Episode 6 Animal Park


Episode 6

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Hello and welcome to Animal Park. I'm Ben Fogle.

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And I'm Kate Humble and we're out in the safari park here at Longleat.

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Last year, over three quarters of a million people

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came here to see the animals that live here.

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We'll bring you all the stories about the animals and the people that look after them.

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

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Lion cubs Malaika and Jasira face their biggest challenge yet

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as they prepare to meet their father, Kabir.

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Will he greet them, or eat them?

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The otter pups are three months old,

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but still don't know how to swim.

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Will they finally take the plunge?

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And five lucky keepers are going to Kenya,

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to learn more about how the animals they look after behave in the wild.

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This is a lifetime opportunity to go out to Africa

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to see wildlife as it should be - absolutely perfect.

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But first, we're off to Longleat's lion country.

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For years, the park has successfully bred lions.

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Now the keepers are trying to bring together a new group,

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under the new male, Kabir.

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For months after they were born,

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lion cubs Jasira and Malaika stayed inside the lion house

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with their mothers in separate enclosures.

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After completing their inoculations,

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the cubs took their first big step - they were allowed outside together.

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I'm really happy with that.

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They've been next to each other for such a long time,

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and all of a sudden they can actually meet each other and play,

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it's like all their Christmases in one, I should imagine.

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Now the cubs are ready for their next big challenge.

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It's time for them to meet their father, Kabir, for the first time.

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It's a dangerous moment for the little lions.

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In the wild, male lions sometimes kill the cubs of competing males.

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Kabir has lived next door to the cubs for most of their lives,

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so he should recognise Malaika and Jasira as his own.

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But if he doesn't, or if they annoy him, he could become vicious.

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We don't know how he's going to react to them.

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As you can see down here now,

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the cubs are fine with him between the cages

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and they're not too fazed when he starts roaring and growling at us.

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But it might be a little bit different,

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if one of these cubs tries to jump on him and play with him.

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It's an anxious time for keepers Bob and Brian.

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They've spent months raising the cubs,

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now they have to let nature take its course.

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The only precautions we can take when they're on the outside

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is to be in our vehicles and be ready to step in if - as and when.

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Come on then, mate. Come on.

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They don't want to go.

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Are you ready then?

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Go on.

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Come on, cubby.

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No, you're supposed to go out.

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At last, the whole pride is together.

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Go on. Good girl.

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So far, Kabir is showing no interest in the cubs,

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perhaps because he has other things on his mind.

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With things going to plan,

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Bob can now let the pride out of the controlled confines of the compound

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and into the much larger main enclosure for the first time.

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This is uncharted territory for the two cubs.

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They've both got to learn new smells,

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not just one of them at a time.

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So they'll both be learning together ultimately.

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And this is a much bigger area so they can wander off

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and run around and they could very well lose sight of mum

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if they want to run off.

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They'll find all the best places to cuddle up when it's cold.

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When it's hot, they'll find the places that are in the shade.

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All things like that.

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Everything seems to be going well.

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But Jasira is getting a little bit too cocky for her own good.

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Luckily, Kabir just tells her off.

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He's a grumpy father, but a good one.

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If everything carries on as it is,

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I think we're gonna have a nice display this summer.

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I've come down to Sea Lion Beach with head of section Mark Tye

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and keeper Michelle Stevens

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to help with the feeding and to find out who's pregnant.

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So are you expecting some little sea lions?

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Yes, we are, hopefully.

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Um, we're expecting two, one from Celia and one from Jo-Jo.

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OK. Where shall I go?

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If you just go past those rocks there, Ben.

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I'm still always amazed, Mark, at how you can recognise

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all the different sea lions. Am I OK standing here?

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Yeah, that's fine.

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That's Buster's fish there.

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I recognise Buster, the big chap.

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Who's this you're feeding now? This is Celia.

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Right. Is she expecting?

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Yes, she is. She's fairly fat now.

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There's another couple of months to go before she'll be due.

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Right. But she is looking quite big.

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And who have we got over here on the right?

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On the right there's Jo-Jo.

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She's hopefully the other female that's expecting.

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And on the left next to her? That's Nancy.

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She's not gonna have a baby,

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because two years ago after she gave birth she had a prolapse.

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So the vet decided it wouldn't be a good idea

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for her to become pregnant any more.

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So we put her on contraceptives every year now.

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I know there's always a pretty strict hierarchy

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amongst the female sea lions.

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Has that changed in the last year?

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Well, obviously, last year we lost Lindy

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who was our dominant female at the time.

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And...since then,

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Celia's had ideas of grandeur that she wants to be top female.

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Unfortunately, Jo-Jo doesn't quite agree with her.

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So that presumably creates its own problems.

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Yes, there's a little bit of friction between the two.

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Particularly at feeding times,

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which is why I try to keep Celia up here on this rock.

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So you can keep an eye on her?

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So I can keep her away - if they start trying to eat together,

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they end up pulling lumps out of each other,

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which is a bit unfriendly.

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It's not good, especially when you're pregnant. No.

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So, remind me of the gestation period for a sea lion.

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The gestation period is just over 11 months.

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It's about 11 months, two weeks.

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So, literally, once they've given birth,

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two weeks after that, they've mated again.

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And it starts again?

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They are literally pregnant all year round.

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I know last year - cos obviously, Sea Lion Beach here,

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you've had it for about a year now.

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Last year was the first successful birthing on the beach, wasn't it?

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Are you hoping... Oh, be quiet, Buster!

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Are you hoping that it will be successful again this year

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and that they'll give birth here again?

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Yes, I am. They have got used to it now.

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Obviously, in the past, we've had silly situations

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where they gave birth in boats and on Gorilla Island,

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and things like that.

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So they have got used to this beach area and the pen next door.

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And there's no reason why they shouldn't give birth here again.

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They were quite comfortable with it last year.

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So I'm sure that will happen again. Do you still look forward to it?

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Absolutely. It's what we're here for, to breed these animals.

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It's great for us.

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It's great to see these animals giving birth

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and living a natural, healthy life.

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You're doing the right thing if the animals are happy.

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If they weren't happy, they probably wouldn't breed.

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So, you know, it's great for us.

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It's also nice to have new additions in the lake.

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Well, Mark, thank you very much for letting me help.

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That's OK, you're very welcome. Thank you.

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Go on, Buster.

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SEA LIONS BARK

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The safari park is home to more than 400 animals,

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representing 50 different species drawn from every corner of the world.

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They are cared for by more than 100 dedicated staff,

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but few of them have ever seen these animals in their natural habitats.

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Soon, however, some of them will get the chance to go to Africa.

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AFRICAN MUSIC

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The park is closely involved with the Tusk Trust,

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a charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and habitats of Africa.

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The trust runs 25 conservation projects in 15 countries.

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This year, Deputy Head Warden, Ian Turner

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will take a select group of staff to see their work in Kenya.

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This is a lifetime opportunity, to go out to Africa.

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I mean, OK, we're working,

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but you're getting to do stuff you want to do.

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It's a job,

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but you're going to Africa to see wildlife as it should be.

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So what do you think I'll enjoy most out in Kenya, Andy?

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The lucky four who will join Ian are Andy Hayton and Bev Evans,

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from the East Africa Reserve,

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along with Darren Beasley and Jo Hawthorne from Pets' Corner.

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For head of section, Andy Hayton, it will be the second trip to Kenya,

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and a chance to build on his experience.

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It's not gonna be a bit scary? No.

