0:00:02 > 0:00:04It's first thing in the morning
0:00:04 > 0:00:06and the vets have arrived here at the safari park.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11We're at the lion enclosure
0:00:11 > 0:00:15and it's a big day for two of Longleat's young lions.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Today, on Animal Park,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44there's pillage and mayhem when the otters get a garden makeover.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Lord Bath sets a course for disaster.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51And I'll be facing my fear when I get to grips
0:00:51 > 0:00:54with a nightmare creature.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59But first, two of Longleat's
0:00:59 > 0:01:03youngest lionesses are in for a difficult day.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Well, we've come up to the lion house to meet deputy
0:01:06 > 0:01:10head of section, Bob Trollope and to see this extraordinary,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13expanding lion family, Bob.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16I can't believe how many lions there suddenly seem to be.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20When we left last year, there were four little bundles, two
0:01:20 > 0:01:23medium sized ones and the family and now you can barely tell them apart.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26This is one of the little bundles, here.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27- Wow.- Little bundles.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Look at the size of them.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33So they must be almost exactly a year old.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36- Yeah. About a year old. Yeah. - And Malaika and Jasira were
0:01:36 > 0:01:39the sort of medium sized ones when we left. How old are they?
0:01:39 > 0:01:43They're just getting up to about two years old. Hello, darling.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Now, Malaika is what today's all about, isn't it?
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Malaika and Jasira is what today's all about.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52They're getting to that age now where, let's just say Dad's taking
0:01:52 > 0:01:56- an interest. Obviously, we want to prevent any unwanted births.- Yeah.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01So what we're doing is putting what they call a melengestrol implant,
0:02:01 > 0:02:06which is a contraceptive implant, into Malaika and Jasira.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09OK. Now that sounds relatively simple, but I guess it's not.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12What's going to be involved?
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Well, the main thing that we have to do
0:02:14 > 0:02:17right now is, obviously, separate Malaika and Jasira.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20If everything goes to plan, then
0:02:20 > 0:02:23it might be five minutes. If these decide to play up,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26we could be here for 20 minutes trying to separate them all.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29- We'll let you be the brains and we'll be the brawn.- Yeah.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32- How about that?- Exactly. All right, Bob, we'll follow you. Carry on.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37The first lion we need to move out is Kabir, the big pride male.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Separating individual lions from the pride is done
0:02:43 > 0:02:47using a whole series of doors and gates, inside the house
0:02:47 > 0:02:49and in the run that leads to the paddock.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54OK, Bob, so what's going to happen out here?
0:02:54 > 0:02:58- Well, Kabir is going to be coming out that tunnel, there.- Yep.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59I'm going to be staying up
0:02:59 > 0:03:02by the house so I can stop him from going back up the tunnel.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03- Right.- What I want you to do, once
0:03:03 > 0:03:07- he's out here I might have to chase him down a bit...- Right.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09..is to shut this one which is very important.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12- OK.- It's just a case of pushing it.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16- Yeah.- 'While Bob and Ben get ready to man the gates outside,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20'head of section, Brian Kent, is showing me the ropes indoors.'
0:03:20 > 0:03:23- So you want me to pull this one, is it this one here?- No.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25- This one here?- Yeah.- OK. OK.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30That back slide's now...open.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Go on, Kabir. Out you go.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40So we just need to wait for him to decide that he wants to go out.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I think what we need to do is open and shut the door again.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47OK. And make a bit of a racket. All right, I shall give that a go.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Kabir!
0:04:01 > 0:04:03- Maybe if we walk round the back. - Shall we try that?
0:04:03 > 0:04:07- He might come out then.- OK. Let's give that a go. Come on.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Come on, look, it's lovely out here, Kabir.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Here he comes. Oh, fantastic.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16I'll whiz round, Brian and shut the door...
0:04:16 > 0:04:18and tell Bob that he's coming.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Bob, he's coming.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Tell me when, Bob.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- Now?- Yes.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28There you go.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32One out. Six to go.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37And this is going to be the really tricky part.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39If you open that one up, slightly.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41- OK.- See what goes through. We don't want that one.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44OK. So the one that we don't want has gone through.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48If you open it back up again, see if she's going to go through.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- So, what can I do? Come on, come on. - HE WHISTLES
0:04:54 > 0:04:59That's it. If we shut that now, all we've got to do now is...
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Is separate the mum out.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Got one left here.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12- Come on.- Come on. Come on. - Follow Ben.- Out you go. Come on.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15- Follow your brothers and sisters. Go on. Go on.- Well, done, Fogle.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17- You're very authoritative. - There you go.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19- Just with animals, Kate. - LAUGHTER
0:05:23 > 0:05:27It's such a complicated change of gate systems, but hopefully,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Kate is now going to get the one we don't want...
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- That's it.- ..which is perfect.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40We've got to try and persuade Mum out of this patch over here, now.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Yeah. That's it. She's gone.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- Go on.- OK, Bob. She's on her way. - Thank you.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50- I'll take the smaller one. - You're so unchivalrous.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- That's it. Job done.- Great.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Well, that was a bit of a jigsaw, wasn't it?
