Original subtitles

SIMON NARRATOR: This is Chodoba,

a boisterous adolescent bull elephant.

He's distinctive because he has a torn ear.

(ELEPHANT RUMBLES)

Chodoba is a survivor.

When he was just two, he lost his whole family.

Now 11, he's the young leader of a new herd.

Chodoba's new family is unique because there are no adults.

In this herd, they are all orphans.

None would be alive today

if it hadn't been for a group of dedicated people.

The orphans have been rescued.

They're being rehabilitated, and now

the plan is to release them back into the wild.

Chodoba and his herd have all cheated death.

Their human saviors are giving them a new start

by bringing them here to Kafue National Park in Zambia.

Three thousand wild elephants live in this huge and remote region.

The Ngoma Teak Forest is a refuge to a dwindling elephant population.

It's hoped that one day, the orphans will help boost their numbers.

Chodoba's home is the banks of the Nkala River.

Year-round, it provides all the water and lush vegetation a growing elephant needs.

On the edge of the teak forest is the Camp Phoenix Release Facility.

Here, a dedicated group of Zambians looks after the young elephants

round the clock.

They have become the elephants' new mothers.

Altogether, there are 10 orphans.

It will take years to teach them the lessons they'll need to survive

in the forest where they belong.

Just like at school, the six youngest orphans have a routine.

Every day, they go for walks,

feed,

have an afternoon nap,

and playtime.

Each night, they are kept safe inside locked gates,

protected from predators by a high-voltage fence.

The four oldest elephants are big enough to defend themselves against lions,

and they're free to come and go as they please.

They have learned that if they're out when the gate is closed,

then they'll have to stay out for the night.

They wear radio collars to keep track of their whereabouts.

Chodoba is 11.

As the eldest, he is the project's pioneer.

He was rescued when he was just a tiny 2-year-old calf.

Chodoba was found wandering emaciated in the bush.

His torn ear is a memento

from the hyena who attacked him

after he lost his mother.

She was probably killed for her ivory,

for her meat, or for raiding crops.

When he first arrived at the sanctuary,

Chodoba was too weak to feed standing up.

He's lucky. When their mothers die,

baby elephants very rarely survive.

The few that live are first taken here,

to the Lilayi Elephant Nursery.

It's just outside the Zambian capital, Lusaka,

and nearer the specialist care they need.

(HISSING GENTLY)

The rescued infants are very fragile.

They are wild animals

and they arrive starving and traumatized.

They're often found lost and alone.

Some have seen their family shot.

Others have been attacked with machetes.

The young elephants sometimes wake at night,

seemingly screaming from nightmares.

Their keepers sleep above the stables

so they can hold the orphans' trunks if they need comforting.

Recovery takes time.

Musolole, Zambezi and Nkala have been here since they were infants.

Their keepers have built trust,

so the little elephants now accept them as their new mothers.

The best rehabilitation comes through play.

(ELEPHANT KEEPERS CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY)

(ELEPHANT KEEPER CHUCKLES)

NARRATOR: Musolole and Zambezi are five,

and they're ready to graduate from the nursery.

(RUMBLING SOFTLY)

They are healthy and seem happy,

and soon they'll make the 220-mile journey to Camp Phoenix.

Here, they'll start to learn the survival skills they need

for their eventual release into the wild.

The new arrivals are gradually weaned.

Then the keepers can encourage them to be more independent.

The aim is to get the little herd to learn to rely on each other

so they can face the challenges of the wild together.

It's dawn. Still cool, and the youngest elephants make their way out

of the protection of the enclosure for a day exploring.

Their keepers and a guard follow them to keep them out of harm's way.

Wild elephants are shy and dangerous,

so intimate details of their social lives can be difficult to study.

Chodoba and the orphan herd

provide a good opportunity to observe elephants up close.

(INAUDIBLE)

Lisa Oliver is leading a long-term study.

With the help of volunteers,

they spend hours every day gathering data

and learning from the group's interactions.

