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The African elephant, the largest
land animal on the planet.

2
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We're about 25 yards away...

3
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Once, millions of elephants
roamed across Africa.

4
00:00:16,820 --> 00:00:20,260
Now, there are less than 450,000.

5
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People are chasing them,
people are harassing them, poaching.

6
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If we're not careful we will push
them to the brink of extinction.

7
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I find it incomprehensible that
any one would want to kill them.

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My name's Levison Wood.

9
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It's pretty deep here.

10
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I've walked the Nile...

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Crocodile. Where?

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..and explored over 100 countries...

13
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This is proper wilderness.

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..and I've been a champion
of elephant conservation

15
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for nearly a decade.

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How can we save

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the last of the giants?

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Now, I'm on a new
journey across Botswana,

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home to the world's largest
elephant population.

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This is where we're going to see
some serious wildlife.

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I'm joining them
on their annual migration

22
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so I can experience their world

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on their terms...

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Africa's nature at its finest

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but also this dark
and shocking brutality.

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..as close up as possible...

27
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You've just been
shat on by a monkey!

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Anything that can kill you is here.

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At times it will be downright
dangerous.

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CAMERAMAN: They're coming
straight at us. Where?

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LION ROARS

32
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I'll meet the people
who live and work here...

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We really feel the impact
for the damage they cause here,

34
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they become our enemies.

35
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..to discover how difficult life
is alongside these giants.

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I want to see for myself

37
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if there's a way that elephants
and people can coexist.

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On the first leg of my adventure...
Wow.

39
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..I set off on the trail
of females and their calves...

40
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We see a flash of grey and there's
a herd of elephants right there.

41
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I learn about the ancient
San bush people...

42
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The bush has to communicate with us.

43
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..for whom this wilderness
is home...

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When I'm here nothing can touch me.

45
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Go, go, go!

46
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..but quickly realise that walking
with elephants

47
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is not for the faint hearted.

48
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Botswana...
We've got some zebras down there.

49
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A country in southern Africa...

50
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A really nice big pod of hippos.

51
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Similar in size to France that sits
in the heart of the Kalahari Desert.

52
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Giraffes, there.

53
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It's home to some of the most
iconic species on Earth...

54
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Oh, a nice big croc.

55
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..and I'm here to walk
in the footsteps of perhaps the most

56
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magnificent of them all, elephants.

57
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I'm fulfilling a long-held ambition

58
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to get as close to these magnificent
creatures as possible.

59
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Are they elephants over there?
Yep, those are the elephants.

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Amazing creatures.

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I plan to track them along

62
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their 650 mile migration routes...

63
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..and on the first part
of my journey

64
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it's female breeding herds
and their young

65
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that I'm most likely to encounter.

66
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I'm excited
but also scared a little bit

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because down there are some of the
most fearsome creatures on Earth.

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By walking in their footsteps I hope
to gain a better insight into their

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lives and the dangers they face
from predators and humans alike.

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It's been poached. Absolutely
heart-breaking to see.

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I've trekked across many
parts of the world

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but this is the first time I'm
letting wild animals lead the way.

73
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It's taken months of planning
and negotiations

74
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to get all the necessary
permissions in place.

75
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Thank you, Liam. No worries.
Appreciate that.

76
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The dangers in the African
bush are too great to do this alone.

77
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I need the help of a local guide...

78
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Hey! How are you doing?

79
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Kane Motswana.

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How's it going? Great.
How was the journey? It was good.

81
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How was your flight? Ready for an
adventure? Very, very excited.

82
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Let's do it.

83
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Kane is a safari guide

84
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with over 20 years' experience.

85
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He's also a river bushman
who grew up in the wilds.

86
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So, a San bushman?
Yeah, a San bushman. Right.

87
00:04:32,460 --> 00:04:35,980
The San are the indigenous
people of southern Africa

88
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and have lived in harmony
with nature

89
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for tens of thousands of years.

90
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So, you remember that as a child?

91
00:04:55,620 --> 00:04:56,700
Wow.

92
00:05:03,140 --> 00:05:05,700
For many years,
Botswana has been considered

93
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a beacon of elephant
conservation in Africa.

94
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How many elephants do you think
there are here in Botswana?

95
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130... 120,000. Yeah, OK.

96
00:05:16,900 --> 00:05:19,940
I heard that's like, basically,

97
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a third of the whole of African
elephant population is here.

98
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In Botswana, yes.

99
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For the next month, Kane and I will
be tracking some of these elephants,

100
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coming face-to-face with
whatever wildlife and dangers

101
00:05:31,780 --> 00:05:33,380
are along their path.

102
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Every year,
elephants across Botswana

103
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migrate hundreds of miles
along ancient paths

104
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to the Okavango Delta...

105
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..where winter floods trigger
an abundance of vegetation

106
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for a few brief weeks before they
head back east for the summer rains.

107
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There are two main routes, with
mainly female herds following

108
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the Chobe River and bulls heading
west from the Makgadikgada Pans.

109
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On our first leg we'll
start in the border town of Kasane.

110
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Tracking the females and their young
along the river,

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a key waterway that helps
sustain them

112
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on their arduous journey
through the dry season.

113
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We'll pass through the small
town of Parakarungu

114
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before heading south to the end
of our first leg

115
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in the Savute Depression.

116
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This is where the adventure begins.
Yep.

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But before we start Kane is taking
me to meet my first elephants.

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Hello. Hi, how are you?
You all right? Uh-huh.

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Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
What's your name? Mio.

120
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How are you doing?

121
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This rescue orphanage

122
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is run by local charity
Elephants Without Borders.

123
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Hello. What's this one called?

124
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Tuli. This one's Tuli.

125
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This one is Tuli, this one is
Panda and then Molelo.

126
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Molelo. So cute!

127
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The orphanage isn't
a tourist attraction.

128
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Its aim is to rehabilitate orphaned
elephants back into the wild.

129
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And what happened to them?
Why are they here?

130
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Oh, really?

131
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Two-year-old Molelo was only four
months old when he was rescued

132
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from the bush fire that
separated him from his mother.

133
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And then we had Tuli. Yep.

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Tuli, the youngest, was only
one-month-old when she was found

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abandoned in the wild after her
mother was chased away by locals.

136
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Oh, he snotted all over me!

137
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Have that back.

138
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Two-and-a-half-year-old Panda,

139
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the oldest of the three,

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was discovered alone in a farmer's
field, trapped inside the fence.

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All were rescued close to death...

142
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Ow! I'm not sure if
I like that or not!

143
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A chilling reminder of the dangers
elephants face in the wild.

144
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What happens when she's grown up?

145
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It is going to be a long time.
Long process.

146
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Yeah, but our aim is,

147
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in eight to ten years.

148
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It takes ten years to
rehabilitate them? Yeah, because...

149
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And will you be sad
when you have to say goodbye?

150
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Oh!

151
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THEY LAUGH

152
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It's rare to get this close
to an African elephant.

153
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I hope it's a good omen
for the rest of my trip.

154
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The tragedy is, of course,

155
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that whilst there's three here
that have been saved,

156
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actually there must be dozens,
if not hundreds, more out there

157
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that don't get rescued.

