0:00:26 > 0:00:28These are the Brecklands of Norfolk and Suffolk,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31a mix of heathland and sandy soils
0:00:31 > 0:00:35that make it one of the UK's rarest habitats.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37But it's under threat -
0:00:37 > 0:00:41and with it some of the Brecklands' most endangered species.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45But help is at hand from one of the area's best-known inhabitants,
0:00:45 > 0:00:47the Breckland rabbit.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Matt discovers the secret to success for farmers here.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55- The sandy soil - that's what does it.- That's the key, isn't it? - It's wonderful. Yeah.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57It is the key.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00It would be impossible on heavy land, absolutely impossible.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Margherita meets the former shepherd who gave up wool for watercolours.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08He spent a lot of time with me
0:01:08 > 0:01:12and said very kind things about my work and I came away from that
0:01:12 > 0:01:14meeting thinking, "Right, I've got to do this."
0:01:14 > 0:01:18It would be awful going through life and wondering, "What if?"
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Tom looks at the potential weak links in our fight
0:01:20 > 0:01:22against livestock diseases.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Seeing this threat coming from the rest of Central Europe, and it is
0:01:26 > 0:01:29potentially, potentially, really devastating.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32And Adam's day has just taken a bizarre turn.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34ADAM CHUCKLES
0:01:34 > 0:01:36- Good boy.- I never thought I'd get in a lift with an alpaca.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38This is just extraordinary.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54These are the Brecklands, or Brecks as they're also known.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59A temperate climate and many rare species make this
0:01:59 > 0:02:02one of the most distinctive habitats in the land.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09The Brecks straddle Norfolk and Suffolk
0:02:09 > 0:02:13and covers an area almost 400 square miles.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Cavenham Heath, in the south half,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18is an outstanding example of English heathland.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26It's a special environment.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30So special, in fact, that the Brecks are one of just a handful of places
0:02:30 > 0:02:33at the heart of one of the most ambitious
0:02:33 > 0:02:37wildlife conservation projects the UK has ever seen.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42It's called Back From The Brink,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46a five-year project to save the 20 species most at risk of extinction
0:02:46 > 0:02:50in England, and to improve the chances of more than 100 others.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56It's being run by Natural England,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58with money from the Heritage Lottery Fund,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and is bringing together conservation bodies
0:03:00 > 0:03:04and volunteers to work on schemes throughout the country.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08David Hodd is the programme manager.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13- David, this is it - the launch of Back From The Brink.- It is.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16It's a really exciting moment because we've got so many people
0:03:16 > 0:03:18who've put together the thoughts about how we get this right.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22It's a big project - never before has species conservation
0:03:22 > 0:03:26in England had this much effort to really make a difference.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29This is what is going to turn things around for an awful lot of species.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32What are the species that are on the brink that you are hoping to help?
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Within the project there are 112 species that we are going to
0:03:35 > 0:03:37bring back from the brink.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41We are going to put them on the road to recovery, of which about 20 are
0:03:41 > 0:03:45likely to face extinction within the next few years, if we didn't act.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47But the ones facing extinction
0:03:47 > 0:03:49are things like the violet click beetle,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53the ladybird spider, which was actually thought to be extinct
0:03:53 > 0:03:57for 80 years but was rediscovered about 15 years ago in Dorset.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01The Brecks are home to more than a quarter
0:04:01 > 0:04:03of all the UK's rare species,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and some of them are found nowhere else...
0:04:07 > 0:04:10..like the lunar yellow underwing moth.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13It's one of the species on the back-from-the-brink list and it's
0:04:13 > 0:04:18a vital source of food for another rare species, the stone curlew.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23The moth, in turn, depends on another creature for its survival -
0:04:23 > 0:04:25the Breckland rabbit.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28They've been here since Roman times, nibbling the grass
0:04:28 > 0:04:30and shaping this landscape.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33In the last ten years, their numbers on Cavenham Heath
0:04:33 > 0:04:36have dropped a whopping 96%.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41East Wretham Heath is one of their few remaining strongholds.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I'm meeting Dr Diana Bell, from the University of East Anglia,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47one of the world's leading rabbit experts,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49to find out more about them.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Diana, why are rabbits important to this landscape?
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Well, they create this very disturbed surface.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02They burrow, they paw scrape, they create areas of bare ground,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04and those are important
0:05:04 > 0:05:07for a variety of rare plants and invertebrates.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12But the rabbits here are vulnerable to a new lethal strain
0:05:12 > 0:05:16of rabbit haemorrhagic disease, or RHD for short.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20At the moment it's facing not just myxomatosis
0:05:20 > 0:05:23but it's also got two new viruses -
0:05:23 > 0:05:26one that came through in the '90s and most recently, in the last
0:05:26 > 0:05:31couple of years, an even more destructive virus, which is
0:05:31 > 0:05:35killing large numbers of the rabbits across the country, as we speak.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38But here, on this very patch that we're standing on, they seem to
0:05:38 > 0:05:41be doing quite well. I can see them all round us now. Why is that?
0:05:41 > 0:05:45This is a good substrate for rabbits to burrow into.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49We suspect that the rabbits have not had RHD2 here.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Diana is taking nothing for granted and performs regular
0:05:54 > 0:05:57checks on the rabbits' health, which means trapping a few.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Now what?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Let's get a weight on that.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05- 1,500.- That's great.
0:06:05 > 0:06:081,500, a really big alpha male.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11If Diana can work out why they're thriving here,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14it might help save other populations in the Brecks.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Why do you do this research? Why do you measure their condition?
0:06:19 > 0:06:21We want to make sure they've got good body weight,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24good body fat on them. This one's got a tear in its ear.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- A bit of fighting? - A bit of fighting.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31The health check also includes sexing the rabbits.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32Drumroll... It's a boy.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36It is a boy, just as you suspected.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38He's actually... These are quite furry.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41Yes, you heard right.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43And guess who's measuring them?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45This is a first for you, Ellie.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47I'm measuring testicles.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50- This is all in the name of science. - Don't squash them.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- I shan't. - These are quite small testicles.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57The dominant males have large testicles.
0:06:57 > 0:06:5927 millimetres.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Fantastic. So, just another reveal, just the back end there.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04There is a full rabbit in there, I promise.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07What can be done to help the Breckland rabbits?
