0:00:31 > 0:00:34Hello and welcome to Animal Park. I'm Kate Humble.
0:00:34 > 0:00:39And I'm Ben Fogle and we're up in the giraffery where there've been three new additions this year.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41There have indeed and one of then is Century.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43He's standing behind us just there.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47He was the hundredth giraffe to be born at Longleat.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50His mum is Jolly - who's loving these bananas.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53She is the ripe old age of 22 and Century was her tenth calf.
0:00:53 > 0:00:59We've got lots of other stories about the animals here at Longleat coming up on today's programme.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04The time has come for Seanna the sea lion pup to leave Mum
0:01:04 > 0:01:08and start her further education.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13I'll be getting friendly with one of the biggest creepy crawlies I've ever seen.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15I'm supposed to hold this? Indeed.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19And when we try to help Alema with her spring make-over...
0:01:21 > 0:01:25..I'll discover why Bactrian camels are famous for their bad manners.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35But first, the seven Californian sea lions who live in Half-Mile Lake
0:01:35 > 0:01:39are some of Longleat's most reliable parents.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42There's usually a new pup or two every spring.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46But where they choose to give birth has caused problems.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49They've had them on board one of the tour boats
0:01:49 > 0:01:55and turned the landing stage of Gorilla Island into a nursery.
0:01:55 > 0:02:01So two years ago work began to build the sea lions their very own beach.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07When it was finished they took to it straight away.
0:02:07 > 0:02:12And amongst the first to have a baby there was 12-year-old Celia.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Her pup was named Seanna.
0:02:16 > 0:02:23Now Seanna is almost a year old and although she's not yet fully weaned, her carefree youth is about to come
0:02:23 > 0:02:28to an abrupt end, because Celia will soon have a new pup to look after.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Keeper Michelle Stevens will be helping
0:02:31 > 0:02:33with this difficult transition.
0:02:33 > 0:02:39A pup likes to suckle for anything up to about a year
0:02:39 > 0:02:43and then we'll have to take her away from the mum and wean her
0:02:43 > 0:02:46totally away from Celia
0:02:46 > 0:02:49so that she cannot suckle or see her mum.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51We do have live fish in the lake
0:02:51 > 0:02:54so the pup would have experimented already,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57catching her own, playing around with it.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00So, it is kind of instinctive to catch fish.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04She's just not eating dead fish at the moment.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07That is something we have to get her on to.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10So as well as the separation from her mother,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Seanna will have to learn to cope with a new diet.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16In the wild, weaning can be more difficult,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18because there it's up to the mothers
0:03:18 > 0:03:23to drive their youngsters away. Once last year's pup's old enough,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26she will chase it off and she'll give birth.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29She will then need time to bond with her new pup
0:03:29 > 0:03:33so it's important Seanna is not lingering around then.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36The pup will be taken out of the lake
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and put into the sea-lion holding pen and probably be left in there
0:03:40 > 0:03:43for a couple of months, and we'll do some training with her
0:03:43 > 0:03:47and get her used to us, used to eating dead fish.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51It may seem harsh to split up mother and youngster,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53but it is a natural process.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57In the wild, they've got lots of room to get away from mum
0:03:57 > 0:03:59and mum will push the baby away.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Here, even though the lake is really large, it's half a mile long,
0:04:03 > 0:04:08it's still enclosed so the pup will always go back to the mother.
0:04:08 > 0:04:15So, it's really important that we take her completely away from mum
0:04:15 > 0:04:18so she can't see her, can't smell her and can't communicate with her.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23We'll be back to see what happens to Seanna when she's separated
0:04:23 > 0:04:27from her mother for the first time in her young life.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Despite being the most fearsome predators in the park,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39the lions of Longleat are surprisingly playful.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44For cubs Malaika and Jasira,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48it's a way of learning the crucial skills of hunting and fighting.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53For the adults, it's practice.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57The scratching post is a favourite of Charlie's pride.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02And last week Kate helped put up some brand-new rope toys
0:05:02 > 0:05:05for Kabir's cubs to play with.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07That's quite tough.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Both Malaika and Jasira loved their new playground,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12as did their father.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22But male lions are incredibly powerful animals,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25and over the last few days Kabir and Mfui
0:05:25 > 0:05:29have given the playground a bit of a beating.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34This is the remnants of some of the playthings that Kate helped keeper
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Bob Trollope make for the lions here in the enclosure.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Bob, they've trashed the place, haven't they?
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Yeah, unfortunately, it is no more. It lasted less than a week.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Less than a week. But it shows that they really enjoyed it.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50They did.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52The cubs were playing on it all the time.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54So that is obviously Jasira and Malaika.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57But they surely couldn't have done all this damage themselves?
