Animal Park S19E12 - Episode 12

Kate Humble and Ben Fogle return to Longleat Safari Park for another spectacular summer series following the fascinating stories of the exotic animals and the keepers who look after them.

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. He has been showing signs of a urinary infection, so the keepers have brought him into the wolf house. It's soon obvious that the problem is bladder stones, but if the vets cannot flush them through, Jango's only other option is a risky operation. The keepers are nervous because this was exactly the condition that caused the death of much-loved timber wolf Dave.

At the park, keepers often need to come to the aid of an animal in need, so sometimes it's nice to stop and admire the beauty and majesty of the creatures, which is exactly what wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin has an opportunity to do today with the cheetahs. With his zoom lens, Hamza is able to get close enough to see their incredible claws, which unlike most cats' cannot retract, and investigate their incredible markings, which are not just on their fur but in fact go right through to their skin.

Also today, Thorn the giraffe is being trained so that he can receive a giant pedicure, zoologist Megan McCubbin serves up some ice lollies to the donkeys to try to keep them cool, and Ben creates a scent trail for one of his favourite animals, the tapir.