1 00:00:03,500 --> 00:00:09,700 The African elephant, the largest land animal on the planet. 2 00:00:09,700 --> 00:00:11,340 We're about 25 yards away. 3 00:00:12,540 --> 00:00:17,020 Once, millions of elephants roamed across Africa. 4 00:00:17,020 --> 00:00:20,260 Now, there are less than 450,000. 5 00:00:25,220 --> 00:00:29,620 If we're not careful, we will push them to the brink of extinction 6 00:00:29,620 --> 00:00:32,340 I just find it incomprehensible that any one would want to kill them. 7 00:00:34,260 --> 00:00:35,820 My name's Levison Wood. 8 00:00:35,820 --> 00:00:36,900 It's pretty deep here... 9 00:00:36,900 --> 00:00:38,500 I've walked the Nile... 10 00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:40,940 Crocodile, there. 11 00:00:40,940 --> 00:00:43,140 ..and explored over 100 countries. 12 00:00:44,060 --> 00:00:45,700 This is proper wilderness. 13 00:00:45,700 --> 00:00:48,100 ..and I've been a champion of elephant conservation 14 00:00:48,100 --> 00:00:49,540 for nearly a decade. 15 00:00:49,540 --> 00:00:50,980 How can we save 16 00:00:50,980 --> 00:00:53,340 the last of the giants? 17 00:00:53,340 --> 00:00:56,980 Now, I'm on a new journey across Botswana, 18 00:00:56,980 --> 00:01:00,140 home to the world's largest elephant population. 19 00:01:00,140 --> 00:01:02,660 This is where we're going to see some serious wildlife. 20 00:01:02,660 --> 00:01:05,620 I'm joining them on their annual migration, 21 00:01:05,620 --> 00:01:09,420 so I can experience their world on their terms... 22 00:01:09,420 --> 00:01:11,820 Africa's nature at its finest, 23 00:01:11,820 --> 00:01:13,700 but also this dark 24 00:01:13,700 --> 00:01:16,500 and shocking brutality. 25 00:01:16,500 --> 00:01:19,140 ..as close up as possible. 26 00:01:19,140 --> 00:01:21,420 You've just been shat on by a monkey! 27 00:01:24,260 --> 00:01:26,620 At times, it will be downright dangerous... 28 00:01:26,620 --> 00:01:28,500 Coming straight at us. Where? 29 00:01:33,020 --> 00:01:35,260 I'll meet the people who live and work here... 30 00:01:42,140 --> 00:01:46,380 ..to discover how difficult life is alongside these giants. 31 00:01:51,780 --> 00:01:55,300 I want to see for myself if there's a way that elephants 32 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:56,940 and people can co-exist. 33 00:02:00,580 --> 00:02:02,780 On the second leg of my journey... 34 00:02:05,980 --> 00:02:09,980 ..I'm following male elephants on an uncharted migration... 35 00:02:09,980 --> 00:02:12,780 An elephant has actually crossed this. It looks like a desert. 36 00:02:14,500 --> 00:02:17,020 I'll help fit a GPS tracking collar... 37 00:02:17,020 --> 00:02:18,460 Dart it. 38 00:02:18,460 --> 00:02:20,340 ..to a full-grown bull elephant... 39 00:02:22,660 --> 00:02:24,500 ..and find out the hard way.... 40 00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:25,940 He's massive. 41 00:02:25,940 --> 00:02:28,500 ..why elephants and people don't always mix. 42 00:02:30,060 --> 00:02:31,580 Go, go, go! 43 00:02:44,540 --> 00:02:46,180 BUZZING CICADAS AND BIRD CALLS 44 00:02:54,260 --> 00:02:57,740 I'm in Botswana, following elephants along their ancient migration 45 00:02:57,740 --> 00:03:01,300 routes with bushman guide, Kane Motswana. 46 00:03:02,700 --> 00:03:05,180 That's it. Phew... 47 00:03:05,180 --> 00:03:06,700 Just in time. 48 00:03:09,660 --> 00:03:13,660 This next leg of our journey is shrouded in mystery. 49 00:03:13,660 --> 00:03:16,220 We're following bull elephants as they migrate 50 00:03:16,220 --> 00:03:21,340 across the Makgadikgadi pans, one of the largest salt flats on Earth. 51 00:03:21,340 --> 00:03:23,540 That is magnificent. 52 00:03:30,660 --> 00:03:33,380 It's just seemingly endless, 53 00:03:33,380 --> 00:03:35,820 it just goes on and on and on as far as the eye can see. 54 00:03:40,300 --> 00:03:42,700 Right, into the wilderness... 55 00:03:42,700 --> 00:03:45,620 RHYTHMIC CLAPPING AND DRUMS 56 00:03:51,780 --> 00:03:54,660 After nine days following female breeding herds 57 00:03:54,660 --> 00:03:59,380 250 miles down the Chobe River towards the Okavango, 58 00:03:59,380 --> 00:04:01,780 I'm heading east to find the male elephants 59 00:04:01,780 --> 00:04:06,100 who roam deep into a seemingly inhospitable wilderness, 60 00:04:06,100 --> 00:04:07,980 before migrating to the delta. 61 00:04:11,060 --> 00:04:14,980 I'll follow their 260 mile migration west 62 00:04:14,980 --> 00:04:17,260 across the saltpans, 63 00:04:17,260 --> 00:04:18,580 on through Gweta 64 00:04:18,580 --> 00:04:21,300 where human-elephant conflict is all too real, 65 00:04:21,300 --> 00:04:23,980 take a detour via the town of Maun, 66 00:04:23,980 --> 00:04:26,260 before reaching the Okavango, 67 00:04:26,260 --> 00:04:28,460 the elephants' final destination. 68 00:04:41,140 --> 00:04:44,100 Walking on this, I know it looks baked dry, but it's actually not. 69 00:04:44,100 --> 00:04:46,900 It kind of feels a little bit squelchy underfoot. 70 00:04:50,780 --> 00:04:52,260 It's like clay, isn't it? 71 00:04:57,380 --> 00:04:58,940 You should be an artist. 72 00:05:08,500 --> 00:05:10,100 There you go. 73 00:05:10,100 --> 00:05:12,020 Yeah?! 74 00:05:12,020 --> 00:05:14,460 While Kane's ancestors made pots, 75 00:05:14,460 --> 00:05:16,940 my attempt isn't quite as sophisticated. 76 00:05:19,540 --> 00:05:20,780 THEY LAUGH 77 00:05:26,740 --> 00:05:28,300 We don't have this small! 78 00:05:33,980 --> 00:05:35,300 Masterpiece... 79 00:05:43,100 --> 00:05:46,900 No-one knows for sure why elephants cross these pans, 80 00:05:46,900 --> 00:05:48,660 but one thing is certain, 81 00:05:48,660 --> 00:05:50,580 Surviving the trek depends on water. 82 00:06:01,620 --> 00:06:03,820 They wouldn't take the risk of coming out here? 83 00:06:08,220 --> 00:06:12,620 Two million years ago, this whole area was underwater. 84 00:06:12,620 --> 00:06:17,460 Fed by the Okavango River, it was a super lake the size of Switzerland. 