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Natural behaviour -

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seeing what the animals out there behave like naturally.

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If we see our animals exhibiting that behaviour,

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we know we are going down the right road.

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So anything like that is always helpful.

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Darren Beasley will also be on his second visit to Kenya.

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He'll be looking for the kind of animals

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he is used to keeping at Pets' Corner.

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These are some things hopefully we'll see next week.

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Something that really whetted my appetite last time

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was the amount of small animals.

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We talk about biodiversity - the little ones and the big ones are all needed. It's crucial.

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I'm hoping now, with Jo coming with us this year,

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we can find the small animals - the tortoises, the mongoose,

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the bugs, the beetles - and all the things that really get me going.

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For keepers Bev and Jo, it will be their first chance

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to see their favourite animals in the wild.

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I'm definitely looking forward to seeing giraffe and zebra out there,

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just to compare them to our lot, really.

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But elephants...

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As a child, I just loved elephants.

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So, definitely, seeing that in the wild, that would be just amazing.

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Jo's interests are rather more down to earth.

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Tortoises is what I'm really interested in.

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Just the chance to see one of the two species out there would be amazing.

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But this will not be a sightseeing trip.

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Seeing these animals in their natural environment,

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exhibiting their natural behaviour,

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will allow the keepers to increase their knowledge

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and care even better for the animals they keep back home.

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Looking at the giraffe and seeing the way they feed,

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at what height, and all the different types of diet they have,

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we could bring something back for ours,

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and have an idea of an enrichment idea and things like that.

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The keepers will also be able to share

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what they learn about conservation with park visitors.

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Last year, we had over 700,000 people at Longleat

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and I reckon, personally, we talked to most of them in Pets' Corner!

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And we can pass that message on.

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You can be depressed about the world and say life's hard

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and everything is being extinct, it's not. There is hope out there.

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ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

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Longleat House has been in daily use for over 450 years now,

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and never more so than today, as a major tourist attraction.

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Considering its age, the house is in remarkably good condition,

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but it's increasingly difficult for house steward Ken Windess

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to keep it that way.

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We've had a record year of visitors this year.

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It's been good news.

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We've had something like between 2,000 and 3,500 people a day,

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and that's just within the house.

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It's good news, obviously, because we need people to come

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for the upkeep of the house, etc.

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But it's also got its down side as far as the house is concerned,

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because it does cause a certain amount of damage.

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Many of the furnishings in the house are very valuable.

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Some of the 24 chairs in the state dining room

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date from the reign of King George I.

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So they're nearly 300 years old.

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But now, with so many visitors walking by on a daily basis,

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the chairs have started to fall to pieces.

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A lot of these knees, what we call knees, here,

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they were literally falling off daily.

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I was getting handfuls given to me by the cleaners.

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Again, a lot of it was with visitors actually moving up against them,

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touching them, kicking the legs,

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children running in amongst them, and all this sort of business.

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Apart from the damage to furnishings,

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the sheer number of visitors causes wear and tear to the house itself.

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Up to 3,500 pairs of feet a day put enormous strain on floors

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and the ceilings beneath them.

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Ken is worried that the ceiling in the lower dining room may collapse.

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I remember vividly in the army where you had to break step

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if you were marching over a bridge,

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because the bridge could have broken

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because of the soldiers actually marching in step.

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Of course, you can't stop people,

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or at least you can't march them through the house,

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but where you have got this incessant footfall,

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you get vibration. You set up this sort of movement.

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Now we have the lower dining room.

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This used to be the family dining room.

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A magnificent ceiling,

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which is, again, 22 carat gold leaf.

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You can see it's reflection in the beautiful George III mirrors.

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The ceiling was created in the 1800s.

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It's a priceless example of Renaissance Italianate design,

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and extremely fragile.

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This is one of the ceilings that we've got problems with.

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It's a very ornate ceiling.

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The problems that we've had is that some of the decoration

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has actually fallen from the ceiling and landed on the floor.

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One or two of the roundels are loose.

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So I do need to get the experts in to check it out

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and obviously, we need it to be safe for people to walk through.

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We want to catch it before it actually falls down.

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We don't want have to replace it.

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If it hits the deck and smashes,

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then obviously you've got no chance of replacing it.

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Martin Watchurst is a specialist ceiling restorer,

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who personally worked on Windsor Castle's state dining rooms

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after the fire there in 1992.

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He's been called in to do a structural survey,

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which should reveal whether the whole thing is about to fall down.

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By the end of today we'll be able to work out

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whether there are more missing pieces

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and whether there is a problem.

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In order to find out how badly damaged the ceiling is,

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Martin looks inside it using a boroscope.

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We've just found discreet places to make an 8mm hole

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to pass the tube through.

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It's basically an illuminated periscope...

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so that we can...

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..see inside and safely say

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we know how this is put together

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and that things aren't coming apart or separating.

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If the priceless 150 year old ceiling were to collapse,

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it would be a loss to the nation as well as to Longleat.

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We'll come back to hear the results of the survey

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and what urgent repairs may need to be carried out.

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It will be quite good once we get our bearings.

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Lord Bath is not the only one at Animal Park

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to allow people into his house.

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At Pets' Corner, some of the animals

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can be trained to accept visitors of their own.

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I'm in the chipmunk enclosure with keeper Val McGruther,

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and I gather that it's been all change, some for good, some for bad.

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Yes. It's a little bit sad. Our favourite little chipmunk Garston,

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he was the one that always used to come to us,

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I'm afraid he sadly died back in the winter.

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He was quite an age, though, wasn't he? He was about seven.

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For a male chipmunk, that is really good.

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He seems, though, to have a worthy successor. Who's this?

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We've been training some new chipmunks to come and take the food.

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He's been really good. He's amazing.

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He's the one that comes most. He's taken over Garston's job, really.

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So, when you say train them, how do you do that?

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Is it just a matter of sitting in the enclosure

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and letting them get used to you? It is a lot.

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It's a bit like training other animals, to be honest.

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They like their food and they have particular things they like.

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Like some of these things we have here.

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Nuts, blueberries, nice little bits of fruit and stuff like that.

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So, we'll sit in here and then they get used to being in here.

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They get used to coming

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and perhaps taking a little bit of food every now and again.

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Gradually, we'll increase it so more people come in.

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And then, hopefully, we'll have children coming in here again.

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Which they would love. They are absolutely adorable and lovely,

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although they have all disappeared now.

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Where are you? Come out and show us how adorable you are.

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He's hiding over there.

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Oh, there he is! Look! He's saving it for later.

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Do they bury things like squirrels? Yes, they do.

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Are they better at remembering where they put them than squirrels?

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They're about the same, I think.

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What's interesting, it's the same with squirrels,

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you'll get another one looking seeing where he's put it. Really?

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If he gets the chance, he'll nick it.

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What I was going to say - obviously, they're very adorable.

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It must be very tempting to keep them as pets.

0:19:370:19:40

Are they good pets? They don't really make good pets.

0:19:400:19:43

They're interesting animals to keep, rather than a pet, if you see what I mean.

0:19:430:19:47

You need a nice bit of space for them.

0:19:470:19:49

An aviary the size of this would be great.

0:19:490:19:51

And you need to spend time with them.

0:19:510:19:53

Because you won't get this if you don't spend time with them.

0:19:530:19:56

You need to be in with them.

0:19:560:19:58

Just watching here, we're just being very slow and careful.