158
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These orphaned elephants have to be
fed every two to three hours

159
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and they've learnt the routine
a little too well...

160
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THEY LAUGH

161
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Tuli.

162
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You're enjoying that.

163
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No, no, no.

164
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Panda.

165
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Don't be naughty.

166
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That's your lot, Tuli. Good girl.

167
00:09:32,180 --> 00:09:35,300
Part of the reason these
three orphans are here

168
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is as a result of human
elephant conflict...

169
00:09:37,780 --> 00:09:39,980
That's it, you really want to
get your money's worth, don't you?

170
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..and as the human population
of Botswana has doubled

171
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in the past 35 years

172
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the demand for farmland has grown.

173
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Really, it all comes down
to the fact that humans

174
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and elephants are coming into closer
and closer proximity

175
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but, ultimately, it's the people

176
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that have encroached upon
the elephant's territory.

177
00:10:05,100 --> 00:10:07,500
It's time to head into the bush

178
00:10:07,500 --> 00:10:11,140
but before we go Kane wants to
share something with me...

179
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Oh, wow.

180
00:10:14,740 --> 00:10:16,940
Is that the same man? Kane...

181
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You look a little different.

182
00:10:22,300 --> 00:10:24,500
How you doing? Good, good.
Yeah. Thank you.

183
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I definitely am ready for a
ceremony. What do we do?

184
00:10:30,620 --> 00:10:31,660
OK.

185
00:10:33,100 --> 00:10:34,340
So, is this part of your religion?

186
00:10:41,540 --> 00:10:44,820
It's very important to bring
the spirit together,

187
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the call for the ancestors.

188
00:10:46,460 --> 00:10:50,900
The bush have to communicate with
us, we should be told where to go.

189
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I also have to ask permission...

190
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..from them.

191
00:11:00,700 --> 00:11:02,180
Let's call these guys.

192
00:11:02,180 --> 00:11:03,700
Oh, let's talk to them,

193
00:11:03,700 --> 00:11:05,580
let's be aggressive to them,

194
00:11:05,580 --> 00:11:07,460
let's tell them what we want,

195
00:11:07,460 --> 00:11:08,860
what we want to experience.

196
00:11:10,980 --> 00:11:13,020
The miracle will happen.

197
00:11:13,020 --> 00:11:14,900
No animal will touch us

198
00:11:14,900 --> 00:11:16,260
if we do it right.

199
00:11:21,580 --> 00:11:25,180
Rituals like this are a vital
part of San culture.

200
00:11:53,980 --> 00:11:57,300
I call upon all of my ancestors

201
00:11:57,300 --> 00:12:00,340
to keep us safe on this journey,

202
00:12:00,340 --> 00:12:03,180
my grandparents,

203
00:12:03,180 --> 00:12:07,580
all of my friends
in the army who passed away,

204
00:12:07,580 --> 00:12:10,860
and Matt,
who died five years ago here

205
00:12:10,860 --> 00:12:12,180
in Africa.

206
00:12:13,340 --> 00:12:15,740
I ask you all to look down upon us

207
00:12:15,740 --> 00:12:19,460
and ensure the journey goes well.

208
00:12:24,900 --> 00:12:27,260
The San people of southern Africa

209
00:12:27,260 --> 00:12:30,460
are thought to be the world's
most ancient race

210
00:12:30,460 --> 00:12:33,780
and have a formidable reputation
as trackers and hunters.

211
00:12:37,260 --> 00:12:39,620
Thank you so much. Welcome.
Thank you.

212
00:12:39,620 --> 00:12:41,900
Doors open now. We're ready to go.

213
00:12:41,900 --> 00:12:43,780
Everything is in our hands.

214
00:12:43,780 --> 00:12:46,060
Are you going like that
or are you going to get changed?

215
00:12:46,060 --> 00:12:47,220
I'm going to change, yeah.

216
00:12:49,380 --> 00:12:53,060
We set off for the Chobe River
to pick up elephant tracks

217
00:12:53,060 --> 00:12:56,220
and start following their
migration west.

218
00:12:56,220 --> 00:12:59,220
It's nearly 240 miles to the Delta.

219
00:13:01,420 --> 00:13:04,940
Our friends and ancestors
may now be watching over us

220
00:13:04,940 --> 00:13:08,740
but Kane has some more
practical advice, too.

221
00:13:08,740 --> 00:13:11,780
So, guys, we have to be very
careful here,

222
00:13:11,780 --> 00:13:13,580
because you can come round
the corner

223
00:13:13,580 --> 00:13:15,220
and there's a buffalo sitting there

224
00:13:15,220 --> 00:13:18,140
and you have to do a quick circle
around it. OK.

225
00:13:19,420 --> 00:13:22,060
Even such a big
animal like an elephant,

226
00:13:22,060 --> 00:13:24,340
we won't see it
until it is cleared up.

227
00:13:24,340 --> 00:13:25,980
See how thick it is.

228
00:13:25,980 --> 00:13:30,020
In addition to Kane, the film crew's
safety is being looked after

229
00:13:30,020 --> 00:13:33,180
by armed safari guide
Gareth Fleminks.

230
00:13:33,180 --> 00:13:35,900
These animals hear us
way long before we see them.

231
00:13:35,900 --> 00:13:38,380
The last thing we want to do is to,

232
00:13:38,380 --> 00:13:41,380
err, defend ourselves with a weapon.

233
00:13:41,380 --> 00:13:44,860
We're in their environment and
therefore we need to respect them.

234
00:13:44,860 --> 00:13:46,540
We say jump, you jump,

235
00:13:46,540 --> 00:13:48,340
but don't ask how high.

236
00:13:48,340 --> 00:13:50,020
We have to hide behind the bush,

237
00:13:50,020 --> 00:13:51,620
we have to hide behind the bush.

238
00:13:54,660 --> 00:13:56,500
HE LAUGHS

239
00:13:56,500 --> 00:13:58,700
OK, you tell me
when I'll do that and I'll do it!

240
00:14:19,180 --> 00:14:20,940
Under that tree over there,
what's that?

241
00:14:25,020 --> 00:14:27,420
We're seeing quite a lot now,
it's warming up.

242
00:14:27,420 --> 00:14:30,660
They want to hang around
along the river. Yep.

243
00:14:30,660 --> 00:14:33,180
Only five miles into our journey...

244
00:14:33,180 --> 00:14:34,500
LOUD GRUNTING

245
00:14:34,500 --> 00:14:35,900
Buffalo, buffalo.

246
00:14:35,900 --> 00:14:38,660
..Africa's wildlife
shows its dangerous side.

247
00:14:38,660 --> 00:14:40,220
Come, come, come, come. Coming.

248
00:14:40,220 --> 00:14:41,540
Run, run, run.

249
00:14:43,820 --> 00:14:45,060
Run, run, run.

250
00:14:47,980 --> 00:14:49,300
We just, er...

251
00:14:49,300 --> 00:14:51,900
There's a buffalo...

252
00:14:51,900 --> 00:14:54,340
There was a buffalo
who was just charging.

253
00:14:54,340 --> 00:14:56,620
He was quite a way away

254
00:14:56,620 --> 00:14:58,300
but we've got to be really careful.

255
00:15:02,700 --> 00:15:04,500
Was he angry? Yeah, very.

256
00:15:06,140 --> 00:15:08,220
He can see us.

257
00:15:08,220 --> 00:15:11,740
Buffalo, especially old,
alone males like this one,

258
00:15:11,740 --> 00:15:14,220
are renowned for their aggression

259
00:15:14,220 --> 00:15:18,140
and they'll have no hesitation in
attacking any animal or human

260
00:15:18,140 --> 00:15:20,060
that gets too close.

261
00:15:20,060 --> 00:15:22,700
Oh... He was coming for us.

262
00:15:22,700 --> 00:15:25,420
He was going to get us, huh?
Ah, shit!

263
00:15:28,380 --> 00:15:30,220
We've just run away from the buffalo

264
00:15:30,220 --> 00:15:32,500
but we've also just seen
some lion tracks,

265
00:15:32,500 --> 00:15:34,140
which means that,

266
00:15:34,140 --> 00:15:36,660
if there's a lion around here,
they're fresh, as well.

267
00:15:36,660 --> 00:15:39,020
A lion could be in any
of these bushes.

268
00:15:39,020 --> 00:15:40,740
There's also a leopard track here.
There's what?

269
00:15:40,740 --> 00:15:42,460
Leopard here, see?

270
00:15:42,460 --> 00:15:45,500
We are trapped between a male lion

271
00:15:45,500 --> 00:15:48,660
and also a female leopard heading
that direction,

272
00:15:48,660 --> 00:15:50,500
the buffalo chasing us. Wow.

273
00:15:51,860 --> 00:15:54,780
How's that? That's real, hey?

274
00:15:54,780 --> 00:15:58,140
Well, I've realised Kane
is the fastest,

275
00:15:58,140 --> 00:15:59,740
you the second and I'm the slowest!

276
00:15:59,740 --> 00:16:00,900
THEY LAUGH

277
00:16:10,510 --> 00:16:13,670
I'm meant to be walking with
elephants across Botswana

278
00:16:13,670 --> 00:16:16,230
along their ancient migration paths

279
00:16:16,230 --> 00:16:18,510
but after nearly
a whole day's trekking

280
00:16:18,510 --> 00:16:20,510
there are none to be seen.

281
00:16:20,510 --> 00:16:21,910
You see, this is a big male.

282
00:16:21,910 --> 00:16:24,630
Instead, my bushman guide Kane

283
00:16:24,630 --> 00:16:27,830
has found tracks for a very
different animal...

284
00:16:27,830 --> 00:16:29,190
Lions.

285
00:16:29,190 --> 00:16:31,190
There's one there,
there's another track...

286
00:16:31,190 --> 00:16:34,270
This is a female,
can you see the size of the tracks?

287
00:16:36,030 --> 00:16:38,590
He thinks there's maybe four or five

288
00:16:38,590 --> 00:16:41,190
and they're heading in the same
direction that we're going,

289
00:16:41,190 --> 00:16:43,950
so we might just be hot
on their tails

290
00:16:43,950 --> 00:16:46,790
and we're going to
have to keep very alert

291
00:16:46,790 --> 00:16:48,390
because they could be anywhere.

292
00:16:50,070 --> 00:16:53,590
Lions hunt in prides
and will take down a baby elephant

293
00:16:53,590 --> 00:16:57,830
if they get the chance but generally
they go for easier prey.

294
00:16:59,550 --> 00:17:01,430
If they come towards us we stop.

295
00:17:01,430 --> 00:17:04,150
If they see us and run away we're
not going to follow them

296
00:17:04,150 --> 00:17:05,950
because lions don't want
to be pushed,

297
00:17:05,950 --> 00:17:07,350
so we should be all vigilant.

298
00:17:07,350 --> 00:17:08,510
Let's look around. OK.

299
00:17:08,510 --> 00:17:10,550
Any sound you hear, let me know.

300
00:17:10,550 --> 00:17:12,910
All right.

301
00:17:12,910 --> 00:17:15,870
Lions are the apex
predator in Africa

302
00:17:15,870 --> 00:17:19,110
but they've been killed
relentlessly by humans

303
00:17:19,110 --> 00:17:21,670
and their numbers have plummeted

304
00:17:21,670 --> 00:17:23,390
by over 40% in 20 years.

305
00:17:25,390 --> 00:17:28,150
There are only 20,000 lions
left in Africa.

306
00:17:29,910 --> 00:17:32,390
So, it feels very surreal

307
00:17:32,390 --> 00:17:33,990
to be out on foot

308
00:17:33,990 --> 00:17:35,510
stalking lions...

309
00:17:38,710 --> 00:17:42,390
..but to try to get into
the mind of an elephant

310
00:17:42,390 --> 00:17:43,950
you've got to really understand...

311
00:17:46,950 --> 00:17:49,270
..all about the predators

312
00:17:49,270 --> 00:17:51,030
and the daily fear

313
00:17:51,030 --> 00:17:52,510
that the prey...

314
00:17:54,350 --> 00:17:55,630
..must live with.

315
00:17:58,030 --> 00:17:59,350
BRANCHES SNAP

316
00:18:00,630 --> 00:18:02,830
Any noise could be the lions...

317
00:18:10,950 --> 00:18:13,790
..but this time it's a small
herd of giraffe.

318
00:18:22,430 --> 00:18:24,910
HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL

319
00:18:28,150 --> 00:18:31,190
To encourage the lions
to reveal themselves

320
00:18:31,190 --> 00:18:34,590
Kane's imitating
the call of an injured antelope.

321
00:18:34,590 --> 00:18:36,790
HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL

322
00:18:48,430 --> 00:18:50,790
Kane's calling them straight to us

323
00:18:50,790 --> 00:18:52,430
and they could get here fast.

324
00:18:54,190 --> 00:18:56,390
Lions can run up to 50mph.

325
00:18:59,230 --> 00:19:01,710
IMITATES INJURED ANTELOPE CALL

326
00:19:16,830 --> 00:19:18,430
LOW GROWL

327
00:19:31,310 --> 00:19:32,790
They've run off.

328
00:19:38,550 --> 00:19:39,950
Wow.

329
00:19:46,070 --> 00:19:48,350
Did you see that? CAMERAMAN: Yeah.

330
00:19:48,350 --> 00:19:49,870
What do you make of that?

331
00:19:55,630 --> 00:19:57,910
Wow. I mean, that's,

332
00:19:57,910 --> 00:19:59,230
that's a good call you did there.

333
00:19:59,230 --> 00:20:02,430
They literally just came over
to just check us out.

334
00:20:02,430 --> 00:20:04,630
What was that? Like, 20 yards away?
KANE: Yeah.

335
00:20:07,710 --> 00:20:10,270
And then they just came up,
there was four cubs,

336
00:20:10,270 --> 00:20:13,070
so as soon as they saw us,

337
00:20:13,070 --> 00:20:16,110
and the fact we were people
and not prey, they went.

338
00:20:18,750 --> 00:20:19,990
Eight or nine.

339
00:20:19,990 --> 00:20:21,510
This is when you don't follow them,

340
00:20:21,510 --> 00:20:23,870
when they run away like this,
or especially with cubs.

341
00:20:23,870 --> 00:20:26,150
So, we have seen them,
so that's good.

342
00:20:26,150 --> 00:20:28,430
They run away, we leave them.

343
00:20:28,430 --> 00:20:30,070
We don't follow them.

344
00:20:40,950 --> 00:20:44,310
I think it's time to go
and find somewhere to camp. Come on.

345
00:20:55,790 --> 00:20:57,590
It's very surreal, you know,

346
00:20:57,590 --> 00:20:59,950
you kind of feel as though you're
on the set of The Lion King

347
00:20:59,950 --> 00:21:01,630
but, actually, you've got to
take it seriously.

348
00:21:03,750 --> 00:21:06,150
It's really good to
get to know Kane better.

349
00:21:08,430 --> 00:21:09,750
I feel safe with him.

350
00:21:18,590 --> 00:21:19,670
Nice one!

351
00:21:28,550 --> 00:21:29,870
Do you miss the old ways?

352
00:21:40,550 --> 00:21:42,310
Across all of Africa,

353
00:21:42,310 --> 00:21:46,750
more and more indigenous
peoples are losing their identities

354
00:21:46,750 --> 00:21:49,950
as the modern world replaces
their traditional way of life.

355
00:22:32,150 --> 00:22:34,430
It just seems such a shame to lose
that way of life,

356
00:22:34,430 --> 00:22:36,270
to lose that culture.

357
00:22:36,270 --> 00:22:38,190
There's a parallel there
with the elephants

358
00:22:38,190 --> 00:22:42,510
because the last
of the giants are now

359
00:22:42,510 --> 00:22:45,110
under severe threat

360
00:22:45,110 --> 00:22:47,870
and it's like, where does
the fault lie? Is there a fault?

361
00:22:47,870 --> 00:22:51,230
How can we save the species?

362
00:22:51,230 --> 00:22:53,510
And the same goes for the San,

363
00:22:53,510 --> 00:22:55,110
the original people.

364
00:22:55,110 --> 00:22:57,110
How can we save their culture

365
00:22:57,110 --> 00:22:59,310
and make sure that it's not
lost forever?

366
00:23:09,590 --> 00:23:10,910
KANE: Oh...

367
00:23:21,470 --> 00:23:24,110
Every morning I have to do a small

368
00:23:24,110 --> 00:23:27,950
talk to my ancestors
before I set out.

369
00:23:27,950 --> 00:23:30,710
Just reminding them that we need
to have protection.

370
00:23:31,990 --> 00:23:35,470
Today's plan is to trek
another 20 miles

371
00:23:35,470 --> 00:23:37,830
hoping to find our first
herd of elephants.

372
00:23:44,390 --> 00:23:47,030
So, we're following the course
of the river.

373
00:23:47,030 --> 00:23:49,590
You can see this whole
flood plain here,

374
00:23:49,590 --> 00:23:51,950
there's already a load of zebra.

375
00:23:51,950 --> 00:23:54,830
There must be a herd of,
I don't know, a few hundred there.

376
00:23:56,230 --> 00:24:00,230
A century ago, Kane's ancestors
would have encountered

377
00:24:00,230 --> 00:24:03,270
many elephants on vast plains
like this.

378
00:24:03,270 --> 00:24:05,750
Today, it's all but empty.

379
00:24:05,750 --> 00:24:08,030
What do you think, Kane?
We'll see something?

380
00:24:08,030 --> 00:24:09,670
Yeah.

381
00:24:09,670 --> 00:24:11,430
I think it is warming up.

382
00:24:11,430 --> 00:24:14,270
Animals will be coming down
to the water.

383
00:24:14,270 --> 00:24:15,830
Yeah, well, it's very dry, so...

384
00:24:15,830 --> 00:24:18,510
Yeah, this is the main source
of water.

385
00:24:18,510 --> 00:24:20,710
We should be expecting
more elephants.

386
00:24:21,870 --> 00:24:24,790
For the migrating female elephants
and their young

387
00:24:24,790 --> 00:24:27,910
this whole journey is reliant
on following water.

388
00:24:29,190 --> 00:24:31,990
Elephants, you know,
like most mammals

389
00:24:31,990 --> 00:24:34,190
they need to drink once a day...

390
00:24:36,070 --> 00:24:38,550
..especially when it's this hot.

391
00:24:38,550 --> 00:24:40,670
It's winter in Botswana

392
00:24:40,670 --> 00:24:45,070
but the daytime temperatures
can still hit the 30s,

393
00:24:45,070 --> 00:24:49,390
and without water the giants
of Africa can die within days,

394
00:24:49,390 --> 00:24:50,870
their young even faster.

395
00:24:54,190 --> 00:24:55,950
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

396
00:24:55,950 --> 00:24:57,790
Wow.

397
00:24:57,790 --> 00:25:00,910
You see a flash of grey and there's
a herd of elephants right there.

398
00:25:03,270 --> 00:25:06,270
Absolutely unbelievable,
they're like five tonne ghosts.

399
00:25:09,190 --> 00:25:11,510
They seem quite
relaxed at the moment.

400
00:25:11,510 --> 00:25:14,030
One, two, three, four, five six...

401
00:25:15,190 --> 00:25:16,390
Eight.

402
00:25:17,790 --> 00:25:19,030
A baby as well, nine.

403
00:25:21,670 --> 00:25:23,310
Absolutely incredible.

404
00:25:25,430 --> 00:25:28,590
This is a female breeding
herd of youngsters and adults.

405
00:25:30,550 --> 00:25:32,350
They stick together for protection.

406
00:25:35,070 --> 00:25:37,430
How many do you think
there would be in this herd, maybe?

407
00:25:37,430 --> 00:25:39,750
Ten, then the first group we saw,
that one,

408
00:25:39,750 --> 00:25:42,110
another, maybe, 12 or 15

409
00:25:42,110 --> 00:25:45,270
and there's another herd
trumpeting at the back,

410
00:25:45,270 --> 00:25:48,910
so this herd together
can be easily, maybe, 50.

411
00:25:50,230 --> 00:25:53,470
Eventually, all of these
elephants will go towards the Delta?

412
00:25:53,470 --> 00:25:55,150
Yeah.

413
00:25:55,150 --> 00:25:58,030
Herds move to the Okavango
at their own pace,

414
00:25:58,030 --> 00:26:00,310
occasionally walking together,

415
00:26:00,310 --> 00:26:02,670
at other times staying in one place

416
00:26:02,670 --> 00:26:05,590
if there's sufficient food
and water to sustain them.

417
00:26:06,990 --> 00:26:08,270
We finally found some.

418
00:26:08,270 --> 00:26:09,710
Yeah!

419
00:26:09,710 --> 00:26:12,190
They're heading in the right
direction. This is the beginning.

420
00:26:12,190 --> 00:26:13,630
Yeah, this is just the beginning.

421
00:26:13,630 --> 00:26:15,990
They're actually very
difficult to spot,

422
00:26:15,990 --> 00:26:17,470
they're exactly the same
colour as these bushes.

