0:00:25 > 0:00:30Exmoor National Park. A rich and diverse landscape.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Gentle hills, wooded valleys,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36rolling farmland.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39All straddling the counties of Devon and Somerset.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Gracing its remote moorlands, 3,000 red deer,
0:00:44 > 0:00:48the largest wild herd in England.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Imagine finding these when you're out on a walk across the moor.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54Well, spring is the time
0:00:54 > 0:00:57that the magnificent stag starts to shed its antlers.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59And I'm going to be out with an "antlerholic",
0:00:59 > 0:01:03who's going to give me some top tips on finding the perfect pair.
0:01:04 > 0:01:05I'll be training my gaze
0:01:05 > 0:01:09on another of Exmoor's magnificent creatures - the peregrine falcon.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15One man is taking falconry to a whole new level.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18He's reviving this ancient and noble sport.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21And just look at what he can do.
0:01:21 > 0:01:22SHE LAUGHS
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Tom's finding out about an animal that needs our help.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31In Britain today, thousands of horses are being abandoned.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Others, like this one, are neglected.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37But with animal charities running out of space,
0:01:37 > 0:01:38who's going to look after them?
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Well, maybe you could help.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45And the last of the spring lambs are making an appearance
0:01:45 > 0:01:46on Adam's farm.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48There we go!
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Obviously a little bit stuck, it's quite a big lamb!
0:01:53 > 0:01:54There! Lovely!
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Exmoor National Park.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14267 square miles of very different landscapes,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17shaped by people and nature over thousands of years.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21At times, the scenery can be bleak, but it's always breathtaking.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25The park sits across two counties.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Two-thirds in Somerset, and the rest in Devon.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Exmoor became a national park in 1954.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35But in its dim and distant past, it was a royal forest
0:02:35 > 0:02:37and a hunting ground.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Today, it's enjoyed by field sports enthusiasts, serious walkers,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44and those who just wish to enjoy its beauty.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Home to the iconic Exmoor pony,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52these fellas are the closest you can get to the wild horse
0:02:52 > 0:02:54that once roamed Britain.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56But I'm not here just to see the ponies.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00I'm on the lookout for our largest wild land mammal - the red deer.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03They may be large, but they can be elusive.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of them with Exmoor park ranger,
0:03:07 > 0:03:08Richard Eales.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10You look up on the side of the hill here,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12you've got two lines of trees coming down.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Look to the far line and...?
0:03:15 > 0:03:19- Yeah, got 'em.- Got 'em?- There - yes!
0:03:19 > 0:03:22It seems to be a mixture of both stags and hinds at the moment.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Stags being the male deer and hinds being the female deer.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32Exmoor National Park is a very diverse landscape and you've got
0:03:32 > 0:03:36deep wooded coombs, you've got these expanses of open moorland.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40And the deer really just adapt to wherever they are.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44At this time of year, the stags shed their antlers.
0:03:44 > 0:03:45With many miles of moorland,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49how do you find an antler in a national park haystack?
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Well, you need a man who knows his antlers from his elbows!
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Terry Moule is a self-confessed "antlerholic".
0:03:58 > 0:04:00He spends hours looking for a matching pair.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03He's got some of his finest finds to show me.
0:04:06 > 0:04:12- Terry, these are absolutely unbelievable! Aren't they?- Yeah.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15How long have you been fascinated with antlers?
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I've been collecting antlers ever since I was twelve years old.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Do you know, until you grab hold of them,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22you've got no idea how heavy they are.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26- I mean, that is some weight to have up on your head!- Yes, it is.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28So what's the story behind these, then?
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Well, this stag is well known in the valley.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36- This one actually shed its antlers on about the 14th of March.- Yeah.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40And by August, he'll have a full set. Yeah.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- All the velvet will be starting rubbing off then.- Right.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- All ready for the rut. - So, are you following them?
0:04:46 > 0:04:50- Waiting for them to...? - Yeah, I study them a lot.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Just imagine when it's on a stag like that.
0:04:53 > 0:04:58- One comes off, so what he's doing, he's, oooh, he's like this.- Yeah.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01So he isn't going to stay like that all day.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06So either he goes down to his ground, he'll go in like that.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08And off it comes.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10And they drop off as simple as that?
0:05:10 > 0:05:11And you might find them just like that.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13How does it feel, Terry,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16when you see a pair of antlers like that on the ground?
0:05:16 > 0:05:18I mean, I've been collecting antlers all my life,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22but when I first found my antler, oh, my heart was beating!
0:05:22 > 0:05:26- Was it?- Oh, you can't imagine what excitement it is.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28If you're not keeping them in the car, Terry,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30where do you keep all of these antlers, then?
0:05:30 > 0:05:34I started off by filling my front room up, just a few to start with.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Then it got filled more.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Then we couldn't have no visitors,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41because we couldn't open the sitting room door!
0:05:41 > 0:05:46So it took me two days to put them all up the stairs and in my bedroom.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50- And there they are today!- How many antlers are in the room, then?!
0:05:50 > 0:05:53The last time I counted, I had 600 pairs.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59And probably about between 400 odd ones.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01What's going on in the back seat here?
0:06:01 > 0:06:02You'll have a job getting that out.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06There must be a way of getting these out! Is there a special technique?!
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Let me do it. You've got to push that one there.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14And you try, somehow, to get it out that way. That's it.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21Well, somehow... It got in there! There it is.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23And this is my pride and joy.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25- Don't tell me you keep these in the spare bedroom?!- No.
0:06:25 > 0:06:31- These are in the lounge, are they? - These are in my lounge.- Yeah.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36- When I watch my television.- Yeah, this is the aerial?- There he is!
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Terry's antlers are literally prize specimens,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42picking up a winning rosette in several local shows.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Later, I'll be finding out what antlers tell us
0:06:44 > 0:06:46about the health of a herd.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50But first, whilst we've been down here in Exmoor,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Tom's been up in the north of England,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56investigating the growing problem of abandoned horses.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03It's an idyllic scene here in the rural north east of England.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08Horses grazing in the sunshine on open moors and green fields.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11It couldn't look more picture perfect.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15But for an increasing number of horses in Britain,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18this seems to be more like the reality.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Tied up in a field of pretty rank grass. And look at the hazards here.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27There's a car bumper, a rusting paint can with plenty of sharp edges,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29even an old handbrake.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32And look at the lovely industrial backdrop!
