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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:05,805 --> 00:00:09,875 DERECK: They emerged from the swamps 50 million years ago 2 00:00:09,877 --> 00:00:13,846 and became creatures that ruled the world from coast to coast, 3 00:00:13,848 --> 00:00:16,181 mountains to deserts. 4 00:00:16,183 --> 00:00:19,985 NARRATOR: Dereck and Beverly Joubert are many things -- 5 00:00:19,987 --> 00:00:21,553 award-winning filmmakers, 6 00:00:21,555 --> 00:00:25,024 explorers, and dedicated conservationists. 7 00:00:25,026 --> 00:00:27,493 Now they've set their sights once again 8 00:00:27,495 --> 00:00:32,765 on the elephants of Botswana -- but from a whole new angle. 9 00:00:32,767 --> 00:00:35,868 DERECK: We've lived in the wild in Botswana for 30 years, 10 00:00:35,870 --> 00:00:38,137 telling the stories of this place. 11 00:00:38,139 --> 00:00:40,072 But we haven't seen it all. 12 00:00:40,074 --> 00:00:42,141 We're still searching for something. 13 00:00:42,143 --> 00:00:44,610 [ Trumpeting ] 14 00:00:45,979 --> 00:00:47,446 NARRATOR: Journey with the Jouberts 15 00:00:47,448 --> 00:00:50,249 to one of the most remote places in Africa, 16 00:00:50,251 --> 00:00:52,584 where they'll explore one of the last remaining 17 00:00:52,586 --> 00:00:53,986 herds of elephants 18 00:00:53,988 --> 00:00:56,055 and contemplate the inner lives 19 00:00:56,057 --> 00:00:58,524 of these iconic creatures. 20 00:00:58,526 --> 00:01:00,793 BEVERLY: Did they know the dead elephant? 21 00:01:00,795 --> 00:01:03,996 Is this a curiosity or remembrance? 22 00:01:03,998 --> 00:01:10,035 What is the very soul of the elephant? 23 00:01:10,037 --> 00:01:13,105 ♪♪ 24 00:01:31,758 --> 00:01:34,726 [ Animals calling ] 25 00:01:34,728 --> 00:01:36,195 ♪♪ 26 00:01:36,197 --> 00:01:41,867 DERECK: The story of elephants is a timeless story of ghosts. 27 00:01:41,869 --> 00:01:45,304 [ Elephants rumbling ] 28 00:01:45,306 --> 00:01:49,475 They leave us messages -- 29 00:01:49,477 --> 00:01:53,078 ancient footprints in the sands of time. 30 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:56,515 In some places, it's the message of extinction 31 00:01:56,517 --> 00:01:59,651 as 35,000 elephants are poached each year, 32 00:01:59,653 --> 00:02:02,421 purely for their ivory. 33 00:02:02,423 --> 00:02:04,823 [ Elephant rumbles ] 34 00:02:04,825 --> 00:02:08,293 But in other places, there are messages of hope -- 35 00:02:08,295 --> 00:02:12,464 like where we live, where they are still giants. 36 00:02:12,466 --> 00:02:13,599 [ Elephant rumbles ] 37 00:02:13,601 --> 00:02:17,035 Seven-ton giants in full sail. 38 00:02:17,037 --> 00:02:19,238 Their movements 39 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,240 are a meditation. 40 00:02:22,709 --> 00:02:24,610 [ Elephant snorts ] 41 00:02:24,612 --> 00:02:28,780 Their eyes shine with a deep intelligence. 42 00:02:31,351 --> 00:02:34,920 We've lived in the wild in Botswana for 30 years, 43 00:02:34,922 --> 00:02:37,422 filming, exploring, researching, 44 00:02:37,424 --> 00:02:40,159 telling the stories of this place. 45 00:02:40,161 --> 00:02:42,094 But we haven't seen it all. 46 00:02:42,096 --> 00:02:45,030 We're still searching for something. 47 00:02:45,032 --> 00:02:48,800 And often, what we find surprises us. 48 00:02:48,802 --> 00:02:51,904 I often think of myself as an elephant. 49 00:02:51,906 --> 00:02:54,840 I try to think their thoughts, 50 00:02:54,842 --> 00:02:57,576 live life with their values. 51 00:02:57,578 --> 00:02:59,211 BEVERLY: This all started one day 52 00:02:59,213 --> 00:03:02,080 while exploring the backwaters of the bush. 53 00:03:02,082 --> 00:03:04,149 This place is endless. 54 00:03:04,151 --> 00:03:07,653 [ Woman vocalizing ] 55 00:03:10,990 --> 00:03:14,593 BEVERLY: We stumbled across something intriguing -- 56 00:03:14,595 --> 00:03:17,863 a sun-bleached skull from a bull elephant 57 00:03:17,865 --> 00:03:20,799 who'd died two years earlier, 58 00:03:20,801 --> 00:03:24,870 but with tusks so heavy, I could barely lift them. 59 00:03:24,872 --> 00:03:27,005 ♪♪ 60 00:03:31,244 --> 00:03:35,447 It's rare to find a carcass with its ivory still intact. 61 00:03:35,449 --> 00:03:39,551 What's so exciting about that is in what it represents. 62 00:03:39,553 --> 00:03:43,388 It means that no one has been here for at least two years. 63 00:03:43,390 --> 00:03:47,993 But something just didn't add up. 64 00:03:47,995 --> 00:03:50,195 DERECK: We had too many bones 65 00:03:50,197 --> 00:03:52,764 for this to be from one elephant. 66 00:03:52,766 --> 00:03:55,534 As we looked around, 67 00:03:55,536 --> 00:03:59,404 we found enough to make up two huge bull elephants, 68 00:03:59,406 --> 00:04:02,708 a literal killing field, but with a difference -- 69 00:04:02,710 --> 00:04:07,079 absolutely no sign of man. 70 00:04:07,081 --> 00:04:10,215 ♪♪ 71 00:04:17,023 --> 00:04:20,225 You can age an elephant by its molar teeth, 72 00:04:20,227 --> 00:04:22,527 and these bulls were old. 73 00:04:22,529 --> 00:04:26,832 But still, at around 70, they had a few years left to live. 74 00:04:26,834 --> 00:04:32,504 They both died in exactly the same place at the same time. 75 00:04:32,506 --> 00:04:35,907 Usually, that would mean poaching. 76 00:04:35,909 --> 00:04:39,511 But why would these two bulls still have their ivory? 77 00:04:39,513 --> 00:04:43,849 It was a mystery that would change the course of our lives 78 00:04:43,851 --> 00:04:46,351 over the next few months. 79 00:04:46,353 --> 00:04:51,623 We decided to reconstruct their lives. 80 00:04:51,625 --> 00:04:55,294 As we left the grave site, we didn't feel sad. 81 00:04:55,296 --> 00:04:58,697 Out here, you learn that a natural death like these, 82 00:04:58,699 --> 00:05:01,767 elephants that die with their ivory, 83 00:05:01,769 --> 00:05:06,238 is rare and a celebration, as it should be. 84 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:08,273 Dust to dust. 85 00:05:08,275 --> 00:05:11,943 The soul of the elephant at peace. 86 00:05:11,945 --> 00:05:13,578 ♪♪ 87 00:05:13,580 --> 00:05:18,016 This is a magical place, the Selinda Spillway, 88 00:05:18,018 --> 00:05:21,453 a wave of rivers that snake away from the Okavango Delta 89 00:05:21,455 --> 00:05:24,423 and join the northern rivers in Botswana, 90 00:05:24,425 --> 00:05:29,328 ultimately feeding into the great Zambezi. 91 00:05:29,330 --> 00:05:32,497 So, to understand the lives of the two bulls, 92 00:05:32,499 --> 00:05:37,035 we've decided to paddle from one end of this river to the other. 93 00:05:37,037 --> 00:05:38,837 It would have been their home range 94 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,574 from their birthplace to their final resting place. 