0:00:02 > 0:00:03Meet the rarest cubs
0:00:03 > 0:00:04in the world.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08These baby Sumatran tigers
0:00:08 > 0:00:09are the best hope
0:00:09 > 0:00:13for the future of their critically endangered species.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Hey, aren't you beautiful?
0:00:15 > 0:00:17And for their first four months,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20they will be growing up in a suburban Australian family home.
0:00:23 > 0:00:29Born under the watchful eye of tiger expert and zookeeper Giles Clarke.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30What are you doing, hey?
0:00:30 > 0:00:32To give them the best chance of survival,
0:00:32 > 0:00:37he decided to raise them at home with 24-hour care.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41- It's hard work being a tiger daddy. - SNORING
0:00:41 > 0:00:46Spot and Stripe's early lives brought testing times for all.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51The cubs were showcased to highlight the plight
0:00:51 > 0:00:53of wild tigers in Sumatra.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Although Spot and Stripe don't know it,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59they have touched the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02And Spot developed a mystery eye condition.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06He's got a bit of opaqueness in his eyes.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08I'm questioning everything I've done now.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12In this episode...
0:01:12 > 0:01:14HE GROWLS
0:01:14 > 0:01:15He's getting angry.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18..the cubs begin to outgrow the Clarke house.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20They've suddenly got big.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24I don't think they realise their own strength.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27At the zoo, they are introduced to their biggest challenge yet.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33And Spot's deteriorating eye condition leaves him
0:01:33 > 0:01:34fighting for his life.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36I just want the little guy to be OK.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Can this British zookeeper give these superstar cubs the start they
0:01:40 > 0:01:46need and help save their species from the brink of extinction?
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Oh, goodness me.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04This is not right.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Spot and Stripe are now three months old
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and beginning to outgrow Giles's home.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11HE LAUGHS
0:02:11 > 0:02:17So we woke up to this funny noise of one of them escaping the room.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22And someone has done a big poo right outside the bedroom door!
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Watch the poo!
0:02:28 > 0:02:31The cubs now weigh 15 kilograms each.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34They are eating half a kilo of meat daily
0:02:34 > 0:02:37and getting more boisterous by the minute.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40It's like living in a zoo.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Don't bite my love handles. Don't bite my love handles.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50- Giles's family includes his wife, Kerry...- Good boy.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55- No, not good boy! Naughty boy. - ..eight-year-old son, Kynan...
0:02:57 > 0:02:59..and teenager Alicia.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03And they've all had their lives and home turned upside down.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07It's getting challenging now, to put it mildly.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14The house won't cope and I'm struggling to cope now.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17BARKING
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Despite the chaos, Giles needs to make sure
0:03:23 > 0:03:27they are hitting their developmental milestones.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Spot and Stripe move back to the zoo in just three weeks' time.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Chewing on anything they can get their little grubby teeth on. Boys!
0:03:36 > 0:03:40So Giles has got something a bit more meaty for them.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Come on, I've got something for you to chew.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48So, I'm going to give them a big bone each.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51I thought it would be a cool idea,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54and it looks like they need to chew on something.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Let's see what they make of these.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59These are beef bones,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and it's the first time they've tried something so big.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04What is that?! Whoa.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10If this was an adult with a bone like this,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14I wouldn't be quite as relaxed and sat right in front of them.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16They would get really possessive.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Really possessive.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22They do get, even at this age, protective over their bone.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27Like, he's probably not incredibly... Yes, see?
0:04:27 > 0:04:31That's telling me to leave it alone, it's his as far as he's concerned.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37This possessive response is natural for tigers,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and will only get more pronounced the older the cubs get.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53This is Spot and Stripe's uncle.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58He is six years old and lives under Giles's care at the zoo.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02In just 18 months, the cubs will be as big as him.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08He's immensely powerful. Like, unbelievably powerful.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11As you can see, he has his teeth and his claws,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14and, more to the point, he knows how to use them.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17HE SNARLS
0:05:24 > 0:05:27He's being really possessive here,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29because he is protecting his food.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34They are, at the end of the day, tigers, you know.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37They've got all of their instinct.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40He's just being natural, he's just being normal.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44In the wild, they are gorge feeders,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47so once they've made the kill, they are going to take
0:05:47 > 0:05:51full advantage of that opportunity, and they eat as much as they can.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54It's precisely because of this possessive behaviour
0:05:54 > 0:05:57that the cubs' days at home are numbered.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Spot and Stripe will be like that with their food in six months' time.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03Easily.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06You're not going to want to argue with Spot and Stripe
0:06:06 > 0:06:07when it comes to food.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11Good boy.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20As head of tigers here at Australia Zoo on Queensland's
0:06:20 > 0:06:25East Coast, Giles and his team have 10 adult tigers under their care.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33I've worked with tigers now for nearly 20 years.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35It's not just a job, it's a part of me.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37If you ever wanted to say,
0:06:37 > 0:06:39"Did you have a calling?" I suppose this would be it.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45They are all distinct individuals.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51They all have characters, they all have personalities,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55and Spot and Stripe have bucketloads of it.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Giles shares the zoo's philosophy that if people can see
