0:00:32 > 0:00:34The waters around Anglesey in North Wales
0:00:34 > 0:00:37are some of the richest for wildlife in the UK.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42And for harbour porpoises in particular,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44last year was a bumper one,
0:00:44 > 0:00:48so what is it about the seas here that makes them so at home?
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Anita's hoping to get up close to one of our best-loved animals.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Oh, so close. I was so close.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Fake fur or the real thing?
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Helen finds out why it's hard to tell the difference.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07How would you feel if it turns out to be real fur?
0:01:07 > 0:01:09I would be very upset, actually.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14Our rural vets are treating not just beasts but beauties, too.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16This is Coco Chanel.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17She's actually called Coco Chanel?
0:01:17 > 0:01:20- Yeah, black and white for Chanel. - Oh, wow, nice.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24And Adam's finding out how facial recognition technology
0:01:24 > 0:01:27is helping farmers spot problems in their flocks.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31So, here we can see I've got a photo of your sheep.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34- The first step is just to identify every face.- Extraordinary.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48This is Anglesey, just off the coast of North Wales.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54A gem of an island, separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57These waters are rich in wildlife.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04All manner of sea creatures can be seen above and below the waves.
0:02:08 > 0:02:09And as it turns out,
0:02:09 > 0:02:14these Welsh waters are providing a great home for one in particular.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15The harbour porpoise.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20I'm at Point Lynas on the north-east side of the island,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22hoping to catch a glimpse.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25The sea's cutting up rough today,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29so spotting them isn't going to be easy, but they are out there.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Last year was a bumper one for sightings of whales,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37dolphins and porpoises from all over the UK.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Point Lynas has always been a hot spot.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44I'm joining Peter Evans, founder of the charity Sea Watch,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47observing porpoise behaviour in these waters.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50- Peter, how are we doing? - Oh, hi, Matt.- Good to see you.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54- My word, the Irish Sea's looking choppy today.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57When I was walking down here, I saw you using your camera here.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00What's the point of actually filming what you're filming
0:03:00 > 0:03:02out there at the moment? What work are you doing?
0:03:02 > 0:03:05So, with this, I'm really interested to see
0:03:05 > 0:03:07exactly how they're using the currents here
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and see are they in the calm areas, are they in the rougher areas?
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Is that where they're catching fish?
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And what we find, at the moment anyway, is that
0:03:15 > 0:03:19they're using the slack water areas in between the much rougher areas,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22the more turbulent areas and they seem to be popping out
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and catching their prey in those rougher areas.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29And knowing this is important
0:03:29 > 0:03:32because these waters have been earmarked for tidal energy.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Peter's research could help energy companies avoid putting
0:03:37 > 0:03:40turbines in the areas where these porpoises are keen to feed.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49But it's not just harbour porpoises that could be impacted upon.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51There are many other species here besides.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57Are conditions like this attractive to things like dolphins and whales?
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Yes, this is actually a really diverse, rich area there.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04We have Risso's dolphins just further west from here,
0:04:04 > 0:04:05we've had minke whales offshore.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07We had a humpback whale this summer.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Common dolphins come round here on occasion
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and bottlenose dolphins in particular.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Peter and his team have been studying the bottlenose
0:04:15 > 0:04:17population here for the last 20 years.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21They've been using photos to identify family groups
0:04:21 > 0:04:24but now they're using genetics to work out who's who.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Sea Watch's Chloe Robinson is going to show me
0:04:29 > 0:04:32how she gathers dolphin DNA.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34I'm joining ten-year-old Bee Helfeld,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38just one of a number of local children getting involved.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42This sounds like the best science lesson ever for a ten-year-old.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44What kit have we got here then?
0:04:44 > 0:04:46So here we have our sampling pole
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- and this has a suction cup attached to it.- OK.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52And this is basically... This is our magic part of the pole.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55So we attach this petri dish to this pole.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57That's it, do you want to pop that on for me?
0:04:57 > 0:04:59- Just make sure it doesn't come off. - Lovely.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00And then the next thing we would do is
0:05:00 > 0:05:04we would make the camera record, so that's on and recording,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06so we'd like to film which animal we're sampling.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10- Right.- And now I need a hand. Can you help me extend the pole?- Yes.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13That's it, so I need someone to support the pole as we move it out.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15That's it, fantastic. That's it.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17All right, so obviously you're on the boat there.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- Yes, I'll be on the boat. - Right, I'll be the dolphin.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22If this helps.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25And when our dolphin swims underneath the pole,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28we are going to be collecting anything that it breathes out
0:05:28 > 0:05:30onto our petri dish and preserving it
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- so we can extract some DNA from that.- Right.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Samples collected from the mammals' blowholes
0:05:37 > 0:05:40will tell Chloe important things about the relationships
0:05:40 > 0:05:43between different pods of bottlenose dolphins.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Scientists like Chloe have important work to do,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51but anyone can get involved.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Sea Watch have set up a scheme called Adopt A Dolphin
0:05:55 > 0:05:59to give children like Bee a chance to learn more about dolphins
0:05:59 > 0:06:00and get up close to them.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Adopting a dolphin has made me realise that it's really important
0:06:06 > 0:06:10to protect the dolphins in our coasts.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13And does that dolphin have a name, the one that you adopted?
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Yes, Smoothie.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16- Smoothie?- Yes.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20And she's had two calves, Lumpy and Dipper.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22OK, good names.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24And has your sister got one as well?
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Well, we share Smoothie.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- Oh, you share Smoothie, oh, right. - We both adopted her.- Nice idea.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30That's lovely.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32What are you getting out of this
0:06:32 > 0:06:34and how much do you really enjoy taking part?
0:06:34 > 0:06:36I love it a lot.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39I've learnt so much more about dolphins than before,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42when I hadn't adopted a dolphin.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46It really helps you, like, look out for rubbish on beaches
0:06:46 > 0:06:50cos that just makes you think even just one piece of rubbish
0:06:50 > 0:06:51could affect a dolphin.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Do you do all of your sea spotting
0:06:55 > 0:06:59and watching from land, then, or have you ever been out on a boat?
0:06:59 > 0:07:00I've been out on a boat
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and I've actually spotted three dolphins when I was out on the boat.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08- What was that like?- It was really, really nice.- I can imagine.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Getting the next generation involved like this will help ensure
0:07:13 > 0:07:15the future for all of our marine wildlife.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Now, at this time of year,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25you've got to wrap up warm to keep the chill out,
0:07:25 > 0:07:30but what some people choose to wear could turn out to be controversial.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31Here's Helen.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42It seems like everywhere you look these days, people are wearing fur.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Mostly, of course, it's fake, or faux fur.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50I love the stuff and I have a fair bit of it in my own wardrobe.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53That's occasionally landed me in hot water with some of you.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Like when I visited Aberdeenshire for Countryfile in 2016.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- Hello, how are you? - You are a brave man!
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- Aye, it's freezing. - Brussen, as they say.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Right, tell me about your family...
0:08:06 > 0:08:07VOICEOVER: Lots of you got in touch
0:08:07 > 0:08:10to say you thought the bobble on my hat might be real fur.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Now, this is the hat that so many of you were concerned about.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Now, I bought it assuming it was fake fur,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20I wore it assuming it was fake fur.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25But, if you look closely, I can see why so many of you were alarmed.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28And do you know what? You're right to ask questions.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34In fact, it's getting harder to be sure of what you're buying.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Recent investigations have revealed that cheap items
0:08:37 > 0:08:41marketed on the high street and online as faux fur are actually
0:08:41 > 0:08:46made from real fur, from animals like fox, rabbit, and even cats.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49That means many of us wearing fake fur
0:08:49 > 0:08:52might be wearing the real stuff by mistake.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02In Somerset, Karen Berkley walks her dogs in the countryside every day.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05A nice warm hat is essential.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08So what made you buy this particular hat?
0:09:08 > 0:09:09I bought it online.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12I liked the colour, I liked the style of it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16- And it had a fake fur bobble. - It actually said...
0:09:16 > 0:09:19It actually said that, yes, fake fur bobble.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- And I thought, "That'll be perfect." - And it arrived...
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Yes, and, um, it said luxury faux fur,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28so I thought, "Well, yes, it is very luxurious, it feels beautiful."
0:09:28 > 0:09:31And I started examining it a little bit further,
0:09:31 > 0:09:36and I noticed that inside, the actual fibres were quite crimped,
0:09:36 > 0:09:40and it looked very, very much like the fur on the dogs' legs,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44so that did make me very suspicious about it.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46So you suspect that this is real fur?
0:09:46 > 0:09:49And how would you feel if it turns out to be real fur?
0:09:49 > 0:09:51I would be very upset, actually.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Well, if it's all right with you,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55can I take this hat away and have it tested?
0:09:55 > 0:09:56Yes. Definitely, yeah.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58And we will find out once and for all if it's real fur.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- I'll take the hat and I'll give you back your dogs.- Thank you.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05- Thank you, Karen.- Come on, Jess. - Bye, Jess, bye, Toff. Go dry off!
0:10:05 > 0:10:08One of the reasons alarm bells started ringing for Karen
0:10:08 > 0:10:12is that her daughter works for Humane Society International,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14and she knew what to look out for.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17They've been spearheading the investigations
0:10:17 > 0:10:19into faux fur products in the UK.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Claire Bass is their executive director.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24So we found a large amount of very cheap,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28mislabelled real fur being sold and described as fake fur,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32and that's a problem, increasingly, at the lower end of the market,
0:10:32 > 0:10:37so, items very cheaply, as little as £5 or £10 for a real fur item,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39and people don't imagine that fur could be that cheap.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40Do you think the retailers know
0:10:40 > 0:10:42that it's real fur they're actually selling?
0:10:42 > 0:10:45No, we think a lot of the time, they don't know, actually.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47So the retailers are buying it thinking it's fake,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50people on the street are buying it thinking it's fake,
0:10:50 > 0:10:51but in fact it's real?
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Yeah, it's a scandal both for consumer protection
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and also for the animals who are dying in their millions
0:10:57 > 0:11:00to buy products that people don't even want to buy.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Claire says there are some easy checks you can do yourself
0:11:03 > 0:11:05if you suspect fur to be real.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08So we're taking a look at Karen's hat.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10To tell the difference between real and fake fur,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12there's three key ways to do it.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15On real fur, the ends of the strands taper to a point,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17as long as they haven't been cut.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Whereas you never get that on fake fur.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Also, if you part the fur right down to the base
0:11:22 > 0:11:24where the hair is attached,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27on real fur, you can see the strands attached to a skin,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29whereas on fake fur, it's attached...
0:11:29 > 0:11:31You see a sort of mesh weave.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33And the third way to tell is to cut a little bit off
0:11:33 > 0:11:38and set fire to it, and real fur smells like hair burning
0:11:38 > 0:11:39and sort of frazzles,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43whereas fake fur kind of balls into a plasticky blob.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45So are you pretty convinced that that is real?
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Yeah, I'd say this is real fur.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50But there's only one way to be sure,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53and that's to send it to a lab to have it tested.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56And I've decided to send my hat too.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58We'll find out the results later.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02If the fur in our hats does turn out to be real, the chances are
0:12:02 > 0:12:05that it's been produced in places like Russia or China,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08where animals are often farmed in cruel conditions
0:12:08 > 0:12:10and fur can be produced cheaply.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22But it might surprise you to know that one of the biggest
0:12:22 > 0:12:27producers of fur in the world is much closer to home - Denmark.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29There are 1,400 mink farms in Denmark,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and the fur business here is booming.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Now, you're unlikely to find mink in your average bobble hat -
0:12:34 > 0:12:36it is very much a luxury product.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39I've come to find out a little bit more about the industry.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Here, fur is farmed on an industrial scale
0:12:42 > 0:12:47and it's a business worth almost £850 million.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52I'm headed to Brandelev in southern Denmark,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54where mink farmer Ann-Mona Larsen
0:12:54 > 0:12:57has agreed to show me round her farm.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59So, this is where the mink are?
0:12:59 > 0:13:01- Yes.- Oh!
0:13:08 > 0:13:09These are breeders.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13They were actually selected back in November.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15They've got this cage, as you see here.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17They've got water running in the back.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19All year, all day long.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24And then they've got this box, which is prepared with straw inside.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29They actually use 75% of their daily living inside.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31And they need the food.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33And then they've actually got a toy...
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Do you have a toy in here? Yeah. Can I have this, please?
0:13:36 > 0:13:38This kind of toys.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40And how many have you got in this barn?
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Here is just about 2,600 animals.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47That's female breeders and males.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49When the pups are born in spring,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Ann-Mona will have 22,000 animals at her farm.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56They'll be sent for pelting when they're around six months old.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Like it or not, compared to others in countries like China,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03this farm works to some of the highest welfare standards
0:14:03 > 0:14:05in the fur industry.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Fur is such an emotive subject,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11especially for a British person, we're a nation of animal lovers,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14it's kind of difficult for me to stand here and look at this,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18but how different is this from farming pigs, cows, sheep?
0:14:18 > 0:14:20If you ask me, it's the same.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24I actually think that you treat your animals the best you can,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27no matter which animals it is.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30I think maybe this can be a little bit more sensitive
0:14:30 > 0:14:32because they look like our pets.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37But they are not a pet, you know. They look like, but they are not.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42It's becoming clear to me that for Ann-Mona, this is a way of life.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45But for me, it's quite a culture shock to see animals like these
0:14:45 > 0:14:50in cages, and I wasn't prepared for just how eerie I'd find it.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54But even if you think you're doing the right thing by buying faux fur,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58you might not be, and that's because it's made of plastic.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04We are more aware than ever before about the effect that plastic
0:15:04 > 0:15:06is having on our environment.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10So is faux fur really a sustainable alternative to real fur?
0:15:10 > 0:15:13The fur industry in Denmark thinks not.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16It prides itself on offering the natural choice.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I'll be finding out a bit more about that later in the programme,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23as well as discovering if the hat that I wore is real or faux.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36Separating Anglesey from the Welsh mainland is the Menai Strait,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40a 15-mile channel bringing fresh water with each tide.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44It's shallow, and sheltered from the Irish Sea,
0:15:44 > 0:15:49which makes it perfect for all sorts of underwater flora and fauna.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Now, as you might expect, a pristine body of water like that
0:15:56 > 0:15:59is home to a wonderful array of marine wildlife.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01But what you might not know is in that same water
0:16:01 > 0:16:05are some of the richest farmlands in the UK.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08Yep, farmlands.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Because mussels are farmed here
0:16:11 > 0:16:14on a scale like few other places in the UK.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19There are thousands upon thousands growing in these pristine waters.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22John Jones has been working here for 23 years.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25- Morning, lovely to see you. - Welcome on board.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26Thank you very much.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36But whatever you do, don't call him a fisherman.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39So you're not a fisherman?
0:16:39 > 0:16:41No. Basically, exactly the same as a farmer,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45we're actually on top of our fields at the moment here, now.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48So, underneath us at the moment, there's probably 700 tonnes
0:16:48 > 0:16:51of mussels, ready to be sold in the next three or four weeks.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53700 tonnes!
0:16:53 > 0:16:57We can produce up to 9,000 to 10,000 tonnes of mussels in a season.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59And just like farms on land,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02John needs to sow his fields with seeds too.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Well, the seeds for us is basically a baby mussel.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07So it's a very, very tiny mussel.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10There are certain places that they tend to turn up, year-on-year,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12where they're really vulnerable.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13Now, if they're vulnerable,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15then they're going to get washed away and killed,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17then that's a resource wasted.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Rather than let these vulnerable seed mussels get washed away,
0:17:21 > 0:17:25John takes them and transfers them to his farm.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27And he makes sure nobody misses out.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Around a third are left for the birds.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34This approach has paid off in other ways.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36John's is the first mussel fishery in the UK
0:17:36 > 0:17:38to be certified sustainable.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46At this time of year, John takes a weekly sample
0:17:46 > 0:17:49to check on the size and meat content of the mussels.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53They won't be harvested until they're just right.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55So how do you know whether they're ready?
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Right, the next step for us when we're doing a sampling like this
0:17:58 > 0:18:00is to grab a kilo...
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- That's a kilo of mussels in there? - That's a kilo of mussels in there.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Mmm!
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Oh, it smells so good! But they're not to eat?
0:18:07 > 0:18:09No, today they're for a sample.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11So what we're looking for now is the quality of the meat.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14The bigger the meat, the fuller the shells are going to be.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16- So is that good?- That's good.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18From experience, we'd say another three weeks
0:18:18 > 0:18:19and we're ready to go.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21And what makes these mussels so good?
0:18:21 > 0:18:24It's a farm produce, but it's still a very wild produce.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26You know, it started off in the wild
0:18:26 > 0:18:28and it's carried on growing in the wild, so,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32everything that these mussels need to grow is already inside the water.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Now, those tiny molluscs have had unexpectedly big impact
0:19:01 > 0:19:05on another local export, one that sparked a global empire.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10I'm meeting Alison and David Lea-Wilson to find out more.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11They started out with mussels,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15but had greater success with another natural product.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Halen Mon, or Anglesey sea salt.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21So, Alison, David, what's the connection between mussels and salt?
0:19:21 > 0:19:24We started years and years ago, when we were students -
0:19:24 > 0:19:28we grew mussels and oysters, to sort of supplement our grant.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32And then that naturally sort of evolved into salt.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34So when did you have your eureka moment?
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Well, David took a saucepan down to the water's edge,
0:19:38 > 0:19:40took the sea water home, put it on the Aga,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43and we made our first batch of salt.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48Each of these mussels filters nine pints of sea water an hour,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51and in that sea water is sea salt.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53It's just such a brilliant natural resource,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56we're harvesting what's on our doorstep.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Around half a million tubs of salt are produced
0:20:00 > 0:20:03from the Menai Strait each year.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06The process begins by evaporating off the water.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Crystals start to form which are scooped out from the tanks
0:20:10 > 0:20:12and left to dry out.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17So what is it about the water in the Menai Strait,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19and the purity, that has an effect on that?
0:20:19 > 0:20:21What's it doing to that salt?
0:20:22 > 0:20:24It's really, really clean sea water
0:20:24 > 0:20:28so it means it's got things that are good for you in it.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Magnesium, calcium, selenium, zinc.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34All sorts of trace elements that we need.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37This Anglesey salt has been given protected
0:20:37 > 0:20:42designation of origin status, like champagne or Stilton cheese.
0:20:43 > 0:20:50This environment, this bit of beach, is what leads to this result
0:20:50 > 0:20:53and you can't copy that anywhere else.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Each crystal of salt is as individual as a snowflake,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00and like snowflakes they come in all shapes and sizes.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03- That's incredible.- Yeah.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Look at that geometric perfection in nature.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10- Yep.- We call that a diamond of the sea.- Yeah.
0:21:10 > 0:21:11And it is stunning, isn't it?
0:21:11 > 0:21:16At last, it looks like I get to taste the landscape.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19So these are our mussels from the Menai Strait.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20- BOTH:- Yep.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- Sea salt from the very same body of water.- Yes.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24I'm going to give that a go.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Mmm, that is a true taste of Anglesey.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31Yes.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33And Anglesey tastes wonderful.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Over the last few weeks, we've been spending time
0:21:45 > 0:21:48with a team of country vets to see what it takes
0:21:48 > 0:21:51to look after our livestock at this most challenging time of year.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58The practice in Wiltshire is one of the largest in the country,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02with around 40 vets providing care to all creatures great and small.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09And, just to let you know, some of what they do
0:22:09 > 0:22:10is not for the faint-hearted.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25One of the equine team's jobs is to look after horses' teeth.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Today, they're giving routine check-ups to a stable of horses
0:22:28 > 0:22:30belonging to Sue Raven.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34They're starting with Ted. He's one of Angela the vet's favourites.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37This is Ted. Ted is nearly seven years old,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and he's quite sensitive to sedation,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41so we usually don't give him too much.
0:22:42 > 0:22:43Eh? Don't bite me.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46- Good boy. - SHE CLICKS HER TONGUE
0:22:46 > 0:22:47Good boy.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Sedation is a method of restraint that we can use.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54It just means that they're in a happy, cloud-nine state
0:22:54 > 0:22:58and will allow us to do things that they might be anxious about
0:22:58 > 0:23:00when they're fully awake.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Little Ted is now propping himself up like a village drunk
0:23:02 > 0:23:05against the wall, which is great.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09So I'm just going to pop this gag on and have a little look and a feel.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11When we carry out an oral examination,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13we use something called a Haussmann's gag,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15which has a ratchet on the side
0:23:15 > 0:23:18so that we can open their mouths and have a good look inside.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21You can't ask a horse politely to say "Ah."
0:23:21 > 0:23:24So using a gag means that we can safely put our hands
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and equipment in their mouth without hurting them or hurting us.
0:23:27 > 0:23:28Good boy, Ted.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33He is very human-orientated
0:23:33 > 0:23:38and does think that he is much more like a human than he is an animal.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40I think he'd come in the house if he could.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44He's just one of those horses that you just can't help loving, really.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45Good boy.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Other than having some sharp edges,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53there's not too much going on in Ted's mouth.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Horses have what we call hypsodont teeth,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00so they have a large reserve crown and a small crown,
0:24:00 > 0:24:02so they need the sharp edges taken off.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04DRILL WHIRS
0:24:04 > 0:24:05Well done, Ted.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17If we didn't do it, the horses would often drop weight,
0:24:17 > 0:24:18they'd have some oral discomfort,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20they'd be quite uncomfortable in their mouths.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Good boy, Ted.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27There's really not too much to do here at all.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- It's just, er... - That's good.- Yeah, really good.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Right, I think we're all done here, all right?
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Got to be the fastest, easiest treatment we've ever done.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Yeah, good boy. I'm just going to give him a little rinse.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50So we have quite strong suspicions that Ted was hand=reared
0:24:50 > 0:24:52because he suckles anything.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55So he'll... Oh, good boy.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58He'll just... Likes to put everything in his mouth,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00- and he's just...- Especially humans.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Yes, especially your arm, or your...
0:25:02 > 0:25:05He's quite fond of bottoms, aren't you, Ted?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Quite fond of bottoms. Good boy.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- He was really good today, Sue. - Yeah.- Really, really good.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14So, yeah, annual check-ups for Ted, nothing to worry about.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15Good boy.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18You build up a real relationship with both them and the owner,
0:25:18 > 0:25:19and you see them quite regularly,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21particularly if it's an ongoing case,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23and so you can't help but love them.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27If you love horses, you can't help but get attached to your patients.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Mwah! Good boy.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32I wouldn't do that if he was awake.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Yeah, my colleagues think it's hilarious
0:25:34 > 0:25:36that I often kiss ponies on the nose.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Last week, Ben, one of the farm vets,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47was trying to figure out a mystery illness.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Emma, one of his colleagues, brought in a chicken with diarrhoea.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54She's not looking right, bit off-colour, bit pale.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58A week later, unfortunately, there's bad news.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59The chicken died.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Massive shame, bit of a shock, really,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03cos we sort of thought we'd got to the bottom of it.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07But, chickens, it doesn't take much to knock them down.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10So Emma's brought her other prizewinner poultry in
0:26:10 > 0:26:13to get checked over, and make sure whatever it was isn't contagious.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16Come on, girlie.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18We did pretty much the same sort of...
0:26:18 > 0:26:20I guess you could call it an MOT check of each one -
0:26:20 > 0:26:23temperature, listen to the heart and lungs.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25- Crikey, look at this one. - This is Coco Chanel.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- She's actually called Coco Chanel? - Yeah. Black and white for Chanel.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Oh, wow, nice.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And they look like an absolute five-star team, really,
0:26:33 > 0:26:34of showing bantams.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36That's brilliant, thank you very much.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39- At least I know they're all OK, so...- Yeah, yeah.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41We haven't had any worries since from Emma about them.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44So, whatever it was, I think it might have just been a one-off.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57After giving the birds the all clear, Ben's on the night shift
0:26:57 > 0:26:59and he's tending to a sheep that's been acting oddly.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05We were called out by a chap called Will,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07whose uncle is actually one of our dairy farmers.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10So we know the family very well.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13All right, mate, how are you doing? Been a while.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17As well as working on the dairy farm, he has a small flock of sheep.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19So what's the story, mate?
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Um, well, went in the field, to check the sheep, and she sort of...
0:27:23 > 0:27:24..just seemed a bit too quiet.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26So I went up to her and I was able to catch her,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28so I thought something was up.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31And then, yeah, put her on the quad and brought her back, like,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33- and she just doesn't seem... - Yeah.- ..quite right.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37One of them was looking what we'd call a bit neurological.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42So it had symptoms which were, um, it was circling in the field...
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Let's go have a look.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46..had sort of slight vision impairment
0:27:46 > 0:27:49and at times it was recumbent, so just lying down.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54So she can still see us.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00The whole waving in front of her face was, one, I was trying to see
0:28:00 > 0:28:05if there was any visual impairment, because blindness can be a symptom.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08That's why I probably looked like a bit of an odd chap,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11trying to dive around in front of a lamb in the corner of the stable.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Um, but there definitely was... There was reason to it, yeah.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18So there's a couple of things that are just sort of top of the list.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20There's something called CCN,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23they can be blind and they can be recumbent,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27and their legs stretch out and their necks stretch out like that.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29And they don't really move from that.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33- But they can just be disorientated and a bit dull.- Yeah.
0:28:33 > 0:28:39- The other thing could be listeria, which is a bacteria.- OK.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Also, I was tapping around the lamb's face.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48In listeria, that can cause paralysis of the face
0:28:48 > 0:28:50because of one of the nerves it affects.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Let's reach around here.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Her lungs were very, very raspy,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57so she had a concurrent pneumonia going on as well.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00So how bad do you reckon it actually is?
0:29:00 > 0:29:05So the good thing is that hopefully we've caught it quite early.
0:29:05 > 0:29:10I actually finished up thinking it was more likely to be CCN,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13which is short for cerebrocortical necrosis,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16which is a bit of a mouthful, so CCN will do.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18That's quite a simple thing to write, actually,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21cos it's just giving, just supplementing vitamin B1.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24I mean, she's doing that thing, remember I talked about
0:29:24 > 0:29:27when they put their leg out and start to slightly go like that?
0:29:27 > 0:29:28She's just starting to do that.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31So as long as we're pretty on it with getting her jabbed
0:29:31 > 0:29:34- and keeping that vitamin B going into her...- Keep on it..
0:29:34 > 0:29:37..into her system, we hopefully will be OK.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40Initially, we give it in the vein and as the farmers are happy,
0:29:40 > 0:29:43just pop it in the muscle, because it's fine and it's convenient.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Because of the lungs, I also decided to put her
0:29:46 > 0:29:49on some anti-inflammatories which would also act as pain relief,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51and some antibiotics.
0:29:51 > 0:29:52So we'll go steady.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55I'll give you a ring tomorrow and we'll see where we're at
0:29:55 > 0:29:58- and hopefully she'll pull through OK.- Thanks very much, yeah. Awesome.
0:29:58 > 0:29:59Thank you.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04I would have said she had a good chance of surviving,
0:30:04 > 0:30:07just simply because of how early we were getting in there.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24The next day, I checked in with him, just to see how she was getting on,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27and she was literally like a different lamb.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29She's making recovery.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32I've given her her injections overnight,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36hopefully she'll be back out in the field later on today or tomorrow.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42I really enjoy interacting with people, and in Will's case,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45you know, he's a young chap, he's just getting started.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48It's all about just helping him understand the situation.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52But that's great fun, I love it. It's always nice having a chat!
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Next week, a routine checkup for Layla the horse
0:31:00 > 0:31:03reveals an unexpected problem.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05There's something not quite right here today.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Earlier, we heard how real fur
0:31:11 > 0:31:15is being mis-sold as faux fur across the country,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18something that just this month has prompted the Government
0:31:18 > 0:31:21to launch an inquiry into the UK fur trade.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25But could animal fur actually be a more sustainable choice?
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Helen's been in Denmark finding out.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37The UK is known by the rest of the world as a nation of animal lovers,
0:31:37 > 0:31:41because our welfare standards are often higher than anywhere else.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45So it comes as little surprise that we were one of the first countries
0:31:45 > 0:31:48to ban fur farms back in the year 2000.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51But it is still legal to buy and sell
0:31:51 > 0:31:53many kinds of animal fur in the UK.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57So I've been finding out how it's farmed in Denmark,
0:31:57 > 0:32:00one of the biggest producers of mink fur in Europe.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06Here in Denmark, mink fur is sold for a pretty penny.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08At this auction house last year,
0:32:08 > 0:32:1328 million mink skins were sold, making half a billion pounds.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16It's big business and it's aimed at the luxury end of the market.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22The vice president of sales here at Kopenhagen Fur
0:32:22 > 0:32:24is Jesper Lauge Christensen.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28So who is buying this fur, where is it mainly going?
0:32:28 > 0:32:31The fur is actually going all over the world.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34So this is like a hub for raw materials.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36If you go back ten years,
0:32:36 > 0:32:41the turnover of fur in general world wide, retail wise, is tripled.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46Is there a need to farm fur when there are so many synthetic
0:32:46 > 0:32:49alternatives out there that don't involve the animals?
0:32:49 > 0:32:54I think you saying the artificial fur, the fake fur,
0:32:54 > 0:32:57of course you can try to get the same expression,
0:32:57 > 0:33:01but this is a way more sustainable product
0:33:01 > 0:33:03than if you use plastic fur.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07The long lifetime cycle on this product is also amazing.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10A fur garment can last for 40 years.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13This is a raw product from nature.
0:33:15 > 0:33:20However you feel about real fur, there is an issue with faux fur.
0:33:20 > 0:33:25It's made from acrylic, a type of plastic derived from petroleum.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28The fibres are very small and, when the item is washed,
0:33:28 > 0:33:30they make it into our watercourses
0:33:30 > 0:33:34in the form of potentially toxic microplastics.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36There they can be ingested by our marine life
0:33:36 > 0:33:39and passed up the food chain.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43But is real fur really a completely natural product?
0:33:43 > 0:33:46According to Claire from Humane Society International,
0:33:46 > 0:33:48it's far from it.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51To stop it decomposing, which it would naturally do
0:33:51 > 0:33:54when it's taken from the animals, it's treated with a toxic
0:33:54 > 0:33:56and carcinogenic cocktail of chemicals,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00so there's nothing natural about the use of fur in fashion.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04Different research papers on the footprint of both industries
0:34:04 > 0:34:05come up with different results.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08But, whichever way you look at it,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11faux fur is not the squeaky clean alternative to real fur
0:34:11 > 0:34:13that I thought it was.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15So what about the hats that we sent to be tested earlier?
0:34:17 > 0:34:21I'm joining fibre analyst Dr Phil Greaves to find out
0:34:21 > 0:34:24once and for all whether they contain real fur.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28So, Phil, sorry to interrupt, but what are you looking at here?
0:34:28 > 0:34:30These are the fibres from your hat.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33And I can tell by looking that they are modacrylic. That's synthetic.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35So they're faux. Even though I knew that,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38I feel like now I've got a bit more peace of mind
0:34:38 > 0:34:40because you've scientifically told me, definitely fake.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- Yes, yes. No mistake. - Can I see?- Certainly.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46What are you actually looking at, how can you tell that it's fake?
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Because there are no structural details in the fibres -
0:34:49 > 0:34:52they're straight edged, they're uniform, they are synthetic.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57- That looks like plastic, doesn't it? - It is, yes.- And what about Karen's?
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Let's have a look.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Immediately, you can tell that these are animal fibres.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05You can tell by the characteristics that they are fox fibres.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07How can you tell that?
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Because of the nature of the scales on the fibre edges.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13- They are very different, aren't they?- They are, yes.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15There's much more structural detail to them.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19They differ from root to tip. And no synthetic can do that.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27So scientific confirmation that my hat is fake fur
0:35:27 > 0:35:31but Karen has worn real fur unknowingly.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Her hat came from a company called LeMieux. They market themselves
0:35:38 > 0:35:42as supplying the finest equestrian products in the UK.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44A lot of the items on this website
0:35:44 > 0:35:46clearly say that they use animal products.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49But, in the case of Karen's hat, it says,
0:35:49 > 0:35:54"complete with detachable faux fur pom-pom."
0:35:54 > 0:35:55It says it right next to it.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Now, we contacted them with our test results
0:35:58 > 0:35:59and this is what they had to say.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27So what needs to change to protect consumers
0:36:27 > 0:36:30and retailers from making the same mistake?
0:36:30 > 0:36:33There are calls for clearer labelling on all fur,
0:36:33 > 0:36:37real or fake, but even then you need to keep your wits about you.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42In the end, the choice to buy fur is a personal one.
0:36:42 > 0:36:47But it's clear that there are issues with both real and faux fur.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51So it seems that the choice for the ethical consumer is not real fur
0:36:51 > 0:36:56or faux fur, it's real fur, faux fur or no fur at all.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06The UK farms around 34 million sheep and it's down to us shepherds
0:37:06 > 0:37:09to keep them in tiptop condition.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13Down on Adam's farm he's been looking at how the latest technology
0:37:13 > 0:37:17could be used to help improve the welfare of his flock.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33We've got about 2,000 animals on the farm and we need to check them
0:37:33 > 0:37:36every day to make sure they're fit and healthy.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38So when I'm looking over a flock of sheep like this -
0:37:38 > 0:37:41this is a mixed bunch of rams that I've got together with Peg -
0:37:41 > 0:37:44I'm looking for animals that are off on their own,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46they've got a general demeanour of looking unhealthy and unwell,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49they may be lame, those sorts of things.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51But because sheep are a prey animal,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54in other words, they were hunted by wolves way back,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57and the wolves would have gone around the outside of the flock -
0:37:57 > 0:38:02come by! - trying to spot animals that are weak and easy pickings.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05So the sheep themselves try and hide any sign of weakness
0:38:05 > 0:38:08to avoid getting picked off by the wolves.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09And now I'm looking round them,
0:38:09 > 0:38:13I can see something that's very ill but anything with just
0:38:13 > 0:38:17the early signs of illness is very hard to identify.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25I'm always looking to improve the welfare of my livestock.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Dr Krista McLennan from the University of Chester
0:38:28 > 0:38:32has a new way to help farmers like me do just that.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35She's an expert in animal behaviour and has been studying
0:38:35 > 0:38:39facial expressions in sheep to help recognise when they're in pain.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42- Hi, Krista.- Hi.- Thanks for coming to see me.- My pleasure.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45So I understand you're doing some fascinating research.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Yes, we're looking at facial expression in sheep,
0:38:48 > 0:38:51to see if we can actually identify whether there's pain present
0:38:51 > 0:38:53within the facial expression of them.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Facial expression! Tell me more.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58So, obviously, we know in humans, the way we can recognise, we are
0:38:58 > 0:39:01naturally drawn towards the face to assess how people might be feeling.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05So all we did was sort of take that idea and present it towards sheep.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08And we can see the same sorts of things are happening.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11So the eyes are changing, the lips are changing,
0:39:11 > 0:39:12and the jawline as well.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15So they're pulling almost a grimace as we would if we were in pain.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18And they should have a smile when they're not in pain.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20They actually have a turned up corner of their lip,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23and we often see that that starts to flatten out when they're in pain.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26And so how can we as farmers use it, then?
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Because it sounds pretty technical. Can you teach us how to spot it?
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Hopefully the idea will be that a computer would actually be able
0:39:32 > 0:39:35to analyse this facial expression, to smaller detail,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38and pick up them early, that there's something wrong with them.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41So it's not about teaching farmers just to look at their lips
0:39:41 > 0:39:43and their nose and those sorts of things,
0:39:43 > 0:39:45a computer will be able to spot it for us?
0:39:45 > 0:39:48That's the long-term plan, is that a computer should automatically
0:39:48 > 0:39:50pick up the changes in the facial expression of the sheep.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Sounds very technological and a lot of hard work.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56I'm keen to see this technology in action
0:39:56 > 0:40:00but, before I do, I want to know what it's looking for.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05So Krista takes a photo of two sheep
0:40:05 > 0:40:09and uploads them to a computer so we can compare their faces.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14So what are you looking at in these faces, then?
0:40:14 > 0:40:17So here on the right-hand side we have our nice healthy sheep.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20And on the left-hand side we have our unwell sheep.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22And in particular we can see from the ears, our nice healthy sheep,
0:40:22 > 0:40:26she's got nice forward-facing ears, she's nice and alert and bright.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28Whereas our sheep that's got some lameness, she's just closing
0:40:28 > 0:40:31those ears down a little bit and they're coming towards the floor.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34- Yeah.- But in particular what's quite noticeable is our nice
0:40:34 > 0:40:38healthy sheep has this really U-shaped nose, it's nice and broad.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Whereas our sheep that's very lame, she's much more of a V-shaped nose.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43It's very tight around her mouth area.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45I can see it now you've pointed it out
0:40:45 > 0:40:48but I'm not sure I'd have noticed it before.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50- It's quite interesting, isn't it? - Very subtle signs.- Yeah.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54I'm going to look at my sheep in a totally new light now.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56These are just some of the facial expressions
0:40:56 > 0:40:58used to assess signs of pain,
0:40:58 > 0:41:01but there are other things to look out for.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03For her research, Krista teamed up
0:41:03 > 0:41:06with Marwa Mahmoud from Cambridge University.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Marwa has been working on an artificial intelligence system
0:41:10 > 0:41:11that goes one step further
0:41:11 > 0:41:14in assessing the expressions and levels of pain.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17So what are you looking at here, then?
0:41:17 > 0:41:20So here we can see I've got a photo of your sheep.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22This programme has different steps.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25The first step is just to identify every face...
0:41:25 > 0:41:27So you've got a little box around everyone that's looking at us.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Exactly. Just identifying that there is a sheep here.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33And the next step is identifying different facial features.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37These are the red dots. Round ears, eyes, nose.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40And we can see here these coloured boxes just give
0:41:40 > 0:41:44an indication of the probability that this sheep is in pain or not.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Sure. So you've got a green box and over here an orange box.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52Yeah, so orange means that maybe this guy is in pain.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54And down there we can just see
0:41:54 > 0:41:57a close up of every one of them separately.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01For example, this guy thinks it's in moderate pain and it thinks that's
0:42:01 > 0:42:06because the left ear is a little bit off and the nose is a bit V-shaped.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09So the good thing about it is that it can tell you exactly why
0:42:09 > 0:42:12it thinks the sheep is in pain.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15And then how does the farmer get this message?
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Cos you've got a great group photo of all the sheep.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22You say the one in the back left-hand corner half an hour ago
0:42:22 > 0:42:25- didn't look very well and I come down and it's moved!- Yeah, yeah.
0:42:25 > 0:42:31So it can be easily tied to a reader that can identify
0:42:31 > 0:42:36- the identification tags that are on the animal's ears.- Yeah.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40So you'll be able to link that to the video, identify the animal,
0:42:40 > 0:42:44and tell me on my phone, "343's not feeling very well"?
0:42:44 > 0:42:46- Yeah.- Extraordinary.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51I'm blown away by Krista and Marwa's work
0:42:51 > 0:42:54and even at this early stage their model looks like it could be
0:42:54 > 0:42:59a hugely useful tool in detecting signs of illness in the future.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01I'm very impressed by the technology
0:43:01 > 0:43:04and I suppose it's got to be the way forward for farming, hasn't it?
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Absolutely. Having an automated system
0:43:06 > 0:43:09just reduces some of the pressure that's on farmers at the moment.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12But also it's an early indication that something might be wrong.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15The earlier we can get in there to treat a problem,
0:43:15 > 0:43:18it's more likely to be quicker at actually resolving itself.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20And it's reducing any possible suffering that might be happening
0:43:20 > 0:43:23for the sheep. So it's improving welfare all the time.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25Animal welfare and efficiency, you know,
0:43:25 > 0:43:28- really come hand-in-hand, don't they?- Absolutely. Yeah.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Well, very impressive. Brilliant.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49Anglesey.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53The final frontier of the wild Welsh coast.
0:43:53 > 0:43:59Set apart from the mainland, this island haven teems with wildlife.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06It's also a stronghold for our native rare red squirrels.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10In fact, Anglesey has the largest population of reds in Wales
0:44:10 > 0:44:13and I've been told you can even catch a glimpse of them -
0:44:13 > 0:44:15if you know what you're doing.
0:44:17 > 0:44:18And this man does.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22He's David Lacey, a big fan of red squirrels.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25He lives on a small island in the Menai Strait
0:44:25 > 0:44:29and his garden is a favourite with all sorts of wildlife.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32But it's the red squirrels David's most fond of.
0:44:32 > 0:44:36In fact, some say he charms them from the trees.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39But red squirrels are famously elusive.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41The idea that they would come and feed regularly from one spot...
0:44:41 > 0:44:43I mean, how friendly are they?
0:44:43 > 0:44:45Once they sort of get used to you,
0:44:45 > 0:44:47and they seem to do that quite easily,
0:44:47 > 0:44:49um, I suppose they start to trust you
0:44:49 > 0:44:52and they'll come along and just take food from your hand as well.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55- Take food from your hand? - Yes.- No way!
0:44:55 > 0:44:58I'll be surprised if we even catch a glimpse of one.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Well, I hope they turn up. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04- Right, so, let's go to the squirrel spot.- OK.- O squirrel whisperer!
0:45:04 > 0:45:07HE CHUCKLES
0:45:07 > 0:45:10David has created the perfect alfresco squirrel dining area
0:45:10 > 0:45:14on his garage roof, opposite some leafy woodland.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17Yeah, this is where the feeder is, down here.
0:45:17 > 0:45:22If we rattle the lid, they usually come along.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28They normally come along within a few minutes.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32And right on cue...
0:45:33 > 0:45:36Oh, look, I think there's one over there.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39He was sussing out the situation, wasn't he?
0:45:39 > 0:45:42He was getting closer and closer.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44WHISPERING: There, there, there. Was that one?
0:45:44 > 0:45:45Hello.
0:45:45 > 0:45:46OK.
0:45:48 > 0:45:49Come on, then.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55- Oop, here you go.- They're quite lovely, aren't they?- Mmm.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00They're really good fun to watch.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02Here he comes.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06- Come on, then, come and get a nut. - There he is. Hello, little fella.
0:46:08 > 0:46:09Come on, then.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15This one's tempted but he's not quite sure.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Can I get them to take a nut from my hand?
0:46:20 > 0:46:22- Come on, squirrel.- Here he comes.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31- Oh, no.- Almost.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Oh, it was so close, it was so close.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37One last try.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44There we go.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47I just fed a red squirrel.
0:46:50 > 0:46:51Incredible.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56But there's a serious side to Dave's effort.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58Getting up close to them like this
0:46:58 > 0:47:01means he's often the first to spot any problems.
0:47:01 > 0:47:07What he sees, he reports to the team at the Red Squirrels Trust Wales.
0:47:13 > 0:47:18I'm heading out on patrol with Holly Peek, a Red Squirrel Ranger.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20Today, she's working with the National Trust
0:47:20 > 0:47:23at Plas Newydd estate.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25- Hello, Holly, nice to see you. - Hi, nice to see you.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28Now, was having beautiful red hair part of the job description?
0:47:28 > 0:47:31- Yeah, I had to dye it! - It is amazing.
0:47:31 > 0:47:35- And it is perfect as well, isn't it? - It certainly suits, yeah.- Blend in!
0:47:35 > 0:47:38So what's the story about red squirrels on Anglesey?
0:47:38 > 0:47:40Well, basically, about 21 years ago,
0:47:40 > 0:47:42we had 40 red squirrels left on Anglesey.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45Through a process of grey squirrel control
0:47:45 > 0:47:46and a few red squirrel introductions,
0:47:46 > 0:47:48including here at Plas Newydd,
0:47:48 > 0:47:50we now have about 800 red squirrels all over the island.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53- That's remarkable.- Yeah. - So why were they in decline?
0:47:53 > 0:47:54Why were they not doing so well?
0:47:54 > 0:47:57Because of the grey squirrel competition.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02Greys were brought here from America at the end of the 19th century.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05They're bigger and more dominant than the reds,
0:48:05 > 0:48:07and outcompete them for food and habitat.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12They also carry a pox which they're immune to
0:48:12 > 0:48:14but which is deadly to the reds.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18There are currently no grey squirrels on Anglesey,
0:48:18 > 0:48:21but Holly and her team are not taking any chances.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27So what we have been doing, with loads of volunteers -
0:48:27 > 0:48:28volunteers are key to this -
0:48:28 > 0:48:32is we've been putting camera traps all along the Strait
0:48:32 > 0:48:35to keep an eye on the squirrels, to see if there's any signs of pox,
0:48:35 > 0:48:39and also we are spreading the red population on the mainland.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41So, just last year,
0:48:41 > 0:48:44we had red squirrels in Snowdonia National Park for the first time
0:48:44 > 0:48:46in 50 years, which is a huge step for the project.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49So they're doing really, really well.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53Plas Newydd estate has just recruited its first batch
0:48:53 > 0:48:56of volunteer Red Squirrel Rangers.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59Today, they're building feeder boxes for local people
0:48:59 > 0:49:01to put in their gardens.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06Holly is their mentor,
0:49:06 > 0:49:09and one of her trainee rangers is Alison Hamilton.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12You can see why they're doing so well,
0:49:12 > 0:49:14because this is a wonderful playground, isn't it?
0:49:14 > 0:49:18Absolutely fantastic, and the woodland is such a mixture of trees,
0:49:18 > 0:49:21they absolutely love it here, and they really do seem to thrive.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24So do red squirrels have sort of particular characteristics?
0:49:24 > 0:49:25Yes, they certainly do.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28My favourite fact is that you get left and right-handed squirrels.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32What they do is they hold pine cones in their hands,
0:49:32 > 0:49:34like us eating a corn on the cob, you can actually tell
0:49:34 > 0:49:38whether they're right or left-handed by the way they eat the nuts.
0:49:38 > 0:49:42That's fantastic, I had no idea! So tell me about what the plan is.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45Because you're raising money for certain specific things, aren't you?
0:49:45 > 0:49:48We are. We're running a red squirrel appeal. We're going to be putting it
0:49:48 > 0:49:50towards a bridge for the squirrels so they can cross the road,
0:49:50 > 0:49:53but also we're looking to build feeder boxes as well,
0:49:53 > 0:49:56so the squirrels have a safe environment where they can feed
0:49:56 > 0:49:58and where they can thrive.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01This is a real conservation success story,
0:50:01 > 0:50:05the island community pulling together to secure the future
0:50:05 > 0:50:08of one of our rarest and best-loved species.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12We've been very lucky with the weather today,
0:50:12 > 0:50:14perfect for red squirrel spotting,
0:50:14 > 0:50:16but what's it looking like for the week ahead?
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Here's the Countryfile forecast.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12MATT: We're on Anglesey in North Wales.
0:51:12 > 0:51:17A rugged island with miles of stunning coastline.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Anglesey is home to a huge array of wildlife,
0:51:19 > 0:51:22and there are so many ways in which you can experience it,
0:51:22 > 0:51:25but today I'm not taking a wander along the coastal path,
0:51:25 > 0:51:27or going for a boat trip.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29I'm off for a little paddle.
0:51:32 > 0:51:37Sian Sykes quit life in the city for life on the water.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39She takes people like me wildlife spotting
0:51:39 > 0:51:42using paddle boards to get up close.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46- Hi, Matt, welcome to Anglesey. - Nice to see you.- Nice to see you.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49- Are you all set?- I think so. Well, you tell me.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52Brilliant, you do look the part. Let's get on the water.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58The Menai Strait is famous for its fast currents.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02Thankfully, it's all looking nice and calm today.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05OK, when you're ready, put your paddle on the other side
0:52:05 > 0:52:08of the board, on your right, nearest to the boat.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10That's it.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12Keep looking up. Have you got Shakin' Stevens?
0:52:12 > 0:52:15- I've got a little bit of a shaky leg thing going on.- Elvis legs!
0:52:15 > 0:52:19To be fair, I'm not really looking up at much wildlife at the moment!
0:52:19 > 0:52:21I know it looks like a big board,
0:52:21 > 0:52:24but I actually feel like I'm on a cocktail stick.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27- If you can...- It's actually very enjoyable, isn't it?- It's lovely.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30It's totally relaxing, cos to be honest with you,
0:52:30 > 0:52:32you can't think about anything else! HE LAUGHS
0:52:32 > 0:52:34You get into a very meditative state.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36Yes, you're at one with your knees, that's for sure!
0:52:38 > 0:52:42Conditions are perfect for paddling down the strait.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46And being out on the sea has given Sian some rare experiences.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50Is it right that you've actually paddled all the way around Anglesey?
0:52:50 > 0:52:54Yes, and it was an amazing way to discover the coastline.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57Do you ever see any porpoise or dolphins?
0:52:57 > 0:53:00Oh, yes, around Anglesey I've spotted quite a few,
0:53:00 > 0:53:04some up here, further up on the Menai Strait,
0:53:04 > 0:53:07I've been fortunate to see porpoise and dolphins darting in the water,
0:53:07 > 0:53:10feeding, and further down there, I've seen seals,
0:53:10 > 0:53:13and they're very inquisitive, they like to come up and have a look.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17- Yeah, I'm sure.- Because we're not intrusive at all.- Yeah, yeah.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21And then over here on the left, on the island,
0:53:21 > 0:53:23lots of oystercatchers, can you see them?
0:53:23 > 0:53:26Oh, yeah, there's loads of them over there.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37As well as Sian, there are others here on Anglesey
0:53:37 > 0:53:40helping people to connect with nature.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Chris Barker from the Wildlife Trust set up Our Wild Coast,
0:53:44 > 0:53:47a four-year project to teach young people
0:53:47 > 0:53:50more about the island's wildlife.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54From beach cleans and foraging to discovering life in rock pools,
0:53:54 > 0:53:57the youngsters get very hands-on.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00As well as physical benefits
0:54:00 > 0:54:03of being involved in outdoor activities, it's also socialising,
0:54:03 > 0:54:06developing skills like teamwork, leadership, communication,
0:54:06 > 0:54:09all of those things that they do as part of these activities.
0:54:09 > 0:54:13You can see how enthusiastic everybody is, and actually just...
0:54:13 > 0:54:16As you say, just being at one with the environment.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19And this contact with nature appears to be having a positive impact
0:54:19 > 0:54:21on their schooling.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24Many children are getting better grades in science subjects.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27The red ones are called beadlet anemone,
0:54:27 > 0:54:28and their name in Welsh is amazing.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31- What is it?- What is it? - Buwch goch.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33I know, interesting!
0:54:34 > 0:54:38As the sun goes down, it's time to light the campfire
0:54:38 > 0:54:40and cook up a seaweed treat.
0:54:40 > 0:54:44And, right on cue, a not entirely unexpected guest arrives.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48- How nice is this?- Oh, Anita! Nice to see you.- Camping!
0:54:48 > 0:54:51- Here's my new friends. - Hello, new friends.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53- ALL:- Hello!
0:54:53 > 0:54:55Does anyone want to have a look at the menu before we start?
0:54:55 > 0:54:56THEY LAUGH
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Mmm! Good!
0:54:58 > 0:55:00Oh, yeah, that's a nice texture, actually, isn't it?
0:55:00 > 0:55:03- It's really good. Seaweed crisps! - Oh, yeah, it's very...
0:55:03 > 0:55:07Actually, it's quite oaky and salty... I really like that.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08Michelle's not convinced!
0:55:08 > 0:55:11But what a very pleasant way to end the day. Thank you, one and all.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14That's all we've got time for from here on Anglesey.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16Next week, we're going to be in Derbyshire,
0:55:16 > 0:55:19where I'll be dropping in on a party that's a UK first,
0:55:19 > 0:55:21alpacas will be centre stage,
0:55:21 > 0:55:23and Helen will be having a go at weaseling.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26- Oh! That's a "stoatally" new one for me.- Hey!
0:55:26 > 0:55:28So sorry.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31Do join us next week, when all will be revealed.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33- From all of us here, goodbye. - See ya!