423
00:26:18,990 --> 00:26:21,470
Female elephants can grow up
to three metres tall

424
00:26:21,470 --> 00:26:24,550
and weigh up to 3.5 tonnes,

425
00:26:24,550 --> 00:26:27,550
and yet, despite their size,

426
00:26:27,550 --> 00:26:30,190
they can blend easily
into their environment,

427
00:26:30,190 --> 00:26:32,470
helping protect the babies
in particular

428
00:26:32,470 --> 00:26:35,070
from potential predators like lion.

429
00:26:35,070 --> 00:26:37,470
So, it's very easy to just
walk straight past

430
00:26:37,470 --> 00:26:39,110
and you won't even notice
they're there.

431
00:26:40,390 --> 00:26:42,750
We've finally found our first herd

432
00:26:42,750 --> 00:26:45,710
and I'd love to follow them
all the way to the Delta...

433
00:26:48,430 --> 00:26:50,070
They're running over
there for some reason.

434
00:26:52,710 --> 00:26:55,430
..but this herd seems
unusually agitated.

435
00:26:55,430 --> 00:26:57,110
LOW ROAR

436
00:26:57,110 --> 00:26:58,590
They can hear us.

437
00:27:16,990 --> 00:27:20,390
Elephants can run fast,
even through dense bush,

438
00:27:20,390 --> 00:27:22,870
easily outrunning us.

439
00:27:45,830 --> 00:27:47,190
LOW GRUMBLE

440
00:27:47,190 --> 00:27:48,510
You can hear them.

441
00:28:07,230 --> 00:28:08,870
We should leave these elephants.
Let's go.

442
00:28:11,310 --> 00:28:12,630
ELEPHANT ROARS

443
00:28:12,630 --> 00:28:13,870
Go, go, go.

444
00:28:17,070 --> 00:28:18,510
AGGRESSIVE TRUMPETING

445
00:28:20,270 --> 00:28:22,470
He was aggressive?

446
00:28:30,630 --> 00:28:33,550
We've found our first herd
of wild elephants

447
00:28:33,550 --> 00:28:36,950
but they're so scarred
by previous human contact

448
00:28:36,950 --> 00:28:39,510
they don't want us
anywhere near them.

449
00:28:46,750 --> 00:28:50,990
We want to make sure that doesn't
ever happen by staying away.

450
00:28:53,150 --> 00:28:55,350
It's not the result
I was hoping for.

451
00:28:57,310 --> 00:28:59,460
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

452
00:29:04,260 --> 00:29:07,700
Kane and I are 120 miles
and six days into our journey

453
00:29:07,700 --> 00:29:12,780
following the annual migration
of elephants across Botswana.

454
00:29:15,140 --> 00:29:17,340
In the early morning animals
graze and drink...

455
00:29:19,980 --> 00:29:22,420
..before they take to the
shade as the day heats up.

456
00:29:23,820 --> 00:29:25,060
Warthog.

457
00:29:27,900 --> 00:29:29,420
MONKEYS CHATTER

458
00:29:29,420 --> 00:29:31,140
But even when you can't see animals

459
00:29:31,140 --> 00:29:32,780
there's always some sign of them.

460
00:29:34,420 --> 00:29:36,780
This is a giraffe dropping, yeah?

461
00:29:36,780 --> 00:29:38,540
This is giraffe droppings?
Yeah, they are.

462
00:29:38,540 --> 00:29:40,420
They look like nuts.
They are giraffe droppings.

463
00:29:40,420 --> 00:29:42,940
They're very hard. They're more like
pellets, they're very hard.

464
00:29:42,940 --> 00:29:45,340
So, what you do,
you have to take two.

465
00:29:45,340 --> 00:29:47,140
We're just going to play
a bush game, yeah? Yeah.

466
00:29:47,140 --> 00:29:49,420
If you're in the bush, no TV.

467
00:29:49,420 --> 00:29:51,780
Nothing.

468
00:29:51,780 --> 00:29:53,340
You take something,
you play as you go.

469
00:29:53,340 --> 00:29:55,180
You stand in a line here,

470
00:29:55,180 --> 00:29:56,900
put this in the mouth.

471
00:29:56,900 --> 00:29:58,540
I'm not putting that in my mouth.

472
00:29:58,540 --> 00:29:59,980
Look. You put it like this.

473
00:30:02,060 --> 00:30:03,980
You're joking. I'm not joking.

474
00:30:10,980 --> 00:30:12,220
Come on.

475
00:30:12,220 --> 00:30:13,900
Oh, for goodness' sake.

476
00:30:13,900 --> 00:30:15,020
Really?

477
00:30:15,020 --> 00:30:17,860
If we don't play this game
we're not continuing the walk.

478
00:30:17,860 --> 00:30:18,900
Come on.

479
00:30:21,780 --> 00:30:23,620
Put it in your mouth, let's do it.

480
00:30:25,900 --> 00:30:28,180
Then you go and spit.

481
00:30:28,180 --> 00:30:29,180
Come on.

482
00:30:35,780 --> 00:30:37,980
Ugh. It didn't go very far, did it?

483
00:30:41,540 --> 00:30:43,180
OK. Maybe one more.

484
00:30:43,180 --> 00:30:45,460
Your last one.

485
00:30:45,460 --> 00:30:47,020
I'm getting competitive now.

486
00:30:47,020 --> 00:30:49,300
It tastes like chocolate, huh?

487
00:30:49,300 --> 00:30:51,140
Oooh! Oh, yeah. Beat that.

488
00:30:51,140 --> 00:30:52,940
THEY LAUGH

489
00:30:55,420 --> 00:30:57,140
I win. OK, good.

490
00:30:59,740 --> 00:31:01,620
That's not even a game, is it?

491
00:31:01,620 --> 00:31:03,340
that's the game.
You made that up just now.

492
00:31:03,340 --> 00:31:05,260
No, no, no.
We played that game.

493
00:31:05,260 --> 00:31:08,140
We can use giraffe, impala, kudu...

494
00:31:08,140 --> 00:31:10,420
Elephant? No, not elephant. Too big.

495
00:31:12,740 --> 00:31:15,300
On the edge of the Savute Depression

496
00:31:15,300 --> 00:31:17,700
we are heading for a remote
safari resort.

497
00:31:19,260 --> 00:31:21,060
OK, so I can see
it in the distance there.

498
00:31:21,060 --> 00:31:23,660
That's the Belmond Lodge

499
00:31:23,660 --> 00:31:25,940
here in Savute

500
00:31:25,940 --> 00:31:27,740
and, er,

501
00:31:27,740 --> 00:31:30,700
I think it's one of
the most luxurious

502
00:31:30,700 --> 00:31:33,980
and expensive lodges
here in Botswana.

503
00:31:33,980 --> 00:31:35,780
Yeah.

504
00:31:35,780 --> 00:31:37,300
Have you been here before? Yes.

505
00:31:39,380 --> 00:31:41,100
Expensive?

506
00:31:46,620 --> 00:31:49,300
Wow. It makes a change, doesn't it?

507
00:31:49,300 --> 00:31:51,660
Yeah! Hello, hello. Hi.

508
00:31:51,660 --> 00:31:54,300
Welcome, gentlemen. Lev, nice to
meet you. Nice to meet you, too.

509
00:31:54,300 --> 00:31:57,140
Hello, I'm Kane. Nice to meet you.

510
00:31:57,140 --> 00:31:59,620
Hi, how are you doing? Lev.
I'm doing great. Baker.

511
00:31:59,620 --> 00:32:01,980
Kane. Hi. Hello, Baker.

512
00:32:01,980 --> 00:32:03,860
Come through, have a seat.
Thank you very much.

513
00:32:03,860 --> 00:32:06,460
Just on the couch there,
make yourselves at home.

514
00:32:06,460 --> 00:32:08,700
Drinks? Thank you very much,
brilliant. Thanks.

515
00:32:13,540 --> 00:32:15,100
Cheers, welcome. Cheers, thank you.

516
00:32:15,100 --> 00:32:16,380
Nice one. Thanks.

517
00:32:16,380 --> 00:32:17,660
Oh, I'm so sweaty.

518
00:32:19,340 --> 00:32:20,780
Oh, that's incredible.

519
00:32:23,940 --> 00:32:26,300
Oh, wow. Look at this place.
Thank you.

520
00:32:26,300 --> 00:32:29,380
Lodges like this provide
a five-star service...

521
00:32:29,380 --> 00:32:32,260
Look at that, that's a shower
with a view, isn't it?

522
00:32:32,260 --> 00:32:37,300
..but that comes with a hefty price
tag of nearly £3,500 a night.

523
00:32:37,300 --> 00:32:39,660
Is the mini bar extra?
No, the mini bar is all...

524
00:32:39,660 --> 00:32:41,540
Oh, that's included? All included

525
00:32:41,540 --> 00:32:43,460
and then your indoor shower,
of course.

526
00:32:43,460 --> 00:32:46,020
Oh, there's an indoor shower
and an outdoor shower just in case.

527
00:32:46,020 --> 00:32:47,500
Look at this!

528
00:32:48,780 --> 00:32:51,220
# Welcome to Savute

529
00:32:51,220 --> 00:32:53,820
# Welcome to Savute... #

530
00:32:53,820 --> 00:32:57,020
Tourism is a major
source of income for Botswana,

531
00:32:57,020 --> 00:32:59,860
worth nearly £1.5 billion a year,

532
00:32:59,860 --> 00:33:02,540
11.5% of the total economy.

533
00:33:05,460 --> 00:33:08,260
The biggest attraction
for the guests that can afford this

534
00:33:08,260 --> 00:33:09,900
wilderness luxury... Oh, wow.

535
00:33:09,900 --> 00:33:11,660
..is the guarantee of wildlife...

536
00:33:13,860 --> 00:33:17,700
..and Savute Lodge has a man-made
watering hole to attract elephants.

537
00:33:19,220 --> 00:33:20,940
Amazing, isn't it?

538
00:33:20,940 --> 00:33:22,780
It feels like we're in a zoo
or something

539
00:33:22,780 --> 00:33:24,980
except this time we're
the ones in a cage. Yeah!

540
00:33:27,540 --> 00:33:30,620
Tourist attractions like this
do add a substantial boost

541
00:33:30,620 --> 00:33:34,540
to the economy
and employ 89,000 people

542
00:33:34,540 --> 00:33:37,860
but many locals argue that they
don't see enough of the profits.

543
00:33:48,900 --> 00:33:52,260
In the height of summer
it can exceed 40C.

544
00:33:56,300 --> 00:33:58,500
The bush is an unforgiving place.

545
00:34:00,860 --> 00:34:02,860
There's death everywhere, look.

546
00:34:02,860 --> 00:34:05,180
There's buffalo there,
there's the remains of an elephant.

547
00:34:07,540 --> 00:34:11,020
The lifespan of an elephant
is up to 65 years

548
00:34:11,020 --> 00:34:15,740
and every year up to 20,000 die
of natural causes across Africa.

549
00:34:16,980 --> 00:34:19,340
Kane...

550
00:34:19,340 --> 00:34:22,340
Elephants might be worth
a lot as tourist attractions

551
00:34:22,340 --> 00:34:25,020
but, sadly, they also have
a value when dead.

552
00:34:26,580 --> 00:34:28,900
Oh, this is a trap, huh?

553
00:34:28,900 --> 00:34:30,300
See the way it's been designed.

554
00:34:30,300 --> 00:34:33,460
Probably for elephants
looking at the thickness of that.

555
00:34:33,460 --> 00:34:35,220
It's shocking, isn't it?

556
00:34:35,220 --> 00:34:38,100
If that gets round an elephant's
foot that's just going to tighten up

557
00:34:38,100 --> 00:34:40,980
and then the poachers just come
and kill them, and take their tusks.

558
00:34:45,380 --> 00:34:49,700
Poaching claims the lives of over
20,000 African elephants

559
00:34:49,700 --> 00:34:50,980
every year,

560
00:34:50,980 --> 00:34:55,780
feeding a demand for ivory from Asia
and, in particular, China.

561
00:34:55,780 --> 00:34:59,100
An animal might be
stuck in this for days in agony

562
00:34:59,100 --> 00:35:03,020
so the poor creatures will die
a very painful and miserable death.

563
00:35:04,540 --> 00:35:08,860
The international trade in illegal
ivory is estimated to be worth

564
00:35:08,860 --> 00:35:10,580
up to £20 billion a year,

565
00:35:10,580 --> 00:35:13,820
more than the gross
domestic product of Botswana.

566
00:35:13,820 --> 00:35:16,220
I find this completely disgusting.

567
00:35:18,500 --> 00:35:20,460
Can you smell something?

568
00:35:20,460 --> 00:35:21,460
A carcass...

569
00:35:23,420 --> 00:35:27,060
In the bush, life
is always on a knife-edge

570
00:35:27,060 --> 00:35:29,660
but one animal's death
can be another's survival.

571
00:35:31,620 --> 00:35:34,100
There's always something
ready to eat carrion

572
00:35:34,100 --> 00:35:36,100
from hyenas and vultures to these

573
00:35:36,100 --> 00:35:37,780
southern ground hornbills.

574
00:35:39,380 --> 00:35:41,900
Wow.
What's that died of, do we think?

575
00:35:41,900 --> 00:35:44,260
This is a natural death.
A natural death.

576
00:35:44,260 --> 00:35:46,660
Yeah, a natural death.
The tusks are still intact.

577
00:35:46,660 --> 00:35:48,020
How old was he?

578
00:35:48,020 --> 00:35:50,060
He's a young guy. I'd say maybe 22.

579
00:35:50,060 --> 00:35:51,540
Look at the size of his tusks. 22.

580
00:35:51,540 --> 00:35:53,260
22, 23, yeah.

581
00:35:53,260 --> 00:35:54,460
Poor thing.

582
00:35:54,460 --> 00:35:56,860
Oh, vile. Look at that.

583
00:35:56,860 --> 00:35:59,540
Literally, the entire stomach
is filled with maggots.

584
00:35:59,540 --> 00:36:01,140
Absolutely obscene.

585
00:36:06,700 --> 00:36:07,860
Ugh...