0:19:580:20:01

This is amazing to see how he's cracking into that almond

0:20:010:20:05

without any problem at all.

0:20:050:20:06

They've obviously got very sharp teeth.

0:20:060:20:09

They have got sharp teeth,

0:20:090:20:10

and chewing into the nut like that is very good for their teeth,

0:20:100:20:14

because their teeth are constantly growing,

0:20:140:20:16

and it trims them a bit as they go along.

0:20:160:20:18

Like all rodents, they've got constant growing teeth,

0:20:180:20:21

so is it important, as well, to have things in the enclosure

0:20:210:20:25

that they can wear their teeth down on?

0:20:250:20:27

Yes, it is, very important.

0:20:270:20:29

They've got all the branches here and everything, which are good,

0:20:290:20:33

and hard food to eat, like nuts and a bit of biscuit in there,

0:20:330:20:36

hard seeds and things like that, that's all really good.

0:20:360:20:39

Now, he's actually taking far more than he can eat all at once.

0:20:390:20:43

It seems like... Is he stuffing it into a cheek pouch?

0:20:430:20:48

Yeah, they've got these cheek pouches on either side,

0:20:480:20:51

same as little hamsters have, and they will fill their cheek pouch.

0:20:510:20:55

Sometimes they'll eat at the same time, they'll save some,

0:20:550:20:58

they take it and they'll bury it, as we saw earlier, for later so that...

0:20:580:21:03

I think I've made a friend here as well. He's great!

0:21:030:21:07

Well, Val, I'm very sad to hear the news about Garston,

0:21:070:21:10

but this little feller is an absolute delight,

0:21:100:21:14

and I hope that all of them continue to thrive

0:21:140:21:17

and give the visitors as much pleasure as they have in the past.

0:21:170:21:20

Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

0:21:200:21:22

Working with Val at Pets' Corner is keeper Jo Hawthorne.

0:21:310:21:35

Her passion is caring for some of the park's smaller and cuter inhabitants.

0:21:350:21:40

But now she's preparing to go to Kenya,

0:21:400:21:43

where she'll see some really big game in the wild.

0:21:430:21:47

Kenya is a world leader

0:21:470:21:49

in the conservation of both black and white rhino,

0:21:490:21:53

so Jo will definitely come across these animals during her visit.

0:21:530:21:56

I've read lots about them and, you know,

0:21:580:22:00

actually done a bit of kind of assignment work on them

0:22:000:22:03

but never really actually had the time to spend with them.

0:22:030:22:06

To gain some expertise before she meets them in the wild,

0:22:080:22:12

she's come to the rhino house

0:22:120:22:14

to see what she can learn from her colleague Kevin Nibbs.

0:22:140:22:18

Hopefully, he can give me insights in how they're kept in captivity,

0:22:180:22:22

and then of course I can go out and maybe pick up a few little pointers,

0:22:220:22:26

behaviouralisms, things like that, when I get out to Kenya.

0:22:260:22:29

So who have we got here, Kev?

0:22:290:22:31

In the first pen is Razina, she's five.

0:22:310:22:33

Then we've got Anjani, the little male. OK.

0:22:330:22:36

He's nearly seven, he'll be seven this year.

0:22:360:22:38

In the far pen there we've got Marashi, the oldest one,

0:22:380:22:41

who's seven as well. She's seven, right.

0:22:410:22:44

At the moment she kind of leads these three youngsters,

0:22:440:22:47

she's the biggest one, pushes them around. She's the boss.

0:22:470:22:50

She kind of takes charge, yeah.

0:22:500:22:51

When they say the white rhino is the gentlest, they definitely are...

0:22:510:22:56

Yeah, they are the more sort of chilled out, relaxed.

0:22:560:23:00

They only get upset over little things. Right.

0:23:000:23:05

Last time Ben was in Africa,

0:23:050:23:07

he saw just how unpredictable wild rhino can be.

0:23:070:23:11

It was touch and go for a moment.

0:23:110:23:14

He now wants to have a go at us.

0:23:160:23:18

Are we in trouble? Possibly, yeah.

0:23:210:23:24

LAUGHTER

0:23:410:23:44

That was close, it was like about a couple of inches.

0:23:480:23:51

After what happened last time,

0:23:520:23:54

Jo's keen to learn as much as she can about how rhino behave outdoors,

0:23:540:23:59

so Kevin has brought her to the enclosure

0:23:590:24:02

where bull Winston is grazing.

0:24:020:24:04

Winston is normally very placid, but he weighs at least two tonnes,

0:24:060:24:11

and in the past he has been known to throw his weight around.

0:24:110:24:15

Is he expecting us or...?

0:24:180:24:20

I think he is now, he's probably heard us coming all the way up,

0:24:200:24:23

we'll jump out in a minute and chuck some hay to him. OK, brilliant.

0:24:230:24:27

Before we get out, we'll just go through a few safety things.

0:24:270:24:30

Basically, we leave both doors open,

0:24:300:24:32

so if we do need to get in, it's really quick to jump in.

0:24:320:24:35

And we won't go very far from the vehicle. OK.

0:24:350:24:37

But that's basically it, and the tractor will keep an eye on us,

0:24:370:24:41

so we should be OK. So are you ready?

0:24:410:24:43

After you, then! Are you ready?

0:24:430:24:44

Rhinos have poor eyesight,

0:24:480:24:50

but make up for it with an excellent sense of smell and hearing.

0:24:500:24:54

Amazingly, they're also very fast -

0:24:540:24:57

from a standing start they can accelerate within seconds

0:24:570:25:01

to a charging speed of up to 30mph.

0:25:010:25:04

So is this a safe distance, Kev?

0:25:040:25:06

With him, yeah, this is a very good distance,

0:25:060:25:10

but with the younger guys we would be maybe twice this,

0:25:100:25:13

just to make sure, doubly sure.

0:25:130:25:15

They'd be a lot quicker, I suppose.

0:25:150:25:16

Absolutely, they'd cover this in maybe a couple of seconds.

0:25:160:25:20

The sight of a bull rhino up close is an awesome experience.

0:25:210:25:26

It's quite daunting, cos you see him from far away,

0:25:260:25:30

and he's doing his thing, and he's just feeding,

0:25:300:25:32

but, like Kev said, until they start getting closer to the vehicle,

0:25:320:25:36

you become so aware that they're getting bigger as they come nearer,

0:25:360:25:39

and you can see the power, you know?

0:25:390:25:42

And you know, just the width and breadth of his chest and his legs,

0:25:420:25:46

you could actually see why if it broke into a trot,

0:25:460:25:48

it would be quite scary.

0:25:480:25:50

He's obviously aware we're here, but he's quite calm, isn't he?

0:25:500:25:54

He is, actually, yeah, very calm.

0:25:540:25:56

This is good for him. He loves it out here.

0:25:560:25:58

You can see how one could turn, I mean...

0:25:580:26:02

You wouldn't actually be able to do a lot, really,

0:26:020:26:05

if one decided he was gonna come along and...

0:26:050:26:07

"oof" you out of the way with his horn there.

0:26:070:26:10

I wouldn't want to be in front of one if he was making a run at me,

0:26:100:26:14

that's for sure.

0:26:140:26:15

They really are like a bulldozer, aren't they? Definitely.

0:26:150:26:19

Armed with more knowledge about their behaviour,

0:26:190:26:22

Jo can look forward to interacting safely with wild rhinos in Kenya.

