1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:25,150 --> 00:00:28,070 JEREMY SISTO: Botswana in Southern Africa, 4 00:00:28,737 --> 00:00:32,241 home to a third of all Africa's elephants 5 00:00:32,324 --> 00:00:36,954 and the last place on Earth where they are free to roam vast distances, 6 00:00:37,037 --> 00:00:38,997 as all elephants once did. 7 00:00:42,835 --> 00:00:46,129 Disneynature's documentary film, Elephant, 8 00:00:46,213 --> 00:00:49,466 will tell the story of these epic journeys. 9 00:00:55,681 --> 00:00:59,810 Behind the scenes, the crew's journey was also underway 10 00:00:59,893 --> 00:01:04,189 as they followed the elephants on a thousand-mile round trip, 11 00:01:04,273 --> 00:01:07,150 through some of Africa's most hostile places. 12 00:01:15,117 --> 00:01:17,452 By following them on their road trip, 13 00:01:17,536 --> 00:01:20,706 the crew would gain an entirely new perspective 14 00:01:20,789 --> 00:01:23,250 on these remarkable creatures. 15 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:25,669 MARK LINFIELD: Why the elephant road trip? 16 00:01:25,752 --> 00:01:29,214 I think it's because the amazing migration 17 00:01:29,298 --> 00:01:32,634 that these elephants undertake hasn't been shown before. 18 00:01:34,094 --> 00:01:37,639 And also the challenges that these elephants face along the way 19 00:01:37,723 --> 00:01:39,975 bring out the best in our elephants 20 00:01:40,058 --> 00:01:42,644 and, obviously, the journey itself is stunning. 21 00:01:43,478 --> 00:01:46,648 You have three, four, five countries all together 22 00:01:46,732 --> 00:01:48,984 through which the elephants can move 23 00:01:49,067 --> 00:01:51,069 through this amazing area of southern Africa. 24 00:01:51,153 --> 00:01:53,447 It's a chance for people to see a part of the world 25 00:01:53,530 --> 00:01:55,324 they might not have seen before. 26 00:01:56,074 --> 00:01:58,035 SISTO: The entire southern third of Africa 27 00:01:58,118 --> 00:02:00,913 is covered by the giant Kalahari Desert. 28 00:02:03,332 --> 00:02:05,125 The first challenge for the crew 29 00:02:05,209 --> 00:02:08,420 was going to be finding elephants in this vast wilderness. 30 00:02:10,214 --> 00:02:14,301 But there is one special place where elephants gather every year. 31 00:02:15,719 --> 00:02:20,724 Seasonal rains flow into the desert, creating the Okavango Delta 32 00:02:21,433 --> 00:02:23,936 and the starting point of our journey. 33 00:02:40,661 --> 00:02:44,414 SISTO: Our film crew wanted to get one step ahead of the elephants, 34 00:02:44,498 --> 00:02:48,919 so they called upon local wildlife filmmaker Mike Holding, 35 00:02:49,002 --> 00:02:52,756 who has over two decades of experience in the delta. 36 00:02:53,966 --> 00:02:56,718 Mike's role would be finding and filming elephants, 37 00:02:56,802 --> 00:03:01,306 as well as sorting out the sheer logistics of this massive expedition. 38 00:03:10,858 --> 00:03:13,861 HOLDING: You're talking about a vast area. Ten-thousand square kilometers. 39 00:03:13,944 --> 00:03:15,904 It's really like a needle in a haystack 40 00:03:15,988 --> 00:03:21,702 trying to find eles and other animals in that mosaic of water and islands. 41 00:03:23,203 --> 00:03:25,956 So, one of the reasons we spend a lot of time in the plane, 42 00:03:26,039 --> 00:03:28,625 in the air, looking at the movement of the flood is 43 00:03:28,709 --> 00:03:31,003 it's how we can see 44 00:03:31,086 --> 00:03:33,172 where the different movements and changes happen 45 00:03:33,255 --> 00:03:35,090 and where the animals start to congregate. 46 00:03:38,135 --> 00:03:40,345 I could do this for the rest of my days. 47 00:03:40,429 --> 00:03:43,140 Flying over the delta is one of the most amazing things. 48 00:03:44,641 --> 00:03:46,727 Anybody who's ever flown over the Okavango 49 00:03:46,810 --> 00:03:48,854 will tell you this is absolutely the way to see it 50 00:03:48,937 --> 00:03:51,190 because you really get a sense of the scale. 51 00:03:51,273 --> 00:03:53,650 The massive unspoiled wilderness and just sheer beauty, 52 00:03:53,734 --> 00:03:55,360 it's absolutely spectacular. 53 00:03:59,740 --> 00:04:02,826 SISTO: Mike's first challenge is to choose a location for the crew 54 00:04:02,910 --> 00:04:05,704 to camp that is close to the elephant action, 55 00:04:05,787 --> 00:04:07,873 but not impossible to reach. 56 00:04:09,041 --> 00:04:12,961 HOLDING: There are no roads around here. There's very little mapping information. 57 00:04:13,045 --> 00:04:15,756 So, the plane is incredibly useful, 58 00:04:15,839 --> 00:04:18,425 really to identify a route in for the vehicles 59 00:04:18,509 --> 00:04:20,886 and which way we can go, which rivers we have to cross, 60 00:04:20,969 --> 00:04:22,012 where it's too deep, 61 00:04:22,095 --> 00:04:24,515 and then we try and put that into practice on the ground. 62 00:04:25,182 --> 00:04:27,309 But, you know, it's pretty tricky 63 00:04:27,392 --> 00:04:30,229 because there's a lot of water on the road to get up here, 64 00:04:30,312 --> 00:04:33,148 so when the trucks and the convoy and everybody, you know, 65 00:04:33,232 --> 00:04:35,984 set out to come and find this camp, 66 00:04:36,068 --> 00:04:38,612 they're in for a few challenges and surprises on the way. 67 00:04:41,949 --> 00:04:45,202 SISTO: Getting the crew and five tons of camera gear 68 00:04:45,285 --> 00:04:47,746 into the heart of the Okavango Delta 69 00:04:47,829 --> 00:04:51,250 was going to need some serious custom-built transport. 70 00:05:06,390 --> 00:05:10,310 The crew call these mean-looking machines swamp trucks. 71 00:05:13,397 --> 00:05:15,148 The mission for day one, 72 00:05:15,232 --> 00:05:19,152 to reach the heart of the delta and set up camp before nightfall. 73 00:05:20,988 --> 00:05:24,199 And now, the adventure begins. 74 00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:36,128 This is the bottom of the delta. 75 00:05:36,211 --> 00:05:39,882 Just, uh... Just about 20 kilometers from Maun. 76 00:05:44,094 --> 00:05:45,721 DUNCAN ROWLES: Yeah. Straight, straight. 77 00:05:45,804 --> 00:05:49,683 SISTO: It wasn't long before the swamp trucks were put to the test. 78 00:05:49,766 --> 00:05:52,519 Okay, that was basically the first of five crossings 79 00:05:52,603 --> 00:05:54,313 that we're gonna be doing. 80 00:05:54,396 --> 00:05:55,689 Potentially the shallowest one. 81 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,152 The deepest crossing, they say, 82 00:06:00,235 --> 00:06:03,530 pushes water through the gear lever notch inside the truck. 83 00:06:03,614 --> 00:06:06,909 That would mean the water level would be about here. 84 00:06:13,540 --> 00:06:14,917 We've got the six-wheeler truck 85 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:16,960 which is gonna pull us through this crossing. 86 00:06:17,044 --> 00:06:19,421 'Cause we're hitching each vehicle, 87 00:06:19,505 --> 00:06:21,840 basically creating like a long snake of vehicles. 88 00:06:23,759 --> 00:06:26,136 We'll have vehicles switched off 89 00:06:26,220 --> 00:06:30,015 and we're gonna block up the exhausts, lift up everything on to the roofs. 90 00:06:30,098 --> 00:06:31,558 The trucks will haul us through. 91 00:06:31,642 --> 00:06:33,185 TANIA JENKINS: What's going on out there? 92 00:06:35,979 --> 00:06:37,689 That's not a good question. 93 00:06:51,370 --> 00:06:53,539 Whoo! Here we go swimming. 94 00:06:53,622 --> 00:06:55,374 Everything is completely underwater. 95 00:07:00,420 --> 00:07:03,173 JENKINS: You're just showing off. You need to drive like that? 96 00:07:03,257 --> 00:07:05,467 Wow! Hey! 97 00:07:08,554 --> 00:07:09,972 -JENKINS: Wow. -Wow. 98 00:07:10,430 --> 00:07:12,266 That was an experience. 99 00:07:13,851 --> 00:07:16,478 Shaky, shaky, but I'm okay. 100 00:07:19,982 --> 00:07:23,068 SISTO: As the rest of the crew rush ahead to make camp, 101 00:07:23,151 --> 00:07:27,906 cameraman Martyn Colbeck and expert guide Presley Mbeha 102 00:07:27,990 --> 00:07:29,783 are stopped in their tracks. 103 00:07:32,452 --> 00:07:36,081 Out of nowhere, a family of elephants appears. 104 00:07:36,164 --> 00:07:39,459 They're highly agitated but it's not clear why. 105 00:07:42,045 --> 00:07:43,255 It's pandemonium. 106 00:07:46,175 --> 00:07:50,470 We've got lots of excitement here, lots of... Oh, that's lovely. 107 00:07:51,805 --> 00:07:52,806 Wow. 108 00:07:55,017 --> 00:07:57,477 SISTO: And then all becomes clear. 109 00:08:00,355 --> 00:08:02,608 COLBECK: We've just found a newborn baby 110 00:08:02,691 --> 00:08:05,485 and it's staggering around, it can hardly walk. 111 00:08:06,195 --> 00:08:09,448 Probably born, I don't know, three or four hours ago. 112 00:08:11,700 --> 00:08:13,744 It's really, really young. 113 00:08:13,827 --> 00:08:16,330 That's amazing. It is lovely. 114 00:08:19,416 --> 00:08:21,752 SISTO: The crew draw on their decades of experience 115 00:08:21,835 --> 00:08:24,379 to film without disturbing them. 116 00:08:26,131 --> 00:08:30,052 COLBECK: The problem I've got, is A, there's a big bull in the way. 117 00:08:30,135 --> 00:08:32,804 It's okay, it's okay. 118 00:08:34,515 --> 00:08:38,143 The problem I've got is that this grass is very, very long. 119 00:08:38,227 --> 00:08:39,937 So it's very, very hard to see the baby. 120 00:08:42,940 --> 00:08:45,817 This male is being a real pest. 121 00:08:47,611 --> 00:08:50,614 SISTO: While the bull was clearly annoying the new mother, 122 00:08:50,697 --> 00:08:53,575 the fact that she was happy to stay close to the vehicle 123 00:08:53,659 --> 00:08:56,161 was a good omen for filming in the delta. 124 00:09:00,165 --> 00:09:01,208 COLBECK: It's okay. 125 00:09:02,251 --> 00:09:04,211 Everyone's very excited here. 126 00:09:05,462 --> 00:09:07,631 We got the rest of the family behind us. 127 00:09:08,507 --> 00:09:11,593 What's really interesting is that she's using the car as protection. 128 00:09:11,677 --> 00:09:13,804 She's trying to get away from this male. 129 00:09:17,182 --> 00:09:18,642 And there's the baby. 130 00:09:19,351 --> 00:09:21,603 Oh, that's very sweet, look at that. 131 00:09:24,940 --> 00:09:29,903 You can tell by the pink ears, it hasn't got particularly pink eyes. 132 00:09:32,698 --> 00:09:34,116 That's very sweet. 133 00:09:34,199 --> 00:09:35,909 And I can see the umbilical cord. 134 00:09:38,036 --> 00:09:39,746 Oh, look at that. 135 00:09:40,497 --> 00:09:42,457 SISTO: A great start to the shoot. 136 00:09:42,541 --> 00:09:45,377 An elephant encounter before they'd even arrived at camp. 137 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:50,465 And a rare chance to film the first steps of a newborn. 138 00:09:56,597 --> 00:10:00,684 On the road ahead, the rest of the team were having far less luck. 139 00:10:01,185 --> 00:10:05,105 So basically, we've just got three vehicles stuck now. 140 00:10:06,148 --> 00:10:09,026 Literally, five minutes ago we had a trailer unhitch itself 141 00:10:09,109 --> 00:10:10,110 and land upside down. 142 00:10:10,194 --> 00:10:11,195 Go! 143 00:10:11,278 --> 00:10:13,447 It's just getting a little bit frustrating. 144 00:10:14,698 --> 00:10:16,074 ROWLES: We just gotta keep going, 145 00:10:16,158 --> 00:10:18,452 this is what making elephant films is all about. 146 00:10:18,535 --> 00:10:20,120 Hurry! Go, go, go, go. 147 00:10:23,373 --> 00:10:26,460 SISTO: After 15 hours on the road, 148 00:10:26,543 --> 00:10:29,338 the front of the convoy finally drew into the site 149 00:10:29,421 --> 00:10:30,923 Mike had located for their camp. 150 00:10:32,549 --> 00:10:36,970 This remote island was to be home for the next six weeks. 151 00:10:37,054 --> 00:10:40,182 Mike gave me this point from his flight. 