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Private Notes
Ben and Kate re-enact the moment 50 lions were unveiled to the British public. Meanwhile, at the giraffe house, there is a tense wait as Ella prepares to give birth. Will the keepers need to step in and save her baby? And world-famous wildlife photographer Simon King attempts to take a snap of Longleat's Siberian tiger.
New recruit Jean Johansson discovers whether tigers like their eggs scrambled, fried or simply savaged. Meanwhile, the programme looks back at how the local vet 50 years ago adjusted from treating sheep and cows to lions and snakes. There also a heart-wrenching report on Anne, a mistreated circus elephant who could barely lift her trunk five years ago, but who has been looked after by three very special keepers.
The summer weather has caused the cheetahs to become lazy. To snap them out of their slumber, a contraption is being constructed that could ignite their hunting mode. But, able to hit speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, can the keepers make anything quick enough to truly test the cats?
The park opened in an attempt to save the enormous estate from financial ruin, but today it is the conservation of animal species that is the priority. World-renowned vets are racing to the park to try and kick-start the rhino breeding programme, and the stakes could not be higher. With the slaughter of white rhino continuing in the wild, what goes on in the Wiltshire countryside today could not be more important.
In the final episode, Ben Fogle gets mobbed by a flock of rainbow-coloured lorikeets as they undergo a vital healthcheck. Meanwhile, Kate Humble gets an extremely close-up view of the collection of giant stick insects by using a special camera. Elsewhere, the park is on lockdown as it prepares to move over 30 lions, the biggest collection in Europe, into a new enclosure. But the keepers have no idea how the big cats will react.
Kate Humble and Ben Fogle return to Longleat Safari Park to join the keepers and animals as the park springs into action for another season. The keepers get a shock when three highly endangered cheetah cubs are born, the first in the park's history. There is also a catch-up with Anne, the rescued circus elephant, and the animal osteopath who is helping to manage her arthritis. Meanwhile, on Penguin Island, a killer disease strikes and hand-reared birds begin to die in the arms of the people who raised them. Can a cure be found before it is too late?
Some of the world's most endangered species are at risk when a potentially fatal disease makes it on to the estate. Keepers in the giraffe house are on tenterhooks as they wait to see if a newborn calf survives the critical first few days. And it looks a bit like a bear and a bit like a cat but smells of popcorn - will an exotic new arrival be the key to a breeding programme that could save a species?
Keepers are locked in a battle of wills with Dave the Canadian timber wolf, who keeps attempting to explore areas outside of his enclosure. Having worked at the park for 40 years, one keeper might have finally got the two grumpy hippos just where he wants them. Meanwhile, Jean discovers just how powerful an elephant sneeze really is. And as the sun sets on the lion paddock, keepers are rigging special cameras to try to discover what goes on after dark.
A specialist wildlife cameraman from the BBC's Planet Earth series arrives at the park to film Longleat's most impressive feeders. His subject is a chameleon who has a tongue which flies out four times faster than a jet fighter. But what if it doesn't want breakfast?
Meanwhile, Kate Humble and Ben Fogle discover the lengths keepers go to for the animal orphans, while Jean Johansson sets up a tug of war for the lion pride. Elsewhere, the stakes couldn't be higher as vital testing for a killer disease continues. But when tragedy strikes, can the keepers recover from the unthinkable?
Kate Humble and Ben Fogle round-up the Easter specials, including the continuing story of the two endangered cheetah cubs, Poppy and Winston. Having survived the first few months, it is time for them to go out into their big open enclosure. It is next door to the lions and will soon be full of visitor's cars, but who is more nervous, their mum Wilma or the keepers?
Jean Johansson meets a highly endangered secretary bird and a troop of incredibly cheeky monkeys, and a fruit bat is rushed to the vet with a suspected broken wing. To do the x-ray it must have an anaesthetic, but will the tiny bat come back round?
Ben Fogle and Kate Humble kick off the first episode of daily summer specials by welcoming more animal arrivals than ever before. This episode features the birth of Africa's most endangered cat. If the cameras can capture this incredible moment, it would be the first time the keepers have ever seen a live cheetah birth. Jean Johansson helps to settle in a gaggle of new penguins, but will they make a splash with the rest of the colony? Meanwhile, one of Africa's largest antelopes checks into the park, but at just a quarter of the size of his predecessor bull, the keepers are on tenterhooks as he meets his new, much larger lady friends for the first time.
