0:00:03 > 0:00:06There hasn't been a new tiger wandering around the safari park
0:00:06 > 0:00:11here at Longleat for 18 years now, but all that is about to change.
0:00:11 > 0:00:17For the past six months, three brand-new tigers have been spending quarantine time in this building
0:00:17 > 0:00:20over here, but now their bedding is being destroyed.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23The quarantine has been lifted and, for the very first time,
0:00:23 > 0:00:27these tigers will be released into the park.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Coming up on today's Animal Park.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56Moments before their release, the ferocious tigers go on the attack.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Wow!
0:00:58 > 0:00:59TIGER ROARS
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Oh, my gosh!
0:01:01 > 0:01:06We try to catch up with some of the fastest land mammals in the world.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11And keeping bats is easy, until you have to catch one.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23It's been six months since the three young tigers arrived at Longleat
0:01:23 > 0:01:25from a zoo in Alsace, France.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30They came to join old favourite, 22 year old Kadu.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33But these youngsters have a little more bite.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Although they're sisters from the same litter,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39they have very different personalities.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43While the one named Soundari is a real pussycat,
0:01:43 > 0:01:49Svetli and Shouri are fierce as anything and as wild as can be.
0:01:49 > 0:01:50SHE SNARLS
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Because the girls came from abroad,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02they've been kept in quarantine since arriving.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Finally, their time in isolation is up
0:02:06 > 0:02:11and in just a few hours they'll be let loose into the safari park.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16So at long last, we've been given permission to visit them.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20It's a very exciting day for Kate and I, cos we've come up to
0:02:20 > 0:02:25the tiger house to meet Longleat's three new resident tigers.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Keepers Bob Trollope and Brian Kent are on hand.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Wow, look at these guys!
0:02:29 > 0:02:32- Who's this, Bob?- This is Soundari.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Very impressive welcome, Soundari.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40I can't believe that you are putting your hand right up against the bars.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44She's like, dare I say it, a younger Kadu.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Very, very, very much so.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47She obviously trusts us
0:02:47 > 0:02:50and I'm not stupid enough to put me finger in there.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52- THEY LAUGH - As you can see.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54- Wow!- If there's the opportunity, she would get...
0:02:54 > 0:02:57- She's a darling, in't she? - Absolutely gorgeous.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58So where is Kadu?
0:02:58 > 0:03:02- Oh, she's out.- Oh, is she?- Yeah. - Can we go and check up on Kadu?
0:03:02 > 0:03:04I'll come back and get a sneak preview of these later.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- She is very impressive, Bob.- She is an absolute darling, in't she?
0:03:07 > 0:03:09- As you can see. - THEY LAUGH
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Come on, girl.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Come and see us. Oh, here she is, Brian,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18looking a little bit raggedy around the edges
0:03:18 > 0:03:22compared to those other three, but she's looking OK.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24She's doing well considering her age.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27She's 22 this year.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29That's remarkable, isn't it?
0:03:29 > 0:03:31- It's old for a tiger.- Oh.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34So you lost Sona, the male, last summer?
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Yep.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Presumably then she did have a period on her own
0:03:39 > 0:03:41before these three were out of quarantine?
0:03:41 > 0:03:43She was alone, I think,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46for two or three months before these others arrived.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49So she was finding it a bit hard.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Tigers are solitary, but she's used to other tigers.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55She's been together for, I don't know, 15 years or whatever.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59So we had to give her a lot of care, really.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00- Which you loved, presumably?- Yeah.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05Cos I know you and Bob are totally soppy over this tiger, aren't you?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07We do, we love her to bits.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11When the other three came in, how did she react?
0:04:11 > 0:04:15She was a bit surprised at first. She thought, "Who are these new tigers?
0:04:15 > 0:04:21"Who are they?" But straightaway, as soon as they came up near her
0:04:21 > 0:04:24in the cage, they were fine with each other. You know, talking, everything.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26She's out here on her own.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31She's had problems with arthritis in recent years,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35so she's obviously not as mobile as those three youngsters.
0:04:35 > 0:04:41Is it too much of a risk to mix her with young, feisty cats?
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I've been wracking my brain about that, thinking about it for ages,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47- what to do.- Yeah.- Do we risk it
0:04:47 > 0:04:51or do we just leave her as she is, where she can see them anyway?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53And, we think,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57cos of her age, she hasn't got a lot of weight on her or muscle...
0:04:57 > 0:05:00We're talking three young tigers.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02They could probably do a lot of damage if they jumped on her.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06And it's not something that you can easily go in and break up.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09You can't pick them up by the scruff of the neck and separate them.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- No, that's the thing. - She looks fantastic, Brian.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15It's just great that she is going to live out her days here
0:05:15 > 0:05:19where she's been so happy and spoilt rotten by you and Bob.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Yes, apparently.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23My wife tells me, too much.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27I spend more time here than with her.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30She's worth it. She is worth it. Aren't you, Du-dus?
0:05:30 > 0:05:35So Kadu's companions in her latter years will be her adoring keepers.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38But back inside, the three new tigers
0:05:38 > 0:05:41aren't so keen on making friends with us.
0:05:41 > 0:05:42- And who have we got in here? - This is Shouri.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44SHOURI ROARS
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Oh, my God!
0:05:46 > 0:05:47This is Shouri.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- SHE SNARLS - Eh, eh!- Wow!
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- She's probably the angriest one out of the three.- Right.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57- And then we've got Svetli. - Bob, they are magnificent.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00How are you getting on in terms of bonding with them?
0:06:00 > 0:06:05Oh, really well. Within a few days, we were able to feed all of them off
0:06:05 > 0:06:07- a stick, you know, like we do with the chunks of meat?- Oh, yes.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11And that was fine, bearing in mind that they most probably didn't have
0:06:11 > 0:06:14an awful lot of human contact where they were before.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Coming in from France, there's a language barrier as well because
0:06:18 > 0:06:22I can't speak French and they most probably don't understand English.
0:06:22 > 0:06:23Can we just go and see...?
0:06:23 > 0:06:24TIGER ROARS
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Wow!
0:06:27 > 0:06:30You see what I mean? She is quite feisty.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Oh, my gosh! That is amazing.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Cor, that certainly keeps you on your guard, doesn't it?
0:06:35 > 0:06:38And it's very nice to have that because
0:06:38 > 0:06:41for the past 18 years, we've been very used to
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Kadu and Sona and Chandi, which...
0:06:44 > 0:06:48They weren't like that. But having youngsters that you know will,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52given the first opportunity, kill you, keeps you on the edge a bit.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57We'll be back later to see just what happens when these
0:06:57 > 0:07:03ferocious youngsters are let loose in the park for the very first time.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Down in Pets Corner, head of section Darren Beasley is visiting a group
0:07:12 > 0:07:14of rather exotic residents.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18He's getting ready to perform health checks on the colony of
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Egyptian fruit bats to make sure they're all in good condition.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26The bats are free to fly around Old Joe's Mine
0:07:26 > 0:07:30and are only handled by the keepers during these health checks.