0:05:57 > 0:06:00No, Dad helped. Right. That's Kabir.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03But the one who did most of the damage was Mfui.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05She is from the other pride who's here.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10Most probably because the scent of Kabir and the cubs and Luna.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14He's just trashed it, tried to kill that.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19The plan today is to try and make this male lion proof
0:06:19 > 0:06:21or parent proof, I suppose.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24What have we got? A couple of pretty solid wooden blocks.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28This is a silver birch and we will dangle some of these
0:06:28 > 0:06:30so they can still bite and claw them.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33We've got some that we're halfway through doing.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Shall we look at what we made earlier?
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Presumably, this is all part of the enrichment here,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43to keep them busy and entertained. It is.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47So what have we got here? This is a very heavy ball.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51This is like a trawler float or net float.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Presumably, the idea of this is that it is supposed to be indestructible.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58These are the only things that we have found that resemble
0:06:58 > 0:07:01a ball of any sort that they cannot break.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06They they can scratch it but not break it. Not pop it, obviously.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09No. And we are still working on this so we'll take the tape off
0:07:09 > 0:07:12so it is completely lion friendly as well.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14What else have we got here?
0:07:14 > 0:07:18We've got one dangling and hopefully they'll swing on this.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20When we had one of the fenders up here
0:07:20 > 0:07:27we saw Jasira climb up there and jump onto it, so it is to amuse them.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Obviously Jasira and Malaika love all of this,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33but mum and Kabir will also come up.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37They all play with it. Obviously the two youngsters play with it most,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41but they all play with it. That's what we wanted.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45The big question is, do you think this will survive the dad test,
0:07:45 > 0:07:46the parent test?
0:07:46 > 0:07:50I'm pretty sure the ball and the wood will, but whether the rope does...
0:07:50 > 0:07:52There's only one way to find out.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Join us later in the programme
0:07:55 > 0:07:59when we find out whether this is, indeed, lion parent proof.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20Recently Longleat gained some fearsome-looking new residents -
0:08:20 > 0:08:23ten African white-backed vultures.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29They waited patiently while a vast new enclosure was built for them.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32It was quite an undertaking, but after weeks of work,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36the Vulture Venue was ready for a grand opening
0:08:36 > 0:08:38by none other than Lord Bath.
0:08:38 > 0:08:44It is time to declare the Venue... open!
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Phew! That's a relief. I thought it wasn't going to open.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56The vultures wasted no time in stretching their wings
0:08:56 > 0:09:01and settling into their new home, to head of section Mark Tye's delight.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05The vultures have been getting on really well,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08getting confident with their enclosure, flying around,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11moving from perch to perch, tree to tree.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15There's not been too many disasters as regards crashing into the fence.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18There have been a few but they literally bounce off it
0:09:18 > 0:09:20and off they go again.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22As the birds have settled in well,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Mark feels it is time to try a more natural way of feeding them.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30We have been feeding them in the house most of the time
0:09:30 > 0:09:32to get them used to going back in there,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36but it would be nice to put the food out into the middle
0:09:36 > 0:09:39of the enclosure and get a good look at them feeding outside.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Vultures are not hunters but scavengers.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45They'll only eat animals that are already dead.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49While they were settling in, Mark's been feeding them chunks of meat,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52but now to encourage their natural behaviour,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Mark will feed them a whole carcass.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59This is just a deer carcass. It was actually a road kill.
0:09:59 > 0:10:05A car ran it over on the estate so it's ideal for these guys.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09They should polish this off quite quickly.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Vultures live in groups called venues,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15and feed together in the wild.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19To give Mark a closer look at the birds' behaviour as they eat,
0:10:19 > 0:10:24he's set up one of our cameras inside the enclosure.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29We'll just stake it to the ground purely for the camera's benefit.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Otherwise they'll just drag it off
0:10:31 > 0:10:34and we won't get to see anything.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39Hopefully, with that there, it shouldn't go anywhere.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44So, that's it! I can see they're getting a bit excited over there.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47I'll let them get on with it.
0:10:50 > 0:10:56With wingspans of up to ten feet, vultures are highly agile.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59But on the ground they are cumbersome and vulnerable,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01so they are naturally cautious.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06We found, when we fed them in the house,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09that if we put down just a bare piece of meat,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11they're straight on it straightaway.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15If it's a body with hair on it, and what have you,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18they are obviously a bit reluctant.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23They want to make sure that they can see it's an animal carcass - they want to make sure it's dead first.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28So what we see is the birds swooping in, and someone's got to be the brave one
0:11:28 > 0:11:32and give it a kick to make sure it's not going to get up and run away.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36But now the feeding frenzy has begun.
