0:00:02 > 0:00:05Behind this fence lives a pride of lion,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08headed by a magnificent male called Kabir.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11With his harem of females, he's fathered lot of cubs,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14- but now he's in danger. - His sons are growing up fast,
0:00:14 > 0:00:18and could challenge him or even kill him to take over the pride.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20We'll be following his story today.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50Today on Animal Park, we're going to try to get close to the hippos,
0:00:50 > 0:00:55but this could be too close for comfort!
0:00:55 > 0:00:57We'll be revisiting the tale of a life-and-death struggle
0:00:57 > 0:01:01to save a red deer and her newborn baby.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04And Ben gets the new keeper blushing
0:01:04 > 0:01:08when there's trouble with a naughty snake called Dexter.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09You're a bit red!
0:01:11 > 0:01:14But first, we're going up to Lion Country,
0:01:14 > 0:01:16because it's the end of an era.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23In the safari park, the lions are kept in separate prides,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27each with a dominant male and a number of lionesses and youngsters.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30The newest pride male is Kabir.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33He arrived almost three years ago
0:01:33 > 0:01:37in order to bring a fresh bloodline into the Longleat lions.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40But introducing a mature male to a new environment
0:01:40 > 0:01:41is a tricky business.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45No one knew how he'd react.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Are you all right, Leo?
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Mind your fingers, mind your fingers.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Kabir is a rare Barbary lion,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05a sub-species that comes originally from North Africa.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08This is the kind of lion that used to eat Christians
0:02:08 > 0:02:10in the Coliseum of ancient Rome.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14But in the wild, the Barbary lion was hunted to extinction,
0:02:14 > 0:02:16almost a century ago.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And now, there are only about 100 of them left in captivity.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Kabir was brought in on a kind of blind date.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26The idea was that he'd form a new pride
0:02:26 > 0:02:29with Longleat females Luna and Yendi,
0:02:29 > 0:02:31but it was an anxious moment
0:02:31 > 0:02:34when they were put together for the first time.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39Because they might get on famously, or they could fight to the death.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Wow!
0:02:43 > 0:02:46- Blimey, she was so quick, going in there.- Very quick.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Is that the sort of reaction that you imagined, Brian,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54that straight away, she'd go and sit down next to him like that?
0:02:54 > 0:02:57I didn't know what to expect. They could have just stayed apart.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01They seem totally unperturbed by each other.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Because they've been next to each other in the pens,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07they've accepted each other and this is the best scenario so far.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09This is great news, isn't it?
0:03:09 > 0:03:13They look like quite a happy couple already, don't they?
0:03:13 > 0:03:16To be introduced for the very first time.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19And soon after, Kabir faced another new experience.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24He'd never before encountered the wide open space
0:03:24 > 0:03:27of a safari park enclosure. What would he make of it?
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- Good boy. Good boy.- Straight out.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Now, we've got Craig down the end there, waiting with the last...
0:03:36 > 0:03:39He's out.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43- He's out.- I've let the girls out as well, so that he knows...
0:03:43 > 0:03:45There he goes, off at a gallop. Look at that!
0:03:45 > 0:03:49- Look at him go!- That's fantastic.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52It must be such a relief to get out in the open.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57To keep up with Kabir, we had to jump in Bob's four-wheel-drive.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Can you see him, over by the fence?
0:04:00 > 0:04:05I hope he doesn't touch that, it's electrified! Oh, there he goes,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07through the fence.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Electric fences only work as a deterrent
0:04:09 > 0:04:12after you know about the shock.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15And this was the first time Kabir had ever touched one.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18What's on the other side of that fence, Bob?
0:04:19 > 0:04:21That is like a no-man's area.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Right, so it's a double, he's not out as such?
0:04:24 > 0:04:27No, he's still within our section.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Now, you can see the wolves on the other side.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34He seems to be ignoring those. He didn't seem at all bothered
0:04:34 > 0:04:36by the fact that it was an electric fence, either.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39So you have a bit of a puzzle, to try to get him out.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43We can get him out, it just means one of us has got to get out
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and open the gate for him. Hopefully not me!
0:04:46 > 0:04:47This is a dangerous moment,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50because we don't know what he's like with people,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53and obviously, we don't know what he's like with vehicles.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56He doesn't seem too concerned with them at the moment.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00No, but then, he hasn't been moved by one of them yet. Okey-dokey.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01What we're actually going to do now
0:05:01 > 0:05:05is send someone up to the wolf house and turn the electric off.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Can you keep an eye on the ones behind us? There's two more.
0:05:09 > 0:05:15A tense moment here as they try and get Kabir back out of this section.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20The females, luckily, are sitting very calmly
0:05:20 > 0:05:23and I have to say, disdainfully, it looks like from here,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25with their noses in the air - "Oh, silly boy."
0:05:25 > 0:05:29- Oh, my word.- The fence is open now. Is he started to panic a little bit?
0:05:29 > 0:05:32He is panicking. You've got the wolves going now.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35He's probably never ever seen anything like that before.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37This is potentially a dangerous time,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39cos we don't know what'll happen.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41We're going to try and drive him towards that...
0:05:41 > 0:05:45- But what we don't want him to do is go for the vehicle.- Yeah.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Hopefully, if he goes through that fence again, it's turned off.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51- There we go.- Hooray!
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Good job, Bob!
0:05:53 > 0:05:58It was certainly a hairy start, but after that,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Kabir soon settled down to family life.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07So far, he's fathered 10 cubs here with Luna and Yendi.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12The most recent litter was born just a few months ago.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14But the time has come for Kabir to go,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17and it's because of all his children.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21His eldest daughters will soon become sexually mature,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24while in a year or two, his sons will be old enough
0:06:24 > 0:06:27to challenge him for leadership of the pride.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31And that would mean vicious fighting, even to the death.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35It's time to sort of move him on, so we can either get a new male in,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39or just hold our breeding programme for a little while.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42It will be sad to see him go, but times move on,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46and we've got to look after our bloodlines at Longleat.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49One way of doing it is by moving the males on.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54But, you know, he's had a fruitful time here. 10 offspring later,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56time to go.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00So tomorrow morning, Kabir is due to be picked up
0:07:00 > 0:07:04and taken off to start a new life at Newquay Zoo in Cornwall.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09But before that, Bob must bring him in for the very last time.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12We'll be back in Lion Country later
0:07:12 > 0:07:15to follow events at the end of an era.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31There's more to Longleat than the great house and the safari park.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35It's still a traditional estate, covering almost 9,000 acres,
0:07:35 > 0:07:40and includes woodland, scores of cottages and tenant farms.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44And for the sheep farmers, early summer is a busy time.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49Well, I'm out with a tenant farmer on the Longleat estate, Simon Baggs.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52End of shearing, Simon, I can see you've whittled them down.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54How many sheep have you got at the moment?
0:07:54 > 0:07:56About 850 ewes.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59And these are nearly the last ones.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01And clearly, you've been working very, very hard.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Yeah, not as hard as the chaps, though.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08So this is how this works, you get in specialist shearers, do you?
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Yes, they're a lot quicker than I am,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14so we just get the job done as quick as we can, really.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16And presumably, all this fleece,
0:08:16 > 0:08:20let's have a look at it if we can, because it looks fantastic.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24This then goes off to be cleaned, sold, what happens to it?
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Basically, what we do is we'll fold it up in a minute
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and put it in the bag and it goes up to Bradford to the Wool Board.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34And it gets cleaned and sorted out, and then they grade it
0:08:34 > 0:08:38and they do what they have to do with it, jumpers or whatever.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Shall we go over and have a chat to Alex,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44who's sheared for you quite a few years, hasn't he?
0:08:44 > 0:08:47He has, he's been doing it about seven or eight years now.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- How are you doing, Alex? - Not too bad.
0:08:49 > 0:08:56So, is this about, what, your 400th sheep on this farm?
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Yeah, a few more than that, I imagine.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Well, you make it look incredibly easy.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05How long have you been shearing for?
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- About eight years.- Eight years?
0:09:08 > 0:09:11How would you feel about me having a go, or at least watching?
0:09:11 > 0:09:12Absolutely fine.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14- Are you sure?- Positive.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I'm not going to kind of garrotte it or something by mistake.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19I hope not!
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- Do you want me to come in, Simon? - Come and give me a hand.
0:09:22 > 0:09:27Trouble is, it's a big pen, you don't know what's going to happen.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- You'll feel so much better when this happens.- That's it.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34There we go, right.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37They don't seem to know what's good for them, do they?
0:09:37 > 0:09:40How do you get them out without letting the whole lot out?
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Basically, we just grab hold under the chin,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47put some weight on its back and roll it over like that.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52Wow, you made that look incredibly easy. So you start on the belly?
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Start on the belly.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58And you're putting just a gentle pressure against the skin.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Just a gentle pressure, you've got to be a bit careful on the belly.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Both you and Jack are making it look terribly easy,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14but it must really take its toll on you physically, does it,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16by the time you've done a few of these things?
0:10:16 > 0:10:19- Yes, definitely.- OK.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Are you going to hold her, or should I do that as well?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25If you want to hold her, I'll turn the razor off.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30- And basically, step back, with your feet there and the head there.- OK.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32She weighs a ton, just doing that!
0:10:32 > 0:10:37- Can you manage to pick the handpiece up from there?- Yes.- Right.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41- OK.- I'll start it for you. - Who wants a lamb chop?
0:10:44 > 0:10:46It's not anything like as easy as it looks.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51I think I could probably do one sheep in about 45 minutes
0:10:51 > 0:10:55to an hour. I think I'm going to let you carry on, Alex,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58- because I don't want to cut her. - They make it look easy,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01and when you come to have a go yourself, it's hard.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Look at that. Well, I'm sorry, madam,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05that you don't look quite as neat as all the other ones!
0:11:05 > 0:11:09But Alex, thank you very, very much indeed. Good job.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12I'll let Jack carry on. Simon, I bet you're glad to see
0:11:12 > 0:11:14that you've only got a couple left, aren't you?
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- I certainly am. - Well, think you very, very much
0:11:17 > 0:11:21for letting me come along. It was an amazing experience.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24But I won't be coming to you for a job, I promise.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Quite a few English stately homes
0:11:34 > 0:11:37have some kind of ornamental lake in the grounds.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39But this is the only one in the country
0:11:39 > 0:11:42where you are likely to run into a couple of African hippos.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Their names are Spot and Sonya
0:11:47 > 0:11:49and Mark Tighe is the man in charge of them.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52We've had these hippos since they were two-year-olds.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54They came here in 1976.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58And, you know, they've been put out in this environment
0:11:58 > 0:12:00which is a big lake, big field, big mud wallow.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04And they've lived a near natural existence here.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06They're completely hands-off.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10You know, we have nothing to do with them at all,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14and it's one of the things that makes them quite endearing,
0:12:14 > 0:12:15is that they are so wild.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20But being so wild also means that even after all this time,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23they are still very wary of the keepers.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28Well, they're very sketchy animals, very suspicious, very nervous.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Anything that's different, you know, they always try to run away from.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36I mean, for vegetarians, they're incredibly dangerous animals.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42Obviously, weight is a huge factor, and speed as well.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46I mean, for an animal that weighs up to three tons with very short legs,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48they can move incredibly quickly.
0:12:48 > 0:12:54You know, up to 25mph on the land, even through thick mud.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57So you have to be extremely cautious with these animals.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01And that's something Mark knows only too well.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05In his early days at the park, he had a very close call.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Well, it was when I first started work here
0:13:07 > 0:13:09and I hadn't been doing this job very long.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13We had a friendly one that was actually living in the house
0:13:13 > 0:13:16and we used to feed her over the wall, round the side there.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19And the two females we have now, Spot and Sonya,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21were under these trees,
0:13:21 > 0:13:25which I figured was quite a safe distance to be away.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29And I was just shaking the hay up, and I heard a snort, turned round
0:13:29 > 0:13:32and saw one of them just charging towards me.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36And in the time it took me to get from the side of the house
0:13:36 > 0:13:39to the truck at the front, she covered the distance
0:13:39 > 0:13:42from the tree to where I'd been standing,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45which, you know, if I'd slipped or fallen,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47that would have been show over, flattened.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50So, you know, that was a real wake-up call
0:13:50 > 0:13:52and shows you not to take them for granted.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56Apart from the occasional brush with death,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Mark has had very few opportunities
0:13:58 > 0:14:00to get a really close look at Spot and Sonya.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04And that's a problem, because as the keeper who's responsible
0:14:04 > 0:14:07for their health, it's up to him to make sure
0:14:07 > 0:14:10they stay in tip-top condition.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13But how do you get close to a very nervous, very aggressive,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16two-and-a-half ton animal?
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Especially one that spends a lot time submerged in a lake.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Well, with the help of some of our filming equipment,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Mark's come up with a plan.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28'What we're going to do is hide the camera into a mound of mud
0:14:28 > 0:14:31'which we've placed next to their feeding site.'
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Hopefully, we'll be able to get some really close-up shots
0:14:34 > 0:14:36of their mouths, and inside their mouths.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38They might even eat the camera!
0:14:47 > 0:14:50The hippos get a lot of their food just by grazing.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55But Mark also supplements their diet with hay and protein pellets.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58This feeding time should give Mark the opportunity
0:14:58 > 0:15:01to get the close-up shots he's after.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05The miniature camera is protected in a heavy-duty casing,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09should the hippos decide to trample or eat it.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13The camera's connected by a short wire to a videotape recorder
0:15:13 > 0:15:15they're installing at the water's edge,
0:15:15 > 0:15:20in a place the hippos never use, because the bank's too steep.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Obviously, when they come down to eat,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24hopefully they'll come down the road and eat
0:15:24 > 0:15:28where Luke is standing, which will mean them putting their heads down,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30down to the hay on the floor,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32which is where the camera is at floor level.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35So, hopefully, it'll be a nice close shot.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Depends whether they see the camera or not.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- How am I doing?- Lovely, beautiful.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48With this system, Mark will have to start the tape going,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50hope the hippos come in close
0:15:50 > 0:15:55and then come back later to retrieve the recording.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00'Well, that's it, camera neatly hidden under a mound of dirt.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02'I hope it does the trick.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05'We'll just have to leave it now and wait and see.'
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Because, of course, the whole experiment will only work
0:16:08 > 0:16:11if Spot and Sonya are hungry hippos.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13We'll be back shortly to see what happens.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21New keepers to the safari park have a huge amount of information to take in
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and Katrina here, who's only been here for two weeks, is no exception.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29And I understand that Sarah, you're giving her a lesson
0:16:29 > 0:16:31on how to handle corn snakes today.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32So where do you begin?
0:16:32 > 0:16:34How do you start a lesson like this?
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Well, Katrina's already had some experience with the royal pythons.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43So it's just kind of going on what differences there are between them.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45With corn snakes, they're a lot longer and thinner
0:16:45 > 0:16:47and a lot quicker in their movements.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50So the best thing to do with handling with people
0:16:50 > 0:16:54is to put them round the neck, especially if they're long ones,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57because it means they're supported, their head's not kind of...
0:16:57 > 0:17:01you've got a bit more control, if it's wiggling all over the place.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Katrina, you don't seem too scared about having a snake in your hand.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08That's a good start, even though it's trying to go down your shirt!
0:17:08 > 0:17:10How do you feel, are you quite comfortable?
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Yeah. There's quite a difference
0:17:12 > 0:17:14between the python and the corn snake.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16You can really feel the power of them,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19but also, as Sarah just said, the length of them,
0:17:19 > 0:17:20there's quite a difference.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Sarah, are they constrictors or are they venomous?
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Yeah, they're constrictors, so similar to the pythons,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29they would wrap around their food and suffocate it to kill it,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32so, yeah, that's the similarity with a python.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34And Katrina, look at the crowds around,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37how are you coping with all the public and lots of people?
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- Not bad.- Are you enjoying it? - Yeah, I really enjoy it.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Especially those people that aren't so confident with snakes,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45I really do enjoy...
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Do you need a hand there? There you go. It's got your microphone there.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Nearly, I'll just tidy that up.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56There you go.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57Kept yourself very composed.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00But that's what it's all about, keeping on top of things
0:18:00 > 0:18:03when things do go a little bit awry. You've gone a bit red!
0:18:03 > 0:18:06But you do let the public handle these, do you?
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Yeah, we do, yeah, definitely.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10So do we have a volunteer? What about you?
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Are you sure you don't? Do you want to have a quick go?
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- So what would you do then? - What's the best way to put this on?
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Try to straighten them out as much as possible
0:18:18 > 0:18:21and gently place it round the back of the neck.
0:18:21 > 0:18:22- What's your name?- Josh.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Have you ever had a snake around you before?
0:18:24 > 0:18:27- No.- You don't seem too scared.
0:18:27 > 0:18:28- Excellent.- How does it feel?
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Strange.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33What you can do, there, Josh, is if you hold him here,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36very gently, and then his head can still move,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39but it means that you've got a little bit more control.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41He'll wrap himself around you as well
0:18:41 > 0:18:43so that he feels a bit more secure.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45- Wow, how does that feel?- Strange.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48- Strange, do you like it though?- Yes.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- Does this one have a name, this corn snake?- This is Dexter.- Meet Dexter.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56- Hello, Dexter.- So, the public handling them, and presumably,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59lots of information about the snakes, so you've learnt
0:18:59 > 0:19:03that it's a constrictor, not poisonous.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05What other sort of information would you get across?
0:19:05 > 0:19:09A lot of people ask about how long they live, how long they grow to.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12So you could say, of course, they will probably live
0:19:12 > 0:19:16about 20 to 25 years, and our longest one here is about 6ft,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18but that is particularly long for a corn snake.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20It's normally about five.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22So you can say that as well.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Their diet, mainly mice.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27The big ones can have a chick as well,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29so it's just kind of matching up
0:19:29 > 0:19:31the size of the food to the size of the snake.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34How do you remember all of this? Is it going straight in?
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- Are you good at retaining all that information?- Quite good.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39I suppose you'll practice as well.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Sometimes I come in with the keepers and keep going over.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45They're kind of getting, "Oh, not again," but they're fine.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49I have to ask, do you have a favourite animal yet in Pets Corner?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52I do, I really like the wallabies and the marmosets.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Fantastic. But the snakes aren't so bad, either?
0:19:55 > 0:19:58- The snakes aren't so bad, no. - Well, listen, good luck, guys.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01And I think they're very popular with the kids.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Absolutely.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Everyone likes to see babies,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22whether they're cute and fluffy...
0:20:22 > 0:20:24or not.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28And since we first started filming in the safari park 10 years ago,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30we've certainly seen a few.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33This season, to celebrate our first decade, we're looking back
0:20:33 > 0:20:39at some of the most exciting and dramatic events we've ever covered.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Any new arrival at the park is always important,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45because many species just won't start a family
0:20:45 > 0:20:48unless they are happy with the accommodation.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50So if the animals are breeding,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53it shows the keepers they're getting things right.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56But the biggest problem with babies is sometimes the birth itself,
0:20:56 > 0:21:01because while they usually go perfectly smoothly,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04they can go horribly wrong.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09A few years ago, we followed a life and death drama up in the Deer Park.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Tim Yeo is the keeper in charge of all the deer and he became concerned
0:21:14 > 0:21:16when one of the red deer hinds
0:21:16 > 0:21:21seemed to be having a problem giving birth.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24After she'd been in labour for over 30 hours,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28Tim had a decision to make.
0:21:28 > 0:21:35Do you leave her a bit longer, or do you step in and act?
0:21:35 > 0:21:37And that's what I'm faced with at the minute.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42If left, there's a good chance that both mother and baby would die,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45and that's just what would happen in the wild.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49But intervening in a deer birth is a very risky business.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52There are all sorts of potential problems.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57But time was ticking away. With only a couple hours of daylight left,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Tim called in the vet, Nanja Werkel.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03It could be that she just needs a bit more time
0:22:03 > 0:22:05to make herself open.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10That's what happens. By pushing the calf, she opens herself up.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13So that could be that it's just a bit more time to get herself
0:22:13 > 0:22:16to be opened a bit more, and then it can happen on her own.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20But a long labour like this could also be because
0:22:20 > 0:22:22the calf was breach, twisted in the womb
0:22:22 > 0:22:25or caught with its head bent backwards.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30If it is a head back, then we do have to interfere,
0:22:30 > 0:22:36and actually get the head in a normal position to get her out.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39But then, two feet started to come out
0:22:39 > 0:22:41and that's just what's supposed to happen.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46Except, they should be the front ones, and these were the back feet.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50The baby was breach. At last, the problem was clear
0:22:50 > 0:22:54and Tim and Nanja know they must act immediately.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57I'm not completely convinced that the calf is still alive.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00It might well be that she's been so restless and nothing's happening.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Also, the other reason could well be because the calf is actually dead.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05The hind was suffering
0:23:05 > 0:23:08but she wouldn't let them get close enough to help.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09They would have to catch her,
0:23:09 > 0:23:14and to do that, she would have to be darted with a sedative drug.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17We're just going to go up to her and try to put the dart in,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20so if the crew could stay here,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24I think that would be the best thing, until we've done that.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29Tim had to get as close as possible. For the dart to work properly,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31it must hit the hind in the rear haunch.
0:23:31 > 0:23:37Luckily, Tim is widely accepted as the best shot at Longleat.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Of course, any sedative would be passed
0:23:44 > 0:23:46from mother to the unborn calf,
0:23:46 > 0:23:51and if the baby was already weak, a full dose of the drug could kill it.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54So the dart contained only a minimum dose
0:23:54 > 0:23:58and it took 20 minutes before the hind went down.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02To stop her from struggling, they've got a net to throw over her.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07But the hind was more lively than expected.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11We're never, ever going to get her!
0:24:11 > 0:24:12The only way to catch her
0:24:12 > 0:24:16would be to dart her again with another dose of sedative.
0:24:16 > 0:24:22The longer the time goes, the more lively she gets, she works the drug
0:24:22 > 0:24:27off, it becomes impossible to catch and, of course, more dangerous.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30We've got to remove the calf.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32She needs calving.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36So the vets are just working out doses now to go again.
0:24:36 > 0:24:41And we're going to try and dart her again.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44For the second darting, they've got a stronger sedative
0:24:44 > 0:24:49called Immobilon, a drug that's lethal to humans.
0:24:52 > 0:24:58The tiniest of spillages can be fatal to us, so...I'm ready.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02With just an hour left before darkness,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06there was no time for any more second chances.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10We'll find out very soon if they saved the mother
0:25:10 > 0:25:12and perhaps, the baby too.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22The settled life of Lion Country is about to change forever.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Tomorrow morning, Kabir, the pride male,
0:25:25 > 0:25:30is due to leave the safari park, bound for Newquay Zoo.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Bob Trollope has looked after him since that day he arrived
0:25:33 > 0:25:37and today, he's bringing him into the house for the final time.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42This is going to be the last evening that he's with his family,
0:25:42 > 0:25:46so-called, so it's a poignant time, I think, for us.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Everything now is doing it for the last time.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55In the wild, there's not much job security for the pride male.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59He's constantly being challenged by newcomers and youngsters.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03That's how nature keeps the gene pool fresh.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05We can't bring a new male in and put him with Kabir,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07because they would fight to the death.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11And sooner or later, he would start picking on these
0:26:11 > 0:26:13to push these out of the pride.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18So, by actually moving him on, we eliminate that problem.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23Hopefully, it's going to be an easy operation.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27We'll put these out into the section, so there's no distraction.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31You know, it might stress him up a little bit,
0:26:31 > 0:26:36because normally, as soon as we let these out, he's with them.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39He'll be wondering why he can't, that's for sure.
0:26:39 > 0:26:45Kabir is a real favourite. He's even got a silly nickname, Cabbage.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Obviously, we'll miss him.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49You do grow fond of them.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51You do get a little bit of bonding.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54The sad time will be tomorrow, obviously,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57when he's in the back of that van and off down the road.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02So, we'll see you in the morning then, Cabbage?
0:27:20 > 0:27:24The next morning, the team from Newquay Zoo have arrived early
0:27:24 > 0:27:27to take Kabir to his new home in Cornwall.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Getting a lion into a travel crate can be very difficult,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32but Kabir plays ball.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34There's no problem at all.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41- Is his tail clear?- It's clear.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Good boy.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48That's the easy bit.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50So how secure is that crate exactly?
0:27:50 > 0:27:55No, he's fine. This is as strong as anything, trust me.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05- One, two, three! - What do you reckon he weighs, then?
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Too much!
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Get down that end.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17It's slightly sad, because that is the last we'll see of Kabir.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19But it's brilliant, you know,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23he's got a young lady down there, so he'll be happy, I'm sure.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27As the head of the pride and father to so many youngsters,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31Kabir's time at Longleat has been a fantastic success.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34It's a shame he's got to go,
0:28:34 > 0:28:39but head of section Brian Kent knows there's no alternative.
0:28:39 > 0:28:45In the wild, because he's about 15 years old,
0:28:45 > 0:28:48probably another male would have come along
0:28:48 > 0:28:49and tried to take over the pride.
0:28:49 > 0:28:54And more likely, he probably would have killed him.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58In his new home, Kabir will be looked after by keeper John Meek.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Well, we're just about to head off down to Newquay,
0:29:01 > 0:29:04so hopefully, we'll get him down in four hours
0:29:04 > 0:29:06and then he'll be going into the enclosure
0:29:06 > 0:29:10almost as soon as we get back. Yes, you can see the van's rocking!
0:29:10 > 0:29:13He's certainly lively, so it's going to be a long trip.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15But we'll be glad to get him there.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20I suppose it is, in a way, retirement for him. Down by the sea.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22I mean, that's what we all want!
0:29:22 > 0:29:25It'll be nice for him, I expect.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27We'll be back in Lion Country later
0:29:27 > 0:29:31to find out how Kabir's pride is coping without him.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38They call it Pets Corner,
0:29:38 > 0:29:41and while some of the animals here make terrific pets,
0:29:41 > 0:29:46others are really not the sort of thing
0:29:46 > 0:29:48most people could keep at home.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52Then, there are the creatures, like the corn snakes we saw earlier,
0:29:52 > 0:29:56that can be kept as pets but do need very special care and attention.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00And not all of this sort are creepy-crawlies,
0:30:00 > 0:30:02some are actually rather sweet.
0:30:02 > 0:30:09This is Pickle the cockatoo and I've joined her keeper, Jo Hawthorne.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11What kind of character is Pickle?
0:30:11 > 0:30:17Well, as you see here, cheeky, lots to say, very inquisitive.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19You know, wants to actually get to know you
0:30:19 > 0:30:22and will kind of communicate back in her own way to you.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25Normally can't shut her up, to be honest.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Really? She looks quite young, if you can say that about a parrot.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31She's extremely young, Ben, she's two years old.
0:30:31 > 0:30:32So if you imagine she's two now,
0:30:32 > 0:30:35she'll live somewhere between 60, 65 years of age.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Isn't it incredible?
0:30:37 > 0:30:41That's something to think about when you take on a bird like this.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44I know, presumably, there's a lot you're going to have to take on
0:30:44 > 0:30:46over that 60-year period.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49What sort of daily routine do you have to do if you have a cockatoo?
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Pickle, obviously, lots of stimulation.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56From the minute you see her in the morning,
0:30:56 > 0:30:5910, 15 minutes of "hello", feeding.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Stimulation for parrots, I've got to say,
0:31:01 > 0:31:03is probably the most important thing.
0:31:03 > 0:31:08You know, leaving a bird like this all day in a cage
0:31:08 > 0:31:10is just not good.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13So you need to leave a radio or something
0:31:13 > 0:31:17if you are out all day, if you can't, give her some time
0:31:17 > 0:31:19when you get in at the end of the day.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21They're not really, ideally, a pet
0:31:21 > 0:31:23that you would want to leave all day long.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26She's absolutely great at Longleat and she enjoys it here
0:31:26 > 0:31:30because she is out most of the day, meeting and greeting people,
0:31:30 > 0:31:32so, you know, that's her stimulation.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35They do get bored very easily, because they are so intelligent.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39What about the feathers, is there much grooming you have to do?
0:31:39 > 0:31:42She pretty much looks after herself, but on a day like this,
0:31:42 > 0:31:44we get the birds out and give them a spray.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48They have to keep their feathers in immaculate condition
0:31:48 > 0:31:50to keep them clean and waterproof.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54So, you know, a sprinkle every day helps them. As they're rearranging,
0:31:54 > 0:31:58you'll notice they go through every feather, cleaning meticulously,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01picking out bits, so that helps with the grooming.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Do you think she'd sit on my shoulder?
0:32:03 > 0:32:05I think she probably would, you know.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07Shall we see? Look at that.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11Eating my shirt already. Let's see how clever you are, Pickle.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Are you were to say hello again? Hello?
0:32:13 > 0:32:16No, I think she's more keen to eat me.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Well, while we bond, here's what's still coming up on today's programme.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22What are you up to?
0:32:22 > 0:32:24The old king is gone,
0:32:24 > 0:32:30but now, which of his two sons will try to step up for the top job?
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Catching the pregnant deer was difficult and dangerous,
0:32:33 > 0:32:38but the real drama starts after the baby's born.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40It's got dead eyes, hasn't it?
0:32:40 > 0:32:44And down in the Bat Cave, there's a tricky operation underway
0:32:44 > 0:32:46to give the residents their MOTs.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51- Well done! - You got it! Isn't that incredible?
0:32:51 > 0:32:55I don't think I've ever seen the bats this closely before.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59But first, we're going back down by the lake
0:32:59 > 0:33:03to see what's happened with the secret hippo cam.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06The problem for the keeper who's in charge of them, Mark Tighe,
0:33:06 > 0:33:10is that because hippos are surprisingly dangerous,
0:33:10 > 0:33:12it's hard for him to get close enough
0:33:12 > 0:33:14to give them a visual check up.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17So, today, he's hidden the camera
0:33:17 > 0:33:20to get a good view of them while they're eating.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36And when they've finished and gone back to the lake,
0:33:36 > 0:33:42he retrieves the tape and heads back to HQ to see the results.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Right, let's have a look at this footage.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49Really nice to see them up close like this and to see them
0:33:49 > 0:33:52so relaxed about it, as well.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55This is the greediest one. This is Sonya.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59You'll see her stomach's almost dragging along the floor.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02And she's always got this habit, as you'll notice here, of standing
0:34:02 > 0:34:07along the line of food, so that her mate doesn't get so much.
0:34:07 > 0:34:12It's quite nice to see that they did actually notice the camera,
0:34:12 > 0:34:16but didn't freak out about it and still carried on eating.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19And, obviously, we got really close up there
0:34:19 > 0:34:22of the impressive tusks that they have, which is ivory.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Which is one of the reasons they get poached quite heavily
0:34:25 > 0:34:29in the wild, for their tusks.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Though it's interesting to see these very hands-off animals this close,
0:34:32 > 0:34:37Mark was also hoping the shots would help him with a health check.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41It's been really useful, really nice to see them up close like that.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44And it's just a shame we couldn't see quite inside the mouth,
0:34:44 > 0:34:47because that's not something you often see.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Because it'd be nice to see if there were any
0:34:49 > 0:34:52underlying tooth problems or anything like that,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55but it's a good start. We could always try it again
0:34:55 > 0:34:58and perhaps put a different angle on the camera or something.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Perhaps get one in the water with them would be nice,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04if we could get them swimming along in the water.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Well, that's an idea, but how would we do it?
0:35:07 > 0:35:12Submarine-cam, perhaps? Look out for that later in the series.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Next door to Pets Corner is Old Joe's Mine,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20an area they keep nice and dark,
0:35:20 > 0:35:25especially for those animals that are most active at night.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33It's check-up time for Longleat's Egyptian fruitbats,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35and Kate and I have come to help.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38But first of all, we've got to locate the two keepers,
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Darren and John over here. Hi, guys.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44How on earth, for a start, are we going to even get to catch a bat?
0:35:44 > 0:35:49- You look like you're fishing!- This is our bat movement device here.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51What we have to do is, with your help,
0:35:51 > 0:35:54what we're going to do is we're going to try to move
0:35:54 > 0:35:57the bats back and forward in this exhibit here.
0:35:57 > 0:35:58They hang from the ceiling.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02Seeing as I'm not 15ft tall, we have the poles here.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04And what we're going to do is, eventually,
0:36:04 > 0:36:06when we get one low enough to scoop up in the net
0:36:06 > 0:36:08or by hand if we can,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11we give them a good going-over, basically, a good investigation.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13So, we need to know condition.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16We need to know the level of teeth and whether they've got
0:36:16 > 0:36:19any scratches on their eyes or holes in the wings.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21Well, you've got more pairs of hands.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Look at us, we're armed and ready to help out.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28So just give us instruction. What do you want us to do?
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Well, one of you, Ben, you probably take one of the poles
0:36:30 > 0:36:32and go with John.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35What we need you to do, we need you to move the bats back and forward,
0:36:35 > 0:36:37just to bring them a little bit lower.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40And the knack is not to scare them,
0:36:40 > 0:36:44but to shoo them. Shoo them down here.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48- This is almost like being a bat shepherd now.- I'm very impressed.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50Just think of your CV.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13- There you go! - Got it.- Good catch.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Isn't that incredible?
0:37:15 > 0:37:18I don't think I've ever seen the bats this closely before.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20These are Egyptian fruitbats, and they're found
0:37:20 > 0:37:24throughout North Africa and the Mediterranean, down through Africa.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27I'm just going to open this. We're looking for wing condition.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29This is full of tiny little nerves.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Extraordinary, it almost looks like a leaf,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35- with the veins running through the leaves.- It's so thin!
0:37:35 > 0:37:38We're looking for rips and tears and holes.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41Also, as they get older, they sort of get these...
0:37:41 > 0:37:44This gets worn and it gets a bit flaky.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48That, to me, is a very good condition wing there.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51It looks in very good condition. I mean, presumably, wings,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54they do look delicate, presumably they can tear.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56- Can they fix?- Very much so.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59We think that the membrane... if you free that
0:37:59 > 0:38:01and gently pinch that and pull that out.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Gosh, they are sharp, aren't they?
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Look at that, that's the little fingers, is it?
0:38:05 > 0:38:08That's what they support themselves with.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10And it's such a useful tool.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13They can walk by using that and hanging on.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15They hang to the branch or whatever they're landing on.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17What are we looking for in the face?
0:38:17 > 0:38:20What we do is we've got to look at these teeth.
0:38:20 > 0:38:21These are fruit eaters,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25they've got sharp, canine, needle-like teeth.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27They've got to get through hard skin of the fruit.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30- Those look like meat-eating teeth! - Don't they?
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Are you happy with those teeth?
0:38:32 > 0:38:35They're really good. See how clean and white and long they are?
0:38:35 > 0:38:38We have to make sure if somebody here has worn-down teeth,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41we have to add them supplement food. They can't get through the skin.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44We don't want to cut and pulp everything up.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- The last thing's the most difficult, the chest muscles.- OK.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50If I take that, and then you tip for me,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Kate, move your hand. There we are.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55The claws get really into everything, don't they?
0:38:55 > 0:38:59Ben, through the thickness of that glove,
0:38:59 > 0:39:03if you rub it on his chest muscle, you should feel a good covering.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06- Can you feel that? - Yes, yes.- He's a good weight.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08We don't have to put him on any scales,
0:39:08 > 0:39:11that's his muscle and that's his fat reserve there.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13He's eating well, he's a good, fit bat, that one.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16And I'm really happy with that condition.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20- Are we ready, then, to release the bat?- Please do.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24If you unfold your hand, he might hang on here. Turn him upside down,
0:39:24 > 0:39:26and he'll hang on to you, probably.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29And then release.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34- Up there, gone up with his friends. - Look at that, that's fantastic.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36So, not particularly stressful.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Done, and now you know, clean bill of health.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41We're going to get a couple more done
0:39:41 > 0:39:45and if it's as successful as that, we might rope you in!
0:39:45 > 0:39:49Thank you both very much, it was a real privilege. So thank you both.
0:39:49 > 0:39:50Good luck with the next two.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Gloves, you really might need them!
0:39:54 > 0:39:55See you later.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07A few years ago, we followed the dramatic events
0:40:07 > 0:40:10when a pregnant red deer hind got into difficulty giving birth.
0:40:10 > 0:40:15When Tim Yeo and the team finally got her sedated,
0:40:15 > 0:40:19it was clear that the baby was the wrong way round in the womb.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23So, vet Nanja Werkel had to try to guide it out.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26In the wild, both hind and calf would have died.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30This way, there was at least some hope for the mother,
0:40:30 > 0:40:33perhaps even an outside chance for the baby.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37Nanja was joined by her colleague, vet Martin Bores.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42At last, the calf was born.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54It wasn't breathing.
0:40:54 > 0:40:55It's got dead eyes, hasn't it?
0:40:55 > 0:41:00While Martin tried massage to get the heart going and stimulate breathing,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Nanja gave an injection to reverse the effects
0:41:03 > 0:41:04of the sedatives the mother had.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14Just lift it up again, Martin,
0:41:14 > 0:41:16and I'll try to see if we can get some more...
0:41:16 > 0:41:21It wasn't working. The baby was still lifeless.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25Come on then, little one.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28There was just one thing left to try.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31As a last resort, Nanja gave the kiss of life.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43And the baby took a breath.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Now, that's all fine.
0:41:53 > 0:41:58The legs didn't stretch, so it was stuck on this.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Right, yeah, yeah.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04But Tim Yeo was still worried about the baby's health.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08Well, we've got a calf that's been through one hell of a lot of trauma,
0:42:08 > 0:42:16really, but the calf is breathing independently.
0:42:16 > 0:42:21But there is a concern at this time, because it's been so long
0:42:21 > 0:42:25in the calving problem, and coming backwards,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28that the calf has been starved from oxygen,
0:42:28 > 0:42:32and there may be some brain damage that we've got there.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36But it's a bit early to sort of be sure on that.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38If the calf suffered brain damage,
0:42:38 > 0:42:40then it probably just wouldn't wake up.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Find out later if it ever did.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53Nico the gorilla lives alone on the island in Half Mile Lake.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56At 48, he's one of the oldest western lowland gorillas
0:42:56 > 0:42:59in captivity anywhere.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02In human terms, he'd be well into his 90s.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06He used to have a companion, Samba.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09They were together almost their entire lives.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12It's hard to tell if animals are able to experience
0:43:12 > 0:43:16emotions such as grief, but perhaps gorillas do.
0:43:16 > 0:43:21When Samba died last year, it certainly seemed to hit Nico hard.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Today, I've come over to Gorilla Island
0:43:26 > 0:43:29to help Michelle Stevens with something to keep him occupied.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32Now, Michelle, before we do anything,
0:43:32 > 0:43:37I just want to look at Nico, because I can't believe
0:43:37 > 0:43:43this is the same gorilla that I saw so sad and so kind of...
0:43:43 > 0:43:46actually, sort of looking very old and rather pathetic last year,
0:43:46 > 0:43:48after Samba died. He's looking great.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52He's looking really good. Actually, he's come through it better
0:43:52 > 0:43:55than what we could have imagined. Now it's coming into summer again,
0:43:55 > 0:43:58he's looking good, he's looking really healthy.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01He is, his coat looks good, his eyes look bright.
0:44:01 > 0:44:05He's getting a bit slower in his old age, but it's what you expect.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09He'll be 48 this year, so, you know, he's no spring chicken.
0:44:09 > 0:44:13But he's doing very well and we're really pleased with him.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15Hi Nicks! It's great to see you.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18So, we've got this curious looking contraption here.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20Yeah, one of my mad inventions.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22I'm always coming up with something strange!
0:44:22 > 0:44:24Yeah, "What is she coming up with now?"
0:44:24 > 0:44:27So, what are we going to do with these broom heads?
0:44:27 > 0:44:31Well, what I do is take small items of food, like peanuts,
0:44:31 > 0:44:34pellets, we've got some dates here as well,
0:44:34 > 0:44:36and we just literally stuff them down here.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40And it just gives Nico a bit more of a challenge to kind of...
0:44:40 > 0:44:43he has to really use his fingers to pick them out.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46And it'll take him longer to get the food as well.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50I think it's always a good idea just to keep his mind active
0:44:50 > 0:44:52and indeed, to keep him active as well.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56When we put this up outside, he'll be stretching and moving around
0:44:56 > 0:44:58and it keeps him more active, keeps his brain active
0:44:58 > 0:45:00and his body active as well.
0:45:00 > 0:45:05When Samba was around, did you find that she would take the lead more
0:45:05 > 0:45:07and he would kind of follow in her footsteps?
0:45:07 > 0:45:09How did it work with the two of them?
0:45:09 > 0:45:12She was the clever one out of the two, I think.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16She would find the food and he would kind of steal it from her.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18They would actually take it in turns.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21He'd follow her around and then she'd follow him around.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25She'd constantly be looking behind her back to see where he was.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28If she found something nice to eat, she'd hide and try to eat it.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30So we'll hang this out, shall we?
0:45:30 > 0:45:32- Can you manage?- Yeah, it's fine.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34Right, what a treat.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38So, do you put this in the same place every time?
0:45:38 > 0:45:42Not at all. We've got a space over here which is actually quite low,
0:45:42 > 0:45:45so he will actually be doing quite a lot of ground feeding.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49We will actually put it in different areas throughout the island,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52so we can put it up higher as well to make him stretch,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55which is always really good, just to make him stand up
0:45:55 > 0:45:56on his back legs. Keep him strong.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00So you're putting it in different positions to work different muscles?
0:46:00 > 0:46:02Yeah. I also put different things in there.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04He loves strawberries in there as well.
0:46:04 > 0:46:09He'll spend ages, he will make an effort to get the strawberries out.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12Well, we'll leave that hanging there,
0:46:12 > 0:46:14so presumably, you're going to let him out
0:46:14 > 0:46:16and we need to vacate their island.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19Yeah, we'll look from the other side.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22Fantastic, well, join us in a little bit when Nico is let out
0:46:22 > 0:46:28and we'll see just how clever he is at finding dates in broom heads.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41It's been a few months now since Kabir left the safari park,
0:46:41 > 0:46:43bound for a new life at Newquay Zoo.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49After he went, his old pride had a busy season
0:46:49 > 0:46:51just looking after the last litter he fathered,
0:46:51 > 0:46:54because cubs are always full of fun.
0:47:15 > 0:47:16But it's not just the youngest cubs
0:47:16 > 0:47:18who are finding their place in the pride.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20For two of the older boys,
0:47:20 > 0:47:24Kabir's leaving has raised a much more serious issue.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27When Kabir was here, he was the pride male
0:47:27 > 0:47:31and he was in charge of all these youngsters.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34Since he's gone, obviously,
0:47:34 > 0:47:39the males have been able to sort of develop at their own pace.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43There's no threat to them and they're sort of in the process
0:47:43 > 0:47:46of taking over the pride, as such.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50And it's very interesting at this moment in time, because obviously,
0:47:50 > 0:47:54they're both two-year-old males and very equally matched.
0:47:54 > 0:47:59But it's very interesting to see who exactly is coming out on top.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03The two boys are brothers from the same litter,
0:48:03 > 0:48:05named Nookie and Mr Dudley.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08Mr Dudley seems to be the gentler of the two,
0:48:08 > 0:48:12which doesn't necessarily mean he's going to be the weaker of the two.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16But he seems to be a more placid one in comparison with Nookie,
0:48:16 > 0:48:22who seems to be a little bit more intimidating towards the others
0:48:22 > 0:48:25and he's a little bit more aggressive,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28which is what a pride male needs.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32We don't know which one is going to be top cat at the end of the day.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36And, you know, it is very interesting to watch.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40The best time to observe the behaviour of the lion pride
0:48:40 > 0:48:41is when they're feeding.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44There's plenty of food to go round,
0:48:44 > 0:48:48but it's a free-for-all as to who gets the best bits.
0:48:50 > 0:48:55So a feed-up will show which of the brothers is the more competitive.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59As you can see, the lions know it's feed-up time
0:48:59 > 0:49:02and they're coming up to the gates, getting ready for it.
0:49:02 > 0:49:07The two boys are up here. That's Mr Dudley, messing around.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11There's Nookie,
0:49:11 > 0:49:14who you're going to see start to chase the feed wagon there.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17The difference we can see at the moment between them
0:49:17 > 0:49:20is Mr Dudley is so much more laid-back.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24He's a lot more playful, doesn't seem to have a care in the world.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26And Nookie is a lot more serious
0:49:26 > 0:49:28when it comes to sort of pride matters.
0:49:28 > 0:49:33You'll more likely find that, if any of the lions go
0:49:33 > 0:49:35anywhere near him, he'll growl at them.
0:49:35 > 0:49:40Everything indicates that he is the stronger one out of the two.
0:49:40 > 0:49:45But issues of dominance don't need to be settled quite yet.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49The brothers still have time to enjoy their carefree youth.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52These two are still very, very young.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54They're only just round about two years old.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57They won't mature much before four.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00Another year or two before they're fully mature.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04And as things are going, it does look like
0:50:04 > 0:50:09possibly Nookie will be the dominant animal, but things could change.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11It is early days yet.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13We'll be back in Lion Country later
0:50:13 > 0:50:18to discover the latest developments in the pride that Kabir left behind.
0:50:25 > 0:50:29Earlier, Michelle and I stuffed that curious bit of sculpture,
0:50:29 > 0:50:33which is actually three broom heads put together, with fruit and nuts
0:50:33 > 0:50:36and all sorts of treats for Nico the gorilla.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39Are we ready to let him out, Michelle, and see if he likes it?
0:50:39 > 0:50:42I think we're ready. Shall we give the all-clear?
0:50:43 > 0:50:46Let's see him come out. Will he go straight to it, do you think?
0:50:46 > 0:50:49I'm hoping he will. He did see us put it together and normally,
0:50:49 > 0:50:53anything new on his island, anything different, he'll go straight to.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55There he goes, racing out.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57My goodness.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59Once he calms down a bit, he should go over there.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03But look at that, that's a 48 year-old gorilla.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06- You must be really pleased, aren't you?- He's fantastic.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09I mean, we just hope and pray every day
0:51:09 > 0:51:12that he's going to keep going on, fit and strong.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15And he's doing really, really well.
0:51:15 > 0:51:16We're so pleased with him.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19He knows he's got all the time in the world, though.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21Sometimes he'll go to it, he'll take a bit,
0:51:21 > 0:51:24then he'll leave some and come back to it later on.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26Which is really good because, you know,
0:51:26 > 0:51:30no one else is going to take his food, so he can take his time.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32That's quite leisurely now.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34Let's watch him, what does he do?
0:51:34 > 0:51:37Let's have a little look, see what goodies are inside.
0:51:41 > 0:51:42Even if he doesn't get the food out,
0:51:42 > 0:51:45at least he gets his fingernails nice and clean!
0:51:45 > 0:51:49Well, that's true, yes, it's like a giant nail brush.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52There's so much about gorillas that are so like us,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55it's like looking at your great-uncle or something!
0:51:55 > 0:51:58I'm not sure your great-uncle would be terribly pleased
0:51:58 > 0:52:00about that, Michelle!
0:52:00 > 0:52:04The eyes as well, the eyes tell you so much about them as well.
0:52:04 > 0:52:11Do you think, I mean, you've looked after him for a very long time,
0:52:11 > 0:52:15it must be very difficult not to read in human emotions
0:52:15 > 0:52:17and kind of put those onto him.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19But do you think, in the case of a gorilla,
0:52:19 > 0:52:22because they're so close to us, that actually, quite often,
0:52:22 > 0:52:25what you imagine they're feeling, they really are?
0:52:25 > 0:52:28Yeah, you can kind of tell if he's annoyed
0:52:28 > 0:52:30or if he's a little bit depressed.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32When you work with him for so long,
0:52:32 > 0:52:36you can see all of his different facial expressions
0:52:36 > 0:52:38and body language and everything.
0:52:38 > 0:52:43So, yeah, definitely, you do kind of know when he's happy and sad.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46He's not really sad very often, to be honest.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48He's either grumpy or happy.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51Well, that's because he's spoilt rotten, let's face it!
0:52:51 > 0:52:53Michelle, it is lovely.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55We're going to spoil ourselves a little bit now
0:52:55 > 0:52:59and just stand in the sun and watch that magnificent sight
0:52:59 > 0:53:03of a proper, ancient gorilla having a great time with a broom head.
0:53:03 > 0:53:04Thanks, Michelle.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21Today, we've been looking back at one of the most dramatic births
0:53:21 > 0:53:25we've ever seen in 10 years of filming at the safari park.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Vet Nanja Werkel finally managed to get the red deer calf out.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34It was a long time before it began to breathe, so it was likely
0:53:34 > 0:53:37that the lack of oxygen had already led to brain damage.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41If the baby was healthy, then it should soon start to come round.
0:53:41 > 0:53:46Meanwhile, Tim Yeo was making sure
0:53:46 > 0:53:48the mother could smell the afterbirth,
0:53:48 > 0:53:50so that she would recognise the calf
0:53:50 > 0:53:53when she came round from the sedative.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55It's very weak.
0:53:55 > 0:54:00Hopefully, with putting some of the afterbirth on her nose,
0:54:00 > 0:54:05she'll get to her calf and sort of have the smell of that in her,
0:54:05 > 0:54:09if the calf survives. Because we're not sure
0:54:09 > 0:54:11if the calf will actually survive.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15We've given it, because mum, of course, has had so many drugs
0:54:15 > 0:54:21to dope her, the calf will get that as well via the bloodstream.
0:54:21 > 0:54:26And we've given mum something to wake her up and we've given
0:54:26 > 0:54:29the same, a tiny bit to the calf as well, to see if that will help.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32And we've given it something to stimulate the breathing.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34There's not a lot more you can do, really.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36It just has to do it himself now.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46Slowly, the calf started to revive.
0:54:49 > 0:54:54And then, the rest of the deer herd came over to see what was going on.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59Although the calf was still weak, it was quite alert,
0:54:59 > 0:55:02and it looked like the baby was going to be all right.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05It was going to go either way there,
0:55:05 > 0:55:08and fortunately, I mean, there was life there.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11For all the calf's been through, it's been through
0:55:11 > 0:55:13a tremendous amount of trauma,
0:55:13 > 0:55:16it's quite amazing that it's managed to come through like this.
0:55:16 > 0:55:23We'll be revisiting more of our most dramatic tales later in the series.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38Now we're going back up to Lion Country
0:55:38 > 0:55:41to find out the latest news in the old king's pride.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45For three years, this was Kabir's pride,
0:55:45 > 0:55:49but sadly, he had to move on to improve the bloodline.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52We are here with Bob. It was a pretty tough time for you, wasn't it?
0:55:52 > 0:55:55It is a sad moment when we have to get rid of our animals.
0:55:55 > 0:56:01Even though he's going to a nice home, it is still sad.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04But he did leave you with the most fantastic legacy, didn't he?
0:56:04 > 0:56:07In such a short time, basically,
0:56:07 > 0:56:11all the lions that we're looking at here are his offspring.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15Yes, there's only two that aren't, and that's the two old females.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18And that's the females that also helped produce.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21So these are his lads, aren't they? These are the two boys.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23So, who have we got at the front here?
0:56:23 > 0:56:25Nookie at the front here,
0:56:25 > 0:56:29got a bit of a Kabir trait, as you can see, grumpy.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31That's Mr Dudley at the back there.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35And is there any resemblance that you notice? I don't know whether...
0:56:35 > 0:56:37Well, it's a bit early to say,
0:56:37 > 0:56:40but he's got a nice mane coming on, just as Kabir did.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43Kabir really was a very magnificent-looking lion
0:56:43 > 0:56:48and that mane was his crowning glory, wasn't it?
0:56:48 > 0:56:50If anything, I think he's going to be a lot bigger,
0:56:50 > 0:56:54because obviously, he's half Longleat and half Barbary.
0:56:54 > 0:56:55Of course, of course.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59And then down this way, we've got this magnificent collection.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02Of these beautiful, beautiful cats.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04So we've got cubs in here from this year?
0:57:04 > 0:57:09- Yeah, they're just coming up to a year old.- Right.
0:57:09 > 0:57:14And you've got previous cubs, which are just slightly bigger ones.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17And there's another lot as well.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19So he was active.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21He really was active.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23So when Kate says he leaves his legacy, you know,
0:57:23 > 0:57:26really, it couldn't be more real, really, could it?
0:57:26 > 0:57:30No, this is it, his genes will follow through.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33You do see things that he used to do in these lot,
0:57:33 > 0:57:35so yeah, it is reminded every day.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37And have you developed a new soft spot
0:57:37 > 0:57:39for any one particular lion here?
0:57:39 > 0:57:43Well, I actually quite like Nookie, because he's a bit of a so-and-so.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46Well, I remember, even when he was a tiny cub,
0:57:46 > 0:57:48you had a bit of a soft spot for him.
0:57:48 > 0:57:52So that's where your affections have been transferred.
0:57:52 > 0:57:56Well, Bob, they are, as I say, a really fantastic family,
0:57:56 > 0:57:59a fantastic pride of lion.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01A great pleasure to be here and see all of this lot.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04Sadly, though, we've run out of time,
0:58:04 > 0:58:07but here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12The monkeys are up to their old tricks.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15But we've got a surprise for them.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21A keeper has a narrow escape from the jaws of death.
0:58:21 > 0:58:24All I saw was a face full of teeth and claws.
0:58:24 > 0:58:29And I'll be getting our first look at the park's newest arrivals.
0:58:29 > 0:58:33All that and more, next time on Animal Park.
0:58:49 > 0:58:52Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:52 > 0:58:55E-mail us at - subtitling@bbc.co.uk