will work for nuts (2/6)

Animals get the chance to flaunt their natural abilities in this entertaining wildlife series. Three experts put their knowledge to inventive use as they devise clever stunts and challenges for Britain’s unsuspecting animals. In tonight’s episode, James and Matt become prey for a peregrine falcon; the team sets an obstacle course for slugs and a horse’s memory is put to the test with a spot-the-difference challenge.

Will Work for Nuts presents familiar animals in unfamiliar stunts. Three men, drawn together by a knowledge of wildlife and a twisted sense of fun, use their skills to help animals show off their talents. Lloyd Buck is an Essex boy and bird trainer; Matt Thompson has spent ten years making wildlife shows for TV and James Cooper is the show’s resident technical expert. All of their stunts are based on natural animal behaviour and are intended to test a few long-held perceptions about these remarkable creatures who share our everyday lives.

Tonight, Lloyd arranges for Matt and James to taste life at the other end of the food chain as they are hunted by the fastest animal on the planet – a peregrine falcon. These majestic birds of prey can reach up to 124mph when they dive. For this challenge, all Matt and James have for their getaway vehicle is an old trials bike, as they prepare to be hunted by Lloyd’s female peregrine falcon, Lucy.

The stunt begins when the falcon is launched from over a mile away. Matt and James are carrying a lure that Lucy has been trained to hunt, and in no time the bird has spotted them – long before they can see her coming. Peregrines have eyesight eight times more powerful than that of a human, and can detect prey such as pigeons from distances of five kilometres. Using stealth and incredible acceleration, Lucy makes easy prey of the hapless pair. “It was locked onto us like a cruise missile,” says James. “I will never forget that sight.” Matt adds. “It was just like being hunted –it was scary and exciting at the same time.”

From one of the fastest animals on the planet to one of the slowest, the boys turn their attention to the gardener’s worst enemy: the common slug. James is keen to test slugs’ uncanny ability to overcome any object in their path, by devising a fiendish assault course, including obstacles such as rusty drawing pins and barbed wire. James’s knowledge of the slug’s habit of returning to the same feeding sites again and again gives him the edge in a hard-fought race.

Also in this episode, Matt demonstrates the near-photographic memory of a horse when his nag Flynn is challenged to a spot-the-difference test. As an animal whose only defence against predators is to flee, horses are genetically programmed to notice any suspicious changes in their environment. This, combined with sharp eyesight and a 180-degree field of vision, means that very little gets past a horse. But will Flynn do his owner proud?

Meanwhile, the gang continues to probe the taste buds of Britain’s foxes by inviting another gourmet fox to select the best cheese from a cheeseboard. Will the wily visitor pick organic artisan cheddar or processed cheese slices?