0:07:07 > 0:07:11We're trying to get them back into the areas
0:07:11 > 0:07:13where there are empty warrens.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16They're doing this by cutting the grass
0:07:16 > 0:07:21and using scrub to create places for the rabbits to take cover.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23In time, it's hoped that this will tempt them back.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Time now to let my little friend go.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Oh, it's quite a special moment, this.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Making a few snuffly-truffly sounds.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40It's delightful to release him, unharmed. You're free.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43You want to hang out. I don't blame you - we've had a good time.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46But it's time to go. Go on. Off you go.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49ELLIE CHUCKLES
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Oh, I love that.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55And...he's gone.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Magic.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Now, while I continue to explore the Brecklands,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09here's Tom with a warning about the animal diseases
0:08:09 > 0:08:14that are threatening our flocks and farms at this time of year.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Tom's report contains some upsetting images.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26Winter - it's the time of year when migrating birds flock to our shores.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33But some of them may carry a lethal disease -
0:08:33 > 0:08:36avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43Bird flu doesn't respect national borders or farm boundaries.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Almost a year ago, outbreaks across the country meant
0:08:48 > 0:08:50thousands of birds had to be destroyed.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57So to prevent the disease devastating our livestock
0:08:57 > 0:09:01farm animals are subject to special laws on bio-security.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05There may be a chink in our armour.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Hobby farming - where just a few pigs, chickens,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12or ducks are kept - is extremely popular.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15It feels like natural, healthy living - the good life, if you will.
0:09:17 > 0:09:23It's estimated there are 750,000 back-yard poultry keepers in the UK.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Those people who keep fewer than 50 birds
0:09:26 > 0:09:29don't even have to be registered - but they can play a crucial
0:09:29 > 0:09:34role in outbreaks of disease, and that's often overlooked.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38About a year ago an outbreak of the serious strain of bird flu
0:09:38 > 0:09:41known as H5N8 was discovered among the chickens
0:09:41 > 0:09:44and ducks on this smallholding in Carmarthenshire.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49The birds here used to wander freely.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55But the stable where they lived now stands empty.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57It's a painful reminder to Stephanie
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and something she has never spoken about publicly.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03So, tell me about when you first realised you had a problem here.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Well, we had a chicken that had died overnight.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12I came up here to see what was going on
0:10:12 > 0:10:15and found one that was a bit poorly and not coming out
0:10:15 > 0:10:20and just sitting on the perch, which is not usual for that chicken.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23I just noticed that it had a bit of swelling on its face.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27So I phoned my mum, who was in work, and she said to ring the vet's
0:10:27 > 0:10:28and speak to them.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32The vet contacted the Animal And Plant Health Agency
0:10:32 > 0:10:35and within a couple of hours they had arrived at the farm.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40They came dressed from head to toe in their suits and oxygen
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and things that they have on, which was quite daunting.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47They then did an autopsy on the dead chicken we already had.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49They also did tests on the ducks while they were here.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53And what happened to the birds shortly after that?
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Well...
0:10:55 > 0:10:57A couple of days later they came back with all the results
0:10:57 > 0:11:03and that was it - they were confirmed with bird flu
0:11:03 > 0:11:08and all were retested and put to sleep.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10How did you feel when this was all going on?
0:11:10 > 0:11:13It was awful. Horrible.
0:11:13 > 0:11:14It was...
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Just... There was no control -
0:11:16 > 0:11:19we had no control over what was going on.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21And it was heartbreaking. They were our pets.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24We didn't have them for any other reason, we just enjoyed having them.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Every year they would have ducklings and that was brilliant.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30The children loved them.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33They were just pets more than anything else.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38While they may be pets, sadly they're still a risk as this
0:11:38 > 0:11:41strain of bird flu can spread extremely quickly.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47While H5N8 is highly contagious, it is not spread
0:11:47 > 0:11:51to us, nor is there any risk of it spreading through food.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56But bird flu is constantly mutating and another strain, H5N1,
0:11:56 > 0:12:02which broke out in Asia in 2003, has killed 450 people so far.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05The disease spreads through contact
0:12:05 > 0:12:09with contaminated body fluids and faeces.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12But it can also be transmitted through contaminated clothing,
0:12:12 > 0:12:13feed and water.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18That all means measures to contain an outbreak are severe.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Infected birds are slaughtered, a two-mile protection zone
0:12:21 > 0:12:25and a six-mile surveillance zone are placed around the premises
0:12:25 > 0:12:27from which all trade is banned.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Understandably, many farmers are worried about the impact that
0:12:32 > 0:12:36back-yard livestock could have on their businesses.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39The problem may be that hobby farmers don't really consider
0:12:39 > 0:12:43themselves part of the industry and may be unaware of restrictions
0:12:43 > 0:12:45if disease breaks out.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50It turned out Stephanie's birds caught the disease
0:12:50 > 0:12:53by sharing their pond with an infected wild duck.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Her mum, Joan, thinks it had probably flown in
0:12:57 > 0:12:59from the local wetlands.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03At that time, Defra had given instructions about keeping
0:13:03 > 0:13:06your own birds and wild birds separated. You hadn't done that?
0:13:06 > 0:13:08I wasn't aware of that because I didn't get
0:13:08 > 0:13:12anything from Defra before the outbreak.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Eventually there was something, obviously, hit the headlines.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17But you don't spend all your time watching television
0:13:17 > 0:13:19and reading newspapers.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23If you say to someone, "Well, keep your chickens in if you can,"
0:13:23 > 0:13:25well, I can't, so I don't.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27I still wonder if you should have been a little bit more
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- proactive at finding out what the risks were.- Possibly.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34But that's no different to an awful lot of other people.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Yes, I was a bit complacent, probably.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39It wasn't going to happen to me. But it would have been nice
0:13:39 > 0:13:40if there had been more publicity.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Do you think Defra need to improve the way they get their messages across?
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Yes, there are plenty of organisations about for
0:13:47 > 0:13:51poultry keepers and the ideal thing would be if they got in touch
0:13:51 > 0:13:53with a smallholding group,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57let them know and let them dispense it to their members.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00So for domestic keepers, watching the programme,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03what's the key message you would like to get across to them?
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Perhaps be a little bit more aware of what can happen and they're not
0:14:07 > 0:14:11very nice consequences, particularly for the animals concerned.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15It's an awful thing that Joan and Stephanie went through.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Later on, I'll be speaking to Defra about what
0:14:17 > 0:14:20they are doing to improve communications
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and finding out about another infectious disease that's
0:14:23 > 0:14:26threatening our shores - and this one has farmers really worried.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- MATT BAKER:- These acres, straddling the border of Norfolk and Suffolk,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39are known for their dry conditions.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42The fast-draining sandy soils make them
0:14:42 > 0:14:46an unusually good place to grow crops.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49And it was this sandy soil that inspired one farmer,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53many years ago, to take a huge leap of faith for his family.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58Before the Second World War, Russel Abrey was farming in Suffolk.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01It wasn't until the mid-70s that he tried growing veg
0:15:01 > 0:15:02in the Brecklands of Norfolk.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06It paid off. Today, the farm produces
0:15:06 > 0:15:09over 100,000 tonnes of root vegetables a year.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13His grandson Giles and his cousins now run the business.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Giles, I cannot believe how sandy this is.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21I mean, you know, I was expecting it to be loamy but this is remarkable.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23- Incredible, isn't it? - It's like a beach.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26I think we're very lucky that our grandfather sort of moved
0:15:26 > 0:15:28up here in the early '70s.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29Yeah, so how did that happen, then?
0:15:29 > 0:15:32How did your grandad end up down here?
0:15:32 > 0:15:34When he was a child he was at Tuddenham, which has
0:15:34 > 0:15:36a soil type a bit like this.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39So I think, having then farmed on some heavier soil, I think
0:15:39 > 0:15:41he thought maybe things might be easier coming here.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44- He knew what he was letting himself in for?- Yeah, exactly.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Did people think he was mad for doing this?
0:15:46 > 0:15:48A few thought he was a bit barking mad.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50What is it about this soil that makes it
0:15:50 > 0:15:52so good for growing root veg?
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Because it's such a nice profile of sandy soil, when we're growing
0:15:55 > 0:15:57our carrots and parsnips, we get
0:15:57 > 0:16:00a nice, long, straight carrot or parsnip.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03When you look at onions, what we're aiming for is a bright, stain-free
0:16:03 > 0:16:06onion, which we get because we don't get any water logging.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11And potatoes - this soil does give lovely smooth, bright skins.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Another advantage of these quick-draining soils
0:16:14 > 0:16:16is that they can be worked all year round.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19That means a steady supply to the supermarkets.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Onions do particularly well in these sandy soils.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Being able to crop them throughout the year
0:16:27 > 0:16:30has given the business a real boost.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Giles's cousin, Tom, certainly knows his onions.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Tom, they tell me that you're the onion man of the family.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39- Am I really?- Is that right?
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Well, I mean, there are literary onions as far as the eye can see.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46How many roughly? How many tonnes would you say are in here?
0:16:46 > 0:16:50There's about 1,200 tonnes at harvest in this field.
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Goodness me!
0:16:51 > 0:16:53And the aim is that we are doing
0:16:53 > 0:16:57an all-year-round supply into the markets and supermarkets.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59When you say an aim, is that a reality at the moment,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02or is that something you are very close to?
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Yeah, we've nailed it for the last four years.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08We used to import six weeks of New Zealand onions every year
0:17:08 > 0:17:10from June and July.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12We've closed that to nothing,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15meaning less food miles when we're importing onions
0:17:15 > 0:17:18from the other side of the world. We're not doing it any more.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19It's also more sales for us.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Yeah, I mean, I was going to say,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23that must mean that you have quite a large proportion
0:17:23 > 0:17:25of the onion market.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29I think we're about 7%, 8%, now of the UK supplies.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- So, yeah, it's, er...- Yeah! - It's good.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Keeps me out of the pub!
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Producing this much veg in this dry part of the country
0:17:39 > 0:17:41means there's a big demand for water.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45So the farm has built huge reservoirs and installed
0:17:45 > 0:17:49technology to make sure the crops get water just when they need it.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55Farming on this scale has changed the face of much of the Brecklands.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59In the past, a lot of this vital habitat fell under the plough.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02That had a big impact on wildlife.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05But in recent years, farmers like the Abreys have been making
0:18:05 > 0:18:07a huge effort to turn things around.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11What are you doing, then, on your farm as far as that
0:18:11 > 0:18:15relationship between food production and wildlife is concerned?
0:18:15 > 0:18:19We do winter bird food so we plant a sort of a cereal crop
0:18:19 > 0:18:20and a brassica crop.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24It matures, produces seeds which provide winter feed,
0:18:24 > 0:18:29winter, autumn, spring feed for things like grey partridge,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31turtledove, corn bunting.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37And the stone curlew, one of the UK's rarest birds.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Back in the '80s, numbers in the Brecklands had fallen
0:18:40 > 0:18:42to fewer than 100 breeding pairs.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Now, thanks to a big conservation push,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50their numbers have almost tripled.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57What are you putting this increase down to?
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Here we have a stone curlew plot.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03So this area is about two hectares,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06about two football pitches,
0:19:06 > 0:19:11and basically what we do we try and create their ideal habitat,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14which is sandy, dry soil.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18They like stones because the stones are sort of similar to
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- the eggs - it's a bit of camouflage there.- Yeah.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23And it's just a perfect environment for them nesting
0:19:23 > 0:19:25when they come over in March.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27You've got machinery going on around us here.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30There's so many tractors - it's incredible.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33And yet everybody is mindful of what's going on below the tyres.
0:19:33 > 0:19:34Yeah, exactly.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Yeah, and it's everything from the sort of birdlife right
0:19:37 > 0:19:41through to the rare arable plants, the insects, bees, everything.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Yeah, it's a combined effort.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48And later I'll be seeing how these soils
0:19:48 > 0:19:50have been good for livestock, too.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03MARGHERITA TAYLOR: It's not just farmers and conservationists
0:20:03 > 0:20:04working in this landscape.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08There are others, drawn by the sheer beauty of the Brecks.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Jonathan Yule has been in love with this landscape
0:20:13 > 0:20:16since moving here more than three decades ago.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So much so that he gave up his job as a shepherd to become
0:20:19 > 0:20:21a professional artist.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26Jonathan, this is such a stunning landscape.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30What was it about it that first made you want to paint it?
0:20:30 > 0:20:36It's one of the last wild places in this part of the country.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39When you look around, it's completely unaffected,
0:20:39 > 0:20:44- seemingly, by man now. - It feels like a hidden gem.- It is.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46The habitat here is incredibly important -
0:20:46 > 0:20:49it's very important it's preserved.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51This is a lovely spot here.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53- Looks good to you?- This looks good.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59I haven't picked up a paintbrush since school, so I'm a bit nervous.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01And we're painting with watercolours,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03a notoriously difficult medium.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07You've picked this beautiful setting for us to paint today.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- Do you already see the picture in it that you want to paint?- I do, yes.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16It is, for me, a quintessential Brecklands landscape.
0:21:16 > 0:21:17We've got all the elements here.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21These gorse in the foreground with a little bit of flower, still.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23All year round there are some flowers on gorse.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28The old Scots pine trees, which are quintessential Breckland trees,
0:21:28 > 0:21:29and the sheep.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32We're lucky enough to have these sheep here, which now,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35with some of them under the trees in deep shadow and some
0:21:35 > 0:21:40in the foreground with the light on them, makes a really lovely picture.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41How would you begin painting this
0:21:41 > 0:21:43and how shall I begin painting this?
0:21:43 > 0:21:48With watercolour, you start from your palest colour working
0:21:48 > 0:21:50towards your darkest colours.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54So, looking at this landscape, the palest colours are the grassland
0:21:54 > 0:21:56in the foreground and, of course, the sky.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- What we do... Let me just show you - you can copy what I do.- OK.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04So I'm going to wet the paper, plenty of paint on it.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07It's been a while since Jonathan gave up shepherding
0:22:07 > 0:22:10but he still looks back on it fondly.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Did you enjoy your time as a shepherd?
0:22:13 > 0:22:15I loved it, absolutely loved it.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22Sheep farming has changed a bit now but it's still the least changed
0:22:22 > 0:22:28of all the livestock farming systems and particularly here in this area.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33So the sheep are fundamental in helping to mould this landscape
0:22:33 > 0:22:37and keep it in this sense, sort of timeless sense that it has.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42As a budding artist, Jonathan was encouraged by one of Britain's
0:22:42 > 0:22:47greatest naturalists and renowned wildlife painter, Sir Peter Scott.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49He wrote two wonderful books, Morning Flight
0:22:49 > 0:22:53and Wild Chorus, which inspired me hugely to pick up a brush.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55So I wrote to Peter Scott.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57After a while I got a reply from him and he said,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00"Yes, I'd be very happy to see you,"
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and he said, "Bring some work down and I'll have a look."
0:23:02 > 0:23:04- What a moment.- It was fantastic.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07And he spent a lot of time with me
0:23:07 > 0:23:11and said very kind things about my work
0:23:11 > 0:23:13and I came away from that meeting thinking,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16"Right, I've got to do this. I've got to try it."
0:23:16 > 0:23:17You know, it would be awful
0:23:17 > 0:23:20going through life and wondering, "What if?"
0:23:22 > 0:23:26Now, nice steady, even strokes
0:23:26 > 0:23:28across the page.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Don't take the brush from the paper.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33Just...
0:23:35 > 0:23:38..let the water carry the pigment.
0:23:38 > 0:23:39- Use the flat of the brush.- Yeah.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44You're getting lines in the sky a little bit but it doesn't matter.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Everyone struggles with watercolour skies. Even the great
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Peter Scott said to me, "I wish I could paint skies like that."
0:23:52 > 0:23:55It was huge encouragement to me, as you can imagine.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57It must've meant an incredible amount to hear that
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- from someone who you so admired.- Absolutely.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15I have to say, I'm really enjoying this.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Jonathan's a fantastic teacher.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Since we've been sitting here,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25there's some nice cloud appearing in the sky
0:24:25 > 0:24:28which we haven't... We painted our lovely, clear washes
0:24:28 > 0:24:30and if we were painting properly in watercolour you would
0:24:30 > 0:24:35leave white paper for the clouds which, of course, we haven't done.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38But this is a field sketch and the finished picture
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I produce - I think there will be more cloud in it.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45So you'll use this as a base?
0:24:45 > 0:24:46Absolutely, this is just...
0:24:46 > 0:24:49These are notes which will mean a great deal
0:24:49 > 0:24:54to me when I sit in my studio and start to paint the finished picture.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- How are you getting on?- What do you think for my beginner's effort?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59I think you've done... For someone who's never used
0:24:59 > 0:25:01watercolour before, you've done really, really well.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05- Continue with it. I hope you will.- Yes, absolutely.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06It's not easy.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- If I can have a go, anyone can. - Absolutely.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Whilst my artistic skills need a bit more brushing up,
0:25:13 > 0:25:18Jonathan's painting has captured the beauty of the Brecks perfectly.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27ELLIE: Earlier, we heard how hobby farmers might be
0:25:27 > 0:25:31the weak links in our fight against infectious diseases like bird flu.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33But, as Tom's been finding out,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36there could be another devastating disease on the horizon.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46We have more than 3,200 back-yard pig keepers in the UK
0:25:46 > 0:25:50and what you may or may not know is that a highly contagious
0:25:50 > 0:25:54and incurable disease is sweeping across the continent.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58If it arrived here, it could wipe out the British pork industry.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02African swine fever
0:26:02 > 0:26:06is the most infectious virus known to affect pigs.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Also called pig plague, this incurable disease
0:26:09 > 0:26:12has gradually been creeping westward across Europe,
0:26:12 > 0:26:16turning up this year for the first time in the Czech Republic.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18If it were to get into Germany,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22there would be little between a worrying outbreak and us.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31What worries scientists in the Czech Republic case
0:26:31 > 0:26:35is the disease had effectively jumped hundreds of miles.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39That suggests it was either introduced on contaminated food,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41or by the illegal movement of pigs.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Mick Sloyan, who is at the forefront of our pork trade,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54wants all pig farmers, including those on small back-yard farms,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56to be aware of the dangers.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59So, how bad would it be for the pork industry in this country
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- if we got African swine flu? - It would be absolutely devastating.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04The real issue would be with our exports.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07We have a market that's worth £400 million a year,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09exporting out of this country,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13and if we got just one outbreak, we'd lose that market overnight.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Given that we don't import many live animals,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19how could the disease get here?
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Well, we know from what's happened in continental Europe
0:27:22 > 0:27:24that some of the meat from infected pigs
0:27:24 > 0:27:25is made into traditional products
0:27:25 > 0:27:28like salamis, dried sausages, that sort of thing.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30So the virus can survive in prepared meat?
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Yes, it's a very tough virus,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35it can survive in frozen meat for a year or more.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37What we've heard is that
0:27:37 > 0:27:40a lot of lorry drivers who are coming over here
0:27:40 > 0:27:43like to bring their own food with them and, of course, who wouldn't?
0:27:43 > 0:27:46And the trouble is, if you've got a products that contain the virus -
0:27:46 > 0:27:48perfectly safe for humans, by the way,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50so they can eat it quite happily.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54But if they discarded a sandwich or left it somewhere
0:27:54 > 0:27:56where it could be picked up by carrion
0:27:56 > 0:27:59and then that could find its way into either the wild boar population
0:27:59 > 0:28:00or even onto farms.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04That's exactly what happened the last time
0:28:04 > 0:28:07we had swine fever in the UK.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10A different strain, classical swine fever,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14broke out on a few farms across East Anglia 17 years ago
0:28:14 > 0:28:17and resulted in the slaughter of tens of thousands of pigs.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Since 2002, there's been a blanket ban across the UK
0:28:22 > 0:28:26of feeding food waste of any description to pigs,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29but that still leaves the problem of wild boar.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33It's been estimated there are now between 2,000 and 4,000
0:28:33 > 0:28:35wild boar living in the UK.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39These free-roaming animals could be a reservoir for the virus
0:28:39 > 0:28:42and could easily introduce it to commercial herds,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45or pigs kept by small back-yard farmers.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50On the advice of the APHA, Defra has recently
0:28:50 > 0:28:54raised the risk of African swine fever from very low to low.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57It doesn't sound like much, but for head virologist
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Professor Ian Brown, it's a significant change.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03If it did come here, it is a terrible disease, isn't it?
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Yes, it's very devastating, it's highly contagious,
0:29:05 > 0:29:09it spreads rapidly, it has a big impact on the animals
0:29:09 > 0:29:12that are infected, so there are big welfare concerns, and, of course,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14it has a big knock-on effect for the pig industry in the UK.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17So, what's the key message for...
0:29:17 > 0:29:19This is for all of us, isn't it, it's not just for pig-keepers?
0:29:19 > 0:29:22Don't feed your kitchen scraps to livestock species.
0:29:22 > 0:29:27Legally, it's prohibited anyway, and it is a genuine risk pathway.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Foot-and-mouth disease arrived here in 2001
0:29:29 > 0:29:32through cake and rice finding its way into the animal sector.
0:29:34 > 0:29:35But, of course,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38the more immediate threat at this time of year is from bird flu.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41What is your message to back-yard bird-keepers?
0:29:41 > 0:29:45It's to be vigilant and it's to do the little things that you can do
0:29:45 > 0:29:47to best protect your birds.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50We don't know whether the virus is going to arrive here this winter.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54What we do know is, over the next few weeks, we are in a risk period.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Migratory waterfowl will be coming into the UK in quite large numbers,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01so we need those people that keeps their birds
0:30:01 > 0:30:03in their back yard or back garden
0:30:03 > 0:30:07to just follow a few simple good-practice rules
0:30:07 > 0:30:09which will help protect.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12And do you think the communication with back-yard keepers
0:30:12 > 0:30:15- has been good enough? - I think there's a gap,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18which is why Defra have produced an information sheet,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21they've put a lot more effort into their web pages,
0:30:21 > 0:30:22there is easy-to-access advice.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25The chief veterinary officer has produced a video
0:30:25 > 0:30:28about back-yard keepers and how they can best protect their animals
0:30:28 > 0:30:31and, you know, that's had a lot of hits,
0:30:31 > 0:30:32so we are getting the message out there,
0:30:32 > 0:30:35but actually, the things that are being recommended
0:30:35 > 0:30:38are probably good practice for animal welfare anyway,
0:30:38 > 0:30:39because these are good steps
0:30:39 > 0:30:42to prevent any disease getting into your birds.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Whether you keep poultry or pigs for a hobby,
0:30:52 > 0:30:54you need to be aware of the risks.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59Early action is critical in tackling any animal disease outbreak
0:30:59 > 0:31:02and back-yard keepers should know that they could have a role
0:31:02 > 0:31:06in either limiting or spreading infection.
0:31:06 > 0:31:07If you're concerned about this,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10have a look at more details on our website.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21ELLIE: I'm in the Brecks in Suffolk, looking at an ambitious project
0:31:21 > 0:31:24to save some of our most vulnerable species
0:31:24 > 0:31:27and to see how rabbits have played their part.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Pioneering plants and specialist insects have benefited
0:31:35 > 0:31:38from the way the rabbits have shaped this landscape.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42Even on a freezing cold night like tonight, I've been told I've got
0:31:42 > 0:31:46a reasonable chance of spotting some pretty rare caterpillars.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Not just any rare caterpillar -
0:31:55 > 0:31:59the caterpillar of the lunar yellow underwing moth,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02now found in just a handful of places.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04It's holding on in the Brecks,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08but to see these caterpillars means braving the cold and dark.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Sharon Hearle from Butterfly Conservation
0:32:10 > 0:32:13is leading a night-time bug hunt.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Sharon, a lot of people can't really imagine
0:32:17 > 0:32:19caterpillars being active in the winter,
0:32:19 > 0:32:22or any insects for that matter, but some of them are?
0:32:22 > 0:32:23Yes, they are, yeah.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25Even in your own garden, they are active, but out here,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28we are looking for the rare one, the lunar yellow underwing.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30So, tell me a little bit about their life cycle.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34The adult flies in June, June or July, sometimes into August,
0:32:34 > 0:32:35and lays its eggs.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38And the amazing thing about this particular moth
0:32:38 > 0:32:41is how it spends the whole winter as a caterpillar -
0:32:41 > 0:32:45against the odds, in all this cold, the snow, the ice, the rain,
0:32:45 > 0:32:49it continues to feed slowly all through the winter.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52The Brecks is a national stronghold for the lunar yellow underwing
0:32:52 > 0:32:55and we will be surveying for that throughout the winter months
0:32:55 > 0:32:59to find out how it's doing and the type of habitat it prefers.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02Is that with a view to understanding how better to protect it?
0:33:02 > 0:33:04Indeed, and to know what is working.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08Certain treatments that different landowners are applying -
0:33:08 > 0:33:11is that a good treatment? What type of grazing works best?
0:33:11 > 0:33:13Let the search begin.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15- Are we ready?- Yeah. - Let's go looking.- OK.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26Ah!
0:33:26 > 0:33:30- Ellie, I've got one, I've got one. - You've got one? Good!- Yes, at last!
0:33:30 > 0:33:32- I was starting to lose hope.- I know!
0:33:32 > 0:33:33Let's have a look.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36So, there it is, perched up.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38- Striking the pose! - Striking a pose.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42- In a sort of question-mark shape. - On the piece of grass there.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44I found the searching process really calming
0:33:44 > 0:33:47and, actually, you really observe far more than you normally would.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50- You see it completely differently. - Tell me about the bare patches -
0:33:50 > 0:33:51they're pretty important, aren't they?
0:33:51 > 0:33:54They really are important. You see all the stones poking through
0:33:54 > 0:33:57and this is why we need our rabbits because they create all this
0:33:57 > 0:33:59and they are continually turning over the ground
0:33:59 > 0:34:01and it is just what we need.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03You know, there will be beetles out here,
0:34:03 > 0:34:05little tiny wasps out here, all sorts of things.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08People may see you out in the middle of the night, in the cold,
0:34:08 > 0:34:09and think, "Why do this?
0:34:09 > 0:34:12"Why care about them at all? Why do they matter?"
0:34:12 > 0:34:13These will be food.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15They're food, as caterpillars,
0:34:15 > 0:34:17to a whole host of different creatures and birds.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20In the summer, when they are adults, they are adult butterflies,
0:34:20 > 0:34:23so they could be food for nightjar a whole host of other... Bats.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25You know, they are really vital.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27I am so delighted to have seen this one.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29I now feel like I know exactly what I'm looking for,
0:34:29 > 0:34:31- so the search goes on. - Yes, indeed.
0:34:37 > 0:34:38Well, now, what's this,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42blowing in a Breckland breeze in the middle of the night?!
0:34:42 > 0:34:45It's the Countryfile calendar! Who would have thought?!
0:34:45 > 0:34:47And, on the month of December,
0:34:47 > 0:34:52to remind us that it is a great Christmas gift for someone you love.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Here's John with the details.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00It costs £9.50 including UK delivery.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05You can go to our website, where you will find a link to the order page.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Or you can phone the order line on...
0:35:18 > 0:35:20If you prefer to order by post,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24then send your name, address and a cheque to...
0:35:37 > 0:35:40A minimum of £4.50 from the sale of each calendar
0:35:40 > 0:35:43will be donated to BBC Children In Need.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53Now, Christmas is just around the corner
0:35:53 > 0:35:56and when you think of festive animals, what do you think of?
0:35:56 > 0:36:00A red-nosed reindeer, maybe a little donkey?
0:36:00 > 0:36:01Bet it's not one of these!
0:36:03 > 0:36:04- Hello, can we come in?- Oh, yes!
0:36:08 > 0:36:12Adam is finding out how alpacas are helping lift the Christmas spirit.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19There are many ways of making a living from keeping livestock
0:36:19 > 0:36:22and lots of animals to choose from, but it's not often you come across
0:36:22 > 0:36:25a herd of alpacas grazing in the countryside,
0:36:25 > 0:36:27like these ones.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33These adorable animals belong to Wendy Williams.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35It was always her dream to raise alpacas.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40She's now been farming a herd in Dorset for seven years.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43- Wendy, hi.- Hello, Adam.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45- Can I squeeze in?- Yes.
0:36:45 > 0:36:46Lovely to meet you!
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Aren't they gorgeous?!
0:36:48 > 0:36:50- They are, they really are. - How many alpacas have you got?
0:36:50 > 0:36:52There's 30 on the property.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54But you're trained in keeping pigs, I understand?
0:36:54 > 0:36:57At the age of three, I told my parents I wanted to be a pig farmer,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00I never changed my mind and I did qualify,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03I do have a craftsmanship in pig husbandry,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06but time has gone on, the pig market goes up and down
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and the alpacas are just great.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10- Bit different to pigs!- Yes!
0:37:10 > 0:37:11Slightly bigger.
0:37:11 > 0:37:12As intelligent, though.
0:37:12 > 0:37:1530 alpacas is a lot - it's more than a hobby -
0:37:15 > 0:37:16so how do you make a living from them?
0:37:16 > 0:37:18We do make money on the wool,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21- but I myself do alpaca walking here on the farm.- Alpaca walking?
0:37:21 > 0:37:23We have a group coming this morning
0:37:23 > 0:37:26- so if you'd like to join us, you'd be very welcome.- Yeah, love to.
0:37:26 > 0:37:27I also take them to weddings.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31- We've taken the rings in for a couple of brides.- Fantastic!
0:37:31 > 0:37:33Yeah, it surprises the guests.
0:37:33 > 0:37:34I like that - amazing.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37The other thing we do is we go to care homes with them,
0:37:37 > 0:37:39which is my principal income.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41- To care homes?!- Yes. - Why do you do that?
0:37:41 > 0:37:42They're very calming animals.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45People with dementia, who don't tend to look down,
0:37:45 > 0:37:46we can get them in the eye line,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49which means if we can just get them to look, it's a fantastic thing.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52- We sometimes get tears. - Fascinating.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54It's a lovely, lovely job.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57So, if I'm going to join you on a walk, how do you catch an alpaca?
0:37:57 > 0:37:59We need to just put them in the pen
0:37:59 > 0:38:02and then I'll show you how to put the head collar on and off we'll go.
0:38:02 > 0:38:03OK, right. Come on, then, you lot.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06What do we do, drive them in like sheep?
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Yes, except they'll go where we want them, unlike sheep.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10ADAM LAUGHS
0:38:15 > 0:38:17And he'll actually put his head in for you.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Oh, look, he likes it. What a good boy!
0:38:22 > 0:38:24The group of alpaca walkers arrive.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26- Good morning.- Hello!
0:38:26 > 0:38:29If you'd like to take Hurricane, thank you.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31- OK.- Off we go.
0:38:31 > 0:38:32Come on, Prince.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34And we head out to the fields.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46How often are you doing these walks, then?
0:38:46 > 0:38:49I probably have had about 300 people through the doors this year.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55They are quite peculiar animals, aren't they?
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- They are so different and their wool is lovely.- It is, isn't it?
0:38:58 > 0:38:59Beautiful!
0:38:59 > 0:39:02They all seem to get on very well with one another, as well.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06- They do seem to be enjoying it, don't they?- They do, definitely.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08They originate from South America, don't they?
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Peru, Chile and Bolivia. His mother was actually from Chile.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14ALPACA MOANS
0:39:14 > 0:39:17It's a bit different to taking the dog for a walk, isn't it?
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Yes.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20Bit slower.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25It's a funny noise they make, isn't it,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28- that little sort of murmuring, communicating to one another?- Yeah.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30ALPACA MOANS
0:39:32 > 0:39:34After a good countryside stroll with the alpacas,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37it's back to the farmyard for a spot of lunch..
0:39:39 > 0:39:43..before taking two of them on a visit to a local care home.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47Yes, you heard right, a care home!
0:39:47 > 0:39:48Good boy, in we go.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51Well, I've loaded lots of animals in my time, Wendy,
0:39:51 > 0:39:53but what do alpacas travel like?
0:39:53 > 0:39:56The actually sit down to travel, which makes them very easy.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58They sit down? Fantastic.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00So they don't rock the trailer, so it's really, really good.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- Well, they went up there very easily, didn't they?- Yes.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11It's a short drive to Newstone House, just one of 120 care homes
0:40:11 > 0:40:14that Wendy frequently visits with her alpacas.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18- Can I help?- Yes, please.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21As it's Christmas, we're going to put their Christmas bow ties on.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23- ADAM LAUGHS - How lovely!
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Alpacas with bowties on. Whatever next?
0:40:26 > 0:40:28- They look very smart.- They do.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30- Go on.- Come on, Ollie.- Good boy.
0:40:32 > 0:40:33What a good boy!
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Do you need a wee before we go in the care home?
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- I don't want you going on the carpet.- Should be OK.- In we go.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42- There we are.- Going towards the lift
0:40:42 > 0:40:44- because we are going up in the lift.- Up in the lift?!
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Yes, we've got to go to the upper floor.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Do they mind going in the lift?
0:40:49 > 0:40:51They don't, no, it's like a horse box to them.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- In they go.- OK, then.
0:40:54 > 0:40:55Good boy, well done.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57They are so well-behaved, aren't they?
0:40:57 > 0:41:00Well done, Ollie. Good boy.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Well, I never thought I'd get in a lift with an alpaca.
0:41:03 > 0:41:04This is just extraordinary.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- What number are you going to press? - WENDY LAUGHS
0:41:11 > 0:41:13ALPACA MOANS
0:41:13 > 0:41:14Ooh!
0:41:16 > 0:41:19- Here we go, boys. Here we are, then.- After you.
0:41:20 > 0:41:21Come on, Ollie, good boy.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25- Hello, everyone.- Oh, hello!
0:41:25 > 0:41:26Look what we've got for you here.
0:41:26 > 0:41:27Hello.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30I like your Christmas ears.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31Happy Christmas.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34Hello.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36There we go, we've brought you some wonderful animals.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38There we are.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39Look at his bow tie!
0:41:39 > 0:41:41It's his Christmas bow tie.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48They like their neck to be stroked, but not their heads.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50"No," he says, "I don't want to be."
0:41:50 > 0:41:53It's your ears, I'm afraid!
0:41:53 > 0:41:57- He thinks you're a strange Christmas-looking alpaca.- Yes!
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Shall I take them off for you, darling? There we are.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03- Look at him!- He's having a little lie-down, making himself at home.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Yes, Ollie's here. It's nice to have a bit of a roll.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09All right, Jimmy.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11- There.- Come on, Jim, up you get.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Do you enjoy them coming in?
0:42:13 > 0:42:14Oh, yes.
0:42:14 > 0:42:15Any diversion is a good idea.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Are they easier to handle than your pigs?
0:42:21 > 0:42:23Well, they are a lot easier, yes.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25I don't think I'd ever take my pigs in a lift
0:42:25 > 0:42:27and bring them up in here,
0:42:27 > 0:42:30and certainly, my pigs are not house-trained.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32They would just go on the floor.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- Oh, yes!- Isn't that lovely?
0:42:38 > 0:42:40ALPACA MOANS
0:42:40 > 0:42:42That's their little noise they make.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45He's talking to you.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47ALPACA MOANS
0:42:47 > 0:42:49I had no idea what he was saying,
0:42:49 > 0:42:51but luckily Wendy speaks fluent alpaca
0:42:51 > 0:42:55and realises they're saying something very important.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58OK, that's all right, that's all right.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00They need to go for a wee-wee now.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Going to have to take them to the toilet.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05He's telling Wendy that's what he needs to do.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07We need to get out of the building as soon as possible.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10We've just got to go to the loo - he's desperate.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13How do you know? Cos he's making funny noises?
0:43:13 > 0:43:15He's making noises and he's wiggling.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17OK, crikey, come on, quick as you can.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19Come on, Jim, good boy. That's it.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23- Come on, then, boys.- In you go.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29In you go, Jimmy. He can genuinely pee for ten minutes.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32It's just brilliant that you could spot the signs.
0:43:32 > 0:43:33It's just knowing your animals.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Just as well you knew it was going to happen, cos we wouldn't want
0:43:36 > 0:43:40- alpaca wee all over the carpet, would we?- No. They do a lot!
0:43:42 > 0:43:44After a quick comfort break,
0:43:44 > 0:43:47we head back in to finish the Christmas rounds.
0:43:49 > 0:43:50Here they are, look.
0:43:50 > 0:43:51- Can we come in?- Oh, yes!
0:43:51 > 0:43:53Oh, my!
0:43:53 > 0:43:54- Will you fit past that?- Oh!
0:43:54 > 0:43:57- And what's your name?- Arthur.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59Lovely to meet you. And how old are you, Arthur?
0:43:59 > 0:44:0099.
0:44:00 > 0:44:0399! When are you 100?
0:44:03 > 0:44:04June.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06Goodness me.
0:44:06 > 0:44:07Wow, congratulations!
0:44:09 > 0:44:11Have you seen alpacas before?
0:44:11 > 0:44:15Oh, yes. I've seen these two before.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17Oh, you're a bit like that, are you?!
0:44:17 > 0:44:19THEY LAUGH
0:44:19 > 0:44:22Do you think this interaction with animals helps some of the residents?
0:44:22 > 0:44:24I really do.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26It's vital for a lot of the residents,
0:44:26 > 0:44:29particularly those who used to keep animals themselves.
0:44:29 > 0:44:31We are in a very rural community,
0:44:31 > 0:44:34where people used to have pets and sometimes farms,
0:44:34 > 0:44:39so to reconnect is just a wonderful thing to be able to do.
0:44:39 > 0:44:40Do you enjoy seeing them?
0:44:40 > 0:44:43Oh, very much, yes.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48May I touch?
0:44:48 > 0:44:50Like that. Yeah, that's it.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52It's a lot better like that, isn't it?
0:44:52 > 0:44:53Jolly good.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57The residents really do seem to respond well to the alpacas.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Ooh, yes, a little lick, that'll do.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07And it's lovely to see them put a smile on so many faces.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12I think Wendy is doing an absolutely marvellous job.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14Not only is she making a living out of alpacas
0:45:14 > 0:45:17but when she brings them to a place like this,
0:45:17 > 0:45:18she is enlightening people's lives.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21And certainly for the residents of this care home,
0:45:21 > 0:45:23I think she's made their Christmas.
0:45:23 > 0:45:24Come on, boys.
0:45:26 > 0:45:27It's a job well done.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40The sandy soil here on the Norfolk/Suffolk border
0:45:40 > 0:45:42has been a blessing for arable farmers.
0:45:43 > 0:45:50And this sandy soil is just as good for livestock, especially pigs.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52Lots of pigs.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55This is just part of the 5,000-strong herd
0:45:55 > 0:45:59belonging to farmer Chris Fogden and, thanks to the soil,
0:45:59 > 0:46:01you won't find any mucky pigs here.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Well, Chris, this is incredibly orderly.
0:46:04 > 0:46:05It looks...
0:46:05 > 0:46:09It's kind of like a pig version of Glastonbury, but without the mud.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11THEY LAUGH
0:46:11 > 0:46:14- The sandy soil - that's what does it.- That's the key, isn't it? - It's wonderful.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17It is the key. It'd be impossible on heavy land.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21We can get round and feed them every day of the year without bother.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23They are not up to their bellies in mud
0:46:23 > 0:46:27and they can get on with the job of looking after their babies.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30Yeah, because they are a very clean animal.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32People often think that they're quite mucky but they're not.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36Yes, they don't make a mess inside their house, it's always outside.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38They come ready house-trained.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42So, as far as the kind of make-up or the system of your farm here
0:46:42 > 0:46:44is concerned, how is it working? Because there's pigs everywhere.
0:46:44 > 0:46:49This is the farrowing field, about 20 hectares.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53There's 330 farrowing paddocks on here.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55It's the maternity wing.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57We're farrowing pigs every day of the year.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59No break?
0:46:59 > 0:47:01No, we're not like these sheep farmers!
0:47:04 > 0:47:07We have two other fields where the sows run when they are pregnant
0:47:07 > 0:47:09- and running with boars.- OK.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13Chris's pigs are a crossbreed called Landroc.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17They're a hardy pig with good, strong maternal instincts.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24The piglets are all destined for market, so at four weeks,
0:47:24 > 0:47:27they are weaned and sold on to another farm in Yorkshire,
0:47:27 > 0:47:29who fattens them up for sale.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33To make sure Chris's pigs are in prime condition,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36they get plenty of good food and fresh clean straw to sleep on.
0:47:38 > 0:47:43- There's some nice straw for your bed.- Come to clean up your bedding.
0:47:43 > 0:47:44I'll hang that up. How many...
0:47:44 > 0:47:46Whoops! There's a little one in there, is there?
0:47:46 > 0:47:48- Yes.- Hello.- Hello, mate. - Don't mind us.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54You can do the next hut, I think.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57- Is that enough in there? - That's plenty, yes.
0:47:58 > 0:47:59Let's move in next door.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05Well, Chris, I understand that you are not from a pig-farming family.
0:48:05 > 0:48:10- No, no, I brought this all on myself!- Right.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12Why pigs, then?
0:48:12 > 0:48:16Well, I was desperate to start in farming and I didn't have any money
0:48:16 > 0:48:21and it was something I could start quite small and build up.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23And I rented...
0:48:23 > 0:48:28I was fortunate, very fortunate, to be able to rent about four hectares
0:48:28 > 0:48:33from my landlord here, following a harvest job, and it went from there.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37Chris is one of several tenant farmers here.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39The land he is on is rotated,
0:48:39 > 0:48:43so that some years it's used for livestock, other years arable.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46We are a crop in the rotation, in effect.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48We occupy a site for two years
0:48:48 > 0:48:51and then they have four years of cropping, so we're putting a lot...
0:48:51 > 0:48:52We're the fertility break,
0:48:52 > 0:48:55so we're putting a lot of fertility back into the land,
0:48:55 > 0:48:56helping them grow good crops.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58And what are your pigs getting in return?
0:48:58 > 0:49:00They are getting clean land to live on,
0:49:00 > 0:49:02so we are getting parasite-free land
0:49:02 > 0:49:05and every two years I get the chance
0:49:05 > 0:49:07to completely redesign the farm and have a new farm.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09One day I might get it right!
0:49:11 > 0:49:15For now, though, Chris can just settle in and call this patch home.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19It'll be two years before he has to up sticks for the next rotation.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23Now, the good news for these sows and their piglets
0:49:23 > 0:49:25is they have insulated pig beds because, let me tell you,
0:49:25 > 0:49:28there is a nip in the air here at the moment.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31But the question is, is it going to get any colder?
0:49:31 > 0:49:34Listen up, it's time for the five-day forecast.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11We are in the Brecklands, also known as the Brecks,
0:50:11 > 0:50:13the mix of sandy soils and heathland
0:50:13 > 0:50:16that straddles the Suffolk and Norfolk border.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20It is home to some of the UK's rarest wildlife,
0:50:20 > 0:50:24where a major new conservation effort has just got underway.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26But nearby, one town is making
0:50:26 > 0:50:29a very special conservation effort of its own.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36I've come to Ipswich to meet a mother-and-daughter team
0:50:36 > 0:50:41who are pulling out all the stops for one animal in particular.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43The hedgehog.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48Earlier, I was looking at the Back From The Brink project,
0:50:48 > 0:50:51a big push to help save some of England's most vulnerable species,
0:50:51 > 0:50:53including the hedgehog.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57Hedgehog numbers are reckoned to be down by a third
0:50:57 > 0:51:00on where they were a decade ago.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03Today, there are thought to be fewer than one million left
0:51:03 > 0:51:05in the whole of the UK.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07Suffolk Wildlife Trust is running
0:51:07 > 0:51:10various community projects to make Ipswich
0:51:10 > 0:51:13the most hedgehog-friendly town in the country.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17Eight-year-old Daisy Donald and her mum Emma
0:51:17 > 0:51:20are hedgehog champions who have turned their back garden
0:51:20 > 0:51:22into a hedgehog haven.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27Emma also volunteers at the local hedgehog rescue centre.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30Here at home, mum and daughter are caring for three hedgehogs
0:51:30 > 0:51:32brought in as hoglets.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35What should people do if they see a hedgehog
0:51:35 > 0:51:37in their garden in the daytime?
0:51:37 > 0:51:40If it looks like it's sunbathing on the lawn,
0:51:40 > 0:51:43it really needs to get to a rescue centre ASAP
0:51:43 > 0:51:46because it will be genuinely unwell.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50There's been instances where people have kindly rescued a hedgehog
0:51:50 > 0:51:54and then fed it bread and milk en route to us
0:51:54 > 0:51:57and that's actually killed the hedgehog.
0:51:57 > 0:52:02If you are going to feed a hedgehog out in the wild, cat food, dog food.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05- And you... Who is this, Daisy? - This is Ernest.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08He was brought in when he was 100g
0:52:08 > 0:52:13and now he's been brought here to be fostered for the winter.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16- And I've heard you've got a very hedgehog-friendly garden.- Mm-hm.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18Shall we take a look at it?
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Hedgehogs like to roam far and wide,
0:52:22 > 0:52:24but roads, garden walls and fences
0:52:24 > 0:52:27have made it increasingly difficult for them to get around.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33But the Donalds have created a great stopping-off spot,
0:52:33 > 0:52:38complete with bug hotels, nesting sites and hedgehog highways.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41Talk me through some of the features.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45So, here we've got a pond and over the pond we've got grates
0:52:45 > 0:52:48so the hedgehogs won't fall in and then get stuck.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50And over there we've got a ramp
0:52:50 > 0:52:54so they can get out if they do fall in.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56Have you ever seen one swimming?
0:52:56 > 0:52:58Not in this pond, but in videos, yes.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00Yes, they do swim, don't they?
0:53:00 > 0:53:03This is a hedgehog feeding station.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06If the wild hedgehogs need some food,
0:53:06 > 0:53:09they will come in, get their food, but cats and foxes won't be able
0:53:09 > 0:53:13to get in because we've got that at the front, which will stop them,
0:53:13 > 0:53:19and a CD-sized hole, which means only a few animals can get in.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21- And do you see them eat from here? - Yes.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23They do, they like it.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25And I see you've got a few cameras around.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29- Do you know that the hedgehogs are definitely using it?- Yes.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31- And do you see the cats have a go? - Yes.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34- Have they managed it?- No. - So that works perfectly.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39So, over here, we've got a hedgehog highway,
0:53:39 > 0:53:42so we've just got a hole underneath the fence.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45We've got one of these cos the hedgehogs need to travel through
0:53:45 > 0:53:49garden to garden, so they can get through and under to other gardens.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51- Because the travel quite far, don't they?- Yes.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54- Do know how far they go? - Two kilometres.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Two or three kilometres a night.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59And the good thing about your design is you don't have to cut the fence
0:53:59 > 0:54:01and make somebody upset - you just dig a little tunnel through.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03- Just dig a little hole.- Amazing.
0:54:05 > 0:54:09Daisy and her mum have even built a special enclosure
0:54:09 > 0:54:12so that fostered hedgehogs can safely get used to the outdoors
0:54:12 > 0:54:16before being released back into the wild.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19What is your kind of general take-home message for people
0:54:19 > 0:54:22who want to maybe have rehabilitated hedgehogs in their garden,
0:54:22 > 0:54:24or want to just do a bit more?
0:54:24 > 0:54:26Leave a little bit of your garden untidy,
0:54:26 > 0:54:28make sure you've got access in and out
0:54:28 > 0:54:31and perhaps provide a little bit of extra support
0:54:31 > 0:54:33in the way of food and water.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35Easy to do and very rewarding.
0:54:35 > 0:54:36Yes, very rewarding,
0:54:36 > 0:54:39especially if you see them at night-time in your garden.
0:54:39 > 0:54:40Yes, absolutely.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46If you have a hedgehog-friendly back garden, we'd like to hear about it,
0:54:46 > 0:54:48so tweet us...
0:54:51 > 0:54:55So, from little hogs to some slightly bigger.
0:54:55 > 0:54:56Aren't they gorgeous?!
0:54:56 > 0:54:59And she's come just in time to say goodbye,
0:54:59 > 0:55:02because that is all we've got time for this week from the Brecklands.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05Next week I'll be celebrating the countryside I grew up in
0:55:05 > 0:55:10and hearing from some famous faces about their favourite places.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13- I've been wanting to see an otter for years and I've finally seen one. - I'm so pleased.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17- From all of us here... - Including these guys.
0:55:17 > 0:55:18- ..goodbye.- See you.