85 00:06:17,460 --> 00:06:21,460 Now, it only floods during the rainy season, 86 00:06:21,460 --> 00:06:24,220 and it's hard to imagine anything surviving here... 87 00:06:26,500 --> 00:06:27,900 ..Let alone elephants. 88 00:06:36,180 --> 00:06:39,300 Look at that, literally in the middle of nowhere. 89 00:06:39,300 --> 00:06:41,580 Remarkable. 90 00:06:41,580 --> 00:06:42,460 You think there's two? 91 00:06:44,420 --> 00:06:45,700 Two elephants. 92 00:06:48,380 --> 00:06:51,260 Crossing our path are the footprints of elephants, 93 00:06:51,260 --> 00:06:52,820 walking in single file. 94 00:06:57,300 --> 00:06:59,180 They're big, eh? 95 00:07:01,020 --> 00:07:04,020 Amazing, isn't it, to think that an elephant 96 00:07:04,020 --> 00:07:06,260 has actually crossed this? I mean, it looks like a desert. 97 00:07:08,860 --> 00:07:10,100 So, which way are they going? 98 00:07:15,740 --> 00:07:17,220 Just like winkle pickers. 99 00:07:21,900 --> 00:07:24,340 What are they doing out here, these bulls? 100 00:07:27,820 --> 00:07:29,580 There's not much food out here, though, is there? 101 00:07:37,820 --> 00:07:39,340 Do they come here for the salt? 102 00:07:42,140 --> 00:07:43,620 A bit of seasoning. 103 00:07:47,020 --> 00:07:48,900 After the summer rains, 104 00:07:48,900 --> 00:07:52,700 nutrient-rich vegetation flourishes around the pans, 105 00:07:52,700 --> 00:07:56,020 but as the seasons change and it dries up here, 106 00:07:56,020 --> 00:07:58,740 the winter floods arrive in the delta 107 00:07:58,740 --> 00:08:03,140 and the elephants head west towards the new feeding grounds. 108 00:08:03,140 --> 00:08:04,820 Let's follow the elephants, shall we? Yeah. 109 00:08:07,780 --> 00:08:09,740 How they navigate is unclear... 110 00:08:10,860 --> 00:08:13,900 They may use memory or their powerful sense of smell. 111 00:08:16,260 --> 00:08:18,940 There's even a theory it's imprinted in their genes. 112 00:08:29,300 --> 00:08:33,620 The elephants' footprints are less visible on this hard ground 113 00:08:33,620 --> 00:08:34,940 so we're looking for other signs. 114 00:08:50,540 --> 00:08:52,020 It's still wet, fresh. 115 00:08:55,380 --> 00:08:56,780 Thanks, very fresh! 116 00:09:05,500 --> 00:09:06,740 LOW RUMBLE 117 00:09:09,700 --> 00:09:12,340 You can just hear that low, deep grumble. 118 00:09:12,340 --> 00:09:15,100 That's the elephants signalling. 119 00:09:15,100 --> 00:09:16,580 How far away do you think they are? 120 00:09:31,620 --> 00:09:33,140 LOW, LONG GRUMBLE 121 00:09:38,220 --> 00:09:39,580 BRANCHES SNAPPING 122 00:09:50,580 --> 00:09:54,420 You'd think the world's largest land animal would be easy to spot... 123 00:09:54,420 --> 00:09:57,100 There they are. 124 00:09:57,100 --> 00:09:59,660 ..but elephants are incredibly well camouflaged. 125 00:09:59,660 --> 00:10:00,780 LOW INTENSE ROAR 126 00:10:00,780 --> 00:10:02,180 Wow! 127 00:10:18,380 --> 00:10:22,100 There are about four bull elephants just right there, 128 00:10:22,100 --> 00:10:24,700 maybe 20 yards away. We've finally found them. 129 00:10:26,700 --> 00:10:29,420 When adolescent bulls leave their mothers, 130 00:10:29,420 --> 00:10:32,540 they come together in bachelor herds like these, 131 00:10:32,540 --> 00:10:35,460 where the younger ones learn bush skills from the older bulls. 132 00:10:44,860 --> 00:10:48,300 This is our first chance to watch the dynamics of male herds 133 00:10:48,300 --> 00:10:49,900 in their natural habitat. 134 00:11:04,500 --> 00:11:08,540 A 40-year-old bull like this can weigh up to seven tonnes 135 00:11:08,540 --> 00:11:11,660 and get through over 200kg of food a day. 136 00:11:12,940 --> 00:11:15,140 There's one more. There's that one behind, as well. 137 00:11:24,860 --> 00:11:26,020 LOW RUMBLE 138 00:11:44,420 --> 00:11:46,180 Outside of mating season, 139 00:11:46,180 --> 00:11:48,820 males are rarely aggressive, 140 00:11:48,820 --> 00:11:51,620 but this cocky young bull uses our presence 141 00:11:51,620 --> 00:11:56,020 as a chance to show his strength and prove himself to the others. 142 00:11:56,020 --> 00:12:00,060 OK, we've just been seen by the bull there and, er, 143 00:12:00,060 --> 00:12:02,540 we thought we'd give him a bit of space 144 00:12:02,540 --> 00:12:05,100 because when they start flapping their ears like that 145 00:12:05,100 --> 00:12:06,900 and moving their feet, 146 00:12:06,900 --> 00:12:10,180 then it means that they want you out of the way. 147 00:12:44,580 --> 00:12:47,940 The elephant's onto us, and now he's determined to track us. 148 00:12:58,780 --> 00:13:00,020 AGGRESSIVE TRUMPET 149 00:13:16,140 --> 00:13:19,100 If he charges, we've got no chance of outrunning him. 150 00:13:27,780 --> 00:13:29,140 We're surrounded... 151 00:13:42,810 --> 00:13:46,370 and we're surrounded by five bull elephants. 152 00:13:46,370 --> 00:13:48,250 WHISPERS: Yeah, this one's coming closer. 153 00:13:48,250 --> 00:13:49,970 ELEPHANT ROARS 154 00:13:54,530 --> 00:13:56,810 One of the younger bulls thinks we're too close 155 00:13:56,810 --> 00:13:58,410 and is making sure we know it. 156 00:14:00,530 --> 00:14:02,890 WHISPERS: The elephant's just here. 157 00:14:02,890 --> 00:14:05,690 It's like ten yards away. So, we've got to be really, really careful. 158 00:14:05,690 --> 00:14:06,850 ELEPHANT ROARS Let's go. 159 00:14:08,690 --> 00:14:10,890 OK, let's not mess around. 160 00:14:20,330 --> 00:14:21,970 WHISPERS: That was pretty close. 161 00:14:21,970 --> 00:14:25,170 ELEPHANT ROARS IN DISTANCE 162 00:14:26,730 --> 00:14:30,450 With enough distance between us and the bull, we're out of danger. 163 00:14:33,010 --> 00:14:36,490 OK. Well, I think that's as close as we want to get today. 164 00:14:36,490 --> 00:14:40,530 That bull just gave us a blunt reminder of how dangerous 165 00:14:40,530 --> 00:14:43,130 elephants can be, if we overstep the mark. 166 00:14:56,850 --> 00:14:59,410 HE GRUNTS 167 00:15:03,370 --> 00:15:05,730 HE SIGHS Morning. 168 00:15:05,730 --> 00:15:08,810 I didn't hear any, um, I didn't hear any wildlife. 169 00:15:12,130 --> 00:15:13,930 Did you, Kane? Any animals? 170 00:15:16,290 --> 00:15:17,450 There was no elephants. 171 00:15:18,530 --> 00:15:19,530 Yeah. 172 00:15:21,810 --> 00:15:23,090 Well...there wasn't. 173 00:15:24,970 --> 00:15:26,290 HE LAUGHS 174 00:15:26,290 --> 00:15:28,490 Nonsense. Huh? 175 00:15:34,970 --> 00:15:35,930 Really? 176 00:15:37,610 --> 00:15:39,570 No, I think you're having me on. 177 00:15:42,690 --> 00:15:44,610 Hello, what's that? 178 00:15:44,610 --> 00:15:46,810 Meerkats. Yes. 179 00:15:50,730 --> 00:15:52,450 Very cute, aren't they? 180 00:15:56,330 --> 00:15:58,050 Scorpions? 181 00:15:58,050 --> 00:16:00,490 There's a lot of scorpions here. 182 00:16:00,490 --> 00:16:05,130 I'll be careful not to lie down in the dirt too much, then. 183 00:16:05,130 --> 00:16:08,570 He's right there, right there, right there. Look at that. 184 00:16:08,570 --> 00:16:10,770 We should leave them to it and carry on, yeah? 185 00:16:18,210 --> 00:16:22,010 It's our second day walking across the Makgadikgadi Pans. 186 00:16:28,450 --> 00:16:31,090 We're over 60 miles from the nearest town, 187 00:16:31,090 --> 00:16:33,170 but, even in this remote place, 188 00:16:33,170 --> 00:16:36,050 there are signs that we're not the only humans here. 189 00:16:39,610 --> 00:16:41,290 COWS MOO 190 00:16:43,130 --> 00:16:46,250 There's a whole herd of cows just following on behind. 191 00:16:48,090 --> 00:16:51,010 What do these cows want? They're getting pretty close. Yeah. 192 00:16:53,050 --> 00:16:55,250 It's like Doctor Doolittle. 193 00:16:58,610 --> 00:17:01,850 This is a cattle post up ahead, is it? Yes. 194 00:17:03,210 --> 00:17:04,570 We stumble on a farm 195 00:17:04,570 --> 00:17:07,730 right in the middle of the elephants' migration route. 196 00:17:07,730 --> 00:17:10,170 Morning. How are you doing? 197 00:17:12,450 --> 00:17:14,050 Hey! Hey! 198 00:17:18,370 --> 00:17:20,370 THEY GREET EACH OTHER 199 00:17:20,370 --> 00:17:21,770 THEY LAUGH 200 00:17:21,770 --> 00:17:24,690 I wasn't expecting to find people out here, 201 00:17:24,690 --> 00:17:26,970 let alone an old mate of Kane's. 202 00:17:26,970 --> 00:17:28,370 What's your name? 203 00:17:28,370 --> 00:17:30,130 Komutsao. Hey. Hey. 204 00:17:35,770 --> 00:17:37,450 Nice place. 205 00:17:37,450 --> 00:17:39,690 Well, I mean, it's dusty, isn't it? 206 00:17:42,370 --> 00:17:45,210 Yeah, you're right on the edge of the Pans. 207 00:17:45,210 --> 00:17:48,130 So, what are you doing today? What are you doing with the cows? 208 00:17:49,810 --> 00:17:51,410 Is there a lot of cattle here? 209 00:17:55,130 --> 00:17:56,690 When the elephants come through, 210 00:17:56,690 --> 00:18:00,170 do they cause damage to your homes or your gardens or...? 211 00:18:00,170 --> 00:18:01,370 Eesh. 212 00:18:15,530 --> 00:18:19,210 Elephants drink up to 200 litres of water every day. 213 00:18:19,210 --> 00:18:23,290 It's thought they can smell it over seven miles away, 214 00:18:23,290 --> 00:18:27,730 and will often damage wells and water storage tanks to get to it. 215 00:18:27,730 --> 00:18:29,690 MEN SHOUT 216 00:18:37,570 --> 00:18:38,530 Yeah. 217 00:18:47,610 --> 00:18:51,890 Most of Botswana's 1.7 million cows range freely... 218 00:18:53,770 --> 00:18:56,850 ..grazing on land often shared with wildlife. 219 00:18:56,850 --> 00:18:59,130 What would you say to the conservationists, 220 00:18:59,130 --> 00:19:01,410 who say there's too many cattle? 221 00:19:01,410 --> 00:19:02,770 HE STUTTERS 222 00:19:02,770 --> 00:19:03,930 Is that true? 223 00:19:05,410 --> 00:19:06,410 Yeah. 224 00:19:09,890 --> 00:19:12,250 It's a pretty tough existence, eh? 225 00:19:21,730 --> 00:19:22,930 Of course, yeah. 226 00:19:22,930 --> 00:19:25,250 Do you want us helping? We may as well help, since we're here. 227 00:19:25,250 --> 00:19:26,490 Yes, no problem. 228 00:19:31,730 --> 00:19:34,010 What do we need to do? 229 00:19:34,010 --> 00:19:35,650 Get them into that one, yeah? Yep. 230 00:19:37,010 --> 00:19:38,650 I need a stick. Yeah. 231 00:19:42,410 --> 00:19:44,690 Hey, hey, hey, hey. 232 00:19:44,690 --> 00:19:45,730 Hey. 233 00:19:47,530 --> 00:19:49,370 WHISTLING AND SHOUTING 234 00:19:51,010 --> 00:19:52,770 Hey. 235 00:19:52,770 --> 00:19:54,050 THEY LAUGH 236 00:19:55,650 --> 00:19:57,010 Come on, come on. 237 00:20:01,330 --> 00:20:03,610 Hey. 238 00:20:03,610 --> 00:20:05,210 He does not want to go in. 239 00:20:14,290 --> 00:20:16,970 This is what I mean, hey? It'd be embarrassing, wouldn't it? 240 00:20:16,970 --> 00:20:20,090 Coming out here to find elephants and getting trampled by a cow. 241 00:20:20,090 --> 00:20:21,210 HE LAUGHS 242 00:20:21,210 --> 00:20:22,490 Aye! 243 00:20:22,490 --> 00:20:23,850 HE LAUGHS 244 00:20:28,330 --> 00:20:29,810 Hey. 245 00:20:29,810 --> 00:20:32,170 Cheers, guys, thank you. Take care. 246 00:20:34,130 --> 00:20:37,370 Come on, Kane, otherwise I'm going to leave you here. 247 00:20:40,090 --> 00:20:41,290 SHOUTING AND WHISTLING 248 00:20:42,530 --> 00:20:45,290 No, don't stay there, it will hit you. 249 00:20:45,290 --> 00:20:46,930 HE LAUGHS MANICALLY 250 00:20:48,330 --> 00:20:50,130 I was trying to stop him from leaving. 251 00:20:50,130 --> 00:20:52,330 THEY LAUGH 252 00:20:54,370 --> 00:20:58,050 I've just been charged by a bull. 253 00:20:58,050 --> 00:20:59,930 KANE LAUGHS 254 00:21:02,210 --> 00:21:05,050 That little calf just nutted me. 255 00:21:05,050 --> 00:21:06,370 I'm covered in cattle shit. 256 00:21:07,690 --> 00:21:12,610 Ooh, it's hard work, all this cattle herding, isn't it? 257 00:21:12,610 --> 00:21:13,930 Ah, it's really hard work. 258 00:21:13,930 --> 00:21:16,410 And I do feel for them, but, at the end of the day, 259 00:21:16,410 --> 00:21:19,490 this is where the elephants and all the other wildlife live, so... 260 00:21:19,490 --> 00:21:21,690 Right. There's that conflict, isn't there? 261 00:21:32,290 --> 00:21:35,530 We're back on the trail of our five bull elephants... 