0:05:56 > 0:05:58I'm breathless just by separating them. I can't
0:05:58 > 0:06:01imagine what it'll be like with the actual procedure later.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Absolutely. Well, join us in a little bit when Duncan the vet will be here
0:06:05 > 0:06:09and Malaika and Jasira will have their little operations.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Longleat's half-mile lake may look
0:06:17 > 0:06:21completely natural, but in fact, it's an artificial water feature.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26It was designed over 200 years ago, by Capability Brown, England's
0:06:26 > 0:06:31greatest landscape gardener, because back in those days, no country
0:06:31 > 0:06:35estate as grand as this, would be complete without a boating lake.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Today, the tradition continues. And visitors are always
0:06:45 > 0:06:47keen to take a trip round the lake.
0:06:47 > 0:06:53It's the only way to get a close-up of Nico the gorilla on his island,
0:06:53 > 0:06:54the hippos in the water...
0:06:54 > 0:06:58and of course, the ever-playful Californian sea lions.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04But the boat trip's popularity has caused a problem.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06The queues have become much too long.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09The solution was obvious.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Build some bigger boats.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Last year, we joined head warden, Keith Harris and the team,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18when they went to check on progress at a boatyard in Warwickshire.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21It looks huge. Whether it'll look that big on the lake,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23I don't know and how they'll handle.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Longleat's most experienced sailor was there, too. Bill Lord.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30This is my first time in the cabin.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32I like the look of this.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37The trouble with bigger boats is they have bigger bottoms and
0:07:37 > 0:07:39the lake just wasn't deep enough.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42So, before they arrived, it had to be drained away and a digger
0:07:42 > 0:07:45brought in to deepen the shallow parts.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51It was a big day when the two new boats were delivered
0:07:51 > 0:07:53and put into the water.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00But now, the time has come to give them proper names.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04They're due to be officially launched tomorrow,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06as Lady Bath and Lady Lenka.
0:08:06 > 0:08:12Before the big day, Bill Lord nicknamed the Admiral, is giving
0:08:12 > 0:08:14the boats a last minute test drive.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Well, it's 68 feet long.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25It weighs 27 tonnes.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27It's got a beam of about 12 foot six.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31And it only draws about two foot six in the water, so it sits pretty high.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34You get a very good view. The engine's right in the centre.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37It's very small, about 1.6 litres capacity.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41That's only about the same as a small family car.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44But then, this boat is state of the art.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47This is the hydraulics. The whole boat's hydraulically driven.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51We even, would you believe, have a windwiper that works.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56And we have a cupboard cabin, bilge pumps, PA systems, fuel gauge.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59It's all push button stuff, this boat. It's got everything we need.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Smashing piece of equipment. Yeah. Really love it.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13Steve Savage is on standby just in case extra hands are needed on deck.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Nowadays,
0:09:15 > 0:09:20he's an assistant house steward, but he started out on the boats.
0:09:20 > 0:09:2440 years ago, I stepped foot on here and I'd just left school.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I worked three months down here before I jumped ship
0:09:27 > 0:09:29and joined the Fire Service. But, believe it or not,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32it's the first time I've been down here for 40 years.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37You know, it was the first thing like it in the country
0:09:37 > 0:09:40and to be able to go around and...
0:09:40 > 0:09:42see the sea lions and actually everybody feed them...
0:09:42 > 0:09:46I used to sell the little buckets of fish and it was threepence old money
0:09:46 > 0:09:48a bucket.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Of course, at the end of the day, the sea lions were so fat
0:09:51 > 0:09:53they didn't want to eat it and there was fish floating
0:09:53 > 0:09:55all over the lake, you know.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59It wasn't quite as safe as the boats that we have now.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Everybody would go to one side and then the boat would tip.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05The sea lions would perform and everybody would end up
0:10:05 > 0:10:08soaking wet, but in those days, they didn't care.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Then there was the time that Lord Bath almost caused a shipwreck.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17Oh...on the lake, I bought a boat which was really
0:10:17 > 0:10:21to get my children to enjoy sailing on the lake.
0:10:21 > 0:10:27I found I couldn't even sail it in the right direction and the nearer
0:10:27 > 0:10:28I went to Gorilla Island,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32alarms were put up on the estate which I didn't actually know
0:10:32 > 0:10:34were being put up, but I suddenly
0:10:34 > 0:10:37found there were protection boats being sent to retrieve me.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41They, perhaps, were necessary but
0:10:41 > 0:10:44I mightn't have found such a good relationship with
0:10:44 > 0:10:46the gorillas as I was anticipating.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48To make sure there's no
0:10:48 > 0:10:52chance of any maritime mishap, the team has been rehearsing.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57And the Admiral has plotted every move with naval precision.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Right, now, we've got everybody, hopefully, assembled in front but
0:11:00 > 0:11:02we've pre-positioned the boats.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05We've strapped them together to make sure that we have stability
0:11:05 > 0:11:08and they don't part when they start spraying champagne on them.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10They've got a high superstructure
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and they're prone to being blown by the wind and if they start to move,
0:11:13 > 0:11:1727 tonnes twice is going to move and not stop.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20So we've got to make sure that doesn't happen otherwise
0:11:20 > 0:11:22we'll have a disaster because it's muddy there...
