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Beyond the southern tip of India
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lies a jewel in the ocean -
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Sri Lanka.
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It's a land of
extraordinary beauty,
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of jungles, mountains
and vast, fertile plains.
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A rich variety of animals live here.
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Many of them are found nowhere else.
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But for me, one animal stands out.
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It's totally iconic and instantly
recognised right around the globe.
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Sri Lanka is home to its own unique
subspecies of the Asian elephant.
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They look very different
from their African cousins.
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Their ears are smaller,
their foreheads domed
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and their backs more arched.
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I'm intrigued to find out just
how deep those differences go.
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I really want to get to know them
and their world.
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For me,
it's the chance of a lifetime.
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00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,720
Sri Lankans have a deeply
spiritual relationship with nature.
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For 30 years, their country was
torn apart by civil war.
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Now that's over,
they want to welcome people back
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to share their natural riches.
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Theirs is a vibrant culture
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and one that has always lived
close to wildlife.
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And their relationship with
elephants is particularly special.
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CHAINS JANGLE
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Elephants also have a very
special place in my heart.
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I'm a wildlife cameraman
and elephants are my great passion.
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I've spent many years filming them
all over Africa,
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but I've never filmed
Sri Lankan elephants
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and that's why I'm here.
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For me, Sri Lanka's hard-won peace
offers a golden opportunity
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to get to know its elephants
and the world they live in.
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My destination is
Uda Walawe National Park,
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in the south of the country.
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With me is elephant scientist
Shermin de Silva.
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If anyone can help me get to know
the elephants, Shermin can.
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It's the end of the dry season
and the vegetation is pretty sparse.
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I'm hoping that'll make
the elephants easier to spot.
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Ooh - there's an elephant!
Oh, yep.
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It's amazing!
40
00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,800
I had no idea it was there
and I suddenly saw it!
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00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:06,640
They disappear in the grass
quite easily.
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They're really good
at hiding actually.
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'It's great to see one so quickly.'
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00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,640
Physically, they're similar in many
ways to the African elephants
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I know so well, though their ears
are significantly smaller.
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Shermin tells me
we know relatively little
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about the behaviour
of these elephants.
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00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,960
She's been studying them for seven
years - a lot less than the
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00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,880
many decades that scientists have
been studying African elephants.
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00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:50,800
The first challenge
is always to find ways
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00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,400
to identify individual elephants
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and to try to understand
the relationships in the herd.
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00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,920
At this relatively early
stage of her research,
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even Shermin sometimes struggles.
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00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,760
Studying seven years is not
a long time compared to the
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lifespan of an elephant, I don't
really quite know who's related.
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00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:12,880
Some of them, the younger ones,
I know are mother and calf pairs,
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00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:17,120
but the older ones, I'm only
guessing that they're families.
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00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,960
A lot of people would come
out and they'd say these
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00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,560
elephants all look exactly the same,
but I mean,
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as I know from African elephants,
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you learn how to
recognise individuals very quickly.
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00:05:27,280 --> 00:05:29,640
Now, for me
coming here for the first time,
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it's quite difficult for me
at the moment to separate out these
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individuals so I'm going to have to
use all these visual clues.
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00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,200
You're going to have to
learn a lot of ears and tails,
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and pretty much anything that's
distinctive, you make use of it.
Yeah.
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00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:47,000
'There's something
magical about these animals.
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00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,160
'It's not just their size, or that
slow, peaceful way they have.
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00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,680
'It's the way they seem to think.
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'They're as interested in me
as I am in them.'
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Very close. Are you curious?
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ELEPHANT SNORTS
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ELEPHANT SQUEALS
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00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,240
Oh, what an amazing sound.
That's a squeal.
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What a great sound!
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That's incredible.
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'It's great to get so close.'
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'But this one's not
so happy about it.'
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ELEPHANT GROANS
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00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:33,840
'Whoa! That's not good.
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00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:37,720
'Two of them have taken a dislike
to our support vehicle.
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00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:41,360
'That head down and ears-forward
stance is a threat posture.
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'And that's serious.'
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Elephants are said to have killed
50 people in Sri Lanka last year.
