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BIRDS CHIRP
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BEE BUZZES
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Across the British Isles,
there are magical places.
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Our pride and joy -
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our gardens.
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LAUGHTER
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Yet, many of us are completely
unaware of the wild world...
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..right under our noses.
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Amazingly, some British gardens
are almost as diverse
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as a tropical rainforest.
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And when our backs are turned...
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DUCKLINGS CHIRP
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..they come alive.
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DUCK QUACKS
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From the wilds of Scotland...
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STAG GRUNTS
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..to a metropolitan oasis.
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In each episode, we'll reveal
the extraordinary dramas
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playing out within a single garden.
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EAGLE WHISTLES
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Welcome to a hidden world
right on our doorsteps.
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In a city of almost 500,000 people,
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hidden amongst rooftops and roads...
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..lies a garden oasis...
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..which artist and sculptor Lou
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has tended for 24 years.
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I would never call myself
a gardener, really,
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because I don't know much
about plants.
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And I think because I am an artist,
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I like things to develop
in their own way.
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I have a kind of constant battle
with slugs and snails...
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SHE LAUGHS
..but we get there,
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and I just like it
because it looks...
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It looks natural.
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And that's what I like
about my garden.
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You know, it makes me happy.
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OK, I can take these outside.
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It's a really small garden.
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And I've got a very tiny lawn,
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partly because I'm not really
interested in lawns.
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Most of my interest is in the beds.
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BEE BUZZES
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One of the first things I did
was build the pond.
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And that's one of my sculptures,
because, I don't know why,
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I just probably wasn't
very happy with her.
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And now she keeps an eye
on the frogs for me.
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Lou has created a haven
for wildlife.
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But even she doesn't know the half
of what goes on here.
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There's lots of mysterious places,
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where I'll occasionally see
something.
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I know there's a fox that quite
often sleeps in the garden there.
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But, obviously, when it leaves
my garden, who knows where it goes?
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Lou's garden has become the home
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of a young male fox -
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an urban opportunist.
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A century ago, virtually no foxes
lived in our cities.
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Today, there are 2,000 of them
in Bristol alone.
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This male is one of a whole host
of animals in Lou's garden...
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..making a life for themselves
in this strange new world.
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POLICE SIREN WAILS
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Life in the city can be tough.
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But it does come
with its advantages.
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DOG BARKS
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This wily fox knows exactly
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where to find
a steady source of food.
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Lou's garden is at the centre
of the 100 or so
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that constitute his territory.
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But who owns what...
CAT HISSES
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..is a matter of opinion.
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If he is to survive here,
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he must claim food
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whenever it becomes available.
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And he's quick to notice
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the bird seed spilt on the patio.
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Like all urban foxes,
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he is bolder
than his country cousins.
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TELEVISION BLARES
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TELEVISION: ..to get back
to normal levels. The Met Office...
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DOG BARKS
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And he even seems to know...
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..when it's bin night.
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But by the end of winter,
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he has a lot more
than just dinner on his mind.
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VIXEN SCREAMS
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The alluring sound
of a vixen on heat.
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VIXEN SCREAMS
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But where is she?
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DOG BARKS
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VIXEN SCREAMS
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The trouble is
that a cry as loud as this...
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VIXEN SCREAMS
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..will attract males
from all across the neighbourhood.
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In cities, so much free food
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is available every night
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that 50 foxes can live
in one square mile.
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So, during the breeding season,
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competition for a mate is fierce.
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FOX GROWLS
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Many of us have heard this...
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GROWLING AND HIGH-PITCHED SQUEALS
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..but never seen what produces it.
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HIGH-PITCHED SQUEALS
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FOX GROWLS
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The unsettling racket
of fox courtship.
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SQUEALING
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This is his territory...
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..and maintaining his ownership
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gives him the best chance
of fathering cubs.
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To one outsider...
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..Lou's garden offers a fresh start.
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A blue tit,
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less than a year old
and very hungry.
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00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:30,760
Winter has stripped
his woodland home of food...
