Elephants: Lives of Towering Giants | Full Documentary

The animal kingdom. A remarkable array of living, breathing natural wonders. Majestic, compelling, ingenious and extraordinary. Fascinating, physical, visceral and ferocious. Discover their past, present and future. Just stunning. Just glories. Just amazing. Just animals. Elephants. Elephants are the largest land animals found on earth. An impressive fact, especially as there are roughly six and a half million terrestrial species smaller than them. Found in Africa and Asia, their towering presence is one of many striking attributes. Massive ears, sturdy legs, impressive tusks and their famous trunk. A multi-purpose tool that can shift heavy objects, draw water and affectionately greet family and friends. Sharing, caring creatures, the entire herd helps to raise any new additions. Teaching these giant babies or calves the ways of the elephant world. A world they can explore for six or seven decades. In the oceans and on land. Mammals hold the record for the largest animals in existence. Being a vertebrate means an elephant's body can reach its massive proportions because it has a sturdy internal support. Backbones are one of many traits mammals share. The presence of hair or fur is another. As well as their ability to feed their young with mother's milk. Mammals are a diverse class with 153 families. While they are huge animals, the elephant family is small. Only two species are found in Africa, while Asia hosts four subspecies. African elephants are the larger of the two. They can measure up to seven and a half meters in length. A male or bull can weigh the same as five family cars. That's 6,350 kilograms. The biggest recorded African bush elephant stood at 3.96 meters and weighed 11 tons. Regardless of species, bulls are larger than females or cows. What sets elephants apart from the rest of the class are their trunks and tusks, which are partly responsible for their family name. The Greek word elephos means ivory or elephant. Ivory is a type of dentin. Hard, dense, bony tissue under the enamel layer of a tooth, which is what tusks are. Extra long in sizes. On an African elephant, the average set can be 2.4 meters in length. Trunks are equally lengthy and just as fascinating. Also known as a proboscis, it's actually a fusion of the upper lip and the nose. The nostrils run down the center of the trunk. The entire appendage contains more than 40,000 muscles, making it strong and flexible. Large muscles along the top, bottom, and sides allow the animal to raise and lower it. Delicate trunk movements are controlled by bundles of smaller muscle fibers. Trunks are not light. On a mature elephant, they can weigh 140 kilos. The entire trunk is prehensile or grippy, the tip included. Asian elephants have a single finger on theirs, while their African cousins have two, which they can use to hold objects. A bulky body needs a solid base. To do the job, the bones in an elephant's legs are kept in a line, creating sturdy posts. Their broad feet match the proportions of their legs, similar in width to the rim of a basketball hoop. Interestingly, researchers have noted that elephants walk on their toes. The outer toes on the front feet cushion a large proportion of the pressure, while the heels feel the least. When traveling, elephants have two speeds, a steady walk and a faster version. It's not a true run, as it has no aerial phase. These bulky animals always need to have one foot on the ground. When fast walking, elephants are able to thunder along at 40 kilometers per hour. Another unmissable feature of an elephant are their magnificent ears. The enormous flaps are not decorative. Instead, they're natural cooling systems. Firstly, they fan air over the elephant's body. Secondly, as warm blood circulates through their thin-skinned ears, it is cooled by the air outside. As it recirculates around the body, the blood takes this cool change with it. Overall, this process helps to lower the animal's body temperature. The hotter the day, the faster the flapping. On windy days, elephants take advantage of it by holding their ears out and facing the breeze. The wrinkles in an elephant's skin also play a role in keeping these gigantic animals cool. All the folds increase the surface area of the skin and trap in moisture, slowing down the evaporation process. In times past, elephants were classified as pachynerms, a term derived from Greek words meaning thick skin. Taxonomy names might have changed, but their skin hasn't. On vulnerable areas like an elephant's back, legs, and trunk, it can be more than three centimeters thick. Conversely, around the eyes, ears, and mouth, plus chest, shoulders, and belly, the skin is paper thin. What looks dry and rough is actually soft and delicate. Packed with nerve endings, their skin is extremely sensitive. It can detect landing insects and changes in their environment. When they do encounter colder conditions, elephants can handle it due to the combination of their thick skin and a thin layer of fat below. At a glance, all elephants might seem the same, but on closer inspection, it soon becomes clear they are worlds apart geographically and physically. Their ears are like natural signposts. African elephants have large flaps with a striking resemblance to the African continent. The bush or savannah elephant inhabits sub-Saharan Africa, while forest elephants are found in central and western regions of the continent. Bush elephants have lighter skin and have tusks that curve outwards. On a darker-skinned forest elephant, the tusks face down. The ears on an Asian elephant also look like part of their home range. Their smaller flaps are