0:00:24 > 0:00:27County Durham. A rich and varied landscape
0:00:27 > 0:00:30of farmland, hills and open moorland.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Snaking its way through the heart of the county, the River Wear.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43It was once one of the dirtiest rivers in the country,
0:00:43 > 0:00:45thanks mainly to industrial pollution.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50These days, it's so clean that some people actually like to swim in it!
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Not me, though. I just like doing this.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56And it's the county Matt likes to call home.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00- Come on! Dinner!- Dinner!
0:01:00 > 0:01:03I was lucky enough to grow up here, on this farm, and this weekend,
0:01:03 > 0:01:08we are back to give my children a real taste of lambing.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Right then, kids, that's it. Fill the feeder.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16But elsewhere, there is a shadow hanging over lambing this season.
0:01:18 > 0:01:19In maternity units like this,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22the nerve-wracking question now facing farmers
0:01:22 > 0:01:24is just how many of the new arrivals
0:01:24 > 0:01:27will be born dead, or terribly deformed,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31because of a horrific new virus called Schmallenberg.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33I will be investigating its impact
0:01:33 > 0:01:36and asking what is being done about it.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42And Adam has got a bit of a challenge in Devon.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46It's 6.30 in the morning, I have only just woken up
0:01:46 > 0:01:48and we are out here to catch around 70 feral goats.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Just got to take them up the road and put them in a pen. Easy-peasy!
0:02:01 > 0:02:05County Durham is at the heart of the North East of England.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08This beautiful, rolling landscape has a heritage
0:02:08 > 0:02:10embedded in heavy industry and farming.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13But more recently, it has become an area of regeneration
0:02:13 > 0:02:16and a destination for tourists.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19If they are lucky, some of these visitors will get
0:02:19 > 0:02:23a glimpse of one of this country's most enigmatic and shy residents.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33Yup, don't seem to have hit anybody. Not that there is anybody to hit!
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Supposedly, you are more likely to get killed by a rogue golf ball
0:02:36 > 0:02:37then you are to get bitten
0:02:37 > 0:02:40by this country's only venomous snake, the adder.
0:02:40 > 0:02:41And for me, that is good news,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43because today we are going adder hunting.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45And I don't like snakes!
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Adder populations are declining in the UK.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Along with the challenges of everyday survival,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56they are having to cope with a new threat - inbreeding.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59- Hi, Sarah.- Hi, Julia. - How are you doing?
0:02:59 > 0:03:00'Sarah Edwards and a bunch of volunteers
0:03:00 > 0:03:04'are running a project to try to discover what is happening.'
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Sarah, why are we searching for snakes today?
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Well, we are trying to establish adder numbers in our area.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13We want to find out where we've got adder populations and from that,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16we want to have a look at the genetic diversity of the individuals
0:03:16 > 0:03:18to make sure we haven't got what is known as inbreeding depression.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21What is that? What are the signs?
0:03:21 > 0:03:25The signs are in lots of areas, stillborn young,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27deformities on the snakes, being born
0:03:27 > 0:03:29with one eye or eyes that are closed over,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33scales that are deformed, which leaves them open to infection.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36And this is because they are not breeding with a wide enough group?
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Yes, because the DNA pool is getting smaller and smaller.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41And you are doing DNA testing on them?
0:03:41 > 0:03:44We are collecting skins that we have found.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48They will be able to tell us if individual snakes do
0:03:48 > 0:03:49look like they are suffering from
0:03:49 > 0:03:52inbreeding depression or breeding anomalies. Hopefully, today,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55we will get the results from the university, so you will see
0:03:55 > 0:03:57some of the information we have been gathering.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58All we need now is some snakes.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Adders are poisonous, which gives them
0:04:02 > 0:04:04an unfair reputation for being aggressive.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06They are actually shy creatures
0:04:06 > 0:04:09but at this time of year they are coming out of hibernation.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12They can grow up to 65 centimetres long.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17If you see one, by all means, admire their zigzag patterns
0:04:17 > 0:04:21and distinctive V on their heads but never try to pick one up.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Where are they likely to be basking, Sarah?
0:04:25 > 0:04:29You will find them out in the open ground.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31They will be getting their body temperatures up.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34But you usually find them in areas where you get a break
0:04:34 > 0:04:35in the vegetation, so that if they need
0:04:35 > 0:04:38to move away or need to get back undercover,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41they will go into that grassy area at the side.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44'Sarah needs to catch the adders for her research.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47'She is an expert at this, so I am stepping back
0:04:47 > 0:04:50'as this part can be tricky and dangerous.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53'Specially trained volunteer David Liddle is on hand to help.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57'So, fortunately, I can keep my distance.'
0:04:59 > 0:05:02They have identified a female adder, which they are about to capture.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05'They get the adder into a plastic box
0:05:05 > 0:05:08'so it can be handled in complete safety.'
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Right, I am going to approach cautiously.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15I must say, this is a comfortable viewing of this adder for me.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19What have we got here? A female, what are you going to do?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21We have managed to get it inside a box,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24which is the safest way for us to handle her.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27You are poised there with the camera.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Are you just going to photograph the snake in the box?
0:05:30 > 0:05:32We can study it later and it does not put too much
0:05:32 > 0:05:34stress on the snake, we will release it quickly.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39We can also see off the photograph if there is any abnormalities.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Just looking at her there, what sort of condition is she in?
0:05:42 > 0:05:45She looks in really good condition. She is an adult female, we think
0:05:45 > 0:05:50she is probably about 10 years old, so she is the perfect breeding age.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- She is healthy, she looks quite fat. We will weigh her.- Right.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57So you have obviously taken into account the weight of the box?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Yes, that has been done in advance.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02So we will have the weight, the photograph
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and the mark of this particular animal so we can identify it,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07and monitor if she loses condition next year.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09What does she weigh?
0:06:09 > 0:06:13She weighs in at 450.9, so she is quite healthy,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16I wouldn't like to get a bite off her!
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Yes, I think we can all vouch for that.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25'The next thing to do is to mark the skin with a non-toxic pen.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27'The only way to do this is to get her out of the box.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30'That's me backing away!
0:06:30 > 0:06:33'For safety, the adder is encouraged to work her way up a tube,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35'which helps keep her calm.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38'She is quickly identified and then set free.'
0:06:38 > 0:06:41We will release her back where we found her,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43make sure she is in the right habitat.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52I still don't like them but they are fascinating creatures.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55'Julia - named after me, apparently -
0:06:55 > 0:06:59'will be monitored and become part of a nationwide survey.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01'Adders can travel up to a kilometre to find a mate
0:07:01 > 0:07:04'but their habitats are being disturbed and the snakes are tending
0:07:04 > 0:07:08'to stay within smaller areas, which can lead to this inbreeding.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12'So, DNA results will tell if there is a problem on this site.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16'Dr Noel Carter has brought along his findings.'