0:07:34 > 0:07:36As the recession bites, the problem grows,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40with the price of hay at an all-time high and costly vet bills,
0:07:40 > 0:07:45many desperate owners just can't afford to keep them.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50Last year alone, Cleveland Police had 2,000 complaints about horses,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53from concerns over welfare to animals running free.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58PC Mike Pilbeam gets called out to new cases daily.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03The area that we're coming up to now is the last known
0:08:03 > 0:08:05location of where these loose horses were.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Today, he's doing a routine check
0:08:07 > 0:08:10in the middle of a housing estate in Middlesbrough.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Communal land here that used to be full of terraced housing
0:08:13 > 0:08:16is now full of grazing horses.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22- Why are these horses here? - It's a very good question.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26We've spoken to some local residents in the area.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30The majority of them have owned horses for a while,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32stating that they've had them through childhood
0:08:32 > 0:08:33and everything else.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Others, unfortunately, it is a status symbol
0:08:36 > 0:08:41and I've got kids as young as 13 that have purchased horses.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44And unfortunately, wherever there's a bit of grass,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46there's a horse on it nowadays.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50The horses themselves are tethered, but their foals aren't.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Word soon gets out that we're here
0:08:52 > 0:08:56and the owners come to see what's going on.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59- Now then.- How are you doing? - I'm fine, yourself?- Hello.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02So are all of these horses here yours?
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Yeah. I get a million phone calls a day about these horses, yeah?
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- That there is a foal. You cannot tether a foal.- I'm Tom.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10Nice to meet you.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Do you mind me asking, sir, why you have these horses?
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- Well, we're gypsies.- Say it again? - We're gypsies, we have horses.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- They pull the bow-tops.- Yeah.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23But do you feel it's all right keeping horses on grass like this?
0:09:23 > 0:09:27- Are you happy with that?- Yeah. Unless you want to give us a field!
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Isn't there a danger it'll run away?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32- No, because it won't leave its mother, will it?- Yeah.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33Do you make a bit of money out of them,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35do you trade them amongst the family or whatever?
0:09:35 > 0:09:37If we want to sell them, we get money out of them.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- But we don't want to sell them. - How much do you get for a foal?
0:09:40 > 0:09:42That's our business, isn't it?!
0:09:42 > 0:09:46It's thought this man has a number of horses in the area,
0:09:46 > 0:09:47some kept in fields,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51but many in similar conditions to what we see here.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Fly-grazing on council land. Essentially, eating for free.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58He said he was a gypsy,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01but is this exclusively an issue with gypsies and travellers around here?
0:10:01 > 0:10:06No. We've got house owners that are keeping horses in gardens,
0:10:06 > 0:10:11stabling them in small garden sheds and it's just not practical.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16The situation on this estate is pretty extraordinary.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Within a mile and a half radius, there are around 250 horses,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22many without adequate food or shelter.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34So why are we finding so many animals in such poor circumstances?
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Well, one of the reasons is that horses are so cheap now.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40You can buy them for under a fiver.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43In effect, that's ponies for pocket money prices.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48At this auction, horses can go for a few pounds. That's if they sell.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53150.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55100. 50 to start me.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59£40, then.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Auctioneer Alistair Brown has noticed a dramatic fall
0:11:02 > 0:11:03in the value of horses.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07We had three that came in the ring and we had to sell
0:11:07 > 0:11:10the three together, and they made £10 for the three.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15£20, anybody at 20? Somebody bid me 10.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18'Horses and ponies are making pittance.'
0:11:18 > 0:11:21These are going to various places, but there are getting
0:11:21 > 0:11:26fewer and fewer homes for these ponies to go to.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30There's obviously others dispatched in various other ways.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33One for the showroom here. 100.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36For some, the horses are not even worth the petrol it costs
0:11:36 > 0:11:38to take them to the auction.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44As the problem escalates, animal charities are struggling to keep up.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51The RSPCA is facing a national crisis, with around 600 horses
0:11:51 > 0:11:55in their care at the moment, twice as many as they had last year.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Chanel, here, was found with this terrible skin condition,
0:11:59 > 0:12:00but that's not the worst of it.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03She was so thin, she had to be hoisted up
0:12:03 > 0:12:07and still, her backend is really bony, you poor thing.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11And Chanel is just one of the many horses taken in on a daily basis.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17The RSPCA are working to rescue others.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Today, they're at a raid in Kent,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24working with other welfare agencies, the police and local vets
0:12:24 > 0:12:28who've discovered 30 horses grazing illegally on private land.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Inspections show many are in a bad way.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Nearly every horse in this field is underweight.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39We'll be taking quite a few, because a lot of them
0:12:39 > 0:12:42are really quite skinny, and have other issues -
0:12:42 > 0:12:46nasal discharges and diarrhoea and bits and bobs going on.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50The horses showing signs of neglect are taken for treatment,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53but at a cost of around £5,000 to rehabilitate each one,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57animal charities are facing a huge financial problem.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01So what happens to those that aren't lucky enough to be rescued?
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Undoubtedly, there is the prospect that horses are put to sleep
0:13:06 > 0:13:10because people can't cope, and as sad as that is,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14it's a truism that a horse cannot suffer if it's dead.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Therefore, there are people who are making the decision to have their
0:13:18 > 0:13:22horses put to sleep, rather than abandon them to an uncertain future.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Although putting them to sleep sounds very harsh,
0:13:25 > 0:13:26what things have you seen
0:13:26 > 0:13:29that some of the severely neglected horses are going through?
0:13:29 > 0:13:33A horse that is neglected usually suffers at this time of year.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36They've been starving all through the winter, they are skin and bone.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38When we're tucked up in bed with a duvet,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40they're out there shivering their socks off.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44They're usually very ill, they often have infectious diseases,
0:13:44 > 0:13:45worms eating away at them.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49It is a picture of suffering which you cannot imagine,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51unless you've been through it yourself.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55The prospects for those animals are much worse to be neglected,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57than they are to be put down.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02In extreme cases, the outcomes are bleak.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04It's hard to quantify the national situation,
0:14:04 > 0:14:10but it's thought that at least 3,500 horses are left chained or tied up
0:14:10 > 0:14:12without shelter at any one time.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16The soaring number of abandoned and neglected horses
0:14:16 > 0:14:18are stretching the charities to breaking point,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23but far from throwing in the towel, they've come up with a plan,
0:14:23 > 0:14:24and it needs your help.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27I'll be finding out more about it later.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36The wilds of Exmoor.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38A place of bleak beauty
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and one where natural resources have been exploited
0:14:41 > 0:14:45and enjoyed for generations, as Ellie's been discovering.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- Do you mind if I pick a few bits and pieces?- Yeah, that's fine.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56I've come to a local herb farm, to gather some ingredients.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00'The natural environment here is providing the materials
0:15:00 > 0:15:03'for a cottage industry, making something you'd least expect.'