thought to be shaped like India. Pockets of Asian elephants can be found in southern, eastern, and southeast Asia. Of the four subspecies, the Sri Lankan elephant is the biggest, while Indian elephants have the largest range. Sumatran elephants are third in size. Short trunks, round faces, and long tails are distinguishing features of the subspecies from Borneo. The Borneo pigly elephant is between 10 to 30 percent smaller than the rest of their family. Geography and ear flaps aren't the only way to tell the difference between the two sides of the family. Firstly, the shape of their back. African elephants have a dip in theirs, while their Asian cousins have straight or humped spines. Next, elephants from the two regions show distinct head shapes. On an African species, they are full and round, while Asian elephants have a double-bumped dome, with a clear indent in the middle. Species from this region also have long, pointy lower lips and smoother skin. Both species are grey-black in colour, but the skin on Asian elephants can lack colour or pigmentation on their foreheads, ears, and trunks. The presence of tusks also helps to identify an elephant's origin. In Africa, both male and female elephants have tusks. In Asia, tusks are only seen on bulls, and not all males develop them. As for the females, approximately 50 percent of them grow tushes, which are like mini-tusks. Tushes barely extend beyond the top lip, five centimetres at most, and can be seen best when the mouth is open. An elephant's foot also hints at where they roam. Asian elephants have five toenails on the front feet and four on the back, while their kin from Africa have one less on each foot. From top to bottom, these gigantic mammals show an amazing range of diversity. Having roamed the planet for millions of years, elephants have had plenty of time to hone their survival skills and make adaptations to ensure their ongoing success. Their mammoth proportions alone are an effective adaptation against predators. As herbivores, they are classed as prey animals, but as adults, their immense size is an excellent deterrent, making them seemingly impervious to attacks. Calves are vulnerable, but the herd has them covered. Should any threats venture close by, the family encircles the youngsters, protecting them from harm. A hefty torso requires good support. Their limbs achieve this by being positioned almost vertically under their body, like table legs. Thanks to this clever design, elephants can sleep standing up, with no risk of their legs buckling under their weight. When walking, their feet have thick, fatty pads that act like shock absorbers, cushioning every step. One way an elephant can take a load off is by swimming. They're naturals. Elephants' buoyancy allows them to stay on the surface, and their strong legs give them the stamina to paddle considerable distances. Having a natural snorkel allows them to completely submerge if needed. This is one of the many ways elephants use their trunks. Apart from breathing, smelling is another obvious function. According to research, their sense of smell is the best in the mammalian world, beating out dogs and rats. An elephant's nostrils can lead them to food, help them find a mate, and receive an early warning of any approaching predators. A thirsty elephant can detect water sources that are more than 19 kilometres away. Water and trunks go hand in hand. Elephants don't drink through them like a straw. Instead, they suck water up. They'd spray it into their mouths. Trunks also make excellent hoses, perfect for cooling down. On average, they can hold four When they're not squirting water, trunks are often slinging dust or mud. This layer of muck not only cools elephants down, it keeps their skin moisturised, insect-free, and protected from the sun. Trunks make excellent grabbing tools. They can reach out and latch on to interesting objects and food. These long, muscular tubes have the strength to push down trees and lift substantial weights. Communication is another important job carried out by the trunk. These messages can be subtle, non-verbal expressions, through to loud trumpeting. Trunks are also a means of self-defence, along with their other natural weapons, tusks. These overgrown incisors are excellent gardening tools as well, able to uproot vegetation or dig for water. Elephants are either left or right-tusked. The one on the side they favour is shorter from all the wear and tear. Ears are another large feature that have made direct adaptations in response to climatic conditions. The closer these animals live to the equator, the bigger their ear flaps, all the better to cool their bodies. In addition, large ears collect more sound waves, giving elephants good hearing. They can also detect and make low-frequency rumbles for long-distance communication. Elephants frequently stomp out messages or warnings. Big ear bones and nerve endings in their trunk and feet help elephants hear these calls from 10 kilometres away. When threatened, many animals will puff themselves up to make themselves appear bigger. Elephants do this with their ears. Holding them out wide, it's an imposing sight. A beast not to be messed with. Elephants are not only impressive on the outside. Of all land mammals, they have the largest brains, weighing about five kilos. Their intelligence level is thought to be on par with dolphins and chimpanzees, if not better. Their large temporal lobes are responsible for their excellent long-term memories, an ability that helps matriarchs to remember useful locations like watering holes and allows them to lead their herd back to these refreshing places. Elephants show sadness and grief