0:26:220:26:27

It's good to get a few kind of pointers from Kev

0:26:270:26:31

to see how they act and what I can pick up on -

0:26:310:26:33

behavioural signs and that, so it'll be great to study them out there,

0:26:330:26:37

I can't wait to see them.

0:26:370:26:38

Recently the park scored a triumph

0:26:510:26:54

when Asian short-clawed otters Rosie and Romeo became parents.

0:26:540:26:58

Their two otter pups emerged from the nest a couple of months ago.

0:27:030:27:07

Since then, keeper Rob Savin has been waiting patiently

0:27:120:27:16

for the pups to get in the water for the first time.

0:27:160:27:19

They're three months old now,

0:27:230:27:25

and they should be ready to take the plunge.

0:27:250:27:28

But surprisingly, swimming is not a talent otters are born with.

0:27:290:27:33

It's a skill the pups will have to learn.

0:27:330:27:36

Parents Rosie and Romeo have to keep a close eye on them

0:27:360:27:39

to keep them out of danger.

0:27:390:27:41

Potentially, if they jumped in a big pool of water very early on,

0:27:410:27:46

if they were uneducated swimmers, the chances are they might drown.

0:27:460:27:50

But the idea that mum and dad are around,

0:27:500:27:54

especially mum, is to drag them out.

0:27:540:27:57

And if there's a problem, what she should do -

0:27:570:27:59

if they're swimming and then struggling -

0:27:590:28:01

she'll go and and bring them back out again, that's hopefully the idea.

0:28:010:28:05

Asian short-clawed otters are less aquatic

0:28:090:28:12

than any other breed of otters.

0:28:120:28:14

Nevertheless, they're powerful, graceful swimmers

0:28:140:28:17

and at their most agile in the water.

0:28:170:28:19

Their enclosure is well adapted to adult otters -

0:28:280:28:31

it has a stream running through it and several plunge pools -

0:28:310:28:34

but so far the youngsters are hanging back.

0:28:340:28:37

So Rob has come up with a plan

0:28:370:28:39

to make water a little less frightening.

0:28:390:28:42

He's making them a paddling pool.

0:28:420:28:44

Otters need to be taught...

0:28:460:28:48

I mean they needed to know where their food was coming from.

0:28:480:28:51

They also needed to know which parent was gonna provide the food.

0:28:510:28:56

All animals learn from mum and dad, usually,

0:28:560:28:58

and it's partly learned behaviour,

0:28:580:29:01

and you've got instincts as well, things that they're born with.

0:29:010:29:04

Swimming, you would think with an otter, it comes quite natural,

0:29:040:29:08

and I suppose, when they see water,

0:29:080:29:10

they should know roughly what to do with it.

0:29:100:29:12

It's not really enough, nowhere near enough

0:29:120:29:14

for them to swim in properly, they're far too big.

0:29:140:29:17

They're sniffing, sniffing the sides,

0:29:200:29:22

but I don't know if they're gonna go in.

0:29:220:29:24

Oh, what's this?

0:29:240:29:27

Rosie leads by example and climbs in first.

0:29:280:29:32

Eventually, curiosity gets the better of the pups.

0:29:320:29:36

One's in!

0:29:370:29:39

And...yeah, they're both in now. That's lovely, yeah.

0:29:390:29:42

It's more mum than dad, I don't think dad's too bothered.

0:29:420:29:45

Romeo, he's not interested at all, not at the moment,

0:29:450:29:49

but mum's definitely taking them in there, that's really good.

0:29:490:29:53

They've managed to just all fit in there briefly,

0:29:530:29:56

but I think it was more of a playful roll-around.

0:29:560:29:59

It's fantastic to watch when they're like that,

0:29:590:30:01

and especially the little ones getting in on the act.

0:30:010:30:04

I've seen Romeo and Rosie playing like that before,

0:30:040:30:07

but with the little ones rolling around,

0:30:070:30:09

there's nothing left of that clean water now.

0:30:090:30:11

It's just a big bowl of mud, but it's fantastic.

0:30:110:30:14

They've certainly had a wash, if nothing else. They've had a bath.

0:30:140:30:18

In the wild, otters would find most of their food in water.

0:30:180:30:21

As well as being fun,

0:30:210:30:23

this swimming lesson will teach the pups vital survival skills.

0:30:230:30:27

Very intelligent animals, otters.

0:30:280:30:32

They're playful, very social, especially this particular species.

0:30:320:30:37

And when animals play, they use play as a learning process as well.

0:30:370:30:41

I mean, mum's diving in there. They're not following.

0:30:410:30:44

They're not quite ready just for that big leap into that bit yet,

0:30:440:30:47

but when they do, it'll be a learning process.

0:30:470:30:49

It'll be quite a shock to the system,

0:30:490:30:52

it'll probably look quite funny,

0:30:520:30:54

but if there's a problem, mum should leap in and save them.

0:30:540:30:57

The pups liked the paddling pool,

0:30:570:30:59

but they're still unwilling to throw themselves in at the deep end.

0:30:590:31:03

We'll come back later to see if they take the plunge.

0:31:030:31:07

To keep their animals happy and interested,

0:31:180:31:21

all the keepers try to give them stimulating new activities.

0:31:210:31:25

I'm back with Val McGruther to see what she has in mind

0:31:250:31:28

for the Chinese pot-bellied pigs.

0:31:280:31:31

You've come up with an inventive way of keeping the pigs occupied, haven't you?

0:31:310:31:35

Yeah, we've got this nice ball here with a few holes in it.

0:31:350:31:39

We stick some pig nuts in there, these little things.

0:31:390:31:41

These things here? I'll just pop them in there.

0:31:410:31:44

So what's the idea? Well, they'll roll the ball along,

0:31:440:31:47

the pig nuts'll come out, they'll have nice little snack

0:31:470:31:50

at the same time as having a bit of fun.

0:31:500:31:52

Which one's this one? This is Bruno.

0:31:520:31:54

Oh, yeah, you can see from the tusks at the front.

0:31:540:31:57

OK, well, he's looking very keen, ready for kick-off.

0:31:570:32:01

Go for it, Bruno!

0:32:010:32:02

MATCH OF THE DAY THEME

0:32:020:32:04

Well, Bruno's gone straight for it.

0:32:060:32:08

He has, hasn't he? Yeah, he's quite a dab hand at football.

0:32:080:32:11

Do you find... Do you find that, er...

0:32:130:32:15

that Bruno does tend to be the more inventive of the two?

0:32:150:32:19

Do they have very different characters? They do a bit, really.

0:32:190:32:22

He's the one that tends to be more like this, chasing the ball about.

0:32:220:32:26

Well, he looks very happy.

0:32:260:32:28

Blossom might be going in for a bit of a tackle. Go for it, Blossom!

0:32:280:32:31

Oh, yes! And she's won, brilliant, absolutely... One for the ladies!

0:32:330:32:38

Exactly! Who said that girls can't play football?

0:32:380:32:42

Val, thank you very much indeed,

0:32:420:32:43

and we've still got lots more coming up on today's programme.

0:32:430:32:47

Rob sets up a spy-camera, in case the otter pups decide to take a dip.

0:32:490:32:53

We'll see the results.

0:32:530:32:56

The kids at Longleat's local school

0:32:560:32:59

do their bit to save African wildlife.

0:32:590:33:02

Well, because people are killing other animals,

0:33:020:33:05

so they make jewellery and different clothings of them.

0:33:050:33:10

I don't think that's very nice to other animals.

0:33:100:33:13

But first...

