0:00:04 > 0:00:07I've always been told that breakfast is the most important meal
0:00:07 > 0:00:10of the day and it's certainly going down well here.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15But also important is every time the keepers feed the animals,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18it gives them the chance to give them a little bit of a health check.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Just check them over, make sure everything's OK.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23That's of course because animals can't tell us when they're sick.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24But looking around today,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26I don't think there's any problems with these lemurs.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28I think they're all fine.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31But sadly, that's not the case across the park.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35The keepers are anxiously monitoring one of our most popular animals
0:00:35 > 0:00:38because he's become poorly and they also need to know whether it's just
0:00:38 > 0:00:42an isolated case or whether it's going to affect any other of the animals.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45All of that on today's Animal Park.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51Also in today's boiling-hot Summer Special, fresh from the fridge,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54it's time to wake up the park's tortoises.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Soon as they've got all that heat on them, they will stomp around quite
0:00:57 > 0:00:59- quickly.- Quite quick for a tortoise.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01For a tortoise, yeah.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Jean's with the anteaters but there's no holding back once they
0:01:05 > 0:01:07- hit the bottle.- She's going to lick it clean, I think.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Maybe, baby. Could this be the patter of panda feat?
0:01:12 > 0:01:15It really is just guesswork, so it could be any day.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16And nest cam is set.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19I particularly do get quite excited when it's breeding season.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21But who's in the egg?
0:01:24 > 0:01:28It's been 16 years since I joined the Animal Park team, which by most
0:01:28 > 0:01:30standards is quite a long time.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33You'd think I'd be part of the furniture.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36But by comparison to some of the keepers, I'm still a new boy.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Ryan Hockley came to do a summer job in the park when he was 18
0:01:42 > 0:01:44and he never left.
0:01:44 > 0:01:4930 years on, he's a team manager and in charge of the giraffe herd.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54I came to Longleat in 1987 and I just instantly fell in love with it.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Every day was a complete adventure for me.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03I think probably my favourite animals to work with now,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05I do love the giraffe.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08I love how the giraffe are quite ditzy,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10I think that's one of the things that I love...
0:02:10 > 0:02:12That I love about them.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Some of my best experiences here in 30 years, have been alongside the
0:02:16 > 0:02:19giraffe and I think I still feel like I have a connection
0:02:19 > 0:02:21with them today.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Some nettles?
0:02:25 > 0:02:29The hardest challenge for a keeper is when their animals get sick.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31You all right, fella?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Over the last few months,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Ryan has become increasingly worried about his favourite giraffe,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39seven-year-old bull Kaiser.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Kaiser's problem seems to be weight loss.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45He generally eats pretty well,
0:02:45 > 0:02:50but this weight loss is massively concerning because no matter how
0:02:50 > 0:02:53good his appetite, he just doesn't seem to put weight on,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55it just seems to be coming off him.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00The veterinary team have been monitoring Kaiser closely
0:03:00 > 0:03:03because they don't know what's causing the problem.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Vet James is here today to check on his progress.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10The weight loss has been fairly dramatic.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Currently he weighs just below 600 kilos.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16An animal of his age and size, we do expect them to be, you know,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18a good 700 kilos.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20So it's fairly significant weight loss
0:03:20 > 0:03:22and warrants more investigation.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Fellow giraffe keeper Polly
0:03:28 > 0:03:30encourages Kaiser into a special pen,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33where James can examine him more closely.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38But diagnosing what's wrong with a giraffe is rarely straightforward.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42We have fairly major limitations with an animal of his size.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45If it was a dog or a cow, something of that sort of size,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48then we can do further investigations
0:03:48 > 0:03:50such as ultrasound or X-rays.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54But ultrasound won't penetrate deep enough for us to get any accurate
0:03:54 > 0:03:56images and X-rays wouldn't be able
0:03:56 > 0:03:59to pass through his body because it's so wide,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01so we wouldn't get an image, either.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02So we're a bit limited.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Good boy.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Today, James is taking a blood sample.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12It'll hopefully give some insight into what's going on.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17There's one illness they're desperate to rule out,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19bovine tuberculosis.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27The killer disease was found on farms in the area during the winter.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31So all susceptible species at the park have been screened.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37So far, all the big cats are TB-free.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Fine, yeah, another pass.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42- Come on, Mary.- Good girl.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44The giraffes are next to be tested.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49But the fear is that Kaiser may have contracted it already.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52One of the big worries for us is potentially TB.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Certainly the loss of body condition is something that you would expect
0:04:56 > 0:04:59to see in an animal that's, you know,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03in a pretty advanced stage of TB.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05OK, little man, well done!
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Kaiser is displaying some of the symptoms of TB,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12which is a massive cause for concern.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Well done, Kais, good boy.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19One of the key markers of TB is weight loss.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21He does look skinnier to me, as well.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22Yeah.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29Any animal diagnosed would have to be put to sleep, to spare them a
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- slow decline.- Good lad.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34We're all definitely worried about him.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36He's probably one of the most popular characters
0:05:36 > 0:05:39in our group of giraffes, he's a lovely lad.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42And of course if it was any animal within the section,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44we'd all be as concerned as we are.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46But because it's Kaiser,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48because he's got such a wonderful temperament,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51that I think, from an emotional perspective
0:05:51 > 0:05:52it's really hurting everyone
0:05:52 > 0:05:55that little bit more because it's Kaiser.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58We could be in the scenario of just watching him waste away in front of
0:05:58 > 0:05:59our eyes.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Of course, if Kaiser is infected,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04there's a chance that the entire
0:06:04 > 0:06:07herd could have contracted a killer disease.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15The creatures in the park come from all over the world.
0:06:17 > 0:06:23The forests of India, the Pacific Ocean, and the African skies.
0:06:26 > 0:06:32This most elegant of birds is a secretarybird.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34He's called Kevin.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40And although he doesn't look like it, he's actually a bird of prey.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42To see him in the wild,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45you'd have to go to sub-Saharan Africa, so I feel very,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49very lucky to be as close to him as I am now.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52You can see him hunting in the grass.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54They use those wonderful long legs
0:06:54 > 0:06:57to kick up their prey and then catch it.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So, now that summer is here at Longleat,
0:07:01 > 0:07:06along comes an abundance of new life and the keepers are in a frenzy,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08preparing for what's around the corner.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18The park is home to a fabulous flock of 35 rainbow lorikeets.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20You're not supposed to have favourites when you're working
0:07:20 > 0:07:23with a whole bunch of animals, but the lorikeets are mine.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Ryan is their keeper and he absolutely adores them.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27They're so characteristic,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30they've all got their individual little personalities.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31And they're very, very intelligent.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33BIRDS TWEET LOUDLY
0:07:33 > 0:07:34They're all numbered,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36and that's just so that we can all identify them,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38got a little number on their ring. But there are a few
0:07:38 > 0:07:40that have names, a few of them have come to us
0:07:40 > 0:07:43already named, from their previous owners.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45So we've got one called Eric, we've got one called Skittles,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47but we also have one called Womble.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Now, Womble arrived in 2011 and it actually turns out that Womble,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54who for five years we thought was a boy, actually is a girl.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57And she's hand-reared, so she's very, very friendly.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00But there's no time for tweeting the birds today,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02as Ryan is supervising a weigh-in.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05- Who are you, then?- 59.
0:08:05 > 0:08:0759 is 134 grammes.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11So it just gives us a good indication of what the whole group
0:08:11 > 0:08:12weighs on average.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15So if we've got any particularly skinny ones or overweight ones,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19we can manage them, but if all the ones we weigh, of the small portion,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22are generally along the right lines, it gives us a good indication
0:08:22 > 0:08:26that the whole aviary's nice and healthy as well.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29128 grammes for number...
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- Ooh, never mind.- To weigh the birds,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Ryan tempts the lorikeets over with some nectar.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36It can be quite hectic, obviously with 35,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39all of them trying to be at the front of the queue for the nectar,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42it can be a bit difficult. You've just got to be persistent,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44there's a lot of getting the same one twice.
0:08:44 > 0:08:45Number 28, in particular, is quite foodie,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47so we get him every single week.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50And there's a few that are a little bit more shy,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52that you have to try and encourage over a bit more.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53But with 35 of them all around you,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56it can take a little while to get even a few accurate weights.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Weighing the birds at this time of year has a particular importance.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Right, who's next? Right, come here, you.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09- 33.- Like many of the native birds all around them,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11the lorikeets have begun to pair up.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13So today we've been getting some weights off them,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15particularly with the ones that we've been noticing
0:09:15 > 0:09:18have been going in and out of the nest boxes. Then over the next few weeks,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21we'll carry on weighing those individuals, just to check they are
0:09:21 > 0:09:22a nice weight and are happy and healthy
0:09:22 > 0:09:24and hopefully doing well with their breeding.
0:09:26 > 0:09:27Over here.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32Ryan's next job is to check the nest boxes because they're expecting some
0:09:32 > 0:09:34new arrivals.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37They've been in and out of them over the last couple of weeks, so we're
0:09:37 > 0:09:39just going to check and see if they've actually managed
0:09:39 > 0:09:41to lay any eggs yet.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Let's have a little look. No, there's no eggs in that one yet.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46Nothing in that one.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Yeah, we've got an egg in this one.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- Oh, awesome!- So, amazingly, in three of our boxes,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56we have found some eggs, which is really, really good news.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Hopefully, in the next few weeks they're going to hatch out
0:09:58 > 0:10:01and we'll have some chicks.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04The park had several years of successful breeding.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Number 28 and 29, they're really good breeders.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08They make really, really good parents
0:10:08 > 0:10:09and we just leave them to it.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11So we just check the chicks maybe once a week
0:10:11 > 0:10:13and then the rest is all up to them.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Ryan's hatched a plan to keep an eye on the eggs.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18So what we've got, it's got a little camera.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20And we're just going to pop that in the nest,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23and that actually allows us to monitor the birds
0:10:23 > 0:10:25every single day and hopefully see what they're up to
0:10:25 > 0:10:27without actually disturbing them in any way.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31We'll be back later to find out
0:10:31 > 0:10:32whether egg cam produces any results.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35I particularly do get quite excited when it's breeding season because
0:10:35 > 0:10:38we're going to have new birds. It just increases the flock size,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41makes them feel more comfortable in the larger number and also it's more
0:10:41 > 0:10:43characters to get to know.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45BIRDS SQUAWK
0:10:51 > 0:10:52For all the keepers at the park,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56top of their wish list is for the animals in their care to be healthy.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Earlier, we met poor, poorly Kaiser.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07His drastic weight loss has the vets worried and they suspect he may have
0:11:07 > 0:11:12TB. If so, there's a good chance it will have spread to the entire herd.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Whatever it is, it seems like it's threatening his life,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21so whether that be TB or something
0:11:21 > 0:11:23that you and I have never even heard of,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25then we're really worried about him.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Well done, mate. Good boy.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Today, the whole herd is due to be tested.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39The plan is to encourage the giraffes through the enclosure
0:11:39 > 0:11:41one by one.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46It's recently been adapted for exactly this purpose.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50But the animals are still wary of entering it.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53With giraffe, you have to sort of approach them a bit differently
0:11:53 > 0:11:56to small animals because they're obviously such a large animals.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57They're also quite nervous,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00so you need to be quite considered in your movements.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Take it slowly and be quite quiet as well.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07There's a good boy. Come on, then.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11The first giraffe to try and get into position is eight-year-old male
0:12:11 > 0:12:17Thorn. He's 20ft-high, weighs half a tonne, and is easily spooked.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22Dealing with these mighty creatures is an epic challenge.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- Good boy.- Vet James approaches slowly so as not to alarm him.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Good boy. That's a good boy.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34A patch of skin is shaved, then injected with the serum.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40You can't bang the injection in, you have to be careful because you
0:12:40 > 0:12:42just want to put a little bleb in under the skin.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45So actually it's not too invasive for the giraffe, which is a...
0:12:45 > 0:12:46Which is a good thing.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51He'll be reviewed in three days. If there's any swelling,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53the test could be positive.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57It worked really well. He was nice and calm and the keepers kept him
0:12:57 > 0:12:59distracted with food.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01So that's one giraffe down, 13 to go.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06The team work their way steadily through the herd.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- Good girl.- Good boy!
0:13:15 > 0:13:16She's a good girl.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18She's a good girl!
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Well done, Jemima!
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Testing is over.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29So we've just finished the 14 giraffe.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32We had one or two stubborn, who took a bit of
0:13:32 > 0:13:33persuading to get in.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35But no, it's gone really well
0:13:35 > 0:13:37and all of them are out, as you can see behind me in
0:13:37 > 0:13:41the paddock, grazing. So, yeah, really good, really positive.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49Three days later and they're doing it all again to get the results.
0:13:49 > 0:13:55Any animal testing positive would be disastrous for the entire herd.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58They're halfway through and so far, so good.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Everything is clear, which is absolutely marvellous,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04but of course until that last one is through,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07my stomach is still doing somersaults.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Up next, is the one they're most worried about, Kaiser.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Kaiser is our, you know, he is our giraffe that we are concerned with.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24He should be beefing out and also going up at the same time,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26but bless him, he's a little bit of a beanpole.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29So at the moment, we're in a tick-box process
0:14:29 > 0:14:31of working out what's not wrong with him,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35to maybe lead us to a decision on what actually is wrong with him.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37All right, all right, all right.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Hey, hey, hey.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44- Oh, fantastic.- He's fine.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47- Well done, everyone.- It's great news about Kaiser.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Good boy, Kais, well done, son.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53In fact, the whole herd are in the clear.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55It's a huge relief.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57- Thanks.- Best day...
0:14:57 > 0:14:59- Yeah!- Oh, my God,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02well done, guys. Well done, guys.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06We have... All 14 giraffe are free of TB.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08TB-negative, so I couldn't ask
0:15:08 > 0:15:10for any better because they're all clear.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15So, great that we know that Kaiser doesn't have TB
0:15:15 > 0:15:17because that really is
0:15:17 > 0:15:20a one-way ticket and it's not a pleasant journey.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23But also at the same time that means that we're back to square one now,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25trying to find out what is wrong with him.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29James receives the results of a blood test,
0:15:29 > 0:15:35it shows a high white blood cell count, which indicates an infection.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Kaiser has got quite a serious illness.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Now, because of his size, it makes it quite tricky to actually pinpoint
0:15:40 > 0:15:42where that infection is.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45So we treat the symptoms and we've given him a ten-day course of an
0:15:45 > 0:15:49antibiotic. It could potentially be a life-and-death situation for him.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Last year's gorgeous new arrivals were the red panda cub twins,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Pema and Tika.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05They're now ten months old and today they're leaving the park.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Red pandas are an endangered species.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Up to 50% of their natural habitat has been destroyed by deforestation.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18The pandas here are part of a breeding programme
0:16:18 > 0:16:20and now the twins are maturing.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23They're going to be moved to other collections,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26where hopefully they'll go on to have cubs of their own.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30But it's still tough for their devoted keeper, Sam.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32I've known them since the day they were born,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I've seen them pretty much every day.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36It's a bit like watching your own
0:16:36 > 0:16:38children grow up and leave, I imagine.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40It's a really big day today for Sam.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44These are her little things that she's had since they were born.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47So giving them up, it must be quite difficult for her.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It's awful saying goodbye.
0:16:51 > 0:16:52I spent Christmas Day with them,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I've spent more time with them than I have with my own family.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59The cubs' transport has arrived.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03We're just going to get some straw from their nest box,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05because this will smell like home.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08So hopefully it'll make the boxes a little bit less scary for them.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10OK, good girl.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Sam encourages them into their travelling boxes with some of their
0:17:13 > 0:17:15favourite treats.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18In you go, darling.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19I'll miss them so much.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Coming in tomorrow morning, there only being two of them,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29I think is going to be a little bit sad.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31But I mean, you know,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34it's totally natural, and fingers crossed,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37in a few months we'll have the patter of some more tiny panda feet.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51The twins left a fortnight ago and Kate has gone along to see how Mum,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Rufina, and, of course, Sam are doing.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57What's this, Rufina?
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Now, Sam, most importantly, before we talk about her,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03I want to talk about you. How are YOU feeling?
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Because I know you were a little bit sad about the babies going.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Yes, yes, so our babies have been gone for a couple of weeks now.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Obviously it was very, very sad but we've seen pictures of them in their
0:18:13 > 0:18:15new home and they're doing really well.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- Brilliant.- So that's all we can hope for, really.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19And, if my information is correct,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23you could be having new babies any moment now.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Yeah, fingers crossed.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Rufina has put on lots of weight, which is a really good sign.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29Yeah.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31We've been doing our little tummy checks on her and she's got a big,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34chubby belly. So fingers crossed, we might have some baby pandas really
0:18:34 > 0:18:36- soon.- Really? I mean, how soon, do you think?
0:18:36 > 0:18:39She's due any day, by our calculations.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Really?- But she has a bit of a habit of keeping us hanging on.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44So, fingers crossed that that's going to go well.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47That's absolutely your prerogative.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50And I mean, she seems extraordinarily active
0:18:50 > 0:18:51even though, you know,
0:18:51 > 0:18:56she might be imminently giving birth, and particularly fond of banana.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Yes, so banana is really high in protein.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- Right.- So we're giving her a little treat today.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02Just because if she is pregnant,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05she might need a little bit of extra protein in her diet.
0:19:05 > 0:19:06- Yeah.- Got some scrambled egg as well.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09All nice high-protein treats, to see if that'll help her and her babies.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Let's see what she thinks about scrambled egg.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13What do you think about scrambled egg?
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- Not going to be fooled with that one.- No, thank you very much.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- Much rather have the banana.- Should we give you a bit of banana there?
0:19:19 > 0:19:22So, what's the gestation period of a red panda?
0:19:22 > 0:19:23So it's about five months.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27- Right.- But they can also do what they call delayed implantation.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28So even if we see them mating,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30it doesn't mean that we know when they're due.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- Right.- It's all a big guessing game, basically.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35OK, so you really literally go on sort of the look of her...
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- Yes.- ..to think this could be... This could be the moment.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Yeah, apart from that it really is just guesswork.
0:19:40 > 0:19:41So it could be any day.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43And usually, how many will she have?
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Will she usually have about two?
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Yes, they can have between one and four.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50The first year we had one, little Leo,
0:19:50 > 0:19:51and then last year we had two girls.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53So, fingers crossed for this year.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55I mean, we'll be more than happy with just one.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57- One is fine.- Right. - Any more is just a bonus.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Well, there you are, Rufina.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01You've pretty much finished all the bananas,
0:20:01 > 0:20:02so now you have to get on and
0:20:02 > 0:20:05make Sam happy and give us some more babies to look after.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06Good luck!
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Now we're back with Kaiser the giraffe.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16The veterinary team have been trying various courses of antibiotics,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19which appear to be having some effect.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23I'm really, really pleased with his progress.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28His pace is quicker than it was, because he had slowed up a fair bit.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Whatever we put in front of him, he wants to take it.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Few bits of that as well.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36But Kaiser is far from being out of the woods.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40And only time will tell if his condition continues to improve.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43I definitely see a connection between the course of antibiotics
0:20:43 > 0:20:46and an upturn in his general demeanour.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48So I'm quietly hopeful.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Now we're back with the rainbow lorikeets.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00Ryan has been monitoring activities in the nest boxes.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03So Jean has come to see what he's caught on egg cam.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06That's just a couple of the eggs, several weeks ago now.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08What's the incubation period?
0:21:08 > 0:21:09It's roughly about three weeks.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11How are the eggs kept?
0:21:11 > 0:21:12Does Mum tend to look after them or Dad?
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Well, they pair up. And they pair up for life.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16But generally, Mum gets a bit of a raw deal,
0:21:16 > 0:21:17she has to do all of the sitting.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19So she will stay in the nest and look after the eggs.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22And Dad will sort of keep an eye on them. She'll come out for food,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24but generally she'll do most of the sitting.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26So this is the eggs, let me see the chicks.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28OK, so this is them at just a couple days old.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30You can see the eggs have only just hatched.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Mm-hm. It's so great that you have a camera on this.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Because this is something you would never get to see.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37And how old are they at this point?
0:21:37 > 0:21:38This is literally just a few days,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41you can see that the eggshell's still there.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- Cracked eggs, yeah.- So the parents haven't gotten rid of that yet.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45So this is the next one of the two.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47They're pretty bald at this point.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50They're only little tufts of feathers coming out.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52They've not got their adult feathers coming through yet.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55They're generally quite pink and have little tiny white feathers.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- And still quite ugly at this stage...- Oh, they are not ugly!
0:21:58 > 0:22:00No, they're not,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02but they're a lot uglier than they are when they're adults.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Very cute, and really a sort of grey-white colour?
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Yeah, he is starting to get older, this one.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10They will, in the next few weeks, start to get their adult feathers.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12And the little wings are coming out as well.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14How long will it be before he can fly?
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Um, they tend to fledge at about five or six weeks old.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20How lovely for you to be able to follow them
0:22:20 > 0:22:21from being inside the egg to
0:22:21 > 0:22:24hatching, and then just making their way out into the world.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Yeah, it's quite nice when you've got new birds in
0:22:27 > 0:22:28because it makes the flock even
0:22:28 > 0:22:30bigger and more natural, which is nice.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Yeah, it's been lovely seeing your new arrivals
0:22:32 > 0:22:34at all the different stages.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35- Best of luck.- Thank you very much!
0:22:42 > 0:22:45It's been six weeks since Kaiser finished his last course
0:22:45 > 0:22:47of antibiotics.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49He seemed to improve temporarily,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53but sadly has been going downhill ever since.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57He's losing more weight and is increasingly listless.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01The vet team have tried again and again to get an accurate diagnosis
0:23:01 > 0:23:06and a huge range of treatments but nothing is stopping the decline.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Sometimes, being a vet can be quite frustrating because there's only so
0:23:10 > 0:23:13much we can do, especially when you've got an animal like Kaiser,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15who's a wild animal.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Despite all our best efforts, we haven't been able to find out
0:23:18 > 0:23:21exactly what's wrong with him and what's underlying.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24In an ideal world we would be able to take X-rays,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26do an ultrasound scan,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30and get more information then, but given that he's a giraffe,
0:23:30 > 0:23:31we can't do that, unfortunately.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Kaiser is suffering and the team are running out of options.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39We really need to think about next steps.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42He is continuing to deteriorate and lose weight.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46We always need to ask ourselves if he's got a life that's worth living.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48If his quality of life has deteriorated to such an extent
0:23:48 > 0:23:51that that's not the case any more,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53then the kindest thing is to euthanize.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Putting any animal to sleep is a decision
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Darren and his team would never take lightly.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05We weigh Kaiser and every single day he's getting lighter and lighter.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08My personal belief is no animal should ever suffer.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11You have the possibility of euthanizing
0:24:11 > 0:24:13and putting that animal out of its
0:24:13 > 0:24:15pain, I will take that decision.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17And as tough as it is, I will stand by that.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Euthanasia is never an easy decision for us as vets.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22Because obviously we always try
0:24:22 > 0:24:24and treat the problem and fix the animal.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29So it's something that we don't do lightly.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32But it is, ultimately, when an animal's suffering,
0:24:32 > 0:24:33the kindest thing to do for them.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Two weeks later,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46the miracle we have all been waiting for simply hasn't come.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48And a decision has been made.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52The team here have had to make a really tough decision
0:24:52 > 0:24:55in just the last two days. To put Kaiser the giraffe to sleep.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Really, really tough for all of you.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Yeah.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04How do you come to a decision like that?
0:25:04 > 0:25:06In Kaiser's case,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08he's been progressively losing more and more weight.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11And of course, ultimately that started to affect his whole...
0:25:11 > 0:25:13His whole locomotion,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16everything is affected by this because he literally doesn't have,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19hasn't the muscle left to be able to propel himself
0:25:19 > 0:25:21forward properly.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23And the high white blood cell count,
0:25:23 > 0:25:27I mean, that's indicative of some sort of infection, is it?
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Yeah, some sort of infection or certainly indicative of... His body
0:25:30 > 0:25:34is trying to, his immune system is trying to fight something but
0:25:34 > 0:25:37unfortunately, no matter how much help, you know,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41we've given him over the last few months, it's not been enough.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44So we didn't want to get to a point where we found him down one morning.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Because in a way, that's kind of,
0:25:47 > 0:25:49it's a bit of a coward's way out.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53It's not fair on Kaiser to leave it like that.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57I would rather elect to do it in a way that I think is the kindest and
0:25:57 > 0:25:58most comfortable way to do it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01So ultimately, this is a welfare decision,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05and it's something I know, over the years, all of
0:26:05 > 0:26:10you here take enormous pride in keeping your animals as happy,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14as healthy and as fit as possible.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19- Yeah.- So, that's really been at the forefront of your mind
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- when you come to make this decision. - It's absolutely heartbreaking.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29We've filmed with Ryan for so many years on Animal Park,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32through happy and sad times,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36and he felt it was important we be there for Kaiser's final hours.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40We still, I don't think, have come fully to terms with this.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44As a team, we still feel that, um,
0:26:44 > 0:26:49that we should've, could've done more to help him, maybe.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51But of course, we're out of ideas,
0:26:51 > 0:26:56our vet team is out of ideas and we just don't have any more options for
0:26:56 > 0:27:00him. And when we run out of ideas to help him,
0:27:00 > 0:27:05you just feel like you've failed a little bit.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Duncan the vet has arrived on site.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10It certainly is a very tough day for everyone.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12And the keepers especially.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Um, it's a tough day for us as vets,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17because we haven't been able to sort it out.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Sort of find out what his problem is and treat him.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24So really the objective now is just to make sure it's as stress-free for
0:27:24 > 0:27:29him as possible. And we're certainly hoping for a smooth anaesthetic.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32I'm going to sedate him,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34get him sort of to lie down.
0:27:34 > 0:27:35- All right, Pol?- Yeah.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Good lad.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42There's a good boy.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Well done. OK.
0:27:52 > 0:27:57We absolutely love Kaiser, he's such a fantastic animal,
0:27:57 > 0:27:58he's a wonderful character,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01but he's always been a gentle soul, you know, and that's
0:28:01 > 0:28:02what makes this hurt all the more.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12As expected, Kaiser's been absolutely fantastic.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17We've left Tina and Polly in there, they're just staying in with him now,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20just to monitor his progression as the drug takes effect.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23I know what the end result is, but still, at the same time,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26I don't particularly want him hurting or damaging himself,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28so they're just working on just using their voices
0:28:28 > 0:28:31to keep him calm. Keep him in a particular location
0:28:31 > 0:28:33that we think gives him the best chance
0:28:33 > 0:28:36of going down without injuring himself too much.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Good lad, just stand there for a minute.
0:28:39 > 0:28:40Good boy.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45In his 30 years at the park,
0:28:45 > 0:28:48thankfully, days like these are rare.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51- He's down.- OK, Pol.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Went quite sensibly. Kind of in the middle but kind of...
0:28:55 > 0:28:56Sounded really gentle.
0:28:58 > 0:28:59OK.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04The team are on hand to ensure everything's made a calm as possible
0:29:04 > 0:29:08for the moment when Kaiser slips away.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13- OK for me to go ahead?- Yeah.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Well, that's him gone now.
0:29:27 > 0:29:28Cool.
0:29:32 > 0:29:33Yeah.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35THEY SOB
0:29:37 > 0:29:39HE SNIFFS
0:29:41 > 0:29:46'It's totally the right thing to do, and the right way to do it.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48'To select a time and a day.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52'Rather than just waiting for what felt like the inevitable.'
0:29:54 > 0:29:57The keepers take a moment to say goodbye.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03He had a fantastic life here at Longleat.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06So, hopefully, Kaiser's last, you know,
0:30:06 > 0:30:08sort of waking memories of the place
0:30:08 > 0:30:11are people that he really loved around him.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33As devastating as it is to lose a young animal like Kaiser,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36at the park the circle of life continues to turn.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38The seasons change,
0:30:38 > 0:30:42new animals appear and take their very first steps into the world.
0:30:44 > 0:30:49And the park's oldest residents come back out into the sunshine.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Amos is 85 years old this year,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55which is the oldest animal in the entire park.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58And actually she's the same age as Lord Bath, as well.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04Emily put the park's seven Hermann tortoises into hibernation back in
0:31:04 > 0:31:07October. Tortoises are cold-blooded,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09which means they rely on environmental factors
0:31:09 > 0:31:13to regulate their body temperature. So, while they hibernate,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15the fridge is the best place for them.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18Here we keep the fridges between five and seven degrees,
0:31:18 > 0:31:22which means they're staying asleep the whole time.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25The trouble is, if it gets too warm, then they'll wake up,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28where they haven't been eating.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30They're using all that energy and not getting any more energy
0:31:30 > 0:31:32going in, so they start to lose a lot of weight.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Then that can become a bit of a problem.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38So we aim to keep those fridges between five and seven degrees
0:31:38 > 0:31:40all the way through and that keeps them nice and healthy.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43So we just pop them in the bath.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Bathing revives them and wakes up their appetite.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50We'll just cover their shell with a bit of water,
0:31:50 > 0:31:51give it a bit of a clean.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55So, the first thing we'll do, is we're going to clean her mouth out.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Like I said earlier, unfortunately,
0:31:57 > 0:32:00because she's had her mouth shut for so long she's going have a bit of a
0:32:00 > 0:32:05gacky mouth. So, next step is to grab one of our cotton buds.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07So we'll just give it a wipe around,
0:32:07 > 0:32:09see if there is anything in there.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12OK? And then we just have to dry them off and make sure that they are
0:32:12 > 0:32:15really, really dry before they go outside.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18So we've got her nice and dry with the towel now but one of the
0:32:18 > 0:32:20stranger things we do here is we actually finish off,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23making sure she's really dry, with a hairdryer.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31After a wash and a blow-dry,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33the tortoises enjoy a big breakfast to revive them.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39A couple of months later and I've come to find out how Amos and co
0:32:39 > 0:32:41are doing.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Earlier this year, the tortoises came out of hibernation, signalling
0:32:44 > 0:32:46the start of spring.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49It's now summer, so I've caught up with keeper Emily
0:32:49 > 0:32:51to give them a check-up,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- is that right?- Yep, so they've been out for a few months now,
0:32:54 > 0:32:56they been eating really well, they've got this lovely sunshine,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59so we're just going to weigh them and see that they're nice and healthy.
0:32:59 > 0:33:04OK. Now, what does Amos and the other tortoises eat?
0:33:04 > 0:33:08Um, so, at the moment we're giving them lots of dandelions and clover
0:33:08 > 0:33:10and plantain and things like that.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12So that's what we've got here?
0:33:12 > 0:33:14- Yep.- Can we see if Amos will actually eat some?
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Um, and why specifically dandelion leaves?
0:33:17 > 0:33:19They've just got so much calcium in them.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23Um, they're just the best thing you can feed a tortoise.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Lots of people will feed cabbage and things like that
0:33:27 > 0:33:31and there's just not quite enough nutrients in it for them.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33Whereas weeds that you find naturally in your garden,
0:33:33 > 0:33:37and places like that, are so good, and just the best thing for them.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40I presume it's quite important to pick local produce and also seasonal
0:33:40 > 0:33:42- produce?- Yes, yeah.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45So, at the moment these are absolutely everywhere
0:33:45 > 0:33:46and actually we go up
0:33:46 > 0:33:50once a week to the wolves' enclosure and pick the dandelions from them.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53And have you noticed that they particularly like
0:33:53 > 0:33:55the wolf wood dandelion leaves?
0:33:55 > 0:33:58Yeah, obviously we wash it beforehand.
0:33:58 > 0:33:59But yes, they love it.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02You can see they eat so quickly.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04And they're really loud eaters as well.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07You never think something like this is going to be really loud,
0:34:07 > 0:34:09but they're so loud when you've got a group of them eating.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12Is it quite important to check that they are eating healthily?
0:34:12 > 0:34:16Yeah, definitely. We need to give them really,
0:34:16 > 0:34:20really good food and also we weigh them on the 22nd of every month.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Always have done. Just to make sure that they're a good weight.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25OK, so we're going to weigh Amos.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Let's see how good my estimation is.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30Three kilos? Three kilos, roughly?
0:34:30 > 0:34:32- Give it a go. - Let's see what you are.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Here we go.
0:34:34 > 0:34:362.74.
0:34:36 > 0:34:37So, I wasn't too far off,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40but how does this compare to Amos's previous weight?
0:34:40 > 0:34:43So, last month she was 2.75,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47so she's dropped ever so slightly but we'd start to worry
0:34:47 > 0:34:51if it became more of, sort of, 20 to 30g, something like that.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54But it could be that it's because it's so hot at the moment,
0:34:54 > 0:34:56she is burning off more energy.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58And so she's got to eat more.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00And it's just kind of that cycle.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02It's obviously a beautiful sunny day today.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05Do you notice a difference in their temperaments when the sun is shining
0:35:05 > 0:35:08- like this?- Yes, they stomp around quite a lot.
0:35:08 > 0:35:09- Do they?- They're quite quick.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Once they get the energy.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Obviously, we get our energy from food.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17But because these are reptiles, they get their energy from the heat.
0:35:17 > 0:35:18So as soon as they've got all the heat on them
0:35:18 > 0:35:20they will stomp around quite quickly and...
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Quite quick for a tortoise.
0:35:22 > 0:35:23For a tortoise, yeah.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26Lots of people ask me whether I think they're fast, and I do.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28I think they're really fast, for a tortoise.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Well, Emily, thank you very much and let's hope that all the tortoises
0:35:31 > 0:35:33enjoy the rest of the Great British summer.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45Now we're asking the question, when is an anteater not an anteater?
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Answer - when it's eating scrabbled eggs.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52This is Maroni.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55The park's female giant anteater.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57As their name suggests,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00in the wild they do mostly eat ants and termites.
0:36:00 > 0:36:05However, they will try other types of foods if they come across them.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09Kim wants find out whether there's anything new she could add
0:36:09 > 0:36:14to Maroni's diet. So Jean is helping her carry out a taste test.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16What kind of things will you be trying out today?
0:36:16 > 0:36:18So, today we have
0:36:18 > 0:36:20quark cheese, which they haven't had before.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23It's a very weird thing, because it's not cheese,
0:36:23 > 0:36:25it's not solid, so it might be very different for them.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27We've got scrabbled egg today.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30And you know that they've had this before and they might quite like it?
0:36:30 > 0:36:32They've had raw egg before, they've never had scrambled,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35so the texture might put them off but they might love it.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38- OK, good.- And we have an apple and banana smoothie.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Do they have something like this in the wild,
0:36:40 > 0:36:42would they pick fruits up off the floor?
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Yeah, they'll find anything they can off the floor,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46break it open with their big claws,
0:36:46 > 0:36:48and just take whatever they can find.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50So why's it so important to try out these new flavours for them?
0:36:50 > 0:36:53It provides different nutritional values for them and it also provides
0:36:53 > 0:36:55enrichment for them,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57so if there's something we can give them occasionally,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00but we know they like it, it just makes them a little more excited for
0:37:00 > 0:37:02what they're going to get that day.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04- Is this Maroni?- It is, yes.
0:37:04 > 0:37:05Come on over, Maroni.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07I've got some treats for you.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09Come on, have a sniff. How's their sense of smell?
0:37:09 > 0:37:12It's amazing. It so much better than ours.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14You want some smoothie? Fancy some smoothie?
0:37:14 > 0:37:18Oh, she's had a little sniff and not sure if she's going for that.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20It's surprising because this is quite sweet.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Up she comes.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25Oh, have a sniff of this. Let's see how she likes the quark.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28There you go, get your tongue in there.
0:37:28 > 0:37:29I think she likes that.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31So the quark's been a bit of a success.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34- Absolutely.- This is not really like anything they would eat
0:37:34 > 0:37:37- in the wild, is it?- No. Not at all.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Remind me how long her tongue is.
0:37:39 > 0:37:40It's 60cm, her tongue.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44Wow. And I can really feel it flicking the bottom of that bottle.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47She's going to lick it clean, I think.
0:37:47 > 0:37:48Are there any teeth in there?
0:37:48 > 0:37:50None, no, they have no teeth at all.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- It's all tongue.- Now they're a big,
0:37:53 > 0:37:57growing animal and ants are tiny, so how many ants do they have to eat?
0:37:57 > 0:38:01They have to eat thousands of ants every day, to sustain their appetite.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04They just have to be very careful not to destroy their food source,
0:38:04 > 0:38:06so they have to go to different termite mounds every day, to make
0:38:06 > 0:38:08sure they can eat as much as they can
0:38:08 > 0:38:12- but not destroy it at the same time. - Yeah. But this quark, she is loving.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Once they have a taste of something, like now, she's into it.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19She's very into it. And should I try a bit of a smoothie, then?
0:38:19 > 0:38:22- You can give it a go.- Take this away, Maroni, give that a sniff.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Oh, she really doesn't want that.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Come on!
0:38:26 > 0:38:28So that's great. She's really enjoying the egg
0:38:28 > 0:38:30and I know she's had egg before,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32but not this consistency, this is scrambled.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34So that's another thing you can add to her diet.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38Absolutely, and it does smell slightly differently when it's cooked, as well,
0:38:38 > 0:38:40so it just adds so many different things for her now.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42- So it's really nice.- Let's see, have a sniff of that.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44She's really not into this at all.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46It's nice and sweet, honestly.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49No, I think she's more of a savoury girl.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Yeah, definitely, maybe avoid the sweets.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54Well, there's two more things you can add to your menu,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57scrambled eggs and quark.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Today, the newest members of the lorikeet flock are having their
0:39:06 > 0:39:09- first-ever health check.- It is actually going to be
0:39:09 > 0:39:11our first chance to have them
0:39:11 > 0:39:13in our hands and actually give them a full-on check-over.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Make sure they're healthy.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18For the health checks, they need the fledgling birds on their own.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21So Ryan needs to keep the parents distracted.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23So I've got some nectar, and because it's first thing in the morning,
0:39:23 > 0:39:25they haven't had any breakfast yet,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27so this hopefully should distract them away from the nest boxes,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30so we can work in peace and not actually have them on our shoulders,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32watching what we're doing. Come on, then.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34In there, you.
0:39:34 > 0:39:35TWEETS LOUDLY
0:39:35 > 0:39:37So they're distracted. I'm just going to go up the ladder,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40grab that chick out. It should be quite calm because it's never been
0:39:40 > 0:39:43grabbed before. So, just bring it down, we'll do little health check,
0:39:43 > 0:39:45we'll pop that ring on, and then hopefully pop it back
0:39:45 > 0:39:47- quite quickly...- Oh, great. - ..before they're finished.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53The ID rings are essential for identifying the individual birds.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56And keeping track of which family group they come from.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00This chick, it's quite wet.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02It's got all this adult plumage coming through.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04It's got nice bright eyes there.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06You see its beak, it's quite dark.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08When they're young, they have quite a dark beak,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11that goes more sort of orangey-coloured a little bit
0:40:11 > 0:40:12later on down the line.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14It looks good, so we'll pop him back.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16Once they're not looking.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18Ryan will have to be quick, so he doesn't distress
0:40:18 > 0:40:22the parents and risk breaking the bond they have with their chicks.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25OK, so it's that chick checked. Let's check the other one now.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29Yeah, see, he's a little bit younger than the other one,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32so I don't think he's quite at ringing age yet.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34He's a bit bare in places and he's still not quite
0:40:34 > 0:40:36got all his adult feathers through.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38So, give him another week or so and he might be the same
0:40:38 > 0:40:40age as that one now.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Obviously, to have two chicks from separate parents is really,
0:40:42 > 0:40:44really good. It means that in a couple of years' time
0:40:44 > 0:40:47those two potentially breed together, which would be quite nice.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50They'll be of similar age, be really nice to get as many as we can this
0:40:50 > 0:40:52year because it's been a good year so far.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55It looks like there'll be a lorra lorikeets in this park
0:40:55 > 0:40:56for years to come.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10There's never a dull moment here at the park.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14It's almost the end of the programme but, hot news off the press,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17down here at Sea Lion Beach, Ben and I have come to join Lauren.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- What happened this morning? - A bit of surprise, actually.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23A very unplanned little baby sea lion.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26- Oh, my goodness! - So, literally hours old?
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Yeah, we check them day to day, so, yeah.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31- Very, very new.- And is this Mum, here?
0:41:31 > 0:41:32IT BELLOWS
0:41:32 > 0:41:35- This is Mum, Zook, yeah.- So, Zook is not sure about us being so close.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36Is she being super-protective right now?
0:41:36 > 0:41:40She is. She's had quite a few pups here over the years and she knows
0:41:40 > 0:41:41exactly what to do.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Now, you say "unplanned."
0:41:44 > 0:41:46- Yeah.- Why is this such a surprise?
0:41:46 > 0:41:50Because usually you're really across who's pregnant and what's happening.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Exactly, yeah. I mean, we had an idea, we thought -
0:41:52 > 0:41:54"She's looking a bit big."
0:41:54 > 0:41:58But we actually castrated our male, Buster, last year,
0:41:58 > 0:42:01as he has had a lot of babies here at Longleat, he's getting old.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04We thought, you know, he's had his time, he's had a lot of babies now,
0:42:04 > 0:42:06so we thought - "We'll give him a break.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08"We'll give the girls a break."
0:42:08 > 0:42:09But he had other plans,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12unfortunately. So one last pup for us here.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- Which is nice.- And you know yet whether it's a male or female?
0:42:16 > 0:42:19No, not yet. Not yet. We're having a good look.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21We'd hedge our bets and say maybe a boy.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23- Maybe a boy.- Yeah.- Oh.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25And how long until it's out in the water?
0:42:25 > 0:42:26Um, a couple of weeks.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30It will just lie quietly here for a bit and then it will start exploring
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- around the beach.- Lauren, you have a huge smile on your face.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Congratulations!
0:42:34 > 0:42:36What a way to end the show.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Thank you and good luck.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Here's what's coming up on the next Animal Park.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43A medical emergency...
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Until we get there and assess it,
0:42:45 > 0:42:47we really don't know what the situation is.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50..forces keepers to take drastic measures.
0:42:51 > 0:42:56A world-class elephant expert is here to help Anne like never before.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59When Christian comes in, he gets into the mind of Anne.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Go.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05And top cameraman Louis LeBron is back to film
0:43:05 > 0:43:09the fastest land animal in super-slow motion.