0:00:31 > 0:00:35- Hello and welcome to Animal Park. I'm Ben Fogle.- I'm Kate Humble.
0:00:35 > 0:00:41We're up at Wallaby Wood with the 26 Bennett wallabies. I say 26 but those are the ones you can actually see.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Spring is in the air and they've started to breed.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48You can probably just make out some joeys in their pouches down there.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52We've got lots of other stories coming up on today's programme.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Male lions Mafui and Kabir are neighbours,
0:00:56 > 0:01:00but if they met, it would be murder.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01We'll learn how to keep the peace.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Calm down!
0:01:03 > 0:01:07I'll be going bananas with the boisterous Bactrian Camels.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10No, don't... It's not for you. Just wait.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14And we're off to Kenya
0:01:14 > 0:01:18where conservationists are battling to inoculate these endangered zebra
0:01:18 > 0:01:20against an outbreak of deadly anthrax.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27But first, we're off to Longleat's lion country.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Kabir, the male Barbary lion, arrived at the park in 2005.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36He's one of less than 100 Barbary lions left in the world.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Thankfully, he settled in quickly.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43He sired two female cubs.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47At first he was a bit of a grumpy father.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52But now the whole family are getting on splendidly together.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58There is one lion at Longleat that Kabir will never meet -
0:01:58 > 0:02:0112-year-old male, Mafui.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Male lions will not tolerate other males,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09and so Mafui and Kabir are deadly rivals.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14Though they share accommodation, the keepers must keep them apart.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19We're outside the lion enclosures with head of section Brian Kent and keeper Bob Trollope.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21We've got quite a task on our hands, I gather.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23- We do.- What have we got to do today?
0:02:23 > 0:02:27We've got to put one pride in and let one pride out.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29OK. That sounds relatively simple.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33We've got one pride of lions out who've got to be in, and one pride in who've got to be out.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36- But they're all in the same section. - Ah.- Ah.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38So how on earth do we go about this?
0:02:38 > 0:02:42- Well, we just go in there and drive one lot into a paddock.- Right.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Get them into the house and then let the other lot out.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51You make it sound beautifully simple, but I have a feeling it might be more complicated.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57While Ben and Brian head to the lion house to meet Mafui...
0:02:58 > 0:03:01..I'm off with Bob to meet Kabir,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04who's holding court in the lion enclosure.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08There he is, just there.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Just there. He's looking so handsome.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13There's his protege.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16There's his pride. Look at them.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21How do the cubs react to being rounded up and moved into the house?
0:03:21 > 0:03:24They're absolutely brilliant.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27You normally find that, as soon as we open the slider,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Kabir is there. He's pretty good at that.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Cos it was hours before.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35It was hours, yeah.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40He's a bit of a wuss now, and as soon as he sees the house is open, he wants to go in.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44- It's a very cold day.- Yeah. That triggers a response from the females
0:03:44 > 0:03:48because they see him going in, think they're missing out, so they come in.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52- Obviously cubs don't want to be very far from Mum.- So they follow in.
0:03:52 > 0:03:58Is it just simply not possible to mix the two prides?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- No, it would be carnage.- Really?
0:04:01 > 0:04:05- Kabir would want to kill Mafui. - Right.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07And Mafui would want to kill Kabir.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Presumably in here it's Mafui's pride, is it?
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Just the three of them, yeah.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17Brian, just how important is this, to keep the two males separate?
0:04:17 > 0:04:20What would happen if they saw one another?
0:04:20 > 0:04:25If they could see each other through the caging, we'd have problems.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27They would go at each other through the cage.
0:04:27 > 0:04:34- They'd try and attack one another? - They would try to get to each other. What we've done is obviously...
0:04:34 > 0:04:37You've put that whole partition in.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40So they can't actually see at all.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Is this so that in the winter time when it's a bit chilly like today,
0:04:44 > 0:04:49both prides can come in at night and you can house them in the same area and keep an eye on them?
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Yeah, that's what it was for.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56You don't want to let the other ones out too long in the cold.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01We've got the ability to keep them in for as long as we want.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Absolutely.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09Here he is. He's looking quite keen to come in.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14- He really is a magnificent looking male, isn't he?- He is.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- Here's the others coming in.- Here they come. What's the next stage?
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- Just let Brian know.- OK.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27- Lion two, Brian.- That sounds like Bob and Kate.- Come in.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Yeah, the lions are in the compound.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Fantastic.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32OK, thank you.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36That's phase one successfully completed,
0:05:36 > 0:05:41but the keepers still have to coax Kabir and his pride into the lion house
0:05:41 > 0:05:46before Mafui comes out. We'll be there to help.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Now, we're off to Kenya to visit the TUSK Trust.