0:11:36 > 0:11:43We'll be back later to see just how efficiently these refuse collectors of the wild can clean up the mess.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09I'm down in Pets Corner with head of section Darren Beasley,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13an enormous crowd of people and an African millipede.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Darren, this is an extraordinary insect. It is an insect, is it?
0:12:16 > 0:12:20It's actually slightly different to your normal insect family.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23This is actually a millipede - you can see by the legs -
0:12:23 > 0:12:27but people get confused between millipedes and centipedes. OK.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31The millipedes have two pairs of legs on every single segment.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34And the centipedes, they're the meat-eating ones with only one pair.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39So it's not true that a millipede has 1,000 legs and a centipede has 100 legs.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44No, we believe an adult centipede maybe has 200 at the maximum.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46This can have anywhere up to 200 or 300.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48So millipedes are the plant eaters.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52They live on the forest floor. They eat all the old leaves and things.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54OK. This is your first ever recycler here.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59These are the things that create the good soil for the plants to grow. I'm assuming that is the head.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02There's not much difference!
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Sorry, Mr Millipede! Presumably those are the little antennae?
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Yes. They have fairly poor eyesight.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12They rely on chemical sensors.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17They come out when it's dark or first thing in the morning, and they feel their way along the forest floor.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18Are you holding that?
0:13:18 > 0:13:21No, he's actually got me there, Ben.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23So the legs... Have they got little claws?
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Tiny little spikes on the ends of the leg. It feels a bit like Velcro.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30You know, you put on your clothes.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33He has to feel secure. I wouldn't wave him around or he would drop.
0:13:33 > 0:13:39Darren, I know that you bring some of the animals that you have in Pets Corner out to show everyone,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42but you're actually going to sex this today, is that right?
0:13:42 > 0:13:47We have several of these and it's nice... We get asked questions.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49What is its name and where does it come from?
0:13:49 > 0:13:55But it always handy to know whether you're dealing with a boy or girl. Millipedes are not that difficult.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57You have to look very closely.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59See all those legs at the front. Yes.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02If you count seven segments back. Right.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Easier said than done, with all those legs moving.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08They have two pairs of legs on every segment.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13Except, in adults, roughly seven segments back, there is a gap because they sort of lost those legs.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18That helps them when they meet the girl millipedes. So, I'm looking very closely here.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...
0:14:20 > 0:14:23It looks like there's a bit of a gap to me.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26To me, that would say this is going to be a little boy.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Or a big boy, should I say!
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Do you name a millipede?
0:14:30 > 0:14:33We normally let the visitors. Are you gonna name him?
0:14:33 > 0:14:35What would you call him? It's a boy.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Um, I dunno. What do you want to call him?
0:14:38 > 0:14:41John. John! John the millipede. That's all right.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45There we go! It's settled. Have you ever seen a millipede before?
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Um, yeah. Have you? I bet not that size. That is pretty big. You're not scared, though?
0:14:49 > 0:14:51No. You're braver than me.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57At which point, I'm supposed to hold this, aren't I? Indeed. I beat you to it!
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Normally, what we do... just rest your hand there.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Because he can't see, he'll tap you with his antennae
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and then, hopefully, he'll go for a walk
0:15:05 > 0:15:09and once he feels nice and safe and secure... Here he goes...
0:15:09 > 0:15:12And what sort of environment does a millipede like this need?
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Fairly warm. These tropical ones, the African ones, they need warmth.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20We keep them in heated tanks and bring them out on sunny days like today.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24But really, in the wild, millipedes we live on the forest floor,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27particularly in the leaf litter,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and they will eat just about anything they come across,
0:15:30 > 0:15:35so any of the vegetation, and all the soil - all the nice stuff, comes out that end.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37He's surprisingly fast and very heavy.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40He likes you, Ben. OK, Darren, you can have him back now.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42I'm on a tea break now, mate. Sorry.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46OK. That's it from me and John millipede.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Back at Half-Mile Lake, Celia the sea lion is expecting a baby.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59So that she can feed and cope with the new pup, her old pup, Seanna,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03has now been moved into the sea lion holding pen.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05It's only a temporary measure.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09In a couple of months, she should be ready to rejoin the others back in the lake.
0:16:09 > 0:16:15As well as looking after the vultures, Mark Tye is also the keeper in charge of the sea lions.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19He's been getting Seanna used to eating fish.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24Some can be fussy. Some don't like heads, for example.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28When we wean them, we have to cut the heads off when they won't eat them.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Some don't like tails. And we have to chop that off.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33But it's all...
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Initially, you are pampering to their whim, to get them to eat.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41Then, once they're eating and they realise that you're the supply food every morning,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45then you can introduce your heads, your tails and everything, and they soon pick that up.
0:16:47 > 0:16:48Good girl!
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Seanna has adjusted to an all-fish diet very quickly,
0:16:52 > 0:16:58but there's something else that Mark needs to get her used to at this stage.
