Episode 2 Tigers about the House

Meet the rarest cubs in the world.

These two baby Sumatran tigers

offer real hope for the future of their critically endangered species.

Hey, aren't you beautiful?

For their first four months,

they'll be growing up in a suburban Australian family home.

They'll be completely reliant on foster dad

-and tiger expert Giles Clarke.

-It's good to see you too.

To ensure their survival, he took the difficult decision to take them

home and give them 24-hour care.

They're going to have a slightly different upbringing

to most normal cubs in a zoo.

I feel a huge weight of responsibility on my shoulders.

Now, the cubs are growing up fast

pushing Giles to his limit.

HE SNARLS You need to calm down.

You're naughty!

How will the cubs react when they meet the world's media?

I want people to fall in love with these cubs.

I want people to want to help us save them in the wild.

And how will Giles cope in Sumatra

when he sees the dangers tigers are facing?

This is a unique and intimate look at the growing pains of tiger cubs.

Can this zookeeper from Middlesex give these superstar cubs

the start they need?

Spot and Stripe are now nine weeks old

and are halfway through their time living with Giles.

I've just come to make sure

no-one's rolling around in puddles. There is puddles.

At this crucial age, tiger cubs hit a major growth spurt

and begin to change more rapidly.

Someone's done a wee.

I just want to get this puddle before you guys walk in it.

And Kerry says I can't multitask.

OK.

A little power nap?

There is one particular development that Giles is studying closely.

Let me look at those teeth.

Whoa. Holy moly.

They're almost ready for chewing, aren't they? Yeah!

They're getting really, really bitey now, and chewy.

Just the age they are, and also the fact that they are teething.

And as they develop,

their personalities are becoming more pronounced.

Spike is being particularly playful today.

Uncharacteristically, you're the one that's awake,

and your brother spends most of the time sleeping.

He's not as naughty as Stripe.

Stripe is the one that plays a bit harder with you,

being a bit bitey.

He is tired.

So am I.

Oh, good. Perfect. Go to sleep.

Yeah.

They're just typical babies, aren't they?

One minute they're just going crazy, and it's play, and it's all active.

And then they're asleep within a second.

HE LAUGHS

The cubs are putting on a kilo a week, and now sleep every two hours

to have enough energy to keep on growing.

But Spot's nap is short-lived.

It's at this final stage of teething

that tigers become much more adventurous.

Oh!

That's the first time I think someone's climbed over.

A higher fence does nothing to curb his enthusiasm.

CHILD GIGGLES

Much to the delight of Giles's son, eight-year-old Kynan.

Oh, no, that's funny!

I think they're trying to escape.

GILES LAUGHS

I think it's really cool that we have the cubs here.

What's your favourite part about having them here?

That they get to destroy the house.

They get to...? KYNAN LAUGHS

That's not necessarily my favourite part.

-It's not long before Stripe has a go too.

-Come on in.

Let's see how tough you are.

Oh, we've got a back foot on. Yep. It's all over.

THEY LAUGH

Cheeky.

It's a big step for them.

-GILES CHUFFS

-And now they are both mobile,

Giles wants to keep encouraging their natural curiosity.

So this is the first time they've been out in the garden proper

at home.

I'm just letting them check it out.

These are his first stairs, look. Woo.

At this age in the wild,

cubs would begin to explore the world around them,

making short excursions outside of their den.

What is he doing?

I was thinking the other day just how quickly they're growing up.

I suppose you don't really see it on a day-to-day basis,

but they're growing up really fast

and we're over halfway of the time of having them back at home.

Giles has to watch their every move to keep them out of trouble.

It's because they are so little, you know?

In four weeks' time, it's not going to matter

if they want to jump off the wall, whereas at the moment,

if they jump off the wall, it's a long way to go.

If you just think, in the last five minutes,

it's the first time they've ever been up and down a set of stairs,

the first time they've ever had sand underneath their feet,

like the smells in here would be just incredible for them

in terms of the things that they're checking out.

It's amazing that they do so well and they're so confident.

Giles's mission while they're living at home is to prepare them

for a life in a wildlife park.

So this is all good training and conditioning, and it's good exposure.

But they're certainly not going to be tame

and they're not going to be domesticated.

You've always got to treat them with the utmost respect,

and you can never be complacent.

They're tigers, and they're predators.

And you've always got to have that at the forefront of your mind

when you're working with them. Because these guys are not pets.

They wouldn't make good pets.

I would never suggest... I would never want a tiger in my house

when it's bigger.

When the cubs are four months old, they will begin to live

back at the zoo where their welfare will remain his top priority.

We spend hours and hours and hours and hours, thousands of hours,

training and conditioning these guys.

It a) gives them a good quality of life, b) it allows us

to be much, much more effective at supporting real conservation.

But ultimately,

the things that we can do with our tigers allows them

to display a much, much wider natural repertoire of behaviours

than any tiger that's just stuck in an enclosure its entire life.

Giles is the head keeper of exotic carnivores at Australia Zoo.

He and his team of handlers have a unique approach to animal husbandry.

They believe that by being hands-on with tigers,

you can improve their welfare.

Which Giles feels is less stressful for the tigers

and gives them a better quality of life.

Giles's tigers benefit from daily bush walks.

We have hundreds and hundreds of acres, which is fantastic for them.

It is truly part of the best stimulation that we could

possibly ever offer these animals.

These tigers are also part of an international breeding programme.

Because in their native Sumatra,

these tigers are critically endangered.

With fewer than 500 remaining,

increased threats from deforestation and poaching could see

the Sumatran tiger wiped out completely in less than a decade.

But this captive population offers an insurance policy

against extinction.

And being at ease with people

helps raise money for tiger conservation.

The guests that we have behind us

have actually contributed an extra fee on top of their gate entrance

to be able to do this opportunity,

and it's those funds that we generate that we're then putting back

into trying to help save tigers in the wild through other organisations.

Through these carefully managed experiences, Giles's tigers

have raised nearly £1 million for conservation in the last 10 years,

directly saving tigers in Sumatra.

Back at home, Giles's wife Kerry is struggling to control the cubs.

Oh, you cheeky little rat.

-Oh!

-Oh, no.

-Can you help me?

-OK.

He's worked it out, so you probably just need to go in there

and entertain him with a toy. Look.

-Where's that big ball, Kynan?

-Outside.

-Outside?

They just want to be set free.

At this stage in the wild, cubs would be getting increasingly

adventurous and testing everything out with their teeth.

As Giles are starting to realise, he's going to have to

make modifications probably every single day to compensate

for their naughtiness. And what they're figuring out.

I think they should be called Houdini One and Houdini Two.

SHE LAUGHS

And I'm being used as a play toy in the meantime!

Spot here is usually cool, calm and collected.

Even though he's naughty too,

and he likes to be just as naughty as Stripe.

But he's a bit more mellow,

and he's the one that probably gets beaten up by his brother more so.

Stripe's usually the one to do the naughtier things first.

But Spot took an opportunity

while Stripe was sleeping to beat him in something.

Will you stop biting me?

The cubs are now using anything and anyone

to try out their new teeth. So Giles has a plan.

So this morning we're going to see

if they want to use those carnassial teeth that they've just got.

HE SCREECHES

Carnassial teeth are specialist molars that allow carnivores

to slice meat efficiently.

The fact that they've got those big chewing teeth at the back,

the ones that slice the meat, is a good indication to me

that they're probably at the point

where they can start to chew their own food.

So, if these guys were in the wild, Mum would definitely be taking them

to where she's made a kill, and probably giving it a go themselves.

It's a really, really big step, because if they take well to this

this morning, then, you know, we can move on to other stuff.

This new phase often triggers the development

of another specific tiger behaviour.

They might get a little bit possessive,

if they really get into it.

If they really like it you might see a little bit of swiping and snarling.

-And being more food focused than his brother...

-Boys...

..Giles wants first-born Spot to give it a go.

SPOT SNORTS You're just the one I wanted.

Mmm. What's this?

What is it? Are you ready? Yeah?

Yeah?

Excuse me! That's my hand! No.

He got possessive straightaway. But he's using his teeth.

He's got the idea. To the side. There we go.

If I just let it go, he'd keep swallowing it.

So the fact that I pull it to the side

makes him use his carnassial teeth

which are the ones that are designed for chewing off chunks of flesh.

CUBS SQUABBLE

Dearie me. I'd leave him alone for a second.

Turned into a tiger.

No! Ah-ah-ah...

Good boy. It's all gone.

-All gone!

-And it's not long till Stripe has his turn.

-This is Stripe.

And Stripe normally isn't as driven for his food what Spot is anyway.

But he's doing a good job.

If it was the other way round, with Spot eating the piece of meat,

he wouldn't tolerate Stripe jumping all over him like this.

He'd be all possessive.

So Spot's more driven for the food.

And Stripe's giving it a go.

Easy!

Being possessive is completely natural.

If they've made a kill in the wild,

they're going to do all they can to keep it.

They've spent a lot of energy making that kill.

And if they don't eat, then they don't survive,

so it's worth investing the energy in being...

Right on the inside thigh.

It's worth the energy invest in trying to protect it.

Spot is the more affectionate one. Stripe is the naughtier one.

But when it comes to food, as you can see,

this little guy's definitely much more driven.

Therefore it makes him a little bit more possessive.

With the cubs getting stronger and feistier,

their days being able to live with Giles and his family are numbered.

At the zoo, work has been progressing on a bespoke enclosure

for the cubs.

Today's a real landmark for Spot and Stripe,

with work almost complete.

Giles is keen to show them around and make sure they feel safe

and happy.

Where are we? Yep, take them off.

My main concern is obviously, this is all so completely new.

There are going to be little things that frighten them, so even

here you'll see the palm throngs that are blowing in the wind, on the tree.

That's the first time he's obviously heard that particular noise.

They're both really independent, which is fantastic, you know?

You can see they're off already, exploring the new area.

Stripe is particularly playful, and therefore very inquisitive.

So he's off already.

We need to make sure that everything and anything that we want them

to be used to when they are older, we need to start exposing them

to those situations and those sounds and smells and sights right now.

-Which also means they get to know the tiger keepers too.

-Jeff?

He looks like he's really enjoying himself.

He's exploring now, which is good to see. Checking everything out.

The thing is, if you see them getting a little bit nervous,

if you see them getting a little bit flighty, it's to give them

lots of reassurance and lots of affection.

And making sure that they're comfortable.

See? All the scary things have gone.

Unlike most big cats, tigers love the water,

so Giles has built a pool to allow the cubs to cool off.

You're going to fall in now, you watch.

-Whey!

-Oh!

-Oh!

What the hell was that?

This week they will go on display to the public,

and word has got out that the cubs have come for a look around.

It's the first time they've been here. People are already trying to peep through

-and look over the fence at the moment.

-We should get them going.

And the adventure for Spot and Stripe doesn't stop here.

Having got used to their new enclosure,

Giles has something else in store for them.

At the main tiger compound, Giles and his team are full-time carers

for 10 adult tigers,

and Spot and Stripe are being gradually exposed to them.

TIGER CHUFFS Ah, good boy! Good boy!

TIGER GROANS

Good boy.

Seeing adult tigers through the glass is one thing.

But their next big milestone is to socialise

and meet one of the adults in the flesh.

CHUFFS

There's going to be lots and lots of interesting smells in here,

with all the other tigers, you know. Like the big guys come through here

on a regular basis, and it's much, much more of a sensory stimulation

for them in here in terms of the smell than just being around

the front of the glass, like the big tigers never go round that side.

Get used to walking around here, boys.

In less than a month, the cubs will be too big to live at home.

And they need to be accepted by the adults for them

to live here full-time.

He's a little bit nervous, as you would expect.

You can see he's smelling all the smells around.

There's lots of smells of big predators, other tigers around.

So they're going to be a little bit cautious naturally.

In the wild, an unrelated tiger could easily injure the cubs.

-How is she?

-She's waiting.

And Giles hopes Maneki won't display any threatening behaviours.

Oh, who is it?

MANEKI CHUFFS THEN BRAYS

So this is Maneki.

This is the very, very first time

that Maneki has seen any cubs whatsoever.

Tigers communicate using a range of vocalisations,

and the most common non-threatening sound they make is called a chuff.

THEY ALL CHUFF

Chuffing is reassuring.

So they're chuffing at her, they're chuffing at each other.

So it's a reassuring type of noise. It's also a way of greeting, saying

that she speaks your language.

Tigers are one of the few cats in the world

to communicate in this way.

These guys are very inquisitive,

so their facial expression with their ears is exactly that.

Now he's being a bit submissive,

the fact that he's putting his ears slightly back, he's getting down low.

So that's just being a little bit unsure, if you like.

Whereas Maneki, you can see how relaxed she is.

She's sat there, she's fairly happy.

So Stripe is getting a little bit closer.

He's being cautious in the way in which he approaches.

Good boy.

You're brave! Yeah.

Look at his face. He's very, very cautious.

Like he wants to go up a bit closer, but he's also a little nervous.

But that's to be expected. Look at the size of her in comparison to him.

And she's reacting a little. She doesn't want to be surprised.

The cubs have won over Maneki, and Giles is relieved.

For a very first encounter,

you couldn't have asked for it to go any better or any smoother, you know?

No-one is being aggressive, no-one is showing over-interest,

or too much interest. And the cubs are coping really well.

Where is she going?

It's probably more important that the adults are comfortable

with any introduction than the little guys, because eventually

when we get them out in the same space,

I'm not going to be worried about the little guys hurting the big guys,

but the other way round is obviously a massive consideration.

So the fact that they've been so good,

and it's been so positive, is a great indication.

Come on. We'll just go straight back up this side, yeah?

Spot and Stripe are now one step closer

to joining the adult compound.

Until then, they'll have all the comforts of Giles's home.

This evening the family dogs are getting in some playtime

with the cubs.

Giles and the family have scheduled in a toileting session.

SPOT GROANS

We've got Spot. And apparently, Spot's been a bit gassy.

SPOT BREAKS WIND LOUDLY

There's still a bit coming.

In the wild, a tiger mother would still lick her cub

to stimulate them to go to the toilet.

Giles uses a wet tissue to do the same job.

I can't hug you any more.

-OK, you ready?

-Oh, jeez.

-Good boy.

Do you want to try? I'll hold him.

I know I need a shower, but I'm not so sure I need a brown shower.

Let me just cover up.

GILES LAUGHS

-How bad are you expecting...?

-You never know!

I could be such a novice at this stuff

that I might end up getting it all over me and not in the bucket.

-STRIPE SCREECHES

-OK...

-Where's your bum?

-Fire away.

-Hold his tail nearer the base.

-It's all right.

-STRIPE SCREECHES

-I'm not doing it right.

-How are you going?

-Well, I kind of thought..

HE SQUAWKS

-I think I'm pressing the wrong button.

-OK. Do you want to swap?

I thought I was doing pretty good,

but by the sound of it, obviously not.

I just can't touch the right button.

It's all in the technique.

And you're a master of it, so I'll leave it for you.

-Don't tell everyone my secrets.

-Let's try again.

-You ready?

HE SCREECHES

You're not very easy any more!

I'm working up a sweat.

He looked at that picture before and chuffed.

That's your great, great uncle.

I don't even think it's the right subspecies.

After toileting, it's off to bed,

as tomorrow there's a big day in store.

It's six in the morning and Spot and Stripe

are first up in the Clarke household.

Oi! What's going on?

What have you got? Oh, man.

They're getting to that point now where things are just meant to be

bitten and chewed and pulled apart. Aren't you?

Yeah, so this is where the real fun begins. It'll be over in a sec.

Giles is now more relaxed about them exploring on their own.

Oooh! Boom. HE LAUGHS

He's off. Let's go get your brother.

I'm going to kick you guys outside.

GILES ROARS

But this is no ordinary morning.

Today the tigers will face the world's media and the public.

I thought we'd give them a little bath

in preparation for going on display.

Like, I usually give them a wash every couple of weeks,

so they're about due.

GILES CHUFFS REASSURINGLY

Are you ready?

Ooh!

Ah, see?

OK, we're going to make this really quick, buddy.

These guys are so, so healthy.

They've been developing so quickly, they're doing really well. See?

Kerry's making it nice and warm for you.

Today's press launch is designed to push home

a critical conservation message.

The more media we have the better, as far as I'm concerned.

My aim is to try and raise as much support as we can

for the tigers in the wild.

Yeah, a huge day.

CUB ROARS HAPPILY

Come to the towel.

Thanks very much for helping.

-You want a bath too?

-You ready?

-No, not ready.

Well, you're being less resistant than your brother.

-Does it make you feel extra naughty now?

-Yeah.

-Now you're clean.

I'm hoping the media launch will achieve exactly what we are

setting out to achieve, and raise awareness. I think it's good.

I think the whole world deserves to see these beautiful little

creatures, and what they stand for.

Ow, that was my leg! You're so strong.

Don't you look beautiful in the sunlight,

with your big, fluffy coat now?

Let's go.

Come on, then.

CUB SQUEAKS

There's someone behind you, Kynan.

-Hello! Hello.

-GILES LAUGHS

-Did you sleep well?

-Mm-hm.

Oh, man, they're going to love all these soft toys.

OK.

You need to get ready for school, little man.

Do you want to give him a kiss?

Raaaaa!

CUB SQUEAKS Raaaa!

OK. Come on, then.

Wakey, wakey.

But today's not just about the media launch.

The cubs are now ready to spend their days hanging out at the zoo,

where they will have more freedom.

HE SCREECHES Oh, my God!

CUB SQUAWKS

The problem with giving them more and more access outside is,

that's where they want to be now.

They want to be out of that room, exploring.

CUB SCREECHES

And they don't mind letting us know how they feel.

At the zoo, the animals may be taking it easy, but the staff

are busily getting everything set up for the press launch.

Marketing manager Sarah is feeling the pressure.

I'm very nervous.

This is why far the biggest event I've ever helped out with

here at the zoo,

and to be here when they first go on display is really exciting.

I guess it's really unpredictable working with animals,

so we'll see how the cubs go.

Journalists have been invited from all over Australia

to film the cubs go on display.

Giles is also feeling the pressure.

Morning. Sorry. Unscheduled poo stop.

Not for me! The cubs.

I'm going to jump on the back of the buggy with Jeff.

Everyone else needs to be down there at one minute to eight, not later,

because we will be arriving

at exactly one minute past eight o'clock. Cool.

All right, if you want to make a start.

You two, if you just want to come across in like three minutes.

Giles's primary concern is the welfare of the cubs.

GILES CHUFFS

Are you excited? No. It makes no difference to you, does it?

It makes no difference to you.

-But his own nerves are also catching up with him.

-OK.

Today's one of the things that you really only get one shot at.

There are dozens of live media outlets there.

And if it doesn't go to plan,

they are not going to be shy to use it and show it.

So that's another pressure that you feel.

It's a double-edged sword with the media.

You sort of need them, because they're the ones

that are going to help us get the message out there.

But they're not loyal to you.

So that's why it's important that we keep a very close eye on you.

Ohhh...

I'm tired at the moment and thinking of the stress and pressure and...

you know, it makes me even more emotional when I look at them, but...

If people don't just fall in love with them

and want to help us to help them in the wild,

then there's something wrong, isn't there?

There's something wrong.

As media outlets from across the country arrive, the message about

tiger conservation has the potential to reach an international audience.

The tiger team want to keep the stress levels low for the cubs,

as it could make or break the event.

With everyone in place, it's showtime.

There's so many people here!

They are under there. I can hear them, so...it's really exciting.

They're coming!

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Australia Zoo's head of tigers,

Giles Clark with our very special guests!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

As all eyes focus on Spot and Stripe...

There's a few people here!

..it's vital the cubs stay relaxed.

What we are going to do, guys, first of all just stay where you are,

while they get used to seeing so many cameras and all of you in here.

SHUTTERS CLICK

The cubs quickly gain confidence and start posing for the cameras.

SHUTTERS CLICK CONSTANTLY

LAUGHTER

What's all that noise?!

Alrighty, well, welcome along, guys.

This is Stripe and is the other one is Spot.

We will be doing cub encounters,

where guests have the opportunity to come in and meet the cubs.

And the good thing for us is,

not only is that excellent conditioning

and training for the tigers, but ultimately that's going to

allow us to generate funds and support for tiger conservation.

Giles can tell Spot and Stripe are relaxed,

and invites the media to get their exclusive.

SHUTTERS CLICK

OK, is everyone ready?

-REPORTER:

-It's not every day you can get up close and personal

to two very cute tiger cubs,

something the public will have the opportunity to do as well.

It will be a paid experience

and all that money will go to help tiger conservation.

The cubs should be on display for the next two months.

After that they might be large enough to join the other tigers.

They're doing OK.

Phew!

It went really well in that the cubs reacted really well towards the cameras.

There were so many people here but they went really well.

They were wandering around interacting with the media,

which is just what we wanted.

With the press gone,

the public flood in for their first chance to see Spot and Stripe.

The whole day so far has been brilliant.

The fact that we rock up and there must be at least 50 or 60 people

already here five minutes before they go on display.

So...it's been a really good morning.

Those images that they were getting of the cubs playing

with each other and interacting, it should actually go national and,

fingers crossed, might even start to get some exposure going as well.

Which is great. I don't care how it's out there as long as we get it out there.

The cubs will now spend their days in the new enclosure,

but nights will still be spent with Giles and the family.

With the excitement of press day behind them,

the next morning it's back to reality.

Oh, dear. It's not even 5.30 in the morning

and someone's got the runs a little. It's not really bad.

CUB SCREECHES

It's all in a day's work for tiger dad Giles.

It's not diarrhoea, it's just loose.

But they finger-painted it all around the room.

So, nice!

Giles lately, with the media launch

and getting the cubs prepared for their little TV debut,

it's all been a bit stressful, but...

..he worked through it.

As cute as they are, Spot and Stripe don't half make a mess.

This is just adding a different dimension to the smell in the house.

Yuck! Look at that.

They're just like any normal two tiger cubs -

they poo and wee and - eurgh! - demand my attention 24 hours a day.

The washing machine is going constantly here.

No, stay there. It's yucky.

But they are worth it

and their rapid development makes up for everything.

They love being off the ground, being up a bit higher.

Even though they are cute and playful,

they are acting like small tigers.

They've got so much already hard-wired into them,

it just blows you away.

Instinctively, they already know how to stalk,

and that's a process they would use if they were in the wild

eventually, when they were going to go off and catch their own prey.

They're developing so quickly and they're so strong and so healthy.

Healthy, not just physically healthy, but mentally, they're developing

exactly how I would want them to, so they're doing really, really well.

In the wild, tigers only become truly accomplished hunters

when they reach three years old.

They hunt alone, stalking and then ambushing their prey.

Learning is all done through play at this age.

That was a proper fight!

The Clarks' easy-going dogs are being used as target practice.

Caesar and Ruby are too big to be in any real danger.

But around the house no-one and nothing is safe,

no matter how inanimate.

The way they are going... CUB SCREECHES

Oooh! I don't think the sofa is going to last

much more than a few more days.

By this stage in the wild, Mum would be taking them to carcasses.

So the way you see them pulling the side of the sofa there

is exactly the way they would interact with a carcass in the wild.

There's...

so many facets to their behaviour when you're watching them

that you can clearly see is instinctual.

But how do they know to do that?

Clearly, I'm not biting and pulling at the sofa,

so I'M not showing them.

Giles and the cubs have an important visitor today - Chris Shepherd,

the regional director of Traffic International,

a charity combating the illegal wildlife trade.

Having spent over two decades undercover,

he has the latest information about wild tigers.

In general, wildlife trade is... far worse now than it's ever been.

We're seeing things get increasingly worse every year.

What's the situation looking like for tigers in Sumatra?

We're hearing of a lot more trade coming out of Sumatra,

we're hearing of more snares in protected areas.

In fact a lot of people on the ground there are saying

there are more snares there than ever before.

We're hearing of skins coming out, bones coming out,

meat coming out, even live tigers coming out. And that's for export.

There's also a demand for stuffed tigers in Indonesia

and it's just wiping them out.

There's estimates of 400-500 tigers, but...

..that's not a lot of tigers.

Many of them are isolated,

so every lost tiger is one step closer to extinction.

Yeah.

Giles sends funds raised at the zoo

to a conservation project in Sumatra

and is keen to see for himself just how bad the situation has become.

He's a jungle boy!

ALL LAUGH

Most men go into their man cave and go to the pub or drink beer

but he doesn't do that, he goes to the jungle.

Whilst Spot and Stripe won't be here,

I'll definitely miss their cute little faces, but I'm certainly not

going to miss doing tonnes of washing towels every day.

KYNAN LAUGHS I'm not that messy!

Done.

You behave yourself. No cubbies for a week.

With the cubs staying with another keeper,

Giles is heading to the island of Sumatra, in the west of Indonesia.

But in the last decade, pressure has increased on wildlife here

and tiger numbers have plummeted.

Giles meets up with his good friends

at Fauna & Flora International's tiger protection unit,

a project that combats tiger poaching

and protects tiger habitat through regular patrols.

So, Spot and Stripe are back at the zoo and they're with Geoff.

I miss them like crazy,

but those little guys are now doing an amazing job at generating

some funds, which we're going to be ploughing back into this project.

This is where it comes back to, trying to protect the tiger,

trying to protect its habitat, and so it's really important that we

see first-hand and how we can best assist the programme to be effective.

It is a crisis and Sumatra is really on the front line of that situation.

Time is running out.

The tiger is on a knife edge and, in this particular area,

it's in large enough numbers where it's viable.

We still have a really good fighting chance of saving the tiger

in its natural habitat here.

Giles is in West Sumatra, on his way to Kerinci Seblat,

one of the largest national parks in Southeast Asia.

Home to 170 individuals, almost half the remaining population.

It is considered to be the last stronghold of the Sumatran tiger.

On arrival, he is presented with the alarming reality.

Look at these ones!

Look at all these snares here,

and that's not even all the snares from this year.

And in the last two years,

the patrol team have seen these tiger traps increase by 600%.

Their work to remove them has never been more vital.

The guys are getting ready to go on patrol.

There's going to be two patrols

and we are now just on the edge of the park.

Literally, across that river behind us is the national park.

So they are going to be crossing the river to start their patrol.

Giles is going to join them just for today.

But a standard jungle patrol can be up to two weeks,

with each ranger having to carry on their backs

everything they might need.

This national park is over 13,000 square kilometres.

Spanning four provinces, it's almost the size of Northern Ireland.

Literally on the other side of the river there's wild tigers.

Before being able to do any work,

Giles is quick to realise it's not your average commute.

I reckon the river is 30 metres. It's got some power behind it.

They've got to get over the other side and...

You can see the way it's flowing, it's no easy feat

so they are using a zip line.

I'd rather go above it than through it, so...let's give it a go.

If Kerri was here, she'd have kittens!

HE LAUGHS

OK, ready.

This will be the hard bit, I reckon, letting go.

HE LAUGHS I'll go next!

Kynan would love this.

He be like, "Oh, that's awesome!"

Whoo!

Inside the forest, the vegetation

is so dense it's hard to cover more than a few kilometres a day.

And tigers are so elusive,

they have only experienced a handful of sightings in the last ten years.

Heading deeper in, they pick up a tiger trail

and want to illustrate how lethal the situation has become.

The guys are busy putting together a snare, to demonstrate to us

exactly how a tiger snare, you know, works.

We'll take a look in a second and just see how brutal they really are.

They've definitely seen an increase in threat

over the last couple of years and they are finding more

and more snares that are being specifically set for tigers.

They're professionals and they're going out

and setting long lines of tiger snares.

So on one ridge trail the other day, the unit

found eight tiger snares in one line. So that's eight different chances.

Even if it misses one or two, you know,

it's a game of Russian roulette for them.

Giles!

HE SPEAKS INDONESIAN LANGUAGE

Yeah.

The logs are to help direct where the paws go.

If a tiger steps on the trap, this cable system engages.

So the more the tiger struggles,

all three of the cables will get tighter and tighter

and tighter and completely restrict the flow of blood.

They cut right through to the bone.

There's even been cases where tigers have either chewed their own paw

off to escape, or it's cut completely through and their paws have come off.

Now they are disguising it a little bit

and you'll see just how quickly it will disappear.

The better you disguise it,

the greater your chance of catching something.

So you can see just how effective it is even just after not even a minute.

We know it's there and you can hardly see it!

-You ready?

-Yeah.

-Let's give it a go, test.

Everyone ready?

You can... You can just feel the resistance of that.

It is even starting to cut into the wood.

And then come...

Like that.

Yeah, yeah. So, effectively, they are then up in the air with one foot.

Absolutely no way you would release that if you are struggling.

Imagine that being a tiger's paw.

He or she would now be freaking out with its leg strung up in the air.

Its fate is sealed, it's doomed, you know?

In an incredibly agonising way.

They are barbaric. They are just...barbaric.

To think of one of the cats that I have a relationship with

being caught in a snare is...

is beyond contention.

This thing is so strong that if it was Spot or Stripe,

they'd be off the ground.

It's more than upsetting, you know. It's more than upsetting.

It just gives you even more renewed resolve

and commitment to want to support these guys.

-That's it.

-Ugh.

As the rangers remove the snare completely,

Giles reflects on his two young cubs at home.

It is a very sobering thought to think that Spot and Stripe

are just starting their lives, and by the time they come to

the end of their lives, tigers could be completely gone in these forests.

Gone for good.

While Giles is learning about the plight of wild tigers,

4,000 miles away in Australia,

their captive cousins are attracting a huge number of visitors.

All this hard work by the tigers and the keepers is geared towards

raising vital funds for conservation.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Once a day, the tiger handlers showcase the awe-inspiring skills

of this apex predator.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

And in return, ask that people help save them in the wild.

People, you can do a great deal to actually try and help save this species

and support a programme in Indonesia

run by Fauna & Flora International.

There's all sorts of photographs there.

We also have the most popular, the wristbands.

Would you believe 5 will save one tiger in the wild for one day.

The money will go back into conservation.

It's a very worthwhile cause.

But the big draw at the zoo now are Spot and Stripe...

..who are doing their best to win over the public.

Would anyone like to buy a tiger band for conservation?

100% goes to the tigers. Nothing goes to our zoo.

And with carefully managed photo opportunities...

The cubs are generating more funding to directly support

the patrol teams in Sumatra.

Thank you.

For Spot and Stripe, it's just something else they take in their stride.

Thank you very much. Thank you so much.

In Sumatra, Giles has come to the office headquarters

at the national park.

Another key role of the tiger patrol unit is to take

possession of illegal items.

And they want to show Giles some of these confiscations.

So is it always in a secure place? Always locked?

The field manager wants to show him how bad the situation has become.

They'd be worth a lot of money on the black market,

so they keep them really secure, under lock and key.

These look like confiscated weapons.

You can see how basic they are. Some of them almost look handmade.

The use of tigers in traditional medicines has contributed

to a 95% drop in wild tiger numbers globally.

And the demand for parts within Sumatra

and overseas is continuing to grow.

The global illegal wildlife trade is now worth

an estimated £10 billion a year.

Pushing it into the top five largest international crimes.

Devoting his life to tigers,

seeing this for the first time brings it all home.

That's a cub.

Spot and Stripe going to be that size in only six months.

Looks like a full-grown male skin.

-Is this male or female?

-Female.

-Female.

Charles asks what happened to the poachers that killed these tigers.

They can get five years, but in reality they just get months.

Yes.

It's disgusting.

They've been reduced to nothing. In a bin bag. In a plastic bin.

You look at the little one...

I suppose that's particularly hard because he think of how little

and vulnerable Spot and Stripe are...

Can you imagine them being caught in a snare? Just the fear and...

..agony and you know...

And they can be there for days.

She almost cut her own foot off pulling so hard

against the wire snare.

The sheer volume of parts has shocked Giles.

There's more than four tigers on this porch here.

That represents more than one per cent

of the remaining tiger population.

The people that they arrested did get punished,

even though none of us think it's sufficient enough.

This here, look.

It's cut right through her pad, right through her paw.

The only thing that stopped that snare going all the way

through her foot is the bone.

Makes me think of all of our tigers, you know.

I suppose...

..all those cats...

..are like my friends, you know.

You wouldn't want to imagine this on...

..on anyone you care about, so...

It just makes me angry.

Before Giles leaves Indonesia,

he wants to share something special with the patrol team.

Tiger numbers are so low that many of them

have never seen an animal in the wild.

OK, these are the babies.

OOHING AND AAHING

GILES LAUGHS

-Spot and Stripe.

-Spot and...?

-Stripe.

-Stripe.

-Yeah.

GILES CHUCKLES

He drinks out of a baby's bottle. THEY LAUGH

When there were born, they weighed one kilo.

At 12 weeks, they are 13 kilos.

-Can you see his claw?

-Yes.

He's biting the top of the camera.

HE CHUCKLES

-You see?

-Oh, yes.

-She's giving birth.

OOHING AND AAHING

Finish.

Always makes me cry watching them. Can't help it.

Especially when I see Spot.

It's cool.

HE SIGHS

Giles returns home and after the horrors of Sumatra

he's desperate to see the cubs again.

The naughty boys are coming home today.

I'm kind of feeling like they're just going to be more

destructive than ever.

-Yeah, they're here!

-Oh, yay!

Want to come and see them?

-How are you doing?

-How are you feeling?

-Oh, average.

-All right?

-CUBS SCREECH

It's been awesome having the guys.

Come on.

Yeah, I know.

GILES CHUFFS

It's good to see you too!

Let's go.

GILES CHUFFS

I finally got him, Dad.

RIPPING

He's so much stronger!

They change really quickly at this age

and a week makes a big difference, so they are going

to be playing rougher and rougher and they are bigger and stronger.

KYNAN LAUGHS Look at his ears! He's got his ears right back.

They're solid, aren't they?

It is just chaos. Isn't it just chaos?

Oh, it's so good to see him!

KYNAN LAUGHS

Crazy, isn't it? It's just chaos!

But the joy of the reunion gives way to anxiety.

A problem Giles thought he saw first signs of has now become

much more noticeable.

So this is Spot. Spot's the one that...

has developed an eye condition.

You can clearly see he's got an opaqueness in his eyes.

So we'll talk to the specialist in the next day or two

and I'll get first-hand a bit more information from her

and what we're going to do about it.

He still seems as playful as ever and it's not affecting him at all.

I don't believe how much feistier they are in a week!

Next time, the cubs develop a new repertoire of tiger behaviours.

And begin to outgrow the Clark household.

This coming week is going to be the last, I think.

He's getting angry!

SNARLING

But there is a major setback for Spot, as his eye condition worsens

and an operation to correct it soon becomes a battle to save his life.