Animal Park Catch up, Christmas 2022: Episode 2 on BBC 2

Animal Park

Christmas 2022: Episode 2

It’s time to deck the halls because Ben Fogle and Kate Humble are heading back to Longleat Safari Park for a magical week of programmes. \n\nHarry the lion has a problem that could ruin his Christmas - he has broken one of his enormous canine teeth. The keepers have called in renowned dentist Peter Emily, whose plan is to perform root canal work on Harry, but to get close to his lethal jaws, they first need to knock Harry out with a sedative. Once he is asleep, the team can get to work, but just as the operation starts, Harry stops breathing, leaving everyone hoping for a Christmas miracle.\n \nChristmas can cause the occasional family rift, and it’s no different down at the meerkat enclosure. Hailing from the Kalahari desert, meerkats live in matriarchal societies, so the ladies are in charge, and the keepers suspect a change at the top – 12-year-old Cassie may have been usurped by her daughter Harley. A group of meerkats is known as a mob and that’s exactly what they have turned into with all the infighting, so the keepers have called in wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin to see if there has indeed been a power shift. \n\nThe keepers have everything crossed for a white Christmas because animals such as the red pandas and Amur tigers have special adaptations to thrive in snowy conditions. While they wait to see if the park will become a magical winter wonderland this year, Lord and Lady Bath reminisce about past years when snow fell at the park.\n\nMegan McCubbin is on hand to deliver presents and treats to animals that originate from all over the world, so what will they make of our British Christmas traditions? Will the anteaters from South America manage to break into a Christmas cracker, and what does an Australian wallaby make of a brussels sprout?

Source: BBC 2

Most recent episodes of Animal Park

Animal Park

Summer 2025: Episode 15

The day has finally arrived for the Longleat's first new hippos in decades to arrive at the park. Sisters Matilda and Manon have come on a 700-mile journey from the Czech Republ ...

22-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Animal Park

Summer 2025: Episode 13

In Cheetah Kingdom, hopes are growing as Xena, the hand-reared female, might be pregnant. It’s a critical moment for the breeding programme and a deeply personal one for t ...

21-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Animal Park

Summer 2025: Episode 12

There’s excitement and tension in the emu paddock because for the first time in years, chicks could be on the way. But the eggs will only be viable if dad Biscuit stays si ...

20-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Animal Park

Summer 2025: Episode 11

A beloved wallaby mum is facing a life-threatening condition. Keepers are holding their breath as they wait to find out whether Lara is suffering from lumpy jaw, a devastating i ...

19-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Animal Park

Summer 2025: Episode 10

The keepers are deeply concerned about Klaus, one of the park’s most impressive lions. A stubborn paw injury has left him limping and reluctant to move. Fearing that the i ...

15-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Animal Park

Summer 2025: Episode 8

Up at the cheetah house, the keepers are hoping romance could be blossoming between Rachel and Lunis. With wild cheetah numbers in steep decline, a successful match between thes ...

14-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Animal Park

Summer 2025: Episode 7

There’s cause for celebration as the park’s North American tree porcupine has given birth to a precious porcupette, the first to be born here. The keepers are thrill ...

13-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Animal Park

Summer 2025: Episode 6

There’s growing concern for Malaika, the elderly lioness, whose health has been deteriorating. The keepers and vets decide that their only option is a sedation to find out ...

12-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Animal Park

Summer 2025: Episode 4

In this episode, conservation is the focus. The team are pinning their hopes on a precious white-backed vulture chick, a species facing extinction in the wild. If they can succe ...

08-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes

Animal Park

Summer 2025: Episode 3

Ben Fogle and Kate Humble celebrate one of Longleat's most remarkable residents, Anne the Asian elephant. Now in her 70s, Anne’s story continues as her devoted keepers bat ...

07-01-2026

BBC 2

All episodes