0:16:58 > 0:17:04If she was ever to get sick or have a medical emergency, it's something that could save her life.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11The problem is that the sea lions here have got the whole lake to swim in,
0:17:11 > 0:17:16so if one wanted to hide, it would be almost impossible to find it.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21And with their speed and agility, there's just no way that any of them could ever be caught.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25So, the question is, how to do routine health checks?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27The answer is very simple -
0:17:27 > 0:17:30train them to co-operate.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34Now, what we want to introduce is a bit of control, if you like,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37and the first thing is to get them
0:17:37 > 0:17:44to stay in one particular spot, which is why we've got the small wooden disc on the floor.
0:17:44 > 0:17:50It is getting her to stay on that particular spot for as long as you can get her to stay there.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56The way we do that is, initially, they'll stand on it out of curiosity.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00I have a whistle, and as soon as they touch it for the first time,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04you blow the whistle and instantly give them a piece of fish.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07They soon pick up the fact that when they do something correct,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09the whistle gets blown, they get fish.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13They are a smart creature and they are also pretty greedy at times,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16so they pick up the fact that the noise means food.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18OK! Good girl! Well done.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22'Seanna's doing great. I'm really chuffed with her.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25'For two weeks, to get her to stand on that wooden disc in there
0:18:25 > 0:18:28'and I've now introduced moving her into a pen,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31'get her to stand on one in there and bring her back out,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35'put her on the original one, and leave the pen without her chasing me out,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37'I'm pretty chuffed with that.'
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Whether that is something that has come down in her genes,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52because her father, Buster, is also a very well trained sea lion,
0:18:52 > 0:18:57although he chooses now not to bother cos he's got a big lake to swim in.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59But he's very clever and clued up,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02and you'll probably find that has come down in the genes into her.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06In fact, she's almost too keen to learn.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08We're done, sweetheart.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Seanna. Seanna. We're finished.
0:19:11 > 0:19:17Seanna's doing so well, Mark is hoping to move on to what they call target training.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20We'll be back to see how that goes later on.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40I'm up at the new area with head of section Tim Yeo and keeper Kevin Nibbs.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Two of the Bactrian camels. Who have we here, Tim?
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Kate, we have Alema here in the foreground, the white one,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and her mother, Mrs Bruce, in the background.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55Now, they're not looking at their best at this time of year, are they? They are looking a bit ragged.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58I think it's fair to say that, isn't it?
0:19:58 > 0:20:00They really do look scruffy, don't they?
0:20:00 > 0:20:03But this is an entirely natural process. Exactly.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09It is an annual event, when their winter coat starts to come away.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11It's just beginning now.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Where you can see it sort of hanging from...
0:20:14 > 0:20:19Can we have an look at Alema here? Kevin is doing a wonderful job of distracting them!
0:20:19 > 0:20:23But it comes off in great kind of mats, doesn't it?
0:20:23 > 0:20:25It does. Can you just pull it out?
0:20:25 > 0:20:29It's absolutely extraordinary. It so thick and woolly.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34You would think that this could be used for something, actually.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36I think most certainly.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40I think, just like we use our sheep's wool in this country and around the world,
0:20:40 > 0:20:45I think that, in Mongolia, where these animals come from,
0:20:45 > 0:20:51the local tribes that live in that area would use this very much.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56It would make amazing blankets and things, wouldn't it? Yes, yes.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00It is fantastically dense wool. Exactly.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02CAMEL SNORTS
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Oh, dear! She's just done a big snort at our poor cameraman.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Alema, that wasn't very polite at all! Right.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Is that because you're hurting her?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Why do we need to remove this for her?
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Well, I must admit, we're...
0:21:18 > 0:21:20CAMEL SNORTS
0:21:20 > 0:21:24I think she resents the camera up so close while she's eating.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28She's saying, "I'm not looking my best. Don't do big close-ups, OK?
0:21:28 > 0:21:30"Just back off! Back off!"
0:21:30 > 0:21:35Right! Does this hurt, this removing it from her?
0:21:35 > 0:21:36To be honest, it would be...
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Thank you very much, love.
0:21:38 > 0:21:44..if would if... if, um, you kept sort of tugging.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46You have to know when to stop, really.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49I think we probably need to perhaps do that.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51KATE LAUGHS
0:21:51 > 0:21:52But it... Whoops!
0:21:55 > 0:21:59It can get worse than that, believe me!
0:21:59 > 0:22:02She's not impressed with us at all, is she?
0:22:02 > 0:22:06But why do you need to help her out with removing this hair?
