to do, but Tim is devastated.

0:24:430:24:49

This is the worst kind of news that we could have really.

0:24:510:24:55

A female calf, I'd been wanting to build up the numbers up.

0:24:550:24:59

So it's a real setback.

0:24:590:25:04

It's a female calf, a hind calf.

0:25:040:25:08

But, accidents happen.

0:25:080:25:10

They're big animals. If a calf

0:25:110:25:14

is around its mother trying to drink and the others, you have a jealous female hind next to this.

0:25:140:25:21

My hunch is that that was somewhere along the lines what befell this animal.

0:25:210:25:28

Then these accidents happen.

0:25:280:25:30

You've got to take it, a bitter pill to take.

0:25:300:25:34

But that's the way it goes.

0:25:340:25:37

Although the treatment failed to save the calf,

0:25:380:25:41

Duncan hopes his efforts will have some benefits for the herd.

0:25:410:25:46

By casting it, and giving it these two weeks,

0:25:460:25:50

we've helped the mother maintain or develop her rearing instincts.

0:25:500:25:58

If we'd put the calf down straightaway she would never have done that.

0:25:580:26:01

So it's good for the future in that if she has a calf next year, she'll know what to do with it.

0:26:010:26:08

Now the staff can only hope the Pere David will breed again next year.

0:26:080:26:15

Over in lion country, Kabir's pride are hot on the trail of a brand new scent.

0:26:260:26:31

Lions have very keen sense of smell,

0:26:320:26:35

which they use for hunting, and also for reading territorial markings.

0:26:350:26:40

Any new odour is a trigger for them to investigate.

0:26:400:26:43

I'm out in the lion enclosure with keeper Bob Trollope and head of section Brian Kent who

0:26:460:26:50

earlier on spread some rhino dung to see what the lions would make of it.

0:26:500:26:54

We've taken advantage of the situation, and wildlife cameraman hidden back there,

0:26:540:26:59

Andy Milk, has set up a little camera he is concentrating on now.

0:26:590:27:03

If we move around, the lions have come straight up to the dung.

0:27:030:27:08

It's amazing how quickly they have moved up. They're a bit more interested in the camera.

0:27:080:27:12

They're smelling our scents as well as the rhino dung that's there.

0:27:120:27:17

They've got an amazing sense of smell.

0:27:170:27:18

They are interested in the rhino dung.

0:27:180:27:20

The youngsters more than anything.

0:27:200:27:22

Wow, look at Kabir.

0:27:220:27:25

He is really curious about everything.

0:27:250:27:28

The young ones, what are they doing to the dung? They seem to be eating it.

0:27:280:27:32

Yes. It's a new smell to them, they've got to test whether it's palatable for them or not.

0:27:320:27:36

It's curiosity.

0:27:360:27:38

A lion can smell with more than just the nose.

0:27:380:27:41

In the roof of the mouth is the olfactory gland, which can detect minute traces of scent.

0:27:410:27:47

And Kabir is actually rolling in it.

0:27:470:27:50

Is that much like a dog would like want to roll in fox poo for example?

0:27:500:27:54

Very much so. It's a new smell to them.

0:27:540:27:57

They want to get it on them.

0:27:570:28:00

I suppose if there was another rival male in here, it would put them off.

0:28:000:28:04

Look at that, he's being territorial, he doesn't want anyone else to come near it.

0:28:040:28:08

Curiosity killed the cat!

0:28:080:28:11

Isn't it amazing! Did you think they were going to do that straight away?

0:28:110:28:14

No, I thought they'd sniff round at it. But to actually roll in it...

0:28:140:28:18

I thought the youngsters would play with it.

0:28:180:28:21

'In the wild, lions sometimes use dung to disguise their own smell,

0:28:210:28:25

'which helps them sneak up on their prey.'

0:28:250:28:27

And is the idea that he wants to mask his real sense with what surrounds him?

0:28:270:28:32

Yes, to make him smell even worse than what he already does.

0:28:320:28:37

-And is he pretty smelly anyway?

-He does pong a bit.

0:28:370:28:39

I'm interested, the youngsters have started rolling in it as well.

0:28:390:28:42

Are they copying dad?

0:28:420:28:44

It's born into them.

0:28:440:28:45

They obviously are copying him.

0:28:450:28:48

But it's pure curiosity, something new, a completely different smell to what they've ever been used to.

0:28:480:28:55

Oh, he's off, he's coming to investigate.

0:28:550:28:58

I wonder whether he can hear the camera moving.

0:28:580:29:01

He's trying to find it. Look at that.