262 00:21:38,410 --> 00:21:40,810 ..and Kane thinks he knows where they're heading. 263 00:21:58,090 --> 00:22:00,450 The Sun is just setting behind me, 264 00:22:00,450 --> 00:22:05,250 and, after hours and hours of tracking these bull elephants, 265 00:22:05,250 --> 00:22:07,610 we've finally found them. 266 00:22:07,610 --> 00:22:09,850 WHISPERS: There's one at the back. What's that? 267 00:22:11,970 --> 00:22:13,850 Oh, shit, yeah. Yeah, yeah. 268 00:22:13,850 --> 00:22:15,490 OK, there's more coming. 269 00:22:15,490 --> 00:22:16,890 They're right there. 270 00:22:19,250 --> 00:22:22,890 What an incredible, incredible experience, 271 00:22:22,890 --> 00:22:26,610 to be right here with the same elephants that were... 272 00:22:27,770 --> 00:22:31,210 ..quite aggressive, but they just want a drink. 273 00:22:31,210 --> 00:22:33,410 They've let us into their space. 274 00:22:36,370 --> 00:22:37,770 Here in the open, 275 00:22:37,770 --> 00:22:40,650 they're more relaxed than they were in the thick bush. 276 00:22:40,650 --> 00:22:43,290 So, they're comfortable for us to get closer. 277 00:23:02,250 --> 00:23:03,210 Wow. 278 00:23:07,970 --> 00:23:09,730 Which was the one flapping his ears? 279 00:23:15,770 --> 00:23:20,210 With a lifespan of around 60 years, elephants are very social. 280 00:23:23,050 --> 00:23:27,410 As bulls become sexually active, they head off alone to mate, 281 00:23:27,410 --> 00:23:29,890 but may rejoin the same herd later. 282 00:23:39,410 --> 00:23:43,970 Those boys over there, they like going down to the pub at 6:00. 283 00:23:45,650 --> 00:23:48,410 They come down for opening hours, have a drink. 284 00:23:54,690 --> 00:23:56,890 Then, they'll be off causing trouble, no doubt, later. 285 00:23:58,730 --> 00:24:02,370 Tomorrow, we're leaving the Pans behind 286 00:24:02,370 --> 00:24:06,610 for a unique opportunity to get even closer to a bull elephant. 287 00:24:17,770 --> 00:24:19,810 The sun's beating down... 288 00:24:19,810 --> 00:24:22,170 We've still got a long walk ahead, but 289 00:24:22,170 --> 00:24:25,330 somewhere in the distance is the village of Gweta. 290 00:24:31,490 --> 00:24:34,290 We're halfway through our journey following elephants 291 00:24:34,290 --> 00:24:35,650 in the wilderness 292 00:24:35,650 --> 00:24:38,370 and we're seemingly miles away from civilisation. 293 00:24:40,450 --> 00:24:43,170 But, right on the edge of the salt pans, 294 00:24:43,170 --> 00:24:46,210 there's a large village of 4,000 people. 295 00:24:46,210 --> 00:24:47,490 Morning, hello. 296 00:24:50,370 --> 00:24:53,250 This is the hub of action, is it? Yeah. 297 00:25:00,490 --> 00:25:02,410 THEY CHUCKLE 298 00:25:02,410 --> 00:25:05,490 I've got absolutely nothing to mail back to the UK. 299 00:25:08,130 --> 00:25:10,530 It feels like a Wild West town. 300 00:25:10,530 --> 00:25:13,090 I expect to see, sort of, cowboys. 301 00:25:13,090 --> 00:25:14,050 WIND WHIPS 302 00:25:17,330 --> 00:25:20,850 A tornado's just torn straight through the middle of Gweta. 303 00:25:20,850 --> 00:25:22,170 Oh, no. LOUD CRASH 304 00:25:22,170 --> 00:25:23,330 Uh-oh, look at that. 305 00:25:24,330 --> 00:25:25,610 Whew. 306 00:25:25,610 --> 00:25:27,210 Oh! Oh! 307 00:25:27,210 --> 00:25:28,170 Oh! 308 00:25:31,490 --> 00:25:33,770 Oh, wow, eh? THEY CHUCKLE 309 00:25:33,770 --> 00:25:34,690 Exciting! 310 00:25:34,690 --> 00:25:37,930 We should go and help the old lady. Yeah, we should, eh? 311 00:25:37,930 --> 00:25:39,690 TRANSLATION: 312 00:25:40,930 --> 00:25:41,890 OK. 313 00:25:43,530 --> 00:25:44,490 Where's it go now? 314 00:25:45,650 --> 00:25:48,610 Thank you. Thank you. No problem. No problem. Thank you. 315 00:25:49,850 --> 00:25:51,770 There we go. We've done our good deed for the day. 316 00:25:51,770 --> 00:25:52,810 THEY CHUCKLE 317 00:25:52,810 --> 00:25:53,770 Yeah. 318 00:25:57,970 --> 00:26:00,890 We're here to help a local conservation group, 319 00:26:00,890 --> 00:26:02,810 Elephants Without Borders, 320 00:26:02,810 --> 00:26:07,210 fit a GPS tracking collar to a full-grown bull elephant. 321 00:26:07,210 --> 00:26:09,650 Hi. Lev? Hello. Mike. Mike? Yeah, yeah. Good to meet you. 322 00:26:09,650 --> 00:26:14,050 Elephant expert Dr Mike Chase studies their migration routes 323 00:26:14,050 --> 00:26:17,530 to understand how elephants and humans can coexist. 324 00:26:17,530 --> 00:26:19,890 What's amazing about the area we're in now 325 00:26:19,890 --> 00:26:22,250 is that this is the southernmost edge of their range. 326 00:26:22,250 --> 00:26:24,810 So, elephant movements here are a complete mystery to us. 327 00:26:24,810 --> 00:26:27,530 So, the satellite collars will provide us with all that 328 00:26:27,530 --> 00:26:29,730 long-distance detective work and information. 329 00:26:30,850 --> 00:26:33,530 This is, uh, Dr Larry Patterson, our wildlife vet. 330 00:26:33,530 --> 00:26:36,610 So, Larry, you'll be on the dart gun, is that right? 331 00:26:36,610 --> 00:26:38,090 Yeah. This is the dart. 332 00:26:38,090 --> 00:26:41,610 It's got a little, uh, explosive charge at the back, 333 00:26:41,610 --> 00:26:48,050 behind a spring, and instantly squirts the drug into the elephant. 334 00:26:48,050 --> 00:26:50,250 This is a highly skilled operation... 335 00:26:51,410 --> 00:26:53,330 ..co-ordinated on the ground... 336 00:26:53,330 --> 00:26:54,690 CAR ENGINE REVS 337 00:26:54,690 --> 00:26:55,930 ..and in the air. 338 00:26:58,010 --> 00:27:00,770 Kane and Mike and will be leading the ground crew... 339 00:27:00,770 --> 00:27:03,450 Elephant safety is the top priority 340 00:27:03,450 --> 00:27:07,090 and making sure we're in position is crucial to the whole operation. 341 00:27:10,930 --> 00:27:13,530 ..while I take to the air with Larry the vet. 342 00:27:23,130 --> 00:27:26,890 Mike has selected the biggest bull of a pair 343 00:27:26,890 --> 00:27:28,450 that's been spotted near Gweta. 344 00:27:30,650 --> 00:27:33,210 All right. I think I've got them there. 