Kate Humble and Ben Fogle join the keepers and animals for another sun-soaked episode at Longleat Safari Park. This episode focuses on some of the planet's most endangered species and joins the keepers striving to save them. The carnivore team spend a gruelling 24 hours trying desperately to keep alive a precious cheetah cub born just 36 hours before. What will the keepers do as they face a life-and-death situation when they reunite this cub with mum Wilma? Jean Johansson has her hands full when she helps with the weigh-in of the cutest newborn baby meerkats, and using a macro lens she gets closer than ever before to a very special breed of seahorse. Meanwhile, can the park stop the desertas wolf spider from being wiped out forever?
Ben Fogle and Kate Humble are back at Longleat Safari Park for a very special episode, celebrating the life of Nico, the legendary western lowland silverback gorilla who recently died at an extraordinary 56 years old. Nico arrived at Longleat almost 30 years ago, and the programme hears from the keepers who looked after him for every day of his life at the park. We also reveal the story of his life before Gorilla Island as the team uncovers information charting a global shift in wildlife conservation. There is also a tribute to the powerful bonds formed between keepers and animals around the park. Tina tries to help a mammoth moose under attack from some pesky birds, while James gets stuck into the stinkiest poop on the park in a bid to stop his mischievous meerkats from escaping. Finally, the programme discovers how Nico's death affected thousands of visitors, all moved by their own encounters with him.
Kate Humble and Ben Fogle are back for another sizzling summer special. The team of specialist vets are tested more than ever as two lemurs are rushed to the surgery with shocking injuries. Will the vets be able to save their tiny hands? And will Maurice and Angelo ever be reunited with their group? Over in the carnivore section the team have cooked up a cunning plan to challenge their ferocious lions' excellent sense of smell, but how will Vlad the warthog feel about this proposal? And will the lions really sniff out their dinner down under? Meanwhile, Jean Johansson serves up some ice lollies to a bloodthirsty animal of another kind and takes a ringside seat when fight night kicks off for two cave crickets.
Ben Fogle and Kate Humble round up the first week of summer specials at Longleat Safari Park with more stories from right across the animal kingdom. This episode continues the tale of the cheetah cubs born earlier in the week. Across the park, another team rush to the aid of Steph, the oldest Grant's zebra, who is being violently bullied by the rest of the herd. Meanwhile, there is a thief on the loose in family farmyard, so Jean Johansson tries to convince a greedy billy goat to get exercising.
This episode follows the keepers going above and beyond to help the park's residents. The wallaby team are faced with a life-and-death decision when mum Zero is clearly too ill to care for her tiny joey. But can this extremely fragile newborn survive?
The carnivore team need their pair of European wolves to breed, but how do you get wolves in the mood for love? And can the cameras capture them mating and give the keepers the reassurance they need that the wolves are a successful match?
Anne the elephant makes friends with some notoriously greedy grazers. Jean Johansson welcomes a new enormous European elk to the park, but can they convince her to step off the truck? And Kate finds out which aquatic animal is the fussiest on the park.
Kate Humble and Ben Fogle are back with another action-packed episode at Longleat Safari Park. Keeper Caleb challenges award-winning wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas to capture a 'prey's-eye-view' of his lions and tigers. But can Will's remote-control buggy camera survive some of the planet's most ferocious predators?
Arabella the binturong isn't eating and no-one knows why - can the vets get to the root of this mysterious animal's ailment before it is too late? Ben tries to win over a parrot whose beak is still out of joint from his visit last year, while Jean Johansson gets closer than ever before to the world's largest snail and meets a surprising predator.
Kate Humble and Ben Fogle are back for another sunny summer special packed full of stories from the host of exotic animals living in the heart of Wiltshire. The gorilla team are forced to call in the vets for Alfie when it seems an abscess could signify something more sinister. But how do you sedate a 150kg gorilla? And what do you do when he struggles to come around from the anaesthetic?
