Original subtitles

Meet Thandi,

a female African elephant.

The youngest of three sisters,

and the only one who's never been pregnant,

until now.

In this incredible journey,

witness the miracle of new life as it grows.

And see the unique

relationship develop

between mother and baby.

Thandi's calf, Aria, will arrive in a time of drought.

The newest member of a long line of strong females.

She'll embark on an epic trek

full of drama and friendship.

Baby Aria must quickly adapt to life on the move

as she faces the challenges of Growing Up Animal.

It's summer in Namibia's heartlands.

Fresh rainfall breathes life into the Savannah

creating an African paradise.

For 15-year-old Thandi, the timing couldn't be better.

She's ravenous.

But no matter how much she eats,

she can't seem to satisfy her appetite.

It's a feeling Thandi's mom knows all too well.

Fifty-year-old Khanyisa is the matriarch of the herd.

Recognizable by the thorn hole in her ear.

Today, she has a treat in store for her youngest daughter.

Something to cheer her up.

- And it's just around the corner.

Morning Glory.

- Thandi's favorite.

She twists them around her trunk

just like her mom taught her.

It's exactly what she needs to tame her hunger.

Moms know best.

And Khanyisa knows her daughter better than anyone.

Because even Thandi doesn't realize what lies ahead yet.

For the first time, Thandi is pregnant.

Inside her, grows a precious new life.

And it's a girl...

Aria.

Three months ago, when she was just three months old,

Aria was barely bigger than a walnut.

But her two most defining features were already forming.

Her ears,

and her trunk.

Now at six months, Aria is the size of a grapefruit.

But becoming the largest animal on land

takes a total of 22 months.

The longest gestation of any mammal.

And that's thought to be because of one thing

her brain.

Such a complex mind takes time to develop.

Aria will be born with all the brain power she needs.

And that's good news

because elephant life is complicated.

And right now, something has spooked Thandi's family.

They're picking up alarm calls from another family of elephants.

Our herd can detect the rumbles of another elephant

from up to six miles away.

Sounds too low in frequency for us to hear.

They can even tell which direction they're coming from.

This time, it's a warning to all in the area.

Lions are on the hunt.

They take up a defensive stance around the young.

At last

the threat has passed.

In a world where eyes aren't always enough,

this family relies heavily on hearing for safety.

After the scare, they reassure each other

using what might be an elephant's most important sense.

Touch.

Packed with the same nerve cells as our fingertips,

a trunk's touch has a tenderness that binds this family together.

When they entwine, it's like a hug.

A gentle stroke like a hand's caress.

Mother, sisters, aunts, they're all here for each other.

For Thandi and for her unborn baby.

She doesn't know it yet,

but Aria will have quite the entourage to protect her.

Now, just over a quarter way through her development,

she's reached an important milestone.

Her trunk is fully developed.

It contains a staggering 40 thousand muscles,

over 50 times more than we have in our entire body.

Her trunk not only allows her to develop precious bonds with her family,

but it will be her most versatile tool.

Finger-like projections on the end

will enable her to pick up objects as thin as a piece of spaghetti.

But it takes even more brain power to control than our hands.

Aria will need months of practice, even after she's born,

to fully get to grips with it.

For now, one thing Aria can do is use her trunk like a thumb

to get in some much needed suckling practice.

It's her very own pacifier.

Over the next 16 months,

Aria will continue to grow in the constant security of Thandi's womb.

But outside, the world around them is changing.

The idyllic savannah our elephants call home

is about to show its tougher side.

As the months pass

water holes dry up,

and the green pastures disappear.

It's the worst drought they've known,

and after more than a year, there is no end in sight.

Twenty-two months into her pregnancy, Thandi is full term.

She's suffering from the elephant equivalent

of swollen ankles.

A build-up of fluid around her lower belly.

At least her feet can take her increasing weight.

- All three thousand pounds of it.

Inside her heels are fatty pads

which expand upon impact to cushion every step.

And it's just as well... as the last pockets of food vanish,

the family roams far and wide to find enough to eat.

- Life is tough...

But luckily, elephants are perfectly adapted

to these huge changes.

Even in the womb,

Aria is getting ready to face the challenges ahead.

Now, she is 30 times the size of a human baby.

Just like her mom,

her feet have fatty pads for life on the move.

And her legs are ready to stand within minutes of being born

to stay safe from predators.

To cope with the extreme heat, she even has her very own cooling system.

Wrinkled skin that will trap water in its crevices.

And ears large enough to function as the perfect fan.

It's taken almost two years, but she's all set.

It's finally time for Aria to meet the world.

Thandi has never done this before.

But with her mom and her sisters close by,

the strongest of support networks, she's ready.

She needs a secluded place to give birth.

Like an experienced midwife,

Khanyisa guides her to her delivery room.

Just around dawn,

something miraculous has happened.

At last, Aria has joined the herd.

Already, a wall of legs shields her from the dangers outside.

And in just minutes, she's on her feet to meet mom.

Thandi and Aria have waited a long time for this moment.

And it couldn't be sweeter.

With Aria here, safe and sound,

- her grandma and aunts celebrate.

But the first thing on Aria's mind is food.

Thandi uses her trunk to show her where to suckle.

And with a little bit of help

she tastes her first mouthful of milk.

Aria is the first girl born in a generation.

And she'll stay with her family for life.

This tiny elephant...

Could well be a matriarch of the future.

For her first few days...

Aria stays within a trunk's length of Thandi.

Unable to really see her daughter hidden far below...

Thandi keeps up an almost constant rumbling call.

An elephant's lullaby.

The song is a source of reassurance for Aria,

who can recognize Thandi's voice from before she was even born.

And with the occasional response,

she gives Thandi the chance to learn what she sounds like too.

With her mom close for comfort,

and her eyesight getting better by the day,

it's time for Aria to get to know the rest of the family.

Grandma Khanyisa is a font of knowledge.

Right now, she's demonstrating an important survival skill.

How to use her trunk to strip bark from a tree,

a great source of calcium in these lean times.

Aria is only using her trunk to smell and touch.

But it doesn't always do what she wants it to.

She could learn a thing or two from Grandma.

And from her Aunts, too. She has quite the team of babysitters.

Kind and doting, they'll always have her back.

There's even another baby. Her cousin Max.

- He's a few months older than Aria...

And full of spirit.

It seems her aunts have their work

cut out just keeping him in-line.

With Max for entertainment,

and the rest of the herd to learn from, Aria is off to a great start.

But life is about to change.

If the rains had come, there'd be plenty of food.

And Thandi could take it easy.

But Aria has been born in a drought.

Food and water are running out.

Fifty years of experience has taught Grandma Khanyisa what to do.

She sets her ears to 45 degrees,

and listens.

One hundred and 50 miles to the north

rainstorms are building.

Where there is rain, there will be food.

The herd must head north.

Khanyisa gives the command...

And the rest of the family follows.

At only two weeks old,

Aria is about to have her first taste of life on the road.

After five days traveling,

Aria is really finding her feet.

There aren't many newborns

in the animal kingdom who could take on this tough trek.

But with this strong band of females behind her,

Aria is thriving.

Today, the herd is entering unfamiliar territory.

And they're on high alert.

They can smell trouble...

But they can't see it.

Lions.

A lion would rarely take on a full-grown elephant.

But a calf is a different matter.

The herd groups closely together, keeping Aria and Max safe in the middle.

Aria's aunt spots the hiding place...

And is quick on the defense.

The lions retreat.

Together, they've kept the babies safe.

And Aria and Max are blissfully unaware of their close encounter.

But Thandi knows it won't be their last.

Motherhood is a steep learning curve for Thandi.

It's tough for all new moms,

but especially when you're on the move.

Aria is always hungry.

She's suckling every hour,

drinking more than two gallons of milk a day.

At four months old, Max needs almost double that.

There's going be a lot of pit stops.

Wrapped up in her baby bubble,

it's all too easy for Thandi to forget her own needs.

She's desperately thirsty.

It's time for Khanyisa to look after her own daughter.

At last

a waterhole.

For the adults, it's a sight for sore eyes.

And even Aria is falling over herself to get to it.

Her aunts can siphon up

more than two gallons at a time

to pour into their mouths.

They can drink over 40 gallons a day.

This is one of the hardest skills Aria will ever have to master.

It'll take her almost a year to get the hang of it.

Until then

she'll just dive straight in.

For now, her family is happy,

but Khanyisa must always think one step ahead.

Thandi watches her mom closely.

Khanyisa's incredible hearing isn't her only superpower.

With her foot outstretched and her trunk pressed to the earth

she can feel seismic vibrations,

sounds so low and powerful,

they can travel for miles through the ground.

Right now, she's sensing distant thunder in the north.

If the herd can keep up the pace, they'll soon reach richer lands.

It's time to move on.

By the time she's four weeks old,

Aria is already a seasoned traveler.

She's getting bolder,

and her trunk skills are really improving.

For her, the journey isn't an ordeal.

Each day is packed with new discoveries.

Today's is dung.

What is this stuff?

Smells slightly sweet.

Feels kind of damp.

It turns up everywhere.

Fascinating.

Unlike us, sight is the last sense Aria relies on.

To her, it's all about taste, touch, and smell.

She has more smell receptor genes than any other animal.

And right now, she's drawn to one particular scent

the smell of little boy Max.

Time to find out what he's all about.

And it's the moment he has been waiting for.

A playmate at last.

But a friendship with Max won't just be about fun.

Because he's a role model close to her age,

he can also be her teacher.

Aria's first lesson, how to use the tip of her trunk to grip.

Now he's just showing off.

But Max is not so cocky when he turns his trunk to dusting.

A light layer will help protect his skin from the sun

and from annoying insect bites. But dusting is harder than it looks.

Now, it's Aria's turn.

But her trunk still won't do quite what she wants it to.

Max is starting to get the hang of it.

So, Aria tries again.

No.

She won't master this skill for another few months.

Max just wants to keep playing.

This is a rare sight to see.

Usually, boys hang out with other boys and like to play rough.

But Max is surprisingly gentle with Aria.

He may be bigger and stronger,

but he lets Aria get the upper hand.

Thandi calls timeout.

Trust a parent to spoil the fun.

But it's time to get going.

Every step brings them closer to their destination.

Adult elephants can go for four days without a drink.

An essential adaptation when waterholes are few and far between.

But the younger members of the herd tire easily.

Grandma Khanyisa pushes them on.

She's got a surprise.

There's a reason for the phrase,

"An elephant never forgets."

She leads the herd to a dusty clearing.

As the others watch on, she starts to dig.

One by one, Thandi and her sisters copy their mother.

Until

they reach

water.

The knowledge of these underground springs

has been passed down through generations.

And now this knowledge is being handed on to Aria.

- It's a valuable lesson.

One day, these springs could save her life.

With their thirst finally quenched

the family, exhausted

settles down for the night.

As the day dawns,

they prepare for another full day of walking.

But waking up for Aria isn't so easy.

Same for Max.

They're exhausted.

This journey is taking its toll.

With a lot of ground still to cover,

the family only pauses to graze.

Like any toddler, when Mom is busy, Aria is easily distracted.

But every rest break is another opportunity

to get that trunk under control.

After all, 40 thousand muscles is a lot to get to grips with.

And her hard work is beginning to pay off.

While Max wants to take another nap...

Aria makes a breakthrough.

This might look easy,

but to roll

kick, and take hold of a stick is an incredibly complex task.

It's the equivalent to a child learning to ride a bike.

This is a huge achievement for Aria.

A skill that will open the door to many more.

Three weeks on the road and the herd has almost made it.

But they've picked up some unwanted attention.

Max chooses the worst possible time to explore.

Alone... he is an easy target.

First his mother...

Then his aunts, realize he's missing.

Thandi is quick to react

and shoos Aria off in the opposite direction.

But she's made a terrible mistake.

The lions after Max are a splinter group.

The main pride is right here.

Alone, only Thandi can protect Aria.

Thandi may be outnumbered,

but she'll do anything to save her baby.

And the lions know it.

Aria and Max are safe.

The family has escaped the ordeal unscathed.

Reunited

it's time to continue north.

By midday, the heat is intense.

Aria and Max take a siesta in the only shade around.

But Thandi doesn't seem herself.

The pressure to provide for Aria is never far from her mind.

She moves away from the herd,

and just like her mother Khanyisa taught her,

she listens through the ground.

It's what she'd hoped to hear.

Just a few miles away...

The calls of other elephants coming together.

It's music to her ears.

Lush, green, feeding grounds must now be within reach.

But one final hurdle stands in their way

mountains.

Climbing is a daunting prospect for Aria and Max.

But the family can't stop now.

This is the final push.

It's tricky terrain for Thandi

let alone her baby daughter.

But our elephant family is made of tough stuff.

Just over the ridge

their Garden of Eden awaits.

After four weeks on the road

their epic journey is finally at an end.

For the next three months

this green paradise

will be home.

Aria has never seen so much food...

Or water.

It's a whole new wonderland.

And the family's not alone.

Old friends are arriving from far and wide

to join the feast.

Aria may be just six weeks old,

but she's packed a lot into her short life.

Safe with her family in this lush haven,

our brave elephant calf will continue to grow and develop.

And while eventually, her best friend Max will go his own way...

Aria will stay with her family, and who knows,

one day, she may even become a matriarch herself.

Guiding the next generation of young elephants

through the trials and triumphs of Growing Up Animal.