The orphans' best chance of survival

will be to join a wild herd.

To do that successfully, the calves need to learn

how to behave like normal elephants.

In the bush, this little wild elephant

could live until she's past 60

if she follows her mother's example.

Humans are the world's longest-living land mammals.

Elephants are a close second.

Elephants live so long in the wild because they look after each other.

They have complex relationships

and long memories,

and this allows them to pass on their experiences.

Beyond the confines of the sanctuary,

life in the wild can be a much harder struggle,

especially during the dry season.

At this time of year,

temperatures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Greenery withers and dies.

This family is made up of females and their young.

They follow the elder. She's the matriarch.

When the going gets tough,

the family's survival is dependent on her knowledge.

Experience will tell her where to find the best food,

and where there's still water.

The elder is so important to her family

that she, like all female elephants, lives long past her ability to bear young.

Her role now is not to have calves of her own

but to use her knowledge

to ensure the survival of all her family.

Humans also outlive their ability to have children

so they can nurture their wider family.

But elsewhere amongst animals, it's very unusual.

This young calf

will be completely dependent on her mother

until she's weaned at two or three years old.

Their bond will remain close for the rest of their lives.

For males in the wild,

it's a slightly different story.

Adolescent bull behavior

becomes too boisterous for the family herd.

The females gradually encourage the teenagers to go their own way.

(RUMBLING)

Eventually, the young males will become independent,

spending time in bachelor herds

or wandering on their own.

Two years ago,

Chodoba started to move away from his surrogate family

and to answer the call of the wild.

He's the first elephant the project has successfully rescued,

rehabilitated, and released.

Like any teenager, he now goes where he likes and he stays out all night.

This morning, he's waiting just outside camp

for his buddies.

As is often the case,

Chodoba's been off on an adventure for days,

but he always comes back

because he shares a powerful bond with the other orphans.

Because Chodoba is the project's pioneer,

and because he grew up isolated from normal wild elephant society,

no one can be sure how he will develop.

For years, Chodoba trusted his keepers,

and now they have to teach the growing elephant

to keep away from humans.

Ultimately, Chodoba's survival in the wild

will depend on how well he learns this hard lesson.

A powerful electric fence now runs right round the camp.

It's there to persuade Chodoba to roam elsewhere

and seek the company of wild elephants in the bush.

Seeing Chodoba living on the loose encourages the older orphans.

In the last year, three more have joined him

living outside the enclosure.

(ELECTRICITY CRACKLES)

(BELLOWING)

The newcomers are still learning about the electric fence.

(RUMBLING)

All the semi-wild elephants still like to hang out near the camp,

so they're easy to keep an eye on.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

But the rainy season is coming.

Soon, there'll be an abundance of food

and the elephants will be tempted

to explore further afield.

For Lisa and the keepers,

keeping tabs on their charges

becomes all the more important.

So this is where the radio collars are vital.

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

Chodoba's collar needs replacing,

and some other orphans are getting collars for the first time.

But putting a collar on an elephant

is a tricky business.

So the orphanage team has called for reinforcements.

Rachel's the boss.

She's in charge of Zambia's elephant orphanage project.

The rest of us will be with Chodoba.

Then, when Chodoba's recovered,

we need one keeper

who's going to stay watching Chodoba

while we then come and start the other four.

NARRATOR: Veterinarian Ian Parsons

is a specialist in dangerous wildlife.

Everybody has a role and they will be in their places...

NARRATOR: The orphans will have to be sedated.

If they get it wrong, an elephant could die.

You good?

Good seeing you, yeah.

NARRATOR: They plan to collar five elephants today.

It's an ambitious goal,

so numerous specialists and volunteers

have travelled from all over Zambia to help.

Doctor Parsons will sedate the elephants from as far away as possible.

RACHEL: Are you ready to go, Ian?

NARRATOR: Using compressed air,

he'll fire a dart that administers the drugs.

With a stroke of luck, all the elephants getting collars

have chosen to spend the night with the youngsters

in the enclosure.

(BEEPING)

All the elephants, that is, except Chodoba.

He's gone missing.

(STATIC HISSING)

That's how it works. Everything is in order, everything is in place,

and then your elephant doesn't show up, so...

(BLOWS RASPBERRY) Part of the job. (LAUGHS)

NARRATOR: Chodoba can't be sedated in the bush

where there's a chance that wild elephants might show up and attack the team.

The keepers quickly find him

and, because he trusts them, he follows them back to camp.

Doctor Parsons and his team approach slowly.

Chodoba is calm and relaxed,

so he should only need a light sedative dose.

Doctor Parsons has to get in range to fire.

But he doesn't want to get too close,

in case Chodoba reacts badly and charges at him.

PARSONS: It's fine once they stand up.

NARRATOR: No one wants to mess with an angry elephant.

The drug will take time to work its way through Chodoba's bloodstream.

MAN: (OVER RADIO) Don't go closer.

Don't go closer. Let him calm down.

NARRATOR: But there's a snag.

PARSONS: Thank you. This is a good chance to check

if he's had the whole dose.

He hasn't had the whole dose. Hmm...

So, there's a... That's going to be a problem. We'll have to wait and see.

Oh, yeah.

It's only been a partial injection here.

Mmm-hmm.

I may have to reload.

NARRATOR: The dart has malfunctioned.

Chodoba only received half the drug.

He's just...

MALE VOLUNTEER: Yeah.

NARRATOR: Luckily, there's no need for another shot.

The sedative appears to be taking effect.

But there's only one way

to find out if Chodoba is actually asleep.

Let's push him over.

NARRATOR: The team needs to get Chodoba on his side.

Push, push, push, push.

NARRATOR: He weighs well over 4,000 pounds,

and if he spends too long lying on his chest,

his weight will suffocate him.

That immediate danger is averted.

Water, please, on the ears, immediately.

NARRATOR: But the team still needs to work fast.

Chodoba could overheat.

PARSONS: Make sure no one ever stands on the trunk, please.

Be cautious, keep it upright. Like that.

Super.

(EXHALING DEEPLY)

NARRATOR: They continuously monitor his condition.

PARSONS: CO2, 93%. Heart rate, 43.

NARRATOR: If his vital signs start to fluctuate,

they will have to abandon the operation

and quickly revive him.

(ALL CHATTERING)

MALE VOLUNTEER 1: Antenna. Antenna's up about here.

MALE VOLUNTEER 2: All right.

Fuss a little bit.

Yeah, there's a little bit more.

Okay.

NARRATOR: This is an opportunity to check Chodoba's health

and measure his progress.

And 39, length.

NARRATOR: The new satellite collar is secure.

RACHEL: John? You ready to reverse him?

RACHEL: Okay, it's 8:30...

NARRATOR: Doctor Parsons injects the drug to revive Chodoba

and everyone retreats to a safe distance.

He should revive in minutes.

Okay, let's keep going back.

RACHEL: Yes, good boy. Go on, go on.

Yes. We'll keep someone watching him for a while.

Awesome.

NARRATOR: One down, four to go.

This is Tafika.

He is just seven

and the eldest of the pre-release orphans.

He's nervous in the outside world

but when safe in the paddock,

Tafika is brave enough to show who rules the roost.

(RUMBLING)

The orphanage staff are hoping that one day soon,

timid Tafika will have the courage to try life in the forest,

so they've decided he needs a collar, too.

But it's going to be a challenge.

It's 9:00 a.m. and it's over 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a couple of hours, it will be over 100.

They need to do the other eles while it's still cool,

so all four elephants have to be sedated and collared straightaway.

RACHEL: That's Kafue.

Tafika.

RACHEL: Uh-oh. Oh, oh, oh!

(ELEPHANT KEEPER EXCLAIMS)

NARRATOR: After rehearsing on Chodoba,

each team knows exactly what they have to do.

They are racing against the rising heat of the day.

They're done.

But waiting for the elephants to revive is an anxious time.

No one can relax until all four are on their feet.

MALE RANGER: No, no. They're disoriented.

NARRATOR: Little Tafika seems to be struggling.

I think we might need to go and check him.

(ELEPHANTS RUMBLING SOFTLY)

NARRATOR: Finally, he stands.

I'm so happy that they're all awake again! (CHUCKLES)

MALE RANGER: Check him and see if everything is fine.

(MAN LAUGHING)

You know, I actually feel like crying right now.

NARRATOR: The collars are unfamiliar

and will take some getting used to.

The team starts receiving signals straight away.

(TYPING)

NARRATOR: For the next two years,

they'll be able to check up on the collared orphans

day or night and follow their transition back to the wild.

Elephants are voracious eaters,

and in the wild, range over large areas,

looking for wherever the food is most plentiful.

With enough food and water,

elephants can adapt to survive anywhere.

Once, they ranged all over Africa and Asia.

But in many countries, elephants have been disappearing.

In Zambia, the population has declined

by over 90% in the last 50 years.

If their decline continues at this rate,

all wild elephants will be wiped out

before any of these young calves reach old age.

The name "elephant" comes from the ancient Greek word for ivory.

It's their tusks, just enormous incisor teeth,

that have caused their downfall.

Yet their teeth are also the secret of their success.

They have four powerful grinding molars.

Each one weighs a colossal 11 pounds.

It's these that allow elephants

to chew their way through everything,

from grass to trees.

Of all the herbivores,

elephants have the widest diet.

They can't afford to be choosy.

To keep body and soul together,

an elephant needs to eat

over five percent of its body weight

every single day.

That means chomping through 650 pounds just to stay in condition.

At Camp Phoenix,

the keepers are heading out on their daily mission

to find enough fresh fodder

to feed the young elephants' insatiable appetites.

Each day, the keepers have to find a new grove

so they don't exhaust a single patch.

The elephants will eat everything.

Leaf, bark, and bough.

The thicker the branches,

the longer they'll keep the orphans amused.

As the day gets hotter,

Tafika leads the orphans back from their walk.

The older elephants tuck into the new brash.

For the youngest eles, the race is on.

There's a treat in store.

(RUMBLING)

NARRATOR: With a happy rumble,

the calves greet their keepers.

The youngest elephants are bottle-fed

every three hours, day and night.

In the wild, calves suckle until they're about four,

when their mother's next calf supplants them.

(CALF EXHALES SHARPLY)

NARRATOR: It's impossible to milk a wild elephant,

so the orphans drink a recipe

that's been perfected over the years.

Most of the formula

is the same milk powder used for human babies,

but in vast quantities.

The staff mix in dried coconut to add saturated fat,

whey powder to build muscle,

and calcium and magnesium

for bone and nerve development.

Then, eight times a day,

the keepers have to mix the powder

with nearly half a gallon of warm water and cooked oats.

We are done.

NARRATOR: The baby eles love it.

(RUMBLING)

NARRATOR: After their bottle,

it's time for a little snooze.

In the wild, elephants only take short naps,

sleeping a total of four or five hours a day.

Elephants are at their most vulnerable lying down.

Their jaws and tusks are so heavy

that adults have difficulty getting back on their feet,

so they sleep standing.

They stop themselves toppling over

by turning their front feet outwards

and locking their knees.

While only 11 years old,

Chodoba is the orphan herd's dominant male.

Gentle Chamilandu is 10, and the eldest female.

She's always had strong maternal instincts.

Her reassuring trunk has comforted each new rescued baby.

For the last few months,

Chamilandu has been spending time outside

with boisterous Chodoba.

But she loves coming back to be with the little orphans.

Seeing them on their walk is a chance to make up for lost time.

She hurries to the youngest calf...

(ELEPHANTS RUMBLING SOFTLY)

Flapping her ears and rumbling a greeting.

This little one lost his real mother

when only three months old

and he appreciates a little tenderness.

Adopted mother and son

can spend some quality time together

doing what elephants like to do most,

eating.

Knowing the orphans' routine

makes it easy for Chamilandu to find the youngsters.

Keeping in touch in the wild is much more difficult.

But elephants have an ingenious solution.

It's long been known that even when widely dispersed,

elephants can still converse.

(RUMBLING)

NARRATOR: They use infrasonic bass,

a sound so low it's inaudible to the human ear,

but it can be heard by elephants

over five miles away.

Elephants like to drink daily,

so the river is a good place for a rendezvous.

Long-lost relatives greet and inspect each other

by putting their trunks in one another's mouths.

It's the elephant version of a sniff and a hug.

For little Tafika,

a reunion with the older semi-wild orphans

is a chance to test his strength.

Wrestling is useful practice

for when he'll have to compete for a mate.

(BOTH RUMBLING)

NARRATOR: As the biggest bull, Chodoba makes sure

that play doesn't get out of hand.

The interaction's all useful data for the study.

Having shown everyone who's boss,

Chodoba tries a little playfulness of his own.

But this isn't play fighting. It's flirting.

As a 10-year-old female,

gentle Chamilandu is almost old enough to conceive.

Unfortunately, Chodoba is only an 11-year-old adolescent.

He'll have to wait till he's around 25

before he's big enough to successfully mate.

(RUMBLING)

(TRUMPETS)

It's been an exhausting day for the young orphans

and they are ready for home.

But something's not quite right.

One elephant is missing.

Tafika is enjoying the company of the older elephants so much

that he's forgotten his timidity.

The other youngsters headed home without him

and the gate is now closed.

This will be the first night Tafika has spent in the wild

since he lost his mother.

Although this is the moment

Tafika's keepers have long worked towards,

it's still a worrying time.

They have to hope

that Chodoba and Chamilandu will look after him.

Tafika is small for his age,

and in the wild,

lions have been known to attack young elephants.

(RUMBLING)

Elephants use the cool of the night to continue eating.

(RUMBLING)

They can't sweat.

A thermal camera shows a beautiful network of capillaries

blooming just under the skin, cooling the blood.

The ears are darker and cooler,

showing just how vital they are

for regulating the temperature of such a big body.

Night in the bush isn't a time for deep sleep.

This is when creatures need to be most wary.

The cover of darkness

is a good time for predators to go on the prowl.

(RUMBLING)

Everyone needs to be alert.

These lions spent their day asleep,

and under the cover of night,

they're looking for their next meal.

An adult elephant is too big, even for a pride of lions.

But an elephant calf is a different matter.

The lions are testing their luck,

but the matriarch's wisdom teaches her family

how to protect their most vulnerable.

Faced with a united front,

the lions go in search of easier targets.

(RUMBLING)

Back at Camp Phoenix, Lisa has had an anxious night

and she's up early to look out for Tafika.

Lisa can't be certain

that the orphans know how to deal with a lion attack.

In the enclosure,

the younger orphans are enjoying

the novelty of Tafika's absence.

(RUMBLING)

There's more food

and no big brother to boss them about.

The young eles are in party mood.

But they don't celebrate alone for long.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

(ELEPHANT KEEPER SPEAKING LOCAL LANGUAGE)

NARRATOR: Tafika is back. Alive and well.

After a wild night out,

it's always nice to have a bath.

Faint-hearted Tafika has overcome his nerves

and spent his first night in the bush.

It's only a matter of time before he finds the courage

to join his older brothers again.

Tafika is the fifth elephant

the orphanage has rescued and rehabilitated,

and is now staying out all night in the wild.

No one knows what Chodoba, Chamilandu,

or Tafika will do next.

The hope is that they will find acceptance

with a wild herd.

Perhaps one day soon,

there'll be a whole new elephant family

thriving in the teak forest of Zambia.

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