Tragedy strikes Penguin Island once again as a chick is orphaned and then forced to overcome a life-changing disability. Meanwhile, Jean Johansson finds out just how much the baby meerkats have grown when she tries to catch them. Jean also helps to feed the hand-reared wallaby joey and finds out why climbing a tree won't save you from a lion.
Ben Fogle and Kate Humble get ready to welcome some exciting new VIPS to the park. Five southern koalas are set to become the very first of their kind in Europe. But this groundbreaking mission, more than two years in the planning, is fraught with difficulties. Koalas have never been flown this far in just one leg. Will they survive the epic 15,000km journey? They’re notoriously fussy eaters so has the team picked the correct types out of hundreds of varieties of eucalyptus? If the famous five turn their noses up, the park is in trouble.
Elsewhere at the safari park, it’s the dawn of a new era as the pin-up boy of the park, handsome Harry, is being groomed to take the helm of a new pride of lions. Ben demonstrates his curling skills with some giant blocks of ice as he helps the white rhinos to cool down, while Kate puts the sea lions’ swimming talents to the test with an ingenious catapult contraption. Can Half-Mile Lake’s residents reach speeds of 25mph recorded by their cousins in the wild?
Jean Johansson is kicking up a stink in wolf wood with a sack of zebra poo to see if the pack of European grey wolves can live up to their reputation for having one of the best senses of smell in the animal world. She also discovers why a giraffe's tongue is such a mighty muscle, and why it might just be handy to have one of those gentle giants around if nettles ever sting you.
Ben Fogle and Kate Humble reveal big plans for handsome Harry, the pin-up boy of the park, who is destined to head up a brand new pride at Longleat. He’s been living with his mum and aunt, and now they’ve been moved on to a new collection, this young lion can be moved to meet his eight lionesses for the very first time. But has he got what it takes, and how quickly will things – including his beautiful face – turn ugly?
Kate plays cupid for a lovelorn emu. Ever since Bourbon arrived at Family Farm, she’s been a bit of a loner, but keeper Gemma reckons she’s got just the boy to woo her and win her heart. Bounty might not be a pin up like Harry, but Gemma dreams of baby emus. The trouble is Bourbon runs a mile the minute Bounty - not necessarily the most sensitive of Romeos - comes anywhere near her.
Jean Johansson catches up with Anne, the Asian elephant. Devoted keepers have been doing everything they can to help strengthen and rehabilitate this old favourite ever since she arrived at the park. An elephant’s trunk has hundreds of muscles and is crucial to the survival of these gentle giants. Jean joins keeper Kevin to see how Anne’s trunk copes in her own mini rainforest in the depths of Wiltshire. Has she got the strength to scythe through it as her cousins would in the wild?
As well as giving baby anteater Bella her first shower, Jean’s also on a mission to discover who’s the cleverest in the park as the meerkats take on the otters. Who can crack a brain-teasing puzzle the fastest?
Tragedy strikes in Koala Creek as kidney disease claims the life of Wilpena. One of five Southern Australian koalas who made the long journey from Australia to their new home in Longleat, she fell victim to one of the diseases which can prove fatal for these fragile creatures. Could Wilpena’s death enable scientists to take huge strides in their research and find a way to wipe out this killer kidney disease?
But there’s also happier news on the marsupial front when Ben and Kate catch up with wallaby, Newt. The last time they met him, he was a hand-reared tot. But now he’s quite the bruiser and ready to do what an adult male wallaby does…. And there’s news of a surprise and mystery pregnancy.
Elsewhere, Kate catches up with Viscount Weymouth at the park’s eucalyptus plantation. Of the hundreds of types of eucalyptus, the park’s four koalas like to eat just a few varieties. But how can a tree native to baking hot Australia survive in the depths of Wiltshire?
Ben’s on the trail of a little bird with a big personality and a big reputation for dodging capture to get him to a new home, while Jean Johansson gets up close to one of the rarest deer calves in the world, a Pere David, which is virtually extinct in the wild. She discovers how monitor lizard King Tut can rev up from being quiet and sleepy to a fast-paced killing machine when food’s about. And what name will she come up with for one of the Poteroos, tiny 'rat kangaroo' neighbours to the koalas?