0:29:040:29:06

It was fantastic while it worked!

0:29:060:29:09

Andy, Bob, Brian, thank you very much.

0:29:090:29:12

I think we need to rescue that camera before Kabir really does go off with it.

0:29:120:29:16

Longleat's Great House was built in the late 16th century

0:29:300:29:34

by Sir John Thynne, an ancestor of the current Lord Bath.

0:29:340:29:38

For more than 400 years since then, the Thynne family have collected

0:29:400:29:45

an astonishing array of antiques and artwork.

0:29:450:29:48

There are more than 500 paintings here, including

0:29:480:29:51

portraits of many of the great and the good throughout English history who had connections with the house.

0:29:510:29:59

I'm on the grand staircase with curator Kate Harris.

0:29:590:30:03

We've come to look at a portrait which has recently come back from restoration.

0:30:030:30:07

-This is the portrait here.

-It's a portrait of Ambrose Dudley, Earl of Warwick.

0:30:070:30:12

-It's been away for just over two years.

-Wow.

0:30:120:30:14

The Dudleys were one of the most important families in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

0:30:160:30:23

Ambrose Dudley was Earl of Warwick.

0:30:230:30:25

The young man is his brother's illegitimate son.

0:30:250:30:30

As neither of the Dudleys had surviving legitimate sons, it was

0:30:300:30:34

decided that this boy would be heir to the family title and fortunes.

0:30:340:30:39

The Earl and his young successor are portrayed standing on a battlefield, ready for action.

0:30:430:30:50

So this painting is saying, I'm big, I'm brave.

0:30:500:30:54

Is it also recognising this boy as a potential heir rather than hiding him away?

0:30:540:31:01

Very true. He's got an absolutely stunning state of-the-art little wheel lock pistol there.

0:31:010:31:06

This is not just a page, this is the heir.

0:31:060:31:09

It's very patriarchal.

0:31:090:31:10

-It is.

-You said the way the portrait is now.

0:31:100:31:15

What do you mean by that?

0:31:150:31:17

In the course of restoration, we made several major discoveries about it.

0:31:170:31:21

X-ray showed us the major figure, Ambrose himself, was very differently presented in the original picture.

0:31:210:31:28

You had the whole painting X-rayed?

0:31:280:31:29

Yes, we had 24 X-rays done during restoration.

0:31:290:31:33

-If you like we can go upstairs and have a look at some of them.

-That would be great.

0:31:330:31:37

Now we're uncovering a mystery..

0:31:370:31:38

Indeed.

0:31:380:31:40

The painting came to Longleat in the 17th century,

0:31:420:31:46

when heirs of the Dudleys married into the Thynne family.

0:31:460:31:49

It's hung here for centuries, but until recently no-one suspected it might have hidden secrets.

0:31:490:31:56

The key thing about the restoration and the X-rays

0:31:580:32:03

is to show this major change in the picture.

0:32:030:32:07

'The X-rays reveal that underneath the surface

0:32:080:32:11

'is another layer of paint, which made up an earlier image.'

0:32:110:32:16

Basically what you've discovered is that there was an original portrait

0:32:160:32:21

of Dudley, and this is a new one painted over the top.

0:32:210:32:26

Not entirely new but an adapted version to present a very different much stronger image.

0:32:260:32:33

Here you've got a third hand and a stick.

0:32:330:32:37

Rather than holding the boar spear in this very strong aggressive fashion,

0:32:370:32:44

he was actually shown with the boar spear in the background originally, leaning on a stick.

0:32:440:32:50

The background has also been changed from an interior scene, to show Ambrose Dudley and his heir standing

0:32:500:32:56

in front of a military tent, probably at the siege of Newhaven,

0:32:560:33:00

a battle at which Ambrose had been injured.

0:33:000:33:03

He was gravely wounded at Newhaven at the siege.

0:33:030:33:07

He was actually shot in the leg and was never right afterwards.

0:33:070:33:10

He never commanded in the field again.

0:33:100:33:12

So he is shown leaning on the stick. It's quite realistic as well.

0:33:120:33:15

That's quite unusual, don't people usually try to make themselves look more beautiful or more grand?

0:33:150:33:23

That's what they decided do in the second version.

0:33:230:33:25

He is then the sole representative of the Dudley dynasty, with his younger

0:33:250:33:30

brother's illegitimate son next to him as their sole hope now.

0:33:300:33:35

So he is shown in this much more what we might call gung-ho fashion.

0:33:350:33:38

Wouldn't it have been more sensible for somebody as noble and clearly as

0:33:380:33:43

rich as this to have thrown that old portrait away and had a completely new one done?