after the loss of family members. Elephants have been observed returning to a spot a family member died, pausing in its travels. This silent pause often lasts several minutes. They will also recognise old friends that have split from the group to form their own families. During dry times, the bonded families will come together in clans to defend their range against other clans. It is intelligence, not instinct, when young elephants learn and remember how to feed, use tools and learn their place in the highly complex elephant society. Being huge animals, they have large hearts. When standing, their heart rate is about 28 beats per minute, slightly lower than that of a horse. Elephants may not have the best vision, but they do have amazing eyelashes. These protect their eyes from dust and debris. Measuring up to 13 centimetres, they are the longest lashes in the world. When it comes to elephants, even the most delicate features are huge. With their rugged good looks, elephants look timeless. Because they are. These gigantic mammals have been strolling the planet for a few million years. Nothing in comparison to their much smaller ancestors that date back 55 to 60 million years. Found in Africa, these primitive beasts are thought to have weighed the same as a domestic cat. Over time, these semi-aquatic creatures developed a fifth, trunk-like appendage. Though small, these early mammals led to the rise of some of the largest land animals in history. Known as proboscideans, in reference to their trunks, the modern elephant is the last of its kind, an order that once had a minimum of 185 members. The elephant family sprang from this group, resulting in African and Asian species. The well-known mammoths were in the same family. But more closely related to the Asian species. The woolly mammoth was the last species to emerge, and similar in size to an African elephant. Living in cold conditions, they had thick coats of fur and small ears to minimise heat loss. While many woolly mammoths were wiped out during the Ice Age, isolated populations survived until 3,600 years ago. A time when the ancient Egyptians were busy building the pyramids. Today, a common assumption is that pachyderms like rhinos and hippos are an elephant's closest relatives. But the truth is far stranger. Tiny mammals called rock hyraxes and sea cows both share a common ancestor with elephants. Over 50 million years, they've all gone their separate ways to become the distinct animals we recognise in the modern world. An incredible evolutionary journey, a magnificent end result. Watching them interact, it's obvious from their behaviour that elephants are social creatures. The core of this social structure is the family unit made up of related cows, such as the matriarch, usually the eldest female, and her daughters and their calves, plus other juveniles. This unit can have up to 25 members. From the matriarch down, there is a strong social order. The older the cow, the higher her status. With her years of experience and knowledge, the matriarch is the herd's backbone, providing stability for her family. As leader, she decides where they will roam and forage, guiding the family to plentiful grazing areas and reliable water sources. A vital skill, especially during the dry season. When the matriarch dies or is too old to continue in the role, her eldest daughter takes over, even if her sister is travelling in the family. Elephants are nomadic animals. Males leave their birth or natal unit when they're teens. As adults, bulls tend to go it alone. When they do come together in what are known as bachelor pods, every male has a ranking. The oldest and strongest are the leaders, the best at protecting the herd. Bulls usually roam between family units, always searching for potential mates. Wandering like this, they can father multiple calves in a single season. To find their place on the social ladder, bulls can sometimes be seen sparring. Their level of dominance increases along with their size and strength. These precious bundles are the top priority of the family unit. Mothers, aunties and close friends work as a team to rear and protect the calves. This close-knit group also educate and socialise the youngsters. The greater the number of females nurturing them, the better the baby's chances at surviving. In general, African herd sizes are larger than those seen in Asia. Food supplies do affect numbers. The more there is to go around, the bigger the social groups. Living in warm regions to escape the heat of the day, elephants are crepuscular, meaning their activity levels are higher at dusk and dawn. Another common behaviour that helps them keep their cool is bathing. Elephants are known to be playful, especially youngsters. And where better to express this side of their personalities than in the water? Wallowing in mud is also popular. It's just as cooling and has the added benefit of protecting them from annoying insects and harsh rays. When dry, elephants can often be seen rubbing against hard surfaces, scraping away any lingering parasites. Having such large bodies means elephants have big appetites. They can spend up to three quarters of their day searching for food. This leaves a limited amount of time for slumber. On average, they sleep for four hours on their feet or lying on their sides. At rest or play, they're enthralling. Right from the start, elephants are record breakers. Amongst mammals, African elephants have the longest gestation period, 22 months. Their Asian cousins have slightly shorter pregnancies. Surrounded by family, mothers give birth to a single calf. Twins are extremely rare. Delivery is a short process. And within their first