All language subtitles for Nature.S44E05.Tusker.Brotherhood.of.Elephants.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-Kitsune_track3_[eng]

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They travel hundreds of miles

on paths carved
by their ancestors.

They carry
irreplaceable knowledge,

and they embody a world
of contradictions.

Breathtaking power
and remarkable sensitivity.

With tusks each weighing
over 100 pounds,

these special males have

been nearly obliterated
by human greed.

Fewer than 30 of these super
tuskers remain in all of Kenya.

Three magnificent tuskers,
each on his own path,

carry us into a world
rarely glimpsed.

Highly social,

even affectionate.

Their alliances run deep.

This is a brotherhood.

These tusks bear
34 million years of evolution.

And etched into them
is a lifetime.

For over half a century,

this elephant,
known as Craig,

has followed the tracks
of his ancestors.

Tasks that reach the ground
are rare,

but Craig is far more valuable
than the ivory he carries.

He is a keeper of knowledge.

He knows the migratory routes
carved by generations.

He knows where to find food and
water when the land is parched.

Tuskers like Craig are
guardians of an ancient lineage.

This wise old tusker has
just survived a deadly drought.

And now Kenya is green again.

Elephants are pouring in
from miles around.

Families are gathering
on the open plains of Amboseli.

In this time of abundance,

elephants can reunite
and renew their social ties.

The grasslands are flush
with life

and scattered reminders of those

who couldn't hold on
until the rains arrived.

No species escaped.

Mothers lost young.

Families lost matriarchs.

For those who survived,

this moment of celebration
holds the promise of new life.

The springs and water holes
are full.

For this immense gathering
of the matriarchy,

it's a time of pure joy.

The matriarchies, where
their sisters and daughters

and young sons are the
cornerstone of elephant society.

But they are only part
of the story.

The rest are miles away
and well aware of the gathering.

Elephant rumbles vibrate
through the air and ground,

carrying messages from afar.

Esau traveled through the night.

At 33, this magnificent tusker
is not yet fully grown,

but already His tusks
nearly touch the ground.

They're a genetic gift
from his parents.

He was born here in Amboseli,

but he's here now
for only one reason.

He is ready to mate.

Esau is just entering
his breeding prime,

and his hormones are raging.

He is in must,
a heightened sexual state.

Testosterone is surging
through his system.

Pheromones stream
from his swollen glands,

and he leaves a scent trail
of pungent urine.

As impressive as he is,

it's still years
before he'll reach his peak

as a breeding male.

While Esau broadcasts his
status, he listens for others.

Through sound and scent,

he's aware of a
much larger male to the west.

On the far boundary of the park,

another tusker is in must.

At 44,
Pascal is in his breeding prime.

He is massive,

built like a tank with hulking
shoulders and stout tusks.

His right ear was damaged
in a long ago battle,

or so it's believed.

He's been in Amboseli
for the past month

searching for females
ready to mate.

He's a highly successful male,
a favorite among the females.

Few males would dare challenge
Pascal when he's in must.

Pascal is at his peak.

Miles away,
Esau will continue to monitor

and keep a safe distance
from Pascal.

Key to Esau's survival
is knowing his strength.

He must pick his battles
carefully,

because on this playing field,

other males are also in must,
and they're looking for mates.

They're listening.

They're searching for scent.

And they're pumped
with testosterone.

At every moment,

stories are playing out all
across the plains of Amboseli.

This labyrinth of swamps and
savanna is a haven for wildlife.

The swamplands of Amboseli
are fed by the waters

from Mount Kilimanjaro.

Africa's tallest peak sits just
across the border in Tanzania.

This vast ecosystem contains
Amboseli National Park

at its heart, but it spans
over 3,000 square miles,

reaching across Kenya's border.

Elephants depend on
this entire ecosystem.

Grasslands alone aren't enough
to sustain bulls like Esau.

They need woodlands
to support their massive bodies.

To find them,
they travel well-worn paths

that often lead
beyond protected areas.

And sometimes those paths
cross invisible boundaries.

Just across the border,
in Tanzania,

trophy hunting is legal.

With his hyper sense of smell,

Esau is following
the scent trail of a family

with several females.

He'll check to see if any
of the females are in estrus,

a time when they're
receptive to mating.

This one has a youngster in tow.

Kibo is 4 years old.

He'll study Esau's every move.

Females have only a two-day
window of peak fertility.

She allows him to test her,

and Kibo moves in
to catch the scent.

Esau allows Kibo
to move even closer.

This is how young males learn.

This is how Esau learned.

Despite his size,

Esau is extremely patient
with the youngsters.

But he's not so tolerant
of a nearby bull.

It's the must manifesto
to maintain supremacy.

Esau's performance
has inspired the boys.

Even at this age,
they're hard-wired males,

full of bravado and bluster.

These boys
are building alliances

that will serve them
on their journey ahead.

Like Esau, they will face
a gauntlet of tests.

Searching for females
while fending off males,

holding their place
in the hierarchy,

all while simply surviving.

Miles away, Pascal is also
searching for receptive females,

but in this vast landscape,
they are few and far between.

He won't bother checking
this young mother.

She won't come into estrus
for a year or two,

if her calf survives.

The odds are tough
for male calves.

1 in 10 won't make it
through their first year.

Males grow faster
and need more milk.

In times of scarcity,
many don't survive.

Males who make it to 44, like
Pascal, are rare and precious,

not only for their genes.

The presence of an older male,

no matter how brief,
is invaluable.

Pascal can teach these boys
what their mothers can't.

Play fighting
is key to male development.

These boys are forming
their future peer group.

It's a time to socialize
and bond.

They challenge
and test their strength.

Sizing up their opponents,

they sharpen their skills
for the battles ahead.

But elephant girls
are different,

even as infants.

She'll join in the game,

but only for a moment.

Then it's back to mom.

It will be years
before these teenagers

experience their first must.

For now, it's still just a game.

On the eastern boundary
of the park,

Craig, one of Amboceli's
oldest and most revered males,

is taking advantage
of the grasses.

He's still thin
from the recent drought,

but he's been putting on weight
since the rains arrived.

Craig is considered
a super tusker,

a rare giant whose tusks each
weigh more than 100 pounds.

He's one of fewer than 30
in all of Kenya.

Like other tuskers,

Craig uses his ivory for
protection and to access food.

What should be an asset
became a liability

when hunters and poachers

targeted bulls
with the largest tusks.

Amboseli National Park
offered a safe haven.

It continues to be
a rare stronghold

where super tuskers
like Craig can still exist.

Craig is a living legend,

as is every tusker
following in his footsteps.

On the salt flats
by Lake Amboseli,

another tusker has fulfilled
his mission.

Pascal is following
a female with a crooked tail.

She's at the peak of estrus,

and they've been mating
for the past two days.

But opportunistic males
are circling.

Pascal guards her from behind.

Until she falls out of estrus,

he'll keep the other males
at bay.

Pascal's mere presence
is so intimidating,

a subtle gesture or a must
rumble is often all it takes.

But even the highest ranking
males do need to be cautious.

Pascal's must cycle
is coming to an end.

A younger male
at the peak of must

could soon challenge him
and win.

Esau has caught wind
of a competitor to the south.

Even from a distance,
he can read the scent.

The other male is also in must.

Esau listens for further clues.

Adult males never take
fighting lightly.

It can lead to injury
or even death.

It's crucial to size up your
opponent to calculate the risk.

As they approach, they assess.

The other male has a
similar build, shorter tusks,

but in good condition.

If neither retreats,
there will be a fight.

Esau claims victory
and the loser retreats.

Esau trails him.

A most amazing thing
has happened.

Esau has forced the loser
out of must.

It just shut off, like a faucet.

He's become submissive.

To be certain,
Esau tests the defeated

for signs of testosterone.

Satisfied, he allows
the loser to retreat.

There's now one less male
to contend with.

To make sure there was
no damage,

Esau checks his precious tusks.

Amidst the dramas of Amboseli,

one ancient being stands tall
against the horizon.

For nearly 500 years,

she has borne witness
to life's ebbs and flows.

She is home, shelter, shade,

even sustenance.

Creatures of the night
find calm within her thorns.

Her trunk is worn smooth
by generations of elephants.

They leave, sent messages for
others on and all around her.

She is a hub
of information and opportunity.

There's an order
in this natural world.

It is full of unlikely alliances
and hidden possibilities.

For hundreds of years,

this ancient acacia has
witnessed Amboceli's dramas,

large and small,

and the constant tide of
elephants as they come and go.

Pascal is leaving the park.

Despite his heft,

he carefully avoids disturbing
the bones of another creature.

Elephants display a remarkable
respect for both life and death.

With must behind him
for another year,

he heads east, on a journey

that will take him
from the safety of Amboseli

into a landscape
that is rapidly changing.

Land is being reshaped
by human hands.

What once belonged to wildlife
is falling prey to the plow.

Highways are carved
across age-old elephant paths.

Elephants are intelligent
and adaptable,

but change is coming quickly.

20 years ago,

this town was little more than
a cluster of Maasai homesteads.

As it grows, it eats into land

where Pascal's
ancestors once roamed.

Within this rising sea
of human development

is a fertile patch of land,

a small but vital
sanctuary called Kimana.

As long as the elephants stay
within this conservancy,

they are safe.

Pascal has returned
to this small oasis.

No longer in must,

his demeanor has changed
dramatically.

Pascal is a highly social being,

and he's come to convene
with friends,

all of them males.

If they were in must,

these males would avoid
one another

or possibly engage in battle.

But now they're tolerant,
even affectionate.

These connections run deep,
some of them since childhood.

They confirm their friendship
through rumbles

and touch and subtle gestures.

A glance. The flap of an ear.
The twist of a trunk.

They've even taken in
a young orphan.

8-year-old Theo recently
lost his mother in the drought.

By mentoring
and watching over him,

this bachelor group
has become his family.

They move as a group,
a brotherhood 60 tons strong.

Just beyond this small
fever tree forest

lies land that was once wild.

It's now a tomato plantation.

With the encroachment of humans,

the elephants are learning
to adapt.

The elders are teaching
the younger males, like Theo,

how to survive
in this shrinking landscape.

But for now, they rest up.

They have big plans for
the night.

They wait until dark.

With their extraordinary hearing
and sense of smell.

Darkness gives them
the upper hand.

It's well planned
and well coordinated.

But it's also risky.

In clashes throughout Africa,

elephants and humans
are lost every year.

This time, no one was hurt.

Back in Amboseli,
Esau's luck has finally changed.

He's found a female
at the peak of estrus.

Her son naps, oblivious
to the events about to unfold.

Of course, Esau's not the
only male to catch her scent.

He needs to clear the stage.

There are multiple males
circling, hopeful.

As Esau approaches,
he's exceptionally gentle,

even as he blocks
the other males.

She allows him closer.

Lifting 6 tons and finding his
target takes remarkable skill.

Fending off interlopers
is another challenge.

Her calf stays close.

Esau will stay with this female
for the next few days,

guarding her from other males.

The morning's events
have been very instructive.

Young males practice endlessly,
building the skills

they'll need
when they're old enough to mate.

Juveniles from other families
join in.

This young teen is testing
the boundaries with a female.

He sorely lacks Esau's decorum.

Just as Esau did at his age,

this 12-year-old
is taking his first steps

towards independence.

In the coming years,

he'll wander farther
and farther from his family.

It's a dangerous time
for young males

when they strike out
on their own.

Lack of experience
and bad choices can be lethal.

Eventually, they'll find
a group of bulls like Pascal's.

There's safety in the company
of experienced elders.

Mature males like Pascal
provides stability and guidance,

helping them adjust to life
outside the family.

With decades more experience,

older males know
how to navigate the environment.

This is critical
for a young orphan like Theo.

Older bulls can help
keep younger males calm

and help regulate aggression.

Once they come into must,

they'll leave their companions
to mate.

But when must has passed,
they'll return.

The dry season is moving in,

and Amboseli's grasslands
have turned gold again.

When the pendulum of seasons
swings, everyone must adapt.

This expert survivor
has an advantage.

Her long roots help her reach
water buried deep underground.

She has witnessed five centuries
of seasonal swings.

But in recent decades,

the extremes have become
more pronounced.

Dry spells are lasting longer.

Now more than ever,

the accumulated memories
and knowledge

held by the elders is crucial.

Kiba's family has remained
in Amboseli.

At 4 years old,
he's still very dependent.

It will be years
before he starts

to venture off on his own.

As the morning heats up,
his family heads to the swamps.

Last night, lions brought
down a cape buffalo.

The scent of a fresh kill
is a magnet.

As Kibo's family heads east,

the feast is directly
on their path.

They are immediately agitated.

Lions or hyenas
can take down a young elephant,

but not when there's
a protective family.

Still, this emotionally
complex species has been known

to be troubled by a kill.

Perhaps the carnage
is disturbing.

Kibo is fascinated.

He manages to get swept
up in the chaos.

The females are
highly protective.

A young mother makes
one final charge

before the family moves on.

Kibo will be under close watch
for years to come.

He still has much to learn.

On the southern border
of the park,

Esau is badly hurt.

With dust,
he tries to soothe the pain.

He survived a battle
with another bull,

but the wound is serious.

He's fallen out of must,
and his demeanor is now slower.

He's headed
to his bachelor range,

where he'll find the comfort
of companionship

and familiar terrain.

He's fighting the pain, but
the gash is becoming infected.

With a serious injury
and highly coveted tusks,

he's heading southward
to Tanzania,

a country that allows
trophy hunting.

Each time he crosses the border,

his growing tusks
increase his risk.

But to Esau,
there are no borders.

This is
where elephants have traveled

for thousands of years,

following the paths
of their ancestors.

Craig has chosen
a different path.

He remains on the outskirts
of Amboseli.

In his older, wiser years,

he no longer takes the risks
he did at Esau's age.

Craig is still a viable breeder,

but he didn't come into must
this year due to the drought.

He lacks the physical bulk
of Pascal.

It's harder to eke
out a living here,

but it's far less risky
than raiding crops.

Their distinct choices
reflect a deep intelligence

and individuality.

Like us, no two elephants are
exactly alike.

Craig is a rarity.

While so many tuskers have
been lost to the lust for ivory

and human conflict,

Craig has survived for
over 50 years,

and he's sharing his wisdom.

These young bulls have also
chosen to stay near Amboseli.

Here, they have
a well-seasoned mentor,

and Craig has companionship.

This wise old tusker
could live into his 60s,

a remarkable feat
considering the threats

facing these elephants.

Esau has crossed back to Kenya.

He's only 33, but already
his future is fading.

His wound is severely infected.

Perhaps he's returned
to find help.

Is it possible he knows

that desperate measures are
underway to save his life?

Esau faces much more
than threat from infection.

A satellite collar,
evidence of a scientific study,

might be his only hope
of surviving trophy hunters.

These magnificent tusks are
both a blessing and a curse.

When Esau awakens,
his world will have shifted.

With an unfamiliar weight
around his neck,

Esau heads back
across the invisible line.

Losing Esau would ripple
far beyond a single life.

It would sever an ancient
lineage that is irreplaceable.

Esau has crossed this border
for decades,

as have thousands of elephants.

But the rules have changed.

To survive, elephants
must be able to migrate.

On the far edge
of Kimana sanctuary,

Pascal drinks from a stream

that has served migrating
elephants for millennia.

It's a favorite stopover
between Amboseli

and the national parks
to the east.

This very scene could have been
glimpsed a thousand years ago,

but not if you widen your gaze.

The stream lies
on the outskirts of a town

that sits directly on
the elephants' migratory path.

A highway has grown
from a footpath,

and now vehicles hurtle across
Pascal's reach to Amboseli.

Just beyond the stream,

a corridor has been created
for elephants like Pascal.

It funnels them
across the highway

and past the encroaching farms.

The corridor
is just 80 meters wide,

flanked by electric fences.

It's the last viable link
between Amboseli

and the parks to the east,

absolutely crucial habitat
for elephants and all wildlife.

Big Life Foundation created
the fences as a buffer

between humans and elephants
like Pascal,

with high-voltage electricity
and speed bumps.

This narrow corridor is
a lifeline for wildlife.

Cameras offer proof that it's
working not just for elephants.

This strange, severed
landscape is not the world

Pascal was born
into 44 years ago.

Pascal knows this land by heart.

Every hill, every path.

In the final blaze
of the dry season,

he knows the best acacia tree
for shade.

He knows where to find
the few small mudholes

that won't dry up
if the rains are late.

And now these younger males
know, as well.

The day is hot,
but the rains will soon arrive.

The elephants are well aware.

They picked up its scent
from miles away

and caught the rumble
of distant thunder

through the soles of their feet.

The rains have turned
Amboseli green again.

Elephant families
are pouring back to the park

to celebrate and reunite.

Another year has passed,
and infants have turned into

young boys with big bluster
and tiny tusks.

Females are carrying new life.

Craig is taking advantage
of the abundance.

He'll soon turn 53.

Flanked by his comrades,

this venerable male
is sharing his wisdom.

Pascal has returned to the park.

He's back in must and
is more impressive than ever.

Amboseli is at its finest.

Green and teeming
with elephant families.

But it's missing one
crucial character.

It's Esau, back from Tanzania.

His tusks and his collar
are intact.

His wound has healed.

Each of these great tuskers
is a miracle of survival

and a key to the future.

Although they may not know it,

their impact is profound,
and it's already taking shape.

Because right now, somewhere
on the plains of Amboseli,

growing and learning every day

are the world's
next great tuskers.