0:33:430:33:48

We're trying to make up our mind about that.

0:33:480:33:50

There's two possibilities we're playing with.

0:33:500:33:53

One is they needed the picture very quickly,.

0:33:530:33:56

-They had the bare bones of it.

-So they needed for some occasion to have this new dynastic picture.

0:33:560:34:00

Or that Ambrose was so ill he was not available to sit for a new version.

0:34:000:34:06

So they had to make it up.

0:34:060:34:09

They are only hypotheses.

0:34:090:34:11

We don't know. There must be some explanation.

0:34:110:34:13

Kate, that was absolutely fascinating.

0:34:130:34:16

Incredible to think that after all these years you have discovered this whole new story about this painting.

0:34:160:34:22

Thank you very much indeed.

0:34:220:34:24

Earlier in the show I was out with keeper Bob Trollope in the lion enclosure.

0:34:370:34:42

Bob remained with the film crew to pick up a few shots of the lions.

0:34:420:34:48

But now, there's a problem.

0:34:480:34:49

Bob's vehicle is refusing to start.

0:34:520:34:55

This is all very embarrassing.

0:34:550:34:56

Yeah, we're in a situation where anywhere else we would be able to get out and push start it.

0:34:590:35:06

But with our neighbours just here, you don't really want to do that.

0:35:060:35:09

You could end up as lunch.

0:35:090:35:11

Even though Bob works with the lions every day, he knows that

0:35:140:35:17

if he were out in their enclosure they could well attack and kill him, as they would any other prey.

0:35:170:35:24

The safest thing is for us to stay in here and let someone else get out!

0:35:240:35:28

Within minutes, head of section Brian Kent spots that Bob is in trouble.

0:35:280:35:33

But to get a tow rope on Bob's vehicle, someone is going to have to get out.

0:35:330:35:38

Bob and Brian have practised the emergency procedure for this situation many times,

0:35:380:35:42

in case they had to rescue visitors.

0:35:420:35:46

But they didn't expect to have to rescue each other.

0:35:460:35:51

First Brian drives the lions into a corner.

0:35:510:35:54

Then, with Craig Faggoter standing look out, there's a chance to get the rope on.

0:35:540:35:59

I take it all the lions are over that side, are they?

0:35:590:36:02

All the lions are over there?

0:36:020:36:05

All right.

0:36:050:36:07

With the rope safely in place, the keepers manage to jump-start the jeep.

0:36:070:36:12

The emergency procedure has worked perfectly.

0:36:120:36:15

That's the boogy. Now we're fine.

0:36:170:36:20

I shall keep the engine running for a little while.

0:36:200:36:23

The lions didn't even notice.

0:36:230:36:26

It looks like the lions will have to wait a little longer for their lunch.

0:36:260:36:32

Back at the camel barn, a week has passed since the first Bactrian

0:36:390:36:42

calf born here for three years came into the world with a weak hind leg.

0:36:420:36:48

The calf couldn't feed properly, and head of section Tim Yeo

0:36:480:36:52

was worried that his mother Bhali might reject him.

0:36:520:36:56

But with plenty of TLC from Tim, the situation has improved dramatically for the young camel.

0:37:010:37:09

Mother and calf have been allowed outside into a temporary paddock,

0:37:090:37:13

and to his keepers' delight the baby has been seen suckling properly.

0:37:130:37:18

Today, it's time for safari park vet Duncan Williams to give him his first check-up.

0:37:190:37:27

Why did you put the bandage on?

0:37:270:37:29

Just to give it that support, yes.

0:37:290:37:31

She was flicking over on her fetlock?

0:37:310:37:34

She was actually right over.

0:37:340:37:35

-Sorry, he.

-He, yes.

0:37:350:37:37

-Shall we take it off?

-Yep.

0:37:370:37:41

Let me hold you, come on.

0:37:430:37:44

CAMEL BLEATS

0:37:440:37:47

What Tim is describing is a weakness in the ligaments.

0:37:470:37:51

I think this joint was collapsing forward

0:37:510:37:55

as the baby was putting weight on it.

0:37:550:37:58

That tends to strengthen as the calf get stronger,

0:38:000:38:04

the ligaments and tendons firm up a bit as the calf get stronger.

0:38:040:38:08

Thankfully, the calf's leg has healed well and otherwise he's fit and healthy.

0:38:080:38:14

Now that he's survived the tricky first week, the keepers have decided to give him a name.

0:38:180:38:25

I understand you're going to call him Elvis?