0:06:01 > 0:06:07TUSK is a charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and habitats of Africa.
0:06:07 > 0:06:13They run 25 conservation projects in 15 countries.
0:06:13 > 0:06:20As a donor, Longleat Safari Park has enjoyed a close working relationship with the trust in recent years.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26This collaboration means TUSK has invited safari park staff to develop
0:06:26 > 0:06:31their professional expertise by visiting the conservancies it supports in Kenya.
0:06:31 > 0:06:37This year, Deputy Head Warden Ian Turner has brought four Longleat keepers
0:06:37 > 0:06:41on the trip of a lifetime to the Lewa conservancy.
0:06:41 > 0:06:47Ranging across 250 sq kms of land on the slopes of Mount Kenya,
0:06:47 > 0:06:52Lewa is dedicated to preserving Africa's endangered wildlife.
0:06:53 > 0:07:01Many of the animals living at Lewa are under threat, but none are more endangered than the Grevy's zebra.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Recognisable by their thin stripes and large ears,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Grevy's used to be found across East Africa.
0:07:09 > 0:07:15But because of hunting and destruction of habitat, there are less than 2,500 left in the world.
0:07:15 > 0:07:22Of those precious few, about 400 live here at Lewa.
0:07:22 > 0:07:29This year, Kenya has been ravaged by a severe drought which has affected the whole of East Africa.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34There's been no significant rainfall here for over nine months.
0:07:34 > 0:07:40Now the dry conditions have brought on an urgent problem for Head of Security Richard Moller.
0:07:40 > 0:07:47There's been an outbreak of anthrax in an area 45 miles north of Lewa, a place called Ngarani.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50There's quite a good population of Grevy's zebra there.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55The November rains failed totally in this area and especially up north.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58It's these extreme climatic conditions
0:07:58 > 0:08:03that bring out these sort of diseases. Anthrax is one of them.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09Anthrax has hit the headlines in the West as a biological weapon,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12but in Africa it occurs in its natural form.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14It's a bacteria that lives in the soil.
0:08:14 > 0:08:21It's rarely fatal to humans, but when it breaks out in hoofed mammals, it can quickly kill.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24We know of 66 deaths so far.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29That's a pretty significant number of animals.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35The disease could easily spread to Lewa, so the park management
0:08:35 > 0:08:39decided to vaccinate as many of Lewa's Grevy's as possible.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41It's a massive job.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46You're talking about an operation that's cost about 120,000.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51To include aerial darting from a helicopter.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55On Lewa we're up to, I think, 250-odd at the moment
0:08:55 > 0:08:57out of a total of 400.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00We've just got this one small group left to do.
0:09:00 > 0:09:07But if we can do a minimum of 60%, then at least we're hopefully ahead of the game.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Bev Evans looks after zebra at Longleat,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15but hers are a subspecies called Grant's zebra.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20She's come a long way to see Grevy's for the first time.
0:09:20 > 0:09:27Now she has the chance to help Richard complete this critical vaccination project.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Normally we do dart in a pen, quite a small pen,
0:09:30 > 0:09:35so it's reasonably easy to dart the animal, and also to get the dart back.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Out here, they could go anywhere.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43It must be quite hard to find out which animals you've already darted
0:09:43 > 0:09:46and also to get the animals.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49We've already got some rigged-up darts in here.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Important that they're all chilled.
0:09:51 > 0:09:57- We've still got quite a few, but probably best we rig up a couple more darts.- Sure, OK.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- You've got two compartments.- Right.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03You can press this one with compressed air.
0:10:03 > 0:10:09The plan is that compressed air pushes that plunger forward
0:10:09 > 0:10:16- and then the drug, or vaccine in this case, is administered to the animal.- Yeah, sure.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21Right, Bev, I think we can pack up and head out.
0:10:21 > 0:10:28Over 250 animals have been darted so far, and Richard is an old hand at the process.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30But still, it's not easy.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35Once you've darted one or two out of a group, the rest obviously realise
0:10:35 > 0:10:41there's something amiss here and become more schitzy. That's why we haven't done the whole population.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45With one fifth of the world's Grevy's living at Lewa,
0:10:45 > 0:10:50it's vital for the future of the species that the vaccination programme works.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54We'll come back later to see how Bev and Richard get on.
0:11:01 > 0:11:07At Pets Corner, Darren Beasley and Jo Hawthorne look after some of the park's smaller and slower residents,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11including over 40 tortoises.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14They've been excited about their trip to Kenya for weeks.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17These are some of the things you'll hopefully see.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22Something that really whetted my appetite was the amount of small animals.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26The little ones and the big ones are all needed.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29It's so crucial and I'm hoping, with Jo gonna come with us this year,
0:11:29 > 0:11:34we can find the small animals - the tortoises, the mongoose, the bugs, the beetles
0:11:34 > 0:11:37and all the things that really get me going.
