These Elephants Must Escape Human Destruction | Elephants On The Run | Real Wild

Wide open wilderness is shrinking alarmingly for the largest living animal on earth, the African elephant. Poaching and hunting have claimed the lives of countless giants. Their ivory tusks are still prized for carvings, jewellery and trinkets. An ever-increasing demand for farmland leaves fewer corridors between protected areas for these wide-ranging mammals. They are long-lived, complex and social. They are big and they are strong. But against the relentless spread of humanity, they are powerless. Today the African elephant is on the run from a world that is changing like never before. The elephant is the heart and soul of the East African wilderness. It's the flagship of all the animals here, noble and impressive. Elephants live in a variety of habitats. Woodland, forest, savannah, swamp and even desert. The herds rarely travel too far from a source of water. Ideally, elephants need to drink every day. But they have been known to go without for a few days while travelling great distances between feeding areas. When ample rain has greened the land, great gatherings of hundreds of elephants can congregate, forming a spectacular herd. For the youngsters, it's an important time to socialise and learn by watching their elders. The adults renew old acquaintances. Friendly tussles break out between adolescents and adults alike, as individuals reinforce social bonds. Even mature bulls make contact as a sign of respect. Water is a principal factor governing the movements of elephant families. Led by a matriarch, each generation passes down vital information. The routes to and from water sources, the distance between them and seasonal availability. Once, African elephants roamed freely. But today they are forced to travel between isolated reserves and protected areas through narrow corridors. These passageways are crucial not only for the elephant's survival, but also to reduce human and wildlife conflict. Elephants have fascinated people for millennia. But it's only relatively recently that scientists have studied them in depth. Their social interactions are more complicated than imagined. Family and bond groups divide and reunite frequently, often in the space of a few hours or days. So-called larger cluster groups may come together during the wet season, when food, water are plentiful, then break up again when resources are scarce. Dominance within family groups is largely based on age, experience and size. Mature females have to wait until an older matriarch dies before they can have any chance of leadership. In males, too, age and size impart status. Only at around 25 to 30 years old do they reach a size to dominate rivals and compete successfully for females. Must, a period of increased hormone levels, sexual and aggressive activity, contributes further advantage. Few non-must males can compete with a bull in full cycle. At well over 3 meters at the shoulder, mature bulls are much taller than any female and can grasp food that others can't reach. Elephants are herbivores and can spend three quarters of their time, day and night, selecting, picking and preparing their plant food. An adult can eat up to 200 kilos of a selection of more than 90 kinds of plant per day, depending on habitat, season and their size. They do influence their environment by destroying trees, but they also disperse seeds, clear undergrowth and promote regeneration of other species. A giraffe can reach the treetops without having to pull them down. With a tough mouth and strong tongue, it can cope with needle-sharp acacia thorns and get at the leaves, flowers and pods. Both the giraffe and elephant evolved in the African savannah and coexist without conflict. They often congregate in woodland to browse on the leaves of shrubs and trees. As long as wildlife remains within designated areas, it's relatively safe. Females within a core family group are usually all closely related. Mothers, aunts, sisters and cousins with their collective offspring. Families living in the same area come together from time to time to form what scientists call bond groups. Several bond groups living in the same general location constitute an association. Elephants have long and excellent memories. It's thought all the adults in an association recognize one another and remember new arrivals even if they only meet very occasionally. Water sources attract many animals. Mixing with the elephants are baboons, another animal with a highly complex society. Although age, size and experience are factors that promote individuals in an elephant hierarchy, young baboons inherit status from their mother. The offspring of high-ranking females have advantages from birth. Forming friendships with dominant females can elevate the status of a male. Grooming babies is another tactic to curry favor with their mothers. As is watching out for trouble and potential danger. Males can be very protective of infants, but they also use them as a shield against attack from rivals. By positioning himself near playing babies, a male can grab one quickly if he feels threatened. It's all part of their subtle, multidimensional social system. Baboons learn what's good to eat from their elders. They feed on many things. Leaves, shoots, insects and seeds. And, when they're in season, nectar-rich flowers. The adults often pick more than they need, and youngsters below reap the benefits. Living in a group offers these monkeys the best defense against predators. While the care of infants is primarily the responsibility of their mothers, the larger and stronger males will join forces to defend the troop. Elephants, too, rely on safety in numbers. A female alone with a newborn calf is unusual, and something is making her nervous. A determined mother who will risk her life to protect her baby is too much for a single lion to take on. Elephants instinctively know how to react towards predators, but have little defense against modern man. Subsistence farmers use any method available to keep wildlife off their land. They don't want their crops trampled or eaten. This female has been painfully lame for months. She probably trod on poisoned nails or spikes. Elephants are intelligent and remember past experiences. Next time, the female will take an alternative route. But the corridors she and her kind have used for countless centuries are now increasingly being cultivated. Forcing elephants into conflict with people. Snares are cheap, easily made, and indiscriminate killers. They're set to trap small animals for the illegal bushmeat trade, but cruelly lasso anything that steps in them. In a desperate effort to free itself, this young elephant has pulled the wire so tight, it's cut through its legs. Unless the snare is taken off, this baby will die. African Wildlife Services train teams, including vets, to treat animals suffering from unnatural causes. Problems created by man. To help the wounded calf, they must separate it from its concerned and protected family. An anaesthetic dart temporarily puts the little elephant to sleep, enabling the team to remove the snare. The vets administer antibiotics to prevent infection while the wound heals. Elephants are fiercely protected by their guardians. The matriarch and the baby's mother could be risking their lives, but they refuse to leave. An armed marksman stands guard just in case they charge. Within a few minutes, the vet injects an antidote to the anaesthetic. His patient will be able to walk again. Although very frightened, the baby's family won't desert it. It's one lucky little elephant. The vets found it just in time, as the dry season has started. Now the families disperse far and wide in an effort to keep the elephant safe. The baby's mother and mother-in-law are the only ones left. The vets found it just in time, as the dry season has started. Now the families disperse far and wide in an endless search for food and water. The land slowly dries out. Perennial rivers barely flow. This can become a desolate place with little vegetation and no surface moisture. Herbivores gather in the last patches of green, but their footsteps just add dust to an already parched land. The march between the only remaining water and the last mouthfuls of forage becomes longer by the day. Elephants journey along traditional routes between reserves and protected areas. Once they were free to roam, but now outside designated sanctuaries, they enter land claimed by humans. The Maasai's prized possessions are their cattle. This warrior tribe doesn't hunt or eat wild animals, relying instead on blood and milk from their bovine herds. As this family heads towards cooler foothills, it moves into thornbush country owned by the Maasai. The elephants are wary and for good reason. To prove their bravery and earn warrior status, young men spear a few elephants every year. Generally though, as long as elephants don't kill any cows, the Maasai accept them grazing alongside their domestic stock. As the dry season persists, each family relies on the leadership of their matriarch to guide them to water and get them through this time of hardship. A large troop of baboons descends to the river's edge for a daily drink. The monkeys are respectful of elephants and patiently wait their turn. The water level is low and the river shallow enough for the baboons to cross and take advantage of food resources on the other side. Juveniles are left to cross all by themselves, while babies hitch a ride. Baboons are fearful of deep water where crocodiles could lurk. They can swim, but rarely do. Some don't even like getting their hands wet. During times of shortage and hunger, tension and tempers can flare. Finding food is not a problem for this lioness. With the herds congregating in her territory, she's spoiled for choice. A zebra draws her attention. It's alone, which is unusual. It could be sick. A passing elephant foils any plan of attack. The lioness' best tactic now is to keep a low profile. Lions don't generally target olive baboons. Babies may be small and defenseless, but an adult male's teeth can inflict serious wounds. These youngsters are engrossed in play, but others will be watching for danger. This infant is climbing the wrong tree. High in the treetops, a sleeping leopard has gone unnoticed. Until now. Leopards rarely hunt during the heat of the day. This one just wants to sleep. But the baboons have babies to protect and pandemonium breaks out. Worse still, there's a juvenile leopard in a nearby tree. The monkeys know the thinner outer branches will support their young. The monkeys know the thinner outer branches will support their weight and keep them out of the cat's reach. Maybe they want to distract the predator. Or perhaps the chance to mob it is too hard to resist. The young leopard wisely sits tight. But below, a tiny baby somehow got caught in all the chaos and has been fatally wounded. Big males can show remarkable tenderness. This one doesn't seem to understand the lack of response. Baboons have been known to carry dead infants for days before accepting the inevitable. As the dry season progresses, it becomes a day-to-day struggle for many. Here there is water, but little food. At least, not for the prey animals. For the resident predators, this is a season of plenty. Iones sees an opportunity. But in full daylight, she's just too visible. These elephants may have walked for days to reach the river. They're plainly excited, but cautious too. Testing the air for the presence of predators, or greeting and reassuring a youngster, an elephant's trunk is its most versatile and important appendage. It's put to many uses, including as a tool to hollow out shallow seep holes to gain access to clean, filtered water. Perhaps the river is too muddy or starting to stagnate. To dig deeper holes to get at underground water, they use their forelegs. When rivers dry out, excavating elephants can provide a lifeline for other wildlife. A lion has an ideal vantage point. All the animals now risk an ambush on the way to water. A lone male is not an immediate threat, but the elephants are taking no risks. Baby elephants have to master using their trunk like a straw, and that can take a year. Until then, they have to get down on their knees. Adults suck up to 14 litres of water in one trunkful before draining it into their mouths. They excrete huge quantities of dung every day, a much-needed source of food for baboons in the dry season. The monkeys pick through the heaps, searching for undigested seeds, berries and insects. There are benefits to having elephants around, but there are also downsides. Mud is cooling, acts as a natural sunscreen and insect repellent, and elephants love rolling it. But in doing so, they muddy the waters for others. The calls of a courting male bullfrog are designed to attract a female, not a hungry hammer cop. When it puffs itself up by swallowing air, a bullfrog can be a hard mouthful to swallow. A young baboon is fascinated. The bird wants it, so perhaps it's good to play with. It doesn't taste good, but the monk is not giving it away. Not yet. Being tossed aside isn't always a bad thing. As the dry season progresses, the river becomes a magnet for families from drier areas. The elephants greet each other and reinforce bonds in an intricate variety of tactile and vocal ways. When they're not interacting with each other, the elephants concentrate on finding food. They love the bark of the succulent baobab tree and chew the soft core of the trunk to extract moisture. Baobabs can live up to 3,000 years old. But those growing in areas with large elephant populations can suffer extensive damage and rarely reach such a great age. The next months will test the families to their limits as the dry season tightens its grip. The matriarch's role is to keep the family safe, and they all rely on her. It's a big responsibility, and she must draw on the experience of a lifetime to guide them to food and water. Elephants are not only remarkable in having long memories, they also display extraordinary awareness around their dead. As soon as they catch the scent of a skeleton of one of their own, they go very quiet. We can only imagine what goes on in their heads or why they stroke and pick up the bones. They don't behave in the same way to the remains of any other wild animal. They pay particular attention to the skull, teeth, and tusks, possibly to recognize the deceased individual. The behavior of elephants around their dead is contemplative and respectful. Unlike many other mammals, they do seem to have an understanding of death, the passage of time, and a concept of self. Now that the land is drying fast, the last flowing rivers become a lifeline. There will be no respite from the drought for a while yet, and hard times lie ahead for all the animals here. The atmosphere is charged with expectation, but the electric storm delivers no moisture. Elephants can walk for hundreds of kilometers for water, and some face a steep climb in their quest for food. Between 2,000 and 3,000 meters up this mountain, there's still some rainforest, and that has drawn hungry families. Uncontrolled poaching up here in the 1980s has made them retiring and wary. A pair of mature elephants uses an open glade to test each other's strength. They are two of the lucky ones that manage to evade the hunters. There is one thing that will entice even the most retiring animal out into the open. Minerals get washed away on mountains, so a rich seam of salt exposed by erosion is irresistible. Elephants have the tools to mine for salt. Higher still above the tree line, tussock grasses and tree heathers grow on open moors. The air up here is thin, but elephants can reach surprising heights. Down on the plains, rain signals a new beginning. The hard times will soon be forgotten. Water stimulates withered plants and buried seeds. In a remarkably short while, the land greens. Soon, the elephants will have full stomachs and plenty of energy. Excited by the smell of water and rushed new growth, the herds run down to the swamps. When elephants need to rehydrate, they can drink a lot of water. When elephants need to rehydrate, they can drink over 250 liters of water a day. The tensions and stress of the dry season are soon in the past. Everyone, young and old, revels in the abundance of water. Every foot full of each mighty leg disturbs a cloud of insects, and egrets make the most of the return of their local giants. Replete and content, the elephants are remarkably tolerant of their uninvited passengers. Spoonbills migrating from Europe somehow know to coincide their arrival with this time of plenty. Elephants are strong swimmers and often cross open water to reach the best forage. Their ancient ancestors lived primarily in water and shared a common lineage with aquatic sea cows and dugongs. All the families now concentrate on feeding, replacing condition lost during the dry season. Swamp grasses are not firmly rooted. The elephants bite off the green shoots, leaving roots and mud behind. Replenished and relaxed, the elephants once again have the energy to play. A band of lion brothers is not welcome. Now healthy and strong, a female is confident enough to show off and make her field known. To survive in the wild, elephants need space. If squeezed into ever tighter corners and denied access to traditional pathways, they won't make it. If there is an emblem of the wild animals of East Africa, it surely is the elephant, a truly magnificent animal. One that would be tragic to lose.