Animal Park Catch up, Summer 2021: Episode 2 on BBC 2

Animal Park

Summer 2021: Episode 2

The lives of a mother and her tiny baby hang in the balance when a birth goes dramatically wrong. The park has been trying to grow their herd of pygmy goats, so were thrilled to discover two were pregnant, but there is also concern. Pygmy goats are cute and cuddly, but size matters when you’re giving birth, and often this tiny species struggles in labour. When one of the females goes into labour early, the keepers rush to her side, but as time goes by, they get increasingly worried about the kid. They soon call in the vet as the situation worsens, but can they do enough to save the life of the baby and the mother? \n\nAlso in the programme is Baloo the binturong, who arrived in the collection just before Christmas. Binturongs are natural tree climbers, and Baloo is especially good at climbing out of his enclosure – five escapes and counting! The keepers have no idea how he is doing it, but they need to find out fast so they can reinforce the enclosure. They decide to take a risky strategy: allow Baloo to escape so that he reveals his escape route. But will he make a run for it today, and will the keepers be able to get him back? \n\nThe park has had much success breeding pancake tortoises, which is important because they are at risk of extinction in the wild. Ben has been following the family at the park for the past few years, and today he is helping the keepers sex the young tortoises. The team are constantly trying to mimic their animals' natural environment and inventing fresh ways to keep the animals entertained. Jean Johansson helps the keepers add some variety to the diets of the tigers and hyenas, serving up some ostrich eggs.

Source: BBC 2

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