0:15:03 > 0:15:06This borage is in flower now.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11A bit of rosemary. That should liven things up.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Check out the haul I've got. Not bad, eh?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Believe it or not,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25I'm going to turn these herbs into something we use everyday -
0:15:25 > 0:15:27paper.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32But this is no ordinary paper you'd write your shopping list on.
0:15:32 > 0:15:33At this old wood mill,
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Neil Hopkins makes top-quality paper using strictly traditional methods.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40- Neil, how are you doing? - Hello, Ellie.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- I've brought the ingredients. - I heard you were bringing something.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Can you really turn that into paper?
0:15:45 > 0:15:48We certainly can. Very lovely smelling herbs.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52I've also got this, but I'm very unsure about this - a pair of jeans.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56This is actually a very good ingredient to put into paper.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00It will make a lovely sheet of blue watercolour paper
0:16:00 > 0:16:03that a watercolourist would be so happy to work on.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11First, we pick the florets and pretty leaves from the herbs.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Then, in a matter of seconds,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19these unloved denims have been torn and cut into pieces.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21There goes my pair of jeans.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27The jeans are shredded in the rag breaker
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and turned into a jean soup,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32which is added to a mix of cotton, linen and water.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Whoa. A grey, mushy pulp.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38The next job is the hard work, which you ought to do.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40- We've got to mix it around. - With this oar?
0:16:40 > 0:16:44- Yes, just an old canoe paddle. - The paper we're going to produce,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47how does that differ from the paper that most people ordinarily use?
0:16:47 > 0:16:52We make a lot of papers for artists, and if they're selling paintings -
0:16:52 > 0:16:56and some of them do sell paintings that are very valuable - over time,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59if you make them on wood pulp, they will actually self-destruct.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04We make a paper that is archival, and it will last 2,000 years.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Oh, OK. What's next?
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Next is...those lovely flowers and herbs you got this morning.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12- What do we do with these? - Sprinkle a few over the top,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15where we're going to make the sheet in a moment.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17This is kind of artistic merit in the paper,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20it doesn't change the construction of the paper particularly?
0:17:20 > 0:17:23No, it doesn't. It could have an interesting effect
0:17:23 > 0:17:25that some painter might want to work upon.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28- Have I put too many in? - That's about right, I think.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- It's quite a few. - That'll be fine.- OK.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34The next thing is making the paper, and to make the paper
0:17:34 > 0:17:38you need a papermaking mould. It's just a mesh, it's a sieve.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Dip it underneath those flowers, and just bring it up in a smooth action.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45That's it. Get it straight and bring it up.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48- It's pretty heavy, isn't it? - It's heavier than you think.
0:17:48 > 0:17:49Really heavy.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53And then we need to move over here, because this table is a vacuum table,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55and it will suck the water out of there.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Feels like a magic moment.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- There it is.- Oh, that's lovely. Look at that.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08- Put that to one side.- It's really rather attractive already.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13This is the last commercial hand paper mill in the country,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16so Neil's keeping a tradition alive.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20The paper is still too damp to handle,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23so most of the remaining water is pressed out of it.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41I'm looking forward to seeing this. The moment of truth.
0:18:41 > 0:18:42- Lift the blanket.- Ah-ha!
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Oh, wow, that's lovely, isn't it? Gosh, how pretty.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48Can you touch it yet?
0:18:48 > 0:18:51You can, and I think if you flip that sheet over,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54I think you'll get a nice surprise when you see the other side.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Oh, yeah, isn't that pretty, with all the flowers coming through?
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Ah, that's delightful.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Artist Jenny Hale has been using Neil's paper for many years.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11- Hi, Jenny.- Oh, hi.- Mind if I join you?- Yeah, do. Have a seat.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13- What are you painting? - Primroses.- Oh, yes.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15What a good spot for it, too.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18It's fantastic, isn't it? Beautiful with the stream beside it.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20That's Neil's paper.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24What about Neil's paper, how is that for you as an artist?
0:19:24 > 0:19:26It really makes the colours stand out.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30The way he makes it makes the colours really sparkle.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- It's beautiful paper to work on. - These pictures are gorgeous.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38- Thank you.- I'm no artist, so I'm going to have a go at origami.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- I used to do that as a kid. - Do you want a bit of my paper?
0:19:41 > 0:19:42Yeah, if that's all right.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45It will be a bit rustic, because it's quite thick, but...
0:19:45 > 0:19:49I'm no master of it, I'll say that, but let's see what I can produce.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50Fantastic.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- You're nearly there, Jenny, that looks amazing.- Oh, thank you.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10I'm on the final stages of my origami.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Ready?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Ta-da, it's a pot.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17- Oh, it's lovely.- It's all yours. - It's really lovely, I love it.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20- Oh, thanks.- It's got a lovely bottom.- You're welcome to it.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23- It's beautiful, thank you. - No worries.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Just across the border in Cornwall, Jules is on the coast in search of
0:20:27 > 0:20:30an animal that lurks beneath the waves in the hundreds of thousands.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Now, it used to be a staple food in this part of the world,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46but for decades, it was largely absent from the great British menu -
0:20:46 > 0:20:50until recently, when it's made a striking comeback.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01And this is it, the Cornish sardine. Or pilchard.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06This silvery little fish has attracted a newcomer to this
0:21:06 > 0:21:11part of the coast, a chef, but his story begins halfway round the world.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16Sanjay Kumar grew up in Bengal, where he first began cooking.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19He's followed his taste buds ever since,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21until he made roots here in Cornwall.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24What was it about cooking that got you started?
0:21:24 > 0:21:28To be honest, my father is a really, really bad cook,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and that kind of showed to me and my brother, who is also a chef,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34that if we don't pick up this skill for life now,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36we'll die hungry of starvation!
0:21:36 > 0:21:39And both of us are chefs in our lives, so that proves it all.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- You started in Bengal? - Yes, it's a long journey,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43but it all relates to fish.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Bengalis are called fish and rice people.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Look at this beautiful sardine here.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51This is an amazing fish, easy to cook
0:21:51 > 0:21:55- and really delicious.- Well, I have a slight confession to make.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57There are two types of people in this world -
0:21:57 > 0:21:59there are those who love fish in all its forms
0:21:59 > 0:22:03and there are those who don't. Guess which camp I'm in.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07I was half expecting this was going to happen, but trust me,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09I'm going to try my level best.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- Right, mate. This could be a turning point.- Don't let me down.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20To make the sardines easier for me to swallow,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Sanjay is going to spice things up a bit.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Basically, taking some Cornish sardines
0:22:25 > 0:22:28and then dusting it with some garam masala spice.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Garam in India means hot, and it kind of gives you
0:22:32 > 0:22:37that warmth inside which keeps you going through the winter days.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Sanjay's serving me the sardines in a wrap,
0:22:43 > 0:22:45with a rhubarb and tomato chutney.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47One of my big problems is the smell of fish,
0:22:47 > 0:22:52but actually this, to be fair, doesn't smell fishy at all.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54How fresh and local can it get than this?
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Just roll it nicely, like a cigar.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08We give a cheer to Cornwall, to fish, tin and copper.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11To fish, tin and copper, and my very first sardine.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13And first bite. What do you think?
0:23:20 > 0:23:22That's actually really nice.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23HE LAUGHS
0:23:24 > 0:23:26What have I been missing out on?
0:23:27 > 0:23:30I've got an idea of how to say thanks to the chef.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Later, I'll be taking him on a little adventure.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35But first, I'm intrigued to discover
0:23:35 > 0:23:39how the pilchard came to be known as the Cornish sardine.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Records of a pilchard fishery here go back to 1555.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Exporting to the continent, catches steadily grew.
0:23:48 > 0:23:5416,000 tonnes were hauled in 1871 alone, before the industry crashed.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59Bigger boats meant that a far greater variety of fish could be caught
0:23:59 > 0:24:00further out to sea.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05The poor old pilchard was largely forgotten, until one man had an idea.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09It used to be known as a pilchard.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12The image of pilchard is tins, tomato sauce.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15The image of a sardine is sunshine, barbecues, etc.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17It was changing the name to Cornish sardines
0:24:17 > 0:24:20that changed the perception of what it was.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24How are we doing in terms of this revival? In terms of tonnage?
0:24:24 > 0:24:29In 1998, the landings were about seven tonnes a year coming in here.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32The landings are now 2,200 tonnes.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36We've done the research with the Marine Stewardship Council
0:24:36 > 0:24:38to find out what the size of the stock is.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41You're talking 600,000 tonnes.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43What we're taking is very sustainable
0:24:43 > 0:24:45and we've got a lot of room to grow yet.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Skipper Stefan Glinsky is on the trail of the Cornish sardine,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58and this evening, I've arranged for Sanjay and I to join him.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02How did you do that? How did you manage to rustle up such a boat?
0:25:02 > 0:25:03A little bit of a treat.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14We head off into the fading sun -
0:25:14 > 0:25:18the perfect time of day for catching sardines.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22- Sanjay, the sardine spotter. - Yes.- Seen any yet?
0:25:22 > 0:25:24HE LAUGHS
0:25:28 > 0:25:30There's something happening here.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Suddenly, the skipper gives the order.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50- Can you turn the light off? - Turn it off.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And the net is set in darkness.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02At the moment of fishing, we had to turn all of our camera lights off,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05so we couldn't really show you what was happening.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07The light would have frightened the fish away,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09but now they're in the net.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15I must be honest, I have never seen anything
0:26:15 > 0:26:19quite as dramatic in terms of fishing as this before.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21As it comes up, it reveals the world to us,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24a different world which we don't know what's inside the sea.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25Amazing.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33But tonight, the sea isn't full of sardines.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34What have we caught, Stefan?
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Sprats. Whitebait, small ones.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41- No sardines, but I guess that's the luck of fishing, is it?- That's it.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Fortunately, Sanjay has a recipe that will work with whitebait, too -
0:26:49 > 0:26:51a ceviche.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54The acid in the lime juice cooks the flesh,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57while coriander and chilli add bite.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Think of all the beautiful things in life
0:27:00 > 0:27:02and just pop it in your mouth. That's it.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04OK.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15Oh...
0:27:17 > 0:27:22Think of job satisfaction, think of world peace.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Keep chewing.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25Keep chewing.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Do you know what, mate, I have to say, I never thought I'd do that.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Well done, Sanjay. We've had a good night's fishing, haven't we?
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Here we are, back in port. Well done.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36Job done.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38HE LAUGHS
0:27:38 > 0:27:40This was really good fun.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53I'm also in the south-west, exploring Exmoor.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56The National Park has around 3,000 wild red deer.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59At this time of year, the stags are shedding their antlers,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02but what do they tell us about the animal that produced them?
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Well, that's where Charles Harding comes in.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09He's a deerstalker and warden for the National Trust.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12I'm sure it will come as a major surprise to many people
0:28:12 > 0:28:14that this is just the growth of what, a few months?
0:28:14 > 0:28:16That's right, three months.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18These points, do they give an indication of age?
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Yes, that antler there now is a mature stag
0:28:21 > 0:28:27and he's got what we call brow, bay, tray and then two atop.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31But the bigger stags, they have more points on the top.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Anything from this up is a mature stag.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38And the velvet, then, give us an idea of the purpose of the velvet.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42When the new antler is growing, that velvet is protecting
0:28:42 > 0:28:44lots and lots of little blood vessels
0:28:44 > 0:28:47that are all going up the new antler as it's growing.
0:28:47 > 0:28:53It's growing at such a pace that it can be two inches a week
0:28:53 > 0:28:58to start with, until it really gets going, and all that blood
0:28:58 > 0:29:03is pushing up nutrients and calcium, to make that antler.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06And how do the antlers of the red deer down here in the south
0:29:06 > 0:29:09- compare to the rest of Britain? - Tremendously different.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13I'll just show you, this is a combination here.
0:29:13 > 0:29:18- Look at the size of them.- This is one of our red deer stags here.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22And then this, this stag here is the same age as that one there,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26but this one was from the Highlands of Scotland.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29- Wow. Is that purely food, then? - Purely food.
0:29:29 > 0:29:35A little bit of breeding, but if you were to catch this stag up,
0:29:35 > 0:29:37bring him down here, he would produce a head like that.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39- Really?- He would.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42- And that's purely just down to the grazing?- Yes.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Just a good food supply.
0:29:44 > 0:29:45Talking of diets,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48later on I'm going to be on a farm that is rearing red deer for venison
0:29:48 > 0:29:51and finding out why it's making its way back onto dinner plates.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55First, here's what else is coming up on tonight's programme.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59It's Adam to the rescue, down on the farm.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04All I need to do is twist its head down one way
0:30:04 > 0:30:07and down the other, and then it'll slip out.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09That's it. Freedom!
0:30:11 > 0:30:13And for farmers and everyone else
0:30:13 > 0:30:17we'll have the Countryfile weather for the week ahead.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27It's one of the delights of the countryside,
0:30:27 > 0:30:30seeing healthy horses happily grazing in lush, rolling pasture.
0:30:31 > 0:30:36But, as we heard earlier, the UK is witnessing an escalating crisis.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40We've got far more horses and ponies than we have homes for.
0:30:40 > 0:30:45Many horses are abandoned as owners are unwilling or unable
0:30:45 > 0:30:48to find enough money to give them a decent life,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51or even to find the hundreds of pounds it costs
0:30:51 > 0:30:54to have them destroyed by a vet.
0:30:55 > 0:30:56To try to curb their problems,
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Cleveland Constabulary and the British Horse Society
0:30:59 > 0:31:03have set up a field hospital with a difference.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06I'm back on that estate where we saw those sorry looking horses earlier,
0:31:06 > 0:31:10but here they're really trying to get to grips with the problem.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12I've never seen anything like this before,
0:31:12 > 0:31:16because this is the first mobile clinic in the middle of the city,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19where they're trying to tackle the problem of overpopulation in horses.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25What we have here is a sort of MOT centre.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Not only are they giving advice and medical treatment,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30they're tagging the horses and taking some rather
0:31:30 > 0:31:34painful-looking measures to deal with the problem of overpopulation.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36Chipping and snipping, if you like.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Officer Mike Pilbeam, who I met earlier,
0:31:42 > 0:31:44was instrumental in setting this up.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Predominantly we're castrating the horses.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49We've also micro-chipped them as well.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51The purpose of the micro-chipping
0:31:51 > 0:31:53is so we're able to identify the horses,
0:31:53 > 0:31:55and the castration is for the purposes of trying
0:31:55 > 0:31:58to keep the horse numbers down in the future.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00So, do you think this is a critical stage
0:32:00 > 0:32:02in controlling the number of horses around here?
0:32:02 > 0:32:05I believe so. I mean, we'll have to repeat this again,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08but hopefully it'll help try and curb
0:32:08 > 0:32:10the horse numbers we have in the area.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14But what about the abandoned and neglected horses
0:32:14 > 0:32:17the RSPCA simply has to take into its care?
0:32:19 > 0:32:23I've already heard that welfare charities are being pushed to
0:32:23 > 0:32:27the limit by the huge number of animals they're having to home.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31What they need now is a bit of help to look after them,
0:32:31 > 0:32:33so they're launching a fresh campaign,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36appealing for foster homes for horses.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39'Like this little chap, whose name is Elf.'
0:32:39 > 0:32:43Little Elf is a yearling and he's ready to go to our new foster home.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Well, let's get him on as we talk about it.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49So, tell me why this fostering scheme is so important to you.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Well, because we have so many youngsters at the moment
0:32:52 > 0:32:56in RSPCA care, we need to find people that are prepared
0:32:56 > 0:32:59to take them on from as young as six months
0:32:59 > 0:33:02up to about three or four years old to give them a fresh start in life,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05to give them plenty of handling, because we just haven't got
0:33:05 > 0:33:07the space to keep them until they're that age.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10It's in that critical period before they're really desirable
0:33:10 > 0:33:13- as riding ponies, is that the point? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20Elf has been nursed back to health here by the RSPCA,
0:33:20 > 0:33:24but youngsters like him can't be ridden whilst they're still growing,
0:33:24 > 0:33:26so it's tricky to find them homes.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Foster mum Nicola, here, is taking him on
0:33:28 > 0:33:30as a mate for her Cob, Roly.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37By giving Elf a home, it lessens the burden on the RSPCA,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39meaning they can dedicate their time
0:33:39 > 0:33:42to giving specialist care to new arrivals.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Hello.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49Look at you. There's a good lad.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52- There you go, Nicola, a new acquisition.- Yes, a new one.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54- What do you reckon?- He's gorgeous.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Yeah, a sweetie, aren't you?
0:33:56 > 0:33:58So, why are you so keen on the fostering scheme?
0:33:58 > 0:34:02Well, the best thing about it is it's company for my old horse.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04It's nice for me not to have to commit to another horse
0:34:04 > 0:34:07for another 30 years - this way we can help a little one on its way.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Horses like to be together, not on their own?
0:34:09 > 0:34:11No, it's not fair to leave them on their own,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14they're herd animals, so they enjoy the company of other horses.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16It's all right, Elf,
0:34:16 > 0:34:18you've got a nice new field waiting for you here.
0:34:18 > 0:34:19A new home and a new friend.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22So, Nicola, how does the precise choreography of this work?
0:34:22 > 0:34:24First stage is to put him into his new paddock,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26let him get used to that for 10 minutes,
0:34:26 > 0:34:28probably have a run around and explore.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Then we'll get my cob and pop him into this paddock
0:34:31 > 0:34:33so they can have a fence between them,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35just make sure they get on OK.
0:34:35 > 0:34:36Just like us going out on an evening,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39you like to say hello first before...
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Good lad, there we go. Good boy.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Come on. There we are.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50'For Elf, it's a new beginning in safe surroundings.'
0:34:55 > 0:34:57He'll hang out with his new mate, Roly,
0:34:57 > 0:35:01for the next couple of years until he's old enough to be ridden.
0:35:02 > 0:35:07Hopefully then the RSPCA will be able to find him a home for life.
0:35:22 > 0:35:27Elf and his new friend, Roly, seem pretty happy dining together,
0:35:27 > 0:35:29so happy endings are available
0:35:29 > 0:35:32in this overall story of neglected horses.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35And if you want to help out with fostering a horse,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38there are full details on our website.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49It's a tense day down on the farm as, once again,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52Adam's cattle are being tested for TB.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55But first, he's got to deal with a lamb
0:35:55 > 0:35:57that's got herself into a tight spot.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07This isn't really what I was expecting.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09Dolly, who's a gun dog, but also a family pet,
0:36:09 > 0:36:11is stalking in on a lamb, there.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14She's actually gone on point and she spotted it before I did.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18It looks like a little lamb that's got its head stuck in a fence.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Well done, Dolly.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27It's a Norfolk Horn, and they grow these little horns,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30and it's just big enough at the moment to work like a fishhook.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32It's pushed through the square of the netting
0:36:32 > 0:36:35and now it can't get itself back out.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39So, what I need to do is twist its head down one way,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42and down other and then it'll slip out.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44That's it. Freedom!
0:36:44 > 0:36:47'It's important to check over the flock every day.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53'Two weeks ago, I spotted a lame lamb that had an infected foot.'
0:36:53 > 0:36:54- Quite sore, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:36:54 > 0:36:55Eurgh.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59'We treated the foot and injected her with antibiotics.'
0:37:01 > 0:37:04And now that little Cotswold lamb is doing really well.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06It's running around and it's not lame at all.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12And if we hadn't treated it, it would have been lame for some time,
0:37:12 > 0:37:14so it's quite a success story, really.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16There's lots to do, better get on.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21BLEATING
0:37:21 > 0:37:23We're right at the end of lambing, now,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25we've only got two or three left to lamb,
0:37:25 > 0:37:29and this ewe has given birth to triplets, three lovely little lambs.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31It's the first time she's given birth,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33and she's a good mum, she's licking them dry,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36but they're screaming a bit - they're obviously quite hungry.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39So, what I'm going to do is just tip her up and suckle them on,
0:37:39 > 0:37:41so they get a belly full of colostrum,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44the first milk she produces, it's very important they get that.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47So, there's the colostrum.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51There, he's suckling away.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54There's a ewe over there that's making quite a din.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57She's obviously in the middle of giving birth,
0:37:57 > 0:37:59so I think this one's all right now.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01I'd better go and check her out.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03There you go, missus.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13She's making a lot of noise, this ewe, which is quite unusual.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15They usually lamb in quiet.
0:38:17 > 0:38:18There it is.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21There we go.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Obviously a little bit stuck, it's quite a big lamb.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Lovely.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Just get it breathing.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34One little trick is to get a stiff piece of straw
0:38:34 > 0:38:37and just tickle the lamb's nose
0:38:37 > 0:38:39and then it makes it sneeze like that.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43And in sneezing it goes, "Achoo!" and it has a big intake of breath
0:38:43 > 0:38:46that fills its lungs, and then they start to work.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Now it's head is up and it's breathing.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54Good little mum, aren't you? We'll leave her to it.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56'While, my sheep seem to be in good health.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59'It's a big day on the farm for my cattle -
0:38:59 > 0:39:01'it's the first stage of our TB test.'
0:39:03 > 0:39:06The vet clips the hair on the animal's neck
0:39:06 > 0:39:09and then gives it an inoculum of bovine and avian TB,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12and then he'll come back in three days' time and measure the skin,
0:39:12 > 0:39:14and if there is a swelling
0:39:14 > 0:39:17he'll be able to determine whether that's a TB reactor or not.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20And we've had a lot of trouble with TB over the last few years.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24'Last autumn, yet again we went down with TB.'
0:39:28 > 0:39:31It's an absolute travesty, complete disaster.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34'Two of my precious White Parks had to be slaughtered.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39'We passed a test 60 days ago, and if we pass this one
0:39:39 > 0:39:43'we're in the clear, so I'm really hoping for some good news.'
0:39:43 > 0:39:44Usually, at this time of year,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47when the cattle have been indoors over the winter,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50they generally come out clear, so I've got my fingers crossed,
0:39:50 > 0:39:55I'm touching a lot of wood, hoping that this one will be a clear test.
0:39:57 > 0:39:58'Next up are my White Parks.'
0:40:01 > 0:40:03'And finally it's my Highlands' turn,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06'and with Eric the bull's new offspring we're taking extra care.'
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Through the gate, go on.
0:40:11 > 0:40:12Go on, take your babies, go on.
0:40:15 > 0:40:16Good girl.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20Go on.
0:40:20 > 0:40:21Hup, hup, hup!
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Go on.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Have to be quite careful with the little calves,
0:40:30 > 0:40:33so I've left them out of this pen for now so they don't get squashed.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36But the poor things have been soggy from the day they were born,
0:40:36 > 0:40:38I don't think they've seen any sunshine yet.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40'The Highlands are such good mothers they hate
0:40:40 > 0:40:42'being separated from their young.'
0:40:45 > 0:40:48They have a very thick skin, these Highlands, very tough,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51and this is the last of Eric's wives to give birth,
0:40:51 > 0:40:53and she's only a few days off calving.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56What she ought to be doing is lying in a field relaxing,
0:40:56 > 0:41:00taking it easy, and not being stressed at all.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03So, putting her through this handling system is the very last thing
0:41:03 > 0:41:07I should be doing as a cattle owner, but we have to do it, it's the law.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11'And I've got an anxious wait before the results of the testing
0:41:11 > 0:41:13'in a few days' time.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16'Around 26,000 cattle were slaughtered
0:41:16 > 0:41:19'to TB in England just last year alone.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22'So, it is important that us farmers support one another.'
0:41:22 > 0:41:24I'm heading to a farm in South Wales,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27where the farmer has Longhorn cattle, which are wonderful,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30old, traditional British breed, and in his latest TB test,
0:41:30 > 0:41:3317 of his cattle have reacted positive,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35which means they have to go for slaughter.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Dai Bevan has been farming Longhorn cattle for 26 years,
0:41:41 > 0:41:43and they're his passion.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46He's built his herd up to become a prize-winning one.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53This year, everything that's in the shed here is going.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00As a breed, I'm sure you remember in the '70s, '80s,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03you couldn't get cattle like this.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06You know, they were scraggy old things,
0:42:06 > 0:42:10and the Longhorns improved so much over the last 20 years.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12I love feeding.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15My greatest pleasure is to go up and down the shed
0:42:15 > 0:42:18with a bucket throwing cake at things.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22And when something comes to the barrier to eat, that is the most...
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Well, look at them, they're a wonderful breed,
0:42:25 > 0:42:27and I will, I will miss them.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33I feel as if part of me has died, because, um...
0:42:35 > 0:42:37When you've had stock, um...
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Until you know what stock is...
0:42:41 > 0:42:44You know, there's a cow there, she's on the point of calving,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47and I hope that she calves before she's shot.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50She's not going today, but she's inconclusive.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55But I'm hoping that she will calve, because, you know,
0:42:55 > 0:42:57she is on the point of calving.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00I don't know whether I'm in shock
0:43:00 > 0:43:03or it's just anger that's keeping me going,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06but until I come into this shed and there's nothing here,
0:43:06 > 0:43:08I don't think it's going to fully hit me.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15It sounds like they might be here, so, I mean,
0:43:15 > 0:43:18I think it's something I don't want to see,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21but I'll leave you to it, and best of luck.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23Thanks, good.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28As a farmer, I'm used to life and death on the farm,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30but I really don't want to see this.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33The slaughtermen are here now, and Dai wants to lead the cattle
0:43:33 > 0:43:35out of the shed on a halter, because they know him
0:43:35 > 0:43:38and they trust him, and then the slaughtermen will do their work.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42And Dai has spent so much time over the last 30 years building up
0:43:42 > 0:43:46a wonderful herd of Longhorns, and they mean so much to him.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48It really sends a shiver down my spine.
0:43:51 > 0:43:56Later that night, Dai's inconclusive pregnant cow did calve,
0:43:56 > 0:43:57and I really hope she survives
0:43:57 > 0:43:59to give Dai the chance to rebuild his herd.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03But, thankfully, for me it was great news.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07My herd passed their TB test, so, for now, life's back to normal.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Next week, I'm off to buy a Gloucester Old Spot sow
0:44:12 > 0:44:15and her piglets as a new addition to the farm.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24'I've been up on the heath and moorland of Exmoor
0:44:24 > 0:44:27'searching for Britain's largest land mammal - the red deer.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30'Earlier, I was lucky to see some and, as it's late spring,
0:44:30 > 0:44:33'the stags are shedding their antlers.'
0:44:33 > 0:44:36Throughout history, deer have been a good resource.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38Their skins for clothes and textiles,
0:44:38 > 0:44:41their bones and antlers for making tools,
0:44:41 > 0:44:43and, of course, their meat for food.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48'It was the meat of choice for the nobility in medieval times.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50'Nowadays, it's more readily available
0:44:50 > 0:44:52'for the likes of you and me.
0:44:52 > 0:44:57'Helping to put venison on our plate is red deer farmer Peter Herman.'
0:44:57 > 0:44:59How many have you got now, then, in the herd?
0:44:59 > 0:45:00About 140, altogether.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02And why did you start with deer farming?
0:45:02 > 0:45:05Because you were actually born on this farm.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08I was born on this farm. I milked cows for 30 years.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10I got worn out and the buildings were worn out,
0:45:10 > 0:45:13and I'd always had a passion for wildlife,
0:45:13 > 0:45:16which included deer, and my wife said, "What do you fancy doing?"
0:45:16 > 0:45:18I said, "Well, deer farming,"
0:45:18 > 0:45:20so we went and looked at a local deer farm.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23Of course, that was it, once I saw the deer,
0:45:23 > 0:45:26the interaction between them and their owners, it's great.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29I notice, obviously, you've got quite high fencing.
0:45:29 > 0:45:30Yeah, six-foot fence, yeah.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32They don't tend to go over a fence,
0:45:32 > 0:45:34but they would find a hole.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37Do you find that the wild ones around here are quite inquisitive?
0:45:37 > 0:45:38Yes, they are. We do get visitors,
0:45:38 > 0:45:42usually in October when the rut is on.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46It's a fantastic meat, it really is.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50Compared with other meats, it comes up trumps on calories,
0:45:50 > 0:45:52fat, iron and protein.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55Peter supplies his meat locally.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59One of his customers is a pub just a few miles from his farm.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02Owner and chef Joanna Oldman is preparing
0:46:02 > 0:46:04a mouth-watering venison steak.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06It's pan-fried first to seal in its juices,
0:46:06 > 0:46:09and then popped in the oven for about four minutes.
0:46:09 > 0:46:13Is this a special occasion meat, do you find from your customers?
0:46:13 > 0:46:14I think it possibly is,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17and it's a shame, because it is so good, and it's so diverse.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20You can do so many different things with it.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23People perhaps just don't know enough about it,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25or maybe they're slightly afraid of it.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28I mean, today, for instance, we've made a venison cottage pie.
0:46:28 > 0:46:29Ooh!
0:46:29 > 0:46:31We've made venison bourguignon.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34Anything that you use with beef, you can use venison.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38'Time's up! The steak's done.'
0:46:38 > 0:46:40A very important thing when cooking any piece of meat
0:46:40 > 0:46:43is to rest it as long as you possibly can.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47'Whilst it's resting, I'm up for tasting the bourguignon.'
0:46:47 > 0:46:49- That is lovely. - It's lovely, isn't it?
0:46:49 > 0:46:51'Next, it's the cottage pie.'
0:46:52 > 0:46:54Oh, that's amazing.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58'And finally, I get to sample the king of cuts, the steak.'
0:46:58 > 0:47:00In we go.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09It's great.
0:47:09 > 0:47:10It's absolutely brilliant.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14What a day. I've seen wild red deer out on these glorious moors,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16up close on the farm,
0:47:16 > 0:47:20and even tasted the meat that was once reserved for royalty.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25Now, in a moment, Ellie will be trying her hand
0:47:25 > 0:47:28at the medieval art of falconry from horseback.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Before that, let's see what's going to be happening
0:47:30 > 0:47:32with the weather this week.
0:49:49 > 0:49:57.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12With a rich mix of moorland,
0:50:12 > 0:50:14woodland, valleys and farmland,
0:50:14 > 0:50:16Devon is a county where historically,
0:50:16 > 0:50:19wildlife has always flourished.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22In medieval times, raptors like this peregrine falcon
0:50:22 > 0:50:26would have been a common sight in the British countryside.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31The nobility captured birds like falcons and hawks
0:50:31 > 0:50:33and trained them to hunt game birds.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37These days, getting a glimpse of one of these magnificent creatures
0:50:37 > 0:50:38in the wild is a rare treat.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42What precious few remain risk being targeted
0:50:42 > 0:50:45by those who see birds of prey as competition.
0:50:46 > 0:50:51This is a picture of a rare goshawk found dead near Exeter last year.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55It was deliberately poisoned along with three other goshawks,
0:50:55 > 0:50:58but with only 20 breeding pairs in the whole county,
0:50:58 > 0:51:01it represents a really significant loss.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08'Josh Marshall is a Wildlife Crime Officer.'
0:51:08 > 0:51:11'It's his job to try and catch people attacking birds of prey.'
0:51:12 > 0:51:14Who are these people, then, doing all this?
0:51:14 > 0:51:18With birds of prey, the national picture would suggest that,
0:51:18 > 0:51:21with goshawks you've got gamekeepers
0:51:21 > 0:51:24or people associated with the shooting fraternity
0:51:24 > 0:51:26that may want to poison the birds.
0:51:26 > 0:51:27Not saying that they all do -
0:51:27 > 0:51:30- there's some really reputable shoots out there as well.- Yeah.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32And peregrine falcons, again -
0:51:32 > 0:51:35the national picture would suggest that they are targeted
0:51:35 > 0:51:38primarily by pigeon fanciers,
0:51:38 > 0:51:40but also falconers that are a bit unscrupulous
0:51:40 > 0:51:43and want to take wild birds for their stock.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45What can you do to combat the problem?
0:51:45 > 0:51:47What we've done this year in response to last year is,
0:51:47 > 0:51:50we've got these motion-activated covert cameras now,
0:51:50 > 0:51:52which we've placed on certain nest sites within Devon,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55hopefully to catch these people who are thinking about
0:51:55 > 0:51:57committing these dreadful acts.
0:51:59 > 0:52:00'Today at a secret location,
0:52:00 > 0:52:03'Josh is checking a goshawk nest and a camera.'
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Got your ladder.
0:52:05 > 0:52:06Yeah, yeah.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10Ellie, goshawks are really sensitive and prone to disturbance,
0:52:10 > 0:52:13- so we need to keep that to a minimum on the visit.- OK.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15So I'm going to leave you here while I go up
0:52:15 > 0:52:17and service the batteries on the camera.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20- OK. I'll wait for you here, then. - OK, then.- See you in a bit.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25We've actually had to have special permission just to get this far,
0:52:25 > 0:52:27let alone going up to the nest,
0:52:27 > 0:52:30so I'll leave Josh to that one.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32It's a pretty cold day today,
0:52:32 > 0:52:34so he's going to have to be really quick.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36He's got to get in there, service the camera and back out again,
0:52:36 > 0:52:38because we don't want the eggs,
0:52:38 > 0:52:40or the chicks if they've hatched already,
0:52:40 > 0:52:41to get cold.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43Gone.
0:52:44 > 0:52:45I think something's wrong.
0:52:49 > 0:52:50What's up?
0:52:50 > 0:52:53Well, unfortunately, the camera's gone.
0:52:53 > 0:52:54You're kidding!
0:52:54 > 0:52:57Yeah. The good news is that the birds are still there.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00The female was there when I was there,
0:53:00 > 0:53:02and it doesn't appear that there's been
0:53:02 > 0:53:03any attempt on the nest or anything.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05Some cameras are wireless,
0:53:05 > 0:53:07so they'll e-mail the images back to computers
0:53:07 > 0:53:10back at the police station, so potentially we could have
0:53:10 > 0:53:13the image of them taking the camera there.
0:53:13 > 0:53:14So technology is actually a step ahead.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16You can't just take the camera and get away with it?
0:53:16 > 0:53:20- That's right. You'll get done for theft as well.- Well, there you go.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25With the help of technology and policemen like Josh,
0:53:25 > 0:53:27perhaps one day rare birds of prey
0:53:27 > 0:53:31can prosper just as they did centuries ago.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35In medieval times, the sport of falconry was big business.
0:53:35 > 0:53:39A bird of prey was a status symbol that said power and wealth.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41So today, where we might have a flashy watch
0:53:41 > 0:53:45or a piece of jewellery, back then, it was all about the bird.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47Ooh!
0:53:47 > 0:53:51'The wide open space of Putsborough sands'
0:53:51 > 0:53:53'provides the perfect arena to meet Jonathan Marshall,'
0:53:53 > 0:53:57'a falconer who's keeping the tradition alive...'
0:53:57 > 0:53:59'and going one step further.'
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Wow. What handsome-looking animals you have here.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04- So who's this?- Thank you very much.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06This is Quinn, a little male peregrine falcon.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09- Beautiful.- He's a cracker. He's a beautiful bird.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11I bred him myself. Very special.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13And the hood's on just so he's not spooked?
0:54:13 > 0:54:16We're just going to fly him shortly,
0:54:16 > 0:54:18and so he doesn't waste all his energy, we hood him first,
0:54:18 > 0:54:21and so when I do fly him, he's all revved up, ready to go.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23Amazing. So you bred this one?
0:54:23 > 0:54:26Yeah, I bred this one. Had him since he was an egg.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28He was a very good-looking egg, but he's
0:54:28 > 0:54:30even better-looking as an adult.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33- And what about this horse? - Well, this is one of my best horses.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36His name's Tulio, and he's a Lusitano.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39He's an ex-bullfighting horse from Portugal.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42So falconry is a sport, but how come you've brought horses into that?
0:54:42 > 0:54:45Well, originally, falconry was practised from horseback,
0:54:45 > 0:54:47because, of course, in years gone by,
0:54:47 > 0:54:49they didn't have Land Rovers, so they needed
0:54:49 > 0:54:50to get from A to B somehow,
0:54:50 > 0:54:54and horses at that time were very much part of everyday life.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56And this particular breed of horse -
0:54:56 > 0:54:57in fact, all of the Spanish horses -
0:54:57 > 0:54:59were exceptionally good for falconry,
0:54:59 > 0:55:03because they're quick on their feet, very agile and very manoeuvrable.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06These horses were about the best and still are.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08I'm looking forward to this, Jonathan.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10- I'll go over there and see you in action.- Okey-doke.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22What incredibly neat, tight riding.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28'Jonathan swings the lure above his head
0:55:28 > 0:55:31'to tempt the falcon into diving for a catch.'
0:55:31 > 0:55:34The speed of that peregrine!
0:55:38 > 0:55:40HE WHISTLES
0:55:42 > 0:55:44Oh! Awesome!
0:55:44 > 0:55:47It flew right through the horse's legs.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54Oh, through the legs again. That's amazing.
0:55:54 > 0:55:55'Seeing horse and bird move
0:55:55 > 0:55:59'so gracefully under Jonathan's direction is like
0:55:59 > 0:56:01'watching a carefully choreographed ballet.'
0:56:03 > 0:56:06It's a beautiful scene.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19'Finally, Jonathan lets the falcon take the lure.'
0:56:20 > 0:56:22Well deserved.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27SHE LAUGHS
0:56:27 > 0:56:32I have never seen horsemanship like it. That was amazing.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35Jonathan, how would you even begin to start training to do this?
0:56:35 > 0:56:38Well, rather than explain it, why don't I just show you?
0:56:38 > 0:56:40- Yes, good thinking.- You have a go.
0:56:40 > 0:56:41- Get a glove.- Yeah.- There you go.
0:56:42 > 0:56:46'Jonathan brings out his second bird, the Harris hawk.'
0:56:46 > 0:56:47Oh, here we go.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51Oh, wow.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55What a beautiful animal.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57One, two, three...
0:56:57 > 0:56:59But I must admit, I'm a little bit nervous
0:56:59 > 0:57:01about doing this on horseback.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03- There you go.- Thank you very much.
0:57:03 > 0:57:04Stick that one on there.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06Raise your hand up nice and high.
0:57:06 > 0:57:07Here we go.
0:57:07 > 0:57:08Your best falconer's whistle.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12Oh, wow. That was awesome.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14Jonathan, what an experience.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16- Thank you so much.- My pleasure.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19Well, that's it from Exmoor this week.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22Next week we'll be in Dumfries - oh!
0:57:22 > 0:57:24In Dumfries and Galloway, where we'll be revealing
0:57:24 > 0:57:25the amount raised with your help
0:57:25 > 0:57:28from the sale of the Countryfile calendar for 2012.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31And we'll be launching this year's photographic competition.
0:57:31 > 0:57:32See you then.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd