Wild At Heart

Everyone's excited at the prospect of Leopard's Den's new arrival, Bash (Tony Haygarth), Danny's (Stephen Tompkinson) old tutor coming from England to help grow the veterinary practice. Everyone that is, except Du Plessis (Deon Stewardson) - who reckons the last thing they need in Africa is another Englishman.

When a sick cheetah starts attacking goats in the local village, Bash is chucked in at the deep end. He diagnoses a large abscess and thinks they should put the cheetah down - without its bite it won't survive in the wild. But Danny's keen to save it and insists they operate. It's no surprise to Bash that Danny hasn't lost his puppy-hugging ways.

The next morning Danny meets his first private client - Fatani (Thapelo Mokoena) - the new owner of Mara. Fatani is young, ambitious and seems more concerned with his performance targets than the welfare of his wildlife. Danny suspects the ageing cheetah belongs to him and he's bought it on the cheap.

When Bash confuses Sarah (Amanda Holden) with Danny's first wife Miranda, it becomes apparent that Bash isn't well. Rosie (Lucy-Jo Hudson) is even more disturbed when she overhears Bash tell Sarah her mother left Danny for another man when she was only a baby - something Rosie didn't know. Despite Sarah's concerns that Bash may be suffering from the onset of Alzheimer's, Danny chooses to ignore it.

But when Bash brings a poisonous snake into the house, and then goes missing in the bush, Danny is forced to face some home truths. Like the cheetah, Bash is too old and frail to survive in Africa - and it's time for Bash to go home. And so, the family say their farewells. Danny is devastated but finally tells Rosie the truth about her mum.

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