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Surely it just falls off naturally, doesn't it?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12It does, Kate. It will come out on its own perfectly well.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16When it's ready to come, we do help it along and collect it.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19We like to leave some of it, a small amount of it,
0:22:19 > 0:22:24for birds to use for lining their nests, which they do very much.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27It'd make wonderful nesting material.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Well, Alema, we look forward to you looking sleek and beautiful
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and perhaps improving on your manners a bit.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Tim, Kevin, thank you very much indeed.
0:22:43 > 0:22:49I'm here in Pets Corner with keeper Sarah Clayson and some of its most popular residents, the ferrets.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Sarah, can I pick this one up? Yes, that's Bobkin.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55I'm amazed that you can tell them all apart. Hello, Bobkin.
0:22:55 > 0:23:01They've got these extraordinary, long, bendy, agile bodies, don't they? Is there a reason for that?
0:23:01 > 0:23:05Originally, they're descended from the polecat in the wild.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10They live in burrows so they have a bendy body to get down in the burrows.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12That's basically the reason why.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16And when you say "originally", what about now? What's their lifestyle now?
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Are they domesticated? Ferrets are domesticated, yeah.
0:23:20 > 0:23:26You still get the European polecat in the wild, but they were taken out of the wild 2,000 years ago,
0:23:26 > 0:23:32roughly, for rat-catching and pets, and that is what a ferret is - a domesticated polecat.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Do you think they make good pets? They do, if you have a lot of time and enough space.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41It's nice if you can have two because, as you can see, they like living in a large group.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43And they love playing with each other, as well.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46I bet they are incredibly popular with all the visitors here,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49unless they try and bite your hand, like that!
0:23:49 > 0:23:52In the meantime, here is what's still to come on today's programme.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Please don't try and bite me. You're supposed be a sweet little creature.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04The lions loved their rope toy so much they wrecked it in a week,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07but will the new one last any longer?
0:24:07 > 0:24:09The vultures are gathering at Longleat
0:24:09 > 0:24:13and the keepers have prepared a special feast in their honour.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21And Seanna is getting top marks at sea lion school.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26But will she graduate and learn to survive without her mum?
0:24:34 > 0:24:35But first...
0:24:42 > 0:24:49Back at the Vulture Venue, head of section Mark Tye has put out a deer carcass for the vultures to feed on.
0:24:49 > 0:24:56To understand his new charges better, Mark wants to get a close look at their feeding habits
0:24:56 > 0:24:59so he's set up one of our cameras.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Once Mark's out of the way, the vultures descend on the carcass.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16Here is the dominant bird. It's obviously coming in to check that it's definitely dead.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Once he's established that, then it's a bit of a free-for-all.
0:25:26 > 0:25:33Though at home in the air, on the ground vultures are vulnerable, so they find safety in numbers.
0:25:34 > 0:25:40In the wild, more than 100 birds have been seen on a single carcass.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45They would be one of the first ones onto something that had died.
0:25:45 > 0:25:52That's why when they feed, they feed so vigorously because they've got to get as much as they can
0:25:52 > 0:25:58before the bigger predators like lions and hyenas would come in and get the majority share.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03If we notice as they are feeding, you'll see, at the base of their neck,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07their crops filling up with the meat and that's the idea.
0:26:07 > 0:26:13They have a big elastic crop that they will jam as much as they can get into in a short space of time
0:26:13 > 0:26:17so that they can leave the scene when the bigger predators and scavengers come along.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Then they can sit in their trees and slowly digest the food.
0:26:21 > 0:26:27Though they're not killers, the vultures' beak is a formidable weapon.
0:26:27 > 0:26:34They literally use their beak to tear through the skin, the flesh and anything... small bones.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37They pull it off with their beak and swallow it whole.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41They don't have, like hawks, claws and talons.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45They just use it to hold the prey down while they pull at it with their beak.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48The beak is savage. It's a real nasty piece of work.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50I know when we've had to catch them,
0:26:50 > 0:26:55it's always been a bit of a worry for your fingers.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Because of their diet of dead and rotting meat,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06vultures are often seen as ugly and unhygienic
0:27:06 > 0:27:10but, in fact, they're perfectly adapted to the job they do in the wild.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14As you can see, they stick their head right inside a carcass.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18If you can imagine all the entrails and everything that would normally be in there,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20it will get very messy and very dirty.
0:27:20 > 0:27:26So they've got this adaptation where they do have the bald head and neck so it helps them stay cleaner.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32They are nature's cleaners and without them there would be a mess lying around everywhere
0:27:32 > 0:27:34waiting for things to rot.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37It would take a long time so they do a very essential job.
0:27:40 > 0:27:46In less than ten minutes, ten vultures have ripped through an adult deer carcass
0:27:46 > 0:27:48and returned to their perches.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Mark can move in to inspect their handiwork.