The keepers in Koala Creek are on red alert as Violet’s health takes a turn for the worst. Ben Fogle and Kate Humble discover how keepers fear her worrying urine samples could suggest she might suffer the same fate as Wilpena, who died of oxylate nephrosis - a painful kidney disease endemic in Southern Australian koalas - just weeks after arriving from Adelaide.
Across in Animal Adventure, another creature is in trouble. The park's star iguana, Iggy Pop, faces potentially life-threatening surgery. This old trooper, reckoned to be at least 22 years old, has got a mystery injury to his tail. In the wild, an iguana tail would grow back but Iggy’s shows no such signs. Now there are worries that any infection could spread through his old bones.
Kate joins keeper Caleb to see how pin-up boy Harry faces the ultimate challenge in his bid to become king of a brand new pride at Longleat. He’s spent a few weeks now with his posse of eight feisty lionesses, but this posse don’t take too kindly to being bossed around!
For the giraffes, it’s a big day. After over-wintering in the giraffe house and paddock, they’re about to be let out into the reserve for the first time as the weather hots up. And as these creatures make their summer debut, Kate delves into the remarkable history of Mrs B – one of the original giraffes to arrive at the park not long after it opened in the 1960s. This super-mum has done more than her fair share to save this rare Rothschild species: 400 or so of her descendants are scattered all over the world.
Jean Johansson steps in to help de-fleece the camels to protect them from painful summer eczema, gets up close to armadillo Hansel to discover why he’s got one of the best suits of armour in the wild, and meets an apple-bobbing tapir to find out why water is more than just a bit of fun but crucial to their survival in the wild.
Ben Fogle and Kate Humble meet the newest diva at the park, Inny the giant otter. Everyone’s fallen in love with this new arrival, but she’s a lady who’s used to getting her own way. So how can keepers hope to bring her to heel for her own safety – especially as she’s about to be reunited with her old mate Gordito? If she won’t play ball, will it be vicious claws and teeth when the two old lovers come face to face with each other again rather than the love story keepers are hoping for?
Saying hello to Inny means also saying a sad goodbye to some of the most entertaining characters at the park. Longleat’s Penguin Island is no more: Avian malaria decimated the Humboldt colony. Only a few birds survived, and they have gone to other collections. Kate catches up with keepers Georgia and Lucy to reminisce about some of their favourite penguins and their unforgettable antics.
Meanwhile, the park is on red alert as one of the carnivores goes missing! As keepers go into lockdown, is this the real thing or a drill to keep everyone on their toes?
Jean Johansson discovers why koalas can sometimes hamper Australian detectives, and helps one of nature’s muscle men with a very muscular workout.
Could love be in the air in Koala Creek? Kate Humble and Ben Fogle listen in to the extraordinary noise of koalas bellowing, which is a good indication that the quartet are ready for romance. But has the accident-prone Dennis got what it takes to woo the trio of girls, and why is he flirting with helicopters?
Jean Johansson finds out how Longleat’s loved-up giant otter duo Gordito and Inny are getting on and helps out with some diversionary tactics to stop these two golden oldies wreaking havoc in their new home.
But there’s worrying news in the Tiger House where another great old lady, Soundari, has been diagnosed with cancer. Will she be strong enough to endure the surgery?
Kate is experiencing a first in Wolf Wood as she helps to put the European grey wolves’ stamina to the test and discover just how the pack dynamics work to make them so ruthlessly efficient in the wild.
Ben investigates the mystery of just what marauding villain is attacking aardvark Frankie. She’s a creature known to have one of the toughest skins in the animal world, so what on earth is bugging and biting her and making her so poorly?
Two girls with a fearsome reputation are on their way to the park. Ben Fogle and Kate Humble meet Fang and Keo, two endangered Cuban crocodiles. They might not be the biggest, but this duo are known to be the most ferocious of crocs. Can keepers stay out of harm’s way, and how do you train a creature related to dinosaurs?
Keepers and vets are battling to get to the bottom of why rare red panda Ponja isn’t putting on weight. She’s destined to be part of an international breeding programme to help to save these critically endangered animals.
But she’s half the size of her twin sister. Just what might be the problem, and will it scupper her chances of being a mum?
Kate’s no stranger to sheep with a flock of her own at her home. But, as she discovers, four of Longleat’s Cameroon rams are giving keepers a run for their money – and they take a dislike to Kate’s cameraman.
Jean Johansson is with the two retired timber wolves, Dave and Alf,
to see how they help the weekly test fire alarm echo loud and clear across the park, and she discovers how you put a teenage tiger to bed
There’s trouble brewing in Wolf Wood as Meg, one of the six-year-old pups, is being badly bullied. Ben Fogle and Kate Humble discover how seriously she’s been injured as the pack of European greys turn on her.
Her wounds need urgent treatment and, as she’s put into isolation, keepers face a grim dilemma as Meg’s fate hangs in the balance.
Ben meets his old nemesis Rio the cockatoo. The two have never quite seen eye to eye, and loveable Rio’s antics are as outrageous as ever. But might Ben’s latest mission to win over the tearaway teenager bring Rio onside, or is that just too big a hope?
Kate finds out why Longleat visitors might unwittingly be endangering the mischievious macaques. It's a rite of passage to have these little monkeys take a ride on your car. But there’s a real risk to their health, and if you leave your windows open, beware. In a special stunt, Kate discovers just what havoc they can wreak.
When it comes to bites, it’s not just the monkeys who can pack a punch. The meerkats have a fearsome nip, especially when they need a dose of medicine. But the keepers have got to catch these notorious escape artists first.
And Jean Johansson is opening a beauty salon as she helps to give the guinea pigs a summer makeover, and she also discovers why the praying mantis is the black belt of the insect world.
Red, an Amur tiger, is turning out to be a tearaway teenager with a penchant for chasing and attacking cars. It’s a hunting instinct that might run deep in his DNA. But, as Kate Humble and Ben Fogle reveal, this rarest of Longleat’s ferocious felines needs to be taught some manners - especially after one encounter with a visitor which was just a little too close for comfort. Keeper Caleb has a reputation for bringing big cats to heel, but has he got what it takes to stop this big bad beautiful boy from running amok?
Adorable Preston, a six-banded armadillo, isn’t just a big personality. He’s a big lad too - a bit too big for his own health. Porky Preston needs some help. As Kate turns personal trainer, can she him help with a fitness routine to burn off the flab and get an armadillo six-pack a prospective Mrs P couldn’t fail but to admire?
Ben is with Viscountess Weymouth to discover how the park is at the helm of a special conservation mission to save the rare Desertas wolf spider. Critically endangered and only found in one remote valley in Madeira, numbers have tumbled to around just 4,000. They need all the help they can get.
We meet the stunning Chilean flamingos as they spread their wings after being kept indoors when winter snow afflicted their aviary. With the help of keepers acting as air traffic controllers, no feathers are ruffled, and both lift off and landing are as smooth as can be.
And Jean Johansson is planning some monkey business to keep the mischievous macaques out of trouble as she helps with a special pond ladder to test their ingenuity, intelligence and gymnastic prowess.
All bets are on Fang and Keo, the two fearsome Cuban crocodiles who have just taken up residence at the park. Ben Fogle and Kate Humble reveal how the crocs’ cousins in the wild are known for their leaping prowess, propelling themselves out of the water to reach heights of two metres to snatch prey from overhanging branches. But which of the two girls in Animal Adventure has got what it takes to mimic this behaviour? Fang is the stronger of the two. Keo might be weaker, but what she lacks in brawn, she makes up for in brain. Let battle commence.
Kate discovers you need nerves of steel, the concentration of a fighter pilot and eyes in the back of your head to patrol the big cats. She doesn’t get off to the best of starts on a specially designed learner course. But when she’s let loose among the lions, tigers and cheetahs, can she hold her nerve - especially on feed-up day when these ferocious and unpredictable felines are far from patient and don’t think twice about taking a swipe at anything that gets between them and their meat.
Jean Johansson meets the cousins of the koalas. While the furball marsupials went up trees, wombats stayed on the ground. She discovers how the park's duo of hairy-nosed wombats, the only ones of their kind in Europe, have in-built armour to deter predators. But suddenly tragedy unexpectedly strikes.
