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00:01Across Yorkshire's Moors and Dales, the world's most famous vets set the benchmark for animal care.
00:08And James Herriot's legacy lives on.
00:13His former trainee, Peter Wright...
00:16All my life, I've enjoyed doing this.
00:18...has been a Yorkshire vet for over 40 years.
00:22There we are. How are you doing, my old mate?
00:25Peter's old partner, Julian Norton...
00:27Not quite the same as operated in theatre, is it?
00:30I know.
00:31Now has two practices.
00:33I don't want to let him go.
00:35One of them in the town where Herriot worked, surrounded by the North Yorkshire landscape he loved.
00:41Everything that you can see all across there is Yorkshire.
00:44And in the foothills of the Pennines...
00:47That's a Hollywood smile.
00:48...a new generation of town and country vets also uphold the Herriot ethos.
00:54I'm just going to have a feel a bit deeper inside and see what we've got.
00:56The teams are united...
00:59Oh!
01:00...and always determined to hit their target.
01:06As they help animals of all shapes...
01:09It's trying to grow an extra pair of legs.
01:11...sizes...
01:12Hello, gorgeous!
01:13...types...
01:14Catch!
01:15...and temperaments.
01:17No, don't be nasty.
01:18It's definitely not glamorous.
01:21Cut that mucus out.
01:22But it's varied.
01:23So we've actually found gold, literally found gold.
01:26It's rarely easy.
01:27You've won Mr. Wet T-shirt.
01:29But they continue the Herriot tradition.
01:31It's alive.
01:32Treating all creatures...
01:34It's moving.
01:35I can't believe it.
01:37...great...
01:39You're all right little bird.
01:40...and small.
01:41How are we happening?
01:42Yay!
01:53The darkness...
01:56...and the light.
01:57A relationship that's always fascinated scientists.
02:03And inspired poets.
02:08These intertwined symbols of hope.
02:12And life.
02:15Despair.
02:18Or even death.
02:22And on a night shift.
02:24When a Yorkshire vet hears about lives on the line.
02:28There might need to be a rage.
02:31Against the dying of the light.
02:34At the Huddersfield Practices Farm Animal Centre.
02:39Shona's bracing herself.
02:41After an emergency call.
02:46It's about 8 o'clock at night.
02:47I'm on call.
02:48And we've got a sheep farmer coming down.
02:50With what's probably going to be a caesarean.
02:53I've got everything ready.
02:55And then we'll crack on.
02:56Speed is of the essence.
02:58Helen and her daughter Karen have just arrived.
03:01Right.
03:01Pop us in there.
03:02And to the right.
03:03With the ewe who's struggling in labour.
03:08Right.
03:09So one's too big.
03:10Yep.
03:11Lamb's going backwards.
03:12Right.
03:13Okay.
03:13I'll just put my wellies on.
03:15We knew she'd been messing about.
03:18Getting up and down.
03:20We'd been inside but couldn't figure anything earlier on.
03:24She's not really progressing with anything.
03:26It ain't ever going to come out.
03:28It's coming backwards.
03:30And then it's like we've given her enough time.
03:34More time than she would have done if she'd have had a natural bear.
03:37And decided it's a better job.
03:41We'll do it legs under.
03:42We'll roll the road back.
03:43Go that way.
03:43Have a look.
03:45Come on, lost.
03:45And do it legs.
03:47Good girl.
03:47Right.
03:48Let's get you cooked up already.
03:51Has she been straining a lot or not much?
03:53Not that much really, has she?
03:58We know that she's in labour.
03:59We know from Karen having a feel that everything is too small.
04:03I'm not going to go in and have another feel because that's just more trauma inside there.
04:07There's no point in me doing that.
04:08I know that Karen knows what she's doing.
04:11She's had calcium.
04:12She's had everything else we can do.
04:13So it's definitely straight in for the cesarean.
04:16Right.
04:17Is it the first time you've had the vet this year?
04:19Yeah.
04:20There's nine left that's got twins in.
04:23This is a twin.
04:26Ideally, the quicker you can get the lambs out, the better, really.
04:29The more chance of survival, usually.
04:31OK, you all right at your end, Karen?
04:32Yeah.
04:33We just want to get everything done as efficiently as possible.
04:36Minimal stress to the sheen, minimal stress to the lambs.
04:41Oh, it's plenty, isn't it?
04:44I think we need a bigger hole.
04:46Sorry, girl.
04:48Sorry.
04:51Good girl.
04:55Good lady.
04:56This uterus is full of a lot of fluid.
04:59So I'm just trying to...
05:00It's just making it a little bit more awkward than normal to get hold of anything.
05:05So I can't tell if it is that it's a big lamb yet,
05:08because there's just so much fluid around it.
05:10It might be because not much water bag's come out the back end,
05:13but it might be because there's something abnormal going on in here.
05:18Hopefully it's the former.
05:26What?
05:34What?
05:38What?
05:43It might be a Lippitzana horse.
05:45A Lippitzana.
05:46They're beautiful.
05:47They're white.
05:48OK.
05:48And they have special schools in Austria.
05:51OK.
05:52Where they literally have them all trained.
05:54Oh, really?
05:55Yes.
05:56And while Bev sees herself as a well-groomed white horse...
