Animal Park Summer 2022

Ben and Kate return to Longleat, where hopes are rising for the first baby southern koala in Europe. Ben bathes a goat, and Kate meets the colobus monkeys.

The keepers are nervously waiting for a new arrival - a capybara, the largest rodent in the world. He’s in a lovely new home, and after a month’s mandatory quarantine, he's allowed out into his very spacious enclosure.

There have been many successful newborns at the park over the years, but today we find out why breeding programmes are not always easy. There’s a race to stop one of the park’s most important breeding programmes from falling apart.

Today, we find out how the keepers' continued vigilance and dedication to the animals' welfare can alert them when something seems to be wrong.

The park’s Amur tiger breeding programme has been a huge success, with a male and female born three years ago. The precious cubs are now almost fully grown and nearing the age when they could be separated to start their own families.

Today, we find out that building a relationship with an animal takes a huge amount of work and commitment, but the results can be spectacular. Over the last few years, Animal Park has followed the park’s efforts to gain the confidence of the hyenas. They have had a history of being skittish and staying away from humans, but the keepers have worked slowly to gain their trust.

We have been following the incredible story of the birth of Europe’s first southern koala joey. As koalas are now classified as endangered in parts of Australia, the park’s breeding programme has never been more important, and with this in mind, the keepers have decided to introduce successful dad Burke to a different female, Maisie.

The keepers have called the vet to check one of the zebras. She has had a snotty nose over the winter and is now weak. As well as her health, the keepers are concerned that because she is isolating herself from other zebras, the rest of the herd could turn on her. Will the vet and the keepers have to intervene?

The keepers recently discovered that the mother of the wolf pack, Eliska, is pregnant. However, in today’s episode, their joy turns to fear. They’ve spotted some very strange behaviour. Eliska is lethargic and not interested in her food. She is clearly in need of urgent attention, so the vets are called - but if the worst happens, what will be the implications for the rest of the pack?

There was shock last year when a surprise family turned up at the park and established a home. Beavers started building a lodge on Half-Mile Lake alongside two hippos, half a dozen sea lions and a couple of big boats. What’s even more surprising is that the last time beavers roamed this area was before Longleat House was completed in 1580. But are they still in residence?

Today, the team are braced for the arrival of a species that hasn’t lived at the park for 30 years. Longleat is already home to a collection of eleven wallabies, but the park's visitors often confuse them with kangaroos, which are much larger.

Earlier in the series, the wolf pack was rocked by the death of pregnant mother Aliska. She died whilst she was in labour along with her pups. Now, another problem is looming, and this time the focus is on her partner, Jango.

This year, the park and the world celebrated when the first southern koala was born at Longleat. Hazel is growing up fast, but koalas are notoriously difficult to look after, and Hazel’s development is monitored day and night.

Lions, tigers and wolves are all fiercely territorial and will fight off newcomers without hesitation, but when it comes to defending their patch, few creatures are more fearsome than rabbits. Keeper Gemma attempts to introduce a pair of new rabbits into the group already at the park.

The Longleat keepers have some extraordinary news. When doing her morning rounds, Amy spotted some nesting behaviour amongst the critically endangered African white-backed vultures, and on further inspection discovered that one of the birds was sitting on an egg.