1 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,920 Beyond the southern tip of India 2 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,760 lies a jewel in the ocean - 3 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:30,120 Sri Lanka. 4 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,320 It's a land of extraordinary beauty, 5 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:42,680 of jungles, mountains and vast, fertile plains. 6 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,080 A rich variety of animals live here. 7 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:55,720 Many of them are found nowhere else. 8 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,840 But for me, one animal stands out. 9 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:12,040 It's totally iconic and instantly recognised right around the globe. 10 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:21,480 Sri Lanka is home to its own unique subspecies of the Asian elephant. 11 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,440 They look very different from their African cousins. 12 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,280 Their ears are smaller, their foreheads domed 13 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,480 and their backs more arched. 14 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:39,360 I'm intrigued to find out just how deep those differences go. 15 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:43,680 I really want to get to know them and their world. 16 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:46,960 For me, it's the chance of a lifetime. 17 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,720 Sri Lankans have a deeply spiritual relationship with nature. 18 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:09,400 For 30 years, their country was torn apart by civil war. 19 00:02:10,640 --> 00:02:13,480 Now that's over, they want to welcome people back 20 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:15,800 to share their natural riches. 21 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,120 Theirs is a vibrant culture 22 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,000 and one that has always lived close to wildlife. 23 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,920 And their relationship with elephants is particularly special. 24 00:02:30,920 --> 00:02:33,200 CHAINS JANGLE 25 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,160 Elephants also have a very special place in my heart. 26 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:45,600 I'm a wildlife cameraman and elephants are my great passion. 27 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,680 I've spent many years filming them all over Africa, 28 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,040 but I've never filmed Sri Lankan elephants 29 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,120 and that's why I'm here. 30 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:05,120 For me, Sri Lanka's hard-won peace offers a golden opportunity 31 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:09,160 to get to know its elephants and the world they live in. 32 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,000 My destination is Uda Walawe National Park, 33 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:25,800 in the south of the country. 34 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,480 With me is elephant scientist Shermin de Silva. 35 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:36,040 If anyone can help me get to know the elephants, Shermin can. 36 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:45,880 It's the end of the dry season and the vegetation is pretty sparse. 37 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,160 I'm hoping that'll make the elephants easier to spot. 38 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:59,920 Ooh - there's an elephant! Oh, yep. 39 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:02,520 It's amazing! 40 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,800 I had no idea it was there and I suddenly saw it! 41 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:06,640 They disappear in the grass quite easily. 42 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:08,480 They're really good at hiding actually. 43 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:12,320 'It's great to see one so quickly.' 44 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,640 Physically, they're similar in many ways to the African elephants 45 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:29,000 I know so well, though their ears are significantly smaller. 46 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,400 Shermin tells me we know relatively little 47 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,120 about the behaviour of these elephants. 48 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,960 She's been studying them for seven years - a lot less than the 49 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,880 many decades that scientists have been studying African elephants. 50 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:50,800 The first challenge is always to find ways 51 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,400 to identify individual elephants 52 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,720 and to try to understand the relationships in the herd. 53 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,920 At this relatively early stage of her research, 54 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,440 even Shermin sometimes struggles. 55 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,760 Studying seven years is not a long time compared to the 56 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,280 lifespan of an elephant, I don't really quite know who's related. 57 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:12,880 Some of them, the younger ones, I know are mother and calf pairs, 58 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:17,120 but the older ones, I'm only guessing that they're families. 59 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,960 A lot of people would come out and they'd say these 60 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,560 elephants all look exactly the same, but I mean, 61 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,280 as I know from African elephants, 62 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:27,280 you learn how to recognise individuals very quickly. 