95 00:05:47,513 --> 00:05:52,050 BEVERLY: Very shallow here. 96 00:05:52,052 --> 00:05:54,286 DERECK: Starting to get into that yellow water 97 00:05:54,288 --> 00:05:55,954 that we saw from the air. 98 00:05:55,956 --> 00:05:58,023 [ Bird chirping ] 99 00:05:58,025 --> 00:06:00,225 We'll also survey the carcasses we find 100 00:06:00,227 --> 00:06:03,161 to thoroughly understand poaching levels, hunting, 101 00:06:03,163 --> 00:06:05,897 and other influences of man. 102 00:06:05,899 --> 00:06:09,634 For the next few months, we'll paddle and walk, 103 00:06:09,636 --> 00:06:11,870 explore the river and its banks 104 00:06:11,872 --> 00:06:14,740 as it cuts through the largest elephant populations 105 00:06:14,742 --> 00:06:16,675 in the world. 106 00:06:16,677 --> 00:06:19,778 [ Elephant trumpets ] 107 00:06:19,780 --> 00:06:22,814 [ Rumbling ] 108 00:06:30,323 --> 00:06:35,160 The mystery of the two bulls still works inside my head. 109 00:06:35,162 --> 00:06:37,162 ♪♪ 110 00:06:37,164 --> 00:06:39,965 They were born over 70 years ago 111 00:06:39,967 --> 00:06:42,501 into a very different world. 112 00:06:42,503 --> 00:06:47,239 There would have been over 5 million elephants then. 113 00:06:51,577 --> 00:06:53,311 We were waging a world war 114 00:06:53,313 --> 00:06:56,047 as a 250-pound baby 115 00:06:56,049 --> 00:06:58,683 fought his own first battle against gravity 116 00:06:58,685 --> 00:07:01,286 to stand 117 00:07:01,288 --> 00:07:05,323 and his mother diligently cleaned away the placenta 118 00:07:05,325 --> 00:07:06,858 to hide the scent 119 00:07:06,860 --> 00:07:10,195 and to protect him from lions and hyenas. 120 00:07:10,197 --> 00:07:13,365 [ Elephant rumbles ] 121 00:07:13,367 --> 00:07:16,368 ♪♪ 122 00:07:16,370 --> 00:07:20,071 Each baby born then had less than a 10% chance 123 00:07:20,073 --> 00:07:22,374 of making it past our guns and snares 124 00:07:22,376 --> 00:07:25,977 to the age of the two old bulls. 125 00:07:25,979 --> 00:07:29,815 But both somehow survived. 126 00:07:35,054 --> 00:07:38,490 BEVERLY: I've also been thinking about those first steps. 127 00:07:38,492 --> 00:07:43,462 Soon after birth, a mother takes her newborn into the herd. 128 00:07:43,464 --> 00:07:46,097 The family gently adjusts pace 129 00:07:46,099 --> 00:07:50,068 for the smallest, shortest, newest legs. 130 00:07:50,070 --> 00:07:54,539 Within hours, he is their much-celebrated new baby 131 00:07:54,541 --> 00:07:58,910 that everyone wants to greet and to get to know and to protect. 132 00:07:58,912 --> 00:08:02,614 ♪♪ 133 00:08:02,616 --> 00:08:06,084 This social world he is introduced to 134 00:08:06,086 --> 00:08:08,954 will help him develop into one of the most intelligent 135 00:08:08,956 --> 00:08:11,990 and sensitive beings on the planet. 136 00:08:11,992 --> 00:08:15,594 [ Rumbling ] 137 00:08:15,596 --> 00:08:18,196 ♪♪ 138 00:08:28,808 --> 00:08:31,142 [ Rumbles ] 139 00:08:31,144 --> 00:08:33,211 [ Bird chirping ] 140 00:08:33,213 --> 00:08:35,881 The pace of a herd is misleadingly slow. 141 00:08:35,883 --> 00:08:39,885 They cover huge distances at an apparent stroll. 142 00:08:43,155 --> 00:08:45,423 But a quick nap while standing up 143 00:08:45,425 --> 00:08:48,026 disorientates him. 144 00:08:48,028 --> 00:08:50,262 [ Birds calling ] 145 00:08:50,264 --> 00:08:53,231 That's the time to panic. 146 00:08:56,702 --> 00:09:00,138 [ Adult rumbling ] 147 00:09:06,212 --> 00:09:09,414 [ Rumbling continues ] 148 00:09:11,117 --> 00:09:14,819 He's a miniature elephant in a world of giants 149 00:09:14,821 --> 00:09:18,590 and on strange, slippery terrain. 150 00:09:18,592 --> 00:09:20,792 [ Adult rumbles ] 151 00:09:20,794 --> 00:09:24,396 Even at his age, days old, 152 00:09:24,398 --> 00:09:26,965 he would have understood the ways of elephants, 153 00:09:26,967 --> 00:09:33,071 to recover from any indignity with aggression. 154 00:09:33,073 --> 00:09:36,675 [ Adult rumbling ] 155 00:09:36,677 --> 00:09:38,243 Charge at egrets, 156 00:09:38,245 --> 00:09:41,580 charge at shadows, but charge whenever you can. 157 00:09:41,582 --> 00:09:43,915 [ Trumpets ] 158 00:09:43,917 --> 00:09:46,351 ♪♪ 159 00:09:52,325 --> 00:09:54,693 [ Rumbling ] 160 00:09:56,996 --> 00:10:01,132 At his mother's side, an amazing lesson begins. 161 00:10:01,134 --> 00:10:02,601 He wants milk now, 162 00:10:02,603 --> 00:10:04,569 having survived his near-death experience 163 00:10:04,571 --> 00:10:06,471 with shadows and demons, 164 00:10:06,473 --> 00:10:10,175 but she withholds his privileges. 165 00:10:10,177 --> 00:10:13,044 ♪♪ 166 00:10:14,347 --> 00:10:17,849 He needs to strengthen his bond with her. 167 00:10:17,851 --> 00:10:23,588 And with elephants, that early imprinting is vital. 168 00:10:26,692 --> 00:10:27,859 He is frustrated. 169 00:10:27,861 --> 00:10:29,094 He wants that milk. 170 00:10:32,198 --> 00:10:37,369 But colossal legs outsmart his every move. 171 00:10:42,742 --> 00:10:45,176 It's only when his temper tantrum passes 172 00:10:45,178 --> 00:10:47,445 that he is allowed in. 173 00:10:47,447 --> 00:10:50,949 His constant pounding away yields results, 174 00:10:50,951 --> 00:10:53,652 and milk squirts out. 175 00:10:53,654 --> 00:10:57,355 These are the intimate lives of elephants we often forget about 176 00:10:57,357 --> 00:11:00,759 when we see them just as falling numbers on a chart. 177 00:11:00,761 --> 00:11:03,628 The water's deep enough for the hippo here. 178 00:11:03,630 --> 00:11:05,163 DERECK: It's on the next bend. 179 00:11:05,165 --> 00:11:09,000 BEVERLY: It's two weeks in, and we have a problem already. 180 00:11:09,002 --> 00:11:11,670 We know enough from 30 years of filming them 181 00:11:11,672 --> 00:11:16,341 exactly what is going on. 182 00:11:16,343 --> 00:11:19,644 DERECK: There, up ahead -- hippos fighting. 183 00:11:19,646 --> 00:11:22,313 BEVERLY: This narrow channel is not big enough 184 00:11:22,315 --> 00:11:24,349 for us and angry hippos. 185 00:11:24,351 --> 00:11:26,351 Better go around them. 186 00:11:26,353 --> 00:11:30,088 It's time to get out of the deep water. 187 00:11:30,090 --> 00:11:32,924 Dereck is always keen to give it a try. 188 00:11:32,926 --> 00:11:38,129 But it really is time to find an alternative route. 189 00:11:38,131 --> 00:11:41,199 Our reluctant captain checks the GPS 190 00:11:41,201 --> 00:11:43,201 and plots another course, 191 00:11:43,203 --> 00:11:45,437 except there isn't really an alternative 192 00:11:45,439 --> 00:11:47,872 but to pull our canoe and gear through the backwaters 193 00:11:47,874 --> 00:11:52,210 and shallows, where we can, at least, see hippos coming. 194 00:11:52,212 --> 00:11:54,245 Very shallow here. 195 00:11:54,247 --> 00:11:56,514 DERECK: So much for paddling down the river. 