Longleat is returning to our TV screens in a brand new series of Animal Park which is due to be broadcast on BBC One next week.
The new ‘Summer Specials’ series, which will be shown at 9.15am on weekdays from August 6th – 24th, will feature 15, 45-minute episodes.
TV presenters Ben Fogle and Kate Humble are joining Jean Johansson for another dramatic and heart-warming glimpse into life behind the scenes as Longleat’s keepers and animals prepare for another long hot summer.
Among the stories featured in the new series is the unexpected arrival of a new cheetah cub and an abandoned baby wallaby which needs to be hand-reared by its keeper.
There will also be a special tribute to Nico – one of the world’s oldest male gorillas – whose death earlier this year hit keepers particularly hard.
Presenter Jean Johansson with Ian Turner Filming Animal Park
Kate Humble said: “Every year I look forward to returning to Animal Park. The animals and many of the people who work there have become like family over the many years I have worked there, and our annual reunion is always a highlight.”
Ben Fogle added “I’m so thrilled to return to Longleat for the latest series of Animal Park. The feeling of excitement I get walking through the gates has never left me and I can’t wait to see some familiar faces.”
BBC Commissioning Editor, Lindsay Bradbury said: “Animal Park has proved itself to be a big hit for our audience. The mix of emotions of the births and deaths at the Park, plus the chance to see animals up close and personal is a winning combination.” In 2017 The Animal Park: Summer Specials was received by a very keen audience, with an average audience of 1.53 million viewers and a 27.1% market share (+8% above BBC1’s slot average and +23% above the all day average).
The series peaked at a whopping 1.69 million viewers and a 30% share at 9.15 in the morning. Animal Park was first broadcast on the BBC between 2000 and 2009