Has Xena the one-year-old cheetah cub got what it takes to be reunited with her mum? Abandoned at birth, the odds are stacked against this beautiful big cat. She’s been hand reared and her legs are deformed. Kate Humble and Ben Fogle discover how devoted keeper Matt is doing special exercises with her to strengthen her legs, and osteopath Tony Nevin uses cutting-edge laser treatment to do what he can to help. But how will Xena cope when she comes face to face not just with mum Wilma but the three other cubs she’s since given birth to? Will it be happy families or a brutal falling out?
For Kate, it’s nostalgic trip to Nico’s Island as she visits for the very first time since the park’s famous gorilla died last year. But she’s here to celebrate new life and new beginnings as she gets up close to seven colobus monkeys who have taken up residence. But will these fellas, renowned for their leaping abilities, end up in Half Mile Lake?
There’s tragedy in the Tiger House with the sudden death of 13-year-old Shouri, and Jean Johansson gets up close to some creepy-crawlies famed for being indestructible and finds out why you really wouldn’t want to kiss a cane toad.
It’s a battle for life or death in the deer park where a red hind is in trouble.
Ben Fogle and Kate Humble discover the deer has been in labour for a while and that her unborn calf is in a dangerous breach position. In a race against the clock, keepers and the vet do everything they can. But what are the chances of mum and calf surviving?
Exciting news in Wolf Wood: grey European alpha female Alisca is pregnant. Kate helps keepers put in a deluxe maternity box in the hope of capturing the birth of pups on camera, but there’s no guarantee Alisca wll use it. Kate and keeper Eloise investigate other areas where she might hole up and make the wood pup-proof. And there are tears of joy when the elusive newborns are finally spotted.
Jean Johansson finds out how fast a chameleon’s tongue can move to nobble its prey and helps Ringo, the vet-hating coati, recuperate from losing a toe with some special herbal treats.
Excitement is mounting at the park as keepers have noticed young Amur tigers Red and Yana appear to be in the mood for love. As Kate Humble and Ben Fogle discover, everyone’s got their fingers crossed that this burgeoning romance might just herald the arrival of cubs – the park's first tiger babies for nearly 20 years, and especially important as Amurs are so endangered in the wild.
But are these tigers too young for parenthood, and is everyone reading too much into possible signs of pregnancy? In the hope that Yana is about to be a mum, Kate helps prepare a maternity unit at the Tiger House.
A rare little Hyrax is in trouble. Can Tadallah, which means feisty one, live up to her name? Related to the elephant and the only breeding female, has she got what it takes to survive investigative tests?
In the East Africa Safari, a trio of newcomers has just arrived. Three one-year-old ostriches will help with the breeding programme - as long as they are, as hoped, all girls. Jean Johansson helps collects feathers for DNA tests and reveals the results. What will happen if there’s a boy in the mix?
The fearsome Cuban crocs are settling in nicely, but looking after a new species, especially these giant reptilians, is challenging for keepers. Kate helps with thermal imaging to see if Fang and Keo have got everything they need in Crocodile Creek to be in tip-top condition. Is their new home as des-res as it should be?
And climb aboard to see how Capt Jean copes when she takes over the tiller and the tour on one of Half Mile Lake’s boats. Beware the hippos…
There is a crisis in Koala Creek as the vet team is called in to investigate why Violet is struggling with her breathing. Ben Fogle and Kate Humble report on how she’s battled with her health since she first arrived from Australia just a few months ago. But could this latest battle be one too many for Violet, or will she pull through?
In the wild, skunks and north American tree porcupines rub along quite nicely together. But what happens when porcupine Parsnip, bristling with killer quills, comes face to face for the very first time with Cecil the skunk, who will unleash one of the smelliest stinks in the animal world if he gets upset? Who will come off worst? Or will it be the keepers in the firing line?
Kate discovers how the death of southern koala Wilpena, just weeks after arriving at the park, might not have been in vain. Wilpena is helping scientists make a breakthrough in understanding why certain diseases are endemic in these vulnerable creatures, and thanks to her a cure might now not be too far away.
Jean Johansson discovers how keepers keep tamarin monkeys from straying too far from home.