196 00:11:56,516 --> 00:11:58,483 BEVERLY: If anything goes wrong, 197 00:11:58,485 --> 00:12:01,319 we'll need to be airlifted by helicopter from here. 198 00:12:01,321 --> 00:12:06,091 It's over five days' drive to the nearest town. 199 00:12:06,093 --> 00:12:08,793 DERECK: All right, well done. 200 00:12:08,795 --> 00:12:10,261 BEVERLY: All right. 201 00:12:10,263 --> 00:12:13,431 DERECK: In the backwaters, we find another skull. 202 00:12:13,433 --> 00:12:17,736 A submerged skull gives us very little to go on. 203 00:12:17,738 --> 00:12:19,671 It's like coaxing stories 204 00:12:19,673 --> 00:12:21,206 out of spirits. 205 00:12:21,208 --> 00:12:23,074 But the clues are all there. 206 00:12:26,912 --> 00:12:31,449 The lower jaw indicates it was only about 25 years old. 207 00:12:31,451 --> 00:12:34,452 We always replace each bone 208 00:12:34,454 --> 00:12:38,022 exactly as we find it, out of respect. 209 00:12:41,060 --> 00:12:45,697 The sloping forehead tells us it was a young bull. 210 00:12:45,699 --> 00:12:48,666 The tusks have not been chopped out. 211 00:12:50,402 --> 00:12:53,838 We write it up as another natural death 212 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:56,407 in a watery grave. 213 00:12:56,409 --> 00:12:58,643 There is a richness to life here, 214 00:12:58,645 --> 00:13:01,246 but none quite as dramatic 215 00:13:01,248 --> 00:13:04,482 as what we finally come across downstream. 216 00:13:04,484 --> 00:13:07,852 ♪♪ 217 00:13:07,854 --> 00:13:12,390 Just ahead, we see our first living elephants in weeks. 218 00:13:12,392 --> 00:13:14,726 The phantoms of this expedition 219 00:13:14,728 --> 00:13:18,396 are actually real at last. 220 00:13:18,398 --> 00:13:21,833 ♪♪ 221 00:13:27,740 --> 00:13:32,977 We also get a rare private view of wild elephants. 222 00:13:32,979 --> 00:13:36,881 A little like looking in through a bedroom window. 223 00:13:36,883 --> 00:13:40,351 [ Elephant snoring ] 224 00:13:40,353 --> 00:13:46,024 And actually, elephants do snore. 225 00:13:46,026 --> 00:13:49,561 The wind changes, swirling our scent towards them, 226 00:13:49,563 --> 00:13:51,796 and it seems they know that smell. 227 00:13:51,798 --> 00:13:54,265 [ Trumpets ] 228 00:13:54,267 --> 00:13:56,634 [ Rumbling ] 229 00:13:56,636 --> 00:13:59,037 Our only defense in this shallow water 230 00:13:59,039 --> 00:14:01,506 is to keep dead still. 231 00:14:01,508 --> 00:14:03,708 [ Elephant trumpets ] 232 00:14:03,710 --> 00:14:06,411 And perfectly quiet. 233 00:14:06,413 --> 00:14:07,612 [ Rumbling ] 234 00:14:07,614 --> 00:14:11,015 [ Trumpets ] 235 00:14:11,017 --> 00:14:13,351 There's always a heavy sleeper. 236 00:14:13,353 --> 00:14:15,920 Caught off guard, they're the most dangerous -- 237 00:14:15,922 --> 00:14:18,857 more prone to panic and to charge. 238 00:14:18,859 --> 00:14:19,958 [ Trumpets ] 239 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:22,827 ♪♪ 240 00:14:29,668 --> 00:14:33,171 Now, these are moments I love. 241 00:14:33,173 --> 00:14:35,340 There is something hypnotic 242 00:14:35,342 --> 00:14:38,409 about being in the path of a charging elephant -- 243 00:14:38,411 --> 00:14:43,381 something dangerous, but peaceful, beautiful. 244 00:14:43,383 --> 00:14:47,085 Time warps. 245 00:14:47,087 --> 00:14:49,020 You focus on the dance of their ears. 246 00:14:49,022 --> 00:14:52,690 And sound dulls because you believe he'll stop, 247 00:14:52,692 --> 00:14:55,627 but you don't know it for sure. 248 00:14:58,764 --> 00:15:04,836 It's strange that you feel most alive when you face death. 249 00:15:06,372 --> 00:15:10,475 [ Rumbles ] 250 00:15:15,114 --> 00:15:16,481 [ Rumbling ] 251 00:15:16,483 --> 00:15:18,149 And when it's over, 252 00:15:18,151 --> 00:15:20,985 I find myself strangely relaxed, 253 00:15:20,987 --> 00:15:26,491 privileged at having been face-to-face with an elephant. 254 00:15:26,493 --> 00:15:30,862 [ Rumbling ] 255 00:15:30,864 --> 00:15:33,998 Any disturbance ripples through the herds, 256 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,134 and they stop as one 257 00:15:36,136 --> 00:15:39,804 in what we call a freeze. 258 00:15:39,806 --> 00:15:43,741 [ Insects chirping ] 259 00:15:43,743 --> 00:15:46,244 The leader gives an order and releases them 260 00:15:46,246 --> 00:15:48,179 with another ultrasonic call to move on. 261 00:15:48,181 --> 00:15:49,314 [ Trumpets ] 262 00:15:49,316 --> 00:15:51,549 That order sends them 263 00:15:51,551 --> 00:15:52,984 back our way. 264 00:15:52,986 --> 00:15:55,253 [ Trumpets ] 265 00:15:55,255 --> 00:15:56,554 [ Rumbling ] 266 00:15:56,556 --> 00:15:59,590 [ Trumpets ] 267 00:15:59,592 --> 00:16:02,694 But it breaks our hearts to see each herd we approach 268 00:16:02,696 --> 00:16:04,529 disappear like ghosts 269 00:16:04,531 --> 00:16:06,130 before we can even get to know them 270 00:16:06,132 --> 00:16:09,467 or even count them. 271 00:16:09,469 --> 00:16:12,537 ♪♪ 272 00:16:15,908 --> 00:16:17,141 [ Mooing ] 273 00:16:17,143 --> 00:16:20,311 Perhaps it isn't entirely our fault. 274 00:16:20,313 --> 00:16:23,715 Within minutes, we find out that the animals here 275 00:16:23,717 --> 00:16:26,851 may be upset for a different reason. 276 00:16:26,853 --> 00:16:30,088 There are lions hunting in the dusk. 277 00:16:30,090 --> 00:16:34,225 [ Mooing ] 278 00:16:46,538 --> 00:16:49,807 [ Lion growling ] 279 00:16:49,809 --> 00:16:53,177 [ Mooing ] 280 00:16:53,245 --> 00:16:56,681 Lions are unafraid of the most dangerous of prey 281 00:16:56,683 --> 00:16:59,917 and the largest. 282 00:16:59,919 --> 00:17:01,419 But old bull elephants 283 00:17:01,421 --> 00:17:04,522 are the true omnipotent rulers of the savannas, 284 00:17:04,524 --> 00:17:08,526 not even pausing to look at the carnage. 285 00:17:08,528 --> 00:17:11,929 Certainly it wasn't lions that brought down the two old bulls 286 00:17:11,931 --> 00:17:14,032 we found over a month ago now. 287 00:17:14,034 --> 00:17:17,268 ♪♪ 288 00:17:17,270 --> 00:17:19,904 [ Elephant rumbles ] 289 00:17:29,281 --> 00:17:32,283 Our nights under a flimsy tent 290 00:17:32,285 --> 00:17:36,854 are filled with sounds that light up the imagination. 291 00:17:36,856 --> 00:17:39,624 [ Various animal calls ] 292 00:17:39,626 --> 00:17:41,526 We dream of giants 293 00:17:41,528 --> 00:17:45,797 moving as silently as ghost ships under sail. 294 00:17:45,799 --> 00:17:48,466 [ Animals calling ] 295 00:17:51,503 --> 00:17:54,105 BEVERLY: Looks like there's a skull over there. 296 00:17:54,107 --> 00:17:56,974 The skull of an elephant. Looks typical. 297 00:17:56,976 --> 00:17:58,876 DERECK: Yeah, let's go down there. 298 00:17:58,878 --> 00:18:00,411 BEVERLY: We heard them calling all night, 299 00:18:00,413 --> 00:18:03,614 and now we understand why. 300 00:18:03,616 --> 00:18:07,385 It's one of those gatherings we think are like burial rituals 301 00:18:07,387 --> 00:18:08,653 or wakes. 302 00:18:08,655 --> 00:18:09,921 DERECK: Let's see what happens here. 303 00:18:09,923 --> 00:18:12,023 That looks like the -- over there 304 00:18:12,025 --> 00:18:15,259 'cause there are all those females next to it. 305 00:18:15,261 --> 00:18:18,496 [ Rumbling ] 306 00:18:18,498 --> 00:18:21,666 ♪♪ 307 00:18:40,786 --> 00:18:44,255 BEVERLY: We want to be quiet, respectful, 308 00:18:44,257 --> 00:18:48,292 but we still feel like intruders on a family in mourning. 309 00:18:57,336 --> 00:18:59,270 When she lifts the body, 310 00:18:59,272 --> 00:19:02,507 she may be looking, searching for the cause of death. 311 00:19:02,509 --> 00:19:06,144 [ Elephant exhales ] 312 00:19:06,146 --> 00:19:09,647 So much attention is given to the ivory, 313 00:19:09,649 --> 00:19:13,651 as if it is the very symbol of that elephant -- 314 00:19:13,653 --> 00:19:17,555 the embodiment of an elephant's soul. 315 00:19:17,557 --> 00:19:21,425 ♪♪ 316 00:19:24,096 --> 00:19:28,199 Their brains are almost five times the size of ours. 317 00:19:28,201 --> 00:19:30,801 There is no doubt that they are feeling emotions, 318 00:19:30,803 --> 00:19:33,471 and I wonder what information they are getting 319 00:19:33,473 --> 00:19:37,942 as their trunks delicately hover over the remains. 320 00:19:37,944 --> 00:19:41,646 ♪♪ 321 00:19:41,648 --> 00:19:43,481 Did they know the dead elephant? 322 00:19:43,483 --> 00:19:45,983 Was it a family member? 323 00:19:45,985 --> 00:19:49,620 Is this curiosity or remembrance? 324 00:19:49,622 --> 00:19:53,257 [ Rumbling ] 325 00:19:53,259 --> 00:19:56,260 As we intrude just a little longer, 326 00:19:56,262 --> 00:19:58,930 we can see that it was a young bull. 327 00:19:58,932 --> 00:20:02,567 Cause of death could have been just like many a young bull -- 328 00:20:02,569 --> 00:20:04,402 raging testosterone. 329 00:20:04,404 --> 00:20:07,805 [ Trumpeting ] 330 00:20:14,947 --> 00:20:17,415 [ Rumbling ] 331 00:20:20,586 --> 00:20:22,853 DERECK: There is a saying in Africa 332 00:20:22,855 --> 00:20:25,089 that when two elephants fight, 333 00:20:25,091 --> 00:20:28,492 it's the ground beneath them that suffers the most. 334 00:20:28,494 --> 00:20:30,328 [ Trumpeting continues ] 335 00:20:30,330 --> 00:20:33,030 But a misplaced tusk, a broken leg, 336 00:20:33,032 --> 00:20:35,132 and either young bull will end up 337 00:20:35,134 --> 00:20:40,605 as bleached skin and bones under the harsh African sky. 338 00:20:40,607 --> 00:20:46,043 [ Trumpeting continues ] 339 00:20:46,045 --> 00:20:49,146 ♪♪ 340 00:20:56,855 --> 00:20:59,056 [ Rumbling ] 341 00:20:59,791 --> 00:21:02,193 [ Trumpeting ] 342 00:21:05,564 --> 00:21:08,933 The threats are not just from humans. 343 00:21:08,935 --> 00:21:11,402 As we leave, we understand 344 00:21:11,404 --> 00:21:13,871 that for our two old bulls to have survived, 345 00:21:13,873 --> 00:21:15,606 they would have had to also 346 00:21:15,608 --> 00:21:19,644 make it through this intense phase of their lives. 347 00:21:24,249 --> 00:21:30,087 It's sizzling hot now -- over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 348 00:21:30,089 --> 00:21:32,423 That should make everyone lethargic. 349 00:21:32,425 --> 00:21:35,293 Or so you'd think. 350 00:21:35,295 --> 00:21:39,130 In some cases, it just makes them cranky. 351 00:21:50,275 --> 00:21:53,277 When elephants really mean to attack, 352 00:21:53,279 --> 00:21:56,113 they approach with a side-on strut 353 00:21:56,115 --> 00:21:59,150 and then dip their heads for the charge. 354 00:21:59,152 --> 00:22:00,818 [ Trumpeting ] 355 00:22:00,820 --> 00:22:04,288 While they're flapping ears and trumpeting, we're okay. 356 00:22:04,290 --> 00:22:08,893 It's when they go quiet and drop that head 357 00:22:08,895 --> 00:22:11,395 that it could go either way. 358 00:22:11,397 --> 00:22:14,832 [ Trumpeting ] 359 00:22:17,736 --> 00:22:21,639 There is a subtle language to all of this. 360 00:22:21,641 --> 00:22:23,941 [ Trumpets ] 361 00:22:23,943 --> 00:22:25,943 BEVERLY: Gotta be careful if we're underneath 362 00:22:25,945 --> 00:22:27,645 the bird's perch -- like that one. 363 00:22:27,647 --> 00:22:29,380 DERECK: You see that under my feet. 364 00:22:29,382 --> 00:22:31,916 We're drifting over a submerged acacia tree. 365 00:22:31,918 --> 00:22:33,984 [ Branches snapping ] 366 00:22:33,986 --> 00:22:35,753 It breaks the silence. 367 00:22:35,755 --> 00:22:38,022 The herd's suddenly wary. 368 00:22:38,024 --> 00:22:39,323 We can't backpedal 369 00:22:39,325 --> 00:22:42,360 without becoming even more obvious to them. 370 00:22:42,362 --> 00:22:45,896 ♪♪ 371 00:23:00,679 --> 00:23:03,114 Beverly's instinct is to crouch down 372 00:23:03,116 --> 00:23:05,783 and record the sound of the bulls coming in 373 00:23:05,785 --> 00:23:09,186 'cause she knows this is gonna be very loud. 374 00:23:09,188 --> 00:23:12,123 [ Trumpeting ] 375 00:23:19,798 --> 00:23:20,798 ♪♪ 376 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:22,867 Too close. 377 00:23:22,869 --> 00:23:26,137 [ Trumpeting ] 378 00:23:26,139 --> 00:23:28,939 There's only one thing to do... 379 00:23:28,941 --> 00:23:32,076 stare him down. 380 00:23:32,144 --> 00:23:35,546 Elephants are so used to being dominant 381 00:23:35,548 --> 00:23:37,715 that when something doesn't run off, 382 00:23:37,717 --> 00:23:41,752 they sometimes feel intimidated, unsettled. 383 00:23:41,754 --> 00:23:47,124 Confidence is the only weapon we have. 384 00:23:47,126 --> 00:23:50,060 [ Rumbling ] 385 00:23:53,265 --> 00:23:55,533 These elephants are wild and angry, 386 00:23:55,535 --> 00:23:58,936 unlike earlier ones that just disappeared. 387 00:23:58,938 --> 00:24:00,471 [ Trumpeting ] 388 00:24:00,473 --> 00:24:03,307 They're charging like crazy from every direction, 389 00:24:03,309 --> 00:24:05,409 around every bend in the river. 390 00:24:05,411 --> 00:24:08,579 [ Trumpeting ] 391 00:24:08,581 --> 00:24:10,881 [ Trumpets ] 392 00:24:12,617 --> 00:24:16,821 BEVERLY: Whew, that was close. 393 00:24:16,823 --> 00:24:18,389 DERECK: Not far downstream, 394 00:24:18,391 --> 00:24:21,525 we understand exactly why. 395 00:24:21,527 --> 00:24:24,528 Piles of skulls lie scattered all around. 396 00:24:24,530 --> 00:24:26,397 BEVERLY: Look at this -- from the teeth, 397 00:24:26,399 --> 00:24:27,932 it doesn't look very old. 398 00:24:27,934 --> 00:24:29,600 DERECK: This one's got lots of teeth. 