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and touch the animals, they will help conserve them in the wild.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10This includes the nine hands-on tigers under Giles's care.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12We have this hands-on relationship,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15and because we have this close friendship and bond,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19we can do a variety of things that normally just wouldn't be possible.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Giles's cats also play a huge role in raising
0:07:24 > 0:07:29awareness of critically endangered wild tigers in Sumatra.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Plagued by poaching and deforestation,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41the jungles of Sumatra are now home to less than 500 tigers.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45It should be criminal. It should be criminal.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47If things don't rapidly change,
0:07:47 > 0:07:52tigers will be extinct in the wild within one to two decades.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58The tiger for me is the epitome of mother nature, you know.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04It represents just the most awe-inspiring, beautiful,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07majestic, magnificent animal.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Giles's tigers raise money to provide ranger patrols
0:08:12 > 0:08:14to protect the forests of Sumatra,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18by taking part in paid experiences with zoo visitors.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23And the cubs have already made a huge impact on that effort.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28With Spot and Stripe's help, this year alone we have raised
0:08:28 > 0:08:33and donated almost 200,000 to conservation efforts trying
0:08:33 > 0:08:36to help save tigers in their natural habitat.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41The cubs may have a massive role to play to help their wild cousins,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45but right now Giles's priority is making sure
0:08:45 > 0:08:48they grow into happy, healthy tigers.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Part of that is preparing them for their future life at the zoo.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58And today is a huge milestone.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Now that we're integrating them into the compound,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04one of the most important aspects is obviously
0:09:04 > 0:09:07being on display here where the public can see them.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Part of that is just getting them introduced and used to
0:09:10 > 0:09:14the big pool that we have. We're going to see if we can take them
0:09:14 > 0:09:16for one of their very first proper swims.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22It's going to be a brand-new experience for Spot and Stripe,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24and it could be overwhelming.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26You never quite know
0:09:26 > 0:09:29as to how they're going to go for their first time.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Good boy.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Straightaway, Giles can see a difference in how the cubs react
0:09:42 > 0:09:44to being near the water.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Spot is actually much more confident in the water
0:09:49 > 0:09:50than his brother, Stripe.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Stripe isn't so confident sometimes.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57I just think it's a personality thing.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Tigers are the one exception in the big cat family,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05along with jaguars, that really do enjoy the water.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Tigers are incredibly powerful swimmers,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13they have these huge paws, and actually when they spread
0:10:13 > 0:10:16their toes out, there is webbing, if you like, in between their toes.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21So, effectively, what you've got is this big powerhouse of a unit,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23and on the end of their legs they've got these paddles.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28In some of the habitat you will find them, they can island hop from place
0:10:28 > 0:10:33to place or swim across big rivers, so water is not a problem for them.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Yeah!
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Stripe is still too nervous to take the plunge.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56He needs some gentle encouragement from Giles.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22That was incredible, wasn't it? Just how confident were they?
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Even jumping in the water. They're just natural, aren't they?
0:11:26 > 0:11:29These guys are going to be water babies, for sure.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Don't jump into the water if you're being chased by a tiger.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Or climb a tree. All you've got to do is just
0:11:37 > 0:11:40run faster than the slowest person in your group and you'll be OK.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46In fact, the cubs have already started to develop
0:11:46 > 0:11:51a behaviour that you really wouldn't want to face in the wild.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Or in the garden, if you are the family dog.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07They are honing their stalking skills.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20- He's going in for the kill. - Caesar will bite you.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36He's got a bone. So, no.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39As young cubs like this, they instinctively stalk each other,
0:12:39 > 0:12:44and they stalk Mum because it's all good training for ultimately
0:12:44 > 0:12:47when they're going to need it, they go out on their own in the wild
0:12:47 > 0:12:50and start making their own kills.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Look at how interested he is, look at his ears.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Now, that's instinctive.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Like, he moves into a position where he can get round behind.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Cubs would join their mum on a hunt at six months old,
0:13:11 > 0:13:16and this is the way they develop the right tactics for catching prey.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23DOG GROWLS
0:13:23 > 0:13:28Yes, yeah, you know. That language speaks across species, doesn't it?
0:13:31 > 0:13:36The cubs' progress is a good sign that they are almost ready
0:13:36 > 0:13:37for the big move back to the zoo.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Yeah.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40No.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Yeah, but no.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48But Giles has some final hurdles he wants the cubs to pass first.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53One of the most nerve-racking for him is to increase
0:13:53 > 0:13:58their contact with the adult tigers they will soon be living alongside.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02There is always a risk when you are introducing...
0:14:02 > 0:14:05You know, these guys only weigh 19 kilos,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07and they are only little boys at the moment.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14And the tiger they're going to meet today is 130 kilos.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Juma is the largest tiger that we have in the compound
0:14:18 > 0:14:22and obviously these little guys are the smallest at the moment.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27And they don't quite yet have all the finesse of their manners,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29so to speak.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33The worst thing the cubs could do would be jump at Juma
0:14:33 > 0:14:34and surprise him.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38It's always a bit nerve-racking, in a way,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41because you don't know how the animals are going to respond.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Hey, we're all in position. He's got Juma down the bottom.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48The cubs have met some of the adult tigers already,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50but always with barriers between them.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55This is the very first time they've met in the flesh.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02THEY CHUFF
0:15:09 > 0:15:10He's big, isn't he?