0:11:22 > 0:11:24and they might stick on the mud.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29But these new boats are so big and so modern, surely nothing could
0:11:29 > 0:11:32go wrong on their maiden voyage.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35But, of course, that's what they said about the Titanic.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Back up in the lion house, Jasira and Malaika must each
0:11:48 > 0:11:53have an operation to implant a slow release contraceptive.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Now we've got them isolated into separate pens,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58it's time for the next stage - sedating them.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02- So, these are basically general anaesthetic.- Yeah.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06And the idea is to administer them with a blowpipe.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Blowpipe into the muscle of the back leg.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Right, so you'll be aiming for her hind quarters, presumably.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Well, I'll let you get started.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Look at her, she's looking very alert, suddenly.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20'Each lion's dose of anaesthetic drug
0:12:20 > 0:12:23'has been split into two separate darts.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27'That way the darts can be lighter with smaller needles.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:31- Ssh, ssh, ssh... - LION HISSES
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Oh, good shot, Brian.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37How long do you think it will take
0:12:37 > 0:12:39before she starts feeling dopey?
0:12:39 > 0:12:42I suppose in ten, 15 minutes.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46- OK.- I'll just going to try and get this other one in, quick.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49And presumably, they just will
0:12:49 > 0:12:51fall out or when she's asleep, we can take them out.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53They may just fall out as she's moving around.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56If not, we can get them out once she's gone down.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- LION ROARS - All right, all right, all right.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03- All right, girl. - All right. That's her done.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05- OK. There's the next one.- Ta.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10Now, Jasira, here, is looking a little bit hunched and unhappy.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12- She, obviously, has seen what's happened.- Yes.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- Wants to get out the way.- So this one could be a bit trickier.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- ROARING - Ssh, ssh, Jasira.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21DART HISSES
0:13:21 > 0:13:25- That's one gone. - ROARING
0:13:25 > 0:13:29DART HISSES
0:13:29 > 0:13:34If we look over at Malaika now, she's definitely beginning to look
0:13:34 > 0:13:36a little bit dopey. All right.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Well, girls, sleep well and we'll see you in a bit... Thanks, Brian.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Down in Pets Corner, keeper Rob Savin is
0:13:54 > 0:13:58about to conduct a very important experiment in the otter enclosure.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05The otters are, undoubtedly, one of the most popular animals
0:14:05 > 0:14:09with the public, but unfortunately, their enclosure can sometimes become
0:14:09 > 0:14:12barren and muddy.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17In the wild, these Asian short-clawed otters
0:14:17 > 0:14:21live in a variety of habitats, but as their favourite pastime is
0:14:21 > 0:14:26to destroy the plants around them, here at Longleat, it's a constant
0:14:26 > 0:14:30battle to enrich their lives and keep the enclosure looking good.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32But now Rob has come up with a plan.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37We're going to get some plants for the otter enclosure.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40As you can see, it looks a bit bare at the minute. I've been
0:14:40 > 0:14:43digging out a few of the old bits of grasses we had in there,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45so I'm going to look for something
0:14:45 > 0:14:49to fill a few of these holes and experiment with a few plants.
0:14:49 > 0:14:50We want to keep it natural
0:14:50 > 0:14:54so we want Asian plants, things that suit these guys very well.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Maybe a few local ones thrown in, I'll see what I can find,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00but definitely something from Asia, South East Asia, where these guys
0:15:00 > 0:15:04come from and try and experiment with some different types.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Previous attempts to spruce up the enclosure have involved collecting
0:15:07 > 0:15:10plants locally from the estate.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13But the otters have always found a way to vandalise them.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Rob's plan is taking him to a garden centre,
0:15:32 > 0:15:36to choose plants originating from their natural habitat,
0:15:36 > 0:15:41which he's hoping will prove to be otter friendly.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43He's shown round by owner Diana Walker.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47It's mainly they're Asian otters, so looking for
0:15:47 > 0:15:51something South East Asia, something that's going to last a little while.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55The trouble is, they're such characters that they tear it up and
0:15:55 > 0:15:57play with the plants, but it's an experiment, so we just
0:15:57 > 0:16:04want ten, possibly up to 15 plants, various sizes, mainly Asia.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- That's quite nice. - Nice one. Attractive foliage.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11- It's called Nandina domestica.- Yeah. - It has lovely autumn colour, but I
0:16:11 > 0:16:15don't suppose the otters will really worry about the autumn colour.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17- They do see colours.- They do?
0:16:17 > 0:16:20So colours would be interesting for them, but smells as well.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Something that smells a bit different, as well.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24This is a rather lovely grass.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- Oh, yeah, I like that. - Nice and thick and bushy.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Kind of similar to what I've just been getting randomly from
0:16:30 > 0:16:32the side of the road, to be honest.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34- Yes.- But it is a lot prettier. - That's quite tough and they
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- can really chew it, I should imagine. - I like that. Yeah.- Yeah.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- That's good.- And then the bamboos.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44I was looking at the golden bamboo. That looks really stunning.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47There's a golden bamboo, here.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49- Here we are.- Oh, yes.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Yeah. I like that.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- And that's quite big. I want a variety of sizes.- Yes.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58But Rob's not just looking for plants of Asian origin.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00He's also hoping to throw in a few local varieties.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04- This is quite pretty.- This is a Warminster Broom.- Warminster.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- So really local.- Really local. You couldn't get better than that.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11- You couldn't get closer, if we tried.- Grown in Chapmanslade.- Yeah.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- It's a broom.- That's quite colourful.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16I think the otters would probably
0:17:16 > 0:17:18take a lot of this off straightaway, but it would be quite good
0:17:18 > 0:17:23for them looking at it and seeing the colours and smelling and stuff.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24I think we'll take a couple of these.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28We'll load up and see how the otters like them. Good fun to watch.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Good.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34We'll catch up with Rob when he's back in Pets Corner later,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36to find out just which of his plants
0:17:36 > 0:17:40survive the otter test and which gets pulled to pieces.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Now, I'm out on patrol with deputy head of section, Kevin Nibbs.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02And we've got an important mission with the water buffalos.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03- Kevin, what's the plan?- Right.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07We're doing this today, this time of year when summer's starting,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09we get a lot of flies and the poor buffalo
0:18:09 > 0:18:12get them all round their eyes and we also get a lot of horseflies,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15and when they bite they leave a big mark on them,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18so it's more protection for the buffalo than anything.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21We try and help them out with a little bit of insecticide.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24OK. So we've got the three, is it just the three you've got here?