399 00:24:29,602 --> 00:24:31,368 BEVERLY: Look. Look at this one, too, this... 400 00:24:31,370 --> 00:24:32,937 Wow. 401 00:24:32,939 --> 00:24:34,538 He was shot... 402 00:24:34,540 --> 00:24:38,809 DERECK: Until 2014, hunting of elephants was legal here. 403 00:24:38,811 --> 00:24:41,145 Have been in here. 404 00:24:41,147 --> 00:24:43,481 Hunters were only allowed to shoot males, 405 00:24:43,483 --> 00:24:47,985 but we uncover female skulls as well. 406 00:24:47,987 --> 00:24:50,154 Given what we now know, 407 00:24:50,156 --> 00:24:52,590 it must be deeply traumatic for elephants 408 00:24:52,592 --> 00:24:56,293 when they stumble across these piles of discarded bones. 409 00:24:56,295 --> 00:24:58,562 BEVERLY: This is a killing field. 410 00:24:58,564 --> 00:25:00,397 DERECK: It explains why 411 00:25:00,399 --> 00:25:02,600 at the start of each hunting season, 412 00:25:02,602 --> 00:25:05,135 elephants would leave hunting areas. 413 00:25:05,137 --> 00:25:09,106 They must know what we do to them. 414 00:25:09,108 --> 00:25:11,909 ♪♪ 415 00:25:11,911 --> 00:25:17,414 The two old bulls were lucky to escape this era as well. 416 00:25:17,416 --> 00:25:19,483 ♪♪ 417 00:25:27,726 --> 00:25:31,462 It feels like we're in hostile territory. 418 00:25:31,464 --> 00:25:34,899 [ Hippo calling ] 419 00:25:43,041 --> 00:25:45,943 We decide to quietly 420 00:25:45,945 --> 00:25:48,979 follow the family just ahead. 421 00:25:48,981 --> 00:25:50,080 If the Egyptian geese 422 00:25:50,082 --> 00:25:52,216 can navigate hippo waters, 423 00:25:52,218 --> 00:25:54,318 so can we. 424 00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:58,522 [ Hippos calling ] 425 00:26:13,405 --> 00:26:17,174 Hippos tend to go to the deep water... 426 00:26:18,643 --> 00:26:22,613 ...and then come up anywhere. 427 00:26:22,615 --> 00:26:26,817 It's like walking through a mine field. 428 00:26:26,819 --> 00:26:30,187 We both silently push back the words 429 00:26:30,189 --> 00:26:32,323 swirling around in our heads... 430 00:26:32,325 --> 00:26:35,092 [ Hippo calling ] 431 00:26:37,629 --> 00:26:41,732 ...that hippos kill more people in Africa than other animal. 432 00:26:44,235 --> 00:26:48,839 Staying calm is our best weapon. 433 00:26:48,841 --> 00:26:52,242 We try not to look into the black water 434 00:26:52,244 --> 00:26:56,146 for monsters that may not even be there. 435 00:26:56,148 --> 00:26:59,917 But this river is full of surprises. 436 00:26:59,985 --> 00:27:02,886 ♪♪ 437 00:27:24,743 --> 00:27:28,912 They emerged from the swamps 50 million years ago 438 00:27:28,914 --> 00:27:31,749 and became creatures that ruled the world 439 00:27:31,751 --> 00:27:33,851 from Africa to Asia, 440 00:27:33,853 --> 00:27:35,919 and even into the Americas, 441 00:27:35,921 --> 00:27:40,858 from coast to coast, mountains to deserts. 442 00:27:40,860 --> 00:27:45,195 ♪♪ 443 00:27:45,197 --> 00:27:49,667 And today, they are as at home in the water as ever. 444 00:27:57,609 --> 00:28:01,211 These water dances are playful games, 445 00:28:01,213 --> 00:28:04,815 but with an undercurrent of testing wits and strengths. 446 00:28:04,817 --> 00:28:07,451 [ Rumbling ] 447 00:28:07,453 --> 00:28:10,521 ♪♪ 448 00:28:19,998 --> 00:28:24,201 They're not used to people approaching on water, 449 00:28:24,203 --> 00:28:26,270 so we decide to drift in 450 00:28:26,272 --> 00:28:27,571 while they're distracted 451 00:28:27,573 --> 00:28:31,041 by the calm bulls playing nearby. 452 00:28:36,047 --> 00:28:39,183 [ Rumbling ] 453 00:28:55,166 --> 00:29:00,003 The story of elephants is also the story of water. 454 00:29:00,005 --> 00:29:03,107 Botswana has over one-third of the world's elephants today, 455 00:29:03,109 --> 00:29:05,709 thriving here for many reasons. 456 00:29:05,711 --> 00:29:09,446 Abundant water may be the most important of them. 457 00:29:17,155 --> 00:29:20,557 Even the big males barely give us a second glance 458 00:29:20,559 --> 00:29:23,093 as they glide by. 459 00:29:23,095 --> 00:29:26,430 ♪♪ 460 00:29:28,733 --> 00:29:32,236 And as the heat relaxes its grip on everything, 461 00:29:32,238 --> 00:29:36,540 we sit silently, reluctant to return to normal, 462 00:29:36,542 --> 00:29:40,778 and realize that what we've been affected by all of this as well. 463 00:29:40,780 --> 00:29:44,648 It's intoxicating. 464 00:29:50,488 --> 00:29:52,990 [ Animals calling ] 465 00:29:54,392 --> 00:29:57,594 BEVERLY: Oh, this will guide us in. 466 00:29:57,596 --> 00:29:58,862 DERECK: This is bliss. 467 00:29:58,864 --> 00:30:00,998 BEVERLY: Truly, yes. 468 00:30:10,975 --> 00:30:14,511 DERECK: Our camp tonight will be under the full moon 469 00:30:14,513 --> 00:30:17,614 and in the company of magical beasts 470 00:30:17,616 --> 00:30:20,017 in fairy tale moonbeams -- 471 00:30:20,019 --> 00:30:22,619 remnants of a time past, perhaps. 472 00:30:22,621 --> 00:30:24,555 [ Rumbling ] 473 00:30:24,557 --> 00:30:26,657 We realize that we have tapped in 474 00:30:26,659 --> 00:30:30,661 to that ancient heartbeat of the elephant, 475 00:30:30,663 --> 00:30:34,064 the very soul of who they are. 476 00:30:34,066 --> 00:30:38,769 [ Rumbling ] 477 00:30:38,771 --> 00:30:40,838 And we definitely know 478 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,073 that when we spend time with elephants, 479 00:30:43,075 --> 00:30:47,644 we come away somehow better. 480 00:30:47,646 --> 00:30:51,648 ♪♪ 481 00:30:51,650 --> 00:30:54,184 [ Birds calling ] 482 00:30:56,154 --> 00:30:58,522 Go forward on your side? 483 00:30:58,524 --> 00:31:01,225 BEVERLY: It's hard to see. The water's so black. 484 00:31:01,227 --> 00:31:03,560 BEVERLY: We're driven by the hope that today will be 485 00:31:03,562 --> 00:31:05,662 at least as good as yesterday. 486 00:31:05,664 --> 00:31:09,266 So no dawn is left to rise without us. 487 00:31:09,268 --> 00:31:11,869 [ Rumbling ] 488 00:31:11,871 --> 00:31:15,005 We're more than a month in. 489 00:31:15,007 --> 00:31:17,040 From early morning through the midday heat 490 00:31:17,042 --> 00:31:18,876 and until late at night, 491 00:31:18,878 --> 00:31:23,013 the river is packed with elephants. 492 00:31:23,015 --> 00:31:25,916 As we drift alongside them now 493 00:31:25,918 --> 00:31:27,718 day after day, 494 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:30,721 we seem to have cracked some kind of elephant code, 495 00:31:30,723 --> 00:31:33,323 and we can get in close. 496 00:31:38,162 --> 00:31:41,031 [ Rumbling ] 497 00:31:41,099 --> 00:31:44,534 We can see details we didn't before. 498 00:31:44,536 --> 00:31:47,604 We soak up the closeness, 499 00:31:47,606 --> 00:31:49,940 the smell, the trust, 500 00:31:49,942 --> 00:31:53,944 and feel the beat of their silent calls in our chests. 501 00:31:53,946 --> 00:31:55,345 It's euphoric 502 00:31:55,347 --> 00:31:58,448 being in the accepting presence of these animals. 503 00:31:58,450 --> 00:32:01,218 [ Rumbling ] 504 00:32:04,188 --> 00:32:06,156 With the elephants this calm, 505 00:32:06,158 --> 00:32:10,360 Dereck wants to experience that closeness even more. 506 00:32:10,362 --> 00:32:11,895 The more we do this, 507 00:32:11,897 --> 00:32:15,299 the more we embed ourselves into their culture, 508 00:32:15,301 --> 00:32:17,734 we imagine for a moment 509 00:32:17,736 --> 00:32:20,938 that we thoroughly understand them. 510 00:32:20,940 --> 00:32:22,873 And then, for some reason, 511 00:32:22,875 --> 00:32:26,610 they all suddenly head away from the river at this point. 512 00:32:29,180 --> 00:32:30,981 ♪♪ 513 00:32:30,983 --> 00:32:33,583 DERECK: We're now close enough to get our plane 514 00:32:33,585 --> 00:32:38,021 to get an overview and find out exactly why. 515 00:32:38,023 --> 00:32:41,024 Floating over Botswana is magical. 516 00:32:41,026 --> 00:32:43,727 I love Africa from the air. 517 00:32:46,564 --> 00:32:50,200 What looks like random paths from the ground 518 00:32:50,202 --> 00:32:53,236 magically form into well-organized patterns 519 00:32:53,238 --> 00:32:55,572 from the air. 520 00:32:55,574 --> 00:32:58,308 Ancient networks of paths 521 00:32:58,310 --> 00:33:01,445 once connected water holes across the continent. 522 00:33:01,447 --> 00:33:05,248 They lead elephants out across the grasslands, 523 00:33:05,250 --> 00:33:08,352 herd after herd following behind their mothers 524 00:33:08,354 --> 00:33:10,921 and the memories of their ancestors 525 00:33:10,923 --> 00:33:12,622 in the never-ending search 526 00:33:12,624 --> 00:33:15,325 that drives elephants. 527 00:33:15,327 --> 00:33:18,729 ♪♪ 528 00:33:18,731 --> 00:33:21,765 [ Rumbling ] 529 00:33:21,767 --> 00:33:24,468 We can now recognize individual elephants, 530 00:33:24,470 --> 00:33:26,903 like this one-tusker and her family, 531 00:33:26,905 --> 00:33:31,975 as they etch their own stories into the paths with their feet. 532 00:33:31,977 --> 00:33:36,079 [ Rumbling ] 533 00:33:36,081 --> 00:33:39,850 Botswana's elephants have very small tusks. 534 00:33:39,852 --> 00:33:42,085 The water here has little mineral value, 535 00:33:42,087 --> 00:33:44,454 so tusks are brittle. 536 00:33:44,456 --> 00:33:46,923 It may be a saving grace. 537 00:33:46,925 --> 00:33:51,061 [ Birds chirping ] 538 00:33:51,063 --> 00:33:57,968 [ Rumbling ] 539 00:33:59,037 --> 00:34:02,639 Being a tuskless elephant may actually be an advantage 540 00:34:02,641 --> 00:34:03,707 in the future. 541 00:34:03,709 --> 00:34:05,375 Virtually every family here 542 00:34:05,377 --> 00:34:08,612 has at least one tuskless female. 543 00:34:12,316 --> 00:34:13,550 They leave the rivers here 544 00:34:13,552 --> 00:34:15,452 for something other than water -- 545 00:34:15,454 --> 00:34:18,688 salt. 546 00:34:18,690 --> 00:34:22,192 Elephants need almost a quarter-pound of salt every day, 547 00:34:22,194 --> 00:34:26,263 and this is the only place to find it. 548 00:34:26,265 --> 00:34:29,332 They probe and prospect for tiny crystals, 549 00:34:29,334 --> 00:34:31,868 an almost impossible task without fingers, 550 00:34:31,870 --> 00:34:33,270 you would think. 551 00:34:33,272 --> 00:34:36,606 But with at least 60,000 muscles in their trunks, 552 00:34:36,608 --> 00:34:41,011 elephants can pick out a crystal and work it loose. 553 00:34:43,681 --> 00:34:48,151 If need be, they use heavier equipment. 554 00:34:48,153 --> 00:34:50,987 Then they just work whole clods into their mouths 555 00:34:50,989 --> 00:34:53,824 to swallow, and rely on efficient stomachs 556 00:34:53,826 --> 00:34:56,259 to filter out the good stuff. 557 00:34:56,261 --> 00:35:00,030 The trunk defines elephants. 558 00:35:00,032 --> 00:35:02,065 It's their tool for digging, breaking, 559 00:35:02,067 --> 00:35:03,967 smelling, investigating -- 560 00:35:03,969 --> 00:35:06,470 always alive, always moving... 561 00:35:06,472 --> 00:35:08,905 just like them. 562 00:35:08,907 --> 00:35:12,075 ♪♪ 563 00:35:13,811 --> 00:35:18,548 We can sense the two bulls leaving these ancient digs. 564 00:35:18,550 --> 00:35:21,184 20 years ago, they would have been in search of something 565 00:35:21,186 --> 00:35:26,323 even more important than salt to securing their future. 566 00:35:27,859 --> 00:35:30,260 To mate, both males and females 567 00:35:30,262 --> 00:35:31,995 need to be in sync. 568 00:35:31,997 --> 00:35:35,132 The male musth happens once a year. 569 00:35:35,134 --> 00:35:40,103 The tiny tuskless calf is also in heat, 570 00:35:40,105 --> 00:35:43,140 and he's not about to let her get away. 571 00:35:45,176 --> 00:35:47,777 [ Trumpets ] 572 00:35:53,284 --> 00:35:55,485 22 months from now, 573 00:35:55,487 --> 00:35:57,988 he could have an heir. 574 00:35:57,990 --> 00:35:59,923 She may still be a teenager, 575 00:35:59,925 --> 00:36:01,791 but she knows how to send 576 00:36:01,793 --> 00:36:04,427 secret messages of seduction. 577 00:36:04,429 --> 00:36:07,797 The only clues are in her soundless open mouth 578 00:36:07,799 --> 00:36:11,501 and flapping ears. 579 00:36:11,503 --> 00:36:15,372 [ Rumbling ] 580 00:36:15,374 --> 00:36:17,841 A series of six calls, 581 00:36:17,843 --> 00:36:21,912 so low in frequency we can't normally hear them. 582 00:36:21,914 --> 00:36:23,613 [ Rumbling ] 583 00:36:23,615 --> 00:36:27,717 This will attract every mating male within 10 miles of here 584 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:29,753 to contest for the right 585 00:36:29,755 --> 00:36:34,558 to pass his genes on to the next generation of Selinda elephants. 586 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:38,128 [ Birds chirping ] 587 00:36:50,675 --> 00:36:54,911 Elephants create a ripple effect of advantage to others. 588 00:36:54,913 --> 00:37:01,251 A pied kingfisher finds them useful as a perch. 589 00:37:01,253 --> 00:37:03,420 [ Rumbling ] 590 00:37:03,422 --> 00:37:05,655 She's watching out for small fish, 591 00:37:05,657 --> 00:37:09,292 but elephants have sensitive skins. 592 00:37:09,294 --> 00:37:11,161 They hate biting flies... 593 00:37:11,163 --> 00:37:14,397 and, apparently, the feel of a kingfisher. 594 00:37:28,279 --> 00:37:31,081 There is a time for babies to just follow along 595 00:37:31,083 --> 00:37:32,949 and a time for them to play 596 00:37:32,951 --> 00:37:37,287 and enjoy the slippery feeling of fine mud under their feet. 597 00:37:37,289 --> 00:37:40,090 But this is not one of them. 598 00:37:40,092 --> 00:37:41,758 We know from working with lions 599 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:45,862 just how quickly the see an opportunity and react. 600 00:37:45,864 --> 00:37:47,931 The baby is down, 601 00:37:47,933 --> 00:37:50,133 floundering, drowning. 602 00:37:50,135 --> 00:37:52,235 [ Trumpeting ] 603 00:37:52,303 --> 00:37:54,237 ♪♪ 604 00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:56,172 The lions are waiting here. 605 00:37:56,174 --> 00:37:58,308 They know the hazards. 606 00:38:00,711 --> 00:38:02,746 [ Trumpeting ] 607 00:38:07,785 --> 00:38:11,621 And these lions are not afraid of water. 608 00:38:11,689 --> 00:38:13,690 ♪♪ 609 00:38:30,941 --> 00:38:33,343 Lions don't give up easily. 610 00:38:33,345 --> 00:38:36,613 They'll circle back to this crossing point later. 611 00:38:38,816 --> 00:38:41,651 Despite the swirling scent of lions, 612 00:38:41,653 --> 00:38:45,155 the calm crossings are methodical. 613 00:38:45,157 --> 00:38:48,858 Elephants just don't like congestion, stress. 614 00:38:51,595 --> 00:38:56,299 Each herd leaves enough space ahead and behind. 615 00:38:59,470 --> 00:39:03,073 ♪♪ 616 00:39:12,616 --> 00:39:16,419 These gatherings and long lines of elephant families, 617 00:39:16,421 --> 00:39:18,288 floating across the landscape 618 00:39:18,290 --> 00:39:21,024 in and out of the sparkling floodplains, 619 00:39:21,026 --> 00:39:24,861 are very typical of the freedom of Botswana for elephants... 620 00:39:24,863 --> 00:39:29,099 the freedom to come and go almost endlessly, 621 00:39:29,101 --> 00:39:34,003 to feel the weightlessness of their huge bodies in water. 622 00:39:47,151 --> 00:39:52,389 This opportunity gives us a rare chance to see them at play, 623 00:39:52,391 --> 00:39:55,091 but from inside their world 624 00:39:55,093 --> 00:39:57,961 as swamp creatures. 625 00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:18,081 They always maintain 626 00:40:18,083 --> 00:40:19,949 the integrity of their family groups, 627 00:40:19,951 --> 00:40:22,385 keeping separate by just enough 628 00:40:22,387 --> 00:40:24,387 so their young don't mingle and get lost, 629 00:40:24,389 --> 00:40:28,057 and yet close enough to stay in touch as a herd -- 630 00:40:28,059 --> 00:40:30,860 as a clan of elephants. 631 00:40:30,862 --> 00:40:33,696 At times, these clans will gather at crossings 632 00:40:33,698 --> 00:40:36,232 in numbers of well over 400 elephants 633 00:40:36,234 --> 00:40:38,968 along the Selinda Spillway. 634 00:40:38,970 --> 00:40:41,337 ♪♪ 635 00:40:41,339 --> 00:40:42,839 Keeping those families intact 636 00:40:42,841 --> 00:40:46,309 in a huge herd like this can be a challenge. 637 00:40:51,315 --> 00:40:54,017 [ Rumbling ] 638 00:41:00,991 --> 00:41:05,228 A cow has lost her calf 639 00:41:05,230 --> 00:41:08,832 right at the vulnerable crossing point. 640 00:41:12,670 --> 00:41:15,238 After doing the very first studies and films 641 00:41:15,240 --> 00:41:16,873 on lions attacking elephants, 642 00:41:16,875 --> 00:41:20,376 we can virtually replay it from memory. 643 00:41:20,378 --> 00:41:23,947 First, a lost calf panics and calls out. 644 00:41:23,949 --> 00:41:26,583 [ Calf trumpets ] 645 00:41:26,585 --> 00:41:31,254 [ Adult trumpets ] 646 00:41:31,256 --> 00:41:32,922 The lions respond. 647 00:41:32,924 --> 00:41:36,226 They circle and attack from behind. 648 00:41:36,228 --> 00:41:37,594 [ Calf trumpets ] 649 00:41:37,596 --> 00:41:40,997 The mother, just like this one today, goes frantic. 650 00:41:40,999 --> 00:41:43,132 It only adds to the confusion. 651 00:41:43,134 --> 00:41:46,536 And confusion is exactly what lions want. 652 00:41:46,538 --> 00:41:49,038 [ Trumpeting ] 653 00:41:49,040 --> 00:41:50,840 [ Growling ] 654 00:41:50,842 --> 00:41:54,878 Today, it is different. 655 00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:58,615 [ Trumpeting ] 656 00:41:58,617 --> 00:42:01,351 And the nightmare is prevented when the mother gets there 657 00:42:01,353 --> 00:42:04,454 just in time to mount a daring rescue. 658 00:42:04,456 --> 00:42:09,826 [ Trumpeting ] 659 00:42:19,036 --> 00:42:22,639 [ Trumpeting ] 660 00:42:29,613 --> 00:42:31,848 [ Trumpeting ] 661 00:42:31,850 --> 00:42:35,285 [ Trumpeting continues ] 662 00:42:43,761 --> 00:42:46,329 With the rescued calf in tow, 663 00:42:46,331 --> 00:42:48,097 she now has to make up ground 664 00:42:48,099 --> 00:42:51,267 to join the rest of the herd. 665 00:42:59,376 --> 00:43:02,345 [ Rumbling ] 666 00:43:02,347 --> 00:43:06,816 But elephants are nothing if not compassionate and understanding. 667 00:43:06,818 --> 00:43:10,320 The herd has waited for her to resolve her problem 668 00:43:10,322 --> 00:43:12,655 and sets off again. 669 00:43:12,657 --> 00:43:14,791 [ Rumbling ] 670 00:43:14,793 --> 00:43:18,161 BEVERLY: After the excitement with the lions, 671 00:43:18,163 --> 00:43:20,697 there is a palpable change in atmosphere, 672 00:43:20,699 --> 00:43:24,133 as if the herd understands the need for balance. 673 00:43:24,135 --> 00:43:28,104 It goes from high stress 674 00:43:28,106 --> 00:43:31,040 to a little fun. 675 00:43:31,042 --> 00:43:34,043 Of course, it's about covering themselves against biting flies 676 00:43:34,045 --> 00:43:36,179 and cooling. 677 00:43:36,181 --> 00:43:37,580 But from down here, 678 00:43:37,582 --> 00:43:41,651 it looks almost tempting and definitely fun. 679 00:43:48,626 --> 00:43:50,660 There is not much of the world left 680 00:43:50,662 --> 00:43:53,429 that can make you feel like this 681 00:43:53,431 --> 00:43:54,697 at this relaxed place 682 00:43:54,699 --> 00:43:57,333 where elephants are what they have always been 683 00:43:57,335 --> 00:43:59,135 on their terms. 684 00:43:59,137 --> 00:44:01,070 [ Trumpets ] 685 00:44:01,138 --> 00:44:05,341 [ Trumpets ] 686 00:44:05,343 --> 00:44:08,277 A coating of dust dries the mud. 687 00:44:08,279 --> 00:44:09,846 When it cracks and falls off, 688 00:44:09,848 --> 00:44:13,182 it takes the ticks and other parasites along with it. 689 00:44:13,184 --> 00:44:17,887 [ Rumbling ] 690 00:44:17,889 --> 00:44:19,088 [ Trumpets ] 691 00:44:19,090 --> 00:44:21,524 The security of being in the fold once again 692 00:44:21,526 --> 00:44:24,627 allows the calf to shake off his encounter with the lions 693 00:44:24,629 --> 00:44:27,764 and cover his superficial wounds. 694 00:44:37,007 --> 00:44:40,443 DERECK: Following that unending cycle of dust to dust, 695 00:44:40,445 --> 00:44:45,248 one day we find some elephants veering off track. 696 00:44:45,250 --> 00:44:51,587 The leaders pad across country with purpose. 697 00:44:51,589 --> 00:44:55,658 [ Rumbling ] 698 00:44:58,028 --> 00:45:00,496 Her soul long departed, 699 00:45:00,498 --> 00:45:04,267 she lies as a gentle reminder to her clan of who she was, 700 00:45:04,269 --> 00:45:06,402 her long life, her successes, 701 00:45:06,404 --> 00:45:09,872 her rescues, her compassion, and the days spent together 702 00:45:09,874 --> 00:45:12,208 in the mud and the dust. 703 00:45:12,210 --> 00:45:15,712 [ Rumbling ] 704 00:45:15,714 --> 00:45:18,481 ♪♪ 705 00:45:25,122 --> 00:45:28,224 How she died, we'll never know. 706 00:45:28,226 --> 00:45:32,061 Perhaps she just ran out of time. 707 00:45:32,063 --> 00:45:35,098 As they bob and weave around her, 708 00:45:35,100 --> 00:45:38,601 we're reminded that they are sentient beings, 709 00:45:38,603 --> 00:45:42,405 thinking thoughts, having ideas. 