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..so he's searching
for a better life in the city.
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DOOR CREAKS OPENS
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And Lou's garden
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could provide just that.
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In the winter, over 100 species
of bird visit feeders...
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..but few of us ever notice the
power-struggle that this creates.
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BIRDS CHIRP
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A charm of goldfinches, as they say.
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GOLDFINCHES FRANTICALLY CHIRP
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Though charming they are not.
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They are larger and heavier...
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..and they don't like sharing.
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Barely the weight of a pound coin...
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FRENZIED CHIRPING
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..the blue tit
doesn't stand a chance.
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00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,760
And there are even bigger birds
in this queue.
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00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:08,440
PIGEONS COO
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Feral pigeons are a lot smarter
than they may look.
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They know that goldfinches
on a feeder
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means there will be leftovers
on the patio.
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He is truly bottom
of the pecking order.
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00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:46,960
But other birds
are the least of his worries.
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FRENZIED CHIRPING
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00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,040
TELEVISION BLARES
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This is the neighbourhood's
top predator...
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..Mr Fluffy.
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But this blue tit
is close to starvation.
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CAT PURRS
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There are over ten million
pet cats nationwide.
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CAT PURRS
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It's estimated that they kill
over 50 million birds every year.
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But Lou has placed her feeder
just out of reach.
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00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:14,240
So the only casualty today
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00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,520
is Mr Fluffy's pride.
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City life may come with risk...
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00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,520
..but an all-you-can-eat buffet...
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..is a great place to meet a mate.
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TELEVISION BLARES
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As dusk falls,
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most residents of the garden
hide away.
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But this is the time
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when one of them begins to stir.
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It lives in the darkest corners.
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Once, there were over
30 million in Britain.
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00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,360
But today,
fewer than a million remain.
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00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,760
With the intensification
of agriculture,
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their countryside homes
are disappearing.
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SNIFFING
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Hedgehogs.
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After five months in hibernation,
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this female is raring to go.
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And so, it seems, are her fleas.
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Nothing that a quick scratch
can't fix.
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Almost got it.
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Ah! That's the spot!
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She needs to be
at her best tonight...
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..and stay out of trouble...
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HEDGEHOG SQUEALS
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..because she's looking for a mate.
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The problem is,
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as the only hedgehog
in a walled garden...
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TELEVISION BLARES
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..she's hardly spoiled for choice.
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But Lou and her neighbours
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have made a small change
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that goes a long way to help...
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..a hedgehog highway.
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A system of tunnels
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connecting every garden
on the street...
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..opening up her dating pool
to 16 gardens.
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In the neighbour's garden...
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LOUD MUSIC
..there's no-one here.
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Next door down?
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No luck either.
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DOG BARKS
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DISTANT CHATTER
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00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:01,840
It's not just birds
in the firing line.
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00:18:04,120 --> 00:18:09,040
Every year, pet cats
kill millions of mammals.
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CAT MEOWS
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Mittens, come here!
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But there's not a lot a cat can do
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against this prickly customer.
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Garden 16.
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It's the last chance saloon.
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00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:50,960
And, what do you know...
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..something smells
very promising indeed.
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00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:58,680
HEDGEHOG SNIFFS
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00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,880
An intoxicating aroma.
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A male...
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..heading her way.
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HEDGEHOG SNIFFS
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He, too, has been attracted
by her musky odour.
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He's quite the charmer.
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00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,520
And, of course, he takes care.
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00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:53,240
If you're a hedgehog,
love can really hurt.
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00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,520
POLICE SIREN WAILS
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00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:08,440
It's been a rather productive romp
through the neighbourhood.
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00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:12,840
But rather than head back to bed,
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she is making the most
of her big night out...
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00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:23,040
..and she mates
with not just a second partner...
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00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:25,920
..but a third.
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00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:32,040
Hedgehogs are highly promiscuous,
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00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:36,760
so a single litter
may have multiple fathers.
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00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:48,040
It's a way of ensuring
genetic diversity among her young.
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00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,200
Lou and her neighbours
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00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:01,520
may have built a path
to parenthood...
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00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:08,760
..but successfully raising a litter
of hoglets is far from guaranteed.
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00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:20,840
Bricks, tarmac and concrete
retain heat...
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00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:25,880
..so spring in the city
arrives earlier
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00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,520
than in the surrounding countryside.
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00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:40,680
And after a few nights
above five degrees Celsius...
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00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,280
..a cold-blooded young male
is warming up.
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00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:51,680
A common frog.
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00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:57,920
He's something of a recluse
for most of the year.
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00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,040
But for the next few weeks...
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00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:07,440
..he'll be seeking company.
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00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:12,520
And he heads for the garden pond...
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00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,040
..to look for a mate.
232
00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:26,520
The trouble is that even a garden
as small as Lou's...
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00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,320
..could host 50 other males.
234
00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,400
They're all competitors
in a race to breed.
235
00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:43,160
So he, too, had better hop to it!
236
00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:50,560
FROG CROAKS
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00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,520
Lo and behold, a female...
238
00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,440
..positively bursting
with hundreds of eggs.
239
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,560
It's just as well
he got here quickly.
240
00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:32,760
Males can outnumber females
four to one.
241
00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:48,200
If he wants to win
the mating game...
242
00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:51,760
..he must grab a female...
243
00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:55,360
..before someone else does.
244
00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:06,600
He's got her.
245
00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:10,520
Now, hold on tight...
246
00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:18,040
..and fend off those rivals.
247
00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,200
WHISTLING
248
00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,680
Having proved himself worthy,
249
00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,000
she rewards him
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00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,680
with a clump of eggs,
251
00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,280
which he fertilises.
252
00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:14,520
Within each pinhead-sized embryo...
253
00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:19,120
..a new story is beginning.
254
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:27,600
Even the smallest garden pond...
255
00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:34,800
..can become a cradle for life.
256
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:47,760
BLUE TIT CHIRPS
257
00:25:49,360 --> 00:25:51,720
In the front garden,
258
00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:56,040
the male blue tit's prospects
are looking up.
259
00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:02,000
He's spotted a female
in his new patch.
260
00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,280
And he's getting just what he needs
to impress her.
261
00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,320
DRILLING
262
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:18,080
Tree hollows are in short supply
in city gardens,
263
00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:21,640
so a nest box
is a welcome alternative.
264
00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:28,840
A quick viewing.
265
00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:35,920
So far, so good.
266
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,000
It's north-facing,
267
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,520
so it's not too hot in summer.
268
00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,280
Minimalist,
but he could work with that.
269
00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:57,760
Solid walls, too.
270
00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:01,040
This could be it.
271
00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,640
Now, he just needs a partner...
272
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:12,040
..to make this house a home.
273
00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,320
BLUE TIT CHIRPS
274
00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:25,160
Down below...
275
00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:29,280
..the garden is changing fast.
276
00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,160
Densely planted urban gardens
like Lou's...
277
00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,760
..can have a higher diversity
of flowering plants
278
00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:49,120
than any wild habitat.
279
00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:54,920
And that attracts pollinators
280
00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:57,040
from across the neighbourhood.
281
00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,040
BEE BUZZES
282
00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:05,040
Thanks to Lou's green fingers...
283
00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:06,960
BUZZING CONTINUES
284
00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:11,280
..around 50 species of bee
visit her garden...
285
00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:23,360
..with some living closer to home
than others...
286
00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:31,320
..such as this
hairy-footed flower bee.
287
00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:34,480
BEE BUZZES
288
00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,720
Its long tongue sucks up nectar...
289
00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:46,280
..and its hairy feet
give it its name.
290
00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:56,280
But some properties come
with strings attached.
291
00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:05,120
Warm walls...
292
00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:08,640
..make excellent hiding spots
293
00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:12,080
for a growing number
of spider species...
294
00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:19,520
..such as this
green-fanged tube web spider.
295
00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:30,400
Originally from the Mediterranean,
296
00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:36,040
they are now thriving in many
of Britain's southern port cities.
297
00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,160
At this time of year,
298
00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:47,520
a more familiar resident
299
00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:51,040
becomes increasingly daring.
300
00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:56,760
He forages in broad daylight.
301
00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:21,760
FOX PANTS
302
00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:29,920
These days, Lou's fox
has new responsibilities,
303
00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:32,720
because over the fence...
304
00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:38,600
..and just across the street...
305
00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:46,760
..a new chapter of his life
is beginning.
306
00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:01,120
One cub.
307
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:12,720
Two cubs.
308
00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:19,720
Four cubs.
309
00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:21,760
Just a few weeks old.
310
00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:30,720
They've been growing up safely
with their mother
311
00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:34,360
in a den beneath
Lou's neighbour's shed.
312
00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:47,800
His family feels so secure here
313
00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:52,080
that they wander out in daylight,
314
00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:54,360
exploring their new world.
315
00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:11,600
Rarely in the animal kingdom
does a father stick around.
316
00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:19,040
But paternal care is more common
in the dog family
317
00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,920
than in most other groups
of mammals.
318
00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:25,240
So he does his bit...
319
00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:30,960
..protecting and cleaning
his youngsters.
320
00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:45,480
In the first few weeks
of their lives,
321
00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:48,080
their mother stops foraging
completely
322
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,040
to nurse her cubs.
323
00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:51,880
CUBS SQUEAL
324
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:56,160
So Dad brings back food for her
325
00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:59,600
from across the many gardens
in their territory.
326
00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:05,440
CUBS SQUEAL
327
00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:17,520
For foxes in the city...
328
00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:21,400
..raising a family...
329
00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,480
..takes a whole postcode.
330
00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:42,280
City life has many distractions.
331
00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:47,800
It's easy to miss
the little things...
332
00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:52,040
..right on our doorsteps.
333
00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,160
In the blue tit's nest box...
334
00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:15,640
..ten tiny chicks are hatching.
335
00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:19,840
FRENZIED HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING
336
00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:24,040
He is a father
337
00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:26,600
and life will never
be the same again.
338
00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:33,040
FRENZIED HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING
339
00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:36,760
Now, the hard work begins...
340
00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:39,840
..for both parents.
341
00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:07,040
To successfully fledge,
342
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:09,320
each chick will require
343
00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:12,040
20,000 caterpillars.
344
00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:21,760
It's a tall order that must be
completed within three weeks.
345
00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:38,040
When caterpillars
are in short supply,
346
00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:40,520
spiders will have to do.
347
00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:42,760
FRENZIED HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING
348
00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,040
As the days turn to weeks...
349
00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:04,440
..the chicks' appetites increase
350
00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:07,520
and their parents struggle
to keep up.
351
00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:17,360
In winter,
blue tits come to our cities,
352
00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:20,520
attracted to our garden
bird feeders.
353
00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:25,120
But, as summer arrives...
354
00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:30,280
..one of the drawbacks of city life
becomes clear.
355
00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:41,920
Despite the blue tits'
best efforts...
356
00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:46,320
..their chicks, one by one...
357
00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:49,960
..die of starvation.
358
00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:04,400
There simply aren't enough
native plants here
359
00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:09,200
to support the caterpillars that
blue tits need to raise their young.
360
00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:15,320
The odds of any of his chicks
surviving
361
00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:18,040
are fading by the day.
362
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:21,000
FRENZIED HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPING
363
00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:30,320
The number of insects in Britain
364
00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:35,040
have fallen by 60%
in the last 20 years.
365
00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:44,040
So, for many animals here, finding
enough to eat can be a struggle.
366
00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:49,200
And, right now,
367
00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:53,080
this little hedgehog
needs more food than ever...
368
00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:00,920
..because she's eating for five.
369
00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:16,320
She will need to eat all she can...
370
00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:21,880
..to produce enough milk
for her hungry youngsters.
371
00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:32,600
The hedgehog highway helps...
372
00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:36,520
..but it only goes so far...
373
00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:44,600
..especially during
a particularly dry British summer.
374
00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:50,400
TELEVISION: From this point on,
his natural habitat becomes drier.
375
00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:58,920
There's hardly anything to eat
on her regular garden tour.
376
00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:08,160
The insects and earthworms
she usually relies on
377
00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:10,760
have retreated deep underground.
378
00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:15,880
Bird-feeder leftovers
379
00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:17,760
aren't nearly enough.
380
00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:30,760
But mothers will take
extraordinary risks.
381
00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:39,280
Out on the streets...
382
00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:45,720
..there is a threat far greater
than any natural predator.
383
00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:58,680
Every year, hundreds of thousands
of hedgehogs
384
00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:00,840
die on our roads.
385
00:40:00,840 --> 00:40:02,760
ENGINE STARTS
386
00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:12,360
Remarkably, it seems
that city hedgehogs
387
00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:16,960
are learning to avoid
the busiest streets
388
00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:21,320
and are choosing to cross
quieter, slower roads.
389
00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:27,520
DOG BARKS
390
00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:33,360
In a well-kept garden,
391
00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:35,760
just metres from the street...
392
00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:44,040
..even the most vulnerable
stand a chance.
393
00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:51,360
Out of sight, in Lou's pond...
394
00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:56,520
..the frog's eggs
are developing fast.
395
00:41:59,960 --> 00:42:02,680
For a single tadpole,
396
00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:05,280
the chances of reaching adulthood...
397
00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:09,040
..are slim.
398
00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:19,520
Dragonfly larvae hunt
any small thing that moves.
399
00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:31,520
Over the next three months,
they must stay out of trouble...
400
00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:36,040
..grow a pair of limbs...
401
00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:41,280
..and another...
402
00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:48,040
..until, finally, they emerge
403
00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:51,520
as froglets the size of peas.
404
00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:03,760
Sometimes little legs...
405
00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:06,920
..need a helping hand.
406
00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:12,440
A makeshift staircase...
407
00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:17,280
..leads the way
to the garden beyond.
408
00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:29,640
Soon, the froglet
will repay the favour...
409
00:43:30,720 --> 00:43:33,120
..and join the army of frogs
410
00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:35,920
that keep plant-eating slugs
in check.
411
00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:46,560
As summer approaches,
412
00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:49,640
youngsters all across the garden
413
00:43:49,640 --> 00:43:53,280
are taking their first steps
into the unknown.
414
00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:00,560
Despite the lack of caterpillars...
415
00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:02,200
CHICK CHIRPS
416
00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:07,040
..one hardy young blue tit
has grown enough to fledge...
417
00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:15,040
..thanks to its determined parents.
418
00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:27,880
CHICK CHIRPS
419
00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:37,760
Nevertheless, the chick
still needs encouragement
420
00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:40,040
to leave the nest for good.
421
00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:57,160
THEY CHIRP
422
00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:28,040
The ground is not a place
for a young blue tit...
423
00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:30,240
CHICK CHIRPS
424
00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:33,760
..and Mr Fluffy is back.
425
00:45:35,720 --> 00:45:37,520
BELL RINGS
426
00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:44,760
His new bell lets everyone know
that he's arrived.
427
00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:54,680
But the young chick
428
00:45:54,680 --> 00:45:56,720
has yet to find its wings.
429
00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:02,360
BLUE TIT CHIRPS
430
00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:14,200
Dad sounds the alarm.
431
00:46:14,200 --> 00:46:17,160
CHICK CHIRPS
432
00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:31,480
For many blue tit fledglings,
433
00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:33,120
their first flight...
434
00:46:34,480 --> 00:46:36,760
..is also their last.
435
00:46:44,880 --> 00:46:46,840
CAT MEOWS
436
00:46:58,720 --> 00:47:00,200
Made it!
437
00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:07,400
A bell round the neck
reduces pet cats' hunting success
438
00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:09,440
by over a third.
439
00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:13,760
Good news for the birds...
440
00:47:16,640 --> 00:47:19,400
..bad news for Mr Fluffy.
441
00:47:27,280 --> 00:47:30,760
Slowly, the chick finds its feet...
442
00:47:35,040 --> 00:47:38,400
..and will soon be ready
to fend for itself.
443
00:47:51,520 --> 00:47:56,200
City life presents
plenty of challenges for wildlife.
444
00:47:58,040 --> 00:48:02,800
But with gardens making up
a third of our urban space,
445
00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:05,320
they have an important role to play.
446
00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:09,080
Hi, Gaby. Hi!
447
00:48:09,080 --> 00:48:11,040
I haven't seen you for ages.
448
00:48:11,040 --> 00:48:14,760
One of the wonderful things
about being in this neighbourhood
449
00:48:14,760 --> 00:48:18,520
is that even though
we've each got very small gardens,
450
00:48:18,520 --> 00:48:20,760
if you add it up,
451
00:48:20,760 --> 00:48:23,520
it makes a big space.
452
00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:26,280
In a sense,
you're creating a huge garden
453
00:48:26,280 --> 00:48:29,040
for foxes, hedgehogs,
all sorts of things.
454
00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:40,280
Together, our gardens
cover a greater area
455
00:48:40,280 --> 00:48:44,200
than all of our National
Nature Reserves combined.
456
00:48:49,920 --> 00:48:52,800
Each can provide a vital link
457
00:48:52,800 --> 00:48:56,120
in the lives of the animals
that live in them.
458
00:49:03,040 --> 00:49:06,760
Not only did this hedgehog survive
the dry summer...
459
00:49:09,160 --> 00:49:13,760
..she also successfully raised
all four of her hoglets.
460
00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:21,720
As their rural relatives
continue to decline...
461
00:49:23,280 --> 00:49:27,600
..there are signs that city
hedgehogs are on the increase...
462
00:49:30,720 --> 00:49:34,520
..repaying gardeners
in their own particular way.
463
00:49:38,040 --> 00:49:40,960
And, as summer comes to a close...
464
00:49:46,120 --> 00:49:49,520
..a newcomer arrives
in Lou's garden...
465
00:49:56,640 --> 00:50:00,520
..watched over by a familiar face.
466
00:50:06,160 --> 00:50:08,520
He is his father's son...
467
00:50:09,520 --> 00:50:12,800
..and is now old enough
to explore the neighbourhood.
468
00:50:18,480 --> 00:50:21,400
These resourceful animals
469
00:50:21,400 --> 00:50:24,800
bring a little magic
into our lives.
470
00:50:30,960 --> 00:50:33,920
If we choose to share our space...
471
00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:38,800
..something wild might just move in.
472
00:50:53,920 --> 00:50:58,360
The team set out to film
one city animal
473
00:50:58,360 --> 00:51:02,240
to which there are
very different reactions -
474
00:51:02,240 --> 00:51:03,920
the urban fox.
475
00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:10,960
Lou shows wildlife cinematographer
John Waters
476
00:51:10,960 --> 00:51:12,680
the lie of the land.
477
00:51:12,680 --> 00:51:15,520
I know that this path
is used quite a lot.
478
00:51:15,520 --> 00:51:18,480
I've seen foxes... Yeah.
..coming up, you know,
479
00:51:18,480 --> 00:51:22,120
jumping off that fence sometimes,
or from over there.
480
00:51:22,120 --> 00:51:24,800
To film the fox
without disturbing it,
481
00:51:24,800 --> 00:51:27,800
John sets up remote cameras.
482
00:51:29,000 --> 00:51:31,960
The smaller the space,
it is more difficult,
483
00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:36,080
because often, the camera is going
to be in the way of the animal,
484
00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:38,560
and that can spook it slightly.
485
00:51:38,560 --> 00:51:40,120
Animals are unpredictable.
486
00:51:40,120 --> 00:51:42,640
These cameras are
pretty unpredictable.
487
00:51:42,640 --> 00:51:43,960
They don't always work.
488
00:51:43,960 --> 00:51:45,960
There's a massive element of luck.
489
00:51:45,960 --> 00:51:47,480
HE LAUGHS
490
00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:53,080
A few weeks later,
time to check the footage.
491
00:51:53,080 --> 00:51:55,000
Cat.
492
00:51:55,000 --> 00:51:57,360
Cat. Cat.
493
00:51:57,360 --> 00:51:59,360
Ooh! Ooh, fox.
494
00:51:59,360 --> 00:52:01,480
Oh, this is the one
I was waiting for.
495
00:52:01,480 --> 00:52:03,920
Oh, wow. That's lovely.
496
00:52:03,920 --> 00:52:06,480
The cameras reveal Lou's fox
497
00:52:06,480 --> 00:52:09,400
gets up to far more
than she ever sees.
498
00:52:10,760 --> 00:52:13,080
But he's neither the hedgehog hunter
499
00:52:13,080 --> 00:52:18,000
nor the cat killer
that some believe urban foxes to be.
500
00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:21,000
He's obviously in my garden,
doing his little circuit,
501
00:52:21,000 --> 00:52:23,880
and then, goes who knows where?
502
00:52:23,880 --> 00:52:26,120
I don't know how far he travels,
or where he goes.
503
00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:31,320
So far, the team is only
getting glimpses
504
00:52:31,320 --> 00:52:33,280
of the fox's secret life.
505
00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:39,520
To discover what he does
when he leaves the garden,
506
00:52:39,520 --> 00:52:44,440
producer Euan Macdonald Smith
heads onto the streets.
507
00:52:45,520 --> 00:52:49,520
The dream is,
if he is successful in mating,
508
00:52:49,520 --> 00:52:51,840
and he and his vixen have cubs,
509
00:52:51,840 --> 00:52:54,800
that we can find the den
that they're being raised in
510
00:52:54,800 --> 00:52:56,360
and film them.
511
00:52:56,360 --> 00:52:58,560
I mean, that would be an
incredible thing to show Lou.
512
00:52:59,720 --> 00:53:03,760
Euan isn't the first to try his luck
filming Bristol foxes.
513
00:53:05,440 --> 00:53:08,240
Back in the 1970s,
514
00:53:08,240 --> 00:53:11,240
a rather fresh-faced presenter
515
00:53:11,240 --> 00:53:13,000
set out to do so
516
00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:15,040
for the very first time.
517
00:53:15,040 --> 00:53:17,960
How much do we really know
about the urban fox?
518
00:53:17,960 --> 00:53:20,760
How many are there?
Where do they go during the daytime?
519
00:53:20,760 --> 00:53:24,120
A BBC team here in Bristol
and the Natural History Unit
520
00:53:24,120 --> 00:53:28,160
set out to try and make a film
about the life of a town fox.
521
00:53:32,680 --> 00:53:35,600
In the half-century since,
522
00:53:35,600 --> 00:53:38,680
their numbers have quadrupled
in our cities.
523
00:53:48,680 --> 00:53:52,800
I do get a lot of funny reactions
from, you know,
524
00:53:52,800 --> 00:53:54,120
people in the neighbourhood.
525
00:53:54,120 --> 00:53:55,960
Anyone out in the streets
will tell me,
526
00:53:55,960 --> 00:53:58,320
"Oh, yeah, I see foxes all the time.
527
00:53:58,320 --> 00:54:00,520
"You don't need a fancy camera
to see them."
528
00:54:00,520 --> 00:54:02,640
It's easy to get a glimpse of a fox.
529
00:54:02,640 --> 00:54:04,600
But to actually spend
any time with one,
530
00:54:04,600 --> 00:54:06,200
it takes a lot of perseverance.
531
00:54:10,720 --> 00:54:13,120
It turns out that the local foxes
532
00:54:13,120 --> 00:54:14,560
are pretty brazen.
533
00:54:16,080 --> 00:54:17,680
HE SCOFFS IN DISBELIEF
534
00:54:19,680 --> 00:54:23,280
But, while city life
comes with higher rewards,
535
00:54:23,280 --> 00:54:26,280
it also comes with high risks.
536
00:54:26,280 --> 00:54:28,720
I've just come across a dead fox.
537
00:54:28,720 --> 00:54:30,640
It's been hit by a car.
538
00:54:30,640 --> 00:54:33,280
I was really worried
it was going to be Lou's fox.
539
00:54:34,320 --> 00:54:37,680
It looks like
it's a different individual.
540
00:54:37,680 --> 00:54:40,080
Still, er, not a very nice thing
to see.
541
00:54:42,520 --> 00:54:46,400
One aspect of the fox's life
remains a mystery...
542
00:54:47,520 --> 00:54:50,160
..the location of his den.
543
00:54:51,840 --> 00:54:55,760
The team comes up with all sorts
of ways to track it down.
544
00:54:55,760 --> 00:54:57,880
Then, right at the end of this road.
OK.
545
00:55:00,360 --> 00:55:03,800
But it's Lou's local WhatsApp group
546
00:55:03,800 --> 00:55:06,040
that gives the most promising lead.
547
00:55:12,800 --> 00:55:15,160
Hi, Joe. How's it going?
All right.
548
00:55:17,680 --> 00:55:21,320
It seems Mr Fox has been
raising a family
549
00:55:21,320 --> 00:55:23,480
right under Euan's nose.
550
00:55:23,480 --> 00:55:25,560
Smells of fox.
THEY LAUGH
551
00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:30,840
Over the next few days,
552
00:55:30,840 --> 00:55:32,840
their patience is rewarded.
553
00:55:37,240 --> 00:55:39,920
WHISPERS: He's just so relaxed.
I don't think he can see us.
554
00:55:39,920 --> 00:55:41,280
No, he has no idea.
555
00:55:46,680 --> 00:55:49,000
I've been following Lou's fox
556
00:55:49,000 --> 00:55:50,960
for the past six months.
557
00:55:50,960 --> 00:55:53,400
Such a relief to find this den,
558
00:55:53,400 --> 00:55:55,280
and to find these four cubs.
559
00:55:57,080 --> 00:56:01,480
At last, time to reveal
the footage to Lou.
560
00:56:01,480 --> 00:56:04,040
Oh, wow, the little fox cubs!
Yeah.
561
00:56:04,040 --> 00:56:06,640
Yeah, so there's four of them
living under this shed
562
00:56:06,640 --> 00:56:09,040
with their mother.
That's amazing!
563
00:56:09,040 --> 00:56:12,440
And that's just across the road.
Yeah.
564
00:56:12,440 --> 00:56:15,160
Oh, God, they're so adorable.
565
00:56:15,160 --> 00:56:20,480
A year of filming has changed
the way Lou sees her garden.
566
00:56:21,640 --> 00:56:24,360
It's amazing to think
of these wild animals
567
00:56:24,360 --> 00:56:28,040
in the centre of a city, isn't it?
And thriving!
568
00:56:28,040 --> 00:56:32,040
We've created a safe environment
for a wild creature,
569
00:56:32,040 --> 00:56:33,520
and I think that's lovely.
570
00:56:35,040 --> 00:56:40,040
And the footage proves
that even the smallest urban space
571
00:56:40,040 --> 00:56:45,320
can provide a vital home
to a host of enchanting wildlife.
572
00:56:52,080 --> 00:56:57,560
Next time, the country garden
in the Lake District...
573
00:56:59,600 --> 00:57:02,400
..where determined animals
must race...
574
00:57:04,600 --> 00:57:06,320
..to raise a family.
575
00:57:10,640 --> 00:57:13,120
Discover the wildlife
on your doorstep
576
00:57:13,120 --> 00:57:15,760
with the Open University's
Secret Garden
577
00:57:15,760 --> 00:57:18,040
interactive experience.
578
00:57:18,040 --> 00:57:22,160
Scan the QR code on a screen now,
579
00:57:22,160 --> 00:57:27,600
or head to...
580
00:57:27,650 --> 00:57:32,200
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