0:18:24 > 0:18:26That's right - one male and two females.
0:18:26 > 0:18:27The male is sort of the one...
0:18:27 > 0:18:30In fact, we've got a couple of monkeys on the back of one of them.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Is that normal?
0:18:32 > 0:18:35It's very normal for us. Yeah. They get on very well.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38So they're basking in the sun, presumably in a good place
0:18:38 > 0:18:40- to do this.- That's right, hopefully.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42- How do we do this?- OK. First we try and get them
0:18:42 > 0:18:45over here so we've got a bit of their feed, here.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47- Right.- So all we'll split this into three bowls.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50- So split this fairly between the three.- Yeah.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53As we're in Monkey Jungle, are we going to be pestered
0:18:53 > 0:18:56- by lots of monkeys?- Hopefully not. They tend not to like this tray,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59- so as long as we're on here, we're pretty safe.- So here we have...
0:18:59 > 0:19:02If we can just drop this over the side of the truck and
0:19:02 > 0:19:04we'll get our first volunteer.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05OK. So just one? Yeah.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Oh, right, we'll drop one at a time, will we?
0:19:07 > 0:19:09I reckon. Yeah. See who comes down. They may all come.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11- One comes over. - They may all come.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And have you got a special liquid here like an insecticide?
0:19:14 > 0:19:17That's right. This is just a simple insecticide that most farm
0:19:17 > 0:19:19animals would have during the summer.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- Yeah.- We need to just suck a little bit of that...
0:19:21 > 0:19:23- if you could hold that, Ben? - Yeah, of course.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Presumably we're wearing gloves cos
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- we don't want to get this all over our skin.- That's right.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30It's purely for animals, so it's not really good for us.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Is it just normal flies they're pestered by?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I can see quite a few on its back, there, just between the horns.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Normal flies, you know, round their eyes,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41that does annoy them, but sometimes we get
0:19:41 > 0:19:43horse flies round here a lot and they bite quite hard.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Horse fly bites are not nice.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46They're not nice, at all. So we
0:19:46 > 0:19:49just try and get it onto their skin, across their back like that...
0:19:49 > 0:19:51- in a nice big long line.- That was it.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- That's it. She's done.- OK. The others didn't like the look of that.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57They've kind of moved off, so we may struggle a bit next time.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Now, obviously, in the wild, there isn't a nice friendly keeper
0:20:01 > 0:20:03to do this to water buffalo.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06- What would happen there?- What they'd normally do is they'd probably
0:20:06 > 0:20:10stay down in the cool of the water and hide in the water, a lot.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13- Shall I put this down here?- That's it. Yeah. Anywhere down there.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15And hopefully, he'll come over.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16- This is Herman, our male. - Can I try this?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Yeah. If he comes over,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21just try and get him, a nice line down his back, if possible.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24So, just going back - in the wild, they'd find some water to lie in?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Exactly. And they'd roll in the mud, quite a lot. Be covered in mud.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30But we don't have quite as much mud here as they would in the wild.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33He's very tentative, isn't he? He's not sure about coming over.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- I think he knows what'll happen. - OK. I'll hide this down a bit.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Oh, they're really scared of us today, aren't they?
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- Is that cos they wind each other up a bit?- They do.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44- She's probably told him what's going on.- So who is this?
0:20:44 > 0:20:46This one's called Brenda. She's our oldest female.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48OK. Oldest being how old?
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Nearly 15, 16 years old. So she's a fairly good age for a buffalo.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- How long would they live for, then? - Probably just maybe 20, 25 years.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58It's not a bad life for them, here. This is Herman coming back.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00- So this is Herman.- Yeah.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02And I'm surprised that it was the female that came
0:21:02 > 0:21:06in first, that the male, perhaps, wasn't a bit more dominant and went
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- straight to the food. - This is different for them.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Normally, we'd feed them in the morning, but this afternoon,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15it's a little bit different for them. So they're not quite used to it.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17I mean, looking at their tails now, swatting away.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19That's obviously going for all the flies.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23That's right. They do get bothered by them all over their back,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26they're very sensitive so they can feel a lot of flies on them.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30- Tell me when to go.- You can probably get in now.- Do you think?- Yeah.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32- Is that OK?- Yeah. Brilliant.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34- Is that enough on it? - That's plenty. Yeah.- OK. Great.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36So we've got one more to go.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Do you want to fill up the...? Are we driving forward, for this one?
0:21:39 > 0:21:43- We might have to. She's quite shy. - OK. What am I filling this up to?
0:21:43 > 0:21:47- Up to about ten mils, Ben. - Up to about ten mils. OK.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49There we go.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51So we're loaded and ready.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52Put that on the floor.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55So shall I go for this one, as well? Do you trust my aim?