05:59They're the ones that do the, like, gymnastics almost.
06:03Yes.
06:03Claire feels like a wild thing.
06:06What would you think?
06:07Hmm.
06:07I think I'd probably something a bit more feral.
06:13I'd be a bear.
06:14A bear.
06:14I'd get to hibernate all winter.
06:17That would be so good.
06:19What do you think Julian would be?
06:21Oh.
06:22Oh, I don't know.
06:23He'd be a squirrel maybe.
06:25That would be a squirrel.
06:28What would Lucy be?
06:30She'd be a Spaniel.
06:31Yeah, absolutely a Spaniel.
06:32Yeah, Lucy would be a Spaniel.
06:34LAUGHTER
06:36With their spirit animals decided...
06:39Can you walk?
06:40Julian and Lucy have a real Spaniel to deal with.
06:44Oh!
06:45Let him go!
06:46..a white Spaniel called Ghost.
06:50You suit your name.
06:52Don't see many this colour, do you?
06:54Three-year-old Ghost has a potentially life-threatening problem.
06:58His owners are worried they've seen something swollen
07:00and big in his abdomen,
07:01and have literally seen it sticking out through the bulge under his skin there.
07:06We think it's a tumour on the spleen.
07:09We see splenic growth quite often in dogs.
07:13It's one of the more common tumours.
07:16They vary.
07:17Some of them are highly cancerous and spread.
07:20Ghost's owner Ryan has a nervous waiting store.
07:24He's only young, so you don't expect at this age
07:26it comes at a bit of a shock when you hear a mass inside them.
07:29We're worried, but we're hopeful, but the vet's a bit ill to sight him out.
07:35Oh, yeah.
07:39You can sit there, look.
07:41God, that is massive, isn't it? No wonder they saw that.
07:44Hard as well.
07:45Generally, the more aggressive cancers we see in older dogs,
07:48so that makes it rather unusual.
07:50But we'll see, hopefully, if something that we can easily remedy.
07:56Julian's asked vet Nat for some help.
07:58Nat is our resident expert scanner,
08:01so we're just going to get an expert's view.
08:06Do you want your lights off?
08:08Yeah, let's turn them off.
08:14It's quite irregular.
08:16What do you think it is?
08:17This is lump.
08:20With, like, this mottal sort of patchy.
08:23Generally, it doesn't look recognisable as anything else organ-wise.
08:28Because, you know, the spleen would typically be on the other side.
08:31Yeah, so that's the head of your spleen, up on that side,
08:34and then if we follow it, it does kind of sit...
08:38It should, at some point, join up with the lump.
08:41If it is part of the spleen.
08:46There's an odd thing with this lump,
08:48because whilst it's very obvious to feel and to see through the skin,
08:51it's not quite in the right position for a splenic mass.
08:55Which raises the question, is it something else?
08:57It could be on the liver.
08:58Now, if it is a cancerous growth on the liver,
09:01then that makes it altogether more complicated.
09:04They don't think it's on the liver, do you?
09:09The liver also looks fine.
09:12I guess it could be in the intestines, do you think?
09:15It's hard, isn't it?
09:16This might be a bit of a...
09:18open the box and see what's...
09:21present inside.
09:23With the benefit of modern imaging,
09:25we can get a really good idea,
09:26in most cases, what we're dealing with,
09:28but this seems to be a little bit of a...
09:30a strange one.
09:36Coming up...
09:37This is not an easy one.
09:38In the C-section, Shona doesn't like Plan B.
09:42The worst-case scenario on these is that I have to cut them open
09:44with the uterus still inside the abdomen.
09:46And Peter meets the green's calf, Frosty...
09:49What are you going to do? Turn it into snow?
09:51..who's a bit of a hothead.
09:53He's a bit feisty.
09:54He takes off to the owner then, does he?
09:56Oh!
10:05At the Huddersfield Practices Farm Animal Centre...
10:08It's the head end of the lamb that I'm trying to pull up,
10:11and that's always harder to get a hold of.
10:13Shona's performing an emergency caesarean on Helen and Karen's ewe.
10:18Sadie! Good girl.
10:19To try and save the first-time mum's twins.
10:23We knew there was something wrong,
10:24so we thought we'd better get here fast
10:26and try and help the lives of the two lambs and the elk.
10:30Now, the worst-case scenario on these is that I have to cut them open
10:34with the uterus still inside the abdomen.
10:35Now, we try not to do that
10:37because we don't want any of the fluid that's in there
10:40to end up in the abdomen, ideally,
10:43because it can end up causing an infection.
10:46So that's why it's quite important that we try and get the uterus out.
10:49This is not an easy one.
10:52Right, we've got it somewhere near.
10:54Can you grab its legs?
10:56Well, OK, that's one.
11:03Right, you all right for being a second?
11:11Got it?
11:13Yeah.
11:17There's a little bit of fluid there,
11:19and that's what we're just trying to clear out.
11:25The squeezing of the normal birth process actually
11:30stimulates them to get wanting to move,
11:31wanting to breathe, wanting to go,
11:33and so it's really important, if they've not had that squeeze,
11:37give them lots of vigorous rubbing.
11:38Good, strong lambs, aren't they?