Is the pitter-patter of tiny tiger feet imminent? After weeks of speculation, Kate Humble and Ben Fogle reveal that the signs are that rare Amur tiger Yana is definitely pregnant.
Anxious not to miss the historic birth of cubs – the first at the park for nearly 20 years – keepers install special cameras in the Tiger House, which will also enable them to closely monitor Yana’s health at a safe distance.
Everyone holds their breath as first-time mum Yana finally goes into labour. But her cub is lifeless. Is this stillborn going to be her one and only cub? If there are others on the way, are they likely to face the same fate?
What are the chances of healthy cubs?
Kate catches up on life in the Gorilla House with the focus on silverback Kesho. Believed to be the only gorilla in the world with a syndrome which means he has an extra female chromosome, might this explain his sometimes baffling behaviour? An expert in the condition in humans helps to unravel the reasons for Kesho being the way he is.
Oryx antelope aren’t just rare, they’re extinct in the wild. Beautiful and graceful with metre-long horns, it’s believed they are behind the myth of the unicorn. But one oryx is in trouble and needs help with a nasty wound.
And Jean Johansson discovers why coconuts are just the job for the dental health of Cape porcupines.
For the very first time, in a special week of programmes, Animal Park is heading to Longleat Safari Park for Christmas. Kate Humble and Ben Fogle catch every magical moment as the keepers ensure all their creatures are cosy and prepared for the festive season, which is looking busier than ever.
One of the biggest early Christmas presents of 2019 was the birth of two Siberian tiger cubs – the first to be born at the park in over 20 years. At this most wonderful time of the year, Rusty and Yuki take their first steps out into the park. It is a nerve wracking moment for the keepers as the precious cubs come face to face with cars for the first time.
The arrival of the Great Hall’s giant Christmas tree is one of the most exciting but logistically challenging days of the year for the team at Longleat House. Meanwhile, Jean Johansson helps the keepers give Sprout the porcupine his very own Christmas tree, and Kate prepares a delicious Christmas dinner for the gorillas.
For a safari park, a young female cheetah is pretty much at the top of your Christmas list. Rachel has come to the park as part of its successful cheetah breeding programme, but new arrivals don’t come without their challenges. Now the keepers have a festive love triangle on their hands to rival every Christmas Day soap opera storyline. Carl, the male, is already in a mating pair with another female. Will Rachel lure him away to start a new family, or will he stay with his long term love, Wilma?
It will be a much simpler Christmas for Anne the elephant, who will be pulling her very own cracker. And in the run-up to the festive season, the annual fireworks displays at Longleat House are some of the biggest events of the year, with thousands of people arriving to watch the seasonal spectacles. With so many bangs and explosions, Jean Johansson is with the keepers as they ensure their animals aren’t affected by the loud noises and explosions
Winter is drawing in, and for the first time Kate Humble and Ben Fogle are spending the most wonderful time of the year at Longleat Safari Park. There are visitors from afar, shepherds caring for their flocks, and family arguments - pretty much your average Christmas!
He might not be on a sleigh ride, but there’s an amazing present en route from Japan: a new male southern koala to join the existing group. But despite the excitement, it’s a worrying time for the keepers. After such a long journey, will the new marsupial settle in, and will this fussy eater turn his nose up at its Christmas dinner?
Kate witnesses a Christmas family argument on a huge scale. Harry the lion is growing up and growing louder, and his new pride has started roaring in competition with Klaus and Simba’s pride. But what does this mean for the keepers who have to manage this change in behaviour?
There is also family chaos as the meerkats opening their stockings. And somehow he’s avoided the naughty list - the sheep who became an internet viral sensation will be coming face to face with his cameraman nemesis. Will it be good will to all cameramen?
It’s all change for some of the furriest mammals at the park as the keepers race to get them into their new home in time for Christmas. While the builders are converting an old enclosure, it’s the keepers’ job to get everyone ready for the big move, but working with animals is never simple: the chipmunks need to put on weight before they make the move, and the stubborn cavy are reluctant to move house at all! As with any Christmas gathering, there are difficult dynamics that will need managing, such as how the small furry animals will get on with the larger, spikier porcupines?
