An African Awakening with My Wild New Tv Friends ; Amy Watkins Visits the Set of Wild at Heart and Meets the Real Stars of the Utv Drama... Its Animal Actors 'the Animals Are Treated Well and Have a Lovely Life' [Eire Region]

Summary

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Film stars, serial killers and TV actors are just some of the 'celebrities' that live a wild life at Glen Afric Country Lodge in South Africa. On the day I arrived, the crew for UTV family drama Wild At Heart were all wearing memorial T-shirts for their favourite actor - the late, great Hamley: a tall, gentle fellow who liked to flirt with the make-up girls and destroy cars. One of his fellow thespians is well-established actor Jack, who is friendly with most people, but has killed four of his kinfolk with a swift kick of his back leg.

Near the lodge's entrance is Hamley the giraffe's grave, which marks the spot where a bolt of lightning struck him down in his seven-year-old prime. Dearly departed Hamley and Jack the zebra are just two of the muchloved animal stars of Wild At Heart and their home is the real-life Glen Afric Country Lodge in South Africa.

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An African Awakening with My Wild New Tv Friends ; Amy Watkins Visits the Set of Wild at Heart and Meets the Real Stars of the Utv Drama... Its Animal Actors 'the Animals Are Treated Well and Have a Lovely Life' [Eire Region]

Not all of Glen Afric's animals can take a film director's orders. When I visited the set of Wild At Heart, in the reserve, a shout went up - 'Warthog, WARTHOG!' - as an unwelcome visitor wandered into shot. The inquisitive animal was rustling in the dirt looking for roots and the noise was being picked up on Stephen Tompkinson's microphone (he plays vet Danny Trevanion). The animal handlers came to tempt him away with food.

Both Jack and Hamley will have starring role...

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