11:40You happy?
11:41Yeah.
11:41For the first time.
11:43Happy to make the right decision.
11:43Yeah, yeah.
11:44Made the right decision.
11:46Saves three lives, doesn't it?
11:48Definitely.
11:53Just concentrating on getting mum stitched back together.
11:56Are you talking to him, lady?
11:59That's a good sign.
12:02She's got a lam at the front of her.
12:03She's giving that a good...
12:05..a good bit of loving
12:07so she doesn't seem too bothered by the stitching.
12:11Hello.
12:12You're noisy.
12:14You are.
12:16They're up and they're eager.
12:17That's what we want.
12:19It's not so often they're this sprightly, is it, this quickly?
12:21No.
12:23The lambs are really big,
12:25like, good-sized lambs for twins,
12:26and especially for a first-time mum.
12:28Really good as well to see the mum loving the lambs so much.
12:31Yeah, please.
12:33Simon's done a good job.
12:35Just take the lam and it'll follow.
12:40Yeah, one, two, three.
12:45Good girl.
12:48What's up?
12:50It's, er, 20 past time we were in bed.
12:55We've been up since half past five.
12:58It's half past nine.
13:00Yeah, long days.
13:01Get a brie when we were in bed.
13:04And back up again early in the morning.
13:06Safe journey back.
13:07Thank you very much.
13:08Well, if there's no more lamb in, we'll be back.
13:12It's good to have got that one underway, got everything sorted.
13:15Two live lambs a month, packed off back home.
13:19It's that waiting game now of just wondering
13:21when the phone's next going to ring.
13:30Most good sheep farmers...
13:32Lie down.
13:33..need a good sheep dog.
13:34Awake.
13:35Good boy.
13:37Are we going to see Peter?
13:39And in Kirby Moorside,
13:41Peter's friends, Abby and Trevor...
13:43Sit down. Sit.
13:45Good boy.
13:46Aye.
13:47..have brought their newest four-legged workmate to see him.
13:51Abby.
13:51Now then, Peter.
13:52How are you?
13:53Come on.
13:53We're going to see Peter.
13:56Who's this, Abby?
13:57Moss.
13:58Moss.
13:58Moss has just turned one.
14:01This one's just training at the minute.
14:04Ah, right.
14:04Let's have a look at you.
14:05See?
14:07Plenty of smells in here, isn't there?
14:08To cut it as a successful sheep dog.
14:11Well, he looks fit to me.
14:12Yeah.
14:13Then you do a booster.
14:14Is that right?
14:15Yeah.
14:15That's it, are you?
14:16He'll need a sound temperament.
14:18Don't worry, Moodles.
14:19I don't like them either.
14:21Now then.
14:22I'll just pop the seat back over your neck.
14:23Good lad.
14:24Your dad's got you.
14:25Along with speed, agility and stamina.
14:28There we are.
14:30Good boy.
14:32Well done.
14:32Good boy.
14:33As well as intelligence.
14:35Is it showing promise?
14:36Yeah.
14:37Is it?
14:37He's got the eye.
14:39Which he's already displaying enough of.
14:41I've still been listening to them big ears.
14:43Yeah.
14:44Kind of like satellite dishes, aren't they?
14:47To know when he's being insulted.
14:50Hey.
14:51He's just signed the papers.
14:53Very good.
14:54Excellent.
14:55Well, it's nice to see you.
14:57All right.
14:57Good girl.
14:58See you.
14:59Over in Wetherby, Julian and the team are puzzled by Ghost the Spaniel's mysterious lump.
15:11I think it might be something totally abnormal.
15:14With scans inconclusive.
15:16It's hard.
15:17It's a hard, hard thing.
15:20Julian and Lucy are preparing for surgery.
15:23It's weird because it's just so prominent there.
15:27I've literally, like, never seen anything like it.
15:30It's, like, not movable at all.
15:31We've all explored for surgery.
15:34You know, we can tell much more accurately with our eyes what we're dealing with.
15:38So once they're in there, we'll know for sure.
15:42Are we ready?
15:44I'm ready.
15:44I'm ready.
15:44Are you ready?
15:45Ready.
15:46Patient ready.
15:47Patient ready.
15:51It's relatively close to the surface.
15:54An abdominal mass, usually by this time, would have sunk in into the abdomen.
16:01Do you want me to put the head torch down?
16:03Can you see enough?
16:03I can feel the spleen.
16:06It's definitely not the spleen.
16:07It's actually attached to the body wall.
16:10So that's why it's so hard.
16:11That's why it's not dipping in.
16:13But it's all above my hand there.
16:15So it's actually in the muscle layer.
16:19Does it feel as big inside?
16:21Yeah.
16:22But I can't take it out because there's been no abdominal wall left.
16:25So we've discovered that it's actually totally encapsulated within the muscle wall.
16:32It's not in the abdominal cavity itself.
16:34So I suspect this is going to be a reaction to some kind of foreign body or some infection in
16:43the muscle.
16:44We'll take some samples just to check.
16:47Nat is taking the samples.
16:49If you pick your targets.
16:52I can't feel it.
16:53So is that central?
16:54Yeah.
17:03So really the main thing I'm looking for is if this is an infectious cause, in which case you get
17:11a lot of white blood cell called neutrophils, which like to hang out in abscesses.