0:33:150:33:16

LION ROARS

0:33:160:33:18

..the lion cubs have just met their father Kabir for the first time.

0:33:180:33:22

Now they must cope with another new experience.

0:33:220:33:25

I've come up to the Lion House to meet head of section Brian Kent.

0:33:260:33:30

Morning, Brian - and deputy, Bob Trollope.

0:33:300:33:33

And just have a look over here, look at these young cubs.

0:33:330:33:36

Today Malaika and Jasira are going to be taught an important new skill.

0:33:360:33:41

If the keepers need to give the lions any kind of medicine,

0:33:430:33:46

they do so by hiding it in a piece of meat,

0:33:460:33:50

so now the cubs must learn to eat off a stick.

0:33:500:33:53

Can I help you with the...administration as such?

0:33:540:33:57

So there's no medication now, is there?

0:33:570:34:00

This is purely just some little meat chunks.

0:34:000:34:02

These are little placebo chunks, I suppose.

0:34:020:34:04

We hold it up to the bars, shall I do one and you do one?

0:34:040:34:07

They take it straight off the stick.

0:34:070:34:09

I'm amazed they're eating meat already.

0:34:090:34:11

Are they still suckling as well from their mums?

0:34:110:34:14

You'll find that Jasira, the smaller one, she goes back occasionally,

0:34:140:34:18

but they are gradually sort of weaning themselves off.

0:34:180:34:21

Look at their claws, their claws are already enormous.

0:34:210:34:25

They must be very sharp. There you go, sorry. Tremendously sharp.

0:34:250:34:29

And their teeth, have they still got their baby teeth as such?

0:34:290:34:32

Yeah, they've still got their milk teeth,

0:34:320:34:35

and they'll keep them for the best part of a year.

0:34:350:34:37

As you can see, Malaika here is very greedy.

0:34:370:34:40

Is she? Is she the greedier of... Very much like dad.

0:34:400:34:42

Dad is over there. What's dad doing, actually?

0:34:420:34:45

Kind of scraping away at the...

0:34:450:34:47

He's realised we've got some meat over here.

0:34:470:34:49

Because we do it to all the lions here,

0:34:500:34:52

just so they get used to taking it off the stick.

0:34:520:34:55

He's getting frustrated that he's not getting meat as well.

0:34:550:34:58

We can pop along later on and give him a few chunks.

0:34:580:35:01

And are you pleased with their progress? Oh, gosh, what's that?

0:35:010:35:04

Is that just a little squabble?

0:35:040:35:06

Malaika being a bit greedy. Is it?

0:35:060:35:08

Malaika is two months older,

0:35:080:35:10

so she's slightly bigger and a bit more boisterous.

0:35:100:35:13

Hence slightly more dominant?

0:35:130:35:15

Slightly more dominant, and that's basically because of her size,

0:35:150:35:18

she can overpower the little one. Look at that.

0:35:180:35:22

She's a little bit stroppy but, you know, it's all part of learning.

0:35:220:35:26

They're learning their hierarchy here.

0:35:260:35:28

And they're gobbling through this meat here, do they eat a lot?

0:35:280:35:33

It's an incredible amount. You know, as we were saying...

0:35:330:35:36

GROWLING

0:35:360:35:37

Hey-hey-hey!

0:35:370:35:38

Down!

0:35:400:35:43

They're surprisingly aggressive for young pups.

0:35:430:35:46

You imagine what sort of damage that will do, these are designed...

0:35:460:35:50

The claws really are ferocious looking.

0:35:500:35:53

They are, but they're designed to take punishment, as you can see.

0:35:530:35:57

And the noises that are going on here,

0:35:570:35:59

is this just a sort of..."Give me that meat as soon as you can"?

0:35:590:36:04

It's just basically trying to warn off little Jasira here

0:36:040:36:07

and hurry us up by giving her another chunk.

0:36:070:36:09

Well, Bob and Brian, thank you very much.

0:36:090:36:13

What a...joy, to be feeding these young cubs.

0:36:130:36:16

Of course, we'll keep up with their progress throughout the series.

0:36:160:36:20

Calm down!

0:36:200:36:22

The unique gold-leaf ceiling in the lower dining room is in danger of collapsing

0:36:300:36:35

because of the unending stamp of visitors' feet in the room above.

0:36:350:36:40

We do need to be aware of the amount of people

0:36:400:36:42

that's coming through at any one time,

0:36:420:36:45

because if we were gonna have this -

0:36:450:36:48

as I say, 3,000, 3,500 people through per day,

0:36:480:36:52

then it's on its way, you know, so we do need to be aware of that

0:36:520:36:57

and to try and handle the situation.

0:36:570:37:00

You could have anything... especially in the room above,

0:37:000:37:03

anything up to 200 people in there at one time, which is the problem.

0:37:030:37:08

Fortunately, the experts have been brought in just in time.

0:37:080:37:12

You would expect a number of cracks in a ceiling of this age,

0:37:160:37:20

but hopefully, from the look of the first...

0:37:200:37:23

..access point we made into the ceiling,

0:37:250:37:27

it should turn out to be a nice, solid, sound ceiling.

0:37:270:37:32

Martin Watchurst's survey revealed that the ceiling is basically sound,

0:37:330:37:38

but should be monitored for signs of stress.

0:37:380:37:42

Luckily, it was possible to replace the bits that had fallen off.

0:37:420:37:46

The ceiling has been here since the great days of the British Empire

0:37:480:37:52

and provides a real sense of history,

0:37:520:37:54

which both Ken and Lady Bath are keen to preserve.

0:37:540:37:58

So this is the one here, is it? That's it, milady.

0:37:580:38:02

That's the one here that has been repaired,

0:38:020:38:04

and you frankly would not know a thing, would you?

0:38:040:38:07

You wouldn't know the difference at all.

0:38:070:38:09

He's are a good craftsman. Certainly is.

0:38:090:38:11

It's heart-warming, yes.

0:38:110:38:12

Mainly because none of these craftsmen are cheap, obviously,

0:38:120:38:16

but it's lovely to see they do a good job.

0:38:160:38:19

It was a one-man band, actually, doing the plaster and the gilding,

0:38:190:38:23

and he's done a darn good job of it.

0:38:230:38:24

And it's nice to know that there are still people

0:38:240:38:27

able to do that sort of thing, you see?

0:38:270:38:29

Well, it's the crux of the matter, it's the heart of the battle, isn't it?

0:38:290:38:33

It's the main thing, really, isn't it?

0:38:330:38:35

With a house that is 400 and some years old...

0:38:350:38:38

that's the main battle, to preserve it.

0:38:380:38:40

That's what we, my husband and myself, try to do -

0:38:400:38:43

we try to hand over something to my son

0:38:430:38:46

that's coherent and in good stead,

0:38:460:38:48

then it's his vision afterwards, you see?

0:38:480:38:51

But at least we will have done our best, our very best,

0:38:510:38:54

and our duty to the house, to the family.

0:38:540:38:56

That's what it's all about.

0:38:560:38:58

All around the house, the park is constantly evolving

0:39:130:39:16

as new animals are brought in to live here.

0:39:160:39:19

When these rare African bongo arrived at the park not so long ago,

0:39:190:39:24

keepers thought that they might have a hard time settling in.

0:39:240:39:27

Now I'm off to see how they're getting on.

0:39:270:39:30

I'm out with the keeper Kevin Nibbs, and we've come to feed the bongos.

0:39:300:39:33

Hello, boys!