0:11:37 > 0:11:44Now at the Lewa conservancy, Darren and Jo are hoping to study tortoises in the wild.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50But Lewa's a big place, and tortoises are hard to find.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57After days of searching, Darren and Jo have heard about a tortoise sighting,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00so they've come to investigate.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03We heard on the radio, you might have found something for us.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Jo and I have just got fever-pitch excitement here
0:12:06 > 0:12:11because we just heard on the old walkie-talkies that he might have found us a tortoise.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14This is a big place! You're looking for a needle in a haystack.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19We would so love, for many, many reasons, to find a tortoise.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23If it is the sort of tortoise we think it is, it's a big result all round.
0:12:24 > 0:12:31Tortoises are shy, well camouflaged and very difficult to spot, but one has recently been seen in this area.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Surely it can't have gone far.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Oh! Look!
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Oh, my goodness!
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- We're going to need bigger scales. - That is a beauty.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52That is a leopard tortoise.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Oh, my goodness.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58- Isn't she beautiful?- I'll take some pictures.- Well done. Thank you.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- Well done.- She's huge!
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Goodness gracious me.
0:13:02 > 0:13:08This is dream upon dreams. This is exactly what we're looking for. It's called a leopard tortoise.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10We've got the little dots.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14As they get really old, some can live a huge amount of years
0:13:14 > 0:13:18if they're not preyed on. This can go just one colour - brown.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20It's got the little dots in here,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22a bit like a leopard coat.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25The camouflage on these is incredible.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29In this grass, this colour, you're not going to see them.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Obviously when they need to get away
0:13:31 > 0:13:35to hide away from predators, they've got the perfect camouflage shell.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40The leopard tortoise is found in grassland right across Africa.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Eating a diet of dry grass and the occasional fruit,
0:13:44 > 0:13:49they can weigh up to 35kg and grow up to 700mm across.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52OK, Jo,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55first one. Goodness gracious.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57- 550.- OK.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02Accurate measurements will tell Darren about how life in the wild affects the tortoise's condition.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05I'm just going to measure her V at the back.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- OK.- To give us an idea. I know it is a girl.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11- Yeah. 100mm.- OK.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15She's a big girl.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18There's no shell damage, probably because of her size,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22but when they're very young these are ideal prey animals. Everything eats them.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27Even hyena with their really strong jaws, will bite into them and bust these.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29They're like tanks, aren't they?
0:14:29 > 0:14:34She's got a lovely shell, really nice. It's not only a defence but a solar panel as well.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39In the this really hot African heat, 100 degrees out here, it's so warm,
0:14:39 > 0:14:40she generates all her energy
0:14:40 > 0:14:44by eating her food, then absorbing the sunshine through here,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48so it's defence and a very advanced solar panel.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49There's no damage here.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55We know with our tortoises, the boy tortoises can be really rough.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59When they try to chat up the girls, they come up and bash them.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00You get a lot of shell damage.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05Here, she'll be lucky if she stumbles across another male once a year if she's lucky.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07So quite amazing.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14The last vital job is to get a good snap for Darren's extensive collection of tortoise photos.
0:15:14 > 0:15:20Bizarrely, wherever I travel in the world, if I find tortoises, I use my foot as a scale measure
0:15:20 > 0:15:25because you end up with all these lovely photographs - tape measures, weights and things -
0:15:25 > 0:15:28but when you see the pictures on the computer, it means nothing.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32My foot stopped growing years ago so I always slip off a trainer.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36Rather sad for the poor wild tortoise, but it's a good measure,
0:15:36 > 0:15:41so you'll see most of my tortoise shots at home have got Darren's foot inside.
0:15:41 > 0:15:48Darren's special interest is how animals like this leopard tortoise fit into the overall ecosystem.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51It's really crucial that everybody in the world
0:15:51 > 0:15:55understands as well that we're in Kenya, elephants, rhinos,
0:15:55 > 0:16:01all that stuff, but the crucial word we use these days is biodiversity. Everybody plays a role out here.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05These guys will make the tracks, eat fallen fruit and spread seeds.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08If you look after the little ones, the big ones follow suit.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13It's crucial that the whole scheme, the whole web of life is cared for.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17She can go back and find some more nice things to munch on.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- Live a long life. Thank you very much.- You're welcome.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21- Absolutely fantastic.- Thank you.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23You've made us both very happy.
0:16:30 > 0:16:37Back at Longleat, Kabir and his pride are in the paddock, waiting to come into the lion house.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43Mafui and his pride are inside, waiting to be allowed out into the open.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48Do we have to do this strange juggling with these guys now?
0:16:48 > 0:16:53- What we need to do is let Kabir and the others in.- Right.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Before we can let Mafui and the two girls out.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58- OK. How do we do that? - If we go down here.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Back down to this end.
0:17:00 > 0:17:06Obviously you've got that partition in, but presumably there's a sense that they know one another is there.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10- They obviously know each other's there. - There they are, in fact.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15- Come on. - Brian, how are we doing out there?
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Not too bad. Just waiting for one more at the moment.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Here he comes. Two.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27There should be one other female and two young cubs.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36- Calm down.- Have you got 'em?
0:17:36 > 0:17:37Yeah, I hope so.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Shall I put the padlock back on?
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Blimey! These are absolutely beautiful, the little cubs.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56- They're getting on really well, aren't they?- They're doing fine. - They look fantastically healthy.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01- You're happy that these guys are safely in now?- They're safely locked in, out of the way.
0:18:01 > 0:18:07So Mafui will disappear down the back. We won't see him, and next time he'll appear outside, yes?
0:18:07 > 0:18:11- He should be straight out in the paddock.- OK. Are there secret passageways in here?
0:18:11 > 0:18:17We've got a tunnel on the back, a transit tunnel, that we can move any lion past any other lion.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- Without any contact? - That's what it was built for.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Oh, there we go. That's one of the girls that went first.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26That was Amy, now Lulu.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- And Mafui.- And Mafui.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31So that's safely outside.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Yep, they should be on their way.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35- There they are. - Look, here they come.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42There it is. If you want to push that shut, Kate, then that's it.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Well done.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Wow! I feel exhausted.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51That was quite a complicated manoeuvre.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52And you do that every day?
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- Every day, yeah. - Cor is all I can say!
0:18:55 > 0:19:01I'm not sure we were that helpful, but thank you very much for letting us see them. Thank you.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14Back in Kenya, Bev Evans is helping Lewa's Head of Security Richard Moller
0:19:14 > 0:19:17with a critical vaccination programme.
0:19:17 > 0:19:23They're inoculating the highly endangered Grevy's zebra against an outbreak of deadly anthrax.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29So, Bev, this group up here, it's our last group.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31We know it's the last group.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Because it's a group that's got several foals.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38They don't move far from here, so we've left this group till last.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39Are you darting the foals as well?
0:19:39 > 0:19:44No, definitely not. We don't want to stress them out too much.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- Just the fully-grown animals.- OK.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53Finding the group is one thing, but getting close to them is another.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57- See, they already know. - Yeah, they're getting nervous?
0:19:57 > 0:20:00They already know what's up here.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03The zebra group head into an area of scrub,
0:20:03 > 0:20:07making it difficult for Richard to get a clean shot.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13- Do you think that hit the spot?- No. - No.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15- That was a clean miss.- Yes.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24The zebra are now clearly avoiding the Jeep.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31We're certainly not in thick bush, but a lot of these whistling thorn,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35if the dart just touches them it will knock that rubber cover off
0:20:35 > 0:20:39and then we'll lose the vaccine. So we'll just stick with them.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Hopefully they'll move into more open ground.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Even someone as experienced as Richard can't force wild animals
0:20:48 > 0:20:52to cooperate, but with the future of the species in the balance, he'll keep on trying
0:20:52 > 0:20:56There's just this last group left.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58You can hear the wind and what-have-you...
0:21:00 > 0:21:03The odds are stacking against us a bit now.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08But there's only one thing for it - to keep plugging on.
0:21:08 > 0:21:14We'll come back later on to see if Richard and Bev can accomplish their mission.
0:21:19 > 0:21:26Back at Longleat, many of the animals are acclimatised to human beings and not shy at all.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31Some of them even come forward to be given their medicine.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34This might be what you call a crush of Bactrian camels.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Hello, girls and boys.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I'm up at the new area with keeper Kevin Nibbs.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43- They're all looking very keen, Kev. - They are.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46- They're not lining up for bananas? - They are.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49- Only because we need to give them some medication.- Right.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53A few here are quite arthritic. They're getting on in years.
0:21:53 > 0:21:59What we do is put some of this powder for their arthritis in a banana, then put it in their mouth.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04So it's basically like trying to persuade a child to take medicine, you have to disguise it.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08- Yeah. - It's like doing a cookery show, this.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11You split this one open and put a scoop of this in?
0:22:11 > 0:22:14One scoop in there and try to rub it around a bit.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17- So it's nicely all mixed up with the banana.- Yep.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Crikey, this gives a new meaning to banana split, doesn't it?
0:22:20 > 0:22:26I suppose, as you say, you're absolutely sure that each one is getting the required dose.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29- Exactly, yeah. Exactly. - OK. What do you think of that?
0:22:29 > 0:22:35- Will that do the trick?- That's good. Give that to Babs because she's greedy. That will go down in one.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40Do we need to take all them at once because they can get quite sort of...
0:22:40 > 0:22:43well, on cue, pushy, can't they?
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Wait, just wait. It's coming, it's coming.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Yeah, if we take them all together
0:22:47 > 0:22:49we can give it to the ones that need it.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52We've got a few left over for the camels that don't need it.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Because I know with them... they're big animals.
0:22:55 > 0:23:01- Yeah.- They could be quite dangerous, I suppose.- Definitely, yes.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03They've got a big kick on them, very big feet.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08They can bite and spit as well. We've got a gate between us for our safety.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12We can get up close. When they open their mouths, we can look at their tongues,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15make sure there's no injuries, make sure their teeth are there.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19So it's just a nice way to get close to them, but safely.
0:23:19 > 0:23:26But safely. Right, I think that is all four banana splits done. Right.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28I've got my two. You've got your two.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30So let's go over.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Reisha here, the big white one. She needs two of those.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37- This is Reisha?- Yeah, Babs needs two as well.- Ah, ah!
0:23:37 > 0:23:39- So they have two each?- Yep.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43- We'll give the others some later on. - No, no, it's not for you. Just wait!
0:23:43 > 0:23:45It looks like...
0:23:45 > 0:23:49hard to tell with all that slobber, you've got terrible table manners,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53but it looks like they haven't actually got teeth as such.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57They've got a half palate on the top of their mouths and below is the teeth.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00So they've got teeth at the bottom. So is it like a sheep?
0:24:00 > 0:24:02They've got a palate at the top.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- Very much.- Here you are. There's your other one. Ready? Yummy!
0:24:06 > 0:24:10- "Thanks, Kate." Not like she cares! - It doesn't last long.- It doesn't.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14It's obviously an effective way of doing it. Babs is the brown one here.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Hello, Babs.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Oi, oi, oi! This is the male, is that right?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Yep. That's a love bite.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26I'm quite pleased I'm not getting any love from him!
0:24:26 > 0:24:30No, no, no. Babs, there you are.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32They're quite a challenge, aren't they, Kev?
0:24:32 > 0:24:34It's good fun, very good fun.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36They're great, great characters.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40They're all looking a little bit post-winter.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42They grow fantastic coats in winter, don't they?
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Yeah. Their coats are really thick.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49It keeps them so warm. They can live in temperatures of minus 40 in the wild.
0:24:49 > 0:24:55- Wow.- We don't get quite that cold, but we get damp and damp causes arthritis with these.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58So the cold, they're more than able to cope with.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02- It's just that slightly wet Wiltshire weather.- That's it, yep.
0:25:02 > 0:25:08They're all dosed up. Can we give some bananas to the others so we don't get attacked by them?
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Right. Whose turn is it now?
0:25:12 > 0:25:18Kev, I hope the treatment does the trick and they're all scampering around when the spring weather comes.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21You've had yours, but you haven't. There you are.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Thanks, Kev, very much. There you go.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Mm. You see, you're nice and polite.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30Stop chucking your weight around.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38It's not only the animals that make the park special.
0:25:38 > 0:25:44Today, Ben is in his element - playing about with engines on the Longleat line.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47I'm out on the steam trains with railway manager John Hayton.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- Hi, John.- Hello.- Tell me a bit about this steam train.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53- It's named after you, isn't it? - Oh, yes.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55This is the John Hayton.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57How did that come about?
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Well, I'd been here 30 years
0:26:00 > 0:26:03and came off my retirement.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06We had a new steam loco coming,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09so I wanted to know what to name it.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Back came the reply, "You."
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- So there we go.- It's quite an honour to be bestowed on you.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Yeah, it is, really.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Yeah, not many people have one.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22How many steam trains are they here at Longleat?
0:26:22 > 0:26:24- Just the one.- Just the one.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26We had another, but I sold it and bought this.
0:26:26 > 0:26:32This is much bigger. We've got many people coming now. We need a much stronger loco, which this is.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Absolutely. Do you get out in it very often?
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Not as often as I'd like, no.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I've got other chaps who drive it, they get all the pleasure.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44I push all the paperwork about.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48So today, coming out like this, is an extra pleasure for you?
0:26:48 > 0:26:50It's a holiday!
0:26:50 > 0:26:53John, thank you very much.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58Don't go away, here's what's still to come in today's programme.
0:27:01 > 0:27:07Can Bev and Richard get close enough to the Grevy's to administer the vital vaccine?
0:27:09 > 0:27:15We go into the bush on the trail of two white rhino.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20And we catch up with the otter pups, who've just learned how to swim.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28Back in Kenya, Bev Evans is helping Lewa's Richard Moller
0:27:28 > 0:27:32wrap up the final stage of a vital conservation operation.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Anthrax has broken out 45 miles to the north of Lewa,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41killing 66 rare Grevy's zebra.
0:27:41 > 0:27:47Lewa is home to about 400 Grevy's, a fifth of the world's population,
0:27:47 > 0:27:51so as many as possible must be inoculated in case the disease breaks out here.
0:27:51 > 0:27:58This is the very last group, but so far, these zebra don't want to take their medicine.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02- Do you think that hit the spot?- No. - No.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03- Clean miss.- Yes.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08Fortunately for Richard, the group has now moved into an open area.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Finally he should be able to get a clear shot.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16What the hell spooked them there?
0:28:16 > 0:28:23Because the wind is high, he needs a perfectly still target, but the zebras won't cooperate.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Oh!
0:28:25 > 0:28:26I'm going to lose it.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29The dart drops short again.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34With this wind, the rifle is only accurate to 40m.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38At last, one zebra comes into range.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47- So are you happy with that shot? - The objective here is to get
0:28:47 > 0:28:50- as many animals vaccinated as possible.- Sure.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Really, you want it on the rump or the shoulder.
0:28:53 > 0:28:58- That wasn't...first prize but second prize.- Excellent.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03After the drug has been delivered, the dart doesn't take long to fall out.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11One by one, the rest of Richard's darts find their mark.
0:29:16 > 0:29:23That group's finished now, so we'll basically draw a line under the Lewa phase anyway.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29It's been a massive undertaking to dart so many wild Grevy's,
0:29:29 > 0:29:32but it's vital for their survival as a species.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34We have to do something.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39An endangered animal, we can't sit back and not do anything.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44The fact that we've done at least 60%,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46it's a major step in the right direction.
0:29:46 > 0:29:52Yeah, I feel very privileged to be sat watching this as it happens.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Such a big thing to do here at Lewa.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57And such an important thing as well.
0:30:05 > 0:30:12Last year, five Longleat keepers came to Kenya to witness a remarkable conservation operation.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16Two white rhino were translocated from Lewa to Kigio,
0:30:16 > 0:30:20another reserve supported by TUSK 200km away,
0:30:20 > 0:30:24where rhino hadn't been seen for more than 20 years.
0:30:26 > 0:30:31The male and female were transported by road in separate crates.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34During the journey, they each knocked their horns off.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39Rhino horn is made of matted hair and the horns will grow back,
0:30:39 > 0:30:46but it was a tricky start for Kigio's new couple, who it's hoped will form the nucleus of a breeding herd.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54Now deputy head warden Ian Turner, and Jo Hawthorn from Pets Corner,
0:30:54 > 0:31:01have come back to Kigio to see how the translocated rhinos are settling in.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03I can't actually wait to see them.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Seeing them in their natural habitat is better than anything else.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11But Ian and Jo will have to find the rhino first.
0:31:11 > 0:31:18To do that, they're being trained by guide Patrick Lengilili in rhino-tracking techniques.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Here we go.
0:31:20 > 0:31:21- Oh.- Got some tracks here.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24- They're walking that way.- OK.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28- You can tell because this is the front toe here.- Right.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32They should be now down that way.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Otherwise sometimes we can look for their droppings. There are some droppings over there.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37All right. Yeah.
0:31:37 > 0:31:43If you're an experienced tracker like Patrick, it's amazing how much you can tell from a lump of dung.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48How do we know whether this is white or black rhino?
0:31:48 > 0:31:52It's easy. Normally for the black one, there is lots of twigs
0:31:52 > 0:31:55because they eat leaves and trees and things like that.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58This one you can tell is the white rhino because...
0:31:58 > 0:32:00- It's just grass.- Just grass.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Nothing like twigs here.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06We start from their water point where they drink water.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09- OK.- We start tracking there, then you follow from there.
0:32:09 > 0:32:14Right. How far could you be going? How far would you be talking?
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Oh, you could be talking even like three or four kilometres.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19Oh, right.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24The other things what we can tell at Longleat is if you've got the large one,
0:32:24 > 0:32:29it's usually the females, because when the male does it, he stamps his feet and spreads it.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32That's right, yeah. So I'm sure now...
0:32:32 > 0:32:34- Just got to keep our eyes open. - Just keep going.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38- Just keep going and at least follow the tracks.- OK.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40- You lead on.- Yeah.- We'll follow.
0:32:43 > 0:32:49Rhino are most active at night, and as the day heats up, they'll find shade and rest.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Then they will be even more hidden and even harder to locate.
0:32:53 > 0:32:59Patrick knows his thing and there's lots of signs that they've been around, so he seems confident.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02And he's the expert.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06The team have already been out looking for over an hour,
0:33:06 > 0:33:10and the rhino have 3,500 acres of reserve to hide in.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14It could be a long, hot day for Ian and Jo.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Back at Pet's Corner, keeper Rob Savin
0:33:22 > 0:33:26is heading over to the otter pool to check on the new family.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Rosie and Romeo recently had two little pups.
0:33:31 > 0:33:37Otter pups can't swim when they're born. They have to learn how.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42But not long ago, the pups plucked up their courage and took to the water for the first time.
0:33:45 > 0:33:51I've been eager to meet them, so I went down to help Rob give them a little treat.
0:33:52 > 0:33:57- These are the new pups, are they? - Yeah, these are the pups of the Asian short-clawed otters.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00We've got Rosie's mum, and down the bottom there is Dad.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05Hard to tell the pups as they're close to the size of their parents.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07I can't get over how big they are.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- This sort of thing is helping. - What are you throwing there?
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Prawns is their favourite.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16- Presumably that's why they're making all of this noise.- Yeah.
0:34:16 > 0:34:21That squeaking that they were doing, was that, "Give us the prawns!"?
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Pretty much, but they are one of the most vocal otters.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28Asian short-clawed otters are one of the most vocal otters in the world.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32So remind me how old the pups are now.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34About six months now.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38There's no problem with them hanging around with Mum and Dad?
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Not at all. This is one of the few otter types in the world
0:34:42 > 0:34:45that will actually stay with their parents.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47They can stay with them for a very long time.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49They're very family orientated.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53Most other otters are solitary. They wander off, and that would be that.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58Even the parents wouldn't stay together, but they could go well beyond a year.
0:34:58 > 0:35:03I've known some groups numbering 12 parents and then 12 little ones.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05- Really? - That's even been known in the wild.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07So obviously they had two pups.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11What's the maximum number they could give birth to?
0:35:11 > 0:35:14They generally say they can have between one and seven.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18But two or three is normal, very normal.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21We would have been glad to have had one
0:35:21 > 0:35:25because it's the first time since the '70s we've had baby otters.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27- Really? Here at Longleat?- Yeah.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31We've had pairs that have got on, everything's been perfect
0:35:31 > 0:35:35apart from the fact that for some reason they just won't breed.
0:35:35 > 0:35:36So will all four stay here?
0:35:36 > 0:35:38That's them for good now?
0:35:38 > 0:35:43Pretty much. It all depends really on what happens as to whether we have any more.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46We've got a nice enclosure for them.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49I still think there's a limit to how many we can keep here.
0:35:49 > 0:35:56But what you can always do sometimes is, in the zoo community,
0:35:56 > 0:36:02if there's any zoos which are looking for male or female otters,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05it's good to share them if you do want to move them out,
0:36:05 > 0:36:09because it's very good for genetic diversity.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Of course, to share all the blood.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Yeah, and to keep good bloodlines as well.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17If we do get to a point where we do need to move any on,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20there's always plenty of places that will have them.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22- Have they got names yet?- No.
0:36:22 > 0:36:27What we're hoping will happen is a local school is going to come in and name them for us.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30- Good idea.- I hope they come up with some good names.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34- We've already thought of a few. - I'm sure.- Nicknames at the minute.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38- Smelly is one of them. - It is a bit whiffy around here.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41- One of the smelliest animals, I'm afraid.- Really?
0:36:41 > 0:36:44- But they're lovely, delightful. - They really are.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48We'll keep you updated on the progress of these two young pups.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01In Kenya, Ian Turner and Jo Hawthorne are out in the bush
0:37:01 > 0:37:06at Kigio Wildlife Reserve with guide Patrick Lengilili.
0:37:06 > 0:37:12They are on the trail of the two white rhino that arrived here a year ago.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Tracks show that the rhino are in the area,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19but the team have searched for hours without a result.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Then Patrick spots something.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30- There you go. You see?- Right, yeah.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32Just under there. You see?
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- That's the female. - And that's the male.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41- That's the male.- That's the male.
0:37:41 > 0:37:42You can see the ears going.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44Yeah.
0:37:44 > 0:37:50Imagine, there's two big rhinos there, and we still had a job to spot them. Just camouflaged.
0:37:50 > 0:37:57'Rhinos have very poor eyesight but rely on their excellent hearing and sense of smell.'
0:37:57 > 0:37:58They will be now...smelling.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02Would they smell us really good from there?
0:38:02 > 0:38:04- Yeah.- They would, I'm sure they will smell us.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06So we'd better go this way.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09OK.
0:38:09 > 0:38:15'Patrick leads Ian and Jo downwind to a safe distance from the animals.'
0:38:15 > 0:38:17- White gloves, Patrick.- Yeah.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19If we sit could in the shade here.
