Animal Park: Season 19 Premiere (S19EP1 BBC One Tuesday 9 August 2022)

For a spectacular, summertime series that follows the remarkable lives of the exotic animals and the keepers devoted to helping them, Kate Humble and Ben Fogle return to Longleat Safari Park.

In this episode, a cowardly lion faces an attack from another lioness. Beryl’s isolationist behaviour is endangering her because a pride member who lacks confidence may be rejected. The keepers have devised a plan to increase Beryl’s standing among the lionesses and boost her self-confidence in order to ensure her place in the group.

Three years have passed since the start of the only southern koala breeding programme in Europe, and Animal Park has tracked every remarkable development. There have been some amazing developments, and they have all been documented on camera. Last year, Violet began gaining weight, and after a few months, there were indications that there was life inside her uterus. The keepers anxiously watch for any indication that their hopes for a precious joey might be realised.

Ben assists elderly pygmy goat Jake with his first bath in another scene. Kate gets to know the eastern black and white colobus monkeys in the park and learns how they get around their own island and why they appear to have a “cape.”

Hamza Yassin, a wildlife photographer, is back for another series, using his specialised equipment to assist the park keepers in resolving some of the more challenging issues. Can he sexually reproduce with the three baby Pere David deer today?

Zoologist Megan McCubbin has joined the team as of this summer. As a former animal keeper herself, Megan doesn’t need much prodding to get to work learning how the park’s keepers keep their charges amused and in excellent condition. She is assisting the keepers in getting the Amur tigers to swim in their pond today. They have partially webbed paws and are surprisingly strong swimmers.

Airdate: Tuesday 9 August 2022 at 09:15 on BBC One

Season 19 Episode 1

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