In a magical moment, Jean Johansson gives the lions their very own Christmas tree, and Kate has an extremely large present for the rhinos. And like a wintry scene from Narnia, Jean hears the wolf pack howl, and Kate prepares the park’s tortoises for their hibernation away from the chill.
It is nearly Christmas and for the very first time, in a special week of programmes, Animal Park is heading to Longleat Safari Park for the festive season!
Kate Humble and Ben Fogle wrap up every wonderful moment as the keepers ensure all their creatures are warm and enjoying their busy festive season. Today features Christmas treats, a potential Christmas romance and a worrying time for a wintry animal.
Amongst all the festivities, there is a problem with one of the animals. A keeper has discovered a concerning abscess on one of her red pandas, Koda. After antibiotics and painkillers fail to help the growth, he needs an urgent visit to the vet for an operation. Will he be cured in time for Christmas?
It is the Christmas rom-com film we all look forward to - two strangers meeting and falling in love. But animals don’t always follow the script. The park are opening up a couple of big presents - two new warthogs brought in to start a new family line. There is lots of preparation to get their new home ready, but the keepers are nervous – the warthogs have never met. Fingers crossed for love, actually.
And there are festive treats all around, Jean Johansson helps prepare a Christmas pudding for the anteaters, the parrots show her why they don’t need a nutcracker and Jean finds out if any animals like sprouts!
For the very first time, Animal Park has been invited to Longleat Safari Park for Christmas. Kate Humble and Ben Fogle are there to catch every magical moment as the keepers ensure all their creatures are cosy and prepared for the festive season, which is looking busier than ever.
One of the biggest early Christmas presents of 2019 was the birth of two Siberian tiger cubs - the first to be born at the park in over 20 years - and they’re growing up fast. We’ll be checking up on this unbelievably cute brother and sister, Rusty and Yuki. It’ll be the most wonderful time of the year as we see them take their first steps out in the park. Like Mum and Dad, they’ll be one of the biggest attractions in the park, but it’s a nerve-racking moment for the keepers as the precious cubs come face to face with cars for the first time.
Annually, the arrival of the Great Hall’s giant Christmas tree is one of the most exciting but logistically challenging days of the year for the team at Longleat House. Not only do they have to source a tree exactly the right height and fell it from the estate woodland, they then have to manoeuvre it inside without damaging any of the historic artwork or furnishings.
It’s non-stop animal excitement from start to finish as Jean Johansson also mucks in with the keepers to hand out Christmas treats to their much-loved creatures.
Kate and Ben return to Longleat just as the Covid-19 pandemic forces the park to close. The keepers set about keeping the animals safe, fed and entertained.
Ben and Kate compete to charm Rio the grumpy cockatoo, and there is an anxious wait as Yuki the tiger goes under the knife. Meanwhile, Jean treats the rhinos to a spa.
Two of the park's keepers join the Australian bushfire rescue effort, Ben tries to motivate an overweight monitor lizard, and Kate finds out how to assess the health of an elephant from its poo.
Ben and Kate see how koalas get ready to mate, the keepers finally outwit the park's secretive spotted hyenas, and Jean joins rescue training on the lake.
Ben and Kate find out what happens when a silverback gorilla has his authority threatened and meet a new pancake tortoise. Jean falls for a fennec fox who is looking for a partner.
At Longleat Safari Park, the keepers are working hard to get the animals ready for winter. They also introduce some new residents, including binturongs, dik diks and ostriches.
As Christmas approaches, will there be love, actually, for fennec fox Anthony? New binturong Baloo is also looking forward to a Christmas tryst with a new mate.
One of the aardvarks delivers a surprise baby, and Jean Johansson reveals her role in the birth of the biggest flock of newborn flamingos in years.
The lions need a new scratching post, Ben helps the keepers take the pancake tortoise festive family photo, and Jean delivers the camels their Christmas presents.
There's a huge boost to the breeding programme as an anteater gives birth in the run-up to Christmas. Meanwhile, Ben asks the age-old question - can reindeer really fly?
Highlights of Ben, Kate and Jean's week at Longleat Safari Park.
For the last time in this festive series, Ben Fogle and Kate Humble are at Longleat Safari Park to conclude a magical week of programmes.
