Welcome to Heathrow Airport's Animal Reception Centre: a unit that's equipped to deal with almost any species and which receives around 200,000 animals each year.
Animal Airport
Heathrow Airport in London, one of the world's busiest, isn't full of just people from all around the world who pass through its doors. This series tells tales of the many creatures that end up at the airport's Animal Reception Centre - some legally, many illegally - and the staff who handle arriving and departing shipments of animals in every shape, size, breed and colour. Along with thousands of cats and dogs, the centre has welcomed sloths, giant octopi, bears, elephants, tigers, lions, sharks, alpacas, venomous snakes, vampire bats, and Britain's equestrian team.
Episodes
Runtime: 23m
Deputy manager Ross has to pick up a pair of penguins who have missed their flight, there's confusion on the runway as the team track down ten cats and a pack of huskies arrive at the ARC.
Runtime: 23m
Ten thousand bees cause a buzz at the ARC, a puppy heading to the United States can't fly as it has no water and a big bird with a dangerous reputation ruffles some feathers.
Runtime: 23m
A rare exotic shipment from Madagascar gets the ARC staff excited, apprentice Hayley gets hands on with some race horses and a Labrador relocating from America is delayed at the Centre.
Runtime: 23m
Deputy manager Ross has to inspect fifty feisty falcons, the ARC's resident snakes and lizards are given their regular checks and a very vocal cat from Russia is making itself heard.
Runtime: 23m
An expensive rabbit arrives from Iran, Deputy manager Susie trains a fire crew how to handle the ARC's more dangerous guests and a two-legged rescue dog called Bouncer charms the staff.
Runtime: 23m
A puppy from down under melts some hearts, a pedigree falcon flies into the Animal Reception Centre from the United States and a bizarre case of crabs are detained after being smuggled in.
Runtime: 23m
Intern Dan calls for back up when a cat called Mischief lives up to its name, a rescue dog with a taste for travel checks in and there is a paperwork problem for a wallaby from Australia.
Runtime: 23m
The Apprentices get hands on with a crocodile for the very first time. A rescued street dog from Thailand is a hit on social media and a shipment of 300 creepy crawlies are checked in.
Runtime: 23m
There's trouble with two rescue dogs from South Korea when one refuses to leave her travel box. A delivery of toucans gets the team in a flap and a stowaway keeps the staff guessing.
Runtime: 23m
A pair of asthmatic cats need some medicine, a worried owner is waiting to collect her horse from Australia and two hairless dogs check in dressed for the occasion.
Runtime: 23m
Deputy Manager Ross spots a suspicious package in a shipment of geckos, a rescue cat from Dubai urgently needs to see a vet and an angry dog calls for desperate measures.
Runtime: 23m
A pair of ferrets causes chaos at the centre, a large flock of birds need to be released and an American shepherd puppy has the staff smitten.
Runtime: 23m
Five rescue puppies push the team to the limit. Supervisor Shannon has to track down a missing shipment of reptiles and a hairless Sphynx cat from Russia joins a big feline family.
Runtime: 23m
Supervisor Anna gives Intern Dan a lesson in dealing with an aggressive cat. A badly behaved parrot ruffles some feathers and a dog from Texas raises alarm bells for the team.
Runtime: 23m
A pair of young Cassowaries poses a surprising risk, the team are shocked when a puppy with an injury is brought in and two cats from New York are feeling the stress of transatlantic travel.
Runtime: 23m
Twenty little blue penguins make a rare trip to the UK, Apprentice Dan is set a tricky tortoise challenge, and a couple of pedigree pups arrive for the largest dog show in the world.
Runtime: 23m
Supervisor Anna has to give a diabetic dog his medication, an exotic fish from Los Angeles needs rescuing by the team and a young vulture keeps Supervisor Shannon on her toes.
Runtime: 23m
The team race to get two bickering border collie puppies onto their Canadian flight. Some unusual kittens lay on the charm and three pet parrots fly in from the South Africa.
Runtime: 23m
A tiny puppy from Russia raises suspicions amongst the team. A king vulture loses its temper as Deputy Manager Ross tries to check its ID and a fun-loving ferret is keen to escape.
Runtime: 23m
The team need to check on the health of a shipment of reptiles from Africa. A large dog from South Africa needs collecting up from the aircraft and there is a close encounter with a macaw.
Runtime: 23m
The team have their hands full dealing with 96 alpacas from New Zealand. A dog from Australia is keen to make himself heard and a stowaway hermit crab finds itself a long way from home.
Runtime: 23m
The team have to overnight a large shipment of fifty birds that have been delayed. Two cats arrive from down under and a little dog from China raises alarm bells amongst the staff.
Runtime: 23m
Seven hungry baboons arrive from Kuwait and prove to be demanding customers. A cat called Tippy travels in a box that maybe too small and a dog comes in with an alarming cough.
Runtime: 23m
Today, a poorly pooch has supervisor Anna and the team worried. Two cats fly in from Hong Kong for a long awaited reunion and a Senegal parrot attempts a great escape.
Runtime: 23m
A pair of puppies gets stuck in transit, there is confusion out on the runway and it's a race against the clock to get tens of thousands of butterfly pupae out before they hatch.
Runtime: 23m
A mammoth shipment of two thousand reptiles must overnight at the ARC, a cat from Siberia needs attention and the centre reaches capacity as all the kennels fill up with cats and dogs.