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Noel, you've got the results and rather revolting snake skins too.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22What have they revealed?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25So these two snake skins were taken from this site
0:07:25 > 0:07:29and what we're seeing is there is a bit of genetic variability
0:07:29 > 0:07:33but there are worrying signs that there's convergence
0:07:33 > 0:07:35and inbreeding taking place.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38We need to monitor that over the next couple of seasons.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39Sarah, what do you do about that?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42We'll carry on with our monitoring and get as many records as possible
0:07:42 > 0:07:46but we're really looking to increase the habitat
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and the corridors these animals move from.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51The early warning signs of inbreeding are present
0:07:51 > 0:07:53for this adder clan in Durham,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57so work to monitor these shy creatures will continue...
0:07:57 > 0:07:59just not by me!
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Now, a few weeks ago on Countryfile
0:08:01 > 0:08:03we covered the story about a deadly new virus
0:08:03 > 0:08:06spreading across the country, targeting cattle and sheep.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09This week, John's been investigating what's being done about it.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15You may find some of the images in this report upsetting.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18LAMBS BLEAT
0:08:18 > 0:08:21It's early spring - lambing time - a busy time on farms
0:08:21 > 0:08:24up and down the country.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26But this year isn't like other years.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29This year, farmers are braced for the worst.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32And that's because of a mysterious new virus,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35first spotted on the continent last summer.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Now it's here and its effects are spreading.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Not only is it devastating, it's horrific.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43The virus attacks livestock,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46causing massive deformities in newborn animals,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48as Adam saw back in February.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Slightly deformed front legs.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Oh, yes.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55They don't quite straighten up properly.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58No, they've got strange knee joints, haven't they?
0:08:58 > 0:09:03Schmallenberg is thought to have been spread by infected midges.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06They struck the south coast late last summer.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Adult animals seemed unaffected.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Only when their young were born did anyone realise there was a problem.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17What started in the south could well move up country,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19as sheep further north give birth.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Trevor and Pat Foss farm in Northamptonshire.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28As yet, no sign of Schmallenberg here?
0:09:28 > 0:09:29It's a bit like that.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32At the moment, no. We've just started, on Tuesday.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35We've had 14 lambs so far and things are going well at the moment.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37But if it arrives...?
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Well, we'll have to deal with it. We've no choice, have we?
0:09:40 > 0:09:43We haven't been able to do anything prior to it coming.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45It's something unforeseen.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49So we just have to handle it the same as anything else that crops up.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54To me, and most farmers, it's the mental side of things -
0:09:54 > 0:09:57the unknown and the worry of having to deal with it.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58That's the real issue, I think.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Latest figures show there are now 235 infected farms -
0:10:02 > 0:10:08still only a fraction of the 54,000 that have sheep and cattle.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Kent and East and West Sussex have been badly hit.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14The south has born the brunt
0:10:14 > 0:10:18because infected midges first landed there last autumn.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Billions of them. Blown across the Channel.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23They're huge plumes of midges, aren't they?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Is that really representing the actual size?
0:10:26 > 0:10:29It's definitely representing where the air's gone.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32We don't really know at what densities the midges fly at.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37Do they suddenly stop on the Channel coast, really?
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Or does the wind blow them further?
0:10:39 > 0:10:40The wind will continue much further
0:10:40 > 0:10:43but we think midges can only fly for around 12 hours
0:10:43 > 0:10:44before they run out of energy.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48So we stop modelling where they're flying after 12 hours
0:10:48 > 0:10:50and that shows the destination.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- As soon as they hit land, they find something to bite.- Exactly. Yes.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56This still doesn't explain how the virus is spreading further
0:10:56 > 0:11:00but, like the bluetongue outbreak five years ago, it is.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03That was another midge-borne disease,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05another headache for farmers.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08So is what's happening now a case of deja vu?
0:11:08 > 0:11:09Well, not exactly.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Back then, the government acted quickly
0:11:11 > 0:11:13to bring in movement restrictions
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and made bluetongue a notifiable disease.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20This time the response has been quite different. So why?
0:11:20 > 0:11:23To get some answers, I'm visiting the Chief Vet, Nigel Gibbons.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25First, the question of why farmers
0:11:25 > 0:11:29aren't legally required to report Schmallenberg.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Why isn't it a notifiable disease?
0:11:32 > 0:11:35With this disease, we're not either going to slaughter animals
0:11:35 > 0:11:40or interfere with farming business. We don't need to make it compulsory.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42But, from a lay point of view, with bluetongue,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44which turned out not to be all that serious,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47you did take a lot of precautions. It was notifiable.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49There was a vaccine available
0:11:49 > 0:11:52and it seemed a lot of action was being taken.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56- With Schmallenberg, it does not seem that action is there.- Yes.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58This is a different disease.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01The interesting and sad thing is,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03if it affects an animal at the right time in pregnancy -
0:12:03 > 0:12:06early in pregnancy - it can cause deformations in the foetuses.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09So the newborns are deformed and what we're seeing this year,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11both in Europe and this country,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14is the effect of that previous infection.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16That seems to be the biggest impact,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18which is very different to bluetongue,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21which was causing serious disease in adult cattle, adult sheep.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Farmers were clear this was something they were very worried about.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29For those in the firing line, though, Schmallenberg is bad enough.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34Farmer Clement Somerset is in one of the worst-hit counties, West Sussex.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39He lost 45 lambs out of 165
0:12:39 > 0:12:42that were born earlier this year. Losing lambs is bad enough
0:12:42 > 0:12:47but Clement fears there could be worse to come.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Schmallenberg doesn't just strike sheep.
0:12:49 > 0:12:5325 farms with cattle have been affected so far.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Right now, Clement has no way of knowing
0:12:55 > 0:12:57if his have escaped infection.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01You've got 27 cows giving birth,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04or about to give birth in a couple of months,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06they must be your next big worry.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Yes. The cows are a much bigger worry, in a way,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13than the sheep because the whole scale of the cattle is much bigger.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17If a calf comes out with fused, twisted limbs,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20well, it's not going to be able to be born
0:13:20 > 0:13:24and we won't be able to manipulate it to be born.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28So caesareans will be required, vets will be required to do it.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Long-term threat to the mothers and certainly their productivity.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35And are you steeling yourself up to the fact
0:13:35 > 0:13:39that some of your calves could well be victims and deformed?
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Yes. It is a thought that we have to face -
0:13:42 > 0:13:47the fact that those that are going to calve in two or three months
0:13:47 > 0:13:49may well be deformed.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51They may well be carrying the virus.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55It's hoped the midges carrying the disease died out over winter.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57But suppose they survived,
0:13:57 > 0:14:02or worse still, newly-hatched midges become infected?
0:14:02 > 0:14:05In a few minutes I'll be discovering how science is responding
0:14:05 > 0:14:07to the threat of Schmallenberg
0:14:07 > 0:14:10and I'll be asking, is a pattern now developing
0:14:10 > 0:14:14that could see more of these mystery diseases hitting our shores?
0:14:19 > 0:14:24These moors and rugged hillsides of County Durham are my home turf.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28It's where I bring my family for a spot of peace and quiet.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Or to get stuck in down on the farm.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34It's lambing time on our family farm,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38so this weekend we're all back to help out.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Bright and early, we're all out feeding the new mums.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47My wife Nicola's here with our two children - Luke and Molly.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Come on, sheep!
0:14:49 > 0:14:50Come and get it!
0:14:52 > 0:14:55My mum runs a flock of pedigree Hampshire Downs -
0:14:55 > 0:14:57the most northerly organic Hampshires in the UK.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Mum's been lambing for just over a month
0:14:59 > 0:15:02and they're still popping out.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07- Well, we have a very expectant mum here. Early signs.- Waters have gone.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09- We need to pen her, don't we?- Yep.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18We just give her this pen, really,
0:15:18 > 0:15:23so the little lambs aren't in danger of being trampled or anything like that.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28It also stops them from wandering too far.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31But there's always one adventurous soul, keen to explore.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34Come on, number 41.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Back you go.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42My little ones love to help out,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45even if Molly can't quite reach the hay rack.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47The newborns need numbering
0:15:47 > 0:15:50and I'm about to let Luke loose with a marker spray.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54- Whoa!- I know, it's amazing, isn't it? Go for it.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Good.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57That's it.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Good! That's it, just put the little bottom on
0:16:00 > 0:16:02cos we didn't quite see that.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Great. That's a number four.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Perfect. Now you know how it feels.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12- All right? Want to do it for real?- Yeah!
0:16:14 > 0:16:19That's it. And then a line along the bottom. That's it. Good!
0:16:19 > 0:16:20That's it and then all the way down.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Good! That's perfect!
0:16:25 > 0:16:30Good. You've got quite a lot of it on your cheek.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32MATT CHUCKLES
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Does it look like I've got green chicken pox?
0:16:35 > 0:16:38It does look like you've got green chicken pox, yes.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42I don't think the other spectators are as impressed as me!
0:16:44 > 0:16:48Up at the farmhouse, my dad is starting the next round of feeding.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52You may be wondering why we have an outdoor freezer in the garden.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55This, believe it or not, is where me dad keeps all of his bird seed.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57We've got such a variety
0:16:57 > 0:17:00just because of all the different species of birds that we have.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04So all the different seeds are tailored to each of the birds.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08We've nuts, here, general peanuts. Various sunflower seeds as well.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11And there's...
0:17:11 > 0:17:14These are, like, thistle seeds, OK? So naturally, in the wild,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18goldfinches pop down and take all the little seeds off the seedheads
0:17:18 > 0:17:21but we've got bucket loads of that as well.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25And, yes, let me show you the next stage cos it gets more impressive.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31And here we are at the live aviary.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Basically, we've set up this bird activity centre
0:17:34 > 0:17:36right opposite the kitchen window.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Why feed all these birds and then not see them?
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- I think I've counted over 20 species out here.- Right.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- Different types. - Now, Luke, I'll pop that in there.
0:17:48 > 0:17:49That's it.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52Hey, good!
0:17:54 > 0:17:56That's it. Good lad.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02- Go and grab that. You manage?- Ugh!
0:18:02 > 0:18:03Go on, have a go!
0:18:03 > 0:18:05'As well as rarer species of birds,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08'pheasants also pay a visit to the bird buffet.'
0:18:08 > 0:18:10We've put a load of wheat in the top.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13The pheasant comes underneath, with its beak.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Give it a little tap with your foot, again, Luke.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19That's it, look. And it all pops out.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22How many pheasants did you say we had here the other day?
0:18:22 > 0:18:2520. All at one time.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30We've turned into bird farmers. Look at this! This is a daily occurrence!
0:18:30 > 0:18:31Yes.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36All ideal for a super view whilst doing the washing up...
0:18:36 > 0:18:40or even a spot of kitchen-window photography.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46We don't normally... We don't normally climb into the sink!
0:18:46 > 0:18:49This is how we do it when cameras are here!
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Well, now the birds have had their fill,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57it's time to get back to the sheep.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59The ewe from earlier still hasn't given birth.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02She finally did a few hours later.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Well, the film crew have gone.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09This ewe is now minutes away from giving birth, if not seconds.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10Thankfully, I've got a Handycam,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13so we can give you an idea of what happens from here.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15There we go. That's not a big lamb.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17I don't know what all that fuss was about.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Thankfully, her twins were fighting fit
0:19:26 > 0:19:29but there's always a few weaker ones, like this one,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31that need a helping hand.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35There we go. You are a little thing, aren't you?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Yeah, you're thirsty. All right.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40'Feeding time at the Baker Zoo!'
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Wow! It's hungry.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44That's it, sweetheart. Good girl.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Well, thankfully, the Schmallenberg virus hasn't reached our farm
0:19:48 > 0:19:51but what's being done to stop this deadly virus from spreading
0:19:51 > 0:19:54and, better still, stamp it out altogether?
0:19:54 > 0:19:56John has been to investigate.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02You may find some of the images in this report upsetting.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05'It struck without warning,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08'an unknown disease, brought in silently on the wind,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12'and now farmers are counting the cost.'
0:20:12 > 0:20:16'Latest figures show 235 farms have now been infected.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18'But help is at hand.' Scientists are working flat-out
0:20:18 > 0:20:22to unlock the mysteries of the Schmallenberg virus
0:20:22 > 0:20:24and hopefully bring it under control.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29It's a totally new livestock disease, and these are the prime suspects -
0:20:29 > 0:20:32midges carrying the virus with them as they are
0:20:32 > 0:20:36blown across the Channel from infected areas in northern Europe.
0:20:36 > 0:20:43'This is what the virus looks like. A simple enough life form.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45'But it's proving to be a real challenge
0:20:45 > 0:20:48'for scientists at the Institute for Animal Health.'
0:20:48 > 0:20:51From our point of view it's a new virus.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53It's been somewhere else previously,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56but this is the first time this virus has been identified,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and it's not the same as any other virus
0:20:59 > 0:21:02that we've previously known about.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06And it's being spread by this, you think? Midges?
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Culicoides midges, yes.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10What we don't know about this virus is
0:21:10 > 0:21:13whether there's an alternative route to insect transmission.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Examples would be oral, faecal, or contact,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19or aerosol as prime candidates.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22And those are exactly the areas that we're looking at right now.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26'Discovering whether there is any other means of transmission,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30'such as aerosol - that's being coughed from animal to animal -
0:21:30 > 0:21:32'will be vital in solving this mystery.'
0:21:32 > 0:21:37And how viable would a vaccine be?
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Vaccines, I think, would be entirely possible,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43but you then have to make absolutely certain that it is safe,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45because you can't go spreading things around
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and causing even bigger problems, and that it's effective.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53The testing system and the safeguards that are necessary
0:21:53 > 0:21:58for vaccines could take as much as two years to get in place.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03'With a vaccine so far off, it's down to farmers to stay vigilant.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'Here on this Northamptonshire farm, Pat and Trevor Foss
0:22:06 > 0:22:10'are keeping an eye on every new arrival.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13'But are farmers like them getting the support they need?'
0:22:13 > 0:22:16- This one has had triplets. - Nice set of triplets here, yes.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Good strong lambs, aren't they?
0:22:18 > 0:22:21- So far so good, yeah. - What happens should the worst occur?
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Well, in theory, I should
0:22:23 > 0:22:25get in the car and take it 50 miles
0:22:25 > 0:22:28to the nearest centre to have it tested.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30But with just the two of us on the farm,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32that's a two-hour minimum drive,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35I don't think I shall be doing that unless I have several lambs.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37I shall certainly ring the vet and tell him
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and it's important everybody does that.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Do you think, though, because it would involve such a long journey,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46a lot of cases might not go reported?
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Well, they won't, I'm sure they won't.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50I mean, I think the message is, everyone rings their vet
0:22:50 > 0:22:52and tells the vet and hopefully the vets will do it.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56'As we've heard, it's not a notifiable disease.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00'There's no legal requirement for farmers to report it but they do.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04'Diseased animals are being taken to laboratories for testing.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07'But there are concerns about cutbacks to government research,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10'and even talk of some animal health labs closing.'
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Around the country there are
0:23:12 > 0:23:16several regional laboratories which have post-mortem facilities,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20and alongside those, some very specific laboratory facilities.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23I think we really have to question whether shutting laboratories,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25or certainly post-mortem facilities,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27would be a sensible way forward in the future.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32Trevor has just told me that, should he get a case amongst his lambs,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36it's going to be 50 or 60 miles for him to take it for examination.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Many farmers might not bother doing that.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42That is one of the problems. We need to encourage farmers
0:23:42 > 0:23:44to report this disease and any other disease,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and indeed any new disease should it come along in the future.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50We have to have availability to these facilities to make sure
0:23:50 > 0:23:53we have a good, robust surveillance system in the country.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55'The question is, will these proposed cuts
0:23:55 > 0:24:00'threaten the UK's ability to deal with Schmallenberg?'
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Our ability to respond now has been very good and we've used...
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Most of the scientific effort has got to be done
0:24:07 > 0:24:10in a central laboratory but we also need a regional presence.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12We also need that contact with farmers and their vets.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15And as we look to make best use of the money we have,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18we're looking at that model and how it would best work.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Because I've heard that maybe up to eight of these centres would close.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Centres that allow vets and farmers
0:24:24 > 0:24:28to contact the surveillance system is a different thing
0:24:28 > 0:24:31to where you do your rather more sophisticated testing.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33We haven't made any decisions on that yet,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35and we need to look at it carefully.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38There are pockets of the country that are currently not well served
0:24:38 > 0:24:40and we can do that better, I think.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43'The number of infected farms is still very small,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46'and there's said to be no threat to human health.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49'But after bluetongue and now Schmallenberg, should we be concerned
0:24:49 > 0:24:51'that new diseases keep appearing?'
0:24:51 > 0:24:55We have the insects that transmit these viruses.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59We have susceptible animal populations and the door is open.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Clearly other viruses could come through.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Both viruses that affect animals
0:25:04 > 0:25:07but also those that affect animals and humans
0:25:07 > 0:25:09and there's a large number of them
0:25:09 > 0:25:13that represent real risks to Europe and to the UK.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15So we really have to be on guard
0:25:15 > 0:25:19and be prepared for what's going to happen next.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21'Right now, West Sussex farmer Clement Somerset
0:25:21 > 0:25:23'is living with Schmallenberg.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27'It could be in his cattle. It has been in his sheep.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30'He lost a quarter of his lambs earlier in the season
0:25:30 > 0:25:33'but is hoping that's the end of it. Until a lamb is born,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36'there's no way of knowing it's OK.'
0:25:36 > 0:25:39- So this is the most anxious time this year, isn't it?- Yes.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41We just find that...
0:25:41 > 0:25:44We just want to check that everything on these ewes
0:25:44 > 0:25:48- is all right, rather than just leave them to get on with it.- Yes.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52- Here it comes.- There's one.- Perfect.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55- OK?- Yep, wonderful.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- There it is.- Looks fine.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00That's what spring should be about.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04'The next few months will be make or break for farmers like Clement.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07'No-one's really sure what the disease will do next.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11'The scientists think it may just burn out. The government says
0:26:11 > 0:26:14'we're in a good position to deal with future outbreaks.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16'All farmers can do is pray.'
0:26:19 > 0:26:22'Back on my farm, I've got my work cut out with our new addition
0:26:22 > 0:26:25'to the family, seven-month-old black lab puppy Annie.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29'She loves to play but it's time to knuckle down to some training.'
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Right then, Annie, it's time to concentrate.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36This is actually Annie's first time in this field.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40What I'm aiming for is to try and get her attention,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44which obviously, she's kind of just doing her own thing at the moment,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46but we're going to work with a little bit of heel work,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and then the idea is that if I can't control her on the lead,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51I've no chance of controlling her when she's off it.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54So... Come on, then. Good girl, good girl!
0:26:54 > 0:26:56There now, good girl.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Annie, head up. Sit.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Good girl.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03But...we'll try another little trick here
0:27:03 > 0:27:05and loop that lead around there
0:27:05 > 0:27:07so she still thinks I've got some contact.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Annie, heel. Good girl.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Sit. Good girl. Just drop the lead, but she doesn't know it.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Good girl. Good girl.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Annie, heel.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21'She's picking this up brilliantly, so while we carry on,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23'here's what else is coming up on Countryfile.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26'Adam's put through his paces by some feral goats.'
0:27:26 > 0:27:29We're a bit weak up here.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33If we can get in a line and shuffle this way a bit, that's it.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Julia meets the wild swimmers enjoying a rather chilly river.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39And is it true, do you wee to keep yourself warm?
0:27:39 > 0:27:41We definitely wee to keep ourselves warm.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44'And there's the Countryfile five-day forecast.'
0:27:49 > 0:27:50Sit. Sit.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Sit. Sit. Seek!
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Good girl. Good girl. Annie, Annie!
0:27:58 > 0:28:01What a good girl. Right to me. I'm absolutely over the moon, Annie.
0:28:01 > 0:28:02I really am.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05So while I'm feeling very at home here in County Durham,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07as is Annie, Helen is across the border
0:28:07 > 0:28:10meeting a lady who's made her home in Northumberland.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20The rugged north-east. It's no stranger to dramatic landmarks.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26This region is defined by vast man-made projects.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Hadrian's Wall.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30The Angel of the North.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32And there's soon to be another.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36I'm on a construction site just north of Newcastle.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38I'm here for a preview of a new landmark
0:28:38 > 0:28:41and it's just on the other side of these trees.
0:28:45 > 0:28:50'You move through a wood which is very dark
0:28:50 > 0:28:53'and very calm, very silent. And as you walk forward,
0:28:53 > 0:28:55'slowly you begin to see
0:28:55 > 0:28:59'that there's a face at the end of the walk.'
0:29:07 > 0:29:10'It's the brainchild of internationally renowned
0:29:10 > 0:29:12'landscape artist Charles Jencks.'
0:29:12 > 0:29:17'If you ask me what the art of landforming is, I have to say,
0:29:17 > 0:29:22'it's to do with the sun hitting the side of these pathways,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25'creating wonderful shadows, and then all of a sudden the landform'
0:29:25 > 0:29:28comes to life. You really feel it in your stomach.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39Northumberlandia, as she's been called,
0:29:39 > 0:29:41is the world's largest human landform.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44It's a piece of art and a playground.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50You probably can't tell from here but she is definitely a she...
0:29:52 > 0:29:56..because I'm currently standing on her right boob.
0:30:03 > 0:30:08And then, finally, you head for the forehead itself.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12From there you get a full view of her face,
0:30:12 > 0:30:14the goal of the walk,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18and the rest of her body all the way to her feet.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23And at this point, you get a 360-degree panorama
0:30:23 > 0:30:24of the whole landscape -
0:30:24 > 0:30:28north, south, east, west, the cardinal points,
0:30:28 > 0:30:29looking straight up, the cosmos,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32and the connection to the Earth.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40But when you're up here, there's another, quite different view.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Coal.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51It's been mined in this area for 800 years,
0:30:51 > 0:30:55and it's because of this surface mine that Northumberlandia is here.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59Katie, this place is unbelievable! What is it even made of?
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Well, Northumberlandia has been made
0:31:01 > 0:31:04from material from the Shotton surface mine.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07It's a core of rock, covered by a layer of clay,
0:31:07 > 0:31:08and a layer of soil over the top.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10- So everything's come out of the mine?- Yes.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13All the core materials come out of the mine.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14And what made you think
0:31:14 > 0:31:17you were going to turn all of that material
0:31:17 > 0:31:19into an undeniably voluptuous women?
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Well, the Banks Group and the Blagdon Estate,
0:31:22 > 0:31:24who are the landowners that Northumberlandia sits on,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26wanted to do something
0:31:26 > 0:31:28that was really going to be iconic for the North-east
0:31:28 > 0:31:29and attract tourists.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31So we worked with the artist Charles Jencks
0:31:31 > 0:31:34and he's come up with what we see today!
0:31:34 > 0:31:38But how to turn an artist's vision into a practical reality?
0:31:38 > 0:31:42Well, that job fell to landscape architect Mark Simmons.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Mark, I'm guessing you're not laying out your dinner.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50- What have we got here?- Well, I've got the computer model...
0:31:50 > 0:31:52My word!
0:31:52 > 0:31:54- She's amazing!- Fantastic.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57Looking at it like this, you can really appreciate that it is art.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01- You can see the whole thing.- And so where are we? If that's the nose...
0:32:01 > 0:32:06- We must be...- We're just here. Just next to the wrist.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08- So the hand?- That's the hand.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11- The paths almost make, like, veins, make her more alive.- That's it.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16They are developed as an intrinsic part of the landform itself,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19so they step up, they create the steps
0:32:19 > 0:32:24and bring the body actually out of the surrounding landscape.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26I really like the idea of a figurative model,
0:32:26 > 0:32:30because the scale of it, it wouldn't be figurative the whole time.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32It becomes abstract when you're actually walking on it.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Because you don't know what you're walking on, do you,
0:32:35 > 0:32:36- when you're up there?- Absolutely.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39It's just a series of different interlocking curves and shapes
0:32:39 > 0:32:43that change as you move round it and the light moves over it.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47Which is just fantastic. And when you move back, it just clicks into place.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49When you build a sandcastle,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52it almost feels impossible to keep the turrets upright.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55How do you know that you'll be able to build the nose
0:32:55 > 0:32:59- and make it stay that pointy? - Well, on the actual face itself,
0:32:59 > 0:33:03we've actually used a reinforcing material called a geogrid,
0:33:03 > 0:33:05which is a plastic mesh,
0:33:05 > 0:33:07and then the material is pushed in behind that
0:33:07 > 0:33:10and that's pulled over through the structure,
0:33:10 > 0:33:12and that holds it all in place.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14So we've been able to get the much steeper slopes
0:33:14 > 0:33:16on the side of the face.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22'Wet winters aren't the time for delicate finishing work
0:33:22 > 0:33:25'so for the last few months, the site has been silent.
0:33:25 > 0:33:30'But Mark is letting me leave my mark on the palm of her left hand.'
0:33:30 > 0:33:34Mark, I'm hoping you've had something bigger than these
0:33:34 > 0:33:37- to do the hips and the head. - Yes, just slightly.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Her right hand points and, like everything in Jencks's work,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46- it's laden with meaning. - When you point at something,
0:33:46 > 0:33:49it says look there, go there, what's that?
0:33:49 > 0:33:53It has a command meaning.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57And I wanted the pointed finger to be used in that way,
0:33:57 > 0:34:01to suggest there's a point to the whole walk.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04The other hand is open
0:34:04 > 0:34:08and that's a great sign of peace and welcome,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11and giving and receiving.
0:34:14 > 0:34:15Like many of our most infamous artworks,
0:34:15 > 0:34:20Northumberlandia has caused plenty of discussion.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Some people have affectionately nicknamed her Slag Alice,
0:34:22 > 0:34:24others have been asking,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26when are they going to build NorthumberMANdia?
0:34:26 > 0:34:29But what about the people living on her doorstep?
0:34:29 > 0:34:32'Well, there's no-one more local than the Philipson family,
0:34:32 > 0:34:34'whose farmhouse sits in the middle of the mining area.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38'How will they feel when Northumberlandia opens later this year?'
0:34:38 > 0:34:41- Fabulous. She's great. - Yeah. Really excited.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45Lovely attraction, hopefully great for the local community,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48great views, and it's just an amazing sculpture.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51- We can't wait to actually have a walk on it.- That's right!
0:34:51 > 0:34:53I had a sneaky preview, didn't I?
0:34:53 > 0:34:55'And I'm about to get another.'
0:34:57 > 0:35:01I'm embarrassed to admit, this is my lift. This is so showbiz!
0:35:13 > 0:35:16She is unbelievable!
0:35:16 > 0:35:20I don't know how they've got it that defined and that immaculate.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23'All landforms gain by movement,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25'seeing things in relationship to each other.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27'You'll get that dynamic quality.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31'So exciting, because the drama unfolds.
0:35:31 > 0:35:32'Movement is absolutely key.'
0:35:34 > 0:35:36One thing it definitely is is impressive.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42'The sun comes out, it sings, it's just beautiful.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44'It's surprising. It surprises me.'
0:35:52 > 0:35:54'Spring's a really hectic time of year down on the farm,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57'and Adam's goats are top priority.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00'It's the new arrivals that are keeping him busy.'
0:36:08 > 0:36:11'The farm is starting to buzz with new life,
0:36:11 > 0:36:14'so we need to make extra checks on the animals.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16'We've had Highland calves born out in the field...'
0:36:18 > 0:36:21'..and Irish Moiled calves born in the barns.'
0:36:23 > 0:36:26'Baby chicks are starting to hatch.'
0:36:28 > 0:36:31'And lambing and kidding is in full swing, so my barns are bursting.'
0:36:34 > 0:36:37'It's all go at the moment. When a newborn is on its way,
0:36:37 > 0:36:41'we need to be on hand to make sure everything is running smoothly.'
0:36:41 > 0:36:46This nanny is well on with kidding - you can see the kid's two front feet
0:36:46 > 0:36:50coming out, and the nose coming in a correct position.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52And she's trying desperately to push
0:36:52 > 0:36:54but obviously in a lot of pain.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58They try and do it as quietly as possible,
0:36:58 > 0:36:59because a nanny or a ewe
0:36:59 > 0:37:04that's kidding or giving birth is in a very vulnerable position,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06and doesn't want to attract attention to themselves.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09It's nearly there. I'll just give it the last final bit.
0:37:09 > 0:37:10Here it comes.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12There we are.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16There you go. There he is, look!
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Just clear the mucus away from its nose and mouth,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23where it's going to start breathing.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27The umbilical cord here is where it gets all its oxygen and food
0:37:27 > 0:37:31when it's inside the nanny, that just breaks naturally. There you go.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35You jump up and come and give it a lick. I'll just get her up.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37There you go.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Your new baby!
0:37:39 > 0:37:42She'll want to start to lick it dry.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45There's no hot towels here, and it's born wet and warm,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and she needs to dry it out as quickly as possible
0:37:48 > 0:37:50so that it doesn't get hypothermia.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56'It's a big day for my goats.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58'After five long winter months in the barn,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01'today they are getting turned out into the field.'
0:38:11 > 0:38:12Right then, ladies.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15These goats have been indoors since November,
0:38:15 > 0:38:18and now they've kidded I can turn them out onto this lovely grass.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Goats do eat grass, a bit like sheep,
0:38:20 > 0:38:24but they prefer brambles and bushes and that sort of thing.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Come on, then!
0:38:26 > 0:38:30So it's the first time for their little kids to be out.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33GOATS BLEAT
0:38:36 > 0:38:38It must be really lovely for these nannies.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41They've been shut indoors all winter
0:38:41 > 0:38:43and when you turn them out onto this fresh spring grass,
0:38:43 > 0:38:46they put their heads down and start grazing straight away.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48The nannies are wonderful mothers.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50They are all worried about their little kids
0:38:50 > 0:38:54and they're following them around and keeping an eye on them.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57'Not all goats need this care for their survival.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01'Some goats are perfectly adapted to living on their own.'
0:39:01 > 0:39:05I'm heading to the Valley of the Rocks, on the North Devon coast,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08where there's a herd of feral goats that live on the cliff faces there.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11And twice a year, a group of very willing volunteers round them up
0:39:11 > 0:39:13to give them a health check.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15So I'm joining in to give them a hand,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18and hopefully learn a thing or two about feral goats.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20But there's one thing for sure - it's going to be no easy task.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24'I'm meeting farmer Elizabeth Rodway.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26'She owns the grazing rights in this valley
0:39:26 > 0:39:28'and will be overseeing the goat herding.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30'There's about 65 of them to catch.'
0:39:30 > 0:39:31- Hi, Elizabeth.- Oh, hello.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35- Lovely to see you. What an amazing spot!- Yeah, yes.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37It's quite spectacular.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40It's very unusual to have a valley that runs parallel to the sea
0:39:40 > 0:39:42- instead of out to the sea. - Now what about these goats?
0:39:42 > 0:39:45What's it like for them living out here?
0:39:45 > 0:39:48It can be tough if the weather is bad, but they've freedom,
0:39:48 > 0:39:49they've got plenty to eat.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53And how long have they been living in the Valley of the Rocks?
0:39:53 > 0:39:55It goes back to Domesday times,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58but I think in Domesday times it was more sort of people owned them
0:39:58 > 0:40:00and brought them out to graze because it was common land.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03It's incredible, the conditions they live in here.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06I mean, I can see them jumping around on the rocks down there.
0:40:06 > 0:40:07Like little limpets!
0:40:07 > 0:40:10- It's incredible they don't fall to their death, isn't it?- Yeah, I know.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13And tomorrow we've got to catch them. How's that going to work?
0:40:13 > 0:40:17Well, we've got to be out here at first light, six o'clock.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20It's quite a tricky area. It's quite a big area, too, isn't it?
0:40:20 > 0:40:23- About 277 acres.- Crikey! - Yes. All up and down.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25THEY LAUGH
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Well, I'll see you in the morning, then. What time did you say?
0:40:27 > 0:40:31- About half past eight? - No, six o'clock sharp!- All right.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Well, I got my head down in a B&B just up the road
0:40:42 > 0:40:44from the Valley of the Rocks. There's nothing like an early start.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47It's 5.30 in the morning, the sun is still not up,
0:40:47 > 0:40:48let's go and catch some goats.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54'As the sun rises over the valley, the goats start to wake,
0:40:54 > 0:40:57'and the team of committed goat herders
0:40:57 > 0:40:59'appear from out of the dark.'
0:40:59 > 0:41:02There's a bunch of billy goats that are living down here,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04they've been raiding the neighbour's garden.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07The billies are separate to the nannies at this time of year,
0:41:07 > 0:41:08when they're giving birth -
0:41:08 > 0:41:10they go off on their own in a little herd.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13And the guys who are rounding them up have gone down the valley
0:41:13 > 0:41:15to try and circle round the back of the billy goats
0:41:15 > 0:41:17but the billy goats have spotted them,
0:41:17 > 0:41:19jumped over the wall,
0:41:19 > 0:41:22and gone straight up the mountain like mountain goats do.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25And it doesn't bode well for the first part of the mission -
0:41:25 > 0:41:26we've failed already!
0:41:26 > 0:41:31'The purpose of the roundup is to bring them down the valley
0:41:31 > 0:41:35'and contain them in pens, so vets can check their well-being.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37'With 30 willing volunteers, it should be easy.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39'In theory, at least.'
0:41:41 > 0:41:44- What went wrong?- They got away.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Co-ordination, just co-ordination didn't go.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49You young boys could run, why don't you just run?
0:41:49 > 0:41:50We were waiting there!
0:41:50 > 0:41:52We said to them and they were like, "Nah."
0:41:52 > 0:41:56- So it's the managers, you're blaming the managers?- BOTH: Yeah.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58It's a blame society.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02OK, guys, we're going to try and bring them up from the bottom.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05So if you split in two and space out either side, down to the roundabout.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08And how are we going to get round them, then?
0:42:08 > 0:42:13Well, hopefully, we can put some out on the bottom
0:42:13 > 0:42:17but, normally, they'll go down over the cliff if we're not careful.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19So we end up losing 'em.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22The search is on.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24We spread out looking for the goats,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26covering as much terrain as we can.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33The goats make easy work of this. I'm certainly no mountain goat!
0:42:36 > 0:42:40Oh, they've got some. There's about seven down there.
0:42:40 > 0:42:45Not sure where the other 60 or so are but it's a good start.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48And the whole team is closing in from the sides and up the back,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51trying to drive them up the road,
0:42:51 > 0:42:52into the corral.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58- Now, then, Elizabeth, how's it going?- Disastrously!
0:42:58 > 0:43:03The trouble is, if you foul it up in the beginning you're stuck, really.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06And then our luck changes and the billies are spotted.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08For some time, I'm on my own,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11desperately waiting for more helpers to close the gap.
0:43:11 > 0:43:12We're a bit weak up here.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16If we can get in a line and shuffle this way a bit...that's it.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23Right, everybody, squeeze in together. Everyone in together.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29CHEERS AND APPLAUSE
0:43:29 > 0:43:32Oh, it's absolutely brilliant! We've got, what, nine billies now.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35There's another bunch of nannies down the bottom
0:43:35 > 0:43:38that we're going to run round and try and get too.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40So we're getting there, slowly.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44While the team of herders bring the nannies down the mountain,
0:43:44 > 0:43:48a stray goat is spotted in a tricky location on the cliff edge.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52And the goat is just giving them the run around.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56She doesn't want to come off that ledge. There we are. I know why now.
0:43:56 > 0:43:57I can see a little kid.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01She's got a young kid up there. She doesn't want to leave it.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04'Finally, one of the team manages to catch the goat kid,
0:44:04 > 0:44:08'using it as a lure to entice the nanny towards the pens.'
0:44:08 > 0:44:10You need to...put it down low!
0:44:10 > 0:44:13She doesn't think it can jump up in the air.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15He obviously doesn't know anything about livestock.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19He picked the kid up, protected it, put it in his jacket,
0:44:19 > 0:44:22and the nanny didn't know where it was and nearly bolted up the rocks.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25She's moving slowly. It might be one more in the pen
0:44:25 > 0:44:27if we can get her all the way to the top.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30That's it. We'll just walk her up with it now.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34We've got most of the goats down now,
0:44:34 > 0:44:38so it's time for the vet to give them the once over.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42- What's it going to have?- Wormer, first of all.- For internal parasites?
0:44:42 > 0:44:44- Yes, yes.- There, little one.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47A little bit of antibiotics.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49Little bit of antibiotics
0:44:49 > 0:44:53cos where they've got ticks, we don't know if the ticks have Lyme disease
0:44:53 > 0:44:56and tick pyemia and things like that.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00- So he'll probably kick and wriggle a bit.- OK. I've got him.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03'And because he's not been caught before, he has to be tagged
0:45:03 > 0:45:05'so his health can be monitored in the future.'
0:45:05 > 0:45:07KID BLEATS
0:45:07 > 0:45:11- There we go. They make a lot of fuss, goats.- New ear tags as well.
0:45:11 > 0:45:12He may go.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16'That little one was easy to handle, unlike the larger billy goats.'
0:45:17 > 0:45:20Steady, boys. Steady, steady.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25This is one big old billy.
0:45:25 > 0:45:26'And when it calmed down,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29'the billy got the same treatment as all the rest.'
0:45:29 > 0:45:31He's a big boy!
0:45:35 > 0:45:37- Off you go!- OK!
0:45:39 > 0:45:42Once the vet has done her job, it's time to let them go.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45Well, it's been a great experience for me.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48Managing my goats at home is a piece of cake in comparison to this lot!
0:45:48 > 0:45:51And, hopefully, now they're being carefully managed here,
0:45:51 > 0:45:55they'll have a healthy, happy life here in the Valley of the Rocks.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58Next week, I'll be back on the farm,
0:45:58 > 0:46:01tending to a new litter of Kunekune piglets.
0:46:06 > 0:46:07Down on my family's farm,
0:46:07 > 0:46:11there are more than just the lambs that are keeping us busy.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16One fellow that I'm always happy to see when I come back is Beano.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20He's an absolute cracker.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23He's 21 years old, this Shetland pony,
0:46:23 > 0:46:28and he still bounces around like he's about three!
0:46:28 > 0:46:32Look at his mane! I keep telling me mum to cut it but she won't listen.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34It's a beauty.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37Keeps you warm up here, though, doesn't it, in the Dales?
0:46:37 > 0:46:40Beano's well-suited to this land, 1,000ft above sea level,
0:46:40 > 0:46:44but his new stable mates are a bit more delicate.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Another of the four-legged varieties that we have here on the farm
0:46:49 > 0:46:52are these miniature donkeys - Mum's pride and joy at the moment!
0:46:52 > 0:46:54They certainly are, yes. Very excited about them.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57- Introduce the nation to these three, Mum.- All right.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00That's Sophia, walking forward in the blue head collar.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04This is Augustine, her daughter, who was born in August - hence the name.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06And that's Winifred at the back, there.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11Interesting thing is, their coats aren't waterproof,
0:47:11 > 0:47:13so we're going to let them out.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15Do you think it's going to rain in half an hour or so?
0:47:15 > 0:47:18- Let them stretch their legs a bit. - Yes. That's a good idea.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21- They can always run back into here if it rains.- Yeah.
0:47:21 > 0:47:22Right, Molls.
0:47:22 > 0:47:27'Before settling on our farm, these donkeys have had a travelling past.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31'They were born in America and Mum bought them from the Isle of Man.'
0:47:34 > 0:47:37Look at them go! Donkey derby! Brilliant!
0:47:37 > 0:47:41'And next spring we hope to multiply this miniature herd.'
0:47:41 > 0:47:42Brilliant turn of pace on them!
0:47:44 > 0:47:46MATT CHUCKLES
0:47:46 > 0:47:48While they're enjoying a dry spell,
0:47:48 > 0:47:52let's see what the weather has in store with the Countryfile forecast.
0:50:50 > 0:50:57.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11Along with Matt, I've been exploring his home county of Durham.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16Running through the heart of County Durham is the River Wear.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19It meanders for 60 miles through this beautiful countryside
0:51:19 > 0:51:22and slices through the cities of Durham and Sunderland
0:51:22 > 0:51:25before flowing out into the North Sea.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30For decades, the River Wear played a pivotal role
0:51:30 > 0:51:35in Britain's industrial expansion in this area but it paid a price.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47The river became heavily contaminated with industrial waste.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51So much so that it was classified as a dead river.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54Nothing was alive in here but that's all in the past.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58Now it's in the Environment Agency's top ten of most-improved rivers.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00And, believe it or not,
0:52:00 > 0:52:04what I'm doing is going to help to prove that.
0:52:04 > 0:52:09What's this called, Steve, our little dance that we're doing?
0:52:09 > 0:52:12Well, Julia, this technique is called a kick sample.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16The reason why we're shuffling around in the river
0:52:16 > 0:52:20is we're collecting invertebrate samples and this will give us
0:52:20 > 0:52:23a good indication of water quality in this stretch.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25Right. How long have we to do it?
0:52:25 > 0:52:27We do it for three minutes, sadly.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31So you've got to have really good leg muscles to do a good job.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42- Right, then, let's see what we've got.- What's good news in here?
0:52:42 > 0:52:45Basically, we're looking for indicator species.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49If they're present in a particular stretch,
0:52:49 > 0:52:52then it basically means that you've got good water quality.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Show me round your tank.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57- Right, let's see what we've got. - What's that one?
0:52:57 > 0:52:59That is a cased caddis fly.
0:52:59 > 0:53:00These guys are really clever
0:53:00 > 0:53:03because they actually build their own cases around their body.
0:53:03 > 0:53:08They actually secrete silk from their salivary glands
0:53:08 > 0:53:10and stick different substrates together
0:53:10 > 0:53:13- to create houses for themselves. - Right.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15They're a very juicy source of protein for fish.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18These guys are at the bottom of the food chain
0:53:18 > 0:53:21and without these you will not have a healthy fish population.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24We have small critters here. We've got swimming mayfly.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28- Yes.- You can always tell the mayflies. They have three tails.
0:53:28 > 0:53:33You can see the gill structures on the side of his abdomen there.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37They flap to increase the water circulation around their bodies.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39That's what makes them sensitive to pollution
0:53:39 > 0:53:42because their gills are so sensitive
0:53:42 > 0:53:44that they'll move on straight away -
0:53:44 > 0:53:47as soon as they sense an increase in pollutant in the water.
0:53:47 > 0:53:48Are you a happy man? Pleased?
0:53:48 > 0:53:51I'm chuffed to bits with this water quality sample.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54We're definitely going in the right direction.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57The ecosystem's going to benefit greatly, I think.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01- So you'll be river dancing for a few years yet?- Definitely. I hope so!
0:54:08 > 0:54:12Along with invertebrates, another indicator of a clean
0:54:12 > 0:54:16and healthy river is the number of fish that flourish in it.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19The Wear is now one of our top rivers to catch salmon and trout.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23Those fish can be caught right here, near the centre of Durham.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27Lots of people are enjoying the river now
0:54:27 > 0:54:31and the anglers are not alone in their pursuit of the fish
0:54:31 > 0:54:33that are now thriving in the river.
0:54:33 > 0:54:38There's a new threat. Luckily, help is at hand. Thank you!
0:54:43 > 0:54:46And hopefully this device will provide the solution.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49- What's the problem, then, Paul? - Well, with the river
0:54:49 > 0:54:53being cleaner than it has been in 20 years, we've an abundance of fish
0:54:53 > 0:54:56but with an abundance of fish we've an abundance of predators.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59The predator on this river is a bird called a cormorant.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01It's a very efficient hunter,
0:55:01 > 0:55:03a coastal bird that's come inland
0:55:03 > 0:55:05and can now find rich pickings in the river,
0:55:05 > 0:55:09where the coarse fish have never been exposed to this predator before.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11It's having a field day.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14How on earth does this contraption help, then?
0:55:14 > 0:55:17- We build an underwater reef with these.- Right.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20The fish can get in them but cormorants can't.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23- So that makes the cormorants go elsewhere.- Just chuck it in?
0:55:23 > 0:55:24Yes, just chuck it in.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27Right, so the fish can hide under there
0:55:27 > 0:55:31and the cormorants hopefully get bored looking
0:55:31 > 0:55:33cos they're secreted fairly well
0:55:33 > 0:55:36and hopefully they head back to the coast and the fish survive.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38Correct.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50So it seems that the river is flourishing again.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53The invertebrates are back - the fish, the frogs, the toads -
0:55:53 > 0:55:54all sorts of wildlife.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57Now I'm going to introduce you to a truly unique species
0:55:57 > 0:55:59also enjoying the river once again.
0:56:02 > 0:56:03Meet the wild swimmers.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08This bunch are true adrenaline junkies
0:56:08 > 0:56:12and they get their thrills from thrashing around in rivers.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18Now, I don't want you to get cold - or colder -
0:56:18 > 0:56:20what temperature are we talking about now?
0:56:20 > 0:56:23It's currently about nine degrees.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Nine degrees! Try and describe that cold to me.
0:56:26 > 0:56:31Er...if you can imagine putting your hand in a bucket of ice,
0:56:31 > 0:56:33hold it in for as long as you can,
0:56:33 > 0:56:37you probably won't manage three minutes if you're not acclimatised.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40So how long can you stay in there safely, then?
0:56:40 > 0:56:43General rule of thumb is that if it's under ten degrees,
0:56:43 > 0:56:45you make it a minute per degree
0:56:45 > 0:56:49but because we're acclimatised to it and we swim all year round,
0:56:49 > 0:56:53we'll probably manage between 30-45 minutes.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03What are the dangers - the real dos and don'ts?
0:57:03 > 0:57:06Don't get in by yourself. You go with a group, a friend.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08All of us have been training for years.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10We train together and we swim socially.
0:57:10 > 0:57:15We would never jump in because we don't know what's underneath - trees, rocks, debris.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19It's an extreme sport for a reason, because of the temperatures.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22If you're not acclimatised to it you could find yourself in danger.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25- And how clean is the water and how can you tell?- We can see the bottom.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28One of the beauties is we can swim with wildlife.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31We see what's around so we know the rivers are getting clean.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34- And do you wee to keep warm? - We definitely wee to keep warm!
0:57:34 > 0:57:38There you go. I knew it! It's not just a vicious rumour.
0:57:40 > 0:57:44Another vicious rumour was that I was going to get in and have a go.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47Ha! I'll wait until Countryfile goes somewhere hotter...
0:57:47 > 0:57:48like the Caribbean.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55Well, that's it for this week's Countryfile.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57Next week, Matt and Ellie are in the Brecon Beacons.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00Matt's celebrating the 200th anniversary of the canal network
0:58:00 > 0:58:01with some special beer
0:58:01 > 0:58:05and Ellie's getting physical on manoeuvres with the Army.
0:58:12 > 0:58:16Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 2012