0:27:54 > 0:28:02Blimey! Well, that's literally just the skin and what's left of the bone.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05There's nothing apart from odd little bits of meat.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Most of it has gone.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14The vultures are sated
0:28:14 > 0:28:20and Mark's delighted to gain a whole new perspective on his new charges.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Normally when we're viewing it from a side profile, if you like,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27it just looks like a big pile of birds all climbing over each other.
0:28:27 > 0:28:32But you can definitely see their heads and beaks are much in control.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34They're not squabbling with each other.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36They're just clearing up what they have to.
0:28:46 > 0:28:52Up in lion country, the adult males have been trashing the old rope toys.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00Earlier today, keeper Bob Trollope and I fixed up some new ones.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05Now the time has come to put the new toys to the test.
0:29:06 > 0:29:11Bob, we're hoping that this is now all completely parent proof.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Hopefully. Fingers crossed.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Just talk us through who we've got. We've got the two young cubs.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19We've got Malaika and Jasira.
0:29:19 > 0:29:20Is that Malaika in the front?
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Malaika is the one following Luna.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Right. Jasira is in front of Dad.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27And Dad is obviously Kabir.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29So it's Mum that is leading the way.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33I thought that Kabir would be the first one in there but obviously not.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37Obviously, Malaika and Jasira are still getting on fantastically well.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40Yeah, brilliantly. They are good for each other.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43There is only a couple of months difference in their age.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47Are they getting more aggressive as they get older?
0:29:47 > 0:29:49Um, not towards each other.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51They just play harder.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Have they both got very distinguishable personalities now?
0:29:56 > 0:29:57Without a doubt.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Jasira, just wondering off, is very much like her mum.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03A bit more adventurous.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07I think their names reflect their character because Malaika means angel.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10She's a bit more angelic than Jasira.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Jasira means courageous.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16It is amazing how inquisitive they are
0:30:16 > 0:30:19and how catlike - as in domestic catlike.
0:30:19 > 0:30:25If you were to sit here for hours and hours, you would see so many things that your own cat would do.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29Obviously, it's instilled in them to play.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33Is that playing or is that...? I'm not quite sure what this is.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38I'm not quite sure. She's being a little bit cautious.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41And you see how the tail... Oh look!
0:30:41 > 0:30:43She's going to go up to the top now.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45It's a bit safer up there.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47So here comes Dad now.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51He wants to come and see what we're doing.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55He's more concerned with the Land Rover than toys. That's for the kids.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00Is he just going to circle us and check that we are not the threat or does he already know that?
0:31:00 > 0:31:04He sees vehicles every day. He's more interested in where we've been walking around.
0:31:04 > 0:31:09Like I say, there's obviously a bit of scent enrichment just by us walking around.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12He'd just be investigating things like that.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14He's going off and checking his tail.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16He's found a bit of poo to roll in.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Having a bit of a roll over there.
0:31:19 > 0:31:25And Mum's not too concerned about them being off on their own and getting into trouble?
0:31:25 > 0:31:30She keeps an eye on them, I must admit, but she's a very good mum.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33Jasira playing with Mum at the moment.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Stealing it from her.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Saying, "I want it!"
0:31:37 > 0:31:39She's trying to drag it off and kill it.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42That's interesting, with the back foot on there.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45If that was a bit of prey or whatever she would be disembowelling it.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49Really? So they are replicating what they would do
0:31:49 > 0:31:52if they actually had prey out in the wild.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Well, Bob, thank you very much.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Let's hope this lasts longer
0:31:57 > 0:32:02than the seven days that the last one lasted for.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15At Longleat, Pets Corner is home to the park's smallest residents.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20These leaf-cutter ants may be tiny but they're incredibly strong.
0:32:20 > 0:32:26Each ant is able to carry ten times its own weight in leaf.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29That's the equivalent of a human carrying a small car.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33The ants harvest bits of leaf in one enclosure
0:32:33 > 0:32:37and then carry them down these clear plastic tubes
0:32:37 > 0:32:38all the way to their nest.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Over time, the tubes get mucky.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46'I've come down to the hothouse to help keeper Rob give them a clean.'
0:32:46 > 0:32:51I've put these bits of tape and roll on the end,
0:32:51 > 0:32:55because as we clean each section of it, we need to block off one end
0:32:55 > 0:32:58and the other end, otherwise they'd be all over the place.
0:32:58 > 0:33:04In the wild, they go off to cut leaves for food, presumably?
0:33:04 > 0:33:05They don't eat it directly.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10They'll cut the leaf and when they get it into the nest,
0:33:10 > 0:33:14they'll take it into smaller work-arounds
0:33:14 > 0:33:19which will cut it up into a mushy pulp and they'll feed it to a fungus
0:33:19 > 0:33:24and this fungus has evolved to live with them for millions of years.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27It relies on them. Whatever they give it, it grows,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30and then the ants eat the fungus. That's amazing!