0:39:330:39:35

It must be about a year, is it, Kevin, since they arrived here?

0:39:350:39:38

It is pretty much spot on a year ago they arrived.

0:39:380:39:41

Wow! Well, they're looking incredibly well.

0:39:410:39:44

I mean, given that when they arrived, they were pretty shy,

0:39:440:39:47

weren't they, and kind of nervy, they seem much more confident now.

0:39:470:39:51

When they arrived, we hardly ever saw them.

0:39:510:39:54

You put your head round the door,

0:39:540:39:56

they'd just go and hide in the darkest corner,

0:39:560:39:58

but now they've seen your face all the time.

0:39:580:40:00

Now, you've got a bucket full of bread here. Is this what they like?

0:40:000:40:04

They do actually love it. They love it to pieces.

0:40:040:40:08

It's a good filler for them in the morning.

0:40:080:40:10

A bit of digestion, but it just fills their bellies

0:40:100:40:13

so they've got something warm in their tummies.

0:40:130:40:15

OK, so what do you do? Just throw it over the top?

0:40:150:40:18

Just throw it over and they'll help themselves.

0:40:180:40:20

Here you are, boys! When you say they are more confident,

0:40:200:40:24

I mean, obviously, they're standing here and seem very happy with us.

0:40:240:40:27

But what other things have you noticed when they're out in the park?

0:40:270:40:31

What sort of things do they get up to?

0:40:310:40:34

Well we were told when we got them from a number of sources,

0:40:340:40:37

that they wouldn't mix with other animals very well.

0:40:370:40:40

That they were solitary animals,

0:40:400:40:41

a solitary species that didn't like to mix.

0:40:410:40:44

But we've found that they mix with our eland very well.

0:40:440:40:47

They lay out with the eland quite happily.

0:40:470:40:49

Because eland are also antelope, also from Africa,

0:40:490:40:52

but from a different part of Africa, is that right? Exactly, yes.

0:40:520:40:56

A different area altogether. These are more forest dwelling.

0:40:560:40:59

Mainly nocturnal as well, these are.

0:40:590:41:02

Whereas the eland, dry scrubland, out during the day.

0:41:020:41:05

So they are very different characteristics.

0:41:050:41:08

But they get on amazingly well. That's incredible.

0:41:080:41:11

The eland are a lot bigger than these three, aren't they?

0:41:110:41:14

They are, they are huge.

0:41:140:41:15

But yeah, they don't seem to take any notice whatsoever.

0:41:150:41:18

They're just so confident.

0:41:180:41:20

You've got three males here. Three males, yes.

0:41:200:41:23

I mean, again, that seems unusual.

0:41:230:41:26

I mean, do you see them fighting with each other?

0:41:260:41:29

We haven't, not very often.

0:41:290:41:31

They even get on well over food.

0:41:310:41:33

We can put all the food in one bowl and they'll take it in turns

0:41:330:41:36

putting their heads in to take the food.

0:41:360:41:38

For three bongo, they get on tremendously well, it's brilliant.

0:41:380:41:42

Is one of them - I mean this one here, closest to us,

0:41:420:41:47

seems to be the biggest one by the looks of things.

0:41:470:41:50

Is this the one that's sort of the boss, in charge?

0:41:500:41:53

You'd have thought so, wouldn't you? No, it's actually the little guy.

0:41:530:41:56

This one in the middle? Really? The smallest one.

0:41:560:41:59

He tends to lead them around. He'll head off and they'll follow him.

0:41:590:42:02

But that said, if one did spook or turn round and go away,

0:42:020:42:06

then they would follow that one as well.

0:42:060:42:08

So they do follow each other wherever they go.

0:42:080:42:10

And they are just beautiful looking things.

0:42:100:42:13

I've heard a rumour that there's possibly another one coming?

0:42:130:42:17

We hope so. Fingers crossed. We're hoping to get a female very soon.

0:42:170:42:20

Wow! That would be really exciting.

0:42:200:42:22

Will that change the dynamic, do you think, between the three of them?

0:42:220:42:26

Will they suddenly start being a bit kind of,

0:42:260:42:28

"I'm more handsome than you, I want her"?!

0:42:280:42:30

Well, it could do. We hope it won't.

0:42:300:42:32

We hope that this will be a nucleus for any new bongo that come.

0:42:320:42:36

These'll be a nucleus.

0:42:360:42:37

We'll put the new guys with these just to calm them down.

0:42:370:42:40

They'll show them the ropes.

0:42:400:42:42

Hopefully in the future we could have maybe eight bongo

0:42:420:42:44

that are this calm and this confident. That would be amazing.

0:42:440:42:48

Well Kevin, keep us posted with any news of new arrivals.

0:42:480:42:51

And I'm just delighted to see these three looking so well and happy.

0:42:510:42:55

# King of the bongo King of the bongo

0:42:570:43:00

# Hear me when I come, baby

0:43:010:43:03

# King of the bongo King of the bongo bong

0:43:030:43:07

# Hear me when I come. #

0:43:070:43:09

At Pets' Corner,

0:43:120:43:14

Rosie the Asian short-clawed otter is enjoying a swim.

0:43:140:43:17

Her pups are three months old,

0:43:170:43:20

but they have yet to pluck up the courage to join her.

0:43:200:43:23

Keeper Rob Savin knows it's time for them to start swimming,

0:43:230:43:27

so he's decided to bribe them.

0:43:270:43:30

We are gonna try with a bit of food.

0:43:300:43:32

We've had a little go already, actually.

0:43:320:43:34

It's not really worked, to be honest.

0:43:340:43:36

We've thrown a bit of egg in there, boiled egg,

0:43:360:43:39

and they all love boiled egg.

0:43:390:43:41

And they'll all eat it, including the little ones, but only Rosie -

0:43:410:43:46

she's the only gannet around here at the minute - she's going in!

0:43:460:43:49

She's getting every bit of egg!

0:43:490:43:51

I have actually seen her - it's a little bit of a cheat -

0:43:510:43:54

she's going up and she's actually giving it to them.

0:43:540:43:57

The little ones are screaming at her on the land.

0:43:570:43:59

They're not bothering going in the water, they don't want to know.

0:43:590:44:03

They just wait till she gets there - "I'll have that, Mum" -

0:44:030:44:05

and mum's going back and getting more!

0:44:050:44:07

So I've got a bit of cat biscuit

0:44:070:44:08

and I'm gonna try throwing that in a little bit now

0:44:080:44:12

and we'll have a little go with that.

0:44:120:44:14

And she will eat this.

0:44:140:44:15

I mean, cat biscuits, really, we use it as a treat food.

0:44:150:44:18

When you see them jumping around on land, that tail - brilliant balance.

0:44:180:44:22

And different animals under water, they are very elegant.

0:44:220:44:29

The tail is used as a rudder and they can spin and turn and dive.

0:44:290:44:32

I love watching it.

0:44:320:44:34

But we don't see it as often as you perhaps would with other otters.

0:44:340:44:38

It's fantastic.

0:44:380:44:40

The pups still aren't ready to join their mum in the deep-water.

0:44:420:44:46

But in their natural habitat, they usually stick to the shallows.

0:44:460:44:49

The Asian short-clawed otters are not so partial

0:44:490:44:53

to going into deeper areas of water.

0:44:530:44:55

They like the paddy rice fields and areas like that

0:44:550:44:59

where there's lots of shallow, almost marshy water.

