Rhaglen 3 Trefi Gwyllt Iolo

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-Wrexham

-I'm on an estate in Wrexham.

-Residents have been complaining...

-..that badgers

-have been damaging their gardens.

-Margaret Morris lives on the estate.

-Where do you see the badgers?

-They either

-come through the gardens...

-..or across there.

-There's a path

-at the end of the road.

-They must be going around the back.

-We have friends who live

-in the cul-de-sac down the bottom.

-They come through their garden.

-They come through their garden.

-

-Do they?

-They're not popular at all

-on this street.

-They do so much damage.

-They do so much damage.

-

-I heard they dig in the gardens.

-Have they done it in your garden?

-Yes.

-They dug up the parsnips last year

-and ate them.

-We couldn't understand

-who was eating them.

-You see their droppings too.

-Some people leave out food for them.

-But I don't leave out food.

-However, they are cute.

-They are, and they were here first.

-That's what I suspect, at least.

-Margaret's house is near Acton Park.

-It's a large park

-on the site of an old mansion...

-..with lots of trees and hedges

-that have been here for centuries.

-This is where Margaret's badgers

-are likely to be coming from.

-There's plenty of space

-for the badgers to hide.

-Margaret says that this is where

-she sees the badgers.

-If you come with me,

-I'll show you where the sett is.

-It's on the border

-between the park and the houses.

-This estate is brand new.

-It was only built 10-15 years ago.

-Something like that.

-The council were building these...

-..and they were going to extend

-all the way over there...

-..until they found a badger sett.

-They had to stop building then.

-They've now fenced

-the whole place off.

-It's as if the badgers

-have their own little reserve.

-But it's not large enough

-for them to feed...

-..and that's why

-they come to the gardens.

-I'm coming into the park itself now.

-I'll show you where the sett is.

-It's on the border of the park

-the other side.

-There's a fence over here.

-I'll show you. Come with me.

-It's darker in here.

-There's a large fence behind me.

-Can you see this?

-Here's part of the sett.

-There's a hole here.

-I don't think

-it's been used recently.

-Most of the sett is in here.

-People have been fenced out.

-I can see one hole over there.

-There are other holes too.

-This is where the badgers are

-during the day.

-They come out at night, of course.

-I'll show you one of the places

-they come out.

-I want to leave a camera near it.

-The badgers

-are totally safe in there.

-It's been fenced.

-Look at this.

-It's been done for the badgers.

-The hole in the fence

-is a way out for them.

-They obviously use it.

-There are footprints on the path.

-They're not clear but they go down

-here and around the corner.

-This is their way out.

-They're safe there during the day

-but they have to come out to feed.

-They go to the park

-and also to the housing estates.

-I'm going to lay down camera traps

-tonight...

-..to see which way they go,

-how many of them are there...

-..and perhaps more importantly,

-what time they come out.

-I'll leave one camera here but

-I'll also put them in other spots.

-It's the last week of July.

-It gets dark at around 9.00pm.

-At 10.30pm, an hour after sunset,

-the first badger emerges...

-..and is caught on camera.

-Two badgers come out of the hole.

-The camera was against the wall

-looking that way.

-They're quite nervous at first.

-I think they know they're safe

-the other side of the fence.

-Out here, there are always people

-here at night.

-They're walking their dogs

-or jogging.

-The badgers are cautious out here.

-They emerge very slowly.

-One's coming down to the camera.

-They're pretty animals.

-One's right by the camera!

-Goodness me.

-Its nose was right in the lens.

-It didn't like that.

-It turned round

-and went back along the fence.

-After looking closely at the camera

-and deciding everything's safe...

-..they go out alone and follow

-different paths into the estate.

-This one's going along the same path

-as I did earlier.

-It's now 11.00pm.

-It's been searching around the park

-for about half an hour...

-..before venturing

-onto a more public path.

-Its mate is already on the estate

-but has used another path.

-Hello! Do we know each other?

-Badgers' vision is quite poor.

-Smelling and licking is the best

-way to tell friend from foe.

-The most obvious thing

-about badgers...

-..is the black and white pattern

-on their face.

-We think the pattern helps them

-to see each other at night.

-It's infrared light

-which enables us to see them.

-It's pitch black.

-Only the camera can see them.

-But this one can easily be seen.

-It's reached the top end

-of the estate.

-It's clearly visible

-under the street light.

-It's now around 12.30am.

-They often have a path

-which they follow.

-Hedgehogs do the same thing.

-They go along here, into a garden

-where they know there's food...

-..then into the park

-and then return slowly.

-But they won't go out

-until they think it's safe.

-Until nearly everyone's in bed

-along with their dogs.

-They then return underground

-before dawn...

-..so they're out of the way

-before the traffic starts...

-..and before people wake up.

-It's amazing,

-when we switch off the light...

-..there's very different life...

-..even in the middle of a large town

-like Wrexham.

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-Haverfordwest

-It smells of foxes here.

-It's a strong smell.

-I can't see any tracks

-but there's certainly a smell here.

-It marks its territory with urine.

-It mixes it with a special chemical

-which leaves a strong smell...

-..so that any other fox

-will know about its presence...

-..and go elsewhere.

-There's a very strong smell

-just here.

-I'm in a church cemetery

-in the middle of Haverfordwest.

-The church has closed

-and people seldom come here...

-..so it's a good place for wildlife.

-There's some sort of path here.

-It's hard to tell because

-the grass has recently been cut...

-..but there is a path.

-There are no rabbit tracks.

-I can't see any rabbit droppings.

-It's not clear enough

-to be a badger.

-They have small feet...

-..and their belly drags along

-the ground making a clear path.

-I think the path is heading

-for the hole in the fence.

-See this?

-Something's made a hole

-in the fence.

-There are no tracks,

-there's no smell.

-If an animal used this,

-it would come this way.

-There's a hole in the hedge

-over there too.

-There's more greenery

-down there too.

-I think I'll lay some camera traps

-away from this path.

-I don't want them too close

-to where people walk.

-I'll put them back there

-to see what uses the path.

-As I suspected, foxes use the path.

-There are lots of them.

-They're all from the same family,

-otherwise there'd be squabbling.

-The cemetery's a good place to find

-insects, worms or some mice...

-..a fox's natural food.

-Urban foxes also look for food

-that we've discarded.

-A path that leads

-to a fast food restaurant...

-..is obviously

-a good place to visit.

-While most of us are sleeping,

-it's a busy time for foxes.

-Carmarthen

-I'm on an industrial estate

-on the outskirts of Carmarthen.

-There are lots

-of fast food restaurants here.

-A couple are behind me.

-I've been told

-that this is a good place for foxes.

-It looks it - there are plenty

-of trees and hiding places.

-We're very wasteful -

-we throw food away.

-I'm told they come here so

-I've left some cameras out here...

-..in the hope I get something.

-At least 100,000 foxes

-live in towns across Britain.

-The figure could be as high

-as 400,000.

-So it's no surprise they can be seen

-in every town in Wales.

-Look at this fox.

-It went out

-at five minutes to midnight...

-..and again at 1.30am.

-It's feeding.

-They lead a life of luxury.

-We're so wasteful - throwing

-food away, especially in the bins.

-We might have eaten half a burger

-and chips and thrown the rest.

-The fox hoovers up

-what we've thrown away.

-If there was no fast food

-available for this one...

-..it would look for mice, rabbits,

-frogs, insects and berries...

-..in more natural habitat.

-But fast food

-is a very handy option.

-Haverfordwest

-I've returned to Haverfordwest

-to follow a different wildlife path.

-This creature uses a river course.

-I'm going down

-towards the river now.

-That's the Cleddau. A stream flows

-into it under the town hall.

-That's the town hall.

-An ecologist works here.

-He says that an otter

-comes up here sometimes.

-It feeds in the river.

-I'm looking for signs

-of the otter coming out the water.

-Otter droppings

-are usually found on the riverbank.

-An otter's territory can

-extend as much as 20km...

-..so it could easily travel far

-up and down the Cleddau...

-..and up the little stream

-from the centre of Haverfordwest...

-..to rural Pembrokeshire.

-There are otter droppings here.

-See this?

-It's otter droppings.

-It smells a bit...

-..fishy.

-It's not a strong smell.

-It's unique.

-You can tell straightaway

-they're otter droppings.

-It's not fresh,

-but it's not old either.

-I think

-it comes out of the stream...

-..defecates here

-in order to mark its territory...

-..and maybe goes into

-the River Cleddau over there.

-It comes up here

-and then goes into the river.

-I'm going to leave some cameras.

-I'll put one here looking down...

-..and another on one of the posts

-looking across, so I cover it all.

-I might put another one

-by the water.

-It's just gone 10.00pm.

-It'll be pitch black

-in less than half an hour.

-There'll be no-one around.

-I'll pick these up

-first thing in the morning.

-The first creature to appear

-is a rat.

-They live everywhere.

-A river's one of the best paths

-for them to use in a town.

-Here's the otter.

-It's on patrol.

-It's looking for food

-but also ensuring...

-..that any other otter knows

-it's here by marking its territory.

-This is important.

-If a female otter comes here...

-..he'll have the first opportunity

-to mate with her.

-Pembroke

-Otter numbers have risen sharply

-over the past 20 years.

-They're well-protected

-by countryside laws...

-..and there's now

-less water pollution.

-That means

-they're far easier to spot.

-They're in almost every river

-and waterhole.

-Phil Lewis, the chef at The

-Royal George pub, sees them often.

-You can see them over there,

-just underneath that oak.

-Under there?

-They play among the roots.

-I reckon there were five of them...

-..over summer.

-I think they were a mother

-and her cubs.

-Four cubs?

-It was hard to tell exactly...

-..because they were frolicking

-in the water.

-One would appear suddenly

-and then disappear in an instant...

-..just like that.

-They move quickly.

-They move quickly.

-

-They're shy creatures too.

-What's the best time to see them -

-in the morning or at night?

-At night, at dusk.

-But in the morning...

-..I've seen them once

-just before dawn.

-I was walking my dog.

-Right. That's a good time.

-Just before sunset is best.

-They're starting to come out now

-and play.

-But I think they live

-in the upper pool.

-On the far side?

-Through the tunnel,

-over the railway.

-They live over there.

-The Wildlife Trust

-has built an otter holt for them.

-Oh, right. There.

-Oh, right. There.

-

-Through that tunnel.

-I think they feed there.

-This is where they play.

-They return here through the tunnel.

-So the best thing for me to do if

-I want to see them is to stay here.

-If I don't see them,

-I'll come back tomorrow morning.

-Look under that oak.

-Look under that oak.

-

-OK. I'll keep an eye on it.

-Keep a beady eye on over there...

-..because there'll be a lot

-happening just before sunset.

-There is a word

-that sums up the otter well.

-Unpredictable.

-They turn up when they feel like it.

-There was no sign of the otters

-at sunset.

-But, at dawn,

-a mother and three cubs appear.

-They've come to the pool

-to look for fish.

-This one's caught an eel.

-They're there long enough

-for everyone to take selfies.

-Having caught enough fish

-in the pool...

-..they return to their den.

-Three of our most

-iconic wild animals...

-..have adapted to live in towns.

-As they're usually busy at night,

-most of us never see them.

-But if you're out

-at the crack of dawn or at dusk...

-..you might experience

-an unexpected wildlife show.

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