0:07:30 > 0:07:36So Darren's keen to use this opportunity for a second purpose.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39We've had an issue with identifying individual animals.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42There's so many bats over there and they all look the same.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47But with 24 bats in the colony, Darren wants to know which is which,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51just in case any of them have any special requirements.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Today, he's conducting an experiment to find out
0:07:54 > 0:07:56the best way to tell them apart.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Now, the recognised way of marking bats is a bit like an ear tag.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04You put a band on their wing, or through their wing.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06We don't really want to do that,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09so we've tried various things like coloured markers on their feet,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13which they happily just lick off and clean, so that's a complete failure.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16So our next challenge is, we're going to try some of these.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Now these are good, old-fashioned bird rings.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22We have the plastic type. Now these just curl round.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27Being plastic, they're probably going to pull them straight off
0:08:27 > 0:08:28with their teeth.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32So our next tactic would be to use an aluminium split ring.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36There is a risk that, the way the bats are designed,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39their feet and toes go very straight, so in fact these might,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43with a bit of help from the bats, just slide straight off.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47So we're hoping that's not going to happen, but it'll be very interesting and if it does work,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50it's going to help us and the keepers over there say, "A-ha,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53"red ring, bat number one is the one that does such and such."
0:08:53 > 0:08:56And as part of our data recording it can be very helpful.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01Catching the bats to put the rings on is not as easy as it looks.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Egyptian fruit bats use both their eyesight
0:09:04 > 0:09:09and echo location to navigate, making them very tricky to catch.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14But keeper John Ovens believes he has just the tool.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16This is designed by us keepers.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18It's not the most technical piece of kit.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20So, yeah, it was just an old pole with a...
0:09:20 > 0:09:24I think it was a pillowcase. But it does the job.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28And a pair of gloves cos they've got very, very sharp teeth.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30They're all down your end. So it's up to John now
0:09:30 > 0:09:32to do his wonderful bit and try and catch one.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35A lot of the catching happens in mid-flight.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38You have to get the net and be as quick as you possibly can.
0:09:38 > 0:09:39I'll wave me arms around.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43It's a little bit of luck. You've got to be very, very quick with them.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45It is normally a bit of fun as well.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- Ready, John? When you're ready. - DARREN LAUGHS
0:09:48 > 0:09:50No pressure.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54There's a whole gang up here. Can you see it?
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- Have you got one?- Ace. - He's there. He's there. Well done.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Ah, he used his bat abilities and he got away from it.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06There you are. He's got one.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07Fantastic.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13OK. So, here we are. Egyptian fruit bat, beautiful animal.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16And what we're looking for here is, we're looking for any eye injuries.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19We're looking at teeth.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21And they have very long, very strong teeth.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26And this is for puncturing the thick skin of the fruit that they eat.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28The other two things we're looking for...
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Do you want to just gently hold the wings apart?
0:10:30 > 0:10:34We're looking for any tears. The older bats tend to get a powdery,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37sort of poor condition looking skin on their wings.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39- And this is looking... - He's looking tip top.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Fantastic condition. And the last thing to do is, we put our finger
0:10:43 > 0:10:46on their chest here and we're feeling for a covering
0:10:46 > 0:10:51of fat and meat, which it is, it's outstanding...
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Having checked that the bat is in good health,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55it's time to put on the tag.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59For the first one in the test, Darren's using a plastic ring.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02We've got to try to get a ring
0:11:02 > 0:11:04on that tiny, little piece of foot there.
0:11:04 > 0:11:11And what I do is, I wrap it round...the leg.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13OK, like that.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It's not pinching the skin. It's just turning round.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19This little fella is just about ready to go.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22And the best way to do it, just let him hold on to our fingers...
0:11:23 > 0:11:25..and away he goes.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Up with his friends. So we'll record that - red 36.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31OK. Let's just catch another one, guys.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Oh, yeah. Just 'ere, John.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Thank you.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41That's the easy way, cos obviously they tire out a little bit.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Hello, you. Now I can actually see a slight difference here.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48This one... Generally look at the wing condition.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53This is an older animal, OK. I can see a slight sort of nick in there.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58It's a bit more flaky and also, teeth are a lot more worn down
0:11:58 > 0:12:01on the bottom. They're nowhere near as pronounced as the last one.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Now this says that this one has been eating and wearing
0:12:04 > 0:12:06those teeth down for many years.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Egyptian fruit bats can live for up to 20 years,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12but as most of these bats were not born here at Longleat,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14the only way of telling how old they are
0:12:14 > 0:12:18is by this method of observation.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22On this chap we're going to put a little split aluminium ring.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27So this is... purple split aluminium, 49.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29OK, you're in good nick, mate. That's a daddy of bats.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31That's the king bat we've caught.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34We'll just gently hold his feet and release him,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and away he goes.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40There we go.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50He's tired out because he's puffed back and forward, but again,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53what we're trying to do is get this done as quickly and painlessly
0:12:53 > 0:12:57as possible for them, so they can go back to munching bananas. Again,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00he's nice. He's got good body condition, in good nick.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04I'm very proud that these bats are so healthy. He looks like he's going
0:13:04 > 0:13:06to sleep, so that is really good.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10For the final bat in the experiment, Darren puts a ring on each leg.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12One metal AND one plastic.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14That's orange on the right leg
0:13:14 > 0:13:17and that's a split aluminium ring on the left.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Well done. Thank you very much. Brilliant.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25That actually went really, really successful.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28The guys were brilliant. We caught them as quickly as we could
0:13:28 > 0:13:31and, if you hear now, they've all settled down.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33They're waiting for the bananas and start eating.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38So 24, 48 hours, they'll be monitored. If the rings are on,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41then we've got the lovely task of giving them all coloured rings
0:13:41 > 0:13:44and then we've got every single bat in here identified,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46which is what we want.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48But will Darren's trial really work?
0:13:48 > 0:13:52We'll be back later to find out.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06Roaming across the safari park are a variety of different antelope.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Some, like the bongo and the eland, are easy to spot.
0:14:10 > 0:14:16But today, I'm off in search of the notoriously shy black buck family.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Once hunted almost to extinction,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23getting close to these beautiful creatures is near impossible.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27So I've joined head of section Tim Yeo to entice them over
0:14:27 > 0:14:29with a little food.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33We're creeping about a little bit because we've come here
0:14:33 > 0:14:38to see the black buck, to see the beautiful family just over there.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40But they're very, very shy.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42So Tim and I went out and fed them
0:14:42 > 0:14:46a little bit earlier, snuck back in here and now we're watching them,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49although, Tim, the buffalo have slightly scuppered our plans.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52- They have, Kate, as they often do. - They're looking quite calm.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56- It's a much bigger herd, Tim, than it was last year.- Yes.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00I noticed, just as we were looking over there, that there is
0:15:00 > 0:15:04one that looks very much smaller than the rest. How old is that one?