0:44:590:45:04

And they'll weave in and out of the different grasses and plant life.

0:45:040:45:08

They'd find all sorts of different crustaceans

0:45:080:45:12

and even perhaps little frogs and things inside all of that.

0:45:120:45:17

And they use their paws quite a lot,

0:45:170:45:19

so they'd almost feel in from the shallower parts into the deeper mud,

0:45:190:45:23

and they'd use their nimble little paws.

0:45:230:45:25

So very agile little creatures.

0:45:250:45:27

Rob has one more plan.

0:45:270:45:30

He thinks the pups might take the plunge

0:45:300:45:33

if they think no-one is watching them.

0:45:330:45:35

So he's set up a camera to spy on them.

0:45:350:45:38

They're still a bit wary of us,

0:45:380:45:40

still a bit wary of the movement and different objects,

0:45:400:45:43

new objects, I think it's best we try to get them used to something

0:45:430:45:48

that's steady and still.

0:45:480:45:49

So it should be aimed at the right point, but hopefully -

0:45:490:45:52

I'll just set it recording now - we'll catch something.

0:45:520:45:55

We can walk away, they've got a bit of peace and quiet -

0:45:550:45:57

that's the plan!

0:45:570:45:59

Now there's nothing Rob can do but wait and hope.

0:46:010:46:05

I've come down to Pets' Corner to meet keeper Bev Allen,

0:46:130:46:16

who has a bit of a problem here. Bev, what's actually going on?

0:46:160:46:19

We had an animal escape, one of the wallabies.

0:46:190:46:22

One of these guys just behind us? One of these guys here.

0:46:220:46:25

Look very innocent at the moment! Yeah, our female, Adelaide, escaped.

0:46:250:46:29

I've got some footage here if you'd like to have a look.

0:46:290:46:32

So you rushed out and filmed the escapee, did you?

0:46:320:46:36

Yeah, we filmed it and as you can see -

0:46:360:46:38

I'll press that there - look, you can see!

0:46:380:46:40

Hopping around Pets' Corner! Not a care in the world!

0:46:400:46:43

She doesn't care - look, she's loving it! All the different smells.

0:46:430:46:46

She looks very at ease.

0:46:460:46:48

But we did manage to get her back into the enclosure.

0:46:480:46:50

How did you get her back in?

0:46:500:46:53

A bit of food, and coaxing her, sort of rounding her up gently.

0:46:530:46:57

We managed to get her back into the enclosure.

0:46:570:46:59

So this is your very own Houdini here?

0:46:590:47:01

Yeah, she's very clever. Yeah!

0:47:010:47:03

So how on earth are you trying to stop this happening again?

0:47:030:47:06

If you'd like to come and help, and see what we're doing.

0:47:060:47:09

It sounds like hard work to me!

0:47:090:47:11

So presumably you found out where she's escaping from.

0:47:110:47:14

Cos we're extending the pen, you see,

0:47:140:47:16

so they're coming out into this area as well.

0:47:160:47:19

And we think that she either got scared at night,

0:47:190:47:21

and she managed to run up towards the wall.

0:47:210:47:23

Cos to be honest, they can usually get out of this, you see.

0:47:230:47:26

How high can a wallaby jump?

0:47:260:47:28

Quite high, I imagine about maybe two metres.

0:47:280:47:31

So we're putting this trellis up and it will make it a bit difficult.

0:47:310:47:35

When we haven't got the ledge here as well,

0:47:350:47:40

Shall I give you a hand while I'm here? If you tell me what to do.

0:47:400:47:44

I'm not very good at DIY!

0:47:440:47:45

Presumably this has to be put into the wall?

0:47:450:47:49

Yes, just screw it in.

0:47:490:47:52

Oh - that's not too bad!

0:47:520:47:53

Is it just the one - cos you've got two wallabies here, don't you?

0:47:530:47:57

Yeah, we have the two - Palmer wallabies.

0:47:570:47:59

Smaller than the ones we have at the top.

0:47:590:48:01

And it is the female, Adelaide, getting out both times.

0:48:010:48:05

Sydney just tends to sit there and not bother.

0:48:050:48:07

Can we just have a look? They're over here kind of munching away.

0:48:070:48:11

So which is the escapee?

0:48:110:48:12

That's Adelaide at the front, eating. She's the one that got out.

0:48:120:48:16

And of course Syd behind, but he doesn't seem to bother.

0:48:160:48:19

It's just the female!

0:48:190:48:20

So what is it do you think that encourages her out?

0:48:200:48:23

She might have been scared?

0:48:230:48:24

Something might have spooked her, that's why she decided to get out,

0:48:240:48:28

found the weakest bit of the pen and jumped out.

0:48:280:48:30

Or maybe she just realised, "That's the easiest way out"

0:48:300:48:33

and just wanted to have a wander round. Just curiosity? Yeah.

0:48:330:48:36

Different smells and things.

0:48:360:48:38

Obviously you can't really have them just wandering around here?

0:48:380:48:42

No, it's for their safety as well.

0:48:420:48:43

It's not safe for them to be wandering around.

0:48:430:48:46

Especially at night when no-one's here to supervise them.

0:48:460:48:48

Is there anything around here

0:48:480:48:50

that would predate one of these wallabies, for example?

0:48:500:48:53

It's probably like a badger that may have scared them.

0:48:530:48:57

Foxes, they probably would go for them.

0:48:570:48:59

So we've got to keep them nice and secure.

0:48:590:49:02

OK, Bev, thank you very much for roping me into this!

0:49:020:49:05

That's OK! We've got some work to do, I think.

0:49:050:49:07

Hopefully the wallabies won't be escaping again.

0:49:070:49:10

Right, up a bit, there we go.

0:49:100:49:13

The safari park exists to protect endangered wild animals

0:49:170:49:22

and to spread the word about the need for wildlife conservation.

0:49:220:49:26

Just down the road from the park is Horningsham primary school.

0:49:270:49:31

The children have all had the chance to see the animals for themselves

0:49:310:49:36

and it's made an impact.

0:49:360:49:38

So, who can tell me what we've been learning about?

0:49:380:49:42

Tom, what have we been learning about?

0:49:420:49:44

About these animals.

0:49:440:49:47

That's right, what else have we been doing? Lucy?

0:49:470:49:50

We've been learning about conservation.

0:49:500:49:52

Right, conservation. Who can tell me what conservation means?

0:49:520:49:55

Anita? Conservation is when zoos have endangered species

0:49:550:50:02

and breed them so that they can put them back in the wild,

0:50:020:50:08

so that they will still be there for future generations.

0:50:080:50:12

How are other animals in other countries becoming endangered?

0:50:120:50:17

Well, because people are killing other animals,

0:50:170:50:21

so they make jewellery and different clothing.

0:50:210:50:25

I don't think that's very nice to other animals.

0:50:250:50:27

Now head teacher, Carol Andrews,

0:50:270:50:30

has invited Darren Beasley and Jo Hawthorn to come to the school.

0:50:300:50:35

Hello. Hello! All right?

0:50:350:50:38

They are going to talk to the kids about their upcoming adventure.

0:50:380:50:42

D'you know that Jo and I tomorrow are going to Africa?

0:50:420:50:46

Yeah, have you heard that? Africa, a long way away.

0:50:463:22:28

And we're going to one country in particular, called...? Kenya!

3:22:283:22:28

Kenya, well done!

3:22:283:22:28

They've got lots of animals we'd really like.

3:22:283:22:28

We only get to see them in Longleat, don't we?