0:15:16 > 0:15:19So far, so good.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21But Giles is hoping to see clear signs
0:15:21 > 0:15:24they are happy in each other's presence.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Lots of chuffing.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27Good boys.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31So that noise that they are making to each other
0:15:31 > 0:15:35is what we call a chuff - its proper name is a prusten,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38but it's just a greeting noise, a way of saying hello.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41It's also a way of getting reassurance from one another.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45For a first introduction, this is ace,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48this is exactly the way we wanted it to go.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Even the cubs, look how relaxed they are.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52It's like they've been doing it all their lives.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58It's a successful meeting,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01and Giles is pleased with how the cubs are adapting
0:16:01 > 0:16:03to their hands-on life.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09I love watching them develop and change.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13They are little tigers now, they're not cubs, you know.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15And it still looks sort of cute,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18but there is actually a serious side to it.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20You're starting to see behaviours
0:16:20 > 0:16:23that at the moment, you think, "Aw-w!"
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Give them a few months and...
0:16:25 > 0:16:28it's not going to look so cute when they're lining you up,
0:16:28 > 0:16:29wanting to flatten you.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37But there is an ongoing development with Spot that is really unwelcome.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41Jump up here.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47A few weeks ago, Giles and Kerry noticed
0:16:47 > 0:16:50something wasn't quite right with Spot's vision.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54He's sort of more, I don't know,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57he tries to turn his head to visualise things.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02Just sort of has to do a double-take.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07There is a slight cloudiness in his eyes.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10And it's a worry for the whole tiger team.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17All right, this is really important. So...
0:17:19 > 0:17:22..Spot has got an opaqueness in his eyes.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30Opaqueness would instantly say cataracts to me,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33but there are other potential causes.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37We won't know until we've spoken to specialists.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Giles is taking Spot to a veterinary hospital
0:17:44 > 0:17:46to get to the bottom of the problem.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51So, this is quite a big one for Spot, this is actually...
0:17:51 > 0:17:54We're on our way to see the eye specialist.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56She's going to run some further tests.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Still a niggling bit in the back of my head thinks,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02"Is there anything I should have done or could have done differently?"
0:18:02 > 0:18:05If it was to be an issue that we could have prevented,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09I would be... You know, I'd be devastated. Heartbroken.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14OK. CUB SQUEALS
0:18:14 > 0:18:17OK. Now you can go down.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22So, I've brought both of them because they've never been separated
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and they need each other for reassurance.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Today wasn't going to be the first day that I separated them.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37This is the first time either one of them has been anaesthetised,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39effectively, so it's more than sedation.
0:18:39 > 0:18:45He's actually going to be knocked out. So it makes me tense.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Because young animals can respond badly to anaesthetic,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54zoo vet Mel has come to supervise.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Having put drops into Spot's eyes
0:19:03 > 0:19:07so she can see the damage properly, the specialist Pauline begins
0:19:07 > 0:19:10to check out the finer details of his condition.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21She confirms that Spot does have cataracts,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24a hardening in the lenses that makes his vision blurry.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Cataracts can occur in older animals,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32but it is much rarer for a young cub to develop them.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Giles is concerned about why Spot's got them.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45The most likely thing is that there was some pinpoint
0:19:45 > 0:19:50moment in the eye development when he was in the uterus.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54- OK, so we're confident that it's not nutritional?- Pretty confident.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57I've done so much reading - it doesn't seem like it.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01- OK.- I think it's going to come down to an unlucky thing.
0:20:09 > 0:20:10Here's your brother.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15After an hour apart, the cubs take comfort from being together again.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19THEY CHUFF
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Normally, cataracts are treatable in most animals,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28but Spot's are unusually aggressive.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38Very few tigers globally have been treated for cataracts like this,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41so after a week of conferring with international experts,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Giles faces a tough choice.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49The dilemma that we face is, if we leave the cataracts, then
0:20:49 > 0:20:54they are going to start to cause what will be quite painful inflammation.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58Eventually, it might even end up that his eyes would need to be removed.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02It would be devastating, you know.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07For him, for how that would affect his brother in terms
0:21:07 > 0:21:10of interaction that those two currently have.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15But we do have an option where we can intervene,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18and that is going to mean removing the cataract.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24You know, it's...
0:21:25 > 0:21:30It's tough. It's not going away, it's not going to right itself.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34We can't do nothing about it, there's no simple solution.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39Whatever we do is going to involve substantial surgery,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42lengthy recovery times.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46I want whatever the best options are for him.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Giles has decided to follow the specialist's advice
0:21:53 > 0:21:57and go for what will be pioneering cataract surgery.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02But Spot won't be old enough for the op for another two months,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05so, until then, he can only monitor him.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15The cubs are now almost four months old, and any problems with
0:22:15 > 0:22:19eyesight aren't affecting Spot's boisterous nature.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20He's getting frustrated.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22HE GROWLS
0:22:22 > 0:22:24He's getting angry!
0:22:24 > 0:22:27What are you doing?
0:22:27 > 0:22:28SNARLING
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Both cubs are getting harder to manage.
0:22:35 > 0:22:41I have a healthy respect for a tiger at any size in terms of being safe.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44GROWLING
0:22:46 > 0:22:49They could knock Ruby over, they could knock Kynan over,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52and their bites can do a bit of damage now.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Ah-ah-ah-ah.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Yesterday, he sort of got me a little bit there.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04I don't think they realise their own strength. Ruby does.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Ruby was just sitting there in fear this morning going,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10"What have they become?"
0:23:12 > 0:23:15It's getting risky for Giles to have them living at home.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21We literally are not going be able to not watch them out here
0:23:21 > 0:23:23for a second. Kynan, I don't want them swiping at you.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27No, I'm not meat.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31They are getting bigger by the day.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36It's definitely getting to the right time.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43It's a bit sad, though, isn't it?