152 00:10:40,265 --> 00:10:43,352 So, he gave me this as a GPS point of where he wanted the camp to be. 153 00:10:46,980 --> 00:10:48,732 SISTO: The camp was all set up, 154 00:10:48,815 --> 00:10:51,860 but the elephant filming had delayed the rest of the crew. 155 00:10:53,070 --> 00:10:55,113 Would they make it before nightfall? 156 00:10:55,197 --> 00:10:57,032 Tell my mother I love her. 157 00:11:01,578 --> 00:11:04,665 We've absolutely no idea what's gonna happen up in front... 158 00:11:04,748 --> 00:11:06,583 And we've still got 50 kilometers to go. 159 00:11:09,670 --> 00:11:14,633 SISTO: And driving 50 kilometers in the delta can take an hour or all day. 160 00:11:16,426 --> 00:11:17,719 We were trying out to get out 161 00:11:17,803 --> 00:11:19,888 and couldn't, so we decided to use the winch. 162 00:11:19,972 --> 00:11:21,181 Yeah, good. 163 00:11:21,265 --> 00:11:23,934 And then when we were winding it back in, the screw came out. 164 00:11:24,017 --> 00:11:27,020 You see it? Which holds the actual cable in place. 165 00:11:28,272 --> 00:11:30,649 So we had to take the whole thing out 166 00:11:30,732 --> 00:11:32,943 and then try and manipulate the metal. 167 00:11:33,026 --> 00:11:36,905 Luckily, I've got delicate fingers and surgery was successful. 168 00:11:38,323 --> 00:11:40,826 Now we see if it pays off. 169 00:11:47,249 --> 00:11:49,251 SISTO: No, it's gonna take them all day. 170 00:11:50,210 --> 00:11:51,211 MBEHA: That's it. 171 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:52,921 EDWARDS: How's it looking? 172 00:11:55,799 --> 00:11:58,886 SISTO: The rear guard finally make it into camp, 173 00:11:58,969 --> 00:12:01,054 but their struggle just to get here 174 00:12:01,138 --> 00:12:03,974 has brought home the scale of the challenge. 175 00:12:09,563 --> 00:12:13,483 Martyn arrives tired but elated from filming the newborn, 176 00:12:13,567 --> 00:12:17,029 but he's also concerned how quickly they disappeared from view. 177 00:12:18,697 --> 00:12:23,202 The crew realize they need a way to keep track of the elephants. 178 00:12:24,912 --> 00:12:29,208 Fortunately for them, help is about to arrive. 179 00:12:33,420 --> 00:12:34,963 Biologist Mike Chase 180 00:12:35,047 --> 00:12:38,133 has been counting elephant populations in Africa 181 00:12:38,217 --> 00:12:42,221 and tracking their journeys across the Kalahari for over a decade. 182 00:12:43,430 --> 00:12:44,515 Yeah, I've got a visual, 183 00:12:44,598 --> 00:12:48,143 she's in front of the woolly caper bush. She's heading south. 184 00:12:51,063 --> 00:12:53,357 Well, I'm a fifth-generation Batswana. 185 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:55,067 I've always just felt 186 00:12:55,901 --> 00:13:00,989 a very deep sense of belonging and tie to elephants. 187 00:13:01,073 --> 00:13:04,284 These are the world's largest terrestrial land mammals 188 00:13:05,035 --> 00:13:06,828 and I was mesmerized by them 189 00:13:06,912 --> 00:13:09,623 and I always have been intrigued and fascinated. 190 00:13:12,459 --> 00:13:15,003 SISTO: And that's not just in the wild. 191 00:13:15,087 --> 00:13:19,132 Mike and his partner, Kelly, also devote huge amounts of time 192 00:13:19,216 --> 00:13:22,094 to rescuing and nursing young elephants 193 00:13:22,177 --> 00:13:26,473 that have been orphaned by poaching or human conflict back to health. 194 00:13:31,687 --> 00:13:35,482 Their hope is that these junior elephant ambassadors 195 00:13:35,566 --> 00:13:38,610 will help local kids to connect to their wildlife 196 00:13:38,694 --> 00:13:40,487 and care for its future. 197 00:13:44,283 --> 00:13:46,952 CHASE: I think people around the world think all too often 198 00:13:47,035 --> 00:13:49,246 that there are a lot of people saving the elephants 199 00:13:49,329 --> 00:13:50,455 and there aren't, really. 200 00:13:50,539 --> 00:13:53,417 And so to be part of a privileged few, 201 00:13:53,500 --> 00:13:56,879 committed to safeguarding the future of elephants, 202 00:13:56,962 --> 00:13:59,923 I derive a great amount of enjoyment from that. 203 00:14:00,007 --> 00:14:01,550 Let's go look for the eles. 204 00:14:03,510 --> 00:14:06,263 SISTO: Both Mikes share a passion for Botswana's elephants... 205 00:14:06,346 --> 00:14:07,556 HOLDING: All right. CHASE: Yeah. 206 00:14:07,639 --> 00:14:09,641 SISTO: ...and today, they hope to find a particular herd 207 00:14:09,725 --> 00:14:12,394 known for traveling great distances. 208 00:14:13,478 --> 00:14:18,442 CHASE: The epic journey that Botswana's elephants embark on, it's untold. 209 00:14:18,525 --> 00:14:20,819 Because contrary to popular belief, 210 00:14:20,903 --> 00:14:24,615 not all of Botswana's elephants are confined to within Botswana. 211 00:14:24,698 --> 00:14:28,035 They have this ability to cross international borders. 212 00:14:28,118 --> 00:14:29,536 They don't need passports. 213 00:14:31,038 --> 00:14:33,665 So our satellite telemetry data has recorded elephants 214 00:14:33,749 --> 00:14:38,253 moving out of Botswana, through Namibia, into Zambia and Angola. 215 00:14:38,337 --> 00:14:41,840 Some of the largest home ranges ever recorded. 216 00:14:42,466 --> 00:14:46,512 SISTO: Mike is convinced data from his satellite-tagged elephants 217 00:14:46,595 --> 00:14:48,514 could help the crew with their filming. 218 00:14:49,598 --> 00:14:52,100 So one of our collared matriarch cows 219 00:14:52,184 --> 00:14:56,897 has the tendency to gather in this area during the dry season, 220 00:14:56,980 --> 00:15:00,400 where she congregates in a large herd with other matriarchs. 221 00:15:00,484 --> 00:15:01,485 HOLDING: Yeah. 222 00:15:01,568 --> 00:15:02,986 Let's see if we can pick her up. 223 00:15:03,070 --> 00:15:05,030 We have the VHF tracking antenna on, 224 00:15:05,113 --> 00:15:08,075 and see if we can get a ping from her satellite collar. 225 00:15:09,785 --> 00:15:11,703 Hold up. I can't hear anything yet. 226 00:15:12,913 --> 00:15:14,831 It'd be great if we could get a visual. 227 00:15:17,417 --> 00:15:18,961 Ah, do you hear it? 228 00:15:19,044 --> 00:15:20,128 Yeah. 229 00:15:20,212 --> 00:15:23,173 Yeah, a ping definitely. There's a ping there. 230 00:15:23,257 --> 00:15:26,134 HOLDING: If we can pick up that concentration, it'll be amazing... 231 00:15:26,218 --> 00:15:27,219 CHASE: Okay. Film. 232 00:15:27,302 --> 00:15:30,722 HOLDING: ...for the beginning of the filming. We can establish family groups 233 00:15:30,806 --> 00:15:32,808 that we can follow throughout the film. 234 00:15:32,891 --> 00:15:33,892 Okay. Yeah. Yeah. 235 00:15:33,976 --> 00:15:36,854 It'd be really good if we can find somebody in this group. 236 00:15:40,023 --> 00:15:41,650 CHASE: It's a nice loud signal now. 237 00:15:41,733 --> 00:15:42,734 HOLDING: Yeah. 238 00:15:46,655 --> 00:15:48,323 Well done. There she is. 239 00:15:48,407 --> 00:15:49,449 Okay. 240 00:15:49,533 --> 00:15:50,826 CHASE: Nice! 241 00:15:50,909 --> 00:15:53,161 HOLDING: Brilliant. Well, that's fantastic. 242 00:15:53,245 --> 00:15:57,124 And now, all of these herds will probably stick around together for a while, Mike? 243 00:15:57,207 --> 00:15:59,877 Definitely, Mike. You've got at least another month or two. 244 00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:02,713 HOLDING: All right, great. It's not the easiest area to get to, 245 00:16:02,796 --> 00:16:05,007 but we can handle that part. 246 00:16:06,758 --> 00:16:09,052 It's great. Very, very helpful. 247 00:16:11,013 --> 00:16:14,308 CHASE: This is the last place left in the world 248 00:16:14,391 --> 00:16:16,685 where elephants can still wander 249 00:16:16,768 --> 00:16:19,229 -as they did 100, 200 years ago. -LINFIELD: Hmm. 250 00:16:19,313 --> 00:16:21,982 For the simple reason they have the space to do so. 251 00:16:22,065 --> 00:16:23,400 LINFIELD: Yeah. 252 00:16:23,483 --> 00:16:26,904 -Wow. -It's nearly 260,000 square kilometers. 253 00:16:26,987 --> 00:16:29,573 And that's why you're having difficulty finding elephants. 254 00:16:29,656 --> 00:16:31,033 That'll be it, then! 255 00:16:31,116 --> 00:16:34,119 So, we've satellite-collared nearly 300 elephants 256 00:16:34,203 --> 00:16:36,330 and you can see all these dots on the map 257 00:16:36,413 --> 00:16:39,208 are GPS locations on their migration routes. 258 00:16:39,708 --> 00:16:41,043 So how often do you get updates? 259 00:16:41,543 --> 00:16:43,921 -Every hour, we get a GPS location. -All right! 260 00:16:44,004 --> 00:16:45,422 So you can tell us where they are? 261 00:16:45,506 --> 00:16:47,591 -Absolutely, yeah. -So what are we waiting for? 262 00:16:48,884 --> 00:16:49,885 What am I doing now? 263 00:16:49,968 --> 00:16:51,803 I need a good Internet connection... 264 00:16:51,887 --> 00:16:52,888 Yeah. Okay. 265 00:16:52,971 --> 00:16:55,390 -...and I'll give you the locations. -Amazing. 266 00:16:55,474 --> 00:16:56,600 Bring it on. 267 00:17:00,771 --> 00:17:04,691 CHASE: Our elephants have the ability to move 1000 kilometers a month, 268 00:17:05,567 --> 00:17:08,779 often over terrain that is inaccessible for vehicles. 269 00:17:13,492 --> 00:17:14,493 Good job. 270 00:17:14,576 --> 00:17:17,829 CHASE: It's very remote. It's difficult to traverse. 271 00:17:17,913 --> 00:17:20,541 Very thick sand, swampland, deep rivers, 272 00:17:21,625 --> 00:17:24,044 thick bush. It's unforgiving. 273 00:17:24,127 --> 00:17:27,756 And this is some of the perilous journeys that elephants are undertaking. 274 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:32,427 Keeping up with them as a film crew is gonna be a difficult task. 275 00:17:35,264 --> 00:17:37,182 SISTO: At first, the filming boat 276 00:17:37,266 --> 00:17:39,476 did keep up with the elephants, 277 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:43,689 but it wasn't long before they'd moved out of reach of conventional transport. 278 00:17:45,482 --> 00:17:47,276 LINFIELD: Our elephants, whilst they're moving, 279 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:50,279 they're not moving in places that are very vehicle-friendly. 280 00:17:51,029 --> 00:17:52,489 COLBECK: Oh! Right over the camera. 281 00:17:52,573 --> 00:17:55,742 LINFIELD: So a lot of the time, we have to launch the drone, 282 00:17:55,826 --> 00:17:57,035 follow them by drone. 283 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:58,537 If the distance is too far, 284 00:17:58,620 --> 00:18:00,372 we have to continue with a helicopter. 285 00:18:00,455 --> 00:18:01,456 It's just, 286 00:18:01,540 --> 00:18:04,751 trying to keep up with them is... It's been a technical challenge. 287 00:18:17,681 --> 00:18:19,683 Come in. Here we go. Come in. 288 00:18:23,645 --> 00:18:25,689 SISTO: This time in the air also revealed 289 00:18:25,772 --> 00:18:29,526 how the channels of the delta are formed by its wildlife. 290 00:18:36,658 --> 00:18:39,494 It was important to film the elephants' water world 291 00:18:39,578 --> 00:18:41,788 from below as well as above, 292 00:18:41,872 --> 00:18:44,541 which carried its own unique risks. 293 00:18:47,002 --> 00:18:48,003 Big croc. 294 00:18:49,922 --> 00:18:52,257 ROGER HORROCKS: Croc, big. LINFIELD: Yeah, a big one. 295 00:18:52,716 --> 00:18:54,760 Yeah. Big crocodile on the bank. 296 00:18:55,260 --> 00:18:57,095 Nice four, five-meter crocodile. 297 00:18:59,097 --> 00:19:01,266 SISTO: Seasoned underwater cameraman, 298 00:19:01,350 --> 00:19:05,437 Roger Horrocks, knows how dangerous diving in these waters can be. 299 00:19:07,231 --> 00:19:10,150 Every year, the narrow channels are carved out 300 00:19:10,234 --> 00:19:14,947 by the massive hippos and elephants, which can be lurking round any corner. 