We say goodbye to a Longleat legend, celebrating her life and the impact she has had on keepers and visitors. Hippos arrived in the park from Uganda nearly half a century ago, and ever since, they have been park favourites. We hear from a keeper who remembers the day well, and keepers who have loved working with them over the years. Sadly, hippo Sonia disappeared, and a few days later was found dead. We hear her story and the reactions from the keepers. Kate talks to one of the keepers who knew Sonia best to remember her life and some of her highlights. \n\nWildlife photographer Hamza Yassin has also been asked to use his camera and powerful zoom lens to document any behavioural changes in her companion Spot that might show signs of distress. He finds her in her wallow and looking relaxed, but are there any worrying signs that most of us would miss?\n\nOn the other side of the park, another keeper has her hands full with a cheeky Catalina macaw who loves escaping, but no-one can quite work out how. Known for their high intelligence and comedic personalities, the keepers think she may well be enjoying her escaping act. But they don’t want to encourage the behaviour, so they place cameras around the enclosure in an attempt to catch the naughty bird in the act. They strike lucky and discover her brazen tactics and create a plan to keep her at home for good. But will the plan work? Not if the macaw has anything to do with it.
Source: BBC 2
Summer 2023: Episode 15
In a jam-packed season finale, one of the most monumental stories unfolds with Rusty the Amur tiger. He and his sister Yuki thrilled the keepers when they were born in 2019. The ...
30-04-2025
BBC 2
Summer 2023: Episode 14
A feud is brewing in the meerkat enclosure at Longleat, and it’s a family affair. Meerkats live in strict hierarchical groups, and elderly female Cassie appears to have be ...
29-04-2025
BBC 2
Summer 2023: Episode 13
It’s a momentous day in Wolf Wood at Longleat after a turbulent year. Eliska, the matriarch of the pack, died along with her unborn pups, before further tragedy with the d ...
28-04-2025
BBC 2
Summer 2023: Episode 12
Visitors to the Africa Reserve at Longleat enjoy an idyllic scene of zebra, giraffe and ostrich that could rival the African savannah. These amazing views are in fact the culmin ...
25-04-2025
BBC 2
Summer 2023: Episode 11
Over the years, Wolf Wood at Longleat has seen more plot twists than a soap opera, but last year it was struck by tragedy on another scale when the matriarch for the pack, Elisk ...
24-04-2025
BBC 2
Summer 2023: Episode 10
In 2022, there was a milestone moment when Bart the capybara arrived. He was the first of his species to be under the care of the keepers, and as it's the world’s largest ...
23-04-2025
BBC 2
Summer 2023: Episode 9
Ever wondered how it would feel to be eaten by a pride of lions? Well now you can find out, because Kate and the team have managed to capture a prey’s-eye view of exactly ...
22-04-2025
BBC 2
Summer 2023: Episode 6
We get to know some of the incredible animal heroes at the park who are helping their wild cousins across the globe.\n\nOne such animal is Anne the Asian elephant, who was rescu ...
21-04-2025
BBC 2
Summer 2023: Episode 5
In this episode, the keepers use a piece of kit with the animals that they have never used before. \n\nThe keepers and Hamza are putting to the test some new research that claim ...
30-01-2025
BBC 2
Summer 2023: Episode 4
In this episode, we discover if any of the park’s residents could use a rudimentary tool. \n\nLongleat is home to a group of critically endangered western lowland gorillas ...
29-01-2025
BBC 2
Summer 2023: Episode 9
Ever wondered how it would feel to be eaten by a pride of lions? Well now you can find out, because Kate and the team have managed to capture a prey’s-eye view of exactly ...
22-04-2025
BBC 2
Summer 2024: Episode 9
Along with feeding all the animals at Longleat Safari Park, the keepers need to keep an eye on their mood, behaviour, love life and, of course, their health. And that’s be ...
20-01-2025
BBC 2
Christmas 2024: Episode 5
Ben, Kate and the keepers are pulling out all the stops to deliver festive treats in time for the big day. The whole park is mobilised for one of the biggest animal enrichments ...
23-12-2024
BBC 2
Summer 2020: Episode 2
The keepers are alarmed to discover a large open wound under tiger Yuki’s chin. Despite the high risk involved in sedating a tiger, they have no choice but to operate. Whe ...
12-05-2024
BBC 2
Summer 2020 (shortened Versions): Episode 8
Wolves Max and Mel are being repeatedly attacked by the pack’s alpha male, and their injuries are becoming more serious. So the keepers embark on an ambitious project to c ...
27-07-2021
BBC 2
Series 7: 30 Minute Reversions - Episode 8
Ben Fogle and Kate Humble explore life behind the scenes at Longleat Estate and Safari Park. They go on an emergency rescue for a rare Pere David's deer with its antlers caught.
07-08-2014
BBC 2
Summer Special: Episode 3
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 ...
28-10-2017
BBC 2
Series 7: 30 Minute Reversions - Episode 2
Ben Fogle and Kate Humble explore life behind the scenes at Longleat. A tiny tapir tot takes his first tentative steps, and the lion cubs have some new toys.
25-06-2014
BBC 2
Summer Special 2018: Episode 10
Kate Humble and Ben Fogle round up the second of three weeks of summer specials with some very exciting news. Earlier in the series, the programme celebrated the life of legenda ...
20-08-2018
BBC 2
Summer 2022: 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 a ...
27-02-2024
BBC 2