0:15:04 > 0:15:08That little kid there is about two months old now really.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12And we're not quite sure whether boy or girl at the moment.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Now, black buck, where are they from?
0:15:14 > 0:15:19Some years ago, you would have found them very widely populated in India.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24But I think because of hunting, or poaching more so,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28I think you'd probably have to go to northern Nepal really.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30I was going to ask you about the name
0:15:30 > 0:15:32because "black buck" seems a little odd.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36You've got one quite dark brown, sort of chocolatey coloured.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40Clearly a male with the big horns. The rest of them are sort of beige.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Shouldn't they be called "beige buck" really?
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Yes, it's an interesting one
0:15:46 > 0:15:48because even adult males,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52if they haven't quite reached sexual maturity,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55they will retain that sort of beigey colour.
0:15:55 > 0:16:01Really? So it's only the dominant male in the herd that will get that lovely dark, chocolatey colour?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Exactly, and that is apparently due to the testosterone level.
0:16:04 > 0:16:10Where that rises he gets this lovely, dark coat.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12And it can also change back.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15They're incredibly swift, aren't they?
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Look at the little one! Oh, that's fantastic. Really elegant animals.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24They would have been hunted many years ago by cheetah.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28They can apparently achieve sort of speeds
0:16:28 > 0:16:32- of about 110km per hour, apparently. - That's extraordinary.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36And that leaping is a very good defence mechanism, isn't it?
0:16:36 > 0:16:40- It sort of breaks up the line of concentration.- Quite.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42When they do that "pronking",
0:16:42 > 0:16:47it really is a joy to watch because they just leap straight up.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50All four feet right up in the air.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Oh, they're giving us a great show.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57This is fantastic. Do you have problems with the males fighting?
0:16:57 > 0:17:01That will certainly happen, particularly as a young male
0:17:01 > 0:17:04comes up through the group and when he feels that he's strong enough
0:17:04 > 0:17:08to take on the herd male, then we would certainly get fighting.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11And it's severe fighting. It's pretty nasty.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15So if this little, young one does prove to be a male,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18will you then need to think about maybe splitting the herd up
0:17:18 > 0:17:22or moving him away, so that you don't have this big clash
0:17:22 > 0:17:24between father and son?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26That certainly is an issue.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Obviously, we'll have some time before that is necessary.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32It's been wonderful to see them.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36They are the most difficult things I think to film at Longleat,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40but they've given us a great show this morning. Thank you very much.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42And thank you, black buck.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05The animals at the safari park munch their way through a wide variety
0:18:05 > 0:18:09of different foods, which often means a lot of work for the keepers.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15So today, Ben's been called in to give them a hand.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- Hi, Michelle. - Hiya, Ben.- How are you?
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- I'm very well.- Oh, my gosh! What on earth is all this?
0:18:20 > 0:18:23It's just a little bit of gruesome food preparation.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Blimey, what on earth are we preparing for?
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Have some gloves. You'll find out a little bit later on.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30OK. That sounds rather ominous.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33I can only assume it's some very big, bloodthirsty beast.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34What have we actually got here?
0:18:34 > 0:18:39- These are horse hearts.- Why on earth are we using horse hearts?
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Well, it's really quite a cheap
0:18:41 > 0:18:45source of offal, source of meat and it's really, really nutritious.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48So is whatever creature we're preparing this for going to eat
0:18:48 > 0:18:53- all of this?- No, what we do normally is weigh it out into bags and then get a set amount every day.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56- OK.- So this is about a week's worth.
0:18:56 > 0:18:57So what's the process from now on?
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Well, now it's all nicely sliced up, all the fat has been cut off as well.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05- All the fat will be fed to the wolves.- Really?- They really enjoy it.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09- Fantastic.- Too much fat for the animal we're going to give it to
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- is not good.- You're still leaving me in the dark!- I am a little bit.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Over here we've got sprats.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Sprats.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Yes. I'll just bring the rest of these up here.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- OK.- And pop these into here.
0:19:21 > 0:19:22Right. Shall I pop these into here as well?
0:19:22 > 0:19:24- Yeah, yeah.- And now where?
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Take it over to the mincer just over here.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28So we're really going to chop this up fine.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- Turn the button on. - And I just put them in here, do I?
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Yes, and they should...
0:19:32 > 0:19:34They should all start coming out.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37OK.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40I have to say, this is pretty gory.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42- I'm used to it now.- I'm sure.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44I'm not.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47How often do you do this preparation for this particular animal?
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- Just once a week.- Just once a week? - That's enough.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55Give me a clue, is the animal that we're feeding a land-based animal?
0:19:55 > 0:19:59It...is a land animal, yep. But they are semi-aquatic. They do like...
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- So they spend time near water as well?- They feed in water.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Right, I don't think I'm getting any nearer to guessing.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11OK, Michelle, so here we have some thinly diced heart.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13What's the plan now?
0:20:13 > 0:20:15- Put some on here.- On to this?
0:20:15 > 0:20:18- Yeah, just to top it off.- OK.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20And then to finish off...
0:20:20 > 0:20:22- What are these? - These are sprats.- Sprats.- Yeah.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- And this is going to be like a garnish.- Yes.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27This is really like a restaurant, isn't it?
0:20:27 > 0:20:29It's like putting on parsley.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32A pretty gory meal though being prepared.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36- And that's finished and ready for... - Yeah.- ..this mystery animal.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37- It is.- OK, Michelle.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39I'm still totally in the dark.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- Shall we go and find out? - Yeah, I'll trust you.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Join us a little later in the programme when you,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47as will I, find out what on earth this is for.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Back over in Tiger Territory, the time has come.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57After six months in quarantine,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00the three new tigers are about to be released.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Ben and I aren't there because it's far too dangerous.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08But head of big cats Brian Kent is standing by
0:21:08 > 0:21:12and it's a very tense day for everyone.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14They're going to be lively.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17They're not gonna just amble around. They're going to be running
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and they're going to be after the vehicles.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22They will go to places where they've gotta be moved.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25So we've got to be very careful.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Deputy head of section Bob Trollope
0:21:27 > 0:21:31is also on hand in case they run into problems.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Although they're only two years old, these cats are hardly kittens.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39They are wild animals, as dangerous as any other we've got here,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42maybe more so because they're going to be frightened.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Something like Soundari, who's a lively animal,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49it may be nothing to her to break your neck with one bite.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51So everyone's going to have to be careful
0:21:51 > 0:21:55and you've got to respect the fact that they are killing machines.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59And now the moment has come to let the killing machines loose.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Craig, if you want to let them out then, please.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06The only way for the sisters to get from their paddock
0:22:06 > 0:22:10out into the open park of Tiger Territory is through a small gate.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Suddenly, Svetli makes a break for it.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Just a few minutes later, Shouri heads out
0:22:20 > 0:22:23and Bob urgently warns the other keepers.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29One of the tigers is out and following the fence line around,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31so bear in mind when you open the gates, please.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36The number one danger point is where the cars drive in.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Not only is it a potential escape route for the tigers,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44but also someone has to stand there to work the mechanism,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48and to a tiger, that someone might look like dinner.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52So should one of them come down this way, it's very important
0:22:52 > 0:22:58for keeper Rob Maltby to close that gate as quickly as possible.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Well, hopefully I'll get a good warning on the radio
0:23:01 > 0:23:03saying that the tiger will be coming down.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08As soon as that happens, I'd release the motor at the bottom, like so.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Release it like that and then I can close it a lot quicker.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16And then go in my hut and hide!
