Longleat under lockdown...

Ben Fogle on how the pandemic has impacted the Wiltshire safari park

- Caren Clark

Safari parks and zoos are facing unprecedented challenges during the coronavirus pandemic.

And as presenters Ben Fogle, Kate Humble and Jean Johansson return to Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire for a new series of BBC1’s Animal Park, they find life is now very different for the keepers and their beloved charges.

Here, Ben, 46, tells TV Times more, before revealing this year’s standout stars…

What can you tell us about the new series?

Well, we focus on the hardships and how the keepers have dealt with this unprecedented period of lockdown, which also saw [Longleat’s owner] Lord Bath sadly pass away [in April, aged 87, after contracting COVID-19], and now there’s the new Lord and Lady Bath. We follow the profound changes, the highs and lows, and see how the park has tried to carry on as normal in abnormal times.

What specific challenges has Longleat faced?

Without visitors, there’s no revenue and many zoos have really struggled, but Longleat has had to adapt. Some staff have been furloughed, but there’s been a skeleton team looking after the animals because they still need to be fed and watered. But some animals can contract COVID-19, so the keepers have been extra careful with species like gorillas.

It must have been strange for the animals without visitors…

Yes, some animals are regularly handled and are very social, so they’ve had to get used to a quieter park. It’s like a dog no longer having anyone to pat it and say hello. The keepers have been good at keeping the animals entertained, though. But some animals prefer their privacy for breeding, so we’ll see pregnancies and births throughout this series.