Original subtitles

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ANNOUNCER: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL YOU KNOW YOU'RE

WATCHING TELEVISION THAT'S EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL.THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: I'M DYLAN DREYER.

JOIN ME ON AN ADVENTURE TO THE WILDERNESS OF INDIA,

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK.

WE'LL WITNESS A BREATHTAKING WILDERNESS

SHAPED BY THE AWESOME POWER OF NATURE AND COME

FACE-TO-FACE WITH A COLLECTION OF ANIMALS

FOUND NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTH.

WE'LL MEET THE PROUD PEOPLE WHO LIVE ALONG THE

EDGES OF THIS JUNGLE, RIDE ALONG WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT

OFFICIALS FIGHTING TO SAVE WILD ANIMALS FROM

POACHERS, AND HELP UNITE AN ORPHANED BABY ELEPHANT

WITH A NEW FAMILY.

THE JOURNEY STARTS RIGHT NOW.

DYLAN: LOCATED IN THE WILDERNESS OF EASTERN

INDIA, KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK IS A WORLD HERITAGE

SITE AND A WILDLIFE REFUGE THAT RESTS IN THE SHADOWS

OF THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS.

MOST OF THE WILD ANIMALS THAT LIVE HERE DON'T

ALWAYS STAY IN THIS PROTECTED HAVEN,

AND MANY HUMAN BEINGS WON'T STAY OUT.

THIS IS THE STORY OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE AND

ANIMALS CROSS EACH OTHER'S BORDERS.

DURING WINTER MONTHS, THICK MORNING MIST COVERS

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK.

THIS ANCIENT WILDERNESS IS HOME TO ASIA'S BIG FIVE

MAMMALS, ALL OF THEM ENDANGERED...

[ELEPHANT TRUMPETING]

DYLAN:...THE INDIAN ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS,

THE EASTERN SWAMP DEER, OVER ONE THOUSAND ASIAN

ELEPHANTS, THE WORLD'S LARGEST DENSITY OF BENGAL

TIGERS, AND THE WILD ASIAN WATER BUFFALO.

KAZIRANGA IS A GREEN REFUGE THAT WAS

ESTABLISHED IN 1908 TO PROTECT THE INCREDIBLE

WILD ANIMALS THAT LIVE HERE.

ALONG THE PARK'S NORTHERN BORDER,

PEOPLE HAVE GRAZED THEIR HERDS FOR HUNDREDS OF

YEARS.

OIKA KATUN AND HIS FAMILY LIVE ON AN ISLAND JUST

ACROSS THE RIVER FROM THE KAZIRANGA WETLANDS.

OIKA: SOMETIMES TIGERS COME OVER TO THE ISLAND.

NOW AND THEN A COW IS KILLED.

TIGERS NEED FOOD.

THEY'RE HUNTERS.

WE SEE THEIR FOOTPRINTS, BUT NOT THE TIGERS.

DYLAN: EVERY MORNING, AN AGENT FROM THE NEARBY

HOTEL COLLECTS FRESH MILK RIGHT FROM OIKA'S FRONT

DOOR.

IT'S KNOWN ACROSS THE REGION THAT THE MILK FROM

OIKA'S BUFFALOES IS THE BEST.

THAT'S BECAUSE OIKA'S BUFFALOES ARE ALL CHILDREN

OF THE RARE WILD ASIAN WATER BUFFALO LIVING

ACROSS THE RIVER.

OIKA: MY DOMESTIC BUFFALO ALWAYS MATE WITH THE WILD

MALE BUFFALOES FROM THE PARK,

SO ALL THE CALVES HAVE THE WILD GENES.

EVEN SO, THEY GET USED TO HUMANS.

DYLAN: THE WILD ASIAN WATER BUFFALO HAS THE

BIGGEST HORNS OF ANY LIVING BOVINE AND WEIGHS

IN AT OVER A TON.

ADULT MALES ARE EXTREMELY TERRITORIAL.

OIKA: SOME PEOPLE HAVE FEAR,

BUT I DON'T.

I ALWAYS STAY NEAR MY CATTLE.

I FEEL LONELY IF I DON'T.

DYLAN: KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK HAS OVER 70 PERCENT

OF THE WORLD'S WILD POPULATION OF INDIAN

ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS.

SAVING THE RHINO FROM EXTINCTION WAS ONE OF THE

BIGGEST REASONS WHY THIS REGION WAS PROTECTED OVER

A CENTURY AGO.

SINCE THEN, THEY HAVE INCREASED IN NUMBER,

BUT THEY'RE STILL NOT SAFE.

THIS IS UTAM SAIKIYA.

HE'S A JOURNALIST AND AN HONORARY WILDLIFE WARDEN.

UTAM: KAZIRANGA IS LIKE AN OPEN UNIVERSITY.

I LEARN NEW THINGS EVERY DAY HERE,

THINGS LIKE THE VALUE OF LIFE AND MY RESPONSIBILITY

TO THE WILDLIFE OF KAZIRANGA.

DYLAN: RHINOCEROS ARE ROUTINELY KILLED FOR

THEIR HORNS, EVEN RIGHT INSIDE THE PARK.

UTAM: IF WE ARE TO SAVE THE INDIAN ONE-HORNED

RHINOCEROS, WE HAVE TO FIGHT THE POACHERS.

FIGHTING THE POACHERS IS VERY DIFFICULT AND

DANGEROUS WORK.

DYLAN: UTAM TRIES TO KEEP THE RHINOS SAFE THROUGH AN

EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF INFORMANTS.

MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE IS EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD

THROUGHOUT THIS AREA, AND UTAM MAKES THE MOST OF IT.

THE MODERN WORLD OF INDIA MEETS THE KAZIRANGA

NATIONAL PARK AT NATIONAL HIGHWAY 37.

THE ROAD RUNS ALONG THE SOUTHERN

EDGE OF THE PARK. THE

COLORS AND MOVEMENT OF TRADITIONAL INDIA ARE

ALWAYS CLOSE.

THE PEOPLE LIVING HERE ARE MOSTLY POOR FARMERS WITH

FEW RICE FIELDS THAT YIELD JUST ENOUGH TO BUY FOOD.

RHINOCEROS CAN BE SEEN RIGHT FROM NATIONAL

HIGHWAY 37.

THEY DON'T OFTEN STRAY ACROSS THE ROADWAY,

BUT HERDS OF ELEPHANT DO EVERY NIGHT,

AND SOMETIMES AN ELEPHANT IS LEFT BEHIND.

RAJU KATUN WORKS AS AN ANIMAL KEEPER AT THE

WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER.

HE CARES FOR ORPHANED BABY ELEPHANTS WHICH DEMAND

CONSTANT FEEDINGS.

A BABY ELEPHANT WILL DRINK OVER THREE GALLONS OF MILK

A DAY.

RAJU: IN MY VILLAGE, WE USED TO HURT ALL THE

WILDLIFE.

I'VE COME TO REALIZE THAT ALL ANIMALS ARE

DISAPPEARING FROM THIS WORLD.

DYLAN: CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT, A NEW PATIENT ARRIVES.

BARELY A MONTH OLD, THIS LITTLE ELEPHANT FELL INTO

A DRAIN AT A NEARBY TEA PLANTATION.

HIS TINY RED EYES ARE A SIGN THAT HE BADLY NEEDS

FLUIDS.

THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE THIS BABY

ELEPHANT WILL LIVE A LONG,

HAPPY LIFE IS TO REUNITE HIM WITH HIS HERD.

ASIAN ELEPHANTS ARE CONSIDERED A FLAGSHIP

SPECIES, MEANING THAT BY EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT

ELEPHANTS AND RAISING THE PROFILE OF ELEPHANT

CONSERVATION, PEOPLE WILL HOPEFULLY SUPPORT A WIDER

RANGE OF ANIMAL AND HABITAT PROTECTION.

COMING UP NEXT, RESCUERS ATTEMPT TO GIVE OUR

ORPHANED ELEPHANT A NEW HOME,

BUT WILL THE HERD ACCEPT THE BABY AS THEIR OWN?

AND LATER, WE'LL VISIT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN A SMALL

VILLAGE NEXT TO SOME VERY LARGE NEIGHBORS.

DON'T GO AWAY.

"JOURNEY" WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO "JOURNEY." I'M DYLAN

DREYER.

ALTHOUGH ASIAN ELEPHANTS INSPIRE AWE AND WONDER,

THESE ANIMALS ARE QUICKLY DISAPPEARING.

HABITAT LOSS AND HUNTING HAVE DECREASED THE ASIAN

ELEPHANT POPULATION BY 50 PERCENT OVER THE LAST

THREE GENERATIONS ALONE.

THANKFULLY, A GROWING GROUP OF ACTIVISTS IS

FIGHTING TO REVERSE THIS TREND.

IT'S 7:00 A.M.

ANIMAL RESCUER RAJU AND HIS TEAM WILL ATTEMPT TO

REUNITE THE ORPHANED ELEPHANT WITH HIS HERD.

RAJU: IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO REUNITE A BABY ELEPHANT

WITH ITS MOTHER.

THAT WOULD MAKE US HAPPY, TOO,

AND THE CALF WILL BE HAPPIER WITH ITS MOTHER

INSTEAD OF HAVING TO STAY AT THE WILDLIFE CENTER.

DYLAN: THE BABY WAS RESCUED FROM A DRAIN LIKE

THIS.

FARMERS DIG THESE TRENCHES ALL AROUND THEIR TEA

PLANTATIONS TO KEEP THE ELEPHANTS AWAY.

TO FIND THE ORPHAN'S MISSING HERD,

WILDLIFE WARDEN UTAM SAIKIYA IS BROUGHT IN TO

HELP.

[ELEPHANT GROANING]

UTAM: ALL THE ELEPHANTS ARE HERE.

CAN YOU FIND OUT?

DYLAN: UTAM MAKES USE OF HIS EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF

CONTACTS TO LOCATE THE HERD.

IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG TO SPOT THEM.

BUT THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS IS THE ORPHAN'S

HERD.

WORKERS SMEAR THE BABY WITH THE HERD'S DUNG.

THE THINKING IS EVEN IF THIS CALF'S MOTHER ISN'T

PRESENT, THE FAMILIAR ODOR MAY LEAD ONE OF THE

FEMALE'S IN THE HERD TO ADOPT THE ORPHAN.

FOREST GUARDS ARE PRESENT TO PROTECT ONLOOKERS.

THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WORK.

RESCUERS LEAD THE BABY INTO THE PATH OF THE HERD

AND RUN TO SAFE DISTANCES TO WATCH.

DYLAN: THE HERD BREAKS THROUGH A FENCE.

IT'S CLEAR THEY HAVE NOT ACCEPTED THE BABY.

THE ORPHAN RETURNS TO THE HUMANS ON ITS OWN.

HE WILL BE CLEANED UP, TAKEN BACK TO THE CENTER,

AND FED.

DIRECTOR RAFEEM BARMAN BEGINS HIS REPORT ON THE

ANIMAL.

RAFEEM: WE CAN'T BE A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE WHY

THIS CALF WAS LEFT BEHIND BY THE HERD.

THE ONE THEORY WE ALWAYS PRESUME IS THAT IT'S NOT

FIT TO MOVE WITH THE WHOLE HERD.

DYLAN: RAJU GIVES THE BABY MORE MILK.

THE LITTLE ELEPHANT SEEMS TO BE DOING MUCH BETTER.

TOMORROW, THE TEAM WILL TRY AGAIN TO UNITE THE

BABY WITH A NEW HERD.

BACK ON THE BANKS OF THE BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER,

OIKA IS MAKING A SHED OUT OF DRIED ELEPHANT GRASS TO

PROTECT A NEW ADDITION TO HIS CATTLE HERD.

OIKA: A PREGNANT COW WILL SOON GIVE BIRTH,

AND I FEAR THAT THE BABY WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE

COLD AT NIGHT.

DYLAN: NEIGHBORS HAVE GATHERED TO HELP SPEED UP

THE PROCESS.

OIKA WANTS TO GET HIS PREGNANT COW INTO THE SHED

TONIGHT, BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM.

SHE SEEMS TO HAVE GONE MISSING.

OIKA: I HAVE TO GO SEARCH FOR HER.

I MIGHT HAVE TO GO INTO THE REEDS.

SOMETIMES TIGERS COME OVER TO THE ISLAND.

NOW AND THEN A COW IS KILLED AND WE GO SEARCH

FOR THE CARCASS.

DYLAN: THERE ARE TIGER FOOTPRINTS ALONG THE BANKS

OF THE RIVER.

THE COW IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND.

FOREST GUARDS HEAD INTO THE NIGHT ON THE LOOKOUT

FOR POACHERS, AND WHILE OIKA WONDERS WHERE HIS COW

HAS GONE, SHE MAKES HER WAY HOME,

RIGHT TO THE DOOR OF HIS HUT.

SHE AND HER NEW CALF WILL BE SAFE TONIGHT FROM THE

WILD THINGS OF KAZIRANGA.

STAY TUNED.

"JOURNEY" WILL RETURN RIGHT AFTER THIS.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: MANY LOCAL VILLAGES AND TOWNS LIE ON THE EDGE

OF KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK.

THESE LOCAL COMMUNITIES ARE OFTEN POOR AND RELY ON

FARMS TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES AND EARN THEIR

LIVELIHOODS.

AS ALWAYS, WHEN HUMANS AND WILD ANIMALS COMPETE FOR

THE SAME RESOURCES, CONFLICT IS INEVITABLE.

THIS IS THE VILLAGE OF POOMBARAI.

THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE HAVE SMALL FARMS AND LARGE

FAMILIES.

THEY ALSO HAPPEN TO LIVE RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF AN

ANCIENT ELEPHANT CORRIDOR.

THE ELEPHANT HERDS USE THE SAME PATHWAYS THEY HAVE

ALWAYS USED, EVEN IF THOSE TRACKS NOW PASS THROUGH

HIGHWAYS AND VILLAGES.

THIS IS WHERE RAJU KATUN, THE ORPHANED ELEPHANT

CARETAKER, GREW UP.

HIS HOUSE IS A SIMPLE MUD HUT SHARED WITH HIS WIFE,

UMILA, AND THEIR THREE CHILDREN.

RAJU: OUR VILLAGE IS RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF KAZIRANGA

NATIONAL PARK, BORDERING THE REMAINING FOREST.

THIS IS AN ELEPHANT PRONE AREA.

DYLAN: RAJU IS TRYING TO HELP HIS CHILDREN

UNDERSTAND HOW PRECIOUS THE FOREST IS AND HOW

IMPORTANT IT IS TO PROTECT THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE

HERE.

GIRL: MY FATHER TELLS US STORIES ABOUT HIS WORK AS

AN ELEPHANT KEEPER, AND I AM PROUD OF HIM.

HE SAYS ELEPHANTS NEVER HARM HIM,

BUT HE ALWAYS ADVISES US TO BE CAREFUL AT NIGHT.

DYLAN: THE FAMILY HAS LOST THEIR HOUSE AND ALL THEIR

POSSESSIONS TO ELEPHANTS IN THE PAST,

AND SOME PEOPLE IN POOMBARAI HAVE DIED IN

ELEPHANT ATTACKS.

RAJU'S FAMILY HAS COME TO TERMS WITH THE CONSTANT

ELEPHANT THREAT.

UMILA: I'M NOT AFRAID WHEN ELEPHANTS COME.

SOMETIMES THEY COME AND EAT THE RICE PLANTS IN THE

PATTY FIELDS, BUT THAT'S THE WAY THINGS ARE.

RAJU: MY DREAM IS TO HELP MY CHILDREN BECOME

WELL-QUALIFIED.

PERHAPS THEY CAN STUDY ANIMAL BEHAVIOR.

THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES FOR THE FUTURE,

BUT MY WIFE AND I ARE TRYING OUR BEST TO GIVE

THEM THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION.

I WANT TO HELP THEM LEARN WHATEVER THEY WANT TO

LEARN.

DYLAN: WHEN RAJU IS ON NIGHT SHIFT LOOKING AFTER

THE ELEPHANT ORPHANS, HIS FAMILY HAS INSTRUCTIONS

ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF THE ELEPHANT HERD COMES.

RAJU: SINCE I LOOK AFTER BABY ELEPHANTS,

I THINK GOD OR THE ELEPHANT GOD,

GANESH, WILL PROTECT MY FAMILY.

I TELL THE FAMILY TO BE ALERT AT NIGHT,

AND IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, I'LL COME IMMEDIATELY.

AND NEVER TEASE THE ELEPHANTS.

DYLAN: BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHEN THE

ELEPHANTS SHOW UP, EVERYONE GETS NERVOUS.

[ELEPHANTS TRUMPETING]

RAJU: WHERE'S THE ELEPHANT?

[TRUMPETING CONTINUES]

RAJU: IS IT NEAR THE BAMBOO?

OY, TUFAN, HAVE THEY GONE?

LET THEM GO.

MAN: THIS FENCE WAS KNOCKED DOWN TONIGHT.

THE HERD JUST WALKED OVER IT.

RAJU: SINCE I STARTED WORK WITH ELEPHANTS,

I TELL PEOPLE NOT TO KILL THEM.

IF ELEPHANTS ARE DESTROYING YOUR CROPS,

IT'S BETTER TO SCARE THEM AWAY THAN TO KILL THEM.

[ELEPHANTS TRUMPETING]

DYLAN: JUST ANOTHER NIGHT IN THE VILLAGE OF

POOMBARAI HERE AT THE EDGE OF THE WILD.

[TRUMPETING CONTINUES]

DYLAN: COMING UP NEXT, THE ANIMAL RESCUE TEAM

MAKES ONE LAST ATTEMPT TO REUNITE OUR BABY ELEPHANT

WITH A NEW FAMILY.

WILL THEY BE SUCCESSFUL THIS TIME?

FIND OUT WHEN THE JOURNEY CONTINUES RIGHT AFTER

THIS.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: SAVING THE ANIMALS OF KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

IS A FULL-TIME JOB.

AT THE LOCAL ANIMAL RESCUE SHELTER,

AN ORPHANED BABY ELEPHANT IS BEING PREPARED FOR

ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO REUNITE HIM WITH A HERD.

RAJU: THIS LITTLE MALE WAS JUST ONE MONTH OLD WHEN HE

FELL IN A DRAIN.

WE RESCUED HIM.

WHEN HE GROWS UP, I'LL FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT.

I'M HELPING TO SAVE AN ENDANGERED SPECIES.

DYLAN: WORD HAS COME THAT AN ELEPHANT HERD IS

NEARBY.

THE RELEASE WILL HAPPEN AT NIGHT WHEN THE ELEPHANTS

ARE MORE SECURE.

THE RESCUERS RELEASE THE BABY AND HOPE THE HERD

WILL FIND HIM.

[ELEPHANTS TRUMPETING]

DYLAN: IT'S HARD TO SEE, BUT IT LOOKS AS IF THE

BABY HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED, AND IT MAY EVEN BE

FOLLOWING THE HERD THROUGH THE JUNGLE.

[TRUMPETING CONTINUES]

IT APPEARS THE BABY HAS FINALLY FOUND A NEW

FAMILY.

BACK ON THE BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER,

OIKA'S COW HAS GIVEN BIRTH.

OIKA: ONE MORE BABY IN MY COW SHED.

I'M REALLY HAPPY.

IT'S A FEMALE CALF, AND THAT'S ALSO VERY GOOD.

DYLAN: OIKA INVITES A PRIEST TO PERFORM THE PUJA

TO WISH THE CALF AND MOTHER WELL AND TO PROTECT

THEM FROM TIGERS AND WILD WATER BUFFALOES.

THE BABY GIRL WAS BORN ON A FRIDAY.

FEMALE AND FRIDAY ARE SPECIAL SIGNS.

OIKA: AND THIS IS THE WAY OF OUR LIFE.

DYLAN: A WORLD HERITAGE SITE IS A DESIGNATION BY

THE UNITED NATIONS THAT RECOGNIZES AN AREA OF THE

GLOBE AS BEING OF PROFOUND NATURAL OR CULTURAL

IMPORTANCE TO ALL HUMANITY.

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK SURELY FITS THAT

DESCRIPTION, AND THE AMAZING PLANTS AN ANIMALS

LIVING THERE DESERVE OUR RESPECT AND PROTECTION.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED OUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE

WILDERNESS OF INDIA.

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, SAFE TRAVELS.

♪ CREDITS ♪