345 00:27:33,210 --> 00:27:34,850 Yeah, that's them. 346 00:27:34,850 --> 00:27:36,530 Whereabouts? On the nose, there. 347 00:27:36,530 --> 00:27:38,730 Right. Oh, yeah, I see, OK. Yeah, two of them there. 348 00:27:41,050 --> 00:27:42,290 Which one are we going for? 349 00:27:42,290 --> 00:27:44,650 It's the one on the right, is the one we've earmarked. 350 00:27:44,650 --> 00:27:46,250 The bigger, paler one is our one, yeah? 351 00:27:48,530 --> 00:27:50,370 RADIO: Kane, Kane, come in. 352 00:27:50,370 --> 00:27:53,250 Yeah, go ahead? Basically, when you get to the fork in the road, 353 00:27:53,250 --> 00:27:57,050 in about 100 metres, you're going to get out onto the... 354 00:27:57,050 --> 00:27:59,330 ..the pan, and you'll see them on your left-hand side. 355 00:27:59,330 --> 00:28:00,170 RADIO CLICKS 356 00:28:02,050 --> 00:28:07,210 To date, Mike has darted and collared more than 170 elephants, 357 00:28:07,210 --> 00:28:10,330 at a cost of around £8,000 each. 358 00:28:10,330 --> 00:28:12,530 Are you locked and loaded, then? Yeah. 359 00:28:15,050 --> 00:28:17,010 Going straight in? Yeah, straight in, I'm ready. 360 00:28:17,010 --> 00:28:18,930 You just tell me what you want. 361 00:28:18,930 --> 00:28:22,170 OK. Hang on, I can go slower if you want, OK. 362 00:28:22,170 --> 00:28:24,050 OK, dart's in. 363 00:28:24,050 --> 00:28:25,690 Dart in. Dart in. 364 00:28:26,810 --> 00:28:27,930 Nice job. 365 00:28:27,930 --> 00:28:28,890 RADIO CLICKS 366 00:28:31,970 --> 00:28:34,050 Once the sedative kicks in, 367 00:28:34,050 --> 00:28:36,890 we have less than 30 minutes to get the job done. 368 00:28:45,930 --> 00:28:47,370 The drug's taking effect. 369 00:28:47,370 --> 00:28:50,930 We'll get up closer, Kane, so we can watch him, if he goes down. 370 00:28:58,610 --> 00:29:00,250 OK, a bit of dust coming. 371 00:29:09,170 --> 00:29:12,170 Right, now, we're on foot. We're going to go and... 372 00:29:12,170 --> 00:29:16,410 ..hopefully see this elephant go down, cos he's still standing up. 373 00:29:27,290 --> 00:29:29,930 Yeah, the other bull's just on the edge of the tree line. 374 00:29:34,730 --> 00:29:35,730 ELEPHANT HUFFS 375 00:29:37,530 --> 00:29:39,010 Wow, what a handsome fellow. 376 00:29:39,010 --> 00:29:41,890 He's a tough one as well, hey? He's very stubborn, isn't he? 377 00:29:44,250 --> 00:29:45,690 ELEPHANT HUFFS 378 00:29:48,610 --> 00:29:50,410 There he goes, hopefully. 379 00:29:50,410 --> 00:29:51,370 HUFFING CONTINUES 380 00:29:57,410 --> 00:29:58,970 Oh, my! Easy, boy. 381 00:30:02,850 --> 00:30:04,570 Is that a good position for him to land? 382 00:30:04,570 --> 00:30:08,250 It's the best position he could possibly land. Perfect. Yeah. 383 00:30:08,250 --> 00:30:10,530 So, how long have we got now before it wears off? 384 00:30:10,530 --> 00:30:11,730 Oh, 20 minutes, or so... 385 00:30:11,730 --> 00:30:13,650 20 minutes. ..would be ideal. 386 00:30:13,650 --> 00:30:16,010 The collar won't cause any discomfort 387 00:30:16,010 --> 00:30:17,890 and is loose enough to allow for growth. 388 00:30:17,890 --> 00:30:21,250 I'm going to ask you to throw it over to me... OK. ..on that side. 389 00:30:21,250 --> 00:30:24,210 It has a life span of three to four years, 390 00:30:24,210 --> 00:30:26,690 after which Mike's team will remove it. 391 00:30:26,690 --> 00:30:27,650 There we go. 392 00:30:29,690 --> 00:30:31,610 And how.. How much does this thing weigh? 393 00:30:31,610 --> 00:30:34,850 Uh, just the satellite unit on its own weighs 5kgs 394 00:30:34,850 --> 00:30:36,570 and then the counterweight another 15. 395 00:30:36,570 --> 00:30:38,930 The elephant's comfortable with that? Absolutely. 396 00:30:38,930 --> 00:30:40,690 Yeah? Yeah, it's light, for a five-tonne animal. 397 00:30:40,690 --> 00:30:43,010 I guess, compared to this five-tonne animal. It's very light. 398 00:30:44,250 --> 00:30:46,610 I do not want to be hanging around when he wakes up 399 00:30:46,610 --> 00:30:50,930 cos he's going to be very groggy and probably not all that happy. 400 00:30:50,930 --> 00:30:51,970 OK, now, pull. 401 00:30:53,490 --> 00:30:54,970 It's kind of stuck on something. 402 00:30:54,970 --> 00:30:56,130 OK, hang on. 403 00:30:56,130 --> 00:30:58,490 There we go. Ey! Well done. Excellent. 404 00:30:58,490 --> 00:31:00,810 OK. Excellent. 405 00:31:00,810 --> 00:31:03,170 OK, this is the tricky part. 406 00:31:03,170 --> 00:31:08,330 OK. Kane, hold that just level with the bottom of his foot, OK. Great. 407 00:31:08,330 --> 00:31:11,650 While we get the collar on... Just hold it there. ..Larry and Kane 408 00:31:11,650 --> 00:31:15,970 are collecting DNA samples and valuable data to build a profile 409 00:31:15,970 --> 00:31:18,250 of this 40-year-old bull. 410 00:31:18,250 --> 00:31:19,770 3.5 metres. 411 00:31:19,770 --> 00:31:21,250 He's a big guy. HE CHUCKLES 412 00:31:22,930 --> 00:31:25,290 Just like a human under sedation, 413 00:31:25,290 --> 00:31:27,530 the bull's vital signs are closely monitored. 414 00:31:29,010 --> 00:31:31,210 These mucus membranes inside the eye... 415 00:31:32,090 --> 00:31:33,370 ..they must stay pink 416 00:31:33,370 --> 00:31:35,050 and then you know he's getting good oxygen. 417 00:31:36,530 --> 00:31:38,290 And his breathing is regular. 418 00:31:38,290 --> 00:31:39,850 This is their survival tool. 419 00:31:39,850 --> 00:31:42,850 He has nearly 100,000 muscles in his trunk. 420 00:31:42,850 --> 00:31:45,650 Yeah. Yeah, he can pick up something the size of a pea. 421 00:31:45,650 --> 00:31:48,330 They're very dextrous, aren't they? Absolutely. 422 00:31:48,330 --> 00:31:50,530 RAPID SAWING 423 00:31:53,850 --> 00:31:55,170 Excellent. Well done. 424 00:31:56,570 --> 00:32:00,970 The collar will transmit a live GPS signal 24/7. 425 00:32:00,970 --> 00:32:01,930 ELEPHANT HUFFS 426 00:32:03,370 --> 00:32:07,770 Unfortunately, the main threat to elephants now is ivory poaching. 427 00:32:07,770 --> 00:32:10,450 And so, this is also a surveillance tool to look after and protect 428 00:32:10,450 --> 00:32:12,290 this magnificent animal. 429 00:32:12,290 --> 00:32:14,730 And, you know, how much would something like this sell for? 430 00:32:14,730 --> 00:32:17,290 I mean, it's, it's horrible to think that anyone would want to 431 00:32:17,290 --> 00:32:19,770 kill an elephant just to take its tusks away, but... Right. 432 00:32:19,770 --> 00:32:22,690 One tusk here, if it's about 50lbs, 25kg... 433 00:32:23,930 --> 00:32:26,530 You know, $50,000. It's a lot of money. 434 00:32:26,530 --> 00:32:27,890 $50,000. 435 00:32:27,890 --> 00:32:29,690 I mean, that is massive. 436 00:32:29,690 --> 00:32:34,650 Every year, 20,000 African elephants are killed for their tusks. 437 00:32:34,650 --> 00:32:38,010 But elephants with collars aren't usually targeted 438 00:32:38,010 --> 00:32:40,410 as they can reveal the poachers' location. 439 00:32:40,410 --> 00:32:42,770 I'm going to give him an antidote now. 440 00:32:42,770 --> 00:32:45,130 That should get through his system quite quickly. 441 00:32:45,130 --> 00:32:47,330 Now we leave him alone. Good luck, old boy. 442 00:32:52,050 --> 00:32:55,330 What an absolute privilege to be a part of that. 443 00:32:55,330 --> 00:32:59,730 Such a beautiful animal and to be up so close and personal 444 00:32:59,730 --> 00:33:02,890 with an elephant like that is an absolute dream come true. 445 00:33:02,890 --> 00:33:04,610 ELEPHANT HUFFS 446 00:33:07,490 --> 00:33:09,770 He's getting up. There we go. 447 00:33:09,770 --> 00:33:10,810 ELEPHANT TRUMPETS 448 00:33:23,770 --> 00:33:24,930 Absolutely incredible. 449 00:33:27,210 --> 00:33:28,090 ELEPHANT RUMBLES 450 00:33:35,650 --> 00:33:38,130 Mike believes that understanding more about 451 00:33:38,130 --> 00:33:41,930 elephant migration in the region is key to securing their future. 452 00:33:43,930 --> 00:33:47,130 This elephant could be here today, tomorrow in the Okavango delta, 453 00:33:47,130 --> 00:33:49,090 in a week's time in Namibia, we don't know. 454 00:33:49,090 --> 00:33:52,450 That's the mystery this collar will be able to answer for us. 455 00:33:52,450 --> 00:33:54,810 You're doing other things as well? Well, absolutely. 456 00:33:54,810 --> 00:33:58,450 What impact do they have on people, how are fences, 457 00:33:58,450 --> 00:34:00,170 roads impacting the elephants? 458 00:34:00,170 --> 00:34:03,210 So, it provides us with a treasure trove of secrets. 459 00:34:03,210 --> 00:34:06,610 Where does the safety and security of elephants lie? 460 00:34:06,610 --> 00:34:10,090 It is the value that elephants give the people of Botswana, 461 00:34:10,090 --> 00:34:12,530 that tourism is our second largest foreign exchange earner 462 00:34:12,530 --> 00:34:14,810 and we need to realise how important elephants are 463 00:34:14,810 --> 00:34:16,810 to our national economy. 464 00:34:16,810 --> 00:34:19,970 There must be more to it than money as well? Well, absolutely. 465 00:34:19,970 --> 00:34:24,050 There's an intrinsic value and if we can't save the African elephant, 466 00:34:24,050 --> 00:34:26,530 what is the future for the rest of our wildlife heritage? 467 00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:42,280 Before we continue on our journey following in the footsteps 468 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:43,240 of elephants... 469 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:49,080 Hi. 470 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:52,480 ..Kane wants us to visit a village elder and fortune teller. 471 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:53,880 All right? 472 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:56,360 Nice to meet you. What's your name? 473 00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:58,760 Nice to meet you, Chipson. 474 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:02,560 Many villages in Botswana have soothsayers like Chipson. 475 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:06,280 Their prophecies are taken seriously. 476 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:11,560 We'd like to know if our journey's going to be successful. 477 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:16,040 You have to give some money. 478 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:17,920 OK. Put it here. 479 00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:23,920 What do I do with that? 480 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:27,080 So, you, you get that and you can tell all your wishes on that. 481 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,440 "I want to have seven wives, or so." 482 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:32,400 You can say whatever you want to say with those sticks. 483 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:38,760 I'm going to make a wish that, you know, the elephants in Botswana 484 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:43,960 will be safe and that this year, 485 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:46,240 none will get poached. 486 00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:48,240 How about that? What do I do now? 487 00:35:48,240 --> 00:35:50,440 Throw them on the floor? Yeah, throw them. 488 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:09,840 Have you been charged by an elephant? 489 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:30,200 No, we don't. 490 00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:45,320 The idea is, I think, that if you've got lots of elephants, 491 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:49,360 you'll attract a lot more tourists and the money that tourism will 492 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:53,600 bring in will hopefully benefit normal people. 493 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:23,960 Thank you for being so honest with me. 494 00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:45,400 That's a relief. Thank you. 495 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:03,480 He definitely raised some valid points about the community 496 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:06,280 not seeing any benefit from elephants. 497 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:11,320 It's easy for us to say in the West you should care 498 00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:12,960 because it's another living creature, 499 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:16,920 but you can understand why the vast majority of the people living out in 500 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:21,160 these villages, from my experience, consider elephants as the enemy. 501 00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:28,200 It sounds to me like the people who benefit the most 502 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:32,600 out of wildlife conservation are those who have a 503 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:35,520 stake in the tourism at the higher end, not the local people. 504 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,200 So, how far is it to Maun from here? 505 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:54,880 Two days? Yep. 506 00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:56,760 Maybe we'll hitchhike for this bit. 507 00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:58,320 THEY LAUGH 508 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:05,680 Ahead of us is a 130-mile journey along northern Botswana's 509 00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:07,120 main highway. 510 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:09,560 That is what you call a zebra crossing. 511 00:39:10,640 --> 00:39:13,080 We're heading for the Okavango Delta... 512 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:15,280 Keep walking. 513 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:20,120 ..where we hope to catch up with our bull elephants. 514 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,040 Is there a special etiquette here? Use your thumb or what? 515 00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:35,200 How do you do it? Yeah. 516 00:39:38,720 --> 00:39:39,760 CAR HONKS 517 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:44,960 In England, we do this. 518 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:47,320 We put our thumb up like that. 519 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:53,480 THEY LAUGH 520 00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:56,600 They'll just keep going? 521 00:39:56,600 --> 00:39:58,800 There's a car coming. Let's try these guys. 522 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:05,960 No. 523 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:07,240 There's another one coming. 524 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:14,000 CAR RAPIDLY HONKS 525 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:20,560 Is he? Oh, OK. 526 00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:26,240 OK, let's get him. 527 00:40:26,240 --> 00:40:28,760 I'll tell you what, it's too bloody hot to be running. 528 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:36,400 Thank you for picking us up. 529 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,880 So, are you going to work or are you going home? 530 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:42,720 What is your work? 531 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:46,240 A land surveyor, oh, OK. 532 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:52,760 And did you enjoy it? 533 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:58,360 Where did you live? Which place? 534 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:01,280 In Dagenham. I'm glad you enjoyed it there. 535 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,080 This is Maun, on the outskirts of town. 536 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:10,560 Let's go and see what's going on. 537 00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:11,640 Great, let's go. 538 00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:18,840 An influx of tourist dollars has seen this town expand 539 00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:21,040 and swallow up the surrounding bush. 540 00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:27,120 We're stopping off to meet a man who's dealing with 541 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:30,720 the consequences of some of Africa's most deadly animals living 542 00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:32,000 right in the heart of town. 543 00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:36,280 Hey, how's it going? Hey, good, man, how's it? 544 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:38,080 Yeah, good to see you. Lev. You too. Jethro. 545 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:40,080 Nice to meet you. Pleasure to meet you. I'm Kane. 546 00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:42,520 So, we've heard there's, err, there's a few local visitors. 547 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,640 Is that right? Yeah. I suppose they're more the hosts. 548 00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:49,360 Oh, wow, look at that. 549 00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:51,240 HIPPO ROARS 550 00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:53,040 Bloody hell, he's massive. 551 00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:59,640 This year, the river running through Maun dried up, 552 00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:02,560 stranding many animals in this one tiny pool. 553 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:10,840 Five hippos just, sort of, wallowing like that. 554 00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:15,360 How many crocs are in here? 555 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:17,720 We counted 26 by sight, yeah. 26, in this pool? 556 00:42:17,720 --> 00:42:19,120 In this pool - maybe six or seven or eight. 