17:19Anything good?
17:19Sure.
17:20The good news and bad news.
17:22The lowest neutrophils.
17:23Excellent.
17:24So there might be a strong body in the middle of your dog's lump.
17:26Yeah.
17:26Well, I thought so, but I'm hoping that it'll work its way out.
17:30So it seems ghost's lump is down to something strange that shouldn't be there.
17:35I couldn't see like a fern playing on this yarn of a decent size.
17:41No.
17:41It's going to be tiny.
17:42Something like a grass seed or a piece of a stick or a bit of a kebab stick.
17:50At least we now know where it is and that it's not an abdominal mass.
17:55We're going to treat with some antibiotics and that should shrink it down.
18:00So if we do need to investigate further, if it's a lot smaller, it'll be easy to know exactly where
18:06to cut.
18:06For the moment, it's a bit of a reprieve of a ghost.
18:12So with this mystery almost, if not completely solved,
18:17it's a question of whether medicine will give ghost a new lease of life.
18:21I suppose this spectra of illness will hang over ghosts for a bit longer.
18:32In Thursk at the Greens Farm...
18:35Hi, Frosty!
18:36I'm Frosty, yeah.
18:38One of the newest arrivals is Frosty,
18:40a calf Steve and Gene bought from Abbey a few months ago.
18:44It's a good long calf.
18:46It is a good long calf Steve, yeah, it has a good frame.
18:49They're good calves, they can't falter.
18:51Good.
18:52I'm pleased she's settling in well for you.
18:54That's fair praise indeed, coming from Mrs Green.
18:57Fair praise.
19:00But today, Frosty has an appointment that could cause a meltdown.
19:04He don't know what's coming last.
19:07He's gonna lose the horns, but he needs his horns off.
19:12It is a bit of a dangerous job.
19:15And Peter's going to have to keep his cool.
19:20The problem with Frosty is now that the horns have developed to such an extent
19:25that it's not possible just to burn the buds out.
19:28We're going to have to saw the horns off first
19:30before we burn the tissue that forms the horns to grow.
19:35So slightly more tricky
19:37and we'll need a little bit more cooperation from Frosty.
19:41Let's hope so.
19:44Oh, Mrs Green.
19:47You've got a job problem with Frosty, I understand.
19:49Is that right?
19:50Yeah, but what are you gonna do?
19:51Turn him into snow?
19:55I think he's one that slipped through a net, isn't he?
19:58Yeah, he did.
19:58He slipped through a net and he needs his taking off.
20:01Yeah, otherwise he'll bully the others wanting.
20:04He's bullying us now.
20:06Is he really?
20:06Don't worry.
20:07Is he? Is he a bully?
20:08Ah, he's a big bully.
20:11He's a bit feisty.
20:13Is he?
20:13He takes after the owner then, does he?
20:15Ooh!
20:17Well, if he's a little bit tricky to hold...
20:20Yeah, he is.
20:21..well, I think we'll sedate him, which lacked as a painkiller as well, James.
20:24Yeah.
20:25So it'll kill two birds with one stone.
20:26Yeah, he could knock one of us over, that sort of thing.
20:30Right.
20:31Well, we're not having any of that going on.
20:33This is a respectable house.
20:34Now, let's make sure we get this right.
20:37We'll see how we go.
20:38Oh!
20:39Right.
20:40Now, I'm now going to try and get this, er...
20:43..this onto him.
20:48They're eyestrunk, aren't we?
20:50Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
20:52Do you see more of me, ain't you?
20:53I do!
20:54Yeah!
20:58Yes, I think we're going to have a bit of fun here, Jean, aren't we?
21:05Coming up...
21:06Hello, Mrs. Conveniently in the corner.
21:08Shona's sheep seems spooked.
21:11Steady, steady, steady.
21:12What?
21:13Does Julian's ghost story end with no more fears?
21:16There's a photo that's just come through.
21:19Oh, God!
21:20While Matt and Rohin hit the trail of the legendary tale...
21:24This story has just blown my mind beyond any expectation
21:26of what I thought I would discover.
21:28...of their town's friendly neighbourhood tiger.
21:31She never harmed anyone.
21:32She caused some alarm.
21:33Yeah!
21:34West Yorkshire instead of Indonesia.
21:36West Yorkshire, yeah.
21:37Exactly, yes.
21:45It's a couple of weeks since Shona performed an emergency caesarean
21:49on Helen and Karen's ewe during a night shift.
21:54She's quite a young sheep,
21:56so the lambs were quite big for her to deliver.
21:59Hopefully, the lambs are looking good.
22:01I'm hoping that Mum looks good.
22:03She should be eating well, hopefully not losing weight
22:05and hopefully no signs of infection at that caesarean wound.
22:10Hello, grafters.
22:11Hello there.
22:12Hello.
22:13Are you surviving lambing?
22:15How else?
22:15You've picked a dry day today.
22:17Yeah, it's not so bad today.
22:19So how's she been doing since the surgery?
22:21Been really well, yeah.
22:22Has she?
22:22Yeah.
22:23One of the best ones we've had.
22:25Oh, right.
22:25Yeah.