586
00:36:10,660 --> 00:36:13,380
Now, to be honest,
when I was growing up as a child

587
00:36:13,380 --> 00:36:15,900
if we found a dead elephant like
this it would be a good meal for us.

588
00:36:15,900 --> 00:36:18,340
You'd eat that? Yeah, definitely,

589
00:36:18,340 --> 00:36:21,180
but we know where to get the meat

590
00:36:21,180 --> 00:36:24,140
which is still not deeply rotten.

591
00:36:24,140 --> 00:36:26,420
It would keep us going for maybe
another day

592
00:36:26,420 --> 00:36:28,980
before we get a fresher kill.

593
00:36:28,980 --> 00:36:30,540
I would be sick.
I'm not eating that.

594
00:36:30,540 --> 00:36:32,220
Come on, let's go. Ugh...

595
00:36:38,460 --> 00:36:40,660
We're nearing
the village of Parakarungu.

596
00:36:43,540 --> 00:36:47,940
I'm interested to find out what
it's like for its 1,000 inhabitants

597
00:36:47,940 --> 00:36:49,820
that live alongside elephants.

598
00:36:51,700 --> 00:36:53,340
They're really quite good.

599
00:36:54,420 --> 00:36:55,620
DOG BARKS

600
00:36:57,180 --> 00:37:01,180
The villagers here
rely on subsistence farming,

601
00:37:01,180 --> 00:37:03,980
growing millet, sorghum and maize

602
00:37:03,980 --> 00:37:06,180
alongside some livestock
and fishing.

603
00:37:10,620 --> 00:37:13,900
Today is President's Day
across Botswana.

604
00:37:13,900 --> 00:37:16,300
There's a little bit of music
coming from the bar,

605
00:37:16,300 --> 00:37:18,500
so shall we go and see
what's going on? Yeah.

606
00:37:20,060 --> 00:37:23,420
"Shake-Shake here,
one or two litres."

607
00:37:23,420 --> 00:37:26,460
Shake-Shake, the local brew,

608
00:37:26,460 --> 00:37:29,300
is an alcoholic porridge
made from sorghum.

609
00:37:29,300 --> 00:37:31,220
It's cheap and very popular.

610
00:37:31,220 --> 00:37:33,140
Hi, guys. How are you? Hi.
How are you doing?

611
00:37:33,140 --> 00:37:34,540
Nice to see you.

612
00:37:34,540 --> 00:37:36,140
We're going to join you
in a Shake-Shake.

613
00:37:36,140 --> 00:37:37,820
No problem. OK.

614
00:37:37,820 --> 00:37:40,340
Yeah, you can buy us only two
Shake-Shakes. That's no problem.

615
00:37:40,340 --> 00:37:43,420
I'll get you a Shake-Shake, OK?
Yeah, no problem.

616
00:37:43,420 --> 00:37:44,500
HE LAUGHS

617
00:37:44,500 --> 00:37:46,020
It looks like the round's on me!

618
00:37:49,380 --> 00:37:51,060
Come on, go, go, go, go.

619
00:37:57,020 --> 00:37:59,220
That's one of the most revolting
things I've ever tasted!

620
00:38:01,100 --> 00:38:02,180
Wow.

621
00:38:03,460 --> 00:38:04,860
You like it, then?

622
00:38:04,860 --> 00:38:06,660
Ahhh...

623
00:38:06,660 --> 00:38:07,860
So nice!

624
00:38:07,860 --> 00:38:10,140
THEY LAUGH

625
00:38:10,140 --> 00:38:11,140
Yeah! Yeah.

626
00:38:11,140 --> 00:38:13,860
When you drink it
you get drunk like nothing.

627
00:38:19,980 --> 00:38:21,660
Nice to meet you, guys.

628
00:38:21,660 --> 00:38:23,860
See you later. You, too.
Thank you.

629
00:38:27,860 --> 00:38:30,580
We're on our way to meet
one of the village elders.

630
00:38:30,580 --> 00:38:31,940
Nice to meet you. Yeah.

631
00:38:31,940 --> 00:38:34,740
Jameson Tembae. Jameson. Yeah.
My name is Levison.

632
00:38:34,740 --> 00:38:37,260
Levson. Levison. Oh, Levison.

633
00:38:37,260 --> 00:38:41,900
At 76, Jameson Tembae is a senior
figure in the community.

634
00:38:41,900 --> 00:38:44,660
How are you? Good.
How are you? Fine.

635
00:38:44,660 --> 00:38:47,740
I'm interested to hear what he
and the other villagers

636
00:38:47,740 --> 00:38:49,340
make of their elephant neighbours.

637
00:38:57,300 --> 00:39:00,540
Cos this elephant,
they're killing people,

638
00:39:00,540 --> 00:39:02,060
they're destroying our fields.

639
00:39:02,060 --> 00:39:04,420
There is nobody in Parakarungu
who can tell you that he

640
00:39:04,420 --> 00:39:07,580
harvested anything
because after ploughing

641
00:39:07,580 --> 00:39:09,780
the elephant comes
and destroyed our fields.

642
00:39:11,620 --> 00:39:13,340
You see? Mm.

643
00:39:13,340 --> 00:39:15,980
And some of the people,
they have been killed by elephants.

644
00:39:15,980 --> 00:39:17,780
Have people been killed
here in Parakarungu?

645
00:39:17,780 --> 00:39:20,380
Yeah, about two people have been
killed in Parakarungu.

646
00:39:20,380 --> 00:39:22,740
When an elephant comes here
are people scared of an elephant

647
00:39:22,740 --> 00:39:24,740
or are they...? Exactly.

648
00:39:24,740 --> 00:39:27,900
They're so dangerous. What do you
think the solution is?

649
00:39:27,900 --> 00:39:29,540
The solution is to kill them.

650
00:39:34,060 --> 00:39:36,460
If you kill most of the elephants

651
00:39:36,460 --> 00:39:38,380
then maybe the tourists won't come.

652
00:39:39,740 --> 00:39:41,940
Will that matter to you or not?

653
00:39:51,100 --> 00:39:52,300
You see?

654
00:39:52,300 --> 00:39:55,540
I understand that it is a problem
for the people that live here

655
00:39:55,540 --> 00:39:57,900
but as the human population grows

656
00:39:57,900 --> 00:40:01,340
there's going to be this conflict
between humans and elephants.

657
00:40:03,060 --> 00:40:04,420
ROOSTER CROWS

658
00:40:04,420 --> 00:40:06,700
There's no doubt that human numbers

659
00:40:06,700 --> 00:40:08,460
have increased in recent years

660
00:40:08,460 --> 00:40:10,820
and with only 5% of Botswana

661
00:40:10,820 --> 00:40:13,340
considered fertile enough to farm,

662
00:40:13,340 --> 00:40:15,940
it's inevitable that humans
and elephants

663
00:40:15,940 --> 00:40:18,860
are now coming into conflict,

664
00:40:18,860 --> 00:40:22,140
especially when a herd of elephants
can destroy a family's food

665
00:40:22,140 --> 00:40:24,340
for the year in one night...

666
00:40:28,060 --> 00:40:32,540
..and yet, despite that,
Jameson insists on feeding us...

667
00:40:32,540 --> 00:40:33,620
Really good. Mm.

668
00:40:33,620 --> 00:40:35,900
A dinner of the local staple,

669
00:40:35,900 --> 00:40:37,420
ground maize and beef.

670
00:40:37,420 --> 00:40:39,220
Oh, delicious. Thank you very much.

671
00:40:40,460 --> 00:40:43,420
..and on providing us
with a floor to bed down on

672
00:40:43,420 --> 00:40:45,300
in one of the village huts.

673
00:40:45,300 --> 00:40:46,780
Thank you.

674
00:40:46,780 --> 00:40:49,260
I'm always humbled by the generosity

675
00:40:49,260 --> 00:40:50,820
of people like Jameson...

676
00:40:53,100 --> 00:40:54,860
What a lovely evening.

677
00:40:54,860 --> 00:40:57,140
..who despite having so little

678
00:40:57,140 --> 00:40:59,580
couldn't be kinder hosts.

679
00:40:59,580 --> 00:41:01,580
You know, it's,

680
00:41:01,580 --> 00:41:05,260
I'm still torn because
on the one hand I,

681
00:41:05,260 --> 00:41:08,740
you know, I'm desperate to...

682
00:41:08,740 --> 00:41:11,660
..try and learn more about
how we can

683
00:41:11,660 --> 00:41:14,020
protect elephants,

684
00:41:14,020 --> 00:41:17,140
but then, of course, you have to
listen to the people that live here.

685
00:41:17,140 --> 00:41:20,740
They live with the fear of
elephants on a daily basis

686
00:41:20,740 --> 00:41:23,020
and there's no easy solutions.

687
00:41:23,020 --> 00:41:23,940
Ohh...

688
00:41:38,380 --> 00:41:38,620
Kane and I have been heading

689
00:41:38,620 --> 00:41:41,100
south west across Botswana,

690
00:41:41,100 --> 00:41:44,140
following one of the world's great
animal migrations

691
00:41:44,140 --> 00:41:45,780
for just over a week.

692
00:41:47,540 --> 00:41:49,660
Now, Kane is taking me

693
00:41:49,660 --> 00:41:53,420
to one of his ancestral sites
overlooking the Savute Depression.

694
00:41:57,820 --> 00:42:00,740
These rocky outcrops
are the Gubatsa Hills,

695
00:42:00,740 --> 00:42:05,020
some of the only high ground
in the flat Kalahari Desert..

696
00:42:09,380 --> 00:42:11,940
..and adorning these granite slabs

697
00:42:11,940 --> 00:42:15,260
are 300-year-old rock paintings

698
00:42:15,260 --> 00:42:18,940
drawn at a time when the
relationship between humans

699
00:42:18,940 --> 00:42:21,300
and wildlife was more balanced.

700
00:42:21,300 --> 00:42:25,380
So, these rock paintings

701
00:42:25,380 --> 00:42:28,180
were drawn by your own ancestors,
eh?

702
00:42:28,180 --> 00:42:30,100
Yes, they are.

703
00:42:30,100 --> 00:42:32,380
This is an elephant, as you see,

704
00:42:32,380 --> 00:42:34,340
then this is a sable

705
00:42:34,340 --> 00:42:37,020
with the horns going up.

706
00:42:37,020 --> 00:42:39,380
Then this is an eland, this big one.
Ah, yes.

707
00:42:41,180 --> 00:42:44,460
Whenever I come here to be

708
00:42:44,460 --> 00:42:46,180
on this rock

709
00:42:46,180 --> 00:42:47,820
it's like someone
is talking to me.

710
00:42:49,500 --> 00:42:51,020
My father...

711
00:42:58,020 --> 00:43:01,020
..he was coming from a clan

712
00:43:01,020 --> 00:43:02,820
which used to leave from here.

713
00:43:04,740 --> 00:43:07,100
That was my father's territory.

714
00:43:07,100 --> 00:43:09,300
His family's territory.

715
00:43:10,260 --> 00:43:12,900
When I'm here nothing can touch me,

716
00:43:12,900 --> 00:43:14,820
I'm in a full protection.

717
00:43:18,580 --> 00:43:21,700
I'm very grateful
for you bringing me here.

718
00:43:29,500 --> 00:43:33,900
As we walk on Kane spots
a herd of elephants in the distance.

719
00:43:33,900 --> 00:43:36,260
Something down there,
what are they?

720
00:43:36,260 --> 00:43:38,220
Elephants, elephants.
Here we go.

721
00:43:38,220 --> 00:43:39,540
Elephants. Yeah.

722
00:43:39,540 --> 00:43:41,820
Wow, have they seen us?

723
00:43:41,820 --> 00:43:43,380
No.

724
00:43:43,380 --> 00:43:45,940
The last time we got close
to a herd of elephants

725
00:43:45,940 --> 00:43:47,700
they chased us away

726
00:43:47,700 --> 00:43:51,180
but this time we're using natural
cover to hide behind.

727
00:43:53,740 --> 00:43:55,980
I'm surprised they can't see us,
though, we're very close.

728
00:44:02,740 --> 00:44:05,020
It's a breeding
herd of about a dozen,

729
00:44:05,020 --> 00:44:07,380
including some very young ones.

730
00:44:07,380 --> 00:44:10,220
It looks like it could be
the same herd that saw us off.

731
00:44:23,220 --> 00:44:25,260
Youngsters stick close
to their mothers

732
00:44:25,260 --> 00:44:28,460
and other females in the herd
for the first two to four years.

733
00:44:30,820 --> 00:44:33,260
Breeding herds are led
by a matriarch,

734
00:44:33,260 --> 00:44:35,820
the most senior cow,
or female, in the group.

735
00:45:10,740 --> 00:45:11,940
Incredible.

736
00:45:13,260 --> 00:45:16,100
So, do these two herds,
they're both breeding herds?

737
00:45:16,100 --> 00:45:18,300
They are both breeding herbs.
But they never mix together.

738
00:45:39,340 --> 00:45:41,540
I love elephants.

739
00:45:45,580 --> 00:45:48,020
They're obviously
a very social animal,

740
00:45:48,020 --> 00:45:49,540
very intelligent,

741
00:45:49,540 --> 00:45:53,380
very respectful of each other
and they exude this confidence.

742
00:45:55,180 --> 00:45:57,220
They stride back into the bush,

743
00:45:57,220 --> 00:46:00,140
back on their migration to the Delta

744
00:46:00,140 --> 00:46:03,060
and that, too,
is my eventual destination.

745
00:46:08,900 --> 00:46:10,460
Next time...

746
00:46:10,460 --> 00:46:13,340
We follow bachelor
herds across a barren wilderness...

747
00:46:14,460 --> 00:46:17,420
Five there. Five bulls.

748
00:46:17,420 --> 00:46:21,500
Find out the hard way why elephants
and people don't mix...

749
00:46:21,500 --> 00:46:23,380
He's about to come for us.
Go, go, go!

750
00:46:23,380 --> 00:46:26,740
..before getting up close
and personal like never before.

751
00:46:26,740 --> 00:46:28,700
You do not want to be hanging around
when he wakes up!

752
00:46:28,700 --> 00:46:31,660
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