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Very advanced species of ant.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35I need to get a bit off the outside of that later.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39We'll swing this one up. This is connected to the other end.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42We should have a full working unit again.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45We can now feed them properly on here, can we?
0:33:45 > 0:33:47If I swing this cupboard open,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50hopefully I should have some stuff ready.
0:33:50 > 0:33:55This is a little bit of planting you can put in there. OK.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58If you pop them in the holes...
0:33:58 > 0:34:02They have got certain favourites as well. It sounds really strange.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05Even though they don't eat it themselves, they're really choosy.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08One of their favourites is Rice Krispies. How bizarre!
0:34:08 > 0:34:11I've got a funny feeling it's because it's quite light to carry.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14When it breaks down, it's fine for them.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Just tip a bit of that on there. Like that?
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Just a little bit of flaked maize. They'll carry that as well.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Amazing creatures.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26We can begin to see the first ones coming up there to take the oats.
0:34:26 > 0:34:32Enjoy your nice new clean runway, ants. ..Good job done, Rob.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Fascinating. Thank you very much.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45All over the park,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48keepers strive to make mealtimes as natural as possible
0:34:48 > 0:34:49for each species.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55For the giraffes, that means replicating the thorny acacia trees
0:34:55 > 0:34:57they browse on in Africa
0:34:57 > 0:35:01by hanging bundles of tasty leaves high off the ground.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06I'm out in the East Africa Reserve with Head of Section Andy
0:35:06 > 0:35:07and Warden Ryan.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Earlier on, guys, we put out some browse,
0:35:10 > 0:35:12and who do we have actually eating now?
0:35:12 > 0:35:14We've got Theresa and Imogen there.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Caroline waits for anything that drops on the floor!
0:35:17 > 0:35:21It's a perfect opportunity to see just how a giraffe eats.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Ryan, what's the process that they go through?
0:35:24 > 0:35:28This is quite a thorny bundle of browse up here,
0:35:28 > 0:35:32so you can just see the ends of their tongue coming out
0:35:32 > 0:35:36and fairly gently wrapping around the few leaves they're taking each time.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39That's presumably why they're so very long,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42so they can strip as many leaves as possible.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45They need to be able to wrap round a whole branch if necessary.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Bearing in mind the size of a giraffe, Andy,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51how much does one have to eat per day?
0:35:51 > 0:35:55I think they need to eat about 35 kilograms of food a day.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57They just eat and eat and eat.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Females feed for about nine hours a day and bulls for about 12 hours.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Acacia's got a lot of water in it as well,
0:36:03 > 0:36:05so they don't have to drink that often.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09Presumably, Ryan, that's why they've got such long necks,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12so they can reach places other animals can't. Um, yeah.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Originally, people did think that was the reason
0:36:15 > 0:36:17for developing a long neck,
0:36:17 > 0:36:22but nowadays the line of thinking is it all stems from the males -
0:36:22 > 0:36:25the males use their head and neck to spar,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28to find out some sort of hierarchy of who's going to mate with who.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Hundreds of thousands of years ago,
0:36:30 > 0:36:34the males with a bigger neck, being able to swing harder,
0:36:34 > 0:36:38were winning the fights and mating and passing their genes on,
0:36:38 > 0:36:42so over hundreds of thousands of years, these long necks developed,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44not necessarily for the browsing -
0:36:44 > 0:36:47there's plenty of browsers in Africa without a neck like that -
0:36:47 > 0:36:51but more to do with the genetics of the bigger, longer-necked bulls
0:36:51 > 0:36:53winning the fights.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56And, Ryan, what about the youngsters?
0:36:56 > 0:36:58There's a little one just behind you, actually,
0:36:58 > 0:37:02obviously far too small to reach that sort of browse now,
0:37:02 > 0:37:04but do the parents ever help?
0:37:04 > 0:37:08Do they rip bits off and drop them down? Not that I've seen, Ben.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12The younger ones will act like the camels.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16They'll stand there, anything that falls down, they'll pick up.
0:37:16 > 0:37:21When we first hang it, it is fairly low to start with,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25so they might take the first low-hanging bits,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27but the adults work so fast on it,
0:37:27 > 0:37:31that within minutes, you're way up on the browse line,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33and the youngsters can't reach it.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37They love this browse. How often do you bring it out?
0:37:37 > 0:37:38We do this daily in summer.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43It's a lot of hard work going out and collecting it, but...