0:23:20 > 0:23:24They're just following the fence line round, which is quite normal.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27We've just got to be careful now on how we approach
0:23:27 > 0:23:30any situation, cos what we don't want to do is frighten them
0:23:30 > 0:23:33into running straight down towards the gates,
0:23:33 > 0:23:37cos obviously they're manned and we don't want any accidents.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42Safety is everyone's first concern, as Shouri and Svetli settle
0:23:42 > 0:23:46into a corner of the enclosure to size up their surroundings.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49They are actually looking around, taking everything in.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Maybe they're looking for the best way out.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57They're going to be able see lions, I presume, through the fencing.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00That's going to be new to them.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02It's looking good.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05They're not looking up fences, panicking, so...
0:24:05 > 0:24:07You've just got to give 'em time.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11It takes a few hours before Soundari comes out of the compound.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Everyone thinks she's the nice, friendly one.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19Later on, we'll find out just how wrong they are.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35Earlier on, I helped keeper Michelle Stevens prepare a rather gory dish
0:24:35 > 0:24:38of minced heart and sprats for a mystery animal.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Now we've come out into the park, Michelle,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43to feed this mystery creature.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Now looking around, I can see flamingoes.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48- Tell me it's not them. - It's not them.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50You haven't suddenly got crocodiles in the lake?
0:24:50 > 0:24:54- No, no.- I give up. You've got to tell me, what on earth is it?
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Just over there, the sacred ibis.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58- This is for the ibis?- Yes, it is.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01- They really eat all of this? - They do, yes.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03I have to say, they look so lovely.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06How an earth do they end up eating horses' hearts?
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Well, it's just a very nutritious food for them.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12For their chicks as well. We have two at the moment.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Where are we going to put it down for them?
0:25:14 > 0:25:16- Just over there. Some bowls over there.- OK.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20The ibis share their enclosure with a flock of greedy spoonbills,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22so there may be a battle for dinner.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25So what are we going to do with this bowl of food now?
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Just dish it out between the five bowls.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29So what do you anticipate?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32That they're going to fly straight down and just scoff the lot?
0:25:32 > 0:25:34They should do, yeah.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37- So are the ibis good parents? - They are very good actually.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40This is the third year running we've had chicks from them.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43And that's fantastic for your breeding programme here.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46- It is, yeah. - So we've got all the food down.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49- So we should step away a little bit?- We shall.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52That took no time. Before we even got here,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54they were diving into that food.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58- Yeah. They love it,- The white birds there are obviously not ibis.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00No, they're African spoonbills.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04- They eat the same thing.- And they get on with the ibis, do they?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06They do, yeah. They don't fight at all.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08We've got one just flying back up to the nest now.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12- Yeah, that is the nest.- Is there any order as to who's coming down first?
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Do the parents get first picking?
0:26:14 > 0:26:16It's first come, first served, really.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19The male and the female parents will take it in turns
0:26:19 > 0:26:21to come down and get some food.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24They'll both take it in turns to look after the chick as well.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26So they equally get a chance to feed.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29And you've learnt some extra information from them?
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Yeah, we've learnt quite a lot from watching the parents feed the chicks
0:26:33 > 0:26:37and look after them. It's helped us hand rear our pink-backed pelicans.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40We just really watch the chicks and see how much they beg for the food
0:26:40 > 0:26:43before the parents give in and give them the food.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46We used to feed our pelican chicks every two hours on the dot.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48But now we feed them very much on demand,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51they really have to beg for the food.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54So what would these birds eat in the wild?
0:26:54 > 0:26:57You see their long beaks? They're used for probing the soil,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59so they eat worms and other insects, snails.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03They also fish for aquatic invertebrates as well and fish.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07So they're not fussy. They'll pretty much eat anything that moves.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Also it's quite muddy in here with the flamingoes, trampling the mud.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13So that's a perfect environment for them.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16They probe the mud and get any worms and things out.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18- Fantastic.- Yeah, they love it!
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Michelle, thank you very much. What remarkable birds.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Although with a diet like theirs,
0:27:23 > 0:27:27I don't think I'll ever look at the sacred ibis quite the same again.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38I'm out in Pets Corner with this glorious creature.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41It's a bearded dragon and his name is Bernard.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44And keeper Sarah Clayson is with me,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46with another bearded dragon called?
0:27:46 > 0:27:50- This is Gizmo.- They are absolutely beautiful animals, Sarah.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52But I gather that they don't get on terribly well.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56These two are both males, so we don't let them get too close to each other.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59- Are they quite territorial? Will they fight?- They would be.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01They are very territorial.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05They do look like they have got fairly fearsome armour here.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Is that to protect them in fights?
0:28:07 > 0:28:09No, I think that's more of a warning.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13Because if you actually stroke down those spines, they're very soft
0:28:13 > 0:28:17- and not sharp at all really. - Oh, no, they're not, are they?
0:28:17 > 0:28:20- They're really soft. - It's to make them look fiercer.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Now tell me more about bearded dragons. Where are they from?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Um, they live in Australia, so they like it nice and hot.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30They're the lizard family.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32And they can live about ten years.
0:28:32 > 0:28:33And do they make good pets,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36or are they quite difficult to keep healthy?
0:28:36 > 0:28:38They are. There's a lot to take into consideration
0:28:38 > 0:28:41when keeping a bearded dragon as a pet.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46What sort of things do you need to be particularly careful of?
0:28:46 > 0:28:49The heating and the lighting, it's important to get right,
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Cos obviously they come from a hot country.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54What sort of things will you feed them?
0:28:54 > 0:28:58They eat insects, like crickets and locusts.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02And we also feed them green, fresh food, like dandelion leaves
0:29:02 > 0:29:04and clover and a little bit of fruit.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07- So quite a varied diet. - They are absolutely gorgeous.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Bernard is going to stay there all day.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Sarah, thank you very much. I'm going to steal your bearded dragon
0:29:12 > 0:29:15and tell you what else is coming up on today's programme.
0:29:15 > 0:29:21The tiger release is in jeopardy as one of them turns nasty.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Lord Bath takes a dangerous wrong turn.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25We're going the wrong way.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29And Winston kicks up a stink.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32- What's this involve?- This actually involves dung.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42Back in Old Joe's Mine, John the keeper
0:29:42 > 0:29:44has been observing the bats closely
0:29:44 > 0:29:48since three of them were tagged with plastic and metal ankle rings
0:29:48 > 0:29:50as part of a trial to find out
0:29:50 > 0:29:53the most effective way to individually identify each bat.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58And it hasn't taken them long to find out the answer.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01We found the plastic rings a couple of hours afterwards.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05We came up here to close up in the evening and they were on the floor
0:30:05 > 0:30:07pretty much next to each other,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10so they'd been roosting throughout the day, grooming each other
0:30:10 > 0:30:12and they came off pretty quickly.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Head of Pets Corner, Darren, has come to get the news.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21What happens, I think... John, can I just use your finger?
0:30:21 > 0:30:24There's John's back leg. This has obviously gone round the finger.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28They play with them in their mouth and draw them off, that way.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31They've come off over the toes.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Thanks, John. So in fact,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36the aluminium rings that we haven't found on the floor,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39that we're now trying to see are still on the bat,
0:30:39 > 0:30:41obviously are not pliable enough.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43They can't draw them off the foot, which is fantastic.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46It means we may have, at last, found a harmless way
0:30:46 > 0:30:48of marking the bats to identify them.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50What I think we'll do now
0:30:50 > 0:30:53is confirm that the aluminium split rings are still on.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56And then we can order in various colours,
0:30:56 > 0:30:59we can have 30 different colours of these rings.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01And then I think we'll have a ringing campaign
0:31:01 > 0:31:03and grab every single bat,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06ring every single one with a different colour.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08It's going to make life so much easier
0:31:08 > 0:31:11knowing that red-green, left-leg bat is eating all the banana,
0:31:11 > 0:31:16whereas blue-ring, right-leg bat is actually a bit of a kiwi fruit fan
0:31:16 > 0:31:17and that sort of thing.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20And also activities - is there a dominant bat and stuff.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24So having these harmless rings on them
0:31:24 > 0:31:27is going to help us with our study and our information.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29The more information we have about these guys,
0:31:29 > 0:31:33the better we can make it for them, which is why we're here.
0:31:33 > 0:31:39So with one bat successfully tagged, there's just another 23 to go!
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Pets Corner is home to a huge array of animals,
0:31:50 > 0:31:52from the sweet to the not so sweet.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56But hidden behind the scenes is one rather special creature.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59I've joined keeper Bev Allen
0:31:59 > 0:32:04- with this very impressive African land snail.- Yeah, that's right.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06He is absolutely enormous.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08He is. He's the biggest land snail
0:32:08 > 0:32:13we have here at Longleat and he lives with five other snails
0:32:13 > 0:32:16- in a glass tank, and he's called Geoff.- Geoff.- Geoff, the snail.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21So my first question is, why is Geoff not actually on display here?
0:32:21 > 0:32:25We just haven't found anywhere suitable for him to be on display.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28You've got to be careful with direct sunlight cos that can kill them.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32So you've got to be careful of that. And also the right temperature.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34So we've got him in a nice tank off-view,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37but hopefully in the future, people can see them.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40- So is Geoff fully grown?- We think he's about fully grown now.
0:32:40 > 0:32:45They can get to about 15cm-20cm long, which is about eight inches long.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49So we're probably talking almost twice his size.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51I mean, he's about eight years old now.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54He used to be someone's pet and he's just arrived to us.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57- Can I just have a look... - Yeah.- ..underneath.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Silly question, but can you sex a snail?
0:33:00 > 0:33:05They have both male and female organs, so they're hermaphrodites.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Right. Can I just turn... He's not going to fall off, is he?
0:33:08 > 0:33:11- You might have to gently hold him... - So there we can see him.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14That's his foot area there, where he's holding on to.
0:33:14 > 0:33:15So that's a snail's foot?
0:33:15 > 0:33:19They have one foot and it's very slimy, so they can
0:33:19 > 0:33:23move along the ground to protect them from cutting themselves or anything.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26And of course, you've got the eyes as well.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30- Are these the eyes on these little kind of stalks?- Yeah. On the stalks.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33And they can roll them in and out, the eyes can.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37And they've got two feelers down the bottom to feel along the ground.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39What sort of distance could a snail like this cover?
0:33:39 > 0:33:41About 50 metres a day.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45- Which is actually not too bad considering the size.- Yeah!
0:33:45 > 0:33:47So they do quite well.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51And of course, if it gets too hot or too cold, they do actually hibernate.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56And it can go right inside that shell to get away from direct sunlight
0:33:56 > 0:34:00or if it's too cold, they go into the shell and go into hibernation.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03And are they predated out in the wild? Does anything eat them?
0:34:03 > 0:34:08Um, yes, humans can eat them and also lots of predators like hyenas,
0:34:08 > 0:34:09big birds of prey would eat them.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13And also the slime makes it harder for an animal to try
0:34:13 > 0:34:17and grab them, cos it's slips out of their hands or beaks.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21So does Geoff ever come out and about in Pets Corner to meet anyone?
0:34:21 > 0:34:24He does. We bring him out so the public can meet him.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27We bring him out when it is the correct temperature.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29He'll come out and say hello.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31But you're hoping at some stage to eventually have
0:34:31 > 0:34:33- a special compound for Geoff?- Yeah.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37We're hoping to make a nice tank for him so that people can actually
0:34:37 > 0:34:42- see him and Brian, the other snail, which will be brilliant.- Fantastic.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Well, Bev, thank you very much.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48There you go, the whole new world of the African land snail.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Back in Tiger Territory, the three feisty sisters
0:34:57 > 0:35:01are exploring their new home.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04Whilst Svetli and Shouri have settled in a corner
0:35:04 > 0:35:07to watch the world go by,
0:35:07 > 0:35:11Soundari is investigating everything in sight.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29Soundari might play like a big softy, but the keepers all know
0:35:29 > 0:35:32this pussy cat is a killing machine.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37It's still the first time
0:35:37 > 0:35:41the tigers have been out here and anything could happen.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47Head of section Brian is trying to keep a close eye on them.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49It's a bit awkward when they're all split up.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53You have a vehicle down that end and someone up here with another one.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57I'm worried about what the general public will get up to with them.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02That's got deputy head warden Ian Turner worried, too.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06He's come down to keep an eye on the visitors.
0:36:06 > 0:36:07You've got to watch the cars.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10If people have their window down like this is, she'll have 'em.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14No danger. And we've put extra signs on the gates now.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18There's five more signs warning about windows, but they still have windows open.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20I've shouted at three people today.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24The public just don't read the signs. "Please keep your window closed".
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Cos they don't realise how fast they can move.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30But some people are about to find out.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36It's a tiger's natural instinct to stalk and chase.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40When the pheasants have all flown, Soundari turns her attention
0:36:40 > 0:36:41to bigger prey.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56It's down to the patrol vehicles to intervene
0:36:56 > 0:36:59and make Soundari back off.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05But now she's really got interested in the cars.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15With one swipe of her four-centimetre claws,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19she could easily shred a tyre and do some serious damage.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27And even large buses aren't too big for her to take on.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32This may be just a game for her, but it's proven just how dangerous
0:37:32 > 0:37:35these tigers could be.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41It's certainly been an eventful day for the spirited three.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Soundari's been all over the place.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45It's been a good day for her.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47I should imagine she'll sleep well tonight.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49The next step...
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Well, the next challenge is getting them back in.
0:37:52 > 0:37:58It's a two-vehicle operation to herd the tigers back to their house.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Go in, you naughty girl.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08It's a little bit boggy over here,
0:38:08 > 0:38:12so we'll have to be a little bit careful.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14I think she knows what's going on.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16We just have to make sure...
0:38:18 > 0:38:19Come on, darling.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Good girl. Come on.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26That's it. Minimum of fuss, look.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Obviously, the main thing we don't want to do is frighten her.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34So far, so good.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Well, she's in. She's in the compound.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44And Soundari hopefully is going to follow.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Go on, good girl.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48Good girl.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52Go on, all the way.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58Finally, the keepers can breathe a sigh of relief.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Today has been
0:39:01 > 0:39:03excellent really.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07Soundari is being quite fun to watch actually.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10We haven't had this sort of action for years in here.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19It's not just the tigers that are new to the park.
0:39:19 > 0:39:25There are two other newcomers about to set sail over on Half Mile Lake.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29The lake is an artificial water feature.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32It was designed over 200 years ago
0:39:32 > 0:39:37by England's most famous landscape gardener, Capability Brown,
0:39:37 > 0:39:38and dug out by hand.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41No country estate as grand as Longleat
0:39:41 > 0:39:44could possibly be without its boating lake.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56Today the tradition continues and visitors are always keen
0:39:56 > 0:39:58to take a trip round the lake.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00It's the only way to get a close-up view
0:40:00 > 0:40:03of the gorillas on their island, the hippos in the water,
0:40:03 > 0:40:08and, of course, the ever-playful Californian sea lions.
0:40:08 > 0:40:13But the boat trip's popularity has caused a problem.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15The queues have become much too long.
0:40:15 > 0:40:20The solution was obvious, build some bigger boats.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24Last year, we joined head warden Keith Harris and the team
0:40:24 > 0:40:27when they went to check on progress at a boatyard in Warwickshire.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30It looks huge. Whether they'll look that big on the lake,
0:40:30 > 0:40:32I don't know, and how they'll handle.
0:40:32 > 0:40:37Longleat's most experienced sailor was there, too, Bill Lord.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39This is my first time in the cabin.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Ah, I like the look of this.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45The trouble with bigger boats is they have bigger bottoms.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47And the lake just wasn't deep enough.
0:40:47 > 0:40:52So before they arrived, it had to be drained away and a digger brought in
0:40:52 > 0:40:54to deepen the shallow parts.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00It was a big day when the two new boats were delivered
0:41:00 > 0:41:02and put into the water.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09But now the time has come to give them proper names.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12They're due to be officially launched tomorrow
0:41:12 > 0:41:15as Lady Bath and Lady Lenka.
0:41:15 > 0:41:20Before the big day, Bill Lord, nicknamed the Admiral,
0:41:20 > 0:41:22is giving the boats a last-minute test drive.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33'Well, it's 68 feet long, it weighs 27 tonnes,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36'it's got a beam of about 12'6",
0:41:36 > 0:41:40'and it only draws about 2'6" in the water, so it sits pretty high.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43You get a very good view. The engine's right in the centre.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46It's only small, about 1. 6 litres capacity.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49That's only about the same as a small family car.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53But then this boat is state of the art.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56It's all hydraulics. The whole boat is hydraulically driven.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Would you believe, we have a window wiper that works?
0:41:59 > 0:42:05And we have a covered cabin, bilge pumps, PA systems, a fuel gauge.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08It's all push-button stuff. It's got everything we need.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Smashing piece of equipment. Yeah, really love it.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22Steve Savage is on standby, just in case extra hands are needed on deck.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Nowadays,
0:42:24 > 0:42:29he's an assistant house steward, but he started out on the boats.
0:42:29 > 0:42:3340 years ago I stepped foot on here when I'd just left school.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36I worked three months down here before I jumped ship
0:42:36 > 0:42:38and joined the Fire Service,
0:42:38 > 0:42:41but it's the first time I've been down here for 40 years.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46It's the first thing like it in the country.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50And to be able to go around and see the sea lions
0:42:50 > 0:42:52and actually everybody feed them...
0:42:52 > 0:42:54I used to sell the little buckets of fish
0:42:54 > 0:42:57and it was threepence, old money, a bucket.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59And at the end of the day, the sea lions were so fat
0:42:59 > 0:43:04they didn't want to eat and there was fish floating all over the lake.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07It wasn't quite as safe as the boats that we have now.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11Everybody would go to one side and then the boat would tip.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15And the sea lions would perform and everybody would end up soaking wet,
0:43:15 > 0:43:17but they didn't care.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21Then there was the time that Lord Bath almost caused a shipwreck.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23Oh, on the lake...
0:43:23 > 0:43:28I bought a boat which was really to get my children to enjoy
0:43:28 > 0:43:31sailing on the lake.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35I found I couldn't even sail it in the right direction
0:43:35 > 0:43:37and the nearer I went to Gorilla Island,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40alarms were put up on the estate
0:43:40 > 0:43:43which I didn't actually know were being put up.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45But I suddenly found there were protection boats
0:43:45 > 0:43:47being sent to retrieve me.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51They perhaps were necessary, cos I mightn't have found
0:43:51 > 0:43:55such a good relationship with the gorillas as I was anticipating.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00To make sure there's no chance of any maritime mishap,
0:44:00 > 0:44:03the team has been rehearsing and the Admiral has plotted
0:44:03 > 0:44:06every move wtih naval precision.
0:44:06 > 0:44:07Right, we've got everybody
0:44:07 > 0:44:11hopefully assembled in front, but we pre-position the boats.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14We strap them together to make sure we have stability
0:44:14 > 0:44:17and they don't part when they start spraying champagne on them.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21They've got a high superstructure, prone to being blown by the wind.
0:44:21 > 0:44:26And if they start to move, 27 tonnes twice is going to move and not stop.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28We have to make sure that doesn't happen,
0:44:28 > 0:44:31otherwise we'll have a disaster. It's fairly muddy there
0:44:31 > 0:44:33and they might stick on the mud.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37But these new boats are SO big and SO modern,
0:44:37 > 0:44:41surely nothing could go wrong on their maiden voyage?
0:44:41 > 0:44:44But of course, that's what they said about the Titanic.
0:44:53 > 0:44:58Down in the new area live four stunning white rhinos.
0:44:58 > 0:45:03There's Unjanu, Merashi and Resina, but it's Winston who leads the gang.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07At a grand old age of 38, he's a stately elder
0:45:07 > 0:45:11who's settled in to a gentler pace of life.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14But today, he's in for a little excitement.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17So I've joined deputy head of section Kevin Nibbs
0:45:17 > 0:45:20down at the rhino house to find out exactly what's going on.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24You are trying out an experiment today, Kevin, I gather?
0:45:24 > 0:45:26That's right. Yep, it's totally new to us.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29It's a bit of an enrichment experiment,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32so it's going to be good for Winnie to be involved in this.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34You've got a shovel, which always worries me.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38- What's this involve? - This actually involves dung,
0:45:38 > 0:45:40believe it or not, hence the shovel.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43- OK.- What we've got is some dung from another collection here.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45This has come from outside Longleat?
0:45:45 > 0:45:48This is rhino dung from a different collection?
0:45:48 > 0:45:51It's come from another rhino, so what we're hoping to do
0:45:51 > 0:45:54is to give him a bit to sniff and see what he does.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56It's just like being in the wild.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00- Oh, all right. OK.- So see what he's going to do with it. Good luck.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02I knew you'd get me to do the shovelling.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06- OK. Well, it's all grass anyway, isn't it?- Exactly, yeah.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08There we go. About that sort of amount?
0:46:08 > 0:46:10That's fantastic, yep.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Best to try and pop it through the bars.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14OK, while he's not looking.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17And he'll come over and hopefully get a good whiff of that.
0:46:17 > 0:46:23Now you say that this sort of mimics how a rhino would perhaps react
0:46:23 > 0:46:26if it came across another rhino's dung in the wild?
0:46:26 > 0:46:30Does that mean that they tend to be quite solitary usually?
0:46:30 > 0:46:33Yeah, the bull white rhino is very solitary.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35They have their own territory.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37Within that, they have females visiting it.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40That's when they go and mate with them.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43But they also get other male rhinos as well, filtering through.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47So he may come over, sniff this, think it's another bull rhino
0:46:47 > 0:46:49and react in an aggressive way.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52He'll probably want to put his own scent back on to it,
0:46:52 > 0:46:56or he could come across, think it was a female and get quite excited.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59Will he be able to tell that it's a male or female dung?
0:46:59 > 0:47:01- He's going straight for it. - I think he will.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04There's a lot of hormones that they produce in the dung,
0:47:04 > 0:47:08so he'll be able to tell if it's a female, what stage she's in in her own cycle.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10Oh, right.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13If it's a male dung, he'll sniff that and become territorial.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16So he'll probably put his own scent on that anyway.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19And why is it important for you to do this sort of thing?
0:47:19 > 0:47:23Something that interests him in other ways is what we're looking for.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25So this is a fantastic idea
0:47:25 > 0:47:28and hopefully he can start producing natural behaviours,
0:47:28 > 0:47:32by becoming territorial or searching for which one has done this.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36He might walk around for half a mile just searching for another rhino.
0:47:36 > 0:47:41And they do tend to go to the loo in the same area every time.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44They have their own middens to mark their territory.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46Every so often around their territory
0:47:46 > 0:47:49they'd be a big lump of rhino dung basically.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53And they'd visit that quite often just to freshen up the scent.
0:47:53 > 0:47:54And would that be...
0:47:54 > 0:47:57If another rhino was encroaching on that area,
0:47:57 > 0:47:59would they tend to use the same midden?
0:47:59 > 0:48:02Would they come in and sort of effectively put their own dung
0:48:02 > 0:48:07in there to tell the resident rhino, "I've come in and visited"?
0:48:07 > 0:48:10Exactly. A new rhino would come across it, sniff it and if it was
0:48:10 > 0:48:14a young or small rhino, they'd probably move away quite quickly.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17But another big rhino would come in, have a good sniff
0:48:17 > 0:48:21and try and take over the territory. It's just a way rhinos communicate.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23He walked away, coming back again.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27- It's obviously interesting him. - Something there got him interested.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30I mean, I suppose he's been here a very long time.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34He has seen the three new South African rhinos come in,
0:48:34 > 0:48:39a new male come in to his territory and even though they never meet,
0:48:39 > 0:48:41he obviously smells him.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44Do you think that the fact that he's very secure here,
0:48:45 > 0:48:47he's very well looked after perhaps explains
0:48:47 > 0:48:51this reaction that he's not overly bothered by another rhino's dung?
0:48:51 > 0:48:55I think so. He's the biggest animal we've got here and he knows that.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59So I think he's pretty secure. This is his territory, this yard.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01That's his territory and he comes out everyday.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04So he's got his own smell out here, his own scent.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08And I think he's pretty happy there's nothing else around at the moment.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10So are you a bit disappointed
0:49:10 > 0:49:13that we didn't get a great reaction to your experiment?
0:49:13 > 0:49:17I am kind of, in a way. It's nice for him to have a new smell here
0:49:17 > 0:49:21and maybe he has picked up a little bit and gone off with that.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23But I was expecting a bit more maybe.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26You know, a little bit of a snort, a bit of a runaround, but he's...
0:49:26 > 0:49:29He's just too laid back and comfortable, Ken.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31- Exactly.- I blame you.
0:49:31 > 0:49:32You look after him too well.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34Well, thank you very, very much
0:49:34 > 0:49:38and I think we'll just leave Winston to wander around in peace.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48Back down by Half Mile Lake, final preparations are being made
0:49:48 > 0:49:50before the launch of two brand-new boats.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54There's just time for some final adjustments, hoovering the lawn
0:49:54 > 0:49:58and swabbing the main deck, before Lord and Lady Bath arrive
0:49:58 > 0:50:00to launch the two new vessels.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04MUSIC: "What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?"
0:50:10 > 0:50:15They're to be named Lady Bath and Lady Lenka,
0:50:15 > 0:50:17after the Baths' daughter.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19The shipping forecast is good
0:50:19 > 0:50:24and the Admiral, boat driver Bill Lord, is feeling quietly confident.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27Oh, brilliant, yeah. I'm looking forward to this.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29This is the highlight of my year,
0:50:29 > 0:50:30I'd think this one is.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34We've waited a few years to get these two beasties in place.
0:50:34 > 0:50:35They're brilliant.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40Safari park head warden Keith Harris
0:50:40 > 0:50:43can hardly believe it's all happening at last.
0:50:43 > 0:50:47This is almost the culmination of about three years work.
0:50:47 > 0:50:51From the time we actually said, "Yes, we're going to have new boats,"
0:50:51 > 0:50:53to planning, designing, building,
0:50:53 > 0:50:56getting them here, getting them in service.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58I think it's been about three years.
0:50:58 > 0:51:01So a little champagne today is not going to go amiss.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04And now the VIPs are on their way.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08Guest, members of the press and, of course, Lord Bath.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13Oh, my goodness. This is...
0:51:13 > 0:51:17- And I'm strong!- There's hardly a detail Bill has overlooked.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21Though it's impossible to plan for every potential mishap.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23Did you glue this?!
0:51:23 > 0:51:25- OK, OK, it's ready.- OK.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28MUSIC: "Rule, Britannia"
0:51:31 > 0:51:33WOMAN: Bottoms!
0:51:33 > 0:51:34LAUGHTER
0:51:35 > 0:51:39I name this boat...
0:51:39 > 0:51:44Lady Lenka. And may all who sail in her be well preserved
0:51:44 > 0:51:47and come back safely and enjoy themselves.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50THEY APPLAUD
0:51:52 > 0:51:54FOG HORNS BLARE
0:51:57 > 0:52:01Christening the bows is just the start of the proceedings.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07I declare her open.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09Yes!
0:52:11 > 0:52:14Would you like the ringside seat?
0:52:14 > 0:52:17It's the first time Lady Bath has ventured on to the boat
0:52:17 > 0:52:21since her daughter, Lenka, and son, Ceawlin, were very young.
0:52:21 > 0:52:22That's about 25 years ago.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25Now before we set sail I have to tell you about safety...
0:52:25 > 0:52:29As the oldest seadog they've got, it falls to Bill to do the commentary.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33And the first lovely creature we see is Buster the breeding bull.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35Here he is right beside us.
0:52:35 > 0:52:40The sea lions are always pleased to see the first boats out on the lake,
0:52:40 > 0:52:42as it means breakfast is on the way.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Here, come here.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55And yet they share this lake with the most dangerous animals at Longleat:
0:52:55 > 0:52:57Ugandan hippos.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59Here he is, look, right beside us now.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04For Lady Bath, it was 46-year-old Nico,
0:53:04 > 0:53:09the Western Lowland silverback gorilla, who stole the show.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12Lord Bath did get to hold the wheel,
0:53:12 > 0:53:15if only for a few seconds to pose for the press.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17And towards me again, sir.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19Long enough for the boat to start veering off course.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Just give me a good smile on it, sir.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25- That's lovely. One more, sir.- Right, but we're going the wrong way.
0:53:25 > 0:53:30It never felt as if it was under my command.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33We were heading that way and it didn't turn when I turned.
0:53:33 > 0:53:38For Steve Savage, who worked on the boats 40 years ago,
0:53:38 > 0:53:40it's been a day to remember.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42Good bless the ships.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44To the boats! To you all!
0:53:44 > 0:53:46It was absolutely fantastic.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49I'm quite emotional about it really.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52It was fun. It was more than fun, it was brilliant.
0:53:52 > 0:53:57For the Admiral, it's a relief to have the fleet safely set sail.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01The worst disaster was Lord Bath trying to get the cork out of the bottle.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05But all in all the day turned out shipshape and Bristol fashion.
0:54:05 > 0:54:09And Lord Bath enjoyed ruling the waves, if only for a morning.
0:54:09 > 0:54:14Oh, I had to live up to the hat.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16And almost promptly drove into the side,
0:54:16 > 0:54:20but he persuaded me to turn the wheel at the right moment.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48It's nearly the end of the programme, but before we go,
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Kate and I just had to come back up here
0:54:50 > 0:54:53to catch up with the three new tigers.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55We're here with keeper Bob Trollope.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58Bob, they're looking fantastic out in the sunlight.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00They look brilliant, don't they?
0:55:00 > 0:55:04You're still learning about their traits when they're out like this.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08Cos you've had some problems with them attacking cars, haven't you?
0:55:08 > 0:55:10Soundari more so than these two.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14Soundari is very adventurous and nothing seems to faze her.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17And obviously coming from a zoo environment,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20vehicles are new to her, so it's a game. It's hunting.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22So, Bob, who's this coming up to us now?
0:55:22 > 0:55:25- This is Soundari. - Are we OK with the windows open?
0:55:25 > 0:55:28- Ah, it might be advisable to shut yours, Ben.- OK.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31Cos I'm quite slow with this window.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33So what does she make of cars?
0:55:33 > 0:55:37I think they are prey to her.
0:55:37 > 0:55:42This is something that's moving and it's quite often the moving
0:55:42 > 0:55:43- that gets her reaction.- Mm-hm.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46She does actually
0:55:46 > 0:55:48chase parked cars...
0:55:48 > 0:55:50She is magnificent.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52It's wonderful to watch her kind of gait.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55Isn't it? Yeah. And those enormous paws, enormous paws.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59I mean, you just see there's such strength there.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02It's like this whole sort of pent-up energy.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04She looks quite like a relaxed cat
0:56:04 > 0:56:08and you know in one moment she could completely change.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10And she's still got a bit of growing to do.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13- She's not fully grown?- Not yet.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15She's not quite two years old.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17Here she comes, running alongside.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20Bob, I bet you can't get enough of this,
0:56:20 > 0:56:22in terms of just watching them and observing them.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24This is absolutely brilliant.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28Cos it's nice to have any new animal, but when you've got
0:56:28 > 0:56:31something like these, then you know that's pure power there.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35And what do they make of the local wildlife?
0:56:36 > 0:56:38Well, they've had to rethink,
0:56:38 > 0:56:42- the local squirrels and pheasants, I must admit.- Oh, really?
0:56:42 > 0:56:44I'm sure they got so used to...
0:56:44 > 0:56:48Kadu sort of ambling past, and now, Soundari, she chases after them,
0:56:48 > 0:56:50- at lightning speed.- Really?
0:56:50 > 0:56:53And she don't stop at the base of a tree, she goes up the tree!
0:56:53 > 0:56:55So there's no escape.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58So the squirrels and the pheasants are all packing their bags?
0:56:58 > 0:57:00They are, yes.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03Well, Bob, it's great to see that they're doing well out here.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07I hope they don't attack too many more cars in the following weeks.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09We, of course, will be keeping you updated
0:57:09 > 0:57:11with the new tigers' progress.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13Sadly, that's the end of today's programme.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16But here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18Last year, the pregnant sea lions
0:57:18 > 0:57:21defended their territory against the keepers.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25But it's birthing time again and another fight is brewing.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29They've decided they don't want the beach, they want my bridge.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32So I'm not having it. I will win.
0:57:32 > 0:57:36The tigers tear into something new.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40And the great house goes under wraps for a monumental makeover.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05Subtitles by Red Bee Media