0:38:19 > 0:38:25I'm quite surprised, Patrick, that we managed to get so close to them.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Yeah, exactly.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30They must be relaxed because they're settling down,
0:38:30 > 0:38:31they're not frightened.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33- Quite calm.- Yeah, not frightened.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38The ones at Longleat, when we let them out in the morning, they graze all morning
0:38:38 > 0:38:41and get to midday, and settle down and sleep for a couple of hours.
0:38:41 > 0:38:46At night time, they get back up and graze again ready to go home.
0:38:46 > 0:38:47These ones do the same.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Same thing. They do the same thing.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54They lost both their horns when you loaded them up.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57- They seem to be looking really nice now.- Yes, exactly.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01If you look at the skin, they have at least grown,
0:39:01 > 0:39:04so they're doing very well now.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07- The horns are hollow, yeah? - No, no, like a fingernail.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11- Oh, OK. Right.- Matted hair.- Right.
0:39:12 > 0:39:18'Since their arrival, this pair have been inseparable.'
0:39:18 > 0:39:20They're always together.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22When they lie down, they lie down together.
0:39:22 > 0:39:27They drink water together, caress together, so they obviously do everything together.
0:39:27 > 0:39:34They've settled in so well, it's hoped that in the future there will be baby rhinos at Kigio.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38But for Ian and Jo, tracking down these adults has been a huge treat.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40It's been a brilliant day.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44We weren't sure we would find the rhinos. We were never that...
0:39:44 > 0:39:50Went to areas, found the tracks, followed the tracks, then Patrick, old eagle eyes, spotted them.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53I'm amazed at how close we've got.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57I never thought for a minute that we would get so close.
0:39:57 > 0:40:03It's amazing. For the size of them, that they could be so camouflaged in an area like this.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23Kate and I have joined head of section Mark down by the lake in the Safari Park
0:40:23 > 0:40:25to help feed the pink-backed pelicans.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Can we just throw fish to them?
0:40:27 > 0:40:30- Yes, just grab some fish. - They'll just catch them?
0:40:30 > 0:40:34Yeah. They've got a pretty big mouth so it's quite difficult to miss.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37The bill is almost like a net, isn't it?
0:40:37 > 0:40:40That's right, Kate. It does act like a net.
0:40:40 > 0:40:45How they'd fish in the wild would be to surround a shoal of fish,
0:40:45 > 0:40:50dive their head into the water, and their pouch is extremely elastic
0:40:50 > 0:40:54and it'll stretch and allow itself to fill with fish and water.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58So if it's got all this water in it, doesn't that mean that they'd end up
0:40:58 > 0:41:01drinking half the sea or half the lake in this case?
0:41:01 > 0:41:04No, they pull their pouch against their neck,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07squeeze the water out the sides and just keep the fish in.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10- So they sort of sieve the fish? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14When they're fishing in shoals, will they work together as a team,
0:41:14 > 0:41:16or do they fish individually?
0:41:16 > 0:41:18The pink-backs fish individually.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21The whites will fish as a team.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24- Yeah.- But the pinks are more of a solitary individual feeder.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29- They're agile, aren't they? - I'm amazed there's lots of different sizes of fish.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Is that the maximum size?
0:41:31 > 0:41:34No, absolutely not.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36These just happen to be quite small.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39They could probably swallow a mackerel twice that size easily.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42What sort of appetite do they have?
0:41:42 > 0:41:47- Will they eat a lot of these per day?- No, for a large bird they don't eat very much at all.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51Only about three-quarters of a pound each, which is not a huge amount.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55It's not that much, is it? Looking at them, they're dispersing now...
0:41:55 > 0:41:56Come back and show off!
0:41:56 > 0:41:59You've got some that have very distinctly brown feathers
0:41:59 > 0:42:03as opposed to the slightly beige, pinky-white feathers.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Are those the young ones?
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Yeah, there's three really brown ones, the three we hand-reared at the end of last year.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14- Any chance there might be some more this year?- Well, fingers crossed.
0:42:14 > 0:42:15We're hoping there will be.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19- That would be fantastic if there were.- Mark, thank you very much.
0:42:19 > 0:42:24We'll finish feeding the pelicans, but that's all we've time for on today's programme.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31Romeo the otter has a problem in his mouth that could be life-threatening.
0:42:31 > 0:42:36He must see the vet, but he doesn't want to go.
0:42:38 > 0:42:44The rhinos like their mud nice and gloopy, but they don't have to worry about losing their wellies.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46You've lost your boot!
0:42:47 > 0:42:51And Kabir is raising hell over his cat flu injection.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54But the little cubs don't seem to mind.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58That's all coming up in the next Animal Park.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd, 2006
0:43:10 > 0:43:13E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk