All language subtitles for Elephant.2020.1080p.WEB.H264-SECRECY

The Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa

is one of the driest places on Earth.

But every year, one river
flows down from the mountains

and transforms the heart of this desert.

A vast green oasis rises from the dust.

The Okavango Delta has been filling,
emptying, and refilling for millennia.

And every plant and animal
that has ever lived here

has danced to the rhythm
of this great seasonal cycle.

Like blood through arteries,
the water sustains all life here.

But one animal

is especially connected to the water.

These Kalahari elephants spend most
of the year searching for food and water.

So, for them, flood season in the Delta
is an especially joyous time.

This is a side of elephants we rarely see.

A 40-year-old female
watches over the herd.

Shani is the oldest and wisest,
after her sister, the great matriarch.

This puts her next in line
to be the leader.

It will be a big responsibility
when the time comes.

For now, though, she has her hands full
trying to raise her one-year-old son.

And this kid is a handful.

Meet Jomo,
one of the youngest of the herd.

At this impressionable age, with so many
different types of animals to play with,

it's not entirely certain he even knows
he's an elephant yet.

He can't leap through the air,
so he's probably not a lechwe.

But a baboon...
now, that looks more like it.

They're not buyin' it, though.

Let's just say Jomo has a lot to learn
about being part of the herd.

For elephants, family is everything.

In this tight-knit group,
someone always has your back.

And that's usually Gaia, Shani's sister.

She's the matriarch.

A position earned through age and wisdom.

Where she leads, the herd follows.

Almost everyone here is related to Gaia.

Sisters, cousins, daughters, grandkids.

The older boys,
they leave home in their early teens

to seek their fortunes elsewhere.

But they'll return occasionally
to visit Mom.

And to show the younger boys,
like Jomo, how to cause trouble.

Gaia knows the Delta is drying

and that soon she will have to lead
her family away from here

on a quest for food and water,
until the flood returns and so can they.

These are the last elephants on Earth

still able to make these epic migrations
over thousands of miles

as their ancestors did.

For many, the trip will be new
and exciting, but also perilous.

Much will depend on Gaia's experience

and the wisdom handed down
from generations of elephants.

Every year, the journey is challenging...

but this year,
it will change all of their lives.

Two months later, the water is receding,
and paradise is turning to dust.

Jomo leads the charge to water.

The Delta has become
a series of vanishing pools,

and these last drinking holes
are great places to meet up

with other families from the neighborhood.

Social life is like oxygen
for these elephants.

And they embrace it face-first.

Shani has already lost track of Jomo.

There he is!

He's, um...

What is he doing?

The older elephants all know this could be
the last easy water for many months,

so they're going to make the most of it.

It's time for a pool party!

When Jomo's over-stimulated,
he can get a little...

excitable.

There.

At least these guys are more his size.

Well, that's turned
most of the drinking water to mud.

Mud is useful to elephants, though.

It acts as sunscreen and they even eat it
to help with... stomach issues.

Oh, dear.

Ugh, who did that?

But the mud has a dark side.

It's becoming dangerously sticky.

Gaia's anxious and calls
time out on the mud pool.

Jomo barely makes it out.

But a young male calf
is stuck and suffocating.

The matriarch rushes to help.

He isn't Gaia's calf,

but she knows he will die
if she can't lift his face from the mud.

And she's the only one
with experience of this.

His head is up. That's the first step.

His mother is distraught,

but knows if anyone else goes in,

it will disturb the mud
and make things worse.

Even for Gaia, this is challenging.

She keeps the calf's head high

and removes mud from his mouth and trunk
so he can breathe.

Clearing the airways will buy time.

Gaia looks to Shani to help calm
the calf's mother.

The calf is exhausted,
and his legs are deeply stuck.

But Gaia has a plan.

If she can just dig a big enough
escape route through the mud,

the calf might be able to walk out
on its own.

Shani couldn't have a better mentor.

Gaia never gives up
and will never leave family behind.

This matriarch
is a force to be reckoned with.

And a powerful role model
for the entire herd.

Gaia has seen the Delta dry out like this

for every one of her 50 years
and recognizes the signs.

She knows it's time to leave.

The memories of all the journeys
she's ever taken are stored in her mind.

All the pathways and the food stops.

The landmarks and the dangers.

She'll need them all to navigate
these unpredictable lands.

Gaia leads the herd
into the baking Kalahari.

It seems madness!

But if she waits, the water holes
they will need on their journey

will dry up before they can reach them.

And they'll be unable to cross the desert.

The family joins the mass exodus
of animals leaving the Delta.

They're setting out
on a thousand-mile round trip.

One that could take up to eight months.

After four days of travel,
Gaia leads them to a shaded woodland,

where she remembers
there are seedpods to eat.

But there's an unexpected surprise.

Distant relatives.

Part of the clan Gaia's family
hasn't seen for over a year.

They're also making a pit stop
on their own journey.

It's a wonderful chance
to catch up with old friends,

and maybe make some new ones.

For Jomo, this could be the beginning
of a life-long friendship

and a valuable connection
to a whole new side of his family.

Emotional bonds between elephants are
as strong and as long-lasting as our own.

Shani reconnects with a cousin
she hasn't seen in ages.

They talk to each other with deep rumbling
sounds that work at close range...

And travel great distances
through the ground.

But nothing is more bonding than touch.

All right, they've said their hellos.

They came here for lunch.

The old tree-shaking technique produces...

one pod.

Well, that won't feed the herd.

Shani's a master tree shaker.

Hmm... No luck.

Looks like this food stop is a bust.

Wait a minute!

Who's this guy?

He's come to visit his mom
in the other family.

A magnificent bull,
and he's got a trick up his sleeve.

Oh, he's gonna win
a lot of friends with this party trick.

Everyone loves these pods.

Jomo's found a role model.

Someday.

These pods are just what
Gaia and the family need.

High energy food to keep them going
on the long road ahead.

Shani feels some new rumbling
vibrating the ground beneath her feet.

Low-frequency sounds.

Far lower than humans can hear.

They're messages from elephants
on the road ahead.

Time to move on.

In front of them is an astonishing network
of circles and lines

that stretch across the desert
to the horizon.

The mysterious lines
are ancient elephant paths.

The circles are water holes that collect
and hold rain for a few months,

until it evaporates.

Some holes contain
just enough drinking water

for the family to refill
and travel to the next one.

But others are too far apart.

And some will be empty.

The holes with water
are the stepping stones

the family will need on their
week-long journey to cross this desert.

And linking them together
is like solving a riddle

that requires many years of experience.

After a day marching
under the beating sun,

the family is desperately thirsty.

Shani and Jomo rush to the water hole,

hoping to drink some clean water
before it gets muddied up by everyone.

Empty.

Shani can still smell water,
but it's far underground.

Jomo will stay thirsty.

But there's another smell on the wind.

Unusual, yet vaguely familiar.

Shani is distracted from her thirst.

An elephant must have arrived here
about a year ago,

desperate for water, but finding none.

This is a reminder of the stakes.

The riddle of the water holes is no game.

The bones are blasted by sand
and bleached by sun.

But Shani still seems to recognize
the elephant they came from.

Perhaps it was a relative.

Or perhaps it was an elephant
she met only once.

And it's true that elephants never forget.

Jomo was only born
around the time this elephant died.

Shani passes him a bone
as if trying to teach him something.

Elephants seem to have
a deep connection to their past,

and a reverence
for those who've gone before them.

There's so much ground to cover.

Whether it takes one day or two
will depend on speed...

and Gaia taking the most direct route
to the next water hole.

There's no margin for error now.

So many new wonders for the young ones
to see on their first safari.

Jomo's been starved for playmates
on this long trek.

He would love to play
with this cute little cheetah cub.

But maybe not while Mom's around.

At last, an encouraging sign.

Carmine bee-eaters nest
near rich insect life

so they can feed their chicks.

It's a sign to Gaia that the herd
must be getting close to water.

Yesterday was a reminder of death.

But today, the air is alive.

And they can feel it in their giant bones.

There's definitely water here!

Make way, everybody!

There's a time for sharing,

but when elephants need to drink,
it's survival of the biggest.

Jomo's found some playmates.

Warthogs.

They look like fun!

First, he's gotta wait
till his mom's not looking.

And... there he goes.

Time for some hide-and-seek.

But warthogs don't seem to be into this.

Looks like he's switching to tag.

These pigs are way too fast for him.

Jomo would chase animals
all day if he could.

Except for that one.

The one animal that won't move
for an elephant is a buffalo.

Not moving.

Jomo's actually pretty brave...

when he's with his mom.

Shani skims the freshest water
off the top, which usually works.

But this water has been ruined

by animals wading
and doing who knows what else in it.

No drinkable water.

But at least this oasis comes with its own
small mopani woodland.

Elephants love mopani.

And its leaves contain
at least some water.

An elephant can eat 600 pounds
of leaves and branches in a day.

That's the equivalent of
two-and-a-half thousand cheeseburgers.

But they have a fierce competitor
for these leaves.

And it's in a whole other league.

Mopani worms can eat twice
their body weight of leaves in a day.

They're the caterpillar
of the Emperor hawk-moth

and can devastate
hundreds of miles of forest.

These critters can't be chased off.

They are rivals to be reckoned with.

A few worms must get eaten by mistake.

Yeah, elephants are herbivores,

but a little extra protein
never hurt anyone.

You get 'em, Jomo!

The biggest land animal on Earth

chased off by a very hungry caterpillar.

This decimated woodland
has nothing for them now.

But where next?

Deep in her memory, Gaia knows.

It's a place many of them
have never been before.

And getting there
will test their faith in Gaia.

The largest salt pan in Africa
stretches out in front of them.

It's vast, brutal,
and looks impossible to cross.

The ancient trails
lead to a fantastical place.

An island that rises from the salt
like a mirage.

But this island is very real

and offers a surprising lifeline
for travelers.

Baobab trees.

Their swollen trunks are full of water

that was stored months ago
during the rainy season.

Gaia hopes the sap
will keep her family alive

for the second stage
of the salt pan crossing.

It's the only water for 200 miles.

Gaia found the island,

but it's Shani who teaches the younger
elephant what to do with the baobabs.

She rips open the thick bark,

so Jomo and the little ones
can reach the moisture stored beneath.

The shape of these trees on the horizon

must have been a sign of salvation
for generations of weary elephants.

And beneath their boughs... bed.

Only when the skies glitter
and the heat of the day fades

do the island's
strangest creatures emerge.

This is a magical place
where elephants can dream.

Younger minds might be
buzzing from the excitement

of making this journey for the first time.

Perhaps Shani and the elders
dream of the time

they were shown this island
by their ancestors.

Part of an unbroken chain of knowledge
stretching back for millennia.

Mornings in the desert are cold.

So, Jomo and Shani
are in no hurry to get up.

Gaia needs to get her family moving,

even if her old bones
are creaking a little these days.

But no matter what your age, getting up
isn't easy when you're this shape.

A helping trunk can make
all the difference.

Not helping, Jomo.

The calves need
the water in their mother's milk

or they'll never
make it across the salt pan.

The baobab sap won't be enough
to keep the adults going.

They need to cross now
before it gets too hot.

But the desert has other ideas.

The winds have crossed hundreds of miles
of scorched salt and are bone dry.

There is no shelter
from the desiccating salt crystals

and the calves are in serious risk
of dehydration.

Pushing on is the only option.

Jomo is struggling,
but Shani reassures him.

She would never leave him behind.

The salt and the wind
have sucked the water from their bodies.

They must drink soon or they will die.

Gaia is uncertain of the route,

but she can sense something
through her feet.

It could be distant water.

Shani senses it too and leads the way.

So close.

Shani's instincts
about the water were right.

But the deep gorge was a surprise.

How are they going to reach water now?

Quelea.

Gaia remembers these birds leading
her mother to water many years ago.

Perhaps they could do it again.

They follow the birds through a passage
high above the main river.

There's a small stream.

It's enough to wet their mouths
and keep the parched young ones going.

Shani has learned
an important lesson from Gaia today,

these little birds can be big lifesavers.

But the quelea aren't settling to drink.

Gaia gambles on following them.

The small stream was a feeder
for the Zambezi River

at its most magnificent point.

Mosi-oa-Tunya, "The Smoke that Thunders."

Also known as Victoria Falls.

Upstream of the falls
is the haven Gaia's been searching for.

Islands with shelter, food,
and limitless fresh water.

The islands are filled with palm trees,

a sign that elephants have reached them
many times before,

as palm seeds germinate best
after passing through an elephant.

Gaia has found the crossing point
to the islands.

Suddenly, those giant bodies
seem a bit lighter.

Jomo has rediscovered
the spring in his step.

They'll cross to the island soon enough,
but before that,

their first real drink
in nearly two months.

Deliciously cool water
from the mighty Zambezi,

one of Africa's greatest rivers.

Ah! Antelope!

Just like old times for Jomo.

They remind Jomo of those carefree days
back in the Delta,

just chasing animals around
all over the place.

Not a care in the world...

Oh, that's a crocodile!

Probably best to stick with the herd.

Upstream, hungry crocodiles
have noticed their arrival.

Downstream is the greatest waterfall
on Earth.

But in front of them
is everything they've been looking for.

Gaia decides
they should attempt the crossing.

The water near the edge is shallow,

but shallow water
is where crocodiles hunt best.

Shani is hesitating.

She wants to turn back...

but Gaia urges her on.

Together, Shani and Gaia
shield the young on both sides,

making it harder
for the crocodiles to reach them.

As they leave the crocodiles behind,
they face a new, even worse danger.

The water is getting deeper
and the current much stronger.

They could easily be swept downstream
and over the waterfall.

A fate suffered by all too many elephants.

Here, the Zambezi is 50 feet deep
and the current is ferocious.

Do they have the strength and stamina
to withstand the force of the river?

They're nearly there!

Food, water, and safety all in one place.

They can rest here for the next few months

until the food is all eaten
and the water returns to the Okavango.

And those palm nuts,
they're perfectly ripe.

Current residents beware.

It's time for an elephant feast!

The nuts are full of oil,
have all the goodness they need,

and were seeded here
by previous generations of elephants.

No wonder they're called ivory palms.

Gaia's island will do nicely
until the water returns to the Okavango.

Like the elephants,

the water will undergo an epic journey
across Africa to reach the Delta.

A journey that's just beginning.

A thousand miles away in the highlands
of Angola, the weather is changing.

Water vapor from the Atlantic Ocean
hits the mountains and turns to rain.

The run-off from the southern slopes
drains into the Okavango,

where thousands of Kalahari elephants
will depend on it for their survival.

Nothing on our planet
is more precious to life.

This water is just beginning its 600-mile
journey to the Okavango Delta,

where it'll once again
transform dust into paradise.

Gaia and family will soon begin
their journey back to the Okavango,

so they can arrive in the Delta
when it's at its most verdant.

OKAVANGO DELTA

On the palm islands above the falls,
the season is also advancing.

The nuts are all finished
and the remaining plants are dried out

and make poor elephant food.

The family is scraping a living now.

The change is especially
hard on the oldest.

Gaia is getting tired, her sixth and final
set of teeth are nearly worn away,

and she finds the food here harder to eat,
so is losing strength.

Jomo has never seen an old elephant
beginning to fade and seems confused.

Gaia has seen their food wane
with the seasons many times before.

She also foresaw
the other great change coming.

When they arrived,
the Zambezi was a raging torrent.

Now, the mighty river
has fallen to a trickle.

The dry season has devastated
the whole area.

Gaia knew this place
wouldn't support them for long.

Elephants can't survive on small islands.

They need to roam
vast distances to thrive.

Gaia makes the call to leave
and Shani helps rally the herd.

At least, leaving this place
will be far easier than arriving.

Where they once had to swim,
they can now walk.

On the mainland, Gaia can lead her family
on the long road back to the Delta.

They'll travel through shaded woodlands
where possible,

conserving their strength for the desert.

Off the island, she can once again tune in
to the sounds of distant elephants.

They're telling her
the Angolan floodwaters are early.

To get the best of the flood,

she'll need to leave immediately
and take the shortest possible route.

There will be different dangers...

different pathways...

but the same goal, paradise.

The most direct route will get the family
back for the peak of the flood.

But it's a calculated risk.

There's a reason they don't usually
take the shortest route.

It's through lion country.

And these lions hunt elephants.

There are signs of ambush everywhere.

The cats won't usually attack elephants
until the end of the dry season,

when they've been weakened by hunger.

That's still a month away.

As long as they stick together,
they should be safe.

The herd does need to drink,
and they do trust Gaia,

but this is unsettling.

Winds from a brewing storm
give the cats cover.

It's much harder for the herd to hear
or smell them in these conditions.

The lions know it too and seem emboldened.

The cats are drawing around the family.

Gaia must show the lions
her family is strong.

The predators shouldn't waste their time.

The lions seem convinced
this would be no easy meal.

At least not during daylight
when elephants have the upper hand.

The elephants feel their way.

They can't see well in the dark
and predators know it.

The family should push on
through the night

and leave this place while they can.

The haunting calls of hyenas
put them on edge.

The family cannot take any chances.

Hyenas are known as scavengers,

but would snatch a small calf
given the opportunity.

Gaia and Shani keep the hyenas away
from Jomo and the other young.

Gaia is worried she's made a grave error.

The hyenas are eating
a carcass of a large elephant

too big for them
to have killed themselves.

It can only mean one thing.

It was killed by lions
and the hunting season has begun.

Shani can sense Gaia's distress.

If the matriarch is worried,
panic spreads.

The lions are closing in.

The hunter has Jomo in her sights.

Shani spots the lion and gives chase,
leaving her son alone.

Shani and Jomo could easily
become surrounded.

They must get out of there.

In their pursuit, the lions have separated
Jomo from his mother.

Jomo must stay hidden.

Shani has doubled back to protect Jomo.

She will never abandon her son.

Safe for now.

Gaia had expected the family
to be many miles from here by morning.

But last night was chaos.

Shani emerges from the covered woodland,

trying to reconnect
with the rest of the herd.

They are tightly gathered
around a body...

Gaia.

The herd was so focused
on keeping their young safe

that they lost sight of their oldest.

Her failing teeth had
left her weakened by hunger

and the stress of the night
was too much for her.

She is still alive... just.

But these are her last moments,
and the family knows it.

For the last 20 years,
she has been their rock,

giving companionship and leadership.

With her trunk on her sister's mouth,

Shani feels her take her last breath.

They can't help her now.

Jomo takes a final look at Gaia.

The death of a matriarch
is a momentous event in his young life.

The life-giving floodwaters are picking up
pace as they travel towards the Delta.

Shani is trying to lead
her family there, too.

With Gaia gone, she is now
the one responsible for their safety.

This is uncharted territory for her...
in every sense.

The younger females look
to each other for reassurance.

They've never known a time
without Gaia as their leader.

They know Shani is the obvious successor.

But does she have what it takes?

Only time will tell if they found
their new matriarch.

A week later, their journey
is interrupted by a wonderful event.

A new calf is welcomed into the world,

after a pregnancy of nearly two years

and there is huge excitement
in the family.

The first few days of life
are all-important,

and everyone wants to help.

He'll be unsteady on his feet for a while.

Another new responsibility for Shani.

Elephants are usually born
in the wet season

when mothers can produce
more milk and it's cooler,

so this little calf
is going to need extra help.

Shani welcomes a new playmate for Jomo.

Jomo is less excited.

He has been the baby of the family
for as long as he can remember.

Then again, the kid looks like
he could use some help.

Yup, he is definitely gonna
slow them down.

Shani clears a path for the calf
while it finds its feet.

The little one's mom is inexperienced,

so its chances of survival
are slim without Shani's help.

It's now Shani, not Gaia,
to whom the family must look for guidance.

The decisions she makes from here on

will have huge consequences
for the entire herd.

She looks back at all the lessons

she learned from Gaia
during her rich life.

Shani must piece together
her own way back to the Delta.

First thing, she must get the new mother

to the place Gaia took her
after she gave birth,

a place where salts seep from the ground.

Elephants come here to drink
and replace minerals

before they tackle the desert.

Shani lets the new mom go first

so she can replenish
the fluids lost during the birth.

For the mom, this is a lifesaver.

But the whole herd need these minerals
before they can move on.

Oh, look who's cut in front of the line...

Jomo!

He's gonna have to learn
how to play by the rules.

Tusks come in very handy
when trying to dig deep for the salts.

Jomo doesn't have tusks,
so it's a little difficult.

And his young apprentice isn't helping.

Another herd is approaching,
wanting to access the mine.

Shani is in alien territory now,
disconnected from her social network.

She sizes them up.

It's a huge group,
easily big enough to drive them away.

Shani must decide whether to stand firm
and protect their patch or back down.

Sometimes rival herds will kidnap calves
to assert their dominance...

and Shani's family has a vulnerable
newborn to look after.

The calf is eyed by the rival matriarch.

Shani steps up for the test.

She will not be intimidated.

She will protect the calf
as though it were her own.

The rivals back down.
They had strength in number,

but lacked Shani's determination
to protect her family.

The little calf is safe for now.

Shani decides it's time to push for home.

It won't be easy,
but a rich prize is waiting.

The Angolan floodwaters
are just arriving in the Okavango.

Desert sands that have been
parched and barren

for half a year are not
as lifeless as they seem.

Some creatures have been
waiting underground for this moment.

And others have been waiting for them.

The leading edge of the flood
is full of tiny fish

moving in to hunt the insects and spiders
caught by the new water.

Catfish are just behind them,
pushing into the Delta's many channels

alongside thousands
of other floodwater pioneers.

Paradise from dust.

Once again, the Delta is transforming.

Out in the desert,
Shani and the family are not far away now,

but they're battling dry headwinds
and haven't had water for two days.

It's taking a toll on the whole herd.

Jomo is more resilient than he was
when he began this journey.

But the young calf is in trouble.

The herd is tighter now than ever.

He won't be left behind.

Strength of family
has gotten them this far.

They will make it to the Delta together,
or not at all.

Take as long as you need, little one.

The white sand of the Delta
is now under his feet.

They are so close!

From all over the Kalahari,
animals pour back into the Okavango.

The journey's wildlife and water converge
and the Delta's heart is beating again.

Only one set of travelers are missing.

Shani's done it! They're home.

She's got them all back...

even the little one.

This epic journey was started by Gaia,

but it's Shani who will now carry forward
the wisdom of the generations.

The calf born on their journey tastes
the Delta's waters for the first time.

He'll have Jomo to introduce him
to the locals... in his own special way.

But after all his trials
and experiences this year,

Jomo will surely prove
to be an excellent big brother

and pass on everything he's learned
about being one of the herd.

Following the dust and dangers
of their incredible road trip,

this must be pure heaven.

After an uncertain start,

the family now fully accepts
Shani as their new matriarch.

She won't be the same as Gaia...

elephants are individuals.

Shani will bring
her own style of leadership.

And she's started well.

In a few months,
these lush wetlands will be gone.

And the family will have
to leave the Delta

and head out again
across the vast wilds of Africa,

like countless generations
of Kalahari elephants before them.

These are the last elephants on Earth
who still have the freedom to roam.

May these unforgettable journeys continue
for generations to come.

And there's the baby. Look at that.

There's nothing like the sound of lions

40 feet from the car
when you've got no doors on it,

to make a little bit of wee come out.

Females, salty, three hours old.

No, don't taste it.

I can't bring myself
to do that to you.

I did this. I touched it with this finger
and licked the other finger.

Right over the camera.

They tend to be more nervous
in a herd like this,

because obviously the lions are around

and lions will have a go
for the youngsters.

- Lions?
- Yeah.

- You didn't say anything about lions.
- Of course there are lions.