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ELEPHANT GROANS
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00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,080
There was no cue,
or anything like that.
88
00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,880
No, she just decided that she
didn't like the car being there.
89
00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,680
It must be quite invasive, mustn't
it, a very loud diesel engine?
90
00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:10,320
Yeah, and the engine sounds so
similar to their vocalisations,
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00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,080
it's in the same frequency range.
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00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,960
Yeah, there must be a lot of infra
sound coming out of this car
93
00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:17,560
so it probably sounds much
louder to them than it does to us.
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00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:18,920
Right. Yes.
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00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:33,560
'I'm starting to notice
subtle details of behaviour.
96
00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,000
'The elephants here swipe
clumps of grass against their feet
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'before eating it -
something I've not seen before.'
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00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,040
'It seems to be their way
of knocking off the sand
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'and dust that sticks to the roots
when they pull it from the ground.'
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She's lifting her foot right up
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and just deliberately
smacking the toenails. Yes.
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00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:02,560
'Shermin tells me this is a trick
103
00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,080
'they have to learn from
their parents.
104
00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:09,160
'The behaviour is passed down,
from one generation to the next.'
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00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,400
As with their African cousins,
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Sri Lankan elephants have
a matriarchal society.
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Groups are made up of
females and youngsters.
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00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,920
But the size of the groups
is quite different.
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00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:35,280
African families can be
30 or 40 strong.
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00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:40,600
Here, I can see far fewer animals
in each so-called social unit.
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00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,120
And Shermin explains that the
Sri Lankan elephant's
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social system seems to be
less fixed and more fluid.
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The herd covers the whole park.
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00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,280
But it's made up of many
smaller units and the elephants
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00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:58,080
switch between them
as and when they please.
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00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,240
There's one thing I've seen
here that's just
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00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,400
the same as African elephants.
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00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:07,680
The bond between mother and baby
is every bit as strong.
119
00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,280
I've always thought you learn
a lot about elephants
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00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:13,600
by watching them with their young.
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00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,360
These little ones are
already six months old.
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What I'd really like to see
is how they behave
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with their new born babies.
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So I've tried to time my trip
with the arrival of the monsoon,
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00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,720
when there's the best chance
of a new baby being born.
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00:09:33,560 --> 00:09:35,520
As I travel through Uda Walawe,
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the whole park seems to be
waiting for the rains.
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00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:56,280
Peacocks are the heralds
of the monsoon.
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00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,320
PEACOCK SQUAWKS
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As the rains approach,
the males' elaborate tails grow
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00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,280
and the courtship displays begin.
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00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:16,680
The birds give me confidence
I won't have long to wait.
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00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:26,880
In the meantime, Shermin has
someone else she wants me to meet.
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00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:35,440
She takes me to look at another side
of elephant life here in Sri Lanka.
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00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,680
An insight into the challenges
they face growing up here.
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00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:45,720
This is an area on the very edge
of Uda Walawe Park.
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The Elephant Transit Home,
or ETH for short.
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Meet the gang.
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00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,600
All these elephants are orphans -
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00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,200
their families either killed
or separated.
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00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:05,800
The ETH hopes to release
all 28 of them back into the wild.
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00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:10,800
But first,
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these little ones must learn as much
as possible about elephant society.
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00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:19,200
With no family around,
that means learning from each other.
145
00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,120
But who's to say
learning can't be fun?
146
00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,880
For these orphans,
bath time is a highlight of the day.
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They're a joy to watch.
148
00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,720
It's heartening to see
these unfortunate elephants
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so relaxed and content.
150
00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:41,120
Shermin wants me to meet
one particular elephant.
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00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:45,920
This is Namal.
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00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:48,520
He's just two-and-a-half years old.
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He was found a year ago,
tangled in a snare.
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He's been here ever since.
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Namal can't play with
the gang at bath time.
156
00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,200
His only company is his keeper,
Salinda.
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00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,680
Luckily,
they seem to be good friends.
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00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,920
But he's obviously missing out
on the social bonding
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00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,120
that elephants need
if they're to prosper.
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It's not just about learning -
it's about belonging.
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Playing with Salinda is fun,
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but it's no substitute
for the company of other elephants.
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Like toddlers everywhere,
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Namal is quite a handful.
165
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When he leaves the water,
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it becomes obvious why Namal can't
play with the other orphans.
167
00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:39,040
When ETH rescued him from the snare,
they couldn't save his leg.
168
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The prosthetic limb helps him
get around.
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But he's just too fragile and
nervous to hang out with the gang.
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00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:24,760
The caring staff here tell me
that there is hope.
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Apart from his disability,
Namal is a normal, healthy calf.
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He's smart enough to save Salinda
the trouble of rubbing him dry.
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And, like any youngster,
he's always keen to make friends.
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00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,760
But as Vijitha Perera,
the head vet at ETH, explains,
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the trouble is, Namal now sees
humans as family.
176
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Oh, so he actually prefers
human company to elephants?
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00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:10,640
Yeah. Right.
178
00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,800
So that wouldn't be good
if he were released back. Yeah.
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Namal will never return to the wild.
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What's so sad is that
after a year in ETH's care,
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00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:34,000
he's still not strong enough to
spend time with the other orphans.
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00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:41,120
But Vijitha tells me he's growing
fast. His time may yet come.
183
00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,640
ETH's aim isn't to teach elephants
how to live with humans.
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00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,560
They must learn to live
with each other,
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00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,480
and ultimately with other
wild elephants.
186
00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:04,120
In fact, the further these orphans
stay away from humans, the better.
187
00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:08,360
Last year, people killed
228 elephants in Sri Lanka.
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00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,800
That's what's brought the orphans
here in the first place.
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If they're to return to the wild,
it's best to steer clear of people.
190
00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:25,240
I can't help thinking about
the challenges these animals face.
191
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The gang are unperturbed.
192
00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,480
That's the wonderful thing
about childhood.
193
00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,600
The future always seems
a long way off.
194
00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:50,400
Change is coming.
195
00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:54,280
I can sense something
different in the air.
196
00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:04,760
The monsoon is about to begin.
197
00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,320
Cool air from the Himalayas
sweeps down India's eastern coast,
198
00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:30,000
warming and picking up water
as it goes.
199
00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,560
Eventually, these warm wet winds
reach Sri Lanka.
200
00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:57,520
Rain lashes the land.
201
00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,360
The water will trigger
lush new growth.
202
00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,280
Fresh pasture for hungry elephants.
203
00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,120
BIRDS CALL
204
00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,600
As the land becomes saturated,
the air comes alive.
205
00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:48,760
Flying termites, newly hatched.
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00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,200
Each insect might be
the founder of a new colony.
207
00:20:25,360 --> 00:20:27,760
But I know very few will succeed.
208
00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:36,480
The whole place feels more alive,
209
00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,720
like it's waking up
from a long sleep.
210
00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:59,840
The elephants are taking advantage
of the monsoon's gifts as well -
211
00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,480
an entire tree
brought down by the wind.
212
00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:15,280
Males and females have gathered
to make the most of it.
213
00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:22,880
Usually elephant groups are strictly
females and young only.
214
00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:26,720
Adult males are normally solitary,
or hang out with other males.
215
00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,400
But here, males and females
tolerate each other
216
00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,720
as they all take advantage
of the windfall.
217
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,080
It's a rare treat to see
so many animals together.
218
00:21:45,360 --> 00:21:48,800
I finally feel like I'm beginning
to really get to know them.
219
00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:56,760
There's one particular individual
that I've already got to know
called Deepa.
220
00:21:56,760 --> 00:22:01,000
And she has amazing ears.
They're torn on the edges.
221
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,800
Rather like drapes, like curtains.
222
00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:05,640
And she's always flapping them.
223
00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:07,720
And they flap,
because they're quite small,
224
00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:12,160
they flap right across their eyes,
so I'm sure part of it is that
225
00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:15,400
they're actually getting rid
of flies around their eyes.
226
00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,920
But they're very expressive
at the same time
227
00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,080
because her ears are particularly
flappy and loose
228
00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,720
and so she's always slapping them
against her shoulder blades.
229
00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:32,040
But they're always flapping them
and you can hear
230
00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:34,920
when they slap against their bodies
the sort of sound they make.
231
00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,840
And I think there's a lot
going on with Asian elephant ears
232
00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,560
in terms of communication
with each other.
233
00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:52,560
These two females are flapping
their ears in absolute synchrony.
234
00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:56,120
I am sure that this represents
some sort of visual greeting.
235
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,400
Everywhere I look,
I find new mysteries
236
00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:08,800
and new points of connection.
237
00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,640
This male is repeatedly curling
his trunk up against his cheek.
238
00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:22,440
In African elephants,
that's a sure sign of stress.
239
00:23:25,360 --> 00:23:27,600
I'm puzzled as to
what's bothering him.
240
00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:35,000
It soon becomes clear.
241
00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:39,720
I don't know what killed
this elephant.
242
00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:42,760
Inside the reserve,
it's unlikely to have been people.
243
00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:12,000
He pays his respects...
and moves on.
244
00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,920
It's a reminder that there are
hidden depths to these animals
245
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,600
that we can only begin
to understand.
246
00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:46,680
Once a year,
normally during the monsoon,
247
00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:48,920
glands in front of the ears
swell up.
248
00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:52,840
Both these males are
in a state of musth.
249
00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:07,840
Their testosterone soars
to 60 times its normal level.
250
00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:17,160
They're restless, aggressive,
and ready to fight.
251
00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:15,240
I can tell that both these males
are in their prime.
252
00:26:16,360 --> 00:26:19,760
Males tend to lose their grey
pigmentation as they get older.
253
00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,360
The clash is like nothing
I've seen in Africa.
254
00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,280
Despite their age and size,
neither of these giants has tusks.
255
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,240
African elephants fight with
their heads up and tusks locked.
256
00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,080
But here, the heads are down.
257
00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:48,600
And curiously, they hold the tips
of their trunks in their mouths.
258
00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:23,800
If this was Africa,
259
00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:27,160
both would have tusks,
perhaps a couple of metres long.
260
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,440
It seems that
after centuries of ivory hunting,
261
00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,760
only tuskless males are left.
262
00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:44,800
But even without tusks, this is
a fight only one of them can win.
263
00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:05,800
Why most males go into musth
during the monsoon is a mystery.
264
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,480
Females are sexually receptive,
on and off, all year round.
265
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,760
I think this has more to do
with dominance than sex.
266
00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:20,000
I've been here almost a month now,
267
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,560
and I'm getting used to the relaxed
rhythm of life in the park.
268
00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:26,800
I've seen a good variety
of elephant behaviour,
269
00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:28,160
though it's frustrating
270
00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,360
that I still haven't been able
to see them with a newborn calf.
271
00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,200
It's two weeks
since the monsoon began in earnest.
272
00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:54,040
As the rivers flood,
countless fish hurry to spawn.
273
00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:58,280
Their young will get the best
possible start...
274
00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:01,920
..assuming the adults
ever get that far.
275
00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,320
This is boom time
for predators, too.
276
00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,640
With so many fish on the menu,
277
00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:52,840
choosing the right starter
isn't easy.
278
00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:37,120
And somewhere out there, there's a
fish even for the smallest appetite.
279
00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:52,400
I decide to head back
to the orphan elephants at ETH,
280
00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:54,440
to catch up with
how they're getting on.
281
00:30:57,680 --> 00:30:59,600
I think the gang are glad to see me!
282
00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,440
Most wild elephants of this age
would have been weaned by now.
283
00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:16,240
But these guys still get
regular bottle feeds.
284
00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:21,360
They form an orderly line.
285
00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:25,800
But Namal comes first.
286
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:31,400
He's still not strong enough
to feed with the others.
287
00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:35,160
Unlike the rest of the gang,
this is milk he actually needs.
288
00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:48,040
But it's still a treat -
one he always looks forward to.
289
00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:51,880
The others will have to
wait their turn.
290
00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:11,200
In the wild, suckling strengthens
the bond between mother and calf.
291
00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:17,640
It's sad to think that the closest
Namal has to a parent is Salinda.
292
00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,440
The others don't even have that.
293
00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:49,760
The keeper in charge
of maintaining order in the gang
294
00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:51,400
does so with his back turned.
295
00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:55,920
It's part of ETH's policy
296
00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:58,680
of keeping contact with the orphans
to a minimum.
297
00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:08,440
Only when Namal is done
do the others get their turn,
298
00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:10,440
a few at a time.
299
00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:33,640
They have impeccable manners.
300
00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:36,720
They seem to know they're only
allowed a jug-full each.
301
00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,920
Then, very politely, off they go
302
00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:45,360
and the next customer
takes their place.
303
00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:17,760
For the ETH staff,
this is a tricky balancing act.
304
00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:19,720
They must support the orphans
305
00:34:19,720 --> 00:34:23,440
without compromising
their release into the wild.
306
00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:29,680
We know so little about their
wild behaviour, it's hard to know
307
00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:33,240
what aspects of elephant education
the gang are missing out on.
308
00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:39,600
But this is the only chance they've
got of getting back into the wild.
309
00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:52,960
I've only got
a couple of weeks left here
310
00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,640
and the weather is making
filming difficult.
311
00:34:56,720 --> 00:35:00,120
We have spent days keeping our eyes
peeled for a newborn calf.
312
00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:11,400
Just as we're heading home
for the day,
313
00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:13,760
one crosses the road
right in front of us.
314
00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,680
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
315
00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,080
Then, frustratingly,
it's gone again.
316
00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,160
And it's clear we're not welcome.
317
00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:40,240
ELEPHANTS TRUMPET
318
00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:42,240
Suddenly, the elephants are on us.
319
00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:50,800
They make it very clear
they want us gone.
320
00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:01,840
We back off, but they follow.
321
00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:22,840
A stand-off.
322
00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:33,080
I'm intrigued by the strange
squeaking noises they make
323
00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:35,480
and this peculiar breath-checking.
324
00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:42,040
But the elephants clearly want us
to leave them alone.
325
00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:45,000
So that's exactly what we do.
326
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,840
I've rarely seen African elephants
so defensive,
327
00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:54,800
but I'm hopeful I might get
a little closer tomorrow.
328
00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:09,240
The monsoon rains have produced
an explosion of greenery.
329
00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:28,920
Adult elephants are still
easy to spot.
330
00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:30,600
In fact they're hard to miss.
331
00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:34,600
But the babies are just
a metre high.
332
00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:45,600
But finally, persistence pays off.
333
00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:55,120
This calf is just a day old.
334
00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:58,000
It's exactly
what I've been looking for.
335
00:37:59,720 --> 00:38:04,120
A chance to see how the adults
behave around such a tiny baby.
336
00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:52,120
Of course, everyone wants to meet
the new arrival.
337
00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:57,720
But the female standing over
the baby is not the mother,
338
00:38:57,720 --> 00:38:59,800
just part of the group.
339
00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:04,360
She seems to be behaving
rather strangely.
340
00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:17,400
She's trying to shove
the calf's mum out of the way.
341
00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:33,000
It's as if she wants
the baby for herself.
342
00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:42,400
Not surprisingly,
the mum isn't happy about it.
343
00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,640
With all the shoving, I'm worried
the calf could be injured.
344
00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:08,000
The calf's grandmother
takes the baby aside.
345
00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:12,960
The females will have to
sort this out for themselves.
346
00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:40,320
This is completely bewildering.
347
00:40:46,240 --> 00:40:49,760
African elephants sometimes kidnap
a calf from another family
348
00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:51,320
as a display of dominance.
349
00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:05,520
But I don't think
that's what's happening here.
350
00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:09,440
Perhaps Asian elephants
play by different rules.
351
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:18,600
The conflict is a real shock.
352
00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:22,440
What's even more shocking
is the outcome.
353
00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:30,800
The mother loses the fight.
354
00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:36,680
So that was sort of...head up...
355
00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:39,160
They just sort of hit each other,
didn't they?
356
00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:41,760
Mm-hm. Almost like males.
Almost like males.
357
00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:46,120
And it's very rare you get females
actually showing overt aggression.
358
00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:47,720
Yeah, that's really interesting.
359
00:41:47,720 --> 00:41:52,320
They'll usually just avoid each other
without ever having made contact.
Right.
360
00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:57,800
The calf is too young
to know what's going on.
361
00:41:59,080 --> 00:42:02,520
But it's now following a strange
female instead of its mother.
362
00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:07,160
The female should know better.
363
00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:11,360
What will she do with a calf
she can't even feed?
364
00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:14,280
Why steal it in the first place?
365
00:42:16,240 --> 00:42:18,960
Shermin has an answer.
366
00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:21,240
And suddenly it all makes sense.
367
00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:26,480
The female's name is Athimali,
and she was an orphan.
368
00:42:27,720 --> 00:42:31,080
She grew up at the ETH,
with no adults to teach her.
369
00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:35,520
There, the older orphans take
the youngsters under their wing.
370
00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:43,040
To Athimali, this isn't stealing.
371
00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:44,520
It's sharing.
372
00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:47,080
How could she know better?
373
00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:55,320
And what's she going to do now?
374
00:42:57,000 --> 00:43:00,800
Athimali moves her leg to make
space for the calf to suckle,
375
00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:02,560
but it's not her calf.
376
00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:03,960
She has no milk.
377
00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:15,640
This could turn out
really badly for the baby.
378
00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:18,800
But there's nothing I can do.
379
00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:31,800
The afternoon rains
are on their way.
380
00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:35,600
I just hope we'll be able
to find the baby again tomorrow.
381
00:43:43,720 --> 00:43:46,680
At the Transit Home,
there's better news for Namal.
382
00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:54,760
Weaning is an important step towards
joining the rest of the gang,
383
00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:58,440
though not all the bananas seem
to be up to his exacting standards!
384
00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:21,640
For now, he dines alone.
385
00:44:21,640 --> 00:44:24,280
But I hope one day
he'll be strong enough
386
00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:26,880
to enjoy the company
of the other orphans.
387
00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:36,440
The keepers tell me
he came incredibly close to dying.
388
00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:39,040
He's lucky to be alive.
389
00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:45,960
But elephants are
such social creatures.
390
00:44:45,960 --> 00:44:49,000
A life in solitary is not
much of a life at all.
391
00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,920
As Namal hoovers up
the last of his treats,
392
00:44:56,920 --> 00:45:01,600
the gang returns to its temporary
life, safe on the edge of the park.
393
00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:08,040
One day they will leave here.
394
00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:12,840
For most of these animals,
there's hope for a happier future.
395
00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:23,680
But I now know that their time
in captivity can create problems.
396
00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:27,800
I'm still worried about Athimali
and her stolen calf.
397
00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:32,360
Finding them again
could be a huge challenge.
398
00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:39,080
When I next go out,
I find elephants,
399
00:45:39,080 --> 00:45:40,920
but not the ones I'm looking for.
400
00:45:42,840 --> 00:45:46,240
Elephants love water -
the muddier the better, it seems!
401
00:45:48,360 --> 00:45:51,040
Each one comes with a built-in
sprinkler system.
402
00:45:53,560 --> 00:45:56,080
It makes spraying on the sun block
a breeze.
403
00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:34,920
Like so much in elephant life,
404
00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:37,400
first you have to learn
how to do it.
405
00:46:38,760 --> 00:46:42,800
Controlling a metre of flexible
pipework turns out to be tricky.
406
00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:50,760
Some animals do everything
by instinct.
407
00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:55,280
They're born knowing everything
they'll need.
408
00:46:55,280 --> 00:46:58,480
For young elephants,
it's all about learning.
409
00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:03,200
And learning about mud
is high on the agenda.
410
00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:11,320
I'm sure mud makes
a great insect repellent.
411
00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:13,840
Even with a hide
as thick as an elephant's,
412
00:47:13,840 --> 00:47:17,160
biting insects are
a constant annoyance.
413
00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:18,760
There are millions of them.
414
00:47:26,720 --> 00:47:30,760
Plagued by mosquitoes and midges,
buffaloes take to the water.
415
00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:35,440
At least their bodies are protected,
if not their heads.
416
00:47:47,440 --> 00:47:49,880
A handy platform for a hungry heron.
417
00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:27,840
It seems everyone has
an itch to scratch.
418
00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:40,400
Or if you're lucky,
a friend to scratch it for you.
419
00:49:08,240 --> 00:49:11,920
I've noticed that some of the male
elephants here have developed
420
00:49:11,920 --> 00:49:14,000
a neat trick to deal
with the problem.
421
00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:18,640
One of the really interesting things
I have seen here,
422
00:49:18,640 --> 00:49:21,800
which I didn't see
in African elephants, was animals
423
00:49:21,800 --> 00:49:26,360
deliberately breaking off branches
and using them as fly swats.
424
00:49:26,360 --> 00:49:29,920
We found a bull the other day where
this was clearly what he was doing.
425
00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:32,000
He didn't eat
the piece of vegetation
426
00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:33,720
that he was using to swat flies.
427
00:49:33,720 --> 00:49:36,480
He specifically broke it off,
it was a certain size,
428
00:49:36,480 --> 00:49:40,720
and he had a distinct pattern
of hitting one side,
429
00:49:40,720 --> 00:49:43,200
hitting the other side,
hitting between his legs,
430
00:49:43,200 --> 00:49:45,640
hitting across the front
of his trunk.
431
00:49:45,640 --> 00:49:48,560
So that was really,
really fascinating tool use.
432
00:49:48,560 --> 00:49:52,160
And I've never seen that so
specifically in African elephants.
433
00:49:56,320 --> 00:49:59,640
For some reason,
I only ever see males doing this.
434
00:50:01,120 --> 00:50:04,600
Perhaps, because the males live
apart from the females,
435
00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:07,360
most females haven't had a chance
to learn the trick.
436
00:50:09,040 --> 00:50:12,560
It's a powerful reminder of just
how intelligent these animals are,
437
00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:15,400
and how important
learning is to them.
438
00:50:21,400 --> 00:50:24,320
This is a trick
that each new generation must learn
439
00:50:24,320 --> 00:50:26,280
from the others around them.
440
00:50:26,280 --> 00:50:29,080
I just hope the orphan elephants
will find
441
00:50:29,080 --> 00:50:31,040
a way to develop these skills.
442
00:50:45,760 --> 00:50:48,960
I still have no idea
if Athimali has figured out
443
00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:50,640
that what she did was wrong.
444
00:50:52,280 --> 00:50:56,640
The elephants are so spread out here
that finding a particular animal
445
00:50:56,640 --> 00:51:00,960
is incredibly difficult,
let alone a particular calf.
446
00:51:00,960 --> 00:51:04,040
Females and their young
drift between groups,
447
00:51:04,040 --> 00:51:05,720
as and when they please.
448
00:51:07,080 --> 00:51:10,120
At long last,
I'm seeing plenty of youngsters!
449
00:51:11,440 --> 00:51:14,440
The trouble is, none of them
is the one I'm after.
450
00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:26,960
The calf that Athimali stole
is nowhere to be seen.
451
00:51:28,240 --> 00:51:31,440
I can't help but worry about
how the stolen baby is doing.
452
00:51:47,280 --> 00:51:51,640
And then, finally, I find the calf
with its real mother.
453
00:52:02,320 --> 00:52:05,520
I have no idea when it happened,
or how.
454
00:52:05,520 --> 00:52:07,840
Perhaps there was another fight.
455
00:52:07,840 --> 00:52:11,280
Perhaps Athimali got bored
and wandered off.
456
00:52:12,280 --> 00:52:15,640
I'm sure that, in time,
she'll learn to do better.
457
00:52:20,760 --> 00:52:23,320
It's a huge relief
to see a happy outcome.
458
00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:27,600
These animals have such
a sophisticated social system.
459
00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:31,080
It's their greatest strength,
460
00:52:31,080 --> 00:52:33,080
but it also makes them fragile.
461
00:52:34,880 --> 00:52:38,280
Continuity has always been
the cornerstone of their lives.
462
00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:43,760
But their world is changing fast
and I'm concerned for their future.
463
00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:50,480
It's time for me to say goodbye.
464
00:52:51,480 --> 00:52:53,440
The monsoon is nearly over
465
00:52:53,440 --> 00:52:56,120
and it won't be long
before I leave Sri Lanka.
466
00:52:58,160 --> 00:53:02,240
This is the perfect time to release
a few of the more mature orphans.
467
00:53:06,520 --> 00:53:09,800
It's the moment
everyone's been waiting for.
468
00:53:09,800 --> 00:53:12,120
The hours of patient care,
469
00:53:12,120 --> 00:53:14,720
the effort to keep
the elephants at a distance.
470
00:53:17,880 --> 00:53:22,080
I think the elephants' loose
herd structure makes it easier
471
00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:24,680
for the orphans to adapt
to a life in the wild.
472
00:53:26,080 --> 00:53:30,280
The herd is so dispersed, the
orphans can wander as they please.
473
00:53:30,280 --> 00:53:33,480
They can find their place
in elephant society
474
00:53:33,480 --> 00:53:37,280
in their own time
and on their own terms.
475
00:53:38,600 --> 00:53:40,240
In the last 15 years,
476
00:53:40,240 --> 00:53:43,760
ETH have released 90 elephants
back into the wild.
477
00:53:44,920 --> 00:53:47,880
84 of them are alive,
and doing well.
478
00:53:49,200 --> 00:53:50,760
There's hope here.
479
00:53:50,760 --> 00:53:52,800
This is a system that works.
480
00:54:00,360 --> 00:54:03,680
It's good to leave knowing
that the future is bright
481
00:54:03,680 --> 00:54:05,400
for the rest of the gang.
482
00:54:05,400 --> 00:54:08,680
One day,
they too will return to the wild.
483
00:54:11,040 --> 00:54:14,800
They will have to build on
what they've already learned -
484
00:54:14,800 --> 00:54:17,560
their own orphan version
of elephant society.
485
00:54:35,000 --> 00:54:38,080
It won't be long before
I have to say goodbye to Namal.
486
00:54:40,600 --> 00:54:42,800
I've loved getting to know him.
487
00:54:42,800 --> 00:54:45,840
And I've been told that
today could be a big day for him.
488
00:54:59,240 --> 00:55:01,760
The monsoon has brought
new little luxuries.
489
00:55:03,040 --> 00:55:06,120
A mud bath is the perfect way
to start this special day.
490
00:55:17,040 --> 00:55:21,200
I know he'll never be fit enough
for release into the wild.
491
00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:23,200
I can't help feeling sorry for him.
492
00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:42,920
Not that Namal's
one for complaining.
493
00:55:42,920 --> 00:55:47,440
He's been positive and outgoing
since the day they first found him.
494
00:55:55,080 --> 00:56:00,040
And now, all that hard work
and patience is going to pay off.
495
00:56:00,040 --> 00:56:03,080
At long last,
he's big enough to meet the gang.
496
00:56:16,320 --> 00:56:18,720
This is what elephants are made for.
497
00:56:20,000 --> 00:56:23,400
It's what they need
more than anything else.
498
00:56:31,320 --> 00:56:33,920
He's made his first
proper friends...
499
00:56:35,760 --> 00:56:39,040
..and it looks like
he's loving every minute of it.
500
00:57:02,880 --> 00:57:05,520
This has been a fascinating journey.
501
00:57:05,520 --> 00:57:10,080
Trying to follow individuals
through the monsoon has been hard.
502
00:57:10,080 --> 00:57:12,720
But I've seen and learnt a lot.
503
00:57:14,280 --> 00:57:16,840
Athimali stealing a calf.
504
00:57:16,840 --> 00:57:19,040
A lone male visiting the dead.
505
00:57:20,880 --> 00:57:23,920
In some ways, they're so different
to elephants in Africa.
506
00:57:25,320 --> 00:57:27,360
In other ways,
they're much the same.
507
00:57:28,400 --> 00:57:33,000
For both, elephant life is all
about learning and relationships.
508
00:57:33,000 --> 00:57:38,640
But here, I've seen those
relationships take their own
unique form.
509
00:57:41,880 --> 00:57:44,920
It's hard to say goodbye
to Namal and his friends.
510
00:57:44,920 --> 00:57:48,000
They have all become
very special to me.
511
00:57:48,000 --> 00:57:52,360
I will certainly never
forget my time here in Sri Lanka.
43765
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