301 00:19:19,993 --> 00:19:21,537 When Roger's in the water, 302 00:19:21,620 --> 00:19:26,208 he has a safety diver with him as well as Mike supervising from the boat. 303 00:19:35,217 --> 00:19:37,010 HORROCKS: One of the things with the delta 304 00:19:37,094 --> 00:19:39,471 is the massive surprise when you go underwater, 305 00:19:39,555 --> 00:19:42,015 is the relief and the structures of the pathways 306 00:19:42,099 --> 00:19:43,433 that are made by the hippos 307 00:19:43,517 --> 00:19:45,060 and the plant life is... 308 00:19:45,143 --> 00:19:47,020 The structure of it is just astounding. 309 00:19:47,104 --> 00:19:51,775 It's gothic, it's organic and the palettes are incredible. 310 00:19:56,989 --> 00:19:59,408 The hippos and elephants are the architects of the delta 311 00:19:59,491 --> 00:20:00,617 and you can see, you know, 312 00:20:00,701 --> 00:20:03,954 they use their bodies to actually create these pathways. 313 00:20:05,497 --> 00:20:06,999 You know, they're huge. 314 00:20:07,082 --> 00:20:11,003 I mean, you can swim down a channel made by a hippopotamus. 315 00:20:11,503 --> 00:20:13,839 You can actually see the girth and it's huge. 316 00:20:26,935 --> 00:20:28,061 The producers want 317 00:20:28,145 --> 00:20:31,315 shots that show the water traveling down 318 00:20:31,398 --> 00:20:34,526 and the only way to do that is to kind of just travel down these channels 319 00:20:34,610 --> 00:20:36,320 and you don't want to put a boat ahead 320 00:20:36,403 --> 00:20:38,238 because it muddies it up. 321 00:20:38,322 --> 00:20:40,365 The danger is you never know what's up ahead, 322 00:20:40,449 --> 00:20:42,201 so for me this drift diving 323 00:20:42,284 --> 00:20:45,329 is probably the most dangerous thing you can do 324 00:20:45,412 --> 00:20:47,247 just because of the... 325 00:20:47,331 --> 00:20:50,334 You know, the uncertainty of what lies around the corner. 326 00:20:52,336 --> 00:20:54,463 MATHIEU VAN GOETHEM: Wow. HORROCKS: It's very beautiful. 327 00:20:54,963 --> 00:20:57,549 It's a little bit scary though, we can't really see. 328 00:20:58,133 --> 00:20:59,343 VAN GOETHEM: It's so different. 329 00:21:00,844 --> 00:21:03,347 HORROCKS: They hear the boat coming, they slip into the water 330 00:21:03,430 --> 00:21:05,682 and there's nowhere to maneuver, 331 00:21:05,766 --> 00:21:07,768 so you'll be around a corner and you'll be on... 332 00:21:07,851 --> 00:21:10,521 You'll be on top of him before you know it and he'll bite you 333 00:21:10,604 --> 00:21:12,773 and that's not good for him, it's not good for us. 334 00:21:12,856 --> 00:21:13,857 Not optimal. 335 00:21:52,604 --> 00:21:55,399 VAN GOETHEM: Came up across a pond, a little pool, deeper pool 336 00:21:55,482 --> 00:21:56,567 and I was following Roger 337 00:21:56,650 --> 00:21:59,778 and literally out of nowhere this croc came between the two of us. 338 00:21:59,862 --> 00:22:01,154 I pulled on Roger's fin... 339 00:22:01,947 --> 00:22:04,533 he turned over and started following the croc. 340 00:22:04,616 --> 00:22:07,286 It was really cool, but it all happened very, very, very quickly. 341 00:22:09,663 --> 00:22:13,584 HORROCKS: The vis is not great so just... Yeah, it puts him on edge. 342 00:22:13,667 --> 00:22:15,169 He can't really see us, 343 00:22:15,252 --> 00:22:18,672 so we're not gonna do any more diving on crocs until the water cleans up. 344 00:22:20,132 --> 00:22:22,676 No, no, no. This drift diving should be double pay. 345 00:22:23,302 --> 00:22:24,803 -Danger pay. -Danger pay. Yeah, no. 346 00:22:35,147 --> 00:22:37,900 SISTO: Spending day after day filming the elephants, 347 00:22:37,983 --> 00:22:39,902 the crew began to fall in love 348 00:22:39,985 --> 00:22:43,363 with their many unique and endearing eccentricities. 349 00:22:45,032 --> 00:22:47,784 JENKINS: They have individual personalities, 350 00:22:47,868 --> 00:22:51,413 they have the same dynamics we do. The sisters fight, 351 00:22:51,496 --> 00:22:53,457 the teenagers scream and fight, 352 00:22:53,540 --> 00:22:55,626 the boys show off and mock-charge. 353 00:22:55,709 --> 00:22:59,296 And, you can really, really identify with them. 354 00:23:02,424 --> 00:23:04,384 I think it's their sense of fun. 355 00:23:09,306 --> 00:23:14,228 I know it sounds strange for an animal to be talked about as having fun, 356 00:23:14,311 --> 00:23:16,897 but I'm genuinely convinced that they do. 357 00:23:20,901 --> 00:23:24,905 If you watch them chase warthogs. If you watch them chase imaginary enemies. 358 00:23:26,490 --> 00:23:29,701 If you watch them disappear into bushes backwards and then ambush... 359 00:23:29,785 --> 00:23:32,412 I mean, they just have a wonderful sense of fun. 360 00:23:33,747 --> 00:23:35,374 They do this floppy running, 361 00:23:35,457 --> 00:23:37,209 when they just let everything loose 362 00:23:37,292 --> 00:23:39,503 and their trunk goes and their ears go. 363 00:23:41,338 --> 00:23:45,509 Elephants, I'm convinced, have a wonderful sense of humor. 364 00:23:45,592 --> 00:23:47,719 - 365 00:23:48,345 --> 00:23:50,347 LINFIELD: One of the favorite flood scenes we captured 366 00:23:50,430 --> 00:23:55,185 was a young calf chasing lechwe and egrets through the water, 367 00:23:55,269 --> 00:23:58,105 like some naughty kid chasing animals through their garden. 368 00:23:58,188 --> 00:24:01,441 It really, really captured their personalities. 369 00:24:03,068 --> 00:24:05,279 I definitely have more elephant friends than humans. 370 00:24:05,362 --> 00:24:06,655 Elephants are really gentle, 371 00:24:06,738 --> 00:24:08,782 they're really caring, they're really intelligent, 372 00:24:08,866 --> 00:24:10,409 they're really entertaining. 373 00:24:10,492 --> 00:24:12,828 I don't know too many people like that. 374 00:24:12,911 --> 00:24:15,914 I'd rather spend a day with eles than most of the people I know. 375 00:24:15,998 --> 00:24:19,042 That's some of my friends excepted. 376 00:24:24,756 --> 00:24:26,633 SISTO: But some of the best moments for the crew 377 00:24:26,717 --> 00:24:30,929 were when unexpected visitors would arrive in camp. 378 00:24:34,683 --> 00:24:36,894 HOLDING: We woke up to the sound of rattling palm trees 379 00:24:36,977 --> 00:24:39,479 and these two guys are standing here shaking the palms, 380 00:24:39,563 --> 00:24:40,856 knocking the nuts down 381 00:24:41,815 --> 00:24:43,609 and basically joining us for breakfast. 382 00:24:43,692 --> 00:24:45,777 Slightly different diet, but nice. 383 00:24:46,820 --> 00:24:49,323 LINFIELD: It's a shock when you go for your morning coffee 384 00:24:49,406 --> 00:24:53,452 and you've got a couple of elephants shaking the palm trees around your tent. 385 00:24:53,952 --> 00:24:56,163 Quite noisy though, you know they're here. 386 00:24:58,498 --> 00:25:02,419 They'll spend days and days in this island because it's full of palm nuts, 387 00:25:03,170 --> 00:25:06,089 so we're gonna have neighbors for a while. It'll be great. 388 00:25:11,220 --> 00:25:13,347 Mmm. Tastes like ginger. 389 00:25:13,722 --> 00:25:15,516 I've eaten this before, 390 00:25:15,599 --> 00:25:17,935 so if you just eat one whole nut, 391 00:25:18,894 --> 00:25:21,104 it just makes your mouth very dry. 392 00:25:21,188 --> 00:25:23,398 Yeah, now he's just feeding on something else, 393 00:25:23,482 --> 00:25:25,317 he's feeding on the rain tree 394 00:25:26,109 --> 00:25:28,111 because there're no nuts here altogether. 395 00:25:28,195 --> 00:25:30,822 There was one bull, he ate all the nuts, 396 00:25:30,906 --> 00:25:33,742 so it's very unfortunate for him, so there's nothing. 397 00:25:33,825 --> 00:25:38,205 Well, I've been a guide for 22 years, 398 00:25:38,288 --> 00:25:41,416 so I actually know the animal behavior. 399 00:25:41,500 --> 00:25:44,211 And now this elephant... It's very calm 400 00:25:44,294 --> 00:25:46,588 and that's why I'm this close to him. 401 00:25:48,090 --> 00:25:50,551 Even the generator is on right now, 402 00:25:50,634 --> 00:25:52,261 it doesn't even bother him. 403 00:25:52,344 --> 00:25:54,054 So, he just comes so close, 404 00:25:54,137 --> 00:25:55,848 so then we just worry that one day 405 00:25:55,931 --> 00:25:58,267 he might just come to the middle of the camp 406 00:25:58,350 --> 00:26:00,477 and that's when we're going to have a problem. 407 00:26:00,561 --> 00:26:03,522 We'll just have to scatter in all directions. 408 00:26:08,861 --> 00:26:12,322 SISTO: A few days later, the crew had other visitors 409 00:26:12,406 --> 00:26:14,241 that were much less welcome. 410 00:26:22,374 --> 00:26:24,585 COLBECK: We found a pride, in the middle of the day, 411 00:26:24,668 --> 00:26:26,170 which is very unusual. 412 00:26:26,253 --> 00:26:29,173 Three lionesses and seven eight-month-old cubs 413 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,885 and almost immediately we found them, they started hunting. 414 00:26:46,231 --> 00:26:48,317 The camp is right here. 415 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:52,821 The zebra and the wildebeest all formed a tight bunch, 416 00:26:52,905 --> 00:26:54,239 but not far from the camp. 417 00:26:54,823 --> 00:26:59,786 But this lioness was absolutely determined and sure enough, she went again. 418 00:27:05,709 --> 00:27:08,170 SISTO: This time, straight towards camp. 419 00:27:10,881 --> 00:27:13,967 DANIELLE SPITZER: Okay, we've got lions in camp, hunting... 420 00:27:18,931 --> 00:27:20,349 Yes, Pres, go ahead. 421 00:27:22,351 --> 00:27:24,228 SPITZER: Yeah, we're already in the vehicle. 422 00:27:24,311 --> 00:27:26,104 We had all the animals just run through camp 423 00:27:26,188 --> 00:27:29,399 and I have no idea where this lioness is. Do you guys see the lioness? 424 00:27:38,867 --> 00:27:40,202 SPITZER: I just saw an impala. 425 00:27:40,285 --> 00:27:42,829 There she is. There she is. There she is. Right there. 426 00:27:48,627 --> 00:27:50,671 My view in the car was very limited. 427 00:27:50,754 --> 00:27:53,340 I could just see out the side. I could see out the front. 428 00:27:53,423 --> 00:27:55,092 The whole back of the car was blocked. 429 00:27:55,175 --> 00:27:57,553 I couldn't see behind us. 430 00:27:57,636 --> 00:28:00,013 Felt like you were in a box and you can only see out of, 431 00:28:00,097 --> 00:28:02,224 you know, a certain window 432 00:28:02,307 --> 00:28:04,101 which I think made it even more terrifying 433 00:28:04,184 --> 00:28:07,187 because she could be anywhere behind you and you just wouldn't know. 434 00:28:07,271 --> 00:28:09,314 She could be under the car and you wouldn't know. 435 00:28:09,398 --> 00:28:12,401 So it was just... It was insane. 436 00:28:15,863 --> 00:28:18,448 Okay, yeah. Copy that. Just let us know what's happening. 437 00:28:22,911 --> 00:28:26,748 Apparently, this lioness is still somewhere here in the camp, 438 00:28:26,832 --> 00:28:29,835 but we have no idea where she is, 439 00:28:29,918 --> 00:28:33,046 so we're just gonna wait and hopefully hear from the guys, 440 00:28:33,130 --> 00:28:36,091 if they've seen her but she's completely gone. 441 00:28:36,925 --> 00:28:38,260 We have no idea. 442 00:28:41,054 --> 00:28:42,347 There is one there. 443 00:29:05,412 --> 00:29:08,624 Okay, copy that, copy that. We'll just stay put at the moment. 444 00:29:19,176 --> 00:29:21,678 COLBECK: I was really concerned. Um... 445 00:29:22,930 --> 00:29:24,264 Out of nowhere, you can suddenly 446 00:29:24,348 --> 00:29:26,391 have a pride of lions running through your camp. 447 00:29:29,186 --> 00:29:31,855 Dani and Alfred were in camp walking around. 448 00:29:31,939 --> 00:29:35,734 They could easily, easily be killed by lions. 449 00:29:39,947 --> 00:29:41,990 SISTO: As the dry season advances, 450 00:29:42,074 --> 00:29:46,328 the delta transforms into a dangerous and hostile place. 451 00:29:46,411 --> 00:29:50,415 Its channels now filled with treacherous quicksand and sticky mud. 452 00:29:51,625 --> 00:29:53,585 COLBECK: 'Course the delta dries out every year 453 00:29:53,669 --> 00:29:55,754 and the elephants make this journey every year, 454 00:29:55,838 --> 00:29:59,049 so every year, the waterholes become glutinous. 455 00:30:02,511 --> 00:30:04,805 The elephants are very stressed at this point. 456 00:30:04,888 --> 00:30:07,057 There's virtually no food, the water's drying up 457 00:30:07,140 --> 00:30:09,518 and so they're at their most vulnerable and stressed. 458 00:30:10,727 --> 00:30:13,939 And for me, the most emotionally challenging 459 00:30:14,022 --> 00:30:15,774 was filming a baby stuck in the mud. 460 00:30:21,738 --> 00:30:26,326 Very quickly the situation turned into a life-threatening situation. 461 00:30:26,910 --> 00:30:30,622 This calf became completely locked in this mud. 462 00:30:32,249 --> 00:30:35,627 And what was amazing was that had it been a first-time mother, 463 00:30:35,711 --> 00:30:38,338 I'm pretty sure that calf would never have got out. 464 00:30:38,422 --> 00:30:41,466 But the fact that it was a very, very experienced matriarch, 465 00:30:41,550 --> 00:30:44,386 she was incredibly calm and she knew exactly what to do 466 00:30:45,012 --> 00:30:46,972 and I've never seen anything like it before 467 00:30:47,055 --> 00:30:49,141 in 20 years of filming elephants. 468 00:30:49,224 --> 00:30:53,020 She realized that she had to enable it to breathe 469 00:30:53,103 --> 00:30:54,938 so she lifted its head out of the mud 470 00:30:55,022 --> 00:30:58,233 and actually lifted its trunk and curled her trunk around its trunk, 471 00:30:58,317 --> 00:31:01,236 cleaned the trunk off so she knew it could breathe 472 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:02,905 and that's extraordinary. 473 00:31:04,615 --> 00:31:08,493 In the meantime, she then had to work out how to get this calf out of the mud. 474 00:31:11,288 --> 00:31:14,958 It was a very, very hard thing to shoot because I knew how serious it was. 475 00:31:15,918 --> 00:31:19,421 I was convinced that this calf wasn't gonna get out of the mud. 476 00:31:19,505 --> 00:31:20,714 I really was. 477 00:31:24,218 --> 00:31:28,639 It was getting weaker and weaker and she didn't have a solution in short 478 00:31:28,722 --> 00:31:31,558 and so I thought, we're gonna lose the calf, 479 00:31:31,642 --> 00:31:33,852 you know, and here I am filming it. 480 00:31:33,936 --> 00:31:35,145 What do I do? 481 00:31:39,107 --> 00:31:42,611 But in those situations, I think you have to become very detached. 482 00:31:42,694 --> 00:31:44,863 You are witnessing something that would happen 483 00:31:44,947 --> 00:31:47,241 irrespective of whether we were here or not, 484 00:31:47,324 --> 00:31:49,993 so we're not really in a position to interfere. 485 00:31:50,077 --> 00:31:52,454 We should be there as documentary filmmakers, 486 00:31:52,538 --> 00:31:56,542 recording that incredible behavior and of course she got it out. 487 00:31:56,625 --> 00:32:00,671 So if we'd have interfered, we'd have altered that outcome possibly. 488 00:32:09,930 --> 00:32:11,098 When the baby came out, 489 00:32:11,181 --> 00:32:13,517 I've never seen a baby covered in so much mud. 490 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:17,479 It looked like it was dropped in a whole vat of chocolate. 491 00:32:17,563 --> 00:32:19,982 It was just this elephant-shaped blob of mud. 492 00:32:22,192 --> 00:32:28,949 And I haven't witnessed a matriarch being so calculating in rescuing a calf. 493 00:32:31,118 --> 00:32:35,664 SISTO: The key role of the matriarch was soon to be demonstrated again. 494 00:32:38,667 --> 00:32:41,461 COLBECK: The next day, they all disappeared 495 00:32:41,545 --> 00:32:44,590 and we know from Mike where he was filming and other people, 496 00:32:44,673 --> 00:32:47,176 that they all disappeared on the same day. 497 00:32:48,177 --> 00:32:51,263 They then left the area completely, 498 00:32:51,346 --> 00:32:56,435 which means that all those families were coordinated. 499 00:32:56,518 --> 00:32:58,478 Someone had made the decision, 500 00:32:58,562 --> 00:33:01,440 one of the matriarchs, several of the matriarchs realized 501 00:33:01,523 --> 00:33:03,942 that the water was drying up significantly 502 00:33:04,026 --> 00:33:05,903 and that they had to leave the area 503 00:33:05,986 --> 00:33:08,822 and that's a big decision for a clan of elephants to make. 504 00:33:14,161 --> 00:33:17,080 I think one of the biggest challenges of this film actually 505 00:33:17,164 --> 00:33:20,667 has been to get into the mind of an elephant. 506 00:33:24,755 --> 00:33:29,051 HOLDING: The old joke about elephant memory is absolutely accurate. 507 00:33:29,134 --> 00:33:31,887 They have the highways mapped into their heads. 508 00:33:31,970 --> 00:33:33,555 They know where they're going 509 00:33:33,639 --> 00:33:36,975 and that's data that's been passed down for hundreds and hundreds of years. 510 00:33:41,939 --> 00:33:44,066 LINFIELD: Usually with the animals that we follow, 511 00:33:44,149 --> 00:33:46,527 once you can second-guess what they're gonna do next, 512 00:33:46,610 --> 00:33:49,238 that's when things really start to work and gel. 513 00:33:49,321 --> 00:33:53,116 With elephants, that is a real challenge 514 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:56,912 because I don't think I've ever worked with an animal that is more other. 515 00:33:56,995 --> 00:34:01,750 You know, they do so many things that we would, sort of, recognize. 516 00:34:01,834 --> 00:34:05,045 They have tenderness towards their calves 517 00:34:05,128 --> 00:34:06,797 to an extraordinary degree. 518 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:09,508 Their social life is super-duper rich. 519 00:34:09,591 --> 00:34:12,344 They are superficially so like us 520 00:34:12,427 --> 00:34:16,932 and yet they are so different that our powers of prediction on this film 521 00:34:17,015 --> 00:34:21,353 have fallen spectacularly short on so many occasions. 522 00:34:23,063 --> 00:34:25,941 SISTO: Up till now, the film crew had only managed 523 00:34:26,024 --> 00:34:27,776 to follow behind the elephants. 524 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:34,992 It was time for a new forward-thinking filming strategy. 525 00:34:35,075 --> 00:34:37,244 So they decided to take a stabilized camera, 526 00:34:37,327 --> 00:34:42,082 normally used for aerial filming, and mount it to the front of the truck. 527 00:34:42,165 --> 00:34:45,294 This allowed them to film the elephants on the move 528 00:34:45,377 --> 00:34:47,880 and not fall behind on the journey. 529 00:34:47,963 --> 00:34:50,883 TOM WALKER: This piece of kit is generally designed for helicopters. 530 00:34:50,966 --> 00:34:54,386 We've now mounted it on a vehicle to get us ground-level 531 00:34:54,469 --> 00:34:57,055 and give smooth tracking shots. 532 00:34:59,725 --> 00:35:02,269 We're moving so it's hard to tell, 533 00:35:02,352 --> 00:35:04,563 but then you look at the image and it's smooth 534 00:35:04,646 --> 00:35:07,608 because of the axis, it all rotates around the central point, 535 00:35:07,691 --> 00:35:10,819 so the results are smooth but I'm physically bumping around. 536 00:35:13,071 --> 00:35:17,743 HOLDING: What's fascinating is that it's a whole new way of telling the story 537 00:35:17,826 --> 00:35:19,578 and that's what it's all about. 538 00:35:19,661 --> 00:35:22,080 For years, I've filmed elephants 539 00:35:22,164 --> 00:35:25,959 with a long lens on a tripod and in any sort of scenario 540 00:35:26,043 --> 00:35:29,213 where elephants are moving, you might get two opportunities at a shot, 541 00:35:29,296 --> 00:35:32,007 you know, one coming towards you and one going by. 542 00:35:32,841 --> 00:35:35,385 With this machine you've got almost infinite possibilities, 543 00:35:35,469 --> 00:35:39,556 if you stay with them and so because we're trying to tell a story 544 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:43,101 about a big epic road trip across the desert for these eles, 545 00:35:43,185 --> 00:35:44,978 this is absolutely incredible 546 00:35:45,062 --> 00:35:47,940 because what it does is it allows us to travel with the eles. 547 00:35:48,524 --> 00:35:52,569 And if we can do that, then the audience is drawn into the story 548 00:35:52,653 --> 00:35:57,032 and feels that journey better than if elephants were just passing by the camera. 549 00:35:58,867 --> 00:36:02,287 SISTO: Just when the crew starts making progress with the new system, 550 00:36:02,371 --> 00:36:05,123 the elephants start covering a lot more ground, 551 00:36:05,207 --> 00:36:07,876 so Mike must take to the skies to catch up. 552 00:36:10,003 --> 00:36:14,299 Once they've left the delta, the herds travel up to 30 miles a day 553 00:36:14,383 --> 00:36:18,428 as they hurry to reach the edge of the vast, scorching desert. 554 00:36:21,390 --> 00:36:25,143 The last few days, we've actually seen hardly any eles at all 555 00:36:25,227 --> 00:36:29,439 and they were last seen heading off into an area which is of some concern. 556 00:36:30,816 --> 00:36:34,403 They're heading out of the dry land and towards an area of habitation 557 00:36:34,486 --> 00:36:38,282 and of course that's not necessarily a good thing for elephant herds. 558 00:36:38,365 --> 00:36:41,702 So, I've arranged to meet up with some elephant researchers 559 00:36:41,785 --> 00:36:44,246 that I know well, who live in this area 560 00:36:44,329 --> 00:36:47,207 and who monitor the movement of elephants 561 00:36:47,291 --> 00:36:50,544 in the hope that they might be able to give us some idea 562 00:36:50,627 --> 00:36:54,715 whether these groups of elephants are gonna be moving into this area. 563 00:37:06,101 --> 00:37:09,271 SISTO: Mike meets up with his friends, Graham and Anna, 564 00:37:09,354 --> 00:37:12,774 who are transforming our understanding of elephant movements 565 00:37:12,858 --> 00:37:15,194 by living amongst them. 566 00:37:18,071 --> 00:37:21,158 Their family home is in an area of the delta 567 00:37:21,241 --> 00:37:23,452 where once elephants roamed freely 568 00:37:23,535 --> 00:37:26,455 but now large numbers of people also live and farm. 569 00:37:26,538 --> 00:37:29,124 GRAHAM McCULLOCH: Hey, come here! Hello. 570 00:37:31,084 --> 00:37:33,879 ANNA SONGHURST: It is a challenge raising children in the bush, 571 00:37:33,962 --> 00:37:36,465 but it's also a big adventure for both 572 00:37:36,548 --> 00:37:38,967 us as parents, and also for the girls. 573 00:37:40,260 --> 00:37:43,347 The reason for coming to this area particularly 574 00:37:43,430 --> 00:37:44,848 was because this is an area 575 00:37:44,932 --> 00:37:47,935 where there's about one elephant to every person. 576 00:37:48,018 --> 00:37:52,272 There's really high incidences of conflict and competition 577 00:37:52,356 --> 00:37:55,984 between people and elephants for resources and space. 578 00:37:57,402 --> 00:37:59,321 McCULLOCH: If you really want to understand 579 00:37:59,404 --> 00:38:03,116 what the situation is really like, what it's like to live with elephants, 580 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:05,118 you can only truly understand that 581 00:38:05,202 --> 00:38:07,663 when you live permanently 582 00:38:07,746 --> 00:38:11,291 in amongst 15,000, 20,000 elephants. 583 00:38:12,376 --> 00:38:15,295 You know, this is our piece of land 584 00:38:15,379 --> 00:38:18,841 and when we first moved in here, we love elephants, 585 00:38:18,924 --> 00:38:21,593 but all of a sudden now, elephants are knocking your trees over 586 00:38:21,677 --> 00:38:25,764 and pulling up your water pipes and, "Hey, hold on a minute!" 587 00:38:25,848 --> 00:38:28,392 You know, it's a different story. 588 00:38:28,475 --> 00:38:31,144 Living with a five-ton herbivore 589 00:38:31,228 --> 00:38:33,897 that wants to eat everything around you is one thing. 590 00:38:33,981 --> 00:38:38,026 Living with 15,000 of them, that's a massive, massive deal. 591 00:38:38,110 --> 00:38:41,071 SONGHURST: This is where the elephants hang out quite a lot... 592 00:38:41,154 --> 00:38:42,155 HOLDING: Yeah. 593 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:45,075 SONGHURST: ...in this area and then the main corridor comes down here, 594 00:38:45,158 --> 00:38:47,578 there's another one here and another that goes like that. 595 00:38:47,661 --> 00:38:50,080 -Yeah, okay. And this is where we are now? -SONGHURST: Yeah. 596 00:38:50,163 --> 00:38:52,207 If you take me to where you think they'll cross, 597 00:38:52,291 --> 00:38:53,750 we could put up cameras there 598 00:38:53,834 --> 00:38:55,377 -and go look and see. -SONGHURST: Yeah. 599 00:38:55,460 --> 00:38:57,337 HOLDING: If they're coming down through this area, 600 00:38:57,421 --> 00:38:59,715 either one of those three major pathways, 601 00:39:00,299 --> 00:39:02,092 that'll be the place to look. 602 00:39:04,219 --> 00:39:08,265 SISTO: Today, a mosaic of farmland and human settlements 603 00:39:08,348 --> 00:39:10,767 is encroaching on the Okavango Delta. 604 00:39:14,021 --> 00:39:19,067 Disrupting ancient pathways that have been used by generations of elephants. 605 00:39:20,027 --> 00:39:23,113 SONGHURST: We mapped all of the pathways and we monitored them. 606 00:39:23,197 --> 00:39:27,075 Thirteen of those pathways were used more frequently than any others 607 00:39:27,159 --> 00:39:31,413 and so those 13 are where the corridors now are. 608 00:39:31,496 --> 00:39:33,415 So the ones I was pointing out there... 609 00:39:33,498 --> 00:39:34,625 McCULLOCH: Yeah. 610 00:39:34,708 --> 00:39:37,753 The corridors then are made up of a main path 611 00:39:37,836 --> 00:39:40,506 plus a kilometer either side for a buffer 612 00:39:40,589 --> 00:39:43,300 and then that means that now the land authorities 613 00:39:43,383 --> 00:39:47,513 will not allocate any more fields inside a corridor. 614 00:39:49,348 --> 00:39:52,768 Those corridors will be left free so that as we move forward 615 00:39:52,851 --> 00:39:55,020 and the population grows for people and elephants, 616 00:39:55,103 --> 00:39:57,481 there will always be space for the elephants to move 617 00:39:57,564 --> 00:40:00,526 but there'll also be space for people to grow their crops 618 00:40:00,609 --> 00:40:01,610 and feed their families. 619 00:40:04,988 --> 00:40:07,115 CHASE: Elephant corridors are lifelines. 620 00:40:07,991 --> 00:40:10,953 They are vitally important in allowing elephants 621 00:40:11,036 --> 00:40:13,247 safe passage to food and water. 622 00:40:13,330 --> 00:40:14,331 Without corridors 623 00:40:14,414 --> 00:40:16,917 we sentence elephants to 624 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,546 maximum security, living in a very small, enclosed habitat 625 00:40:20,629 --> 00:40:24,341 and corridors give elephants the freedom of Africa. 626 00:40:27,886 --> 00:40:29,221 They need space, 627 00:40:29,304 --> 00:40:33,976 the world's largest terrestrial mammal needs to wander. 628 00:40:35,394 --> 00:40:38,063 SISTO: A visit to their local corridor reveals 629 00:40:38,146 --> 00:40:43,026 that Anna and Graham's dream of giving herds safe passage is working. 630 00:40:43,110 --> 00:40:46,113 SONGHURST: Herds of this many, you see them coming at nighttime 631 00:40:46,196 --> 00:40:49,783 but in the daytime, it's rare to see these many elephants coming down here. 632 00:40:49,867 --> 00:40:51,451 This is incredible. 633 00:40:53,829 --> 00:40:57,875 SISTO: The peaceful corridor has become a busy elephant crossroads. 634 00:41:06,091 --> 00:41:07,593 SONGHURST: Wow! Now there's hundreds. 635 00:41:07,676 --> 00:41:08,677 McCULLOCH: Look at that! 636 00:41:21,607 --> 00:41:22,983 This many! I'm speechless. 637 00:41:23,066 --> 00:41:24,610 There's just so many of them. 638 00:41:28,238 --> 00:41:29,323 It's them. 639 00:41:33,452 --> 00:41:35,078 SONGHURST: Amazing, they're actually... 640 00:41:35,162 --> 00:41:36,163 McCULLOCH: Yeah. 641 00:41:37,289 --> 00:41:39,708 SISTO: These corridors hint at a future 642 00:41:39,791 --> 00:41:43,212 where people live in peace alongside elephants, 643 00:41:43,295 --> 00:41:47,132 allowing them to move freely, day and night. 644 00:41:52,846 --> 00:41:54,556 HOLDING: Here's a big herd. McCULLOCH: Yeah. 645 00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:56,892 SISTO: Mike and Graham review hours of footage. 646 00:41:56,975 --> 00:42:00,771 They're pleased to see the herds the film team have been following 647 00:42:00,854 --> 00:42:03,023 have also passed this way in the night. 648 00:42:03,106 --> 00:42:04,858 HOLDING: Big herds as well. McCULLOCH: Yeah. 649 00:42:04,942 --> 00:42:06,944 Now we know that they've come through here, 650 00:42:07,027 --> 00:42:08,278 -having lost them... -Yeah. 651 00:42:08,362 --> 00:42:09,696 We can follow the highways out. 652 00:42:09,780 --> 00:42:11,406 Yeah. And pick them up. 653 00:42:11,490 --> 00:42:12,616 -And pick them up. -Yeah. 654 00:42:12,699 --> 00:42:14,243 We can stay with them. That's useful. 655 00:42:14,326 --> 00:42:15,744 Brilliant. Fantastic, mate. 656 00:42:15,827 --> 00:42:16,828 Cool. 657 00:42:20,832 --> 00:42:24,336 SISTO: Mike heads out towards Botswana's border with Zimbabwe. 658 00:42:24,419 --> 00:42:30,175 A vast network of paths stretches out, linking the last remaining waterholes. 659 00:42:30,259 --> 00:42:31,677 They are key stepping stones 660 00:42:31,760 --> 00:42:34,429 on the elephants' final leg of the journey. 661 00:42:34,513 --> 00:42:37,057 HOLDING: This is one of the big elephant highways 662 00:42:37,140 --> 00:42:39,977 and it's a very bleak desert scene. 663 00:42:42,104 --> 00:42:45,858 And just watching those herds, the matriarch, the little ones 664 00:42:45,941 --> 00:42:48,277 struggling through that desert heat and the dust 665 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:51,697 and totally uncertain of whether the path they've taken 666 00:42:51,780 --> 00:42:54,658 is the right one to the next waterhole and the next waterhole 667 00:42:54,741 --> 00:42:56,952 because, of course, they need water every few days. 668 00:42:57,035 --> 00:42:58,954 It's really high risk for these eles 669 00:42:59,037 --> 00:43:00,998 and thank goodness they have this mental map 670 00:43:01,081 --> 00:43:02,875 and they have this ancient knowledge 671 00:43:02,958 --> 00:43:05,127 because that's what carries them across the desert. 672 00:43:10,048 --> 00:43:11,133 LINFIELD: In the dry season, 673 00:43:11,216 --> 00:43:13,969 when we were trying to film elephants out in the baking heat, 674 00:43:14,052 --> 00:43:17,431 we were having to wait for them by small waterholes. 675 00:43:17,514 --> 00:43:21,018 We had crews scattered throughout the landscape, 676 00:43:21,101 --> 00:43:25,606 using Mike's surveying and satellite information 677 00:43:25,689 --> 00:43:27,482 to help get us to the right places. 678 00:43:32,362 --> 00:43:35,157 As we filmed the elephants on their road trip, 679 00:43:35,240 --> 00:43:37,701 all sorts of things have made me realize 680 00:43:37,784 --> 00:43:42,164 how sentient, intelligent, and emotionally sensitive they are, 681 00:43:42,247 --> 00:43:46,376 but there was one scene in particular that I was filming with Martyn 682 00:43:46,460 --> 00:43:48,879 where the elephants came across 683 00:43:48,962 --> 00:43:52,633 the bones of a dead, we presume, relative. We don't know. 684 00:44:06,730 --> 00:44:09,316 COLBECK: It's one of the most extraordinary and poignant things 685 00:44:09,399 --> 00:44:11,902 to witness with elephants, 686 00:44:11,985 --> 00:44:16,490 because they go into a very different sort of frame of mind. 687 00:44:17,699 --> 00:44:19,826 They're very, very quiet 688 00:44:19,910 --> 00:44:23,914 and they're very sensitively touching key parts of the skeleton. 689 00:44:24,623 --> 00:44:31,463 It's usually the skull, the tusks, the lower jaw, the pelvis. 690 00:44:39,888 --> 00:44:44,309 They don't respond in the same way to the bones of other animals 691 00:44:44,393 --> 00:44:48,313 so they clearly know that the carcass is that of an elephant. 692 00:44:50,899 --> 00:44:55,529 And it's absolutely remarkable to witness. 693 00:45:02,244 --> 00:45:05,873 JENKINS: Elephants coming across the bones of another elephant 694 00:45:05,956 --> 00:45:09,543 and the gentle way that they touch the bones, sniff them, 695 00:45:09,626 --> 00:45:12,504 almost as if they were trying to work out who this was, 696 00:45:12,588 --> 00:45:16,300 how they died and it's a mourning 697 00:45:16,383 --> 00:45:22,973 and it's just their respect for each other and care is really, really beautiful. 698 00:45:23,056 --> 00:45:25,601 I think that is really special. 699 00:45:28,979 --> 00:45:32,399 LINFIELD: The elephants just would, picking up the bones, 700 00:45:32,482 --> 00:45:34,151 passing them between each other, 701 00:45:34,234 --> 00:45:37,279 drooling on them so they could get more taste and smell. 702 00:45:37,362 --> 00:45:39,948 They spent 10 or 15 minutes, 703 00:45:40,032 --> 00:45:42,409 apparently reminiscing about an individual, 704 00:45:42,492 --> 00:45:47,664 who knows, we'll never know, but it was very moving. 705 00:45:50,542 --> 00:45:53,003 COLBECK: This set of bones exemplified the fact 706 00:45:53,086 --> 00:45:56,089 that the decisions that the matriarchs make 707 00:45:56,173 --> 00:45:59,176 and the matriarchy makes across the clan 708 00:45:59,259 --> 00:46:02,596 are actually crucial to the survival of the family 709 00:46:02,679 --> 00:46:04,389 and they have to get it right. 710 00:46:08,769 --> 00:46:11,939 SISTO: The elephants complete their five-hundred-mile journey 711 00:46:12,022 --> 00:46:15,776 as they reach the shores of one of Africa's largest rivers. 712 00:46:18,654 --> 00:46:21,990 The Zambezi is an elephant paradise. 713 00:46:22,074 --> 00:46:25,786 Its secluded islands have plenty of food and fresh water 714 00:46:25,869 --> 00:46:28,789 to sustain them for the next couple of months. 715 00:46:29,540 --> 00:46:34,378 And the team are in perfect position to film the first arrivals, 716 00:46:34,461 --> 00:46:39,341 as well as reveal one of the most dramatic and extraordinary landmarks 717 00:46:39,424 --> 00:46:41,093 on the elephants' road trip. 718 00:46:43,846 --> 00:46:48,100 Victoria Falls is the world's largest curtain of falling water. 719 00:46:50,602 --> 00:46:55,399 Over two-million gallons per second cascade into the gorge, 720 00:46:56,441 --> 00:47:00,445 creating Mosi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders. 721 00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:07,661 To capture the enormous scale, the falls must be filmed from the air. 722 00:47:08,412 --> 00:47:10,122 But even with the very latest, 723 00:47:10,205 --> 00:47:14,793 most advanced drone, this was a nerve-racking job for the crew. 724 00:47:16,295 --> 00:47:19,882 The shot that we're trying to do, which is slightly insane, 725 00:47:19,965 --> 00:47:24,386 is to drop the drone down in this V, by Cataract Island, 726 00:47:24,469 --> 00:47:27,764 and swing around to where this lovely light is shafting 727 00:47:27,848 --> 00:47:30,976 and then come round so that the shot opens up 728 00:47:31,059 --> 00:47:32,686 and you can see the whole fall. 729 00:47:33,478 --> 00:47:35,939 The trouble is, we're getting lots of spray on the lens. 730 00:47:36,690 --> 00:47:39,401 I mean, you can see out there, it's just absolutely insane, 731 00:47:39,484 --> 00:47:41,403 there's just spray everywhere, 732 00:47:41,486 --> 00:47:44,323 thousands of tons of water per second going over the lip 733 00:47:44,406 --> 00:47:46,241 and we're flying a drone right through it. 734 00:47:46,325 --> 00:47:48,827 It's like they're stupid things. 735 00:47:58,629 --> 00:48:01,548 I'm very confident that Russell is a superb drone pilot 736 00:48:01,632 --> 00:48:03,050 but he's gonna need to be. 737 00:48:03,133 --> 00:48:04,176 That's nice. 738 00:48:04,259 --> 00:48:06,929 RUSSELL MACLAUGHLIN: I think we're just picking up light from here. 739 00:48:08,305 --> 00:48:10,098 LINFIELD: I can only imagine, looking there, 740 00:48:10,182 --> 00:48:12,684 how many updrafts and downdrafts there are gonna be. 741 00:48:12,768 --> 00:48:16,522 Any one of them could suck our drone right down into the gorge and trash it. 742 00:48:19,441 --> 00:48:20,984 Keep coming. Keep coming. 743 00:48:22,110 --> 00:48:23,111 It's nice. 744 00:48:23,779 --> 00:48:24,780 Okay. 745 00:48:27,533 --> 00:48:28,534 Uh... 746 00:48:30,244 --> 00:48:31,245 No, let's bring it back. 747 00:48:31,328 --> 00:48:33,330 MACLAUGHLIN: Yes, that's our scene. 748 00:48:33,413 --> 00:48:34,581 LINFIELD: Okay. 749 00:48:45,592 --> 00:48:49,263 The trouble is we're flying a brand new, really expensive drone 750 00:48:49,346 --> 00:48:52,558 all over Vic Falls and it's soaking with water 751 00:48:52,641 --> 00:48:55,435 and we think this is why it might not be behaving correctly. 752 00:48:57,437 --> 00:48:58,856 As we come over the waterfall, 753 00:48:58,939 --> 00:49:01,692 all of the spray is coming up and drenching the rotors, 754 00:49:01,775 --> 00:49:04,444 drenching the electronics and then we're losing control. 755 00:49:17,040 --> 00:49:20,544 MACLAUGHLIN: It's always nerve-racking, this, flying it into waterfalls like this. 756 00:49:21,253 --> 00:49:25,966 The challenge is, I mean, we've got a lot of spray from the waterfalls, 757 00:49:26,049 --> 00:49:28,135 so we're getting the camera and drone wet 758 00:49:28,218 --> 00:49:31,680 and there's a lot of wind at the moment and downdraft and updraft. 759 00:49:31,763 --> 00:49:33,640 I mean, the wind's just crazy around here. 760 00:49:33,724 --> 00:49:35,517 You just never know what's gonna happen. 761 00:49:37,186 --> 00:49:41,231 Definitely the hairiest bit of filming and I think everyone agrees. 762 00:49:42,900 --> 00:49:44,443 Let's just do that same run again. 763 00:49:44,526 --> 00:49:46,570 That's good. That's good. 764 00:49:49,406 --> 00:49:50,991 That's it. That's nice. 765 00:49:52,117 --> 00:49:54,036 That is lovely, straight over the falls. 766 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:56,371 Great, cool, Russ. 767 00:50:00,292 --> 00:50:02,169 MACLAUGHLIN: Bring it back. LINFIELD: Bring it home. 768 00:50:02,252 --> 00:50:03,795 Bring her home. Bring her home. 769 00:50:10,010 --> 00:50:11,512 Whoo-hoo! 770 00:50:12,179 --> 00:50:13,514 Well done, guys. 771 00:50:13,597 --> 00:50:15,766 The stuff we got at the end was just incredible so... 772 00:50:16,266 --> 00:50:20,354 Yeah, and I'm relieved it's down on the ground, so... Damn happy! 773 00:50:21,188 --> 00:50:23,857 LINFIELD: Poor Russell, that's a very nerve-racking day. 774 00:50:23,941 --> 00:50:25,192 We basically said, 775 00:50:25,275 --> 00:50:28,529 "Go on with $80,000 worth of equipment over Victoria Falls, 776 00:50:30,239 --> 00:50:31,823 Luckily, he didn't crash it 777 00:50:31,907 --> 00:50:33,700 and that last shot looks absolutely amazing, 778 00:50:33,784 --> 00:50:38,288 this gorgeous orange light and this amazing vertiginous drop, 779 00:50:38,372 --> 00:50:39,790 which was, yeah, something else. 780 00:50:39,873 --> 00:50:42,459 I've never seen Victoria Falls look like that, incredible. 781 00:50:47,923 --> 00:50:51,134 SISTO: Two months later and the waters have receded. 782 00:50:51,218 --> 00:50:54,680 It was time for the elephants to head back to the Okavango Delta 783 00:50:54,763 --> 00:50:59,601 and for our crew to once more follow in their footsteps. 784 00:51:08,277 --> 00:51:10,404 The team was back on the road again. 785 00:51:12,239 --> 00:51:16,952 Heading away from the Zambezi, the next stop for the crew was Hwange, 786 00:51:17,035 --> 00:51:19,663 Zimbabwe's largest National Park. 787 00:51:20,664 --> 00:51:25,586 Here, the herds were avoiding the heat of the day by traveling at night. 788 00:51:28,172 --> 00:51:31,592 The crew knew they were heading straight into lion country. 789 00:51:45,731 --> 00:51:48,108 GAVIN THURSTON: Just in the last year, cameras have come out now 790 00:51:48,192 --> 00:51:51,737 by which we are able to see in pretty much near darkness and film in color. 791 00:51:53,238 --> 00:51:56,617 We've got a very specific filming period with these low-light cameras at night, 792 00:51:56,700 --> 00:51:58,076 so we're really hoping 793 00:51:58,160 --> 00:52:02,039 this behavior would happen while we've got enough moonlight. 794 00:52:11,924 --> 00:52:15,135 EDWARDS: Um, a lot of us guides never really get the opportunity 795 00:52:15,219 --> 00:52:18,472 to see what predator interaction goes on during the night, 796 00:52:18,555 --> 00:52:21,016 so it's kind of a unique insight into something 797 00:52:21,099 --> 00:52:25,938 that we really rarely get the opportunity to experience, so 798 00:52:26,021 --> 00:52:30,150 excited and apprehensive 'cause not knowing what to expect. 799 00:52:31,443 --> 00:52:35,781 SISTO: The night cameras reveal how little the elephants can see at night. 800 00:52:36,490 --> 00:52:38,867 - 801 00:52:46,917 --> 00:52:49,211 EDWARDS: I've had experiences before where young lions 802 00:52:49,294 --> 00:52:51,880 have taken an interest in a vehicle, 803 00:52:51,964 --> 00:52:55,050 but not to the degree that these youngsters did. 804 00:53:12,651 --> 00:53:13,652 Hey! 805 00:53:14,319 --> 00:53:17,155 The important thing is to make sure that you're always calm 806 00:53:17,239 --> 00:53:22,411 and the guys switch their flashlights on and the lion backed away instantly. 807 00:53:23,662 --> 00:53:25,038 Negative reinforcement. 808 00:53:26,164 --> 00:53:27,624 THURSTON: And they're the ones... 809 00:53:30,836 --> 00:53:32,546 EDWARDS: As soon as they actually figured out 810 00:53:32,629 --> 00:53:35,007 that we were not something to play with, 811 00:53:35,090 --> 00:53:38,594 they accepted us almost as if we were part of the pride. 812 00:53:42,431 --> 00:53:45,309 THURSTON: Well, when she got up and came towards the camera, 813 00:53:45,392 --> 00:53:48,061 she came closer than minimum focus, 814 00:53:48,145 --> 00:53:50,856 I was trying to focus on her as she came towards us. 815 00:53:50,939 --> 00:53:54,109 Minimum focus, I think, is 80 centimeters. 816 00:53:55,861 --> 00:53:58,280 That's close in a car with no doors on at night. 817 00:54:02,367 --> 00:54:03,994 Very cool cats though. 818 00:54:10,709 --> 00:54:14,713 SISTO: Night after night, Gavin and Clinton keep a watchful eye on the lions, 819 00:54:14,796 --> 00:54:18,800 which didn't seem the least bit interested in the elephants. 820 00:54:20,177 --> 00:54:23,096 EDWARDS: Everybody keeps telling me these lions are the ones which, 821 00:54:23,180 --> 00:54:25,933 you know, are super-active, as you can see. 822 00:54:27,434 --> 00:54:29,686 THURSTON: Once with an... EDWARDS: One rolled over, twice. 823 00:54:40,739 --> 00:54:44,034 So it got all pretty quiet around at the moment. 824 00:54:47,829 --> 00:54:51,041 SISTO: For now, the elephants are safe from the lions 825 00:54:51,124 --> 00:54:55,337 but as these old bones show, that isn't always the case. 826 00:54:58,423 --> 00:55:01,093 One of the big differences between filming 827 00:55:01,176 --> 00:55:03,595 during the night rather than the day is 828 00:55:03,679 --> 00:55:09,226 a lot of the predators are less nervous of our presence, 829 00:55:09,309 --> 00:55:12,938 so your vigilant level has to be quite high 830 00:55:13,730 --> 00:55:16,817 and also, you know, you're dealing with night-in night-out 831 00:55:16,900 --> 00:55:19,945 and you know your body starts to take strain 832 00:55:20,612 --> 00:55:23,574 'cause you're working all night and trying to catch up in the day, 833 00:55:24,741 --> 00:55:26,368 -so it gets quite tough. - 834 00:55:31,915 --> 00:55:34,084 So, when you're working at night, 835 00:55:34,168 --> 00:55:35,794 it's very important to stay vigilant 836 00:55:35,878 --> 00:55:39,965 and it's really good that the three of us are out here, 837 00:55:40,048 --> 00:55:41,800 keeping our eyes open and ears open 838 00:55:41,884 --> 00:55:45,304 for any strange sounds or predators or whatever. 839 00:55:45,387 --> 00:55:47,764 -In fact there's some... - 840 00:55:47,848 --> 00:55:49,308 Is that a lion at the back? 841 00:55:52,477 --> 00:55:54,521 It sounds like a lion roaring. 842 00:55:55,731 --> 00:55:57,274 I think it might be. 843 00:56:03,697 --> 00:56:07,826 I was hoping the guide might be keeping his eyes open for us, 844 00:56:07,910 --> 00:56:11,705 but it appears the night has taken its toll. 845 00:56:37,648 --> 00:56:40,943 EDWARDS: Yeah, after talking about how vigilant we should be, 846 00:56:41,026 --> 00:56:43,904 and I fell asleep on the bench seat in the back 847 00:56:43,987 --> 00:56:47,157 and then basically roared like a lion in my sleep. 848 00:56:56,542 --> 00:56:59,461 SISTO: Even though the crew was out looking for lions, 849 00:56:59,545 --> 00:57:01,797 when you camp in the middle of Africa, 850 00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:05,759 you're always sharing your space with the local wildlife. 851 00:57:12,808 --> 00:57:14,977 Whether you know it or not. 852 00:57:22,359 --> 00:57:25,487 Have you ever had the feeling you're being watched? 853 00:57:43,088 --> 00:57:47,134 For the last few nights, the lions had disappeared from the area. 854 00:57:49,636 --> 00:57:51,555 They returned on the full moon. 855 00:57:52,431 --> 00:57:54,433 And with empty bellies. 856 00:58:24,505 --> 00:58:25,881 THURSTON: Right, that female's up. 857 00:58:31,803 --> 00:58:33,514 She's on it, she's on it. 858 00:58:38,519 --> 00:58:39,978 The other one's up. 859 00:58:43,690 --> 00:58:44,900 This is it. 860 00:58:50,447 --> 00:58:52,574 She's got it, she's jumped on the back. 861 00:58:55,786 --> 00:58:56,787 We've gotta move. 862 00:58:56,870 --> 00:59:00,582 SISTO: All this was captured by the behind-the-scenes cameraman, 863 00:59:00,666 --> 00:59:04,628 bravely shooting the action from the open back of the filming truck. 864 00:59:06,213 --> 00:59:07,214 THURSTON: Okay. 865 00:59:09,716 --> 00:59:11,552 - 866 00:59:11,635 --> 00:59:14,513 LOUIS LABROM BROWN: To film all of the action, to film Gavin and his reaction 867 00:59:14,596 --> 00:59:17,516 and for me to film Clinton and all of the things going on 868 00:59:17,599 --> 00:59:20,102 in the back of an open car, 869 00:59:20,185 --> 00:59:22,104 there's lions surrounding the car 870 00:59:22,187 --> 00:59:25,148 and there's a mother elephant who's really agitated 871 00:59:25,232 --> 00:59:27,609 trying to protect her calf, running towards the car. 872 00:59:33,824 --> 00:59:35,909 THURSTON: She's coming your way, coming your way. 873 00:59:41,832 --> 00:59:43,458 That was pretty intense, really. 874 00:59:47,754 --> 00:59:50,841 I think for me, as soon as I saw that lion go for the elephant, 875 00:59:51,633 --> 00:59:55,012 in my heart, I was thinking "Don't kill it, don't kill it." 876 00:59:55,095 --> 00:59:58,515 And I suppose I was quite relieved that Mom actually managed to chase it off 877 00:59:58,599 --> 01:00:01,852 and that's pretty good mothering really, to be able to chase off eight lions, 878 01:00:01,935 --> 01:00:04,479 eight hungry lions, you know, as a single elephant. 879 01:00:18,327 --> 01:00:21,747 SISTO: The next morning, the crew returned to the scene of the attack. 880 01:00:22,331 --> 01:00:25,167 As expected, the lions were still in residence, 881 01:00:25,959 --> 01:00:29,880 but surprisingly, our elephants were also close by. 882 01:00:33,091 --> 01:00:36,011 LINFIELD: I remember hearing all the sounds before coming round the corner. 883 01:00:36,094 --> 01:00:37,971 It was mayhem. 884 01:00:38,055 --> 01:00:39,848 The elephants were so distressed. 885 01:00:43,435 --> 01:00:45,187 We couldn't work out what was going on. 886 01:00:49,608 --> 01:00:52,236 And then we saw they were all looking at the same place. 887 01:00:53,362 --> 01:00:56,073 Looking down at the ground where the matriarch was lying. 888 01:00:58,033 --> 01:01:01,078 She was still alive but only just. 889 01:01:03,163 --> 01:01:04,748 It was as though the family realized 890 01:01:04,831 --> 01:01:06,708 they were about to lose their leader 891 01:01:07,334 --> 01:01:10,420 and all the information and knowledge she was holding. 892 01:01:12,256 --> 01:01:16,635 CHASE: Without a doubt, the grandmothers, the matriarchs of the family group 893 01:01:16,718 --> 01:01:21,348 are absolutely critical to the survival of the rest of the elephant family. 894 01:01:21,431 --> 01:01:25,936 They are the oldest, wisest leaders within the group. 895 01:01:28,021 --> 01:01:29,857 HOLDING: Occasionally, they'll make mistakes 896 01:01:29,940 --> 01:01:31,900 and there are fatalities along the way 897 01:01:31,984 --> 01:01:34,444 but for the most part, these animals are incredible. 898 01:01:34,528 --> 01:01:36,780 They know where to go and they know when to go. 899 01:01:39,283 --> 01:01:42,578 COLBECK: I think what intrigues me most is, is their relationships 900 01:01:43,370 --> 01:01:45,497 and of course the longer time you spend with them, 901 01:01:45,581 --> 01:01:48,834 the more you know what those relationships are like 902 01:01:48,917 --> 01:01:53,672 and you can sort of start to untangle what goes on between relatives. 903 01:01:54,631 --> 01:01:57,134 The bonds between the individuals 904 01:01:57,217 --> 01:02:02,598 and the emotions that you get with these individual relationships. 905 01:02:07,477 --> 01:02:09,855 LINFIELD: Our film is really all about journeys. 906 01:02:09,938 --> 01:02:14,276 You've got the journey of the water from Angola into the Okavango Delta. 907 01:02:14,359 --> 01:02:17,905 You've got the journey that our herd goes on, the road trip. 908 01:02:17,988 --> 01:02:22,910 But actually, my favorite journey is the one taken by a female 909 01:02:22,993 --> 01:02:28,081 who starts the film as the second-oldest female of the herd. 910 01:02:32,127 --> 01:02:34,046 But when the matriarch dies, 911 01:02:34,129 --> 01:02:38,759 the herd turned to her to help get them back home 912 01:02:39,259 --> 01:02:42,930 and she has to find it within her and pull on all of that knowledge, 913 01:02:43,013 --> 01:02:45,724 pull on everything that she learned from the matriarch 914 01:02:45,807 --> 01:02:48,435 to save the herd and bring them back to the delta. 915 01:02:59,947 --> 01:03:02,449 SISTO: The loss of one of the film's key characters 916 01:03:02,533 --> 01:03:06,370 was followed by another piece of bad luck for Mark and the crew. 917 01:03:10,707 --> 01:03:13,460 Now the rainy season isn't due for two months. 918 01:03:20,217 --> 01:03:23,470 So, you know, I was feeling a little bit concerned, 919 01:03:23,554 --> 01:03:27,182 and, you know, in the end, 920 01:03:27,266 --> 01:03:31,520 when we managed to find a spectacular evening sunset scene 921 01:03:31,603 --> 01:03:33,564 with the eles trekking against stormy skies 922 01:03:33,647 --> 01:03:36,984 so... I guess that was a silver lining. 923 01:03:40,362 --> 01:03:43,282 SISTO: The crew were in place as the storm ramped up 924 01:03:43,365 --> 01:03:46,368 and the lions sensed opportunity. 925 01:03:47,202 --> 01:03:51,206 LINFIELD: One of my favorite nights of the shoot so far, 926 01:03:51,290 --> 01:03:54,209 Halloween night, no less, it just felt so atmospheric. 927 01:03:54,293 --> 01:03:57,504 We were with the elephants and out of nowhere, 928 01:03:57,588 --> 01:04:02,259 the storm whips up, the sky goes... Still going, sky goes dark, 929 01:04:02,342 --> 01:04:07,097 just apocalyptic scene with kind of dust devils and sand 930 01:04:07,181 --> 01:04:09,725 and we actually saw the lions before the elephants did. 931 01:04:10,851 --> 01:04:14,146 They came in on our side like this just through the swirls of dust 932 01:04:14,229 --> 01:04:17,357 and lined up in front of the elephants and then the elephants saw them. 933 01:04:20,903 --> 01:04:23,822 We weren't sure if the lions were gonna attack the elephants 934 01:04:23,906 --> 01:04:25,657 or the elephants, the lions. 935 01:04:32,289 --> 01:04:34,124 Elephants start advancing on them 936 01:04:35,542 --> 01:04:37,628 and then the lions sort of back off. 937 01:04:39,379 --> 01:04:42,841 I looked over and that they... I could almost touch them 938 01:04:42,925 --> 01:04:46,303 and then luckily they were just completely fixated on the elephants. 939 01:04:48,889 --> 01:04:51,475 Very raw, very real. 940 01:04:51,558 --> 01:04:54,895 And, yeah, quite a Halloween night actually. 941 01:04:58,023 --> 01:05:00,984 SISTO: As the rains began in Zimbabwe, 942 01:05:01,068 --> 01:05:05,155 they were already well underway in the Angola Highlands, 943 01:05:05,239 --> 01:05:07,908 the source of the Okavango River. 944 01:05:21,672 --> 01:05:25,676 Months later, the floodwaters are creeping back into Botswana 945 01:05:25,759 --> 01:05:27,594 and filling up the delta. 946 01:05:27,678 --> 01:05:31,932 The leading edge of the flood is moving at over a mile per day, 947 01:05:32,015 --> 01:05:35,185 so the crew has had to race to get ahead of it. 948 01:05:35,269 --> 01:05:36,770 JONATHAN JONES: We found this spot. 949 01:05:36,854 --> 01:05:38,438 We actually saw it from the plane. 950 01:05:38,522 --> 01:05:41,316 You know, if we can get our big crane down there 951 01:05:41,400 --> 01:05:43,986 and we see the water coming down 952 01:05:44,069 --> 01:05:46,989 and it trickles and flows and builds. I think it'll be really amazing. 953 01:05:47,698 --> 01:05:49,199 Okay, here we go. 954 01:05:49,283 --> 01:05:52,578 The challenge we've got is the sun is dropping fast 955 01:05:52,661 --> 01:05:55,664 and we were gonna plan to try and shoot this tomorrow morning 956 01:05:55,747 --> 01:05:58,750 but the speed in which the water has come in now, 957 01:05:58,834 --> 01:06:02,546 we're just worried if we wait, that overnight it's gonna be through here, 958 01:06:02,629 --> 01:06:06,300 so we're frantically trying to make this come together 959 01:06:06,383 --> 01:06:08,468 with literally minutes of sunlight left. 960 01:06:08,552 --> 01:06:10,679 Right where you're set. Yeah. 961 01:06:11,972 --> 01:06:13,724 -Right. -JONES: Right. Right, ready. 962 01:06:13,807 --> 01:06:17,311 This water, we're not sure if it's gonna come slowly 963 01:06:17,394 --> 01:06:19,771 or in inches an hour, so 964 01:06:19,855 --> 01:06:22,733 I think we only have one go before the light goes. 965 01:06:23,400 --> 01:06:24,902 JONES: Tom, get me ahead, please. 966 01:06:27,279 --> 01:06:28,822 Keep going, keep going, keep going. 967 01:06:28,906 --> 01:06:30,699 That's very fast, okay. 968 01:06:30,782 --> 01:06:32,201 There is good. 969 01:06:37,039 --> 01:06:38,290 Keep going. 970 01:06:41,168 --> 01:06:43,003 STEPHENS: This is the flood of the Okavango Delta. 971 01:06:43,086 --> 01:06:44,421 It's unbelievable, 972 01:06:44,505 --> 01:06:45,964 here it comes from Angola 973 01:06:46,048 --> 01:06:48,884 and we're standing on the leading edge of the flood. 974 01:06:48,967 --> 01:06:50,552 Now we've just filmed it. 975 01:06:50,636 --> 01:06:53,222 This wall of water just comes pouring in over the desert 976 01:06:53,305 --> 01:06:55,098 and we managed to catch it. 977 01:06:55,182 --> 01:06:57,518 But it's stressful and you hope everything is working 978 01:06:57,601 --> 01:06:58,685 but it looked fantastic. 979 01:06:58,769 --> 01:07:00,687 And after three years of trying, 980 01:07:00,771 --> 01:07:04,441 we've finally managed to film the flood arrival, it's quite incredible. 981 01:07:05,526 --> 01:07:07,277 And now here come our extras. 982 01:07:08,612 --> 01:07:09,655 Where we are right now 983 01:07:09,738 --> 01:07:11,907 is outside the buffalo fence in the Okavango Delta, 984 01:07:11,990 --> 01:07:13,617 so this is a cattle area. 985 01:07:13,700 --> 01:07:16,828 And this is the water that all of these cattle drink every year 986 01:07:16,912 --> 01:07:18,747 and all the farming communities rely on 987 01:07:19,540 --> 01:07:21,083 and no sooner has it come through, 988 01:07:21,166 --> 01:07:23,919 then we've got cattle coming to drink. 989 01:07:24,002 --> 01:07:25,629 It's an absolutely amazing sight 990 01:07:25,712 --> 01:07:30,217 and it's just been such a struggle, but really rewarding to finally get it. 991 01:07:32,594 --> 01:07:35,097 LINFIELD: The flood in the Okavango Delta 992 01:07:35,180 --> 01:07:41,728 has to be one of the most amazing and frustrating things on our planet 993 01:07:41,812 --> 01:07:44,356 because everywhere around here, 994 01:07:44,439 --> 01:07:46,525 you'll find an expert who's gonna tell you 995 01:07:46,608 --> 01:07:49,403 when the flood's gonna arrive and where it's gonna go. 996 01:07:49,486 --> 01:07:52,823 And I can tell you to a man or woman, they are always wrong. 997 01:07:55,951 --> 01:07:59,413 HOLDING: Every time the flood arrives, there's a real sense of anticipation 998 01:07:59,496 --> 01:08:00,497 and it is... 999 01:08:00,581 --> 01:08:02,624 It's like an old friend returning. 1000 01:08:04,001 --> 01:08:09,047 It goes from a semi-desert to an Eden in a matter of a few weeks 1001 01:08:09,131 --> 01:08:12,968 and suddenly everything is lush, the place is full of new life. 1002 01:08:13,051 --> 01:08:14,511 SISTO: Flood arrives. 1003 01:08:14,595 --> 01:08:16,847 Mark and Jonathan take to the air 1004 01:08:16,930 --> 01:08:21,351 to film the magical sight of life returning to the delta. 1005 01:08:21,435 --> 01:08:24,229 What you get up here is amazing different colors 1006 01:08:24,313 --> 01:08:27,566 of green and emeralds and then sand and then yellows 1007 01:08:27,649 --> 01:08:29,276 and it's amazing and it just depends, 1008 01:08:29,359 --> 01:08:31,737 like, you travel a kilometer 1009 01:08:31,820 --> 01:08:34,156 and then within a kilometer it feels so different. 1010 01:08:39,786 --> 01:08:42,623 LINFIELD: So, of course, one of the brilliant things about filming aerials 1011 01:08:42,706 --> 01:08:44,958 is this extra level of context that you get. 1012 01:08:45,042 --> 01:08:48,712 So on the ground, you just get a tiny window of what's going on. 1013 01:08:48,795 --> 01:08:51,131 But as soon as you're up really high, 1014 01:08:51,215 --> 01:08:55,052 you can see, for example, the floods snaking across the landscape 1015 01:08:55,135 --> 01:08:57,888 and all of the animals gravitating towards it 1016 01:08:57,971 --> 01:09:01,183 and you actually get to understand the process of what's going on. 1017 01:09:18,534 --> 01:09:21,119 SISTO: Back down on the ground, the other film crew 1018 01:09:21,203 --> 01:09:26,124 hangs back to capture the final leg of the elephants' epic journey home. 1019 01:09:26,208 --> 01:09:28,836 LINFIELD: One of the things that's been working really well 1020 01:09:28,919 --> 01:09:32,923 is our ground-based camera stabilization system, 1021 01:09:33,006 --> 01:09:36,635 which has been allowing us to film elephants on the move. 1022 01:09:36,718 --> 01:09:40,722 And today, for example, we were trekking alongside our herd 1023 01:09:40,806 --> 01:09:42,850 and one of the calves was falling behind 1024 01:09:42,933 --> 01:09:45,769 and it was dribbling and in a terrible state. 1025 01:09:52,025 --> 01:09:55,779 And its mother kept circling back to chivvy it on 1026 01:09:55,863 --> 01:09:59,157 and, you know, nurture it through the situation. 1027 01:09:59,241 --> 01:10:02,327 You feel like you're on the journey with them and it's effective. 1028 01:10:18,218 --> 01:10:20,637 HOLDING: It's tough for them, you know, they lose condition. 1029 01:10:20,721 --> 01:10:23,098 They're thirsty, they're hot, they're hungry, 1030 01:10:23,182 --> 01:10:25,642 there's little to eat, it's a really tough time for them. 1031 01:11:04,014 --> 01:11:05,599 SISTO: Over the course of the filming, 1032 01:11:05,682 --> 01:11:08,393 the crew came to realize that these elephants 1033 01:11:08,477 --> 01:11:12,022 can only complete these epic journeys through the Kalahari 1034 01:11:12,105 --> 01:11:14,816 because of the strength of their family bonds. 1035 01:11:17,903 --> 01:11:20,447 It's only when these extraordinary bonds are broken, 1036 01:11:20,531 --> 01:11:23,867 when herds are attacked by farmers or poachers, 1037 01:11:23,951 --> 01:11:25,953 that calves get lost or abandoned, 1038 01:11:27,955 --> 01:11:31,083 something Mike Chase is determined to prevent. 1039 01:11:32,876 --> 01:11:36,046 Every elephant counts and if I'm in a situation 1040 01:11:36,713 --> 01:11:40,843 to help an elephant that's orphaned because of humans, 1041 01:11:40,926 --> 01:11:44,096 then it is our commitment and duty to respond, absolutely. 1042 01:11:47,015 --> 01:11:48,392 SISTO: The lucky ones get taken 1043 01:11:48,475 --> 01:11:51,562 to Mike and Kelly's Botswana Elephant Orphanage. 1044 01:11:54,231 --> 01:11:56,233 Over the past five years, 1045 01:11:56,316 --> 01:11:58,944 they've learnt how to become surrogate parents 1046 01:11:59,027 --> 01:12:01,530 to some of the world's biggest toddlers. 1047 01:12:01,613 --> 01:12:04,157 KELLY LANDEN: All the orphans and all the little elephants, 1048 01:12:04,241 --> 01:12:07,035 they're very emotional animals in the first place 1049 01:12:07,119 --> 01:12:09,496 and when they're separated from their family, 1050 01:12:09,580 --> 01:12:12,416 they have these strong needs 1051 01:12:12,499 --> 01:12:16,170 and are very dependent and very vulnerable. 1052 01:12:16,253 --> 01:12:20,549 If you leave them, even for a few minutes, they stress and the stress is what... 1053 01:12:20,632 --> 01:12:22,634 It can actually kill the baby elephant. 1054 01:12:23,385 --> 01:12:25,262 So, when they come in, 1055 01:12:25,345 --> 01:12:27,681 we're with them 24 hours, seven days a week, 1056 01:12:27,764 --> 01:12:28,765 every minute. 1057 01:12:29,224 --> 01:12:32,895 Somebody is with them, sleeps with them, holds them, 1058 01:12:32,978 --> 01:12:35,063 a lot of physical contact is important 1059 01:12:35,147 --> 01:12:37,858 'cause elephants have a lot of physical contact. 1060 01:12:37,941 --> 01:12:43,113 They really need to feel a bond, and feel that love, and feel that care. 1061 01:12:48,827 --> 01:12:50,996 Having them together is perfect 1062 01:12:51,079 --> 01:12:53,165 because the orphans actually comfort themselves. 1063 01:12:53,832 --> 01:12:55,959 So they're not alone, they have a family, 1064 01:12:56,043 --> 01:13:00,172 they bond very well, they play, they learn from each other. 1065 01:13:00,255 --> 01:13:03,342 We just help it, we just help them in the process. 1066 01:13:03,425 --> 01:13:07,304 CHASE: Use your trunk, please, use your trunk. There we go. 1067 01:13:07,387 --> 01:13:08,680 Look at... 1068 01:13:08,764 --> 01:13:11,767 Elephants are being orphaned or abandoned because of poaching, 1069 01:13:11,850 --> 01:13:15,145 human-elephant conflict, retaliatory killings 1070 01:13:15,229 --> 01:13:19,358 and these little calves, they don't have a future 1071 01:13:19,441 --> 01:13:21,527 if they were left in the wild, they would die. 1072 01:13:23,695 --> 01:13:26,406 Unfortunately, not many local people in Botswana 1073 01:13:26,490 --> 01:13:29,785 get to enjoy the magnificence of elephants. 1074 01:13:30,536 --> 01:13:33,580 And to be able to touch and feel and empathize 1075 01:13:33,664 --> 01:13:35,541 with their struggle for survival, 1076 01:13:35,624 --> 01:13:39,962 I think is fundamentally key to securing a future not only for elephants, 1077 01:13:40,045 --> 01:13:41,588 but for our natural world. 1078 01:13:44,633 --> 01:13:47,594 Using calves, at the sanctuary, 1079 01:13:47,678 --> 01:13:52,891 as an ambassador species to invoke a culture of conservation ethos 1080 01:13:52,975 --> 01:13:56,812 in our youth is what we're hoping to instill with the elephant sanctuary. 1081 01:14:01,733 --> 01:14:04,611 SISTO: Mike and Kelly's work continues to this day, 1082 01:14:04,695 --> 01:14:06,280 taking in lost calves 1083 01:14:06,363 --> 01:14:09,575 and providing a brighter future for Botswana's elephants. 1084 01:14:14,621 --> 01:14:18,834 Back in the Okavango Delta, the crew is set to capture 1085 01:14:18,917 --> 01:14:21,587 the elephants' return to their watery home. 1086 01:14:22,671 --> 01:14:25,048 A year on the move has brought them back 1087 01:14:25,132 --> 01:14:28,427 to the very place their filming first began. 1088 01:14:28,510 --> 01:14:29,511 LINFIELD: They're coming. 1089 01:14:29,595 --> 01:14:33,557 SISTO: But there is one key character they're all rooting for. 1090 01:14:33,640 --> 01:14:36,143 LINFIELD: Oh, my God. Pandemonium. 1091 01:14:37,394 --> 01:14:41,940 Splashing, they're just splashing and crashing through that water. 1092 01:14:42,441 --> 01:14:45,652 SISTO: The new matriarch has got the herd home safely, 1093 01:14:45,736 --> 01:14:47,613 even the new calf. 1094 01:14:47,696 --> 01:14:49,531 The crew are elated. 1095 01:14:49,615 --> 01:14:52,075 LINFIELD: Having an absolute whale of a time. 1096 01:14:52,159 --> 01:14:55,120 That is amazing. Oh, my God. 1097 01:14:56,038 --> 01:14:57,873 Oh, wow! 1098 01:15:03,921 --> 01:15:05,839 Oh, that is amazing. 1099 01:15:07,841 --> 01:15:10,219 HOLDING: And it's the story of the journey of elephants 1100 01:15:10,302 --> 01:15:12,679 but it's been a journey for me as well, 1101 01:15:12,763 --> 01:15:14,056 which has been incredible 1102 01:15:14,139 --> 01:15:17,309 and there have been some fantastic elephant moments. 1103 01:15:17,935 --> 01:15:21,688 We've seen them struggling for water, we've seen babies being born, 1104 01:15:21,772 --> 01:15:24,566 we've seen old eles die 1105 01:15:24,650 --> 01:15:28,028 and I think I've learned far more than I anticipated 1106 01:15:28,111 --> 01:15:31,490 that I would about elephants and their behavior and their movements, 1107 01:15:31,573 --> 01:15:35,744 just from the process of making this film and that's been really magical. 1108 01:15:38,413 --> 01:15:42,084 COLBECK: Children love elephants, people love elephants 1109 01:15:42,167 --> 01:15:44,795 and I think if we can get people realizing, 1110 01:15:44,878 --> 01:15:47,464 having an epiphany, like I did 30 years ago, 1111 01:15:47,548 --> 01:15:50,467 that these animals are extraordinary and special 1112 01:15:50,551 --> 01:15:54,221 and we should care about them for our children and grandchildren, 1113 01:15:54,304 --> 01:15:55,681 I think we will have succeeded. 1114 01:15:55,764 --> 01:15:58,433 That's what I hope we can achieve. 1115 01:16:04,231 --> 01:16:07,776 LINFIELD: In recent times all we've heard about elephants has been gloomy, 1116 01:16:07,860 --> 01:16:10,988 it's been centered on poaching and the ivory trade 1117 01:16:11,071 --> 01:16:14,825 and we wanted to shine a light on the elephants themselves. 1118 01:16:14,908 --> 01:16:18,078 Emotionally and socially intelligent creatures 1119 01:16:18,161 --> 01:16:19,788 that really deserve our respect. 1120 01:16:21,498 --> 01:16:24,835 But also, that this incredible home of theirs, 1121 01:16:24,918 --> 01:16:29,047 where they're still free to live out their lives as they always have 1122 01:16:29,131 --> 01:16:32,968 is here to be saved, if we have the will. 1123 01:16:36,430 --> 01:16:39,183 SISTO: In his ongoing work to save elephants, 1124 01:16:39,266 --> 01:16:41,560 Mike Holding teams up with Mike Chase 1125 01:16:41,643 --> 01:16:45,397 to fly a new aerial survey of Botswana, and beyond, 1126 01:16:45,480 --> 01:16:48,066 for the next elephant census. 1127 01:16:52,029 --> 01:16:54,364 Counting the elephants allows them to monitor 1128 01:16:54,448 --> 01:16:58,285 the long-term trends in Africa's elephant population. 1129 01:16:58,368 --> 01:17:03,498 Their work is continuing to help protect and conserve these amazing animals 1130 01:17:04,291 --> 01:17:07,503 in this most vulnerable period of their history. 1131 01:17:08,545 --> 01:17:10,964 There's certainly a lot of eles out here. 1132 01:17:11,798 --> 01:17:15,427 I have to say I'm a bit nervous of telling Mark about all these elephants 1133 01:17:15,511 --> 01:17:19,139 because it's almost completely inaccessible, this area. 1134 01:17:19,723 --> 01:17:23,060 He's gonna have a heart attack if he tries to get camera crews out here, 1135 01:17:23,143 --> 01:17:24,895 but isn't that nice actually, 1136 01:17:24,978 --> 01:17:28,106 you know, just for us to enjoy it at least. 1137 01:17:28,190 --> 01:17:31,026 CHASE: I know. You know... As you say, Mike, 1138 01:17:31,109 --> 01:17:35,405 they're in the elephant heartland, beyond the reach of man and cameras. 1139 01:17:35,489 --> 01:17:37,783 Yeah. Yeah. That's kind of nice, you know, 1140 01:17:37,866 --> 01:17:39,618 -not great for the film... -No. 1141 01:17:39,701 --> 01:17:41,912 HOLDING: ...but it's nice for the eles. Stunning. 1142 01:17:43,997 --> 01:17:45,958 How many elephants do you think are here? 1143 01:17:46,041 --> 01:17:48,502 -CHASE: Oh, Mike. -I mean, there is a lot of eles here. 1144 01:17:48,585 --> 01:17:52,381 This is some of the highest concentrations of elephants in the world. 1145 01:17:52,464 --> 01:17:56,176 So elephants can aggregate here in their thousands. 1146 01:17:56,260 --> 01:17:59,137 HOLDING: Yeah. This is a little piece of paradise here. 1147 01:17:59,221 --> 01:18:03,141 CHASE: Where elephants can be left at peace to be elephants. 1148 01:18:03,225 --> 01:18:04,226 -Exactly. -And that's... 1149 01:18:04,309 --> 01:18:06,520 For me, that's very comforting and reassuring. 1150 01:18:06,603 --> 01:18:07,604 Yeah. 1151 01:18:08,480 --> 01:18:11,900 CHASE: Given the plight of elephants, that there is still a safe refuge 1152 01:18:11,984 --> 01:18:15,487 where elephants can disappear into the wilderness of northern Botswana 1153 01:18:16,029 --> 01:18:18,740 and still follow the ancient migration routes. 1154 01:18:18,824 --> 01:18:19,825 HOLDING: Yeah. 1155 01:18:19,908 --> 01:18:21,618 CHASE: Look at this, it's just beautiful. 1156 01:18:21,702 --> 01:18:23,328 HOLDING: Amazing country, yeah. 1157 01:18:37,634 --> 01:18:40,429 CHASE: Having flown the great elephant census and knowing what I do 1158 01:18:41,138 --> 01:18:44,183 and seeing the situation of elephants in many protected areas, 1159 01:18:45,392 --> 01:18:47,603 elephants will go locally extinct, 1160 01:18:49,021 --> 01:18:51,607 but the upside of that is that I'm incredibly fortunate 1161 01:18:51,690 --> 01:18:54,610 to be studying and conserving elephants in their last stronghold. 1162 01:18:54,693 --> 01:18:57,613 This is where elephants are making their last stand 1163 01:18:58,155 --> 01:18:59,156 and... 1164 01:19:00,949 --> 01:19:03,827 I think I'm very grateful for the opportunity 1165 01:19:03,911 --> 01:19:06,246 to be a part of a film like this, 1166 01:19:06,330 --> 01:19:08,540 that sends a message to the rest of the world 1167 01:19:08,624 --> 01:19:11,543 that elephants are important 1168 01:19:11,627 --> 01:19:13,921 and the story that you're telling 1169 01:19:14,004 --> 01:19:20,302 is crucial to protecting and conserving the world's largest elephant population.