3:22:283:22:28

In places like safari parks.

3:22:283:22:28

Imagine, if in your back garden, you had a giraffe?

3:22:283:22:28

That would be a bit good, wouldn't it?

3:22:283:22:28

And I've brought some pictures Jo's got here, look.

3:22:283:22:28

They're quite small so I'll pass them round.

3:22:283:22:28

Jo will bring them around in a minute.

3:22:283:22:28

There's a picture of some men that look like soldiers.

3:22:283:22:28

They do a really good job. They mean that when you grow up,

3:22:283:22:28

you should still be able to see things like rhinos in the wild.

3:22:283:22:28

'I think in this day and age, you can't keep yourself in your village

3:22:283:22:28

'and just know what's within the borders of your home.

3:22:283:22:28

'It's important we have the TV, the internet and books and things.

3:22:283:22:28

'It's important you know what goes on.

3:22:283:22:28

'Because what these children do here

3:22:283:22:28

'is gonna affect what happens in Africa. These are our future.'

3:22:283:22:28

What happens if it's really hot for nearly the whole year?

3:22:283:22:28

What happens to all the grass?

3:22:283:22:28

It dies out. It dies out. What do the animals eat?

3:22:283:22:28

They eat nothing!

3:22:283:22:28

Can't they go down the supermarket and buy some dinner?

3:22:283:22:28

No!

3:22:283:22:28

They don't have money! They don't have money! Oh, no!

3:22:283:22:28

They're too big to get through the supermarket door.

3:22:283:22:28

The children aren't just interested in the animals of Africa.

3:22:283:22:28

They're keen to get involved with the local community

3:22:283:22:28

where Darren and Jo are going.

3:22:283:22:28

What they're gonna do is try and twin themselves

3:22:283:22:28

with one of the village schools out in Kenya where we're going.

3:22:283:22:28

They're gonna support each other and pass information.

3:22:283:22:28

Kids there often can't afford basic things we all take for granted.

3:22:283:22:28

So the children have decided to do what they can to help.

3:22:283:22:28

So we have a box of books here

3:22:283:22:28

that we are hoping that you're going to take over.

3:22:283:22:28

Oh, that's fantastic! That is really, really kind.

3:22:283:22:28

I promise you, they really will get a lot out of those.

3:22:283:22:28

Thank you very much. And thank you.

3:22:283:22:28

We have another book that Imogen's going to give you.

3:22:283:22:28

This is a book the class have made. Oh, that's beautiful! Well done.

3:22:283:22:28

It's lovely. I know the children in Kenya will love this very much.

3:22:283:22:28

Give yourself a round of applause, because you've earned that.

3:22:283:22:28

Well done.

3:22:283:22:28

Thank you. We've got to go, because we've got to pack our cases and go!

3:22:283:22:28

We'll see you later. Bye! Thank you! Bye!

3:22:283:22:28

'It's really exciting.

3:22:283:22:28

'The children here know so much about conservation in this country

3:22:283:22:28

'and abroad because they've given us some fantastic books.

3:22:283:22:28

'And I know the children in Kenya are gonna adore them.

3:22:283:22:28

'They have no resources out there so it's fantastic.

3:22:283:22:28

'And to see the faces in there,

3:22:283:22:28

'I know it's going to be matched by the happy faces in Kenya next week.'

3:22:283:22:28

Tomorrow, Darren and Jo are off to Kenya.

3:22:283:22:28

And of course, when they get back, they'll update the kids.

3:22:283:22:28

Keeper, Rob Savin is trying to catch the young otters

3:22:283:22:28

as they take the plunge and decide to go for their first swim.

3:22:283:22:28

He's set up a camera. Now all he can do is wait patiently.

3:22:283:22:28

For hours the young otters played close to the bank,

3:22:283:22:28

but they just won't get in.

3:22:283:22:28

Then, at last...

3:22:283:22:28

It's a breakthrough.

3:22:283:22:28

Got them on tape. They can't deny it!

3:22:283:22:28

We saw definitely one of the little ones go for a swim.

3:22:283:22:28

After all his patience and hard work, it's a proud moment for Rob.

3:22:283:22:28

They were chasing after, I think it was a bit of food.

3:22:283:22:28

But they dived straight in, it was more like a belly flop to be honest!

3:22:283:22:28

And it was in the shallow part of the pool,

3:22:283:22:28

but they came straight back out, seemed quite happy about it.

3:22:283:22:28

So hopefully, that's it now.

3:22:283:22:28

We're up at the Giraffe House with head of section, Andy Hayton

3:22:283:22:28

and behind us is Jolly with her beautiful calf, Century.

3:22:283:22:28

The 100th calf born at Longleat, I gather?

3:22:283:22:28

Yes, the 100th calf in our 40th year and Jolly's tenth baby as well. Wow!

3:22:283:22:28

So, Jolly really deserves that one.

3:22:283:22:28

And looking extremely healthy and fit.

3:22:283:22:28

He's a monster! He really is!

3:22:283:22:28

He's very tall! How old is he now?

3:22:283:22:28

He's about two months old now. And he's just huge! He really is.

3:22:283:22:28

Now Andy I want to -

3:22:283:22:28

just over here is another of your pregnant giraffes, isn't it?

3:22:283:22:28

This is Becky, is that right?

3:22:283:22:28

This is Becky, yeah, and that's the 101st baby in there.

3:22:283:22:28

And how imminent is that birth?

3:22:283:22:28

Oh, she's due in the next week or so, so very imminent.

3:22:283:22:28

Last time she really messed us around.

3:22:283:22:28

She was late, quite considerably late.

3:22:283:22:28

But they can go quite a way over their...

3:22:283:22:28

Because she's actually had quite a few giraffes?

3:22:283:22:28

She's an old hand. She knows what she's doing.

3:22:283:22:28

What are the signs that she's about to give birth?

3:22:283:22:28

You know, what tells you it's about to happen?

3:22:283:22:28

She will be restless and give us little signs.

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But, these animals instinctively, they won't give anything away.

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Because if they give things away where they naturally come from,

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they become a target.

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So a lot of the time, you won't actually see real, clear-cut signs.

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So it's very, very tricky.

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You think something's going on but no, you won't get it.

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Especially her and Jolly, they're real cagey.

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New mums, you might get a bit more, because it's a new experience -

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"Ow, that really hurts, what's going on?"

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They jump around a bit more. But these guys don't...

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Just absolutely calm, then...

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Will you literally turn up in the morning and find a calf?

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That would be nice. It's nice when you come in.

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Jolly did exactly that for us -

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we came in and there was a calf in there stood up.

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When you're watching a birth you start stressing about it.

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It's taking too long and she's looking upset and it's distressed...

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It's harder.

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So just walking in and there's a healthy baby stood up

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that's drunk, that's great.

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Fantastic. Andy, thank you very much.

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Of course, we'll keep an eye out for Becky.

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

3:22:283:22:28

But here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.

3:22:283:22:28

We're off to Kenya with the staff from Longleat.

3:22:283:22:28

We go on a mission with the men

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at the frontline of the war against animal poachers.

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Stop!

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We'll meet these baby black rhino and give them their bottle.

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And one of Longleat's largest lions gets a little too close for comfort.

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Oh! I think we've got someone biting the tyre.

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LAUGHTER

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So don't miss the next Animal Park.

3:22:283:22:28

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 2006

3:22:283:22:28

E-mail [email protected]

3:22:283:22:28

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