63 00:05:27,280 --> 00:05:29,640 Now, for me coming here for the first time, 64 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,480 it's quite difficult for me at the moment to separate out these 65 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:36,160 individuals so I'm going to have to use all these visual clues. 66 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,200 You're going to have to learn a lot of ears and tails, 67 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:43,920 and pretty much anything that's distinctive, you make use of it. Yeah. 68 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:47,000 'There's something magical about these animals. 69 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,160 'It's not just their size, or that slow, peaceful way they have. 70 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,680 'It's the way they seem to think. 71 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:56,920 'They're as interested in me as I am in them.' 72 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:58,560 Very close. Are you curious? 73 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:03,040 ELEPHANT SNORTS 74 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,520 ELEPHANT SQUEALS 75 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,240 Oh, what an amazing sound. That's a squeal. 76 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:12,400 What a great sound! 77 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:14,040 That's incredible. 78 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:19,880 'It's great to get so close.' 79 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,640 'But this one's not so happy about it.' 80 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,120 ELEPHANT GROANS 81 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:33,840 'Whoa! That's not good. 82 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:37,720 'Two of them have taken a dislike to our support vehicle. 83 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:41,360 'That head down and ears-forward stance is a threat posture. 84 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,040 'And that's serious.' 85 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:51,160 Elephants are said to have killed 50 people in Sri Lanka last year. 86 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:54,520 ELEPHANT GROANS 87 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,080 There was no cue, or anything like that. 88 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,880 No, she just decided that she didn't like the car being there. 89 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,680 It must be quite invasive, mustn't it, a very loud diesel engine? 90 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:10,320 Yeah, and the engine sounds so similar to their vocalisations, 91 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,080 it's in the same frequency range. 92 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,960 Yeah, there must be a lot of infra sound coming out of this car 93 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:17,560 so it probably sounds much louder to them than it does to us. 94 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:18,920 Right. Yes. 95 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:33,560 'I'm starting to notice subtle details of behaviour. 96 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,000 'The elephants here swipe clumps of grass against their feet 97 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,320 'before eating it - something I've not seen before.' 98 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,040 'It seems to be their way of knocking off the sand 99 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:49,280 'and dust that sticks to the roots when they pull it from the ground.' 100 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:51,120 She's lifting her foot right up 101 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:54,680 and just deliberately smacking the toenails. Yes. 102 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:02,560 'Shermin tells me this is a trick 103 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,080 'they have to learn from their parents. 104 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:09,160 'The behaviour is passed down, from one generation to the next.' 105 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,400 As with their African cousins, 106 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:24,200 Sri Lankan elephants have a matriarchal society. 107 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,400 Groups are made up of females and youngsters. 108 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,920 But the size of the groups is quite different. 109 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:35,280 African families can be 30 or 40 strong. 110 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:40,600 Here, I can see far fewer animals in each so-called social unit. 111 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,120 And Shermin explains that the Sri Lankan elephant's 112 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:47,360 social system seems to be less fixed and more fluid. 113 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,400 The herd covers the whole park. 114 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,280 But it's made up of many smaller units and the elephants 115 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:58,080 switch between them as and when they please. 116 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,240 There's one thing I've seen here that's just 117 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,400 the same as African elephants. 118 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:07,680 The bond between mother and baby is every bit as strong. 119 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,280 I've always thought you learn a lot about elephants 120 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:13,600 by watching them with their young. 121 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,360 These little ones are already six months old. 122 00:09:17,560 --> 00:09:19,880 What I'd really like to see is how they behave 123 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,840 with their new born babies. 124 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:26,600 So I've tried to time my trip with the arrival of the monsoon, 125 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,720 when there's the best chance of a new baby being born. 126 00:09:33,560 --> 00:09:35,520 As I travel through Uda Walawe, 127 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,640 the whole park seems to be waiting for the rains. 128 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:56,280 Peacocks are the heralds of the monsoon. 129 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,320 PEACOCK SQUAWKS 130 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,960 As the rains approach, the males' elaborate tails grow 131 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,280 and the courtship displays begin. 132 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:16,680 The birds give me confidence I won't have long to wait. 133 00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:26,880 In the meantime, Shermin has someone else she wants me to meet. 134 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:35,440 She takes me to look at another side of elephant life here in Sri Lanka. 135 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,680 An insight into the challenges they face growing up here. 136 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:45,720 This is an area on the very edge of Uda Walawe Park. 137 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:49,840 The Elephant Transit Home, or ETH for short. 138 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,120 Meet the gang. 139 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,600 All these elephants are orphans - 140 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,200 their families either killed or separated. 141 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:05,800 The ETH hopes to release all 28 of them back into the wild. 142 00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:10,800 But first, 143 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,440 these little ones must learn as much as possible about elephant society. 144 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:19,200 With no family around, that means learning from each other. 145 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,120 But who's to say learning can't be fun? 146 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,880 For these orphans, bath time is a highlight of the day. 147 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:29,760 They're a joy to watch. 148 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,720 It's heartening to see these unfortunate elephants 149 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:34,160 so relaxed and content. 150 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:41,120 Shermin wants me to meet one particular elephant. 151 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:45,920 This is Namal. 152 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:48,520 He's just two-and-a-half years old. 153 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:52,080 He was found a year ago, tangled in a snare. 154 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,240 He's been here ever since. 155 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,360 Namal can't play with the gang at bath time. 156 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,200 His only company is his keeper, Salinda. 157 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,680 Luckily, they seem to be good friends. 158 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,920 But he's obviously missing out on the social bonding 159 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,120 that elephants need if they're to prosper. 160 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:46,640 It's not just about learning - it's about belonging. 161 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:49,600 Playing with Salinda is fun, 162 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,000 but it's no substitute for the company of other elephants. 163 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:54,680 Like toddlers everywhere, 164 00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:57,320 Namal is quite a handful. 165 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:20,760 When he leaves the water, 166 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,680 it becomes obvious why Namal can't play with the other orphans. 167 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:39,040 When ETH rescued him from the snare, they couldn't save his leg. 168 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,080 The prosthetic limb helps him get around. 169 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:14,000 But he's just too fragile and nervous to hang out with the gang. 170 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:24,760 The caring staff here tell me that there is hope. 171 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:29,920 Apart from his disability, Namal is a normal, healthy calf. 172 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:36,080 He's smart enough to save Salinda the trouble of rubbing him dry. 173 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:39,920 And, like any youngster, he's always keen to make friends. 174 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,760 But as Vijitha Perera, the head vet at ETH, explains, 175 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:55,440 the trouble is, Namal now sees humans as family. 176 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,280 Oh, so he actually prefers human company to elephants? 177 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:10,640 Yeah. Right. 178 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,800 So that wouldn't be good if he were released back. Yeah. 179 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:25,320 Namal will never return to the wild. 180 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:30,280 What's so sad is that after a year in ETH's care, 181 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:34,000 he's still not strong enough to spend time with the other orphans. 182 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:41,120 But Vijitha tells me he's growing fast. His time may yet come. 183 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,640 ETH's aim isn't to teach elephants how to live with humans. 184 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,560 They must learn to live with each other, 185 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,480 and ultimately with other wild elephants. 186 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:04,120 In fact, the further these orphans stay away from humans, the better. 187 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:08,360 Last year, people killed 228 elephants in Sri Lanka. 188 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,800 That's what's brought the orphans here in the first place. 189 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:19,400 If they're to return to the wild, it's best to steer clear of people. 190 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:25,240 I can't help thinking about the challenges these animals face. 191 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:30,400 The gang are unperturbed. 192 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,480 That's the wonderful thing about childhood. 193 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,600 The future always seems a long way off. 194 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:50,400 Change is coming. 195 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:54,280 I can sense something different in the air. 196 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:04,760 The monsoon is about to begin. 197 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,320 Cool air from the Himalayas sweeps down India's eastern coast, 198 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:30,000 warming and picking up water as it goes. 199 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,560 Eventually, these warm wet winds reach Sri Lanka. 200 00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:57,520 Rain lashes the land. 201 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,360 The water will trigger lush new growth. 202 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,280 Fresh pasture for hungry elephants. 203 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,120 BIRDS CALL 204 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,600 As the land becomes saturated, the air comes alive. 205 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:48,760 Flying termites, newly hatched. 206 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,200 Each insect might be the founder of a new colony. 207 00:20:25,360 --> 00:20:27,760 But I know very few will succeed. 208 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:36,480 The whole place feels more alive, 209 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,720 like it's waking up from a long sleep. 210 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:59,840 The elephants are taking advantage of the monsoon's gifts as well - 211 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,480 an entire tree brought down by the wind. 212 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:15,280 Males and females have gathered to make the most of it. 213 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:22,880 Usually elephant groups are strictly females and young only. 214 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:26,720 Adult males are normally solitary, or hang out with other males. 215 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,400 But here, males and females tolerate each other 216 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,720 as they all take advantage of the windfall. 217 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,080 It's a rare treat to see so many animals together. 218 00:21:45,360 --> 00:21:48,800 I finally feel like I'm beginning to really get to know them. 219 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:56,760 There's one particular individual that I've already got to know called Deepa. 220 00:21:56,760 --> 00:22:01,000 And she has amazing ears. They're torn on the edges. 221 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,800 Rather like drapes, like curtains. 222 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:05,640 And she's always flapping them. 223 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:07,720 And they flap, because they're quite small, 224 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:12,160 they flap right across their eyes, so I'm sure part of it is that 225 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:15,400 they're actually getting rid of flies around their eyes. 226 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,920 But they're very expressive at the same time 227 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,080 because her ears are particularly flappy and loose 228 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,720 and so she's always slapping them against her shoulder blades. 229 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:32,040 But they're always flapping them and you can hear 230 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:34,920 when they slap against their bodies the sort of sound they make. 231 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,840 And I think there's a lot going on with Asian elephant ears 232 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,560 in terms of communication with each other. 233 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:52,560 These two females are flapping their ears in absolute synchrony. 234 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:56,120 I am sure that this represents some sort of visual greeting. 235 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,400 Everywhere I look, I find new mysteries 236 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:08,800 and new points of connection. 237 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,640 This male is repeatedly curling his trunk up against his cheek. 238 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:22,440 In African elephants, that's a sure sign of stress. 239 00:23:25,360 --> 00:23:27,600 I'm puzzled as to what's bothering him. 240 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:35,000 It soon becomes clear. 241 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:39,720 I don't know what killed this elephant. 242 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:42,760 Inside the reserve, it's unlikely to have been people. 243 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:12,000 He pays his respects... and moves on. 244 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,920 It's a reminder that there are hidden depths to these animals 245 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,600 that we can only begin to understand. 246 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:46,680 Once a year, normally during the monsoon, 247 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:48,920 glands in front of the ears swell up. 248 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:52,840 Both these males are in a state of musth. 249 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:07,840 Their testosterone soars to 60 times its normal level. 250 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:17,160 They're restless, aggressive, and ready to fight. 251 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:15,240 I can tell that both these males are in their prime. 252 00:26:16,360 --> 00:26:19,760 Males tend to lose their grey pigmentation as they get older. 253 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,360 The clash is like nothing I've seen in Africa. 254 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,280 Despite their age and size, neither of these giants has tusks. 255 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,240 African elephants fight with their heads up and tusks locked. 256 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,080 But here, the heads are down. 257 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:48,600 And curiously, they hold the tips of their trunks in their mouths. 258 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:23,800 If this was Africa, 259 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:27,160 both would have tusks, perhaps a couple of metres long. 260 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,440 It seems that after centuries of ivory hunting, 261 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,760 only tuskless males are left. 262 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:44,800 But even without tusks, this is a fight only one of them can win. 263 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:05,800 Why most males go into musth during the monsoon is a mystery. 264 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,480 Females are sexually receptive, on and off, all year round. 265 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,760 I think this has more to do with dominance than sex. 266 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:20,000 I've been here almost a month now, 267 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,560 and I'm getting used to the relaxed rhythm of life in the park. 268 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:26,800 I've seen a good variety of elephant behaviour, 269 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:28,160 though it's frustrating 270 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,360 that I still haven't been able to see them with a newborn calf. 271 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,200 It's two weeks since the monsoon began in earnest. 272 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:54,040 As the rivers flood, countless fish hurry to spawn. 273 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:58,280 Their young will get the best possible start... 274 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:01,920 ..assuming the adults ever get that far. 275 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,320 This is boom time for predators, too. 276 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,640 With so many fish on the menu, 277 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:52,840 choosing the right starter isn't easy. 278 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:37,120 And somewhere out there, there's a fish even for the smallest appetite. 279 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:52,400 I decide to head back to the orphan elephants at ETH, 280 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:54,440 to catch up with how they're getting on. 281 00:30:57,680 --> 00:30:59,600 I think the gang are glad to see me! 282 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,440 Most wild elephants of this age would have been weaned by now. 283 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:16,240 But these guys still get regular bottle feeds. 284 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:21,360 They form an orderly line. 285 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:25,800 But Namal comes first. 286 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:31,400 He's still not strong enough to feed with the others. 287 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:35,160 Unlike the rest of the gang, this is milk he actually needs. 288 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:48,040 But it's still a treat - one he always looks forward to. 289 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:51,880 The others will have to wait their turn. 290 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:11,200 In the wild, suckling strengthens the bond between mother and calf. 291 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:17,640 It's sad to think that the closest Namal has to a parent is Salinda. 292 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,440 The others don't even have that. 293 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:49,760 The keeper in charge of maintaining order in the gang 294 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:51,400 does so with his back turned. 295 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:55,920 It's part of ETH's policy 296 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:58,680 of keeping contact with the orphans to a minimum. 297 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:08,440 Only when Namal is done do the others get their turn, 298 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:10,440 a few at a time. 299 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:33,640 They have impeccable manners. 300 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:36,720 They seem to know they're only allowed a jug-full each. 301 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,920 Then, very politely, off they go 302 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:45,360 and the next customer takes their place. 303 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:17,760 For the ETH staff, this is a tricky balancing act. 304 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:19,720 They must support the orphans 305 00:34:19,720 --> 00:34:23,440 without compromising their release into the wild. 306 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:29,680 We know so little about their wild behaviour, it's hard to know 307 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:33,240 what aspects of elephant education the gang are missing out on. 308 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:39,600 But this is the only chance they've got of getting back into the wild. 309 00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:52,960 I've only got a couple of weeks left here 310 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,640 and the weather is making filming difficult. 311 00:34:56,720 --> 00:35:00,120 We have spent days keeping our eyes peeled for a newborn calf. 312 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:11,400 Just as we're heading home for the day, 313 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:13,760 one crosses the road right in front of us. 314 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,680 ELEPHANT TRUMPETS 315 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,080 Then, frustratingly, it's gone again. 316 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,160 And it's clear we're not welcome. 317 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:40,240 ELEPHANTS TRUMPET 318 00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:42,240 Suddenly, the elephants are on us. 319 00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:50,800 They make it very clear they want us gone. 320 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:01,840 We back off, but they follow. 321 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:22,840 A stand-off. 322 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:33,080 I'm intrigued by the strange squeaking noises they make 323 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:35,480 and this peculiar breath-checking. 324 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:42,040 But the elephants clearly want us to leave them alone. 325 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:45,000 So that's exactly what we do. 326 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,840 I've rarely seen African elephants so defensive, 327 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:54,800 but I'm hopeful I might get a little closer tomorrow. 328 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:09,240 The monsoon rains have produced an explosion of greenery. 329 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:28,920 Adult elephants are still easy to spot. 330 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:30,600 In fact they're hard to miss. 331 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:34,600 But the babies are just a metre high. 332 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:45,600 But finally, persistence pays off. 333 00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:55,120 This calf is just a day old. 334 00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:58,000 It's exactly what I've been looking for. 335 00:37:59,720 --> 00:38:04,120 A chance to see how the adults behave around such a tiny baby. 336 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:52,120 Of course, everyone wants to meet the new arrival. 337 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:57,720 But the female standing over the baby is not the mother, 338 00:38:57,720 --> 00:38:59,800 just part of the group. 339 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:04,360 She seems to be behaving rather strangely. 340 00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:17,400 She's trying to shove the calf's mum out of the way. 341 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:33,000 It's as if she wants the baby for herself. 342 00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:42,400 Not surprisingly, the mum isn't happy about it. 343 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,640 With all the shoving, I'm worried the calf could be injured. 344 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:08,000 The calf's grandmother takes the baby aside. 345 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:12,960 The females will have to sort this out for themselves. 346 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:40,320 This is completely bewildering. 347 00:40:46,240 --> 00:40:49,760 African elephants sometimes kidnap a calf from another family 348 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:51,320 as a display of dominance. 349 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:05,520 But I don't think that's what's happening here. 350 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:09,440 Perhaps Asian elephants play by different rules. 351 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:18,600 The conflict is a real shock. 352 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:22,440 What's even more shocking is the outcome. 353 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:30,800 The mother loses the fight. 354 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:36,680 So that was sort of...head up... 355 00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:39,160 They just sort of hit each other, didn't they? 356 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:41,760 Mm-hm. Almost like males. Almost like males. 357 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:46,120 And it's very rare you get females actually showing overt aggression. 358 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:47,720 Yeah, that's really interesting. 359 00:41:47,720 --> 00:41:52,320 They'll usually just avoid each other without ever having made contact. Right. 360 00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:57,800 The calf is too young to know what's going on. 361 00:41:59,080 --> 00:42:02,520 But it's now following a strange female instead of its mother. 362 00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:07,160 The female should know better. 363 00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:11,360 What will she do with a calf she can't even feed? 364 00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:14,280 Why steal it in the first place? 365 00:42:16,240 --> 00:42:18,960 Shermin has an answer. 366 00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:21,240 And suddenly it all makes sense. 367 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:26,480 The female's name is Athimali, and she was an orphan. 368 00:42:27,720 --> 00:42:31,080 She grew up at the ETH, with no adults to teach her. 369 00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:35,520 There, the older orphans take the youngsters under their wing. 370 00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:43,040 To Athimali, this isn't stealing. 371 00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:44,520 It's sharing. 372 00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:47,080 How could she know better? 373 00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:55,320 And what's she going to do now? 374 00:42:57,000 --> 00:43:00,800 Athimali moves her leg to make space for the calf to suckle, 375 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:02,560 but it's not her calf. 376 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:03,960 She has no milk. 377 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:15,640 This could turn out really badly for the baby. 378 00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:18,800 But there's nothing I can do. 379 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:31,800 The afternoon rains are on their way. 380 00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:35,600 I just hope we'll be able to find the baby again tomorrow. 381 00:43:43,720 --> 00:43:46,680 At the Transit Home, there's better news for Namal. 382 00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:54,760 Weaning is an important step towards joining the rest of the gang, 383 00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:58,440 though not all the bananas seem to be up to his exacting standards! 384 00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:21,640 For now, he dines alone. 385 00:44:21,640 --> 00:44:24,280 But I hope one day he'll be strong enough 386 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:26,880 to enjoy the company of the other orphans. 387 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:36,440 The keepers tell me he came incredibly close to dying. 388 00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:39,040 He's lucky to be alive. 389 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:45,960 But elephants are such social creatures. 390 00:44:45,960 --> 00:44:49,000 A life in solitary is not much of a life at all. 391 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,920 As Namal hoovers up the last of his treats, 392 00:44:56,920 --> 00:45:01,600 the gang returns to its temporary life, safe on the edge of the park. 393 00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:08,040 One day they will leave here. 394 00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:12,840 For most of these animals, there's hope for a happier future. 395 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:23,680 But I now know that their time in captivity can create problems. 396 00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:27,800 I'm still worried about Athimali and her stolen calf. 397 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:32,360 Finding them again could be a huge challenge. 398 00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:39,080 When I next go out, I find elephants, 399 00:45:39,080 --> 00:45:40,920 but not the ones I'm looking for. 400 00:45:42,840 --> 00:45:46,240 Elephants love water - the muddier the better, it seems! 401 00:45:48,360 --> 00:45:51,040 Each one comes with a built-in sprinkler system. 402 00:45:53,560 --> 00:45:56,080 It makes spraying on the sun block a breeze. 403 00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:34,920 Like so much in elephant life, 404 00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:37,400 first you have to learn how to do it. 405 00:46:38,760 --> 00:46:42,800 Controlling a metre of flexible pipework turns out to be tricky. 406 00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:50,760 Some animals do everything by instinct. 407 00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:55,280 They're born knowing everything they'll need. 408 00:46:55,280 --> 00:46:58,480 For young elephants, it's all about learning. 409 00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:03,200 And learning about mud is high on the agenda. 410 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:11,320 I'm sure mud makes a great insect repellent. 411 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:13,840 Even with a hide as thick as an elephant's, 412 00:47:13,840 --> 00:47:17,160 biting insects are a constant annoyance. 413 00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:18,760 There are millions of them. 414 00:47:26,720 --> 00:47:30,760 Plagued by mosquitoes and midges, buffaloes take to the water. 415 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:35,440 At least their bodies are protected, if not their heads. 416 00:47:47,440 --> 00:47:49,880 A handy platform for a hungry heron. 417 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:27,840 It seems everyone has an itch to scratch. 418 00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:40,400 Or if you're lucky, a friend to scratch it for you. 419 00:49:08,240 --> 00:49:11,920 I've noticed that some of the male elephants here have developed 420 00:49:11,920 --> 00:49:14,000 a neat trick to deal with the problem. 421 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:18,640 One of the really interesting things I have seen here, 422 00:49:18,640 --> 00:49:21,800 which I didn't see in African elephants, was animals 423 00:49:21,800 --> 00:49:26,360 deliberately breaking off branches and using them as fly swats. 424 00:49:26,360 --> 00:49:29,920 We found a bull the other day where this was clearly what he was doing. 425 00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:32,000 He didn't eat the piece of vegetation 426 00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:33,720 that he was using to swat flies. 427 00:49:33,720 --> 00:49:36,480 He specifically broke it off, it was a certain size, 428 00:49:36,480 --> 00:49:40,720 and he had a distinct pattern of hitting one side, 429 00:49:40,720 --> 00:49:43,200 hitting the other side, hitting between his legs, 430 00:49:43,200 --> 00:49:45,640 hitting across the front of his trunk. 431 00:49:45,640 --> 00:49:48,560 So that was really, really fascinating tool use. 432 00:49:48,560 --> 00:49:52,160 And I've never seen that so specifically in African elephants. 433 00:49:56,320 --> 00:49:59,640 For some reason, I only ever see males doing this. 434 00:50:01,120 --> 00:50:04,600 Perhaps, because the males live apart from the females, 435 00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:07,360 most females haven't had a chance to learn the trick. 436 00:50:09,040 --> 00:50:12,560 It's a powerful reminder of just how intelligent these animals are, 437 00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:15,400 and how important learning is to them. 438 00:50:21,400 --> 00:50:24,320 This is a trick that each new generation must learn 439 00:50:24,320 --> 00:50:26,280 from the others around them. 440 00:50:26,280 --> 00:50:29,080 I just hope the orphan elephants will find 441 00:50:29,080 --> 00:50:31,040 a way to develop these skills. 442 00:50:45,760 --> 00:50:48,960 I still have no idea if Athimali has figured out 443 00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:50,640 that what she did was wrong. 444 00:50:52,280 --> 00:50:56,640 The elephants are so spread out here that finding a particular animal 445 00:50:56,640 --> 00:51:00,960 is incredibly difficult, let alone a particular calf. 446 00:51:00,960 --> 00:51:04,040 Females and their young drift between groups, 447 00:51:04,040 --> 00:51:05,720 as and when they please. 448 00:51:07,080 --> 00:51:10,120 At long last, I'm seeing plenty of youngsters! 449 00:51:11,440 --> 00:51:14,440 The trouble is, none of them is the one I'm after. 450 00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:26,960 The calf that Athimali stole is nowhere to be seen. 451 00:51:28,240 --> 00:51:31,440 I can't help but worry about how the stolen baby is doing. 452 00:51:47,280 --> 00:51:51,640 And then, finally, I find the calf with its real mother. 453 00:52:02,320 --> 00:52:05,520 I have no idea when it happened, or how. 454 00:52:05,520 --> 00:52:07,840 Perhaps there was another fight. 455 00:52:07,840 --> 00:52:11,280 Perhaps Athimali got bored and wandered off. 456 00:52:12,280 --> 00:52:15,640 I'm sure that, in time, she'll learn to do better. 457 00:52:20,760 --> 00:52:23,320 It's a huge relief to see a happy outcome. 458 00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:27,600 These animals have such a sophisticated social system. 459 00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:31,080 It's their greatest strength, 460 00:52:31,080 --> 00:52:33,080 but it also makes them fragile. 461 00:52:34,880 --> 00:52:38,280 Continuity has always been the cornerstone of their lives. 462 00:52:39,640 --> 00:52:43,760 But their world is changing fast and I'm concerned for their future. 463 00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:50,480 It's time for me to say goodbye. 464 00:52:51,480 --> 00:52:53,440 The monsoon is nearly over 465 00:52:53,440 --> 00:52:56,120 and it won't be long before I leave Sri Lanka. 466 00:52:58,160 --> 00:53:02,240 This is the perfect time to release a few of the more mature orphans. 467 00:53:06,520 --> 00:53:09,800 It's the moment everyone's been waiting for. 468 00:53:09,800 --> 00:53:12,120 The hours of patient care, 469 00:53:12,120 --> 00:53:14,720 the effort to keep the elephants at a distance. 470 00:53:17,880 --> 00:53:22,080 I think the elephants' loose herd structure makes it easier 471 00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:24,680 for the orphans to adapt to a life in the wild. 472 00:53:26,080 --> 00:53:30,280 The herd is so dispersed, the orphans can wander as they please. 473 00:53:30,280 --> 00:53:33,480 They can find their place in elephant society 474 00:53:33,480 --> 00:53:37,280 in their own time and on their own terms. 475 00:53:38,600 --> 00:53:40,240 In the last 15 years, 476 00:53:40,240 --> 00:53:43,760 ETH have released 90 elephants back into the wild. 477 00:53:44,920 --> 00:53:47,880 84 of them are alive, and doing well. 478 00:53:49,200 --> 00:53:50,760 There's hope here. 479 00:53:50,760 --> 00:53:52,800 This is a system that works. 480 00:54:00,360 --> 00:54:03,680 It's good to leave knowing that the future is bright 481 00:54:03,680 --> 00:54:05,400 for the rest of the gang. 482 00:54:05,400 --> 00:54:08,680 One day, they too will return to the wild. 483 00:54:11,040 --> 00:54:14,800 They will have to build on what they've already learned - 484 00:54:14,800 --> 00:54:17,560 their own orphan version of elephant society. 485 00:54:35,000 --> 00:54:38,080 It won't be long before I have to say goodbye to Namal. 486 00:54:40,600 --> 00:54:42,800 I've loved getting to know him. 487 00:54:42,800 --> 00:54:45,840 And I've been told that today could be a big day for him. 488 00:54:59,240 --> 00:55:01,760 The monsoon has brought new little luxuries. 489 00:55:03,040 --> 00:55:06,120 A mud bath is the perfect way to start this special day. 490 00:55:17,040 --> 00:55:21,200 I know he'll never be fit enough for release into the wild. 491 00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:23,200 I can't help feeling sorry for him. 492 00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:42,920 Not that Namal's one for complaining. 493 00:55:42,920 --> 00:55:47,440 He's been positive and outgoing since the day they first found him. 494 00:55:55,080 --> 00:56:00,040 And now, all that hard work and patience is going to pay off. 495 00:56:00,040 --> 00:56:03,080 At long last, he's big enough to meet the gang. 496 00:56:16,320 --> 00:56:18,720 This is what elephants are made for. 497 00:56:20,000 --> 00:56:23,400 It's what they need more than anything else. 498 00:56:31,320 --> 00:56:33,920 He's made his first proper friends... 499 00:56:35,760 --> 00:56:39,040 ..and it looks like he's loving every minute of it. 500 00:57:02,880 --> 00:57:05,520 This has been a fascinating journey. 501 00:57:05,520 --> 00:57:10,080 Trying to follow individuals through the monsoon has been hard. 502 00:57:10,080 --> 00:57:12,720 But I've seen and learnt a lot. 503 00:57:14,280 --> 00:57:16,840 Athimali stealing a calf. 504 00:57:16,840 --> 00:57:19,040 A lone male visiting the dead. 505 00:57:20,880 --> 00:57:23,920 In some ways, they're so different to elephants in Africa. 506 00:57:25,320 --> 00:57:27,360 In other ways, they're much the same. 507 00:57:28,400 --> 00:57:33,000 For both, elephant life is all about learning and relationships. 508 00:57:33,000 --> 00:57:38,640 But here, I've seen those relationships take their own unique form. 509 00:57:41,880 --> 00:57:44,920 It's hard to say goodbye to Namal and his friends. 510 00:57:44,920 --> 00:57:48,000 They have all become very special to me. 511 00:57:48,000 --> 00:57:52,360 I will certainly never forget my time here in Sri Lanka.