0:37:43 > 0:37:47Really satisfying. Yeah, you see the animals doing what they should do.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50It's what it's all about so it's nice to see.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52Absolutely. Andy, Ryan, thank you very much.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56I think we'll leave the giraffes to enjoy their browse.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Back at the sea lion holding pen,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Mark is still working on young Seanna's training.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18Now he's using a method called target training.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23Initially, when you first put the target towards them,
0:38:23 > 0:38:24they want to sniff it,
0:38:24 > 0:38:28so as soon as they do that, it's whistle, reward.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32Then it's building that up until she'll put her nose on it,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34and, again, stretching out the time
0:38:34 > 0:38:37before you give the whistle and the reward.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41Then you can start leading her around, she'll follow it about.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43At the moment, she's staying still on the log,
0:38:43 > 0:38:45and following the target.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48I want to get her to walk behind me
0:38:48 > 0:38:51and move along and she'll follow me out the pen.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56The aim of this training is so that Seanna will be able to cooperate
0:38:56 > 0:38:59should she need veterinary attention,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01either routine or in an emergency.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06She seems quite comfortable with lying down.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09It's just now getting to a point where I'm confident enough
0:39:09 > 0:39:12to try and introduce touch and feeling her flippers
0:39:12 > 0:39:14and running my hand down her back,
0:39:14 > 0:39:18so that in the future we can actually examine her
0:39:18 > 0:39:22and check for any wounds or problems she may have.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26She just seems to have picked it up really quickly and hasn't bitten me,
0:39:26 > 0:39:28so that's a pretty good sign.
0:39:28 > 0:39:33In fact, Seanna is one of the best pupils Mark's ever had,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35though she has her good days and her bad days.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38From last time when we came in,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41it was just getting her to stand on the stump in there.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44But she's picked that up really well now.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46A little bit dodgy coming outside.
0:39:46 > 0:39:51She wants to keep chasing me out of the gate, but that's a slight problem
0:39:51 > 0:39:54which can easily be corrected. She'll soon pick that back up.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57She was really good and has gone a little bit bad with it,
0:39:57 > 0:40:01but she'll go back to being good. A sea lion has to be cooperative
0:40:01 > 0:40:04to do this - if it doesn't want to, it won't.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08So it's just a case of getting a good bond with her in here,
0:40:08 > 0:40:12moving her down to the lake in the hippo pen there,
0:40:12 > 0:40:15carrying on with the same regime in there for a while,
0:40:15 > 0:40:19then releasing her back to the lake and trying to get her doing it again.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24We'll be back to catch up with Seanna later in the series,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28when it's time for her to rejoin her family out in the wide, open lake.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50We're out in the deer park with head of section Tim Yeo
0:40:50 > 0:40:54and the red deer that are all gathered around us getting food.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58They need extra food, presumably, at this time of year, do they, Tim?
0:40:58 > 0:40:59They certainly do, Kate, yes.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03They're very hardy animals these - completely hardy -
0:41:03 > 0:41:06but we do need to substitute the natural food.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Tim, who's this friendly one that's eating out of my hand here?
0:41:10 > 0:41:14This is actually, er, 028! We call her 028. 028? That's...
0:41:14 > 0:41:20Ingenious name! Presumably they do have numbers, do they?
0:41:20 > 0:41:24She does actually have a tag number, and that's where it comes from.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28Looking around at the herd, one thing is very noticeable.
0:41:28 > 0:41:34You've got one male in the middle there with magnificent antlers,
0:41:34 > 0:41:39and then a couple of others with what looks like a couple of twigs!
0:41:39 > 0:41:43What's going on there? Very different, isn't it?
0:41:43 > 0:41:46Kate, that literally is age.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49They're only youngsters, about two years old.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53And our herd stag there, we're talking six or seven years old.
0:41:53 > 0:41:58It's quite a difference quite quickly. To go from a twig at two
0:41:58 > 0:42:03to a whole beautiful topiary by the time they're six, is impressive.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07Certainly. And to be honest there are some two-year-old stags,
0:42:07 > 0:42:11or even yearling stags, that produce massive antlers.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16It's somewhat down to genetics, it can be, and feed as well - good feed.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19So this one has obviously done well and is hardy,
0:42:19 > 0:42:21can cope with the bleak conditions
0:42:21 > 0:42:24and hold on to these magnificent antlers.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27He is magnificent. Fantastic.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31Tim, thank you very much. Sadly, that's all we've got time for today
0:42:31 > 0:42:35but here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Mayhem has broken out in the aviary.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42The spoonbills are at war and the casualties are mounting.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44They're not giving it any time at all
0:42:44 > 0:42:47and if they keep hounding it like that, they'll kill it.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52There's an army trying to eat Longleat's treasures.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57We'll be reporting on the latest battle in the war on bugs.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59And up at Wolf Wood
0:42:59 > 0:43:03there are pups on the way, so the keepers
0:43:03 > 0:43:06have come up with a hi-tech solution to keep an eye on mum.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk