Animal Park: Episode 3 (BBC One Wednesday 9 August 2023)

Animal Park: Episode 3 airs Wednesday 9 August 2023 on BBC One

What can we expect from this episode

Celebrating her life and the impact she had on keepers and visitors, we say goodbye to a Longleat legend. Nearly fifty years ago, hippos travelled from Uganda to the park, and ever since then, visitors have loved seeing them. A keeper who was there that day and other keepers who have worked with them over the years both share their fond memories of that day. Sonia, a hippo, mysteriously vanished and was discovered dead a few days later. The keepers respond to her story, and we hear their thoughts. Kate recalls some of the highlights of Sonia’s life by speaking with one of the keepers who knew her best.

Hamza Yassin, a wildlife photographer, has been asked to keep an eye on her companion Spot and use his high-powered zoom lens to record any unusual behaviour that could indicate trouble. She appears calm and at ease when he finds her in her puddle of sludge, but are there any warning signs that the average person would overlook?

Another keeper across the park is kept busy by a mischievous Catalina macaw who keeps finding new ways to get out of her enclosure. The keepers, who are used to dealing with intelligent and witty inmates, suspect that she is enjoying her act of escape. They don’t want to reward the misbehaviour, so they set up cameras in the enclosure to monitor the bird and hopefully catch it in the act. They finally figure out her bold strategy, and they come up with a way to trap her at home permanently. Will it actually work, though? No way, not if that macaw has anything to say about it.

Series exploring life behind the scenes at Longleat Estate and Safari Park.

Season 21 Episode 3

When can we see the episode

Animal Park: Episode 3 airs Wednesday 9 August 2023 at 13:45 on BBC One

Featured image credit: BBC One