557 00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:20,400 And they're big ones? 558 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:23,000 Yeah, there's two that are around about four metres. 559 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:25,840 I mean, you've got horses going to drink, there's cows going to drink. 560 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:28,120 Do they not get munched by the crocs? 561 00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:29,360 It's winter at the moment. 562 00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:32,640 So, the crocs are not eating yet, but it's starting to warm up now. 563 00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:35,720 I reckon the big ones will get hungry soon. 564 00:42:35,720 --> 00:42:37,640 There doesn't seem to be a great deal of grass out 565 00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:39,040 there for the hippos to feed on. 566 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:41,560 There's no grass, and all the new shoots that start popping up 567 00:42:41,560 --> 00:42:44,280 get cleaned out pretty quickly by this herd of cattle here. 568 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:45,440 Yeah. 569 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:51,760 An estimated 500 people a year are killed by hippos in Africa, 570 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,280 and with these ones living so close to town... 571 00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:57,520 Let's get it as close to the water as we feel comfortable. 572 00:42:57,520 --> 00:43:01,920 ..Jethro decided to feed them, not just to keep them alive, but to 573 00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:06,160 limit their danger to people by making sure they stay by the pool. 574 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:09,760 You don't want to get them used to being fed. Sure. 575 00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:13,440 But at the same time, there's nothing else we can do right now. 576 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:17,280 And do they go wandering through the streets of the town sometimes? 577 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:20,920 One of the younger males, right up that road and about five, 578 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:23,600 ten minutes before that, all the kids had just come past, 579 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:26,840 walking to school, and if it had been ten minutes earlier, 580 00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:29,160 then we would have had a real problem on our hands. 581 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:36,760 Across Africa, as people encroach on nature more and more, 582 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:39,760 and as the effects of climate change bite, 583 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:41,960 conflict with wildlife is increasing. 584 00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:48,000 A battle the animals are likely to lose. 585 00:43:53,680 --> 00:43:54,760 It's a tough one. 586 00:43:56,280 --> 00:43:59,160 Who are we in the West to criticise people's 587 00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:01,520 aspirations for a better way of life? 588 00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:12,480 This is the eastern edge of the Okavango Delta, 589 00:44:12,480 --> 00:44:15,240 and this is proper wilderness. 590 00:44:15,240 --> 00:44:20,920 It's taken nine days and 260 miles of parched saltpans 591 00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:24,280 and dry scrub to complete this stretch of my journey. 592 00:44:27,080 --> 00:44:29,040 Wow, that is quite something. 593 00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:36,040 Here, at this watering hole on the edge of the delta, we run into the 594 00:44:36,040 --> 00:44:40,280 largest gathering of bull elephants we'll see outside of the delta. 595 00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:57,080 It's not? 596 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:01,480 There are at least two bachelor herds 597 00:45:01,480 --> 00:45:06,800 and several solitary bulls here, including one very senior veteran. 598 00:45:10,560 --> 00:45:13,120 Yeah, he gets the best bathing spot. 599 00:45:13,120 --> 00:45:14,120 LAUGHTER 600 00:45:19,720 --> 00:45:20,800 Yeah. 601 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:26,200 OK, like a depression in their head. Yes. 602 00:45:36,880 --> 00:45:40,960 Some of the older bulls will have made this journey many times, 603 00:45:40,960 --> 00:45:45,200 and it's their job to pass their knowledge onto the younger ones. 604 00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:50,320 For the elephants, the promise of limitless food 605 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:54,040 and water are within grasp, and we'll be right behind them. 606 00:46:03,720 --> 00:46:07,600 On the final 140 miles of my adventure... 607 00:46:07,600 --> 00:46:10,040 It's pretty deep here. 608 00:46:10,040 --> 00:46:15,000 ..I cross the Okavango Delta, one of Africa's greatest Edens... 609 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:17,200 What a remarkable place this is. 610 00:46:19,560 --> 00:46:22,120 ..and meet the people trying to live in harmony... 611 00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:23,400 They're having a riot. 612 00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:24,600 ..alongside elephants. 613 00:46:54,200 --> 00:46:56,440 Subtitles by Red Bee Media