710 00:45:46,443 --> 00:45:52,048 Touch, smell, remember, think. 711 00:45:52,050 --> 00:45:53,883 All you ever need to know 712 00:45:53,885 --> 00:45:57,887 to be inside of an elephant's head at these moments. 713 00:45:57,889 --> 00:46:01,457 ♪♪ 714 00:46:06,663 --> 00:46:08,998 Herd after herd come in, 715 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:11,033 with just enough time between each wave 716 00:46:11,035 --> 00:46:15,071 for us to place some cameras and to disguise our scent. 717 00:46:15,073 --> 00:46:17,740 [ Elephant trumpets ] 718 00:46:17,742 --> 00:46:20,109 At the last minute, I remember 719 00:46:20,111 --> 00:46:24,280 that actually turning the camera on may be useful. 720 00:46:24,282 --> 00:46:26,649 [ Elephant rumbles ] 721 00:46:26,651 --> 00:46:29,752 ♪♪ 722 00:46:29,754 --> 00:46:32,688 We were able to capture the most intimate views 723 00:46:32,690 --> 00:46:35,091 we've ever seen of an elephant wake -- 724 00:46:35,093 --> 00:46:38,728 so close, neither of us wants to breathe, 725 00:46:38,730 --> 00:46:41,564 break the spell. 726 00:46:41,566 --> 00:46:44,867 [ Elephant rumbles ] 727 00:46:44,869 --> 00:46:48,938 ♪♪ 728 00:46:51,341 --> 00:46:53,409 [ Elephant rumbles ] 729 00:47:00,117 --> 00:47:02,318 [ Elephant rumbles ] 730 00:47:31,648 --> 00:47:33,950 And right here, we've seen 731 00:47:33,952 --> 00:47:35,952 that something special 732 00:47:35,954 --> 00:47:39,655 that we both love about Africa at its best, 733 00:47:39,657 --> 00:47:42,658 a skull with its ivory intact -- 734 00:47:42,660 --> 00:47:44,961 pure, the way it should be, 735 00:47:44,963 --> 00:47:47,864 absolutely worthless. 736 00:47:47,866 --> 00:47:51,133 I like that ivory is worthless. 737 00:47:51,135 --> 00:47:54,570 The only value should be as a beacon of memory 738 00:47:54,572 --> 00:47:58,307 to the elephant clan she was once a part of. 739 00:47:58,309 --> 00:48:00,376 ♪♪ 740 00:48:00,378 --> 00:48:02,011 [ Rumbling ] 741 00:48:02,013 --> 00:48:05,181 BEVERLY: What legacy is left behind? 742 00:48:08,418 --> 00:48:12,054 As I stand and think about the romance of our lives, 743 00:48:12,056 --> 00:48:13,956 these magical moments remind me 744 00:48:13,958 --> 00:48:16,559 of the ripples we cause around us. 745 00:48:16,561 --> 00:48:20,162 I hope that our own legacy 746 00:48:20,164 --> 00:48:22,265 walking in the footsteps of these bulls 747 00:48:22,267 --> 00:48:24,967 can make a difference. 748 00:48:24,969 --> 00:48:27,770 They could have walked right by here one day, 749 00:48:27,772 --> 00:48:31,440 even fed on the tree I'm standing under. 750 00:48:31,442 --> 00:48:34,076 After the sixth set of molars wears out, 751 00:48:34,078 --> 00:48:35,945 their lives are over. 752 00:48:35,947 --> 00:48:38,714 As it nears that time, they pick food carefully, 753 00:48:38,716 --> 00:48:41,484 saving those precious teeth. 754 00:48:41,486 --> 00:48:44,053 The story of elephants may be all about ivory, 755 00:48:44,055 --> 00:48:47,556 but it should only be about their teeth. 756 00:48:52,529 --> 00:48:55,531 [ Thunder rumbling ] 757 00:48:55,533 --> 00:48:57,900 [ Crashing ] 758 00:49:08,312 --> 00:49:11,314 DERECK: The lashing rain triggers respite for elephants 759 00:49:11,316 --> 00:49:14,317 and their teeth. 760 00:49:14,319 --> 00:49:16,986 They scoop up the soft green grass 761 00:49:16,988 --> 00:49:20,690 and shovel it down for 16 hours a day. 762 00:49:20,692 --> 00:49:24,760 We remember the teeth of the bulls. 763 00:49:24,762 --> 00:49:27,563 They still had years to go. 764 00:49:27,565 --> 00:49:30,333 As we follow the elephants into the open, 765 00:49:30,335 --> 00:49:33,936 we have a flash of inspiration. 766 00:49:36,974 --> 00:49:38,174 [ Trumpeting ] 767 00:49:38,176 --> 00:49:40,309 Elephants often go to water 768 00:49:40,311 --> 00:49:44,080 to get out of the stinging rain on their sensitive skins. 769 00:49:48,085 --> 00:49:52,588 They could have been struck down instantly by lightning. 770 00:49:54,558 --> 00:49:56,993 It's the best answer we can find 771 00:49:56,995 --> 00:49:59,862 for two bulls struck dead together 772 00:49:59,864 --> 00:50:02,164 with their tusks intact. 773 00:50:02,166 --> 00:50:06,268 These phantoms have somehow become real to us -- 774 00:50:06,270 --> 00:50:11,073 no longer apparitions in the half-light. 775 00:50:11,075 --> 00:50:13,275 They're living beings 776 00:50:13,277 --> 00:50:14,677 with full lives 777 00:50:14,679 --> 00:50:19,048 and even, quite possibly, souls. 778 00:50:21,385 --> 00:50:24,687 It feels like we knew them as newborn babies, 779 00:50:24,689 --> 00:50:28,391 at play in the fields of paradise. 780 00:50:28,393 --> 00:50:30,659 We've filled in the gaps of these gentle 781 00:50:30,661 --> 00:50:33,029 seven-ton giants' lives, 782 00:50:33,031 --> 00:50:37,633 companions for life. 783 00:50:37,635 --> 00:50:41,237 BEVERLY: Over and over, we find the same evidence. 784 00:50:41,239 --> 00:50:44,440 Botswana is one of the few places on the planet 785 00:50:44,442 --> 00:50:48,811 where elephants can still live out a natural life. 786 00:50:48,813 --> 00:50:50,846 DERECK: We're obsessed now 787 00:50:50,848 --> 00:50:54,884 with coaxing these secret stories from the bones. 788 00:50:54,886 --> 00:51:00,656 She was probably a matriarch with unusually long tusks. 789 00:51:00,658 --> 00:51:03,059 Like others here, she enjoyed 790 00:51:03,061 --> 00:51:07,163 the vast freedom of a protected land in Botswana. 791 00:51:07,165 --> 00:51:09,331 But we were also shocked by the fact 792 00:51:09,333 --> 00:51:12,401 that since you started watching this film, 793 00:51:12,403 --> 00:51:14,770 five elephants were killed 794 00:51:14,772 --> 00:51:17,606 simply for their tusks. 795 00:51:17,608 --> 00:51:21,510 It's not their ivory that will enrich us. 796 00:51:21,512 --> 00:51:24,847 We'll find far greater enchantment 797 00:51:24,849 --> 00:51:27,850 in the journey of life they will lead us on. 798 00:51:27,852 --> 00:51:30,453 Whether they survive long enough 799 00:51:30,455 --> 00:51:33,389 for us to really get to know them 800 00:51:33,391 --> 00:51:36,959 depends entirely on what we can learn 801 00:51:36,961 --> 00:51:41,097 about the very soul of the elephant. 802 00:51:41,164 --> 00:51:44,533 ♪♪ 803 00:52:09,459 --> 00:52:12,495 is available on DVD. 804 00:52:12,497 --> 00:52:20,002 To order, visit shopPBS.org or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS. 805 00:52:54,237 --> 00:52:57,740 To learn more about what you've seen on this "Nature" program, 806 00:52:57,742 --> 00:52:59,875 visit pbs.org. 61146

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