0:23:55 > 0:23:58The moment has finally come for Spot and Stripe
0:23:58 > 0:24:00to move back to the zoo full-time.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08And tonight will be the cubs' last night at Giles's family home.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16It's been a whirlwind.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21I can't believe it's been four months already. That's a third of a year.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27I think we've done all right. I think I've certainly given it my best shot.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32Obviously, I feel a bit disappointed sometimes when I think about Spot
0:24:32 > 0:24:35and his little eyes, but you just deal with it.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38But I am proud of what we've achieved.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Last morning bottle.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00How can you not miss them?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- I can.- I know you will.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06They don't need to go, Dad. They need to stay.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10- They need to go into the zoo. - No, they don't.- They do.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12No! They're staying here.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Time to be evicted.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30Go and grow up. You tell those big tigers who's boss.
0:25:33 > 0:25:34This is it.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37Last drive to the zoo from home.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Look at the size of them, though.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45- They definitely need to stay at the zoo now.- Good boy.- Come on.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06Despite how challenging it is, or how much lack of sleep,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08I'm going to miss them,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11as I know...I think everyone at home will.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Whilst it's the end of their time at the Clarke house,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20now the cubs are at the zoo full-time,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24they can really become ambassadors for their wild cousins in Sumatra.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28But first, Giles needs them to settle into their new home.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32They are being integrated back into the compound.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33They are fitting in really well.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36The changes are happening now really fast.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41Ultimately, what we're aiming for is for these guys to be healthy,
0:26:41 > 0:26:42continue to grow.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47It does feel we're getting to the point now where they're big tigers.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53You can see that they're really enjoying this space to run around
0:26:53 > 0:26:55and go nuts.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59It's like the world's biggest playground for them.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06One of the most important things we need to do is to keep them
0:27:06 > 0:27:10stimulated - not only physically, but just as importantly
0:27:10 > 0:27:14it's about keeping them mentally stimulated and active as well.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21We are just saturating them, basically, with experiences.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32No! You can't boff him. You can't!
0:27:36 > 0:27:40As the weeks pass and the cubs settle into life at the zoo,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43they explore a whole range of environments together.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Spot's eye operation is only two weeks away.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Despite his failing eyesight,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54he continues to be confident in the water...
0:27:56 > 0:28:00..while Stripe remains a little more tentative.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Undoubtedly, you can see it's all good fun for them.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12That's what it's about at the moment, it's about helping us build that
0:28:12 > 0:28:16bond and relationship, that special friendship, if you like, with them.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20They're not tame, they're not domesticated,
0:28:20 > 0:28:22and we never treat them as such.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25We always remember that they're wild animals.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30So, Jeff is effectively encouraging them to play.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35We are letting the cubs know what they can and can't do, effectively.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Easy, easy. Good boy.
0:28:39 > 0:28:40That's really important,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43because you want to be able to do a whole bunch of things with them
0:28:43 > 0:28:50as they get older, and if you start that process now, it's not a problem.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56The cubs also get lessons in discipline from some
0:28:56 > 0:28:59of the adult tigers in the compound.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Some of the hard work we can let the adults take over, you know -
0:29:02 > 0:29:07helping us wear them out and teach them how to socialise
0:29:07 > 0:29:10and how to be tigers, effectively.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Good boy, Charlie.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22One of their favourite tigers in the compound is definitely Charlie.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23Hey, hey, hey!
0:29:26 > 0:29:30Charlie is the most confident with them,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32he likes to interact with them,
0:29:32 > 0:29:34he goes a bit silly, gets a bit goofy.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Stripe tends to be a bit cheekier and gets himself into mischief
0:29:43 > 0:29:45and then thinks, "Oh, what have I got myself into?"
0:29:45 > 0:29:48But he's also a little bit sneakier as well,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50so he's usually the one that's biting them
0:29:50 > 0:29:53on the back of the ankles, or grabbing on the tail.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01If he ever gets to the point where he's like, "I've had enough,"
0:30:01 > 0:30:03he gives them a bit of a tap and tells them off.
0:30:06 > 0:30:07And usually gives them a growl
0:30:07 > 0:30:10and a bark, but he doesn't follow through with it.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Which is good.
0:30:15 > 0:30:16HE CHUFFS
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Good boy, Charlie.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21As far as Spot and Stripe are concerned at the moment,
0:30:21 > 0:30:25it's all good fun. Really it's just about engaging.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29But it's important physically, and they get that stimulation
0:30:29 > 0:30:34and they get that enrichment, if you like, by having the contact.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38But it is also a very important part of their development because
0:30:38 > 0:30:42if they were in the wild, they would still have contact with adult tigers,
0:30:42 > 0:30:43i.e. their parents.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52Spot and Stripe are now six months old...
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Hello, little man.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57..and still spend all their time together.
0:30:57 > 0:30:58Are you hungry?
0:30:58 > 0:31:02It's breakfast time. Breakfast time!
0:31:02 > 0:31:04They each now weigh a hefty 40 kilos
0:31:04 > 0:31:08and can eat up to two kilos of meat each day.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Good boy.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16He's going crazy. They like to sometimes play with their food.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20But playtime isn't what it used to be.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23SPOT ROARS
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- These cubs are growing up fast.- Good boy.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29HE LAUGHS Didn't expect that, did you?
0:31:29 > 0:31:31Yeah, I know!
0:31:31 > 0:31:34That was Spot being possessive, telling Stripe,
0:31:34 > 0:31:35"Don't come near my food."
0:31:35 > 0:31:37THEY ROAR
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Good boy.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Spot and Stripe are developing all the tools
0:31:42 > 0:31:44they'd need to survive in the wild.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51The tiger's jaw is immensely powerful.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54So, if you think about us for a second,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56our jaw muscles stop literally beside your ear.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59If you imagine how powerful our jaw muscles would be
0:31:59 > 0:32:02if the jaw muscle was continued right around and wrapped around
0:32:02 > 0:32:05and attached to the top of your skull.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07Cos that's effectively what tigers have here.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09So their jaw muscles are immense.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12And if you look at our tigers, you'll see they have these big,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15bulbous round bits on the top of their head.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17That's their sagittal crest.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19It's a masterpiece of evolution, really.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24And everything that a tiger has become revolves around these huge
0:32:24 > 0:32:27four great big canine teeth at the front of their mouths.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30If it's a smaller animal, they will just bite it around the back
0:32:30 > 0:32:35of the neck, and the canine teeth will break its spinal cord.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39The other way is to actually throttle it until that animal suffocates.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44But with tigers, it's not just about the bite.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Their sense of eyesight would be
0:32:47 > 0:32:49their most important sense, effectively.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51They hunt via sight,
0:32:51 > 0:32:53so they're not like other carnivores
0:32:53 > 0:32:56that rely more on their sense of smell.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59They have binocular vision, in much the same way as what we do.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03And so that is essential for hunting and catching prey.
0:33:03 > 0:33:04With Spot, for example,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07at the moment he'd still be completely dependent
0:33:07 > 0:33:08on Mum for food,
0:33:08 > 0:33:13and he can and does compensate, and can follow and move around and that,
0:33:13 > 0:33:17so chances are he might even still be alive in the wild.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21But as he gets older, the closer he gets to being independent
0:33:21 > 0:33:24and having to go out and catch his own food,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27the chances are he wouldn't make it with his current eye condition.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Spot's cataracts have been getting steadily inflamed, and now
0:33:33 > 0:33:38he's six months old, the time has arrived for surgery to correct it.
0:33:39 > 0:33:44The thing that's causing the problem with Spot is this little bit in here.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46This is effectively the lens,
0:33:46 > 0:33:48and what's happened is that that over time
0:33:48 > 0:33:53is becoming more and more solid and hard, the mass in the middle.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56So he won't be able to see through his lens.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58What we're going to do with Spot is,
0:33:58 > 0:34:02we're going to remove the hard material in the middle
0:34:02 > 0:34:06of the lens, and then actually insert our artificial lens
0:34:06 > 0:34:09which should allow him to have very good vision.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13Doing nothing is not an option because what would happen is,
0:34:13 > 0:34:17the cataract would continue to get harder and harder over time,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20and then that can cause other congregations that would result
0:34:20 > 0:34:25in Spot having to then have emergency surgery
0:34:25 > 0:34:28where he would potentially lose the entire eye.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Today's operation is a worry for Giles, though.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38'It is a tough day.'
0:34:38 > 0:34:42I can't help but obviously have some apprehension.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45We've got a world-leading expert doing the procedure,
0:34:45 > 0:34:51but there's always a risk. There's always a small chance.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54And I think about that small chance quite heavily when it comes to
0:34:54 > 0:34:58anything that we do with giving the tigers general anaesthetics.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02There is a small chance they don't wake up, ever.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08To add to that worry, today will be the first time in their lives
0:35:08 > 0:35:11that Spot and Stripe will be separated.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20HE WHIMPERS
0:35:20 > 0:35:24This must be the first time he's actually travelled without
0:35:24 > 0:35:26the company of his brother.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28SPOT WAILS
0:35:28 > 0:35:33And he's letting us know that he's not happy about it.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35HE GROWLS
0:35:35 > 0:35:39Oi! HE CHUFFS
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Where are we? Good boy.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49GILES CHUFFS
0:35:49 > 0:35:50It's all good. OK.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55Mel and the vet team from the zoo have come to supervise
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Spot's anaesthetic, as he'll have to be knocked out
0:35:58 > 0:36:00for at least two hours.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Almost ready to go.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Giles has flown in Dr Kleiner from Brazil.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12He's one of only two surgeons in the world who's performed
0:36:12 > 0:36:14this kind of surgery on a tiger.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18The procedure is just like the same technique that we use in humans,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21so we're going to do both eyes today.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24So hopefully the surgery will be very fast,
0:36:24 > 0:36:25because he's a young animal.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30In fact, Spot is only the third tiger in the world
0:36:30 > 0:36:32to have artificial lenses put in.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35And the youngest.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38So this is, er, acrylic, custom-made lenses.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42It's going to make him see the world much better.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45I expected it to look more like a contact lens.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58So far, so good, guys.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04It seems to be going really well.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07One eye is almost finished, so the cataract has been removed
0:37:07 > 0:37:09and the false lens put in.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13An hour into the operation,
0:37:13 > 0:37:17and Dr Kleiner moves on to fit the lens into Spot's right eye.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23But things are not as straightforward as everyone hoped.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28It's a very tricky one.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32The capsule is too small.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36We've got little wrinkles on the back part of the capsule.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41Spot's right eye has an undetected abnormality which means
0:37:41 > 0:37:43although the cataract has been removed,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46the artificial lens doesn't fit correctly.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48I don't want to do that.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53As he decides it's best to leave the right eye without a new lens,
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Spot's condition deteriorates.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Hold on a second.
0:38:19 > 0:38:20- OK?- No.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35Spot's had a major reaction to the anaesthetic,
0:38:35 > 0:38:38so Mel's giving him a drug to reverse it.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47SLOW BEEPING
0:38:47 > 0:38:51And after a minute, his breathing recovers.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54- It's much stronger now.- Good stuff.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57My heart was in my mouth.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00I literally have got the shakes.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02It's a good, strong beat now.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05- Yep.- I hate anaesthetics.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07Surgery is surgery.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11You cannot predict what is going to happen, you know.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Round of applause for everybody.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20It was a tough one. I think the toughest of my life.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Slightly disappointed about the lens,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29but after that episode that we just had,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32I'm just glad he's breathing by himself
0:39:32 > 0:39:36and we're not looking at something
0:39:36 > 0:39:39potentially much more devastating.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Back at the zoo, Giles has decided to keep Spot
0:39:47 > 0:39:50away from his brother for the night to give him a chance to rest.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55So while Stripe beds down in the main compound,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59Giles and Spot are spending the night in the clubhouse next door.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04- Night.- See you in the morning. - Thank you, see you in the morning.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07- Call us if you need anything. - Thank you.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13It soon becomes clear that Spot isn't enjoying having
0:40:13 > 0:40:15the protective cone on his head.
0:40:15 > 0:40:16"Get this thing off my head."
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Break it down, break it down. Come on, come on.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31And as the night draws on,
0:40:31 > 0:40:35Spot shows signs he's missing the contact with his brother.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Dude, we're not playing.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41What you're seeing him do here in terms of trying to grab me
0:40:41 > 0:40:47with his paws and kick, is just typical wrestling
0:40:47 > 0:40:52play behaviour that you see them do with each other.
0:40:52 > 0:40:53HE CHUFFS
0:40:55 > 0:40:59It's 5am. Spot has finally gone to sleep.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08I'm exhausted.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Man, these cubs have been draining, haven't they?
0:41:11 > 0:41:12In every sense of the word.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17The most important thing is that if we can help him
0:41:17 > 0:41:20recover quicker, then what's a few hours less sleep?
0:41:31 > 0:41:35There's a good boy. Step. Good boy.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39The cubs have now been apart for 24 hours,
0:41:39 > 0:41:42and Giles is keen for them to see each other.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46HE CHUFFS
0:41:48 > 0:41:51STRIPE CHUFFS
0:41:53 > 0:41:55That's so cute!
0:41:57 > 0:41:59But while Stripe seems pleased at the reunion,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Spot is uncharacteristically reserved.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13Stripe was quite chuffy towards Spot,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16whereas I don't think he chuffed back once at his brother.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18Hi, guys. How are you going?
0:42:18 > 0:42:21The medical team have arrived to check on Spot's condition.
0:42:21 > 0:42:22Worried?
0:42:22 > 0:42:24He's been a bit better now.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28But I'm actually a bit worried now because he's so flat.
0:42:28 > 0:42:33He's been really quiet. So, we'll go and see him.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42They've taken the cone off for a better look.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47And it soon becomes clear to Dr Kleiner why Spot has been
0:42:47 > 0:42:48so withdrawn.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52- I'm a little bit worried about the sutures.- Yeah.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Would you help me here, doctor? Open up the eyes?
0:42:56 > 0:43:00Despite all the precautions taken, it seems some of the sutures,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03or stitches, have been pulled out by Spot in the night.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Yeah, here's just like 50% of the sutures gone.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Unless action's taken immediately,
0:43:12 > 0:43:16Spot's eyes could be damaged beyond repair.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19They need to get back to theatre straightaway.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29Oh, goodness.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35SPOT GROANS I know.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39I know. Where are we going?
0:43:39 > 0:43:41GILES CHUFFS
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Dr Kleiner quickly replaces the stitches.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55We had just two stitches.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58So now he has 16 stitches.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03The right eye has been successfully repaired.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06And the surgeons are happy that it's now stable.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12But they've noticed a much bigger problem.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16The left eye that contains the artificial lens is extremely
0:44:16 > 0:44:19inflamed after months of living with cataracts.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26The problem is, the pressure's way too high in his left eye,
0:44:26 > 0:44:28which is not good.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34Unfortunately, things haven't gone as smoothly as we would have liked.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37It's not looking great at this point for that eye.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43It has really, really high pressure, lots of inflammation.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46And now it's looking worse.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48GILES SIGHS
0:44:50 > 0:44:53Giles is facing the very real possibility
0:44:53 > 0:44:58that if it doesn't improve, Spot's left eye may have to be removed.
0:45:00 > 0:45:05It's the right thing. I just feel helpless for him.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10It just seems like, from all accounts from the specialist,
0:45:10 > 0:45:15that it's one of those things. He just happens to have
0:45:15 > 0:45:18a multitude of "one of those things".
0:45:24 > 0:45:26He's going through so much.
0:45:26 > 0:45:31He continues to go through so much, you know, like...
0:45:31 > 0:45:33I just...
0:45:33 > 0:45:35I just want it to be over for him.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42The vet team have eased the pressure in Spot's eye.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46But for the next few days, it's a waiting game to see if it improves.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56The next morning, and Spot is reasonably comfortable.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59But to protect the eyes from any more damage, he's going
0:45:59 > 0:46:03to have to continue to be separated from his brother.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Stripe, in particular, is finding it tough, as he's always been
0:46:06 > 0:46:09the less confident of the two.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11- SPOT WAILS - All right.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14HE WHINES
0:46:14 > 0:46:16HIS WHINES INTENSIFY
0:46:21 > 0:46:25As the days roll on, the keepers are having to find ways to keep both
0:46:25 > 0:46:30cubs busy, and provide the comfort they'd usually get from each other.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35He's just over six months, actually.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Stripe is still taking part in walks with members of the public
0:46:38 > 0:46:41to raise money for tiger conservation.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45We can't allow you to do this with him, if that's what you're hoping.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49And the enforced separation from his brother is giving him
0:46:49 > 0:46:52some new confidence.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56He's settled into being by himself a lot more now than he did initially.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59He's definitely got a lot more confident.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05Good boy!
0:47:05 > 0:47:08And because Spot is spending so much time in the safe environment
0:47:08 > 0:47:13of his den, the keepers are keen to keep him stimulated.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17He's going to be into the smells a lot more than normal, because
0:47:17 > 0:47:21obviously his vision is a little bit... Not as good as what it was.
0:47:22 > 0:47:23SHE CHUFFS
0:47:24 > 0:47:27That feels good, that one. Might have to scratch it again.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32Particularly if he picks up a fresh scraping, where there's been urine,
0:47:32 > 0:47:34or if he comes across a bit of bamboo where there's been a scent
0:47:34 > 0:47:38directly on the tree, you see him putting his nose up against it,
0:47:38 > 0:47:41then he'll turn around and pull this...what we call a stinky face,
0:47:41 > 0:47:44or the correct term is a flehmen's response, and that is sort of them
0:47:44 > 0:47:47interpreting and drawing in the smell.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49We know through watching our tigers that they definitely
0:47:49 > 0:47:52recognise each other through the smells.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55This is great for him.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59All the adult tigers urinate on the underside of this log,
0:47:59 > 0:48:01so what he's trying to do is obviously lick the urine off
0:48:01 > 0:48:04but then rub his face on it as well.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08And to get a little bit goofy!
0:48:08 > 0:48:10Whoop!
0:48:10 > 0:48:12At his age, normally he'd be running around,
0:48:12 > 0:48:15he'd be chasing his brother, he'd be chasing us, chasing toys.
0:48:15 > 0:48:20So he's probably got all this excess energy that he wants to get rid of.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22And as you can see, he definitely likes to.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25SHE LAUGHS
0:48:25 > 0:48:27You a bit playful now?
0:48:30 > 0:48:33While Spot's forced to take it easy,
0:48:33 > 0:48:37Stripe has found a willing playmate in senior handler Jeff.
0:48:40 > 0:48:42You are a good boy.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49HE LAUGHS
0:48:49 > 0:48:51All this is obviously what he'd be doing with his brother.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54We're obviously not tigers, so it's important to make sure
0:48:54 > 0:48:57that the rules we've got in place are different.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59Because they'll do whatever they want to each other.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02When he starts to get too rough, then obviously we stop.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05It's important to make sure that he knows exactly what he can and can't do.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16Spot has now been isolated from his brother for a week,
0:49:16 > 0:49:19so Kynan and Kerry have come into the zoo to give him some company.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21Hey, big fella.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24This is the first time they've seen Spot
0:49:24 > 0:49:27since he left home two months ago.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31- Hello. He looks sad!- Oh...
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Well, he's big.
0:49:33 > 0:49:37He's more than twice the size.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40He's as big as our big dog, Caesar.
0:49:40 > 0:49:41I just want to hug him.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45He looks a bit strange because his eyelids, Kynan, at the moment,
0:49:45 > 0:49:47to help them heal they've got stitches in,
0:49:47 > 0:49:49so they're sewn closed.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53I know.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56GILES CHUFFS Who's that?
0:49:56 > 0:49:57Do you want to chuff to him?
0:49:59 > 0:50:02Oh, my God. Look at his paws.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05His paws are way bigger than yours. Look.
0:50:16 > 0:50:17Over the last week,
0:50:17 > 0:50:21the tiger team have been devoting their time tending to Spot...
0:50:23 > 0:50:25..giving him medicine every few hours.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31Although Spot's coping well, it's been tough for them to see
0:50:31 > 0:50:33his discomfort at times.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37It's very difficult to watch them suffer in any way.
0:50:40 > 0:50:44But Giles is optimistic about Spot's vision.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47So he can definitely see light and dark,
0:50:47 > 0:50:49and I think he can see big shadows.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51But at the moment there's still so much inflammation
0:50:51 > 0:50:54and so much swelling.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57It's still such an early stage, given all that he's been through.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59He hasn't changed.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02You know, his eyes might have, but he hasn't.
0:51:02 > 0:51:03He's still the same Spot, you know.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07He's still got all the same characteristics and the confidence
0:51:07 > 0:51:09and everything else.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16But what the team are desperate to know
0:51:16 > 0:51:18is if Spot's eyes will be OK.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27And today, specialist Pauline has come to find out.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35- The stitches look really beautiful. - Yeah?- Yeah. Which is good.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38His right eye is continuing to improve.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44But it's the worst news possible for the left eye.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48The pressure is still dangerously high.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53And it's caused the retina to detach.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00This devastating development means he'll never have vision
0:52:00 > 0:52:02in the left eye again.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06We're going to have to have some form of removal.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14I feel as numb as he looks at the moment.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21The heartbreaking decision's been made.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24Tomorrow he'll lose his left eye.
0:52:28 > 0:52:33Today's been immensely hard, like, I can't even put it into words, really.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35I just feel sad.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45I want him to be well, you know. I want him to be little Spot again.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55Just sad.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22HE CHUFFS Hey, big fellow. Hello!
0:53:24 > 0:53:26Having got over the initial shock,
0:53:26 > 0:53:31Giles is feeling positive about what's going to happen today.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34So the specialists think that he is now completely blind
0:53:34 > 0:53:36in that left eye. And that it won't...
0:53:39 > 0:53:43Hello. I'm talking about you. Yeah, I'm talking about you.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47THEY BOTH CHUFF
0:53:48 > 0:53:52We keep having complications with the pressure. Hello.
0:53:54 > 0:53:59We're actually going to remove the workings of the eye, effectively.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02His recovery should be much quicker, and he shouldn't go through
0:54:02 > 0:54:08these periods of being really, really uncomfortable
0:54:08 > 0:54:10and clearly in pain.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14They should remove all that from the equation
0:54:14 > 0:54:16and just get him back to normal.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19Hi, Pauline. Yeah, good. How are you?
0:54:19 > 0:54:22The surgery will insert an artificial eye,
0:54:22 > 0:54:26so he'll look normal when he interacts with the other tigers.
0:54:26 > 0:54:27It's quite big.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30And he should feel the benefits immediately.
0:54:30 > 0:54:31OK?
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Good boy. HE CHUFFS
0:54:43 > 0:54:46A month later, and Spot's eyes are healing well.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Are you going to see your brother?
0:54:50 > 0:54:53And both cubs are finally able to be back together.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55Is that good? I'm going to take them off.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01And as you can see, they're getting along fabulously.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03They're getting along really well.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06Good to see your brother? Good boys.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09At the moment it's still too early to tell as to what,
0:55:09 > 0:55:13if any sight he's going to have in that right eye.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16But as far as Spot's future is concerned,
0:55:16 > 0:55:18he's going to spend the rest of his life with us.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22What are you doing? HE CHUFFS
0:55:22 > 0:55:25'He's going to stay, and we can provide him
0:55:25 > 0:55:28'with the best quality of life.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31'He's been incredibly special the whole time,'
0:55:31 > 0:55:33and continues to be, you know.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35'And he's going from strength to strength every day.'
0:55:35 > 0:55:37GILES CHUFFS
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Come on, Spot. Good boy.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44Stripe will spend the next 18 months with his brother.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48But then he's got a huge mission to help the future of his species.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52It's more imperative than ever that Stripe
0:55:52 > 0:55:55is active in part of the breeding programme,
0:55:55 > 0:55:59and so he will definitely, at some point in the years to come,
0:55:59 > 0:56:00go off to another facility
0:56:00 > 0:56:02where he can be part of that breeding programme.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05Uh-uh. Come on.
0:56:05 > 0:56:09The future is looking bright for both Stripe and Spot, and having
0:56:09 > 0:56:14them in his life for the last six months has changed Giles forever.
0:56:17 > 0:56:18It's been a...
0:56:19 > 0:56:21A crazy journey, really.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24THEY ALL CHEER
0:56:26 > 0:56:29'Watching them be born...'
0:56:30 > 0:56:32'Actually being there.'
0:56:32 > 0:56:34Hey, aren't you beautiful?
0:56:34 > 0:56:36Oh, cute!
0:56:36 > 0:56:38HE SQUEAKS
0:56:39 > 0:56:41'They grew so quickly.'
0:56:41 > 0:56:44They just went from being little bundles
0:56:44 > 0:56:45'that could sit in the palm of your hand...'
0:56:45 > 0:56:49HE SHRIEKS To then, within a couple of weeks,
0:56:49 > 0:56:51they're cruising around that room.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53This is where the real fun begins.
0:56:53 > 0:56:54Oi!
0:56:58 > 0:57:00'The journey has been emotional for me.'
0:57:00 > 0:57:04You did so well. I'm so proud of you. GILES CHUFFS
0:57:04 > 0:57:06They're both sick. And I don't know why.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12It's been really poignant on so many levels.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14MACHINE BEEPS
0:57:14 > 0:57:16STRIPE WHINES
0:57:16 > 0:57:18I just want the little guy to be OK.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24'In some ways, it's a bit like watching your own children grow.'
0:57:28 > 0:57:32It's been exhausting, it's been frustrating.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34HE SHRIEKS
0:57:34 > 0:57:36It's giving me a headache.
0:57:36 > 0:57:37Uh-uh!
0:57:38 > 0:57:43Most of all, it's had amazing purpose.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47Being caught in a snare is just barbaric.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53The tiger's in a lot of trouble.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56And what we're doing is making a massive difference.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01We're just at a point now where we're turning a new corner
0:58:01 > 0:58:05and we're going to go in a slightly different direction.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07But the destination is still the same.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10It's about saving tigers in the wild.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15'And I won't stop while I've got a breath in my body.'
0:58:20 > 0:58:22'I wouldn't change a moment.'
0:58:22 > 0:58:25It's been just an amazing privilege.