SLOTH THAT SLEEPS ON THE JOB

THE last series saw Gerry take in a sloth from a travelling circus. ‘Frank’ is played by a female called Talita, who was re-homed from an animal centre in Guyana four years ago.

When she was cast in The Durrells, the plan was for Gerry to hold Talita in his arms. But she weighs over two stone and the actor who played Gerry was too slight, so Keeley Hawes, who plays Durrell matriarch Louisa, stepped in instead.

Rather than ship her to Greece, Talita’s scenes were filmed at Ealing Studios. ‘She was a star on the set,’ says her keeper Barbara Marquez, 54. ‘If anyone wanted to know where an actor was, they’d usually be found with her.’

However, despite her allure, not much acting was involved.

‘Really all Talita had to do was to behave like a sloth, hang around off branches and eat.

‘At one point, she fell asleep during her scene.’

Talita lives at Heythrop Zoological Gardens, and is hired out by agency Amazing Animals. Her TV appearances have included This Morning, where she had her mind read by a modern-day Dr Doolittle.