hour, the baby is testing out its wobbly legs. And having a drink of milk. Compared to adults, the calves are hairy. This layer of fine hairs will persist until they're a year old. Newborns can weigh 120 kilos. When they first arrive, elephant calves are about a meter tall. In relation to their gigantic mothers, they are roughly 45 times lighter. From birth, a newborn calf is unsteady on its feet. It relies on its mother for support. Calves have poor eyesight at first and connect through touch, smell, and hearing. On their rich diet of mother's milk, they steadily put on weight. Approximately 14 kilos a week. By the time they're four months old, calves begin to taste test plant material. They will, however, continue to nurse until they're three or four years of age. If a calf is going to develop tusks, they are born with a starter set. These short nubs are like milk teeth. They fall out after their first birthday. Permanent tusks become obvious a couple of years later, when they grow out beyond the lip line. And they will continue to grow throughout the animal's life. As already noted, calves have plenty of adult attention. By watching their relatives, the babies learn which plants are safe to eat and how to harvest them. When traveling, the herd alters its pace to suit the smallest legs in the family. While standing and walking come quickly, the biggest challenge an elephant calf faces is mastering its trunk. Calves are born with a relatively short trunk that elongates quickly over the first few days. This rapid growth sometimes leads to the calf stepping on their own trunk. Getting it to do what is needed can be difficult. Drinking can prove tough. Many calves simply kneel down to take a sip until they learn how to siphon water like the adults. It can take these big babies nine months to figure out how to fully control this massive facial feature. Childhood is over for a calf when they're weaned off their mother's milk. This can take five to ten years. They're considered adolescents up until they turn 17. By this age, they're sexually mature, but they do not start breeding. It's during this stage that young males head out and take up with other bachelors. Adult cows usually start rearing calves from the age of 20 and can continue to do so for another 30 years. Going through such long pregnancies, females do wait a considerable time between calves, up to four years. Over the course of their life, the average mother will have four calves. As for mature bulls, most of their time is split between searching for food and competing with their rivals for mates. On average, elephants have lengthy life expectancies. 60, even 70 years is not uncommon. Large animals have big appetites, and in the two regions they are found, elephants can satisfy their appetites in a wide variety of habitats. In Africa, the savannah is only one place these massive creatures forage for meals. Dense forests, woodlands, and dry desert regions can all be scouted for food. During their travels, they can visit anywhere from beaches to mountain ranges and can handle tropical conditions in the north through to temperate climates in the south. Their cousins in Asia are just as widespread. All manner of forests, plus grasslands and shrubby regions, provide them with suitable food and shelter. Asian elephants frequent coastal habitats, all the way up to the high slopes of the Himalayas. Living in more open environments, African bush elephants tend to have larger home ranges, 11,000 square kilometers. On average, these giant vegetarians spend up to 16 hours a day eating. Consuming between 75 and 150 kilos of food. That's the equivalent of four or five bales of hay. They need to eat this much because their digestive systems aren't that effective. Only 40% of what they consume actually gets absorbed into their bodies. Bush elephants are classed as grazers and browsers. Anything from grasses through to medium-sized trees are on their menu. Their smaller forest dwelling kin are browsers and frugivores, which means they enjoy fruit in addition to seeds, leaves, bark and branches. In forests, elephants create clearings by trampling. This encourages alternative plant growth, providing a different habitat within the trees. The clearings allow more light to reach the forest floor, giving lower-lying plants less competition and a chance to grow. This then promotes biodiversity, providing new niches for organisms to inhabit. What Asian elephants eat depends on the time of year. During the dry season, they browse on shrubs and trees. And once the rains come, they switch to grazing. To crush up their food, elephants have four molars, two up top and two below. About the size of a brick, each weighs a couple of kilos. Elephants only get six sets of these molars to see them through their entire lives. The first set falls out at two to four years of age, and the second at four to six. Consequent sets last for longer intervals, but the final set is usually in place by the early 40s and has to last for the rest of the elephant's life. Trunks are handy harvesting tools. The tips can delicately pluck leaves or fruit. Or the whole appendage can be used to shake an entire tree. Tusks can tear into a trunk, exposing bark. Boab trees are popular targets. They're fleshy, moisture-rich trunks holding thousands of litres of water. Elephants can drink up to 200 litres of water a day, similar to the volume of a standard bathtub. At four litres a trunkful, that's a lot of dipping. Although an elephant's intestines measure about 35 metres, as mentioned, its gut doesn't function well. And most of what passes out of them is undigested vegetation. On average, they produce 110 kilos of manure a day. They may not get much out of the dining experience, but their environment does. Apart from fertilising their habitat as they wander along, elephants also spread seeds and promote new plant growth. One study calculated these lumbering seed banks can transport and deposit seeds more than 60 kilometres away from their original source. Elephant dung has other uses. For a curious lion cub, a large, smelly pat can make an interesting toy. To a dung beetle, these large deposits provide an endless feast for their larvae. In turn, the larvae are an important food supply for birds and other animals. As residents in their ecosystem, elephants have their part to play in the food chain. These giants do eventually pass on, and when they do, scavengers dispose of their massive carcasses. A gruesome but vital process. In return for plentiful food supplies, nature's janitors keep the environment clean and sanitary. Another way elephants improve their local ecosystem is by digging. During dry spells, they use their tusks, trunks and feet to access water, allowing them and others to quench their thirst. Elephants also dig for salt and minerals to supplement their diet. The holes they leave behind expose the same nutrients for smaller animals. As the largest land mammals, elephants can't help but make a large impact on their environment. Africa and Asia might be their native lands, but elephants enjoy a global fan base, and have for centuries. Traditionally, they carry deep, symbolic meanings for various cultures. They represent strength, power, wisdom, longevity, stamina, leadership and loyalty in many cultures, with emphasis on the elephant's size and exotic looks. With the head of an elephant, the popular Hindu deity Ganesha represents wisdom, intelligence, good fortune and prosperity. Bestowing happiness and removing obstacles are two of his particular talents. In Hinduism, Eravata, the father of all elephants, represents both lightning and rainbows. In Sumatra, elephants are also associated with lightning. In Nepal, these enormous mammals have shrines dedicated to them. They are national symbols in Thailand in recognition of their longevity, strength and stamina. In Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, white elephants are considered sacred. A rare kind of elephant, they are not actually white, but have fair eyelashes and toenails, and are reddish-brown in colour. In Thailand, all that were discovered were presented to the king. Revered as symbols of good fortune and power, only monarchs and the very rich could afford to care for them. The king, in turn, may present them to friends and allies, or in some cases to enemies in order to burden them with the cost of caring for them. Buddhists also hold elephants in high regard. Buddha himself is said to be a white elephant reincarnated. The city of Jaipur in northern India celebrates these regal creatures with an annual festival, adorning them with fine jewels and giving them colourful makeovers. Their image is not only found in artworks and sculptures, but also in nature. Years of weathering has created this archway in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, USA. Known as Elephant Rock, its sandstone trunk is an impressive sight. In Western society, elephants are celebrated across popular culture, mainly due to their exotic nature. They are popular characters in many works of fiction, from Kipling to Disney. Often portrayed as having high moral values and also as dependable and strong. In US politics, the Republican Party is also known as the GOP, or Grand Old Party, and adopted the elephant as its symbol in 1874. Across many countries and cultures, in myth, religion and even fantasy, there is no doubting the impact made by this majestic creature. It's no secret that elephants are huge animals. It makes sense that they need lots of room to search for food and water, and to find suitable mates. With greater amounts of land being taken up for agriculture, the amount of space available to them is not only shrinking, but also becoming highly fragmented. Loss of habitat is one big problem they all face. Another is hunting and poaching. Their tusks continue to be considered valuable, despite international bans on the ivory trade. African elephants are listed as vulnerable, while their Asian relatives are in the endangered category. Their slow rate of reproduction doesn't help their cause. What can is better protection, and not just of them physically, but also of their environment. Conservation groups are doing what they can to slow down the loss of habitat. With stronger government support and more stringent protection laws, illegal poaching and ivory sales will become increasingly difficult. Education programs and alternative sources of revenue, such as work on anti-poaching teams, will hopefully reduce conflicts between elephants and their human neighbours. One tiny creature helping to minimise large unwanted visitors straying into valuable crops are bees. Elephants are afraid of them. Taking advantage of this, conservationists are installing hides close to farms to naturally deter them. Elephants are tourism magnets. By protecting them and the lands they roam, all will benefit. Field research and monitoring will improve conservation programs. The better their needs are understood, the more constructive future preservation efforts will be. Zoos and captive breeding programs also have their place, yet again increasing public awareness and understanding. In their domains, elephants are key to the overall health and wealth of the environment. As the largest land animals on the planet, they deserve our respect, admiration and protection.