ROXY: Hello, Wildlifer. Roxy here. I'm an apprentice Ranger
with Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers. This week, Ranger
Rae is visiting the beautiful Farne Islands Nature Reserve,
where a young girl has lost her pet Rat. What sort of animal
adventures lie in store? Let's dive in with Puffin and find
out.
PUFFIN: Nothing beats swimming in the North Sea. Unless it's
swimming in the North Sea next to the Farne Islands.
What's this? A boatload of new visitors? Time to show them why
we puffins are known as the Clowns Of The Sea. I bet I can
make them gasp with my patented splash landing. Three, two, one,
splash!
Now, to wow them with my fabulous flying speed. Let's go!
And finally, I'll bring them to their feet with my fantastic
fishing skills. Oh, there's one right there.
Nothing like a fresh fish and a satisfied audience. Hold on,
what's that?
Looks like someone in the audience didn't enjoy the
performance. I suppose I could have used more showmanship.
Let's see if I can hear what's wrong.
GIRL: Mum! Dad!
Junior escaped!
PUFFIN: Junior? Must be a brother or sister or maybe even
a cousin.
GIRL: He was the best pet Rat a girl could have. We go
everywhere together.
PUFFIN: A pet Rat? We're not supposed to have any rats on
Farne Islands? Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. This won't do at
all. There's only one person and several super-powered animals
who can help us now. Ahwoooooooo
VOICE OVER: Across the many majestic wild spaces of the
United Kingdom, from woods, wetlands, to mountain and heath,
whenever help is needed, one Ranger and her animal friends
always answer the call!
THEME TUNE: It's Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers!
RANGER RAE: I can talk to animals!
It's a Ranger's dream!
THEME TUNE: It's Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers!
RANGER RAE: Say hello to my animal team!
THEME TUNE: With Deer and Fox and Wildcat! Mole and Dragonfly,
Beaver and Bat!
BEAVER: Sound the alarm and we'll come running to you!
RANGER RAE: With our animal powers, we'll know what to do!
THEME TUNE: It's Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers!
PUFFIN: I wonder how long it'll take them to get here. Probably
a while, after all, we are all the way out in...
RANGER RAE: Did somebody call for Ranger Rae? I'm here with
Beaver, Wildcat and Roxy to save the day.
PUFFIN: I can't believe it! Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers
all the way out here on the Farne Islands!
RANGER RAE: We go wherever we're needed. What's going on, Puffin?
We saw a very sad little girl on the island. Is that why you
called for help?
PUFFIN: Yes, she had her pet Rat hiding in her backpack and it
escaped on the island.
BEAVER: A Rat? Lost on a small island, surrounded by water?
This sounds like a job for some manner of Super Beaver. Like me.
Super Beaver.
WILDCAT: Nonsense, Rat catching is a job for some form of apex
predator. Like a wildcat. A wildcat like me.
BEAVER: But will you just catch the Rat or will you catch it and
eat it for dinner?
WILDCAT: Well, I, er, you see, it's not quite... I guess I
could just, er...
RANGER RAE: Steady on, Beaver and Wildcat. We have to make a
plan first.
ROXY: Hopefully, we'll have time to explore afterwards. I love
the look of all those big rocky cliffs. And did you see the old
lighthouse?
RANGER RAE: Steady on, Roxy, as well. Our priority is to find
that Rat.
ROXY: That poor little girl. She'll be so sad after losing
her pet.
RANGER RAE: Roxy. Why don't you make sure the little girl is OK
and we'll get working on a plan to catch that Rat?
Sure thing, Ranger Rae.
PUFFIN: But you know, helping that little girl isn't the only
reason we need to catch that Rat.
WILDLIFERS: It isn't.
RANGER RAE: Puffin is right. Nature reserves like the Farne
Islands have a very delicately balanced ecosystem. Introducing
an unfamiliar animal like a Rat could cause all sorts of chaos.
BEAVER: You mean we're trying to save someone's pet and save the
islands themselves?
That's a lot of pressure.
WILDCAT: Not for me. I eat up that kind of pressure for
breakfast.
BEAVER: You'll eat that Rat for breakfast too if you catch it.
WILDCAT: Hey!
I am in total control of my impulses. Oh, look! A piece of
string blowing in the wind!
PUFFIN: Shall we do a quick tour of the island?
RANGER RAE: Absolutely. Beaver, Wildcat, let's go.
WILDCAT: Can I bring my string?
ROXY: So while Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers were off on a
tour of the island, I checked in with the little girl to see how
she was doing.
The poor thing. I'd be so sad if I lost my pet Rat.
GIRL: Poor, Junior.
He'll be so scared.
ROXY: Don't worry. We'll find Junior and bring him back.
Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers are on the case, and they never
fail.
GIRL: Really?
How do you know?
ROXY: Because I'm best friends with Ranger Rae. I came here
with them. Someday, I hope to be a Ranger like her. Even if I
can't speak to animals.
I always find sounds of the sea nice and calming. How about you?
GIRL: Yeah, me too.
ROXY: But don't you worry. Beaver and Wildcat are on the
case. And they're the ultimate professionals.
WILDCAT: Why wasn't I allowed to bring my piece of string on the
tour?
RANGER RAE: Because, Wildcat, you can't help but get
distracted by string. And we need all your focus on finding
this Rat.
WILDCAT: I only get distracted when it moves.
BEAVER: So how many of you puffins live on these islands?
PUFFIN: There's about 43,000 pairs of us now. Every last one
of us with a lovely, colourful beak. Except in winter, of
course.
BEAVER: What do you mean, except in winter?
PUFFIN: The colour of our beaks changes with the seasons. In the
summer, they're lovely and colourful. And in the winter,
they turn all... Dull and grey.
BEAVER: That's amazing.
PUFFIN: Now let's check if the locals have seen any rats about
the place.
WILDCAT: The locals who live in the sea? You mean fish?
PUFFIN: There's more than fish in the sea around here.
WILDCAT: Like what?
PUFFIN: Like seals!
SEAL: Hey Puffin, how's my best pal doing today? Isn't swimming
so much fun? Hey, do you want to go for a quick ride? Oh please,
hop on.
Let's go!
PUFFIN: Oh! Maybe a quick one, weeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
SEAL: And we're back.
BEAVER: There are some impressive swim moves.
SEAL: Gee, thanks. I love giving puffins a ride. PPP Pick up a
Puffin. That's what I always say.
WILDCAT: Wouldn't that sound better with penguin?
RANGER RAE: Seal, I'm Ranger Rae, and these are the
Wildlifers.
SEAL: No way, no way, no way! I love you guys! You're really the
Beaver and the Wildcat! This is the best day ever!
WILDLIFERS: Oh, shucks!
RANGER RAE: We're looking for a Rat. Have you seen one around
here?
SEAL: There's not supposed to be rats on this island. That's a
big nature no-no.
RANGER RAE: We know. A little girl lost her pet Rat and now
we're trying to return it to her.
SEAL: I'll go spread the word around the seals. There are four
thousand of us here, so maybe one of us saw something.
PUFFIN: Thanks, seal. See you later.
BEAVER: Hey, Puffin, what's that big thing swimming towards you?
PUFFIN: What big thing?
BEAVER: Oh no, I think it's a...
I think it's a shark. Swim away!
PUFFIN: Oh, that's just Baskin Shark.
BASKING SHARK: Hey everyone, hope you're all having a nice
day.
BEAVER: Basking Shark, so it won't want to eat us?
BASKING SHARK: Eat you?
No, no, no.
I only eat tiny little microscopic bits that float
around the ocean called plankton.
Yum, yum, yum.
RANGER RAE: Hello Basking Shark, lovely to meet you.
BASKING SHARK: I understood that. Which means you must be
Ranger Rae, and they must be the Wildlifers.
WILDCAT: At your service. Say, you wouldn't by any chance have
a piece of string I could borrow?
RANGER RAE: We're looking for a Rat. Have you seen one around
here?
BASKING SHARK: There's not supposed to be any rats on these
islands. That's a big nature...
BEAVER: A nature no-no, we know.
RANGER RAE: We're trying to find the Rat so we can return it to
the little girl who lost it.
PUFFIN: I don't know what I'd do if I came across a Rat.
Actually, I don't think I even know what a Rat looks like.
Is that one there?
WILDCAT: That's a snail.
PUFFIN: Oh, well.
BASKING SHARK: I'll spread the word around and let all the
animals know we're on the lookout for a Rat.
RANGER RAE: Thanks, Basking Shark. We need to get our own
search going. Is there anywhere with a good view of the whole
island?
PUFFIN: I know just the place.
Welcome to Farne Lighthouse, built over 200 years ago and
still working to this day.
BEAVER: Built by who? I thought no humans lived on these
islands.
PUFFIN: Once upon a time they did. For hundreds of years the
Farne Islands were home to monks. hermits, shipwrecked
sailors, soldiers and of course lighthouse keepers. But nowadays
it's just for us animals.
RANGER RAE: Here's the plan. Beaver, you will circle the
island with your super speedy swimming, keeping a lookout for
Junior the Rat. Puffin and I will keep watch from here.
Wildcat, you stay on the island and make sure you're ready to
pounce as soon as we spot that rodent.
WILDCAT: I'm always ready to pounce. Oo I can't wait to catch
that little Rat and...
RANGER RAE: Wildcat?
WILDCAT: I can't wait to catch that little Rat and return it
safely to its owner.
RANGER RAE: Excellent. Wildlifers, away!
BEAVER: Where is that thing? I've done three laps of these
islands already and not a single Rat sighting. I do see a mouse,
though.
That's quite a big mouse. And very grey.
Such a long tail. And a little name tag saying Junior the Rat.
Wait a minute. Rats!
WILDCAT: Still no Rat sightings. If only they could have me on
lookout duty. And Rat catching duty. Better work on my pounce.
Alright, low to the ground, stick bum in the air, wiggle it
around for a bit and pounce!
Still got it.
BEAVER: Rat, Rat, I see the Rat.
WILDCAT: What's that noise? Sounds like Beaver.
BEAVER: I found the Rat.
WILDCAT: Sounds like he's saying, I got a new hat. Good
for him.
BEAVER: I said I found the Rat.
WILDCAT: Or is it? I'm in awe of Wildcat. Aren't we all, dear?
BEAVER: Rat. I'm saying Rat. I see the Rat.
WILDCAT: He's saying he sees the Rat. That makes more sense. Wait
a minute. He sees the Rat. He's right.
There it is.
Time for some perfect pouncing. Low to the ground. Bum in the
air. Wiggle it around for a bit. And pounce!
Such a little Rat!
Don't worry, I'm not going to eat you, even if you look very,
very delicious.
ROXY: Please don't be sad. I'm sure they'll find Junior real
soon.
RANGER RAE: Roxy!
ROXY: Over here, Ranger Rae!
RANGER RAE: Ah, there you are. And this must be the little girl
who lost Junior. Would you like some good news?
GIRL: Yes, please.
RANGER RAE: Wildcat, are you still carrying, Junior?
WILDCAT: Ah, here we go. One safe and intact Rat. Do you have
any idea the kind of discipline it takes for a Wildcat to hold a
rodent in its mouth without having a little nibble?
GIRL: Junior, they found you! I'm never losing you ever, ever
again.
RANGER RAE: And remember, sometimes an ecosystem can be so
delicately balanced that what might not seem a big deal to us
can be huge to the local wildlife.
WILDCAT: Like an escaped Rat!
RANGER RAE: Exactly.
BEAVER: Or a ginormous space lizard who goes around stomping
on everything.
RANGER RAE: I think that would be a problem regardless of the
ecosystem.
GIRL: Thanks so much, Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers. And thank
you, Roxy.
RANGER RAE: You were a massive help today, Roxy. We couldn't
have done it without you. That's why I'm giving you this badge
and making you an official Honorary member of the
Wildlifers.
ROXY: Really?
RANGER RAE: Nobody deserves it more than you.
ROXY: Oh, thank you, Ranger Rae. This is my dream come true. Hey,
what's that big thing swimming right towards the harbour?
WILDLIFERS: Shark!
We're going to need a bigger island.
RANGER RAE: Don't worry, everybody. That's just Basking
Shark.
BASKING SHARK: Bye, Ranger Rae. So glad you found the Rat. I'm
off for a nice lunch of plankton and, plankton and, even more
plankton.
ROXY: Once again, Ranger Rae had saved the day, and this time she
made me an honorary Wildlifer. Isn't that the most exciting
news ever?
Maybe someday I'll be able to talk to animals too, but until
then, we'll wait for the next call.
ANIMAL CALL: Ahwooooooooo.
RANGER RAE: It sounds like another animal needs our help.
Come on Wildlifers, off we go!
THEME TUNE: It's Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers.
VOICE OVER: We hope you're enjoying the new adventures of
Ranger Rae and the Wildlifeers. To celebrate the launch, it's
competition time!
We've got 10 Ranger Fun Pack prizes up for grabs. For a
chance to win a Ranger Fun Pack, you'll need to answer this
question correctly.
What is a common nickname for puffins? Is it A, Clowns Of The
Sea, B, Bright Beaked Birdies, or C, Rainbow Jesters? Top tip,
listen to Ranger Rae and the Wildlifers episode one, Puffin
Panic at the Farne Islands to find out. If you're under 16, an
adult must enter on your behalf.
Please ask your grown-up to follow the link in the podcast
show notes or at nationaltrust.org.uk/kids-podca-
st. This competition is free to enter and closes at midnight on
the 13th of November 2024. You can only enter the competition
once and full terms and conditions apply. Good luck!