0:38:250:38:29

Well, the other members of staff certainly are keen on the name.

0:38:290:38:34

-I am not quite sure.

-You're not an Elvis novice find yourself?

-I am.

0:38:340:38:39

Young Elvis is already showing a different character to the shaky newborn of a week ago.

0:38:390:38:44

Now the little calf is ready for his next big step.

0:38:440:38:50

He's making his debut in the enclosure.

0:38:500:38:54

Once the baby goes out, he's going to be extremely inquisitive of other animals.

0:38:540:39:00

He's going to want to approach them.

0:39:000:39:02

Some of those animals may not want to be approached.

0:39:020:39:05

So it's going to be a pretty hair-raising events I think.

0:39:050:39:10

Tim will have to keep a close eye on the calf so he doesn't try to get

0:39:120:39:15

too friendly with the heavyweights of the enclosure like the White Rhino or the Ankole cattle.

0:39:150:39:22

Come on, then. Girls, come on.

0:39:230:39:25

Once the baby is out, Tim takes up his position nearby, ready to intervene if he heads into danger.

0:39:280:39:36

It really is a serious matter when he goes in amongst them.

0:39:360:39:41

Particularly as he takes off into the middle of those cattle.

0:39:410:39:44

All that one's got to do is

0:39:440:39:46

give a sharp hook with a horn.

0:39:460:39:48

We've actually had it happen before when the baby took them into trouble.

0:39:480:39:52

The mother tried to...

0:39:520:39:55

protect the baby.

0:39:550:39:57

One of the bull Ankole, as the mother went by, flicked his horn, and he disembowelled her literally.

0:39:570:40:04

She did survive I have to say miraculously.

0:40:040:40:08

But it was nasty.

0:40:080:40:11

Suddenly young Elvis heads straight towards the Ankole herd, forcing his mum to follow.

0:40:130:40:20

Tim jumps into action.

0:40:200:40:22

It's a nightmare.

0:40:340:40:35

You don't know where he's going to go next.

0:40:350:40:37

To manoeuvre a vehicle, you often don't get it right the first time and you're praying that nothing happens.

0:40:370:40:44

The scare is over.

0:40:440:40:46

It has been a bumpy first week for Elvis, but now he is safely out in

0:40:460:40:50

the enclosure with the herd, Tim can look forward to watching him grow up.

0:40:500:40:54

It's just a joy to see them out on a day like this. The weather makes everything, the time of year.

0:40:580:41:05

All in all, it's absolutely fine.

0:41:050:41:08

It's a good picture at the moment.

0:41:080:41:10

We will catch up with Elvis later in the series.

0:41:100:41:14

We're down in Pets Corner with head of section Darren Beasley and one of

0:41:270:41:32

the enormous African couch rats that we're trying to take for a walk.

0:41:320:41:35

But he wants to walk me rather than the other way round.

0:41:350:41:41

They're amazing-looking animals.

0:41:410:41:43

This is fairly new for them, this walking.

0:41:430:41:46

We've only done this a few times before.

0:41:460:41:50

We will start bringing them out and get the visitors walking them around as well. That's the plan.

0:41:500:41:55

And this one, is this the one that seems to be responding better?

0:41:550:41:59

Or are they both equally good?

0:41:590:42:02

We've got one who is very feisty, this fella.

0:42:020:42:05

It's all very new coming out. They're not exactly particularly friendly at the moment.

0:42:050:42:10

-They've got massive teeth.

-They could give you a nasty bite.

0:42:100:42:12

I've got a special gloves.

0:42:120:42:15

-We need to keep our feet and legs clear of him.

-Totally.

0:42:150:42:18

Darren, thank you very much.

0:42:180:42:21

-Kate, shall I have a go?

-There you go.

0:42:210:42:24

Sadly, that's all we've got time for on today's programme.

0:42:240:42:26

Here's what's coming up next time.

0:42:260:42:28

Come on, ratty, this way.

0:42:280:42:31

The time has come for Seanna the sea lion pup to leave mum, and start her further education..

0:42:330:42:40

I'll be getting friendly but one of the biggest creepy-crawlies I've ever seen.

0:42:410:42:46

I'm supposed to hold this!

0:42:460:42:48

And when we try to help a lima with her spring makeover,

0:42:480:42:52

I'll discover why Bactrian camels are famous for their bad manners.

0:42:540:42:58

That's all coming up on the next Animal Park.

0:43:010:43:05

Subtitles by Red Bee Media 2007

0:43:050:43:07

E-mail [email protected]

0:43:070:43:09

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