0:21:55 > 0:21:57I do. Yeah. That should be fine.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59- And who is this third one, then? - This one's called Anya.- Right.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02And Anya really isn't sure about...
0:22:02 > 0:22:05She's the youngest female, but she is very shy of us, as well.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07So this could be a patience thing or
0:22:07 > 0:22:10we may be able to get her tomorrow if it doesn't come to it today.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13That's what being a keeper's all about. Thinking on your feet
0:22:13 > 0:22:16and if it doesn't work then you just have to...
0:22:16 > 0:22:19We come up with a plan and change it when it doesn't work...
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- which is quite often, at the moment. - Kevin, thank you very much for
0:22:22 > 0:22:27helping me out and as we've said, we shall return another day.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Back up at the lion enclosure and all the vets have arrived.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Duncan Williams, Paul Higgs and Sarah Balsden are all going to be
0:22:39 > 0:22:43performing the operations on Malaika and Jasira, but the most important
0:22:43 > 0:22:47thing to find out is whether the anaesthetic has actually worked.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Bob and Brian are both here. Is there a risk that she could still
0:22:50 > 0:22:53- be a little bit alert?- Possible.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55What we're going to do is...
0:22:55 > 0:22:57broom handle, going to give her a bit of a tug.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Duncan, while they're testing her...
0:23:01 > 0:23:03not much of a reaction, there.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Think she'll be all right, Brian.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Now this anaesthetic, will it last for a long time?
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Yeah. It'll probably last for about 20 minutes, half an hour,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15before you start getting recovery, probably even longer.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- Right.- But even if the procedure did take longer,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20we could just top it up by giving her a bit more injection.
0:23:20 > 0:23:26But now, Malaika is well and truly out, so the team move in.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30She and her sister must each have a slow release contraceptive implant
0:23:30 > 0:23:34and the first thing is to shave a patch behind her shoulder blades
0:23:34 > 0:23:36where it needs to go.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40So, Paul, you're going to be actually doing the procedure.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Why don't you just give her a pill?
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Why go through the risk of putting her under anaesthetic?
0:23:46 > 0:23:47- Usually, the pill is every day.- Yes.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51And that's not necessarily something we can guarantee,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53but this implant will last for up to two years.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- Right.- So it makes life a lot easier, that way.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07So this is the implant, here.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10How does it work, Duncan, this implant?
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Does the drug just sort of seep gradually out?
0:24:12 > 0:24:16I think that's what it does. It's a sort of silicone pipe and
0:24:16 > 0:24:19I think it's obviously permeable and the drug just gets
0:24:19 > 0:24:22absorbed at a very low level for, basically, two years.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24That's what they recommend they last for.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27So, Paul, it's all in... by the looks of things.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Just lying under the skin, now.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33- It's very neat.- So you now just need to stitch up that little hole.- Yeah.
0:24:33 > 0:24:39And we're going to hopefully try and do it without getting any sutures
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- showing outside the skin, at all. - OK.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45They are absorbed, of course, so it wouldn't matter if we did,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49but it just makes it a little bit less uncomfortable for them.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52And also, you've got the risk of
0:24:52 > 0:24:54mutual grooming and things, we don't
0:24:54 > 0:24:57want to our stitches to be licked out by another lion.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Of course.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Doing a very neat job there, Paul.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Were you a good sewer at school?
0:25:03 > 0:25:05- Absolutely useless. - THEY LAUGH
0:25:07 > 0:25:11'Suddenly, Malaika starts to twitch.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15'But Duncan's not worried.'
0:25:15 > 0:25:18This is just the anaesthetic doing this.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20She's not coming round.
0:25:20 > 0:25:26That's the voice of experience, I know and I've been with you when
0:25:26 > 0:25:29you've anaesthetised a lot of cats so I will believe you, but
0:25:29 > 0:25:31it does look a little alarming.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34In fact, just moments later, the stitches are finished
0:25:34 > 0:25:39and the team can safely leave her to come round on her own.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44Malaika's all done. Jasira is now having her little procedure.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46- Everything going OK, Paul?- Yeah.
0:25:46 > 0:25:47- It is.- Good. Good.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52While she's out and we have this wonderful privileged view of
0:25:52 > 0:25:56being so close to her, I just wanted to have a look at her paws, if I can,
0:25:56 > 0:26:01cos I think it is one of the most impressive parts of a lion.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Yes. Well, this, most probably...
0:26:04 > 0:26:05these things here...
0:26:05 > 0:26:08are the things that do most of the damage. If they're chasing something
0:26:08 > 0:26:11like a buffalo, or whatever,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14they would hold onto that buffalo by piercing into the skin and
0:26:14 > 0:26:17really grip on to it. And that's what they would do with a kill.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20With claws that size, you can see why a
0:26:20 > 0:26:22- buffalo wouldn't last very long.- No.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25You can just feel the ends, there.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27- Do be careful cos they are really really sharp.- Wow!
0:26:27 > 0:26:30They really are sharp and that's with no pressure at all.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36I mean, they look, even now, they're two years old, but they
0:26:36 > 0:26:39almost look too big for their bodies.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Is this a sort of sign that they've still got a bit of growing to do?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- They've got a lot more growing to do yet.- They are very, very pretty.