22:26So did she take it to the lambs, though, OK?
22:28Because I was a bit worried about her with her being a first-time...
22:30She loves them to bits, yeah.
22:31Good, yeah.
22:32Do you think she's going to let us catch her and take these stitches out?
22:35I hope so.
22:37Hello, you.
22:37What are you wanting?
22:41Hello, Mrs Conveniently in the corner.
22:45Good loss.
22:47Steady, steady, steady.
22:49So, looks really good just from looking at her across the pen.
22:54Stitches are all intact.
22:56Skin is healing nicely.
22:58So I'll get these stitches out.
22:59And then you shouldn't have to fuss over her anymore.
23:01She can go out with the others.
23:05Right, guys, you can let her go.
23:07Ooh, it's the beast.
23:11Straight to her lambs.
23:12Looks good, doesn't it?
23:15Oh, good, she can have some more next year then, can't she?
23:20You've done a good job, Shona.
23:22Thanks.
23:22I try.
23:23One of my friends came up and she says,
23:25ooh, who's done stitching on that?
23:27She said, it's really good.
23:28I do like my stitching.
23:30Got some trousers, need stitching.
23:32Do I do that?
23:35With mum and her lambs doing well...
23:40Go on.
23:41Go on lambs.
23:43They can head out with the rest of Helen and Karen's flock.
23:48Go on lambs.
23:57They look great.
23:58It's nice seeing them running around the field.
24:02She's an absolutely fantastic mum.
24:04She's looking for them the minute that they've gone,
24:06feeding them really well.
24:07And they've grown really well as well.
24:09So they're a credit to her.
24:10They look awesome.
24:11Thank you very much, Shona.
24:13Nice happy lambs and sheep.
24:14You're welcome.
24:15You're welcome.
24:16Any time.
24:16You know, day all night.
24:17I'll be there.
24:20Bye.
24:29At the practice in Wetherby,
24:31it's a month since Julian and Lucy operated on ghosts,
24:35the spaniel with a mysterious lump.
24:37Look, there's a photo that's just come through.
24:39Which they decided to treat with antibiotics.
24:42Oh, God.
24:43The lump's completely gone.
24:45That'd be surprising because it was massive, wasn't it?
24:47After originally suspecting it was cancerous.
24:50His wound looks good as well.
24:52The wound looks OK.
24:53It's a bit bumpy, but not too bad.
24:56So it's just antibiotics work then?
24:58Yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:59That's good.
25:00That was massive.
25:01I was thinking, I wonder how that's going to go.
25:03Because we thought we might have to go back in, didn't we?
25:05Yeah, I'm glad we didn't do anything more dramatic at the time,
25:10but yeah, totally mended.
25:12Job's a good one.
25:13Does look good.
25:15Another life save, Lucy.
25:18Hopefully he's much happier now.
25:20And Ghost is definitely in good spirits.
25:24Good boys.
25:25Out for his walk with Ryan.
25:27Good boys.
25:30He's been really good.
25:31His recovery was really good.
25:32The lump went down pretty quick with the antibiotics.
25:35It cleared it up.
25:36It's not come back at all, so we're happy, really.
25:41Ghosty, get on.
25:42Good boy.
25:46We were very worried about him.
25:48Obviously you hear the word cancer,
25:50you just automatically think the worst.
25:52We're just happy that he's all right now.
25:56Come on then.
25:57Ghosty, here.
25:59I've lived in Yorkshire all my life.
26:00We just love coming out and having a good old walk
26:02in the countryside around here,
26:04especially when the nights are like this.
26:06Absolutely glorious.
26:08Many more to come.
26:09Ghosty, come here.
26:10Good boy.
26:17Over in Thirsk at the Greens farm.
26:19Are you cruising for a bruising?
26:22Peter's struggling to get to grips with Frosty the calf.
26:27Nearly.
26:29Nearly.
26:30Whose horns he needs to remove.
26:33Do you want me in?
26:34I think I might be able to manage, Jay, once I get going.
26:38Famous last words, but we might be able to run.
26:42Right.
26:43Got him.
26:44Now we've got here.
26:45I can hold him if you...
26:47Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
26:48What kind of time?
26:49You've got to put him through here.
26:51I'll just tie it round there.
26:53Then I'm going to just give him a sedative thing
26:55when I get that fastened round there.
26:57Right.
26:58If you just hold me that, Mrs Green.
26:59Thank you very much.
27:02Right.
27:02I'll pop this into his bottom.
27:05I'm going to let that take effect for a short while now.
27:08How long have you been here?
27:09So far, so good.
27:11It's Frosty nil.
27:12Peter won at the moment.
27:14I think he knows with you, Steve.
27:15Now he's met his master.
27:17He's standing quite quietly.
27:19He's not bad, really.
27:20He is.
27:20I'm just making sure this is nicely numbed.
27:25It's quietened him down, hasn't it?
27:27I think it's Mr Green.
27:28He's bossing him from the other side.
27:30Just a little bit of a haircut now.
27:32Oh, thank you.
27:32I've just had one.
27:34It cost me 20 quid.
27:35You've been done.
27:37I know I was done.
27:38I was like Dick Turpin.
27:39He wore a mask when he grabbed me.
27:45Now he's got his painkiller,
27:47and we've also numbed the sight as well,
27:49but this noise will upset him a little bit.
27:51Do you want me?
27:52No, we're all right, Jane, thanks.
27:57It's very important that those horns are removed.
28:00Right.
28:01That's one side done.
28:03They will become a lethal weapon as Frosty gets older.
28:07Just burning off the tissue now that causes the horn to regrow,
28:10so this'll stop anywhere it goes.
28:12We've got that nicely burnt now.
28:14That shouldn't be any more trouble,
28:16so I'm happy with that.
28:18That's it.
28:19Yeah, good job, Peter.
28:20It's looking grand, Steve.
28:22Aye.
28:25I've got him pink.
28:30That's it.
28:32One's bleeding a little more, which happens.
28:36I think we've sorted.
28:37Well, you've done a grand job, Steve.
28:39I'm out of here, man.
28:41You're going to give him bloody credit, are you?
28:44I certainly am.
28:47Champion.
28:48Thank you, Jane.
28:49Thank you for supervising.
28:51It was very good of you.
28:52You did a grand job of it.
28:54Did we get paid, Pete?
28:56Well, supervisors, we all know.
28:58We did all the graft, didn't we, Steve?
29:00Oh, right, we did.
29:01Come on, buddy!
29:03Right.
29:04Well, I suppose I'd better go and do some more work, hadn't I?
29:07I'd say a letter, Peter.
29:09I think he made a good job.
29:11A week of ten days, I would say.
29:14To get a meal, though.
29:15Then we can let him out in trail with the others.
29:23While Jean and Steve are normally feeding their calves, donkeys and cats...
29:28Oh, you're beautiful, aren't you?
29:30Oh, aye.
29:30They served a much bigger cat on a trip to a wildlife park with exotics lover, Matt.
29:36We're loving this.
29:39You're all right, aren't you, kid?
29:41I never thought I'd be feeding a tiger.
29:43I bet.
29:44Would you want this one sitting on your lap on a Sunday afternoon?
29:47You wouldn't, would you?
29:48She'd crush you.
29:52But back in the 1940s, in Holmfirth, near Huddersfield...
29:58..a tiger was very much a loving family pet.
30:03And, as Matt and Rohin both live in the area...
30:06Oh, right.
30:07..Matt wants to educate his colleague about the legendary tale.
30:11Today, I've brought Rohin to explore the story of the Holmfirth tiger.
30:16I've recently read a book from the library.
30:19All the locations are around here.
30:21I know nothing about the story, so I'm really intrigued to find out more about it.
30:25Someone who can help there is local historian Lawrence,
30:29who oversees a library display dedicated to Fenella,
30:34the tiger who befriended a little girl called Rosamund.
30:39How did Rosamund come across Fenella in the first place?
30:43Her mother and her aunt and her grandparents were in the circus in South Africa.
30:51Fenella was one of two cubs that needed a home,
30:54and they took in these two cubs and cared for them.
30:58Sadly, one of the cubs died.
31:00This was around the outbreak of the Second World War, 1939.
31:04Right.
31:04And they decided they would bring Fenella, still a cub, back to the UK.
31:11What an amazing story.
31:13Absolutely.
31:13She very much became part of the family, is that right?
31:16Yeah.
31:16That's right.
31:20She never harmed anyone.
31:21She caused some alarm at different times.
31:24I can imagine that.
31:25The local community, the local council was a bit concerned about what was going on,
31:29but Fenella never caused any harm.
31:31She just lived peacefully, happily.
31:33That's incredible.
31:34For, I think, about 11 years.
31:38So, we're very proud of this.
31:40This is a mosaic that was done by local children, children at the primary school,
31:44and basically celebrates the Fenella story.
31:47Who'd have thought it, eh?
31:49Who'd have thought?
31:49I know.
31:51West Yorkshire instead of Indonesia.
31:53West Yorkshire, yeah.
31:54Exactly, yes.
31:55No, it's quite remarkable.
31:58Matt and Rohin are now very much on the Tiger Trail.
32:02This story has just blown my mind beyond any expectation of what I thought I would discover.
32:07It's fascinating, isn't it?
32:08It really is.
32:09And as Rosamond still lives in Holmforth, where she grew up with the biggest cat in town,
32:14they want to track her down.
32:19Still to come.
32:20Whoa!
32:22Fresh air.
32:23I've been promoted this morning to head gate, boy.
32:26Come on!
32:27A serious stench.
32:28Oh, Christ.
32:30There's a bad smell in the waiting room.
32:32It's gone right the way through to the back.
32:34And 80 years on.
32:36I'd like to show you something that I've not really shown many people.
32:39The little girl whose Tiger came for much more than tea.
32:42We got a cine film of my mum on the field, wrestling.
32:47You can see her, she's going, come on.
32:48She liked wrestling.
32:49I mean, yeah!
32:57At the practice in Wetherby, Tom's just arrived with his spaniel, Daisy, who's had a litter
33:02of puppies.
33:04Oh, it's your babies!
33:06How are the day?
33:07Two weeks tomorrow.
33:08But the reason she needs to see Julian is much less sweet.
33:13No, don't do that there.
33:15We've just made a bit of a mess on the floor.
33:17Oh, my Christ.
33:19There's a bit of an aroma over here. I do apologise.
33:24There's a bad smell in the waiting room.
33:27Is this my next patient?
33:29Yeah, he might be able to guess by the smell of what's going on.
33:32There's an aroma that's walking through the practice.
33:33It's gone right the way through to the back.
33:36Have we got diarrhoea? Yeah.
33:37It really does smell, doesn't it? Come through.
33:43Let's get some spray, shall we?
33:45Shoes are nice for. Oh, well.
33:47It's always a bit dangerous putting things up there
33:50when what's just happened has just happened
33:53because it sometimes makes things shoot out.
33:58It's probably a bacterial infection
34:00because the temperature's 39.5, nearly.
34:04So I think we should start her on some antibiotics.
34:06It's good that she's bright, though. That's good.
34:08But if you don't treat it vigorously,
34:11it won't go away and it'll get worse.
34:13Um, good. All right. Yeah, I'll just be...
34:16Pop her back in the care and then she can...
34:18Then she won't deposit all of your waiting room again.
34:21It would be worse if it's on your gear sticker, won't it?
34:23Yeah.
34:25Cheerio. Cheers.
34:28With the waiting room definitely not smelling as fresh as a daisy...
34:32You're waiting, mate.
34:35Lucy is on a mission.
34:37Just smell that.
34:39Where's the circle gone?
34:40Oh, sweet bean citrus. That's like a candle.
34:42To find the perfect aromatic antidote.
34:44Ooh, that's nice.
34:46I know. I'd wear that.
34:48Stop it.
34:50Fuck into it.
34:51It's not perfume.
34:53You just...
34:54I didn't fuck into it.
34:56Yeah, but it isn't perfume. It's...
34:58It's a broom spray.
34:58Room spray.
34:59I think you need the berry one.
35:01There's a lavender one as well, I think.
35:03I don't like that one.
35:04Do you not?
35:05I prefer...
35:05It smells like...
35:06Do you know when you go to a public toilet, the spray they're put in public toilets?
35:11It makes it smell nice.
35:12That's terrible.
35:13I don't like it.
35:14Sorry.
35:15Unfortunately, even the carefully selected bouquet...
35:18What is it? We've got a cucumber?
35:20Cucumber.
35:20It doesn't make things smell fabulous, but it smells a little bit better.
35:24Can't compete with daisy number two.
35:27If I'm honest, it doesn't really quite cut through the terrible stench of fetid diarrhoea.
35:33But hey-ho.
35:37Christ.
35:47Near Huddersfield, Matt and Rohin are learning about the legendary Holmfirth tiger.
35:53It was a perfect day for it.
35:55Fanello was the family pet of a little girl called Rosamond in the 1940s.
36:02And like Matt and Rohin, Rosamond still lives in Holmfirth.
36:06Hi, Rosamond.
36:07Hello.
36:08I'm Matthew.
36:08Nice to meet you.
36:09How are you?
36:10And this is my colleague Rohin.
36:11Good to meet you.
36:12I'm so excited to find out about this tiger, I'm blown away.
36:15Well, this is the house, because it's only a small house.
36:20There was a hut at the back.
36:22Yeah.
36:22And my grandfather built what we used to call the run.
36:25As far as I know, she was a Sumatran tiger.
36:27They're supposed to be the most ferocious type of tiger there are.
36:30Well, not the smallest, but the most ferocious.
36:33The thing is, when I was born, Nella was already in the house.
36:36Mm.
36:36So, it wasn't unusual for me.
36:39It was just part of the routine, I guess, wasn't it?
36:41It was just part of our family.
36:43I think if she'd have been younger, it might have been more dangerous,
36:45because she was very boisterous.
36:46But by the time she was eight, she was much calmer,
36:49much more ladylike.
36:50But she just accepted me.
36:51That's half the thing, isn't it?
36:52That magic of that, like, bombs from day one, wasn't it?
36:55Yeah.
36:55She was very friendly to everyone.
36:59But, you know, you always had to be with her
37:00and watch her pick them through the tiger.
37:04This used to be a field.
37:06Right.
37:07And this was Ferla's exercising grounds?
37:09One of them, mate. One of.
37:10If she wasn't going through a long walk,
37:12she'd come and exercise here.
37:14How would she be walking these sort of semi-public places?
37:17If she was walking with my mum, she'd walk on the lead.
37:21But if there was no-one around, she'd let her off the lead.
37:26Wow.
37:27I just can't imagine.
37:28That's amazing.
37:29Yeah.
37:30Wow.
37:37We got a cine film that my grandfather took
37:40of my mum on the field wrestling.
37:43You can see us.
37:44She'd go, come on, if you like wrestling.
37:46It just blows my mind, the whole story.
37:48For such a powerful animal to live amongst people
37:51in a community like this and be so friendly, it's amazing.
37:59Yeah.
38:00Children from this school, as you see the logos on the side of the building,
38:03they used to come out and stroke Fenella, my grandfather's.
38:06He brought the tiger up, had my mum hold the lead,
38:10and he walked her up and down, and all the children came out.
38:13Yeah.
38:14And they all patted her.
38:15That is awesome.
38:18As well as the memories, Rosamond has plenty of mementos.
38:23I'd like to show you something that I've not really shown many people.
38:27Yeah.
38:27It's amazing.
38:28So this was her collar when she was a baby, and this is what she grew into.
38:32That's huge, isn't it?
38:33Look at the size of that.
38:33It's so good, is that.
38:34Bit bigger than your standard capped collar that we see.
38:38And the workmanship on it as well, you can tell it's from a bygone era, isn't it?
38:41Look at that.
38:42I just thought, seeing your vets, you might be interested in this.
38:45When her whiskers fell off, my mum used to put them into a little box.
38:50Tiny little gentle whiskers, you know, little cats.
38:53Whereas this is a real solid piece of...
38:55Substantial, isn't it?
38:56It really puts in perspective how powerful they really are.
38:59Now we're quite lucky, and I think a lot of children have been to zoos and seen tigers,
39:03but I imagine in those days that most people had never encountered these animals until they'd met Fenella.
39:08Is that right?
39:09Even when I was at school, people would think she was a lion.
39:13People hadn't seen photographs or videos or television or anything.
39:16There was no documentaries and no awareness as there is now.
39:20Fenella died in 1950, age 10.
39:24Was Fenella buried?
39:27Yes.
39:27Yeah, yeah.
39:28She's buried up the road in someone's garden.
39:31But I don't know exactly where you're sitting.
39:32I was about to ask.
39:33Where about do you know whereabouts?
39:35My family never told me.
39:36I think he wanted to keep it a secret.
39:38And just as a memento.
39:41Oh, Rosalyn, that is so...
39:42That is ace.
39:43That's amazing.
39:45That is absolutely incredible.
39:46Yeah, I have to...
39:47That's so nice.
39:49That is ace.
39:50That is going to go up on the wall.
39:52That is so cool.
39:54That is so cool.
39:54Great way to end a fantastic day.
39:56I'm never going to forget everything I've learned here.
39:59It's a remarkable piece of history that we're very lucky to have on our doorstep.
40:03Thank you very, very much.
40:10Also steeped in rich history is the Greens Farm in Thirsk.
40:14Oh, you're beautiful, aren't you?
40:17Oh, they're itching to get out.
40:19Where Peter recently de-horned their six-month-old calf, Frosty.
40:23I just popped in today just to see how Frosty's getting on.
40:26And we've got the hens there.
40:28We've got one or two cats strolling about.
40:30So, really, everybody wants to be outside.
40:33And it's time Frosty was as well.
40:36Morning.
40:37Hey, stranger.
40:39How are you?
40:40All right.
40:41Frosty's no worse for her all day, is she?
40:43She's fit and raring to go.
40:46She'd be a trouble cause if she's one of these that likes to be out anywhere.
40:51She'd get out if she could.
40:52Bit like her owner, eh?
40:54Yeah.
40:59That's right, Steve.
41:03I'll tell you what, the weather has suddenly taken a turn for the better, hasn't it?
41:07You know, the size these are now, they'll be able to go and join the mates, won't they?
41:11Yeah, but can you give an open hand?
41:13Aye, of course I can.
41:14Shall I be gate, boy?
41:18One!
41:19Come on, then.
41:21One!
41:23We're letting Frosty and the other two younger calves out now to join the mates out here.
41:28Yeah!
41:29Home!
41:31Hey!
41:31I've been promoted this morning to head gate boy.
41:34Here comes our party now.
41:36Come on!
41:37Yeah!
41:38Yeah!
41:39Home!
41:40Home!
41:40Hey!
41:41Come on!
41:42Come on!
41:43On the ornaments!
41:45There you go, children.
41:47Are you having second thoughts, Frosty?
41:50Freedom!
41:51Freedom, Frosty!
41:53Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
41:56That's a wonderful sight, isn't it?
41:58They're out now, doing what they do best.
42:01Their heads will be down grazing shortly.
42:03It's a nice sight, isn't it?
42:05It's a lovely sight, Jean, isn't it?
42:06Makes family an old wolf wild, doesn't it?
42:08You're absolutely right, Jean.
42:10It was the right time to take the horns off Frosty, wasn't it?
42:13Just before she came out.
42:14Just right.
42:14Just right, Peter.
42:15And she's no worse for having it done.
42:18And she won't be able to use them now to catch her mates with them.
42:21No.
42:22You did it so well, Peter.
42:24It hardly knew.
42:25She didn't even knew, did she?
42:28Well, it's lovely to see that, and I'm glad I did my job well.
42:32Thank you for your helping hand, sir.
42:34You're very welcome.
42:34I will give you a bar of chocolate.
42:36That's lovely.
42:37Well, I feel as if I've earned it this morning.
42:40Head gate boy.
42:40Are you sure?
42:41Nice to see you, Mrs Green.
42:43Thank you very much.
42:44Bye, Pete.
42:45See you, Jane.
42:45See you, Steve.
42:48It's always a pleasure to come and see Steve and Jane.
42:51And today, the sun's shining.
42:53Where could you possibly be that makes you feel better
42:56than seeing these cattle turned out, enjoying themselves?
43:00Mr and Mrs Green have gone in now to put their feet up
43:03and all's well in the world.
43:14fill it in there.
43:18Bye.
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