0:26:45 > 0:26:51It's something quite alarming, even though I know she's completely
0:26:51 > 0:26:55under anaesthetic, she's breathing very steadily, but her eyes are open
0:26:55 > 0:26:59and even under anaesthetic she just looks so alert, doesn't she?
0:26:59 > 0:27:03There's no kind of cloudiness or drugged look, at all.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05She looks absolutely on the ball.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Well, Duncan, two very successful operations.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Yep. We'll give her the reversal agent now and reposition her,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14make her a bit more comfortable.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16OK.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20And how long do you think it will take for her to come round?
0:27:20 > 0:27:24She'll probably come round in half an hour to an hour, I think. Yeah.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28OK. Well, we will leave both these girls in peace and we will
0:27:28 > 0:27:31look forward to catching up with them again a little bit later.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Thank you all very much, indeed, for letting us be here. Good girl.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Back down by Half Mile Lake, final preparations are being made before
0:27:46 > 0:27:49the launch of two brand new boats.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51There's just time for some final adjustments.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Hoovering the lawn and swabbing the main deck,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59before Lord and Lady Bath arrive to launch the two new vessels.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03SEA SHANTY MUSIC PLAYS
0:28:10 > 0:28:13They're to be named Lady Bath and Lady Lenka,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15after the Baths' daughter.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18The shipping forecast is good
0:28:18 > 0:28:22and the Admiral - boat driver, Bill Lord, is feeling quietly confident.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Brilliant. Yeah. I'm looking forward to this.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29This is the highlight of my year, I think this one is.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32We've waited a few years to get these two beasties in place.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34They're brilliant.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Safari park head warden, Keith Harris, can hardly
0:28:39 > 0:28:42believe it's all happening at last.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45This is almost the culmination of about three years' work,
0:28:45 > 0:28:49cos from the time we actually said yes, we're going to have new boats,
0:28:49 > 0:28:53to planning, designing, building, getting them here, getting them in
0:28:53 > 0:28:56service... I think it's been about three years,
0:28:56 > 0:29:00so there will be champagne today, it's not going to go amiss.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02And now the VIPs are on their way.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07Guests, members of the press and of course, Lord Bath.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14There is hardly a detail that Bill has overlooked,
0:29:14 > 0:29:20although it's impossible to plan for every potential mishap...
0:29:20 > 0:29:22- Did you glue this? - LAUGHTER
0:29:22 > 0:29:26- OK. OK. It's ready.- OK. POP
0:29:35 > 0:29:40I name this boat...Lady Lenka,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44and may all who sail in her be well preserved and come back safely
0:29:44 > 0:29:46and enjoy themselves.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51APPLAUSE
0:29:51 > 0:29:53BOAT'S HORN SOUNDS
0:29:56 > 0:30:02Christening the bows is just the start of the proceedings.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06I declare her open.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Would you like the ringside seat?
0:30:12 > 0:30:15It's the first time Lady Bath has ventured on to the boat
0:30:15 > 0:30:19since her daughter Lenka and son Sulin were very young.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22That's about 25 years ago.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Before we set sail, I have to tell you about safety...
0:30:24 > 0:30:26As the oldest seadog they've got,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29it falls to Bill to do the commentary.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32And the first lovely creature we see is Buster.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Here he is right beside us.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38The sea lions are always pleased to see the first boats out on the lake
0:30:38 > 0:30:40as it means breakfast is on the way.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52They share this lake with the most dangerous animals
0:30:52 > 0:30:55we own at Longleat - the hippos.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00Lord Bath did get to hold the wheel,
0:31:00 > 0:31:04if only for a few seconds, to pose for the press.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Long enough for the boat to start veering off course.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Just give me a good smile on it, sir. That's lovely.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13- One more, sir. - We're going the wrong way.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16It never felt as if it was under my command, you know.
0:31:16 > 0:31:21I'd be thinking we're heading that way and it didn't when I turned.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23For Steve Savage, who worked
0:31:23 > 0:31:28on the boats 40 years ago, it's been a day to remember.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32- God bless the ships.- To the boats. To you all.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36It was absolutely fantastic. I'm quite emotional about it, really.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39It was fun. It was more than fun. It was brilliant.
0:31:39 > 0:31:45For the Admiral, it's a relief to have the fleet safely set sail.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48The disaster was Lord Bath trying to get the cork out of the bottle.
0:31:48 > 0:31:53But, all in all, the day turned out shipshape and Bristol fashion.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58And Lord Bath enjoyed ruling the waves, if only for a morning.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01I had to live up to the hat.
0:32:01 > 0:32:06And almost promptly drove into the side, but he persuaded me to turn
0:32:06 > 0:32:08the wheel at the right moment.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30I'm about to do something that I've put off for a very long time.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34I've come down to Old Joe's Mine, which is home to some of Longleat's
0:32:34 > 0:32:36least cuddly creatures.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42Head of Pets Corner, Darren Beasley, is of course very cuddly.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45But you're going to introduce me to someone who isn't.
0:32:45 > 0:32:51Yeah. In here, we have our imperial scorpions. And if you look closely,
0:32:51 > 0:32:56there's one right at the back there and one at this side, as well.
0:32:56 > 0:32:57Lots of people hate them. I love them.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01And I think it's our mission in life to try and get people to love them.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04They're ambassadors for the bug world.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07I have to say, I have always been a little bit scared of scorpions.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10If you walk this way, you don't have to be scared because
0:33:10 > 0:33:12we have you, here...
0:33:12 > 0:33:16a rather good pair of thick gloves.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17- You need to put them on for me.- OK.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Really, you've been volunteered,
0:33:19 > 0:33:23because we normally have three scorpions on display and today
0:33:23 > 0:33:26there was only two on display, cos I have another one in here.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28- Look at this beauty.- Beauty?
0:33:28 > 0:33:31- Well, she is beautiful.- Beauty's in the eye of the beholder, Darren.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35The thing is, you see, is that they are misunderstood.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Yes, they've got a big stinger on the back which you have
0:33:38 > 0:33:40to watch out for. She's more scared of us.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43You've got to think that for her, we could be going to eat her.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46She has to try and think how she's going to defend herself.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49You mentioned the stinger. Just how dangerous is that?
0:33:49 > 0:33:52Obviously, depending on the species of scorpion,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55they need enough venom to overpower quite large prey.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57- Large prey being presenters?- Yeah.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00I actually think we have to be a little bit careful.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02We've got the precautions. I'll let you wear the gloves.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06- OK.- I don't want you getting... there is only one Ben Fogle and
0:34:06 > 0:34:07we don't want to lose him, today.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- Thank you.- But, of course, the stinger is the important thing.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13The stinger, actually, is their main pit of venom.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16They can repeat sting, not like a lot of bugs that'll sting,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19fly away or just die. This can inject several doses of venom.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23I'm just picking her up like this so she, hopefully, feels nice and safe.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26I've got the gloves on you, really, as a precaution cos of the pincers.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29- OK.- So what we'll do is put her on there and then how about this?
0:34:29 > 0:34:31- Are you ready? - Yeah. Do I put the hand in front?
0:34:31 > 0:34:35That's it. We don't want her to drop. She's going to feel a bit unsure,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37- a bit nervous.- Right. - Can you see?- Yeah.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40These are the pincers that... obviously she can bite with these.
0:34:40 > 0:34:41- We don't want her to bite you.- No.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45- I really don't.- You're being good. - And that's why I'm wearing gloves.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48And hopefully now, what you're doing is showing the whole world
0:34:48 > 0:34:50these aren't the pet you can pick up and pet.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53You're not cuddling that tonight when you're watching the TV.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55But, in fact, there is nothing to fear.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58You know that poor animal there has got more to fear from you.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Its venom here, you know, it takes several hours, 14 or so hours
0:35:01 > 0:35:05to recharge that venom, but it can strike and strike and strike.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09What would they use their pincers for?
0:35:09 > 0:35:12When they're hunting, these are restraining pincers.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14These things really are to grab, restrain the prey,
0:35:14 > 0:35:17so that bit comes over the top and repeats sting until it's
0:35:17 > 0:35:20completely and utterly immobilised and then they have very special sort
0:35:20 > 0:35:23of grinding up jaws to rip pieces off and start eating their food.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27Now, just imagine I didn't have my gloves on and I got stung.
0:35:27 > 0:35:28What effect would it have on me?
0:35:28 > 0:35:32There are some scorpions out there that are absolutely deadly.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34And if you're accidentally stung by a scorpion,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37your life could be in danger. This isn't one of those.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Having said that, I wouldn't want you to get stung.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42I wouldn't want to get stung, so when we handle these,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44we take the precautions and
0:35:44 > 0:35:46we're protecting her as much as I'm protecting you today.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49You deserve your medal, today. Well done.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52Thank you, Darren. Thank you for not letting my fingers
0:35:52 > 0:35:56be pinched and there you go, world. Scorpions aren't so bad.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11Earlier, we accompanied keeper Rob Savin to a garden centre
0:36:11 > 0:36:13as part of his otter experiment.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15He wants to find out which plants are
0:36:15 > 0:36:19otter friendly and which they'll destroy.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22The Asian short-clawed otter's natural behaviour
0:36:22 > 0:36:27is to tear plants apart and use the foliage for bedding in their holt,
0:36:27 > 0:36:31even though the keepers regularly provide them with fresh straw.
0:36:31 > 0:36:32When the Pets Corner team
0:36:32 > 0:36:36have added plants in the past, they've never lasted very long.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39But Rob's hoping the selection he's chosen this time, largely
0:36:39 > 0:36:44consisting of plants originating from their natural environment,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46will be different.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49I think they're probably going to go
0:36:49 > 0:36:53more for the bamboo, first, because bamboo is something that they've had
0:36:53 > 0:36:56before and it's something that would be a very natural plant
0:36:56 > 0:36:59and this is one that they'd find in parts of their own wild environment.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03What they'll do is they'll try to pull it or break it off as best
0:37:03 > 0:37:08they can, drag it in and they'll use it to compact their den and make it
0:37:08 > 0:37:11more comfortable, or what have you, because they're a family unit.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13They all chip in. They all get involved.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16The whole family will help get that nest, that den,
0:37:16 > 0:37:20exactly how they want it, leaving a mess out here, but perfect in there.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25I think this last one I'm going to put in actually the broom.
0:37:25 > 0:37:30That probably will last the least amount of time because it is fairly
0:37:30 > 0:37:33flimsy and the flowers on them will probably go really quickly.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38But yeah, I expect they'll be straight in here, especially
0:37:38 > 0:37:42digging around, making it dirty, generally making a nice mess.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46With the plants in place, Rob releases the otters to
0:37:46 > 0:37:48let the mayhem begin.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13This is working quite well.
0:38:13 > 0:38:19A lot of interest on the sedge-like grasses and the bamboos, which is
0:38:19 > 0:38:22stuff they're used to, which is what I thought they'd go for, first.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26Bamboo, I think they've realised, is very deepset in that pot.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29They're having trouble getting at it
0:38:29 > 0:38:31which is quite a good thing... They're trying.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33They've almost got the grass, the reeds up.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35They've almost pulled that out.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39But how about his local English variety?
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Not too bothered about the Warminster Broom, actually.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46They are showing a lot of interest and curiosity and something -
0:38:46 > 0:38:50this one here smells lovely because they're sniffing it all the time.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52It'll be good if they show a bit less interest
0:38:52 > 0:38:55in the plants because we want them to stay there.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58We want them to be visibly good. We're going to make this attractive
0:38:58 > 0:39:01for the visitors. We have to make it all look nice.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04I was slightly wrong in my assumption that they would all
0:39:04 > 0:39:06be gone in two seconds,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09so they're actually lasting a lot longer than normal, for now.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13They've only had 15, 20 minutes but normally, when stuff is in there,
0:39:13 > 0:39:15it lasts a great deal less than that.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17You're talking five minutes at most.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20So, yeah, triple the amount of time.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24I think it's been quite good. There's lots of smells there.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27It's very enriching for them so I'm pleased for them.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30I'm pleased that the plants look really attractive. For the time
0:39:30 > 0:39:34being, our enclosure looks a little bit green, so it's really nice.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37And I'm sure in the next half a day or a day,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40we'll see that they've made a mess.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42I know they will, but not yet.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44They've proved me wrong just for a moment.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48With some of the plants still standing, Rob's experiment seems
0:39:48 > 0:39:50to have been a success.
0:39:50 > 0:39:56So, hopefully, the days of the otter enclosure being barren, are numbered.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05It's been some time now since Jasira and Malaika,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07the two lions underwent surgery.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10So, Kate and I have come back up to the lion reserve
0:40:10 > 0:40:12with keeper Bob Trollope to find out how they're doing.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Now, Bob, this is Jasira. Is that right?
0:40:15 > 0:40:17- No. This is Malaika. - This is Malaika.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20- And obviously, much more perky than when we last saw her.- Yes.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22She was pretty groggy, wasn't she?
0:40:22 > 0:40:26They both were, weren't they? They both looked incredibly sleepy.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30It was obviously too dangerous for them for us to let them out.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34Yeah. How long did they have to stay in before you felt
0:40:34 > 0:40:36it was safe to let them out again?
0:40:36 > 0:40:38We left them in overnight.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42We assessed the situation in the morning. So, yeah, she was fine.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45She was up and about and she wasn't very happy to see US.
0:40:45 > 0:40:50- I'm sure.- But yeah, we decided at that time to let them out.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53And Bob, I know that one of your concerns was about reintegrating
0:40:53 > 0:40:56back into the pride here.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00But judging by how close she is to the others, has she settled back in?
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Well, yeah. We were more concerned about Kabir,
0:41:04 > 0:41:05- because he's a big animal.- Yeah.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07And yeah, we were fine.
0:41:07 > 0:41:08When we let them out, he just
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- sniffed them and took everything in his stride, really.- Really.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15- Didn't seem too bothered, at all. - Not too fazed, at all.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19And I know that Duncan the vet, one of his concerns is because
0:41:19 > 0:41:23the contraceptives that you put in under the skin between the shoulders,
0:41:23 > 0:41:26it might have been a place that just by accident, with play,
0:41:26 > 0:41:30it might have got knocked or they might have opened the wound up again.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34- No signs that that's happened, at all?- No. It's been brilliant.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36The youngsters, they are very
0:41:36 > 0:41:40playful and they were when Malaika and Jasira came out.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43But no, they were fine. I think, if they had got anywhere near it,
0:41:43 > 0:41:45obviously being slightly tender,
0:41:45 > 0:41:47she would've turned round and given a slap.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51- Those paws would have come out in full force.- And Bob, Jasira?
0:41:51 > 0:41:53Jasira, yes, she's out there.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Could we pop around? Why is she on her own up here?
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Cos she's been chasing our tow vehicle around.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02THEY LAUGH So she's obviously back on form, too.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04Looking great, actually, isn't she?
0:42:04 > 0:42:08No, don't stalk us, Jasira, just cos you're cross with us.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11But that must be a fantastic sign for you, Bob,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13to see them up like this...alert.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16And back to normal. Yes. It is brilliant and that's what
0:42:16 > 0:42:18- we want to see after an operation. - Absolutely.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22- And above all, no unwanted lions. - Hopefully!
0:42:22 > 0:42:25- Hopefully.- Well, Bob, I'm delighted they made such a full recovery.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Thank you very much, indeed. Sadly, that's all we've got
0:42:28 > 0:42:30time for on today's programme,
0:42:30 > 0:42:32but here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36There's the little kid goat who was rejected
0:42:36 > 0:42:39by her mother just hours old.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Now it'll be a miracle if she survives.
0:42:43 > 0:42:49Will Nico the gorilla go bananas for his really fresh fruit salad?
0:42:50 > 0:42:53And is this a demonstration of what not to wear?
0:42:53 > 0:42:58No. It's an exclusive show of Lord Bath's favourite fashions.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01So don't miss the next Animal Park.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:17 > 0:43:20E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk