The African elephant, the largest land animal on the planet.
We're about 25 yards away.
Once, millions of elephants roamed across Africa.
Now, there are less than 450,000.
If we're not careful, we will push them to the brink of extinction
I find it incomprehensible that anyone would want to kill them.
My name's Levison Wood.
It's pretty deep here.
I've walked the Nile...
Crocodile, there.
..and explored over 100 countries.
This is proper wilderness.
And I've been a champion of elephant conservation for nearly a decade.
How can we save the last of the giants?
Now, I'm on a new journey across Botswana,
home to the world's largest elephant population.
This is where we're going to see some serious wildlife.
I'm joining them on their annual migration
so I can experience their world on their terms.
Africa's nature at its finest,
but also, this dark and shocking brutality.
As close up as possible.
You've just been shat on by a monkey.
At times, it will be downright dangerous.
Coming straight at us.
Where?
LION GROWLS
I'll meet the people who live and work here...
SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE
..to discover how difficult life is alongside these giants.
SPEAK IN OWN LANGUAGE
I want to see for myself if there's a way that elephants
and people can co-exist.
On the final and most dangerous leg of my journey...
GUIDE:
The crocodile's just there.
..I travel across one of the planet's last untouched wildernesses...
WHISPERS:
..where we come face-to-face... ANIMAL GRUNT
..with new dangers...
All right.
ELEPHANT TOOTS
..and find ourselves too close for comfort.
HIPPO ROARS
I think he's coming. He's coming.
We've left open plains behind now,
and this is where we're going to see some serious wildlife.
The last leg of our trip is taking us deep into the Okavango Delta...
..a natural wonder so vast, it's visible from space.
How incredible, they're literally everywhere.
At the end of the elephants' migration,
the delta is a safe haven,
and worth the perilous journey to get to the nutrient-rich
feeding grounds, but for us, it's a very different prospect.
Well, that's what we're here to see.
So far, Kane and I have covered over 250 miles in the footsteps
of females and their young along the Chobe River.
Next, we travelled across the vast Makgadikgadi Pans,
following male herds west.
Now, we're at the point where the ancient pathways converge,
the Okavango Delta.
Over the next seven days,
we'll track elephants into the heart of the flood plains,
a unique opportunity to observe their behaviour up close and personal.
Then, we'll push onto Kane's home village of Gudigwa,
which lies on the north-western edge of the Okavango.
We're following the course of the Gumulte River upstream,
deeper into the delta system itself.
It's day 18 of our 650-mile journey.
Kane and I are heading into a 6,000-square-mile maze
of channels and lagoons.
Teeming with wildlife, it's home to over 2,000 species of animals
and plants.
It feels like everything up until now has been a bit of a walk in the park.
And now, this is where the real challenge lies.
When annual winter rains flood into the delta,
the waters overflow across the savannah...
..creating a huge, lush wetland.
As we hit the waterways and channels,
the more swampy and marshy it will get,
which will make travelling tricky.
No-one has followed migrating elephants
on this path on foot before.
WHISPERS:
Tracking herds has been a constant challenge on this journey,
but in this area,
there's the highest concentration of elephants in the world.
We immediately come across a herd of ten females and two babies.
During the winter flooding,
the delta swells to three times its size...
..creating a rich feeding ground that attracts wildlife from miles around.
Herds like these have synchronised their feeding habits with
the arrival of the Okavango's annual flooding.
Up to 43,000 elephants gather in these waterways every year.
But it's a long journey for some.
ELEPHANT GRUNTS
All it takes is a slight change in the wind direction.
As soon as they sniff you, gone.
They're heading, err, west, the same direction as us.
So, we'll follow along and carry on.
It's not only elephants here in search of food.
Close behind are the apex predators looking for an easy kill.
So, just over there is a leopard.
Across Africa,
leopard numbers have decreased by 30% in the past 25 years.
Now, they're classed as a vulnerable species.
Most large cats see humans as a threat
and will avoid contact if they can.
OK, she's gone. Wow.
LEVISON CHUCKLES
As we move further away from the inhabited fringes of the delta...
..the Okavango swamps create an inaccessible marshland.
It's a natural barrier against human encroachment.
Being on foot, making headway deeper into the delta system,
we just feel so much more connected to nature in a way that is
impossible to replicate.
It was great to...to follow the breeding herd of...of elephants,
along the...the river here.
It's just so wild, you know.
Everything up until now, we've been kind of following tracks
and trails, but here, this is pure wilderness.
You know, one of the last true wildernesses left in Africa
and it really feels it.
ANIMAL GROWL
What's that noise?
That's...that was a lion, not far away.
LION GRUNTS
Yep, definitely a lion.
You've just been shat on by a monkey.
WHISPERS: There's a lion right there, probably about 20 yards away.
We're actually outside this camp.
Wow.
Three fully-grown male lions just walked straight past our camp.
I should probably be terrified but actually, that's just incredible.
Like leopards,
lion numbers have been decimated by humans over the years.
They've learned to be wary.
Even so, we hang back and let the lions move on.
OK, so the lions that, er, just passed our camp,
we're heading out in the same direction, so...
ROAR
But it sounds like they're still very close.
KANE:
LOUD ROAR
Guys, stay strong, let's go.
As a sand bushman,
Kane's lived around lions since he was a youngster.
He knows when to back off and when to be bold.
I'm trusting his bush skills to keep me safe.
KANE:
And then, in the long grass, we discover why the lions are here,
a fully-grown male buffalo on its own.
It looks injured and, err, it's clearly staggering.
The tendons.
The lions, they're just sitting there under the tree, just,
just watching it.
They're being cautious, keeping away from those lethal horns.
Even for a lion, an injured buffalo is still a deadly foe.
So, the poor thing's just going to sit there, injured.
The lions are moving now.
They're just coming out of the tree line and they'll be going for him.
The lions are going to go for him.
BUFFALO GROANS
They've already started eating him, while he's still alive.
Finally, its life is over.
To be honest, that's one of the most brutal things I have ever seen.
It is tough, it's tough to watch, but, err, the lions,
they're at, like, the top of the food chain.
For whatever left, err, the hyenas are going to enjoy, the vultures.
You see the vultures are starting to settle already. Yeah.
They can see the blood from the...the buffalo,
and the jackals will come as well.
Everyone will feast, as soon as the big lions have left.
So, it's a good thing.
As a child, Kane's family often shared lion kill.
Really? Yeah.
Even though Kane's confident, it's still daunting.
These are Africa's top predators.
LEVISON:
Come.
Is it safe to be hanging around here?
I mean, the lions are probably watching us
from about ten yards away. Yeah.
No, you don't want to be too long here
because they might come for their kill.
I'm fine, thanks, I've already had lunch.
KANE LAUGHS
It's most definitely dead now.
At least it's out of its misery.
See, where they attacked the buffalo on here.
Can you see? This is where the bite marks were.
You see the teeth, gone through here?
Right, come on, let's leave the lions to it.
What this trip has shown me is the sheer beauty
and awe-inspiring magnificence of nature at its finest,
but also this dark and shocking savagery,
you know, the brutality of...
..what life out here is all about.
Are you sure about that? Oh, yes.
We're gonna walk across this lake
here and you're telling me there's no crocs.
Have to believe you.
Bushman, Kane and I are 22 days into our journey,
moving deeper into the Okavango delta.
Look at that. Wow.
Following migrating elephants,
as they walk into the heart of the flood plain.
Could not be better?
You know, walking bare foot's quite nice, isn't it?
It's a little bit spiky.
Come on, let's put on shoes.
Ah, come on, I thought you were a bushman.
We should do this all day.
I reckon I could do it.
No, I can do it, I can do it, but I want more comfortable.
You know, the European life spoiled me.
You guys, with all your funny food.
LAUGHTER
You've been drinking too much booze, that's your problem.
Yeah, drinking beer and wearing shoes.
I didn't have this kind of hi tech shoes.
All right, we'll put our shoes on, if you insist.
Quite deep, eh? Very deep.
Shall we jump it?
The delta is a patchwork of 150,000 islands.
Uh, time to get wet again.
Watch out for hippos.
The flood plains are now becoming
more and more of a testing maze of channels.
Agh! HE LAUGHS
Don't joke, dude.
We're at the start of the wetlands.
It's looking like it's going very marshy now.
The grassland is now almost completely flooded.
The delta's waterways are home to one of the most aggressive
animals in Africa.
The hippo.
These huge herbivores live everywhere in these channels.
And we have no choice but to pass close by them.
GRUNTING That way, that way!
Kane spots a lone hippo, up ahead.
There's no way around it.
Ooh. Get here.
You all right? You all right, Park?
It's there unpredictable nature that makes them so deadly.
GRUNTING
You think he's all right?
Yeah, I mean, they, they look
like footpaths made by people but they're not.
These are, these are all made by the hippos as they come from
their pastures towards the river.
HIPPOS GRUNT
You can hear them just in the river, just there.
It's, er, it's unnerving, to say the least.
I mean, these things weigh tonnes.
It's pretty close.
Pfff!
We've still got 50 miles to go, through even wider
and deeper channels to get to the heart of the swamp.
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
We can't afford to let our guards down.
ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
This lone, young male is eager to display his dominance.
But really, he's just showing off.
It's protective mothers that are the really aggressive ones.
After a glorious hour watching this beautiful herd...
It's very special to be this close to these amazing animals.
..we leave them in peace, hoping to catch up with them
again as they head further into the wetlands.
It looks like we've got a bit of an obstacle.
And with deeper waters ahead...
This channel may be 30 feet across
and we've got two hippos right there.
Do you think there are any crocodiles in this? Yeah.
..the challenge will get more dangerous with hippos
and crocs everywhere.
How are we gonna get across? We don't have to walk.
Er, let's try and see.
Whoa. Watch out for hippos.
It's pretty deep here.
Crocodiles swim at up to 20mph
and can be lurking anywhere in waters this deep.
Still alive. Yeah.
We're across safely, but there's still another 40 miles to go
to the heart of the delta where the migrating elephants gather to feed.
This is a swamp. This is a proper swamp.
It's a dead end.
We'll have to find another way forward.
Kane and I are following migrating elephants
through the Okavango delta,
but five days in,
we've reached the end of our journey on foot.
The only way to keep up with the elephants is by boat.
Kane's arranged for some of his fellow Saan,
who are fishermen, and know these channels well, to pick us up.
Hi, how are you? Lev.
Are we good to go? Yep.
It'll take us two days to travel the next 40 miles.
I quite fancy a dip.
The water's, like, quite inviting, in this heat, but, er,
when you look what's out there, it's probably not a wise idea.
It looks idyllic, but this is the most dangerous part of our journey.
These waters are full of crocodiles and hippos.
HIPPOPOTAMUS SNORTS
HIPPOPOTAMUS ROARS
These two-tonne beasts are Africa's most deadly animal,
killing 500 people a year.
HIPPOPOTAMUS GROANS
They could very easily knock this over,
and if you land in their jaws,
then it's game over.
Around 12,500 hippos live here.
For the past 2.5 million years,
the annual rains have flooded the delta,
creating an ecosystem like nowhere else,
attracting a great diversity of species.
Look at that.
There's a breeding herd of elephants crossing a river
and they're all going for a swim.
It's an amazing sight.
It's hard to tell if this is the same female herd
we've been tracking for the past seven days,
but I can spot at least one calf,
almost entirely submerged as it swims across.
What a remarkable place this is, though.
It's such a privilege to be here.
Unlike humans, elephants swim from birth,
using their trunks like snorkels to breathe underwater.
I just hope that this place is preserved for future generations,
not just for humans to come and see elephants,
but for the elephants themselves,
to be able to stay safe,
and to have this incredible wilderness to themselves.
Where?
He is MASSIVE.
How big, is he?
MASSIVE.
In these murky waters,
it's impossible to tell what's beneath us.
What? What is it?
What? Right here?
Yeah.
Oh, that's a big croc, right?
As we near the deepest part of the swamp,
we round a bend,
and nearly bump into a bull elephant hidden in the rushes.
There's an elephant just there, on the edge of the swamp.
He's out grazing in this, these reeds.
And he's not alone.
This is the first group of males we've come across
since we left the salt pans.
It's quite amazing, look, there's seven bull elephants,
and we're only 30 feet away from them.
That's very cool, isn't it? Look.
HE CHUCKLES
We're finally here, at the heart of the delta.
These elephants, and others before them,
are feeding where the ancient migration paths have led them
for hundreds of thousands of years.
So, this, sort of, seems like a paradise for the elephants.
I mean, there's so much vegetation.
Their arduous journey is over,
and they can feast on the lush vegetation,
bursting with nutrients that can only be found in this oasis.
So these elephants will have crossed saltpans, deserts,
all the barren areas, just to get to this swamp.
How do they know the way?
This knowledge of routes, food and watering holes
is passed down the generations.
In the summer, as the waters recede,
the rains fall in the east of the country,
creating new feeding grounds,
and so the elephants will migrate back.
It's a lot of stuff to remember, isn't it, for that little one?
I mean, he's got to remember all of these things
so that he can then pass that down to future generations. Yes.
And what are they doing with their trunks, splashing around?
Right, so he's cleaning it?
OK.
Elephants get through six sets of teeth during their 60-year lifespan.
As one wears out, so another replaces it.
They typically get to their sixth and final set at the age of 30,
which has to last them for the rest of their lives.
They've learned that washing the reeds
helps preserve their precious teeth.
Incredible creatures.
This is such a beautiful spot.
It's amazing that these elephants travel hundreds of miles
across saltpans, across deserts,
to get to this one, amazing place,
and for the elephants, it's just heaven,
because they've got everything they need here.
They're safe, they're secure, they're away from danger.
Thank you for bringing me here.
No, thank you.
Who'd have thought it?
Standing in the middle of a swamp, surrounded by elephants.
THEY LAUGH
What a place.
For these bulls, it's their journey's end.
But Kane and I still have to escape this maze of dangerous channels
to reach dry land.
Over the past six days, Kane and I have travelled 120 miles
across the remote wilderness of the Okavango Delta...
..following migrating elephants into the heart of the swamp.
I thought you were being nice when you said sit at the front.
I thought I would get a good view, but now I can see why.
LAUGHTER
Never mind the hippos and the crocs.
It is the flies you have to worry about here.
It's our second day on the boats, and it's taking a toll.
You what? You've got a sore arse. Yeah, sore arse.
Yeah, I've got a sore arse too.
Ow. There's no way of getting comfortable in this thing, really.
You look all right there, though, Kane.
Out here, there's no time to relax.
So, that hippo seems to be blocking the channel at its narrowest point.
How, err, how are we going to get past him?
Well, we have to go. That's the only place we have to go through.
Until now, we've given the hippos a wide berth to avoid
aggravating them and for our own safety.
Now, we've no choice but to squeeze past.
HIPPO SNORTS
I'm relying on Kane and our local fishermen to keep us safe.
Well, I'm first.
So, if he, if he decides to, err, pop his head up here,
this is where I say goodbye.
Kane's got a bear banger handy,
a small firework that he can use to frighten off any aggressive animals.
HIPPO ROARS
He is getting close.
He's coming, he's coming, he's coming, he's coming.
KANE SETS OFF BANGER
Whoa, that was close.
He was going to come for us then, wasn't he?
That got the heart pounding.
The bear banger's given the hippo a shock, but he's unharmed.
How are you feeling?
I'm looking forward to getting off this boat.
THEY LAUGH
As we come to the end of another long day,
there are clear signs that we're getting close to human habitation.
Cattle.
Dry land is up ahead and I think this is almost the end of the river.
Thank goodness for that.
This final stage of our trip will see us back on foot,
heading for Kane's home village.
We are passing through the villages of Eretsha and Betsha...
KANE SNORTS
Hello.
CHILDREN LAUGH
..to reach our journey's end.
These communities are Saan people, like Kane,
and have lived in this part of Botswana for over 150,000 years.
Sharing the land with elephants.
As we walk on through the villages and past more waterways,
we come across a group of fisherwomen.
Hello. Hi.
How are you? Fine.
These women fish for their families nearly every day in the shallows
around the villages while their men head further afield in their boats.
Is this a good place for fishing, yeah? OK.
She doesn't seem in the least bit concerned that there's a hippo
right there. I'm fairly sure there's a few crocodiles in there as well.
The women stamp their baskets into the water to trap fish.
THEY CHEER
But if they don't get any, they have to rely on whatever else
they can forage to feed their families.
What are you eating there?
Water lily. Water lily, yeah.
Is this what the elephants eat, as well? Yeah. Ah.
I feel at one with the elephants.
DONKEY WHINES
I think the donkey's upset that we're eating his lunch.
LAUGHTER
Over millennia, these indigenous communities have developed
a profound connection with the natural world.
Do you like living with elephants? Is it nice?
So, you're, kind of, like,
constantly in competition with the animals, aren't you?
"Ooh, ooh, ohh!"
Has any of you had any problems yourself with animals or with
the elephants?
Your father? Really? Oh, wow, I'm very sorry to hear that.
Has that changed your opinion about elephants?
For these fisherwomen, it's a tough life on the edge of the delta.
THEY SING AND CHANT
And yet, despite all they've been through,
they have a very different attitude to coexisting with
elephants from some of the other people I've met on my journey.
We only have ten miles left before we reach Kane's home
village of Gudigwa.
As we head north...
..on the only track connecting these small villages...
ELEPHANT ROARS
..we regularly spot elephants.
The people here live very close to their heavyweight neighbours.
And as we follow this herd past the edge of the village...
..we see that it's a special one.
In amongst the herd is a tiny infant,
the youngest I've seen on my entire journey.
Baby elephants can weigh over 100kg at birth and rely
on their mother's milk for their first four years, but they will
also start to eat grass and other vegetation within months of birth.
But for a baby this small, it's a dangerous world.
They depend on their mothers and the rest of the herd for protection.
Watching this youngster takes me back to the beginning
of our journey, 650 miles and 27 days ago...
Hello.
..when Kane took me to the
elephant orphanage to meet three beautiful, but cheeky young calves.
Sorry, hold on.
It was a wonderful start to a trip that's opened my eyes to the
extraordinary yet fragile world of elephants.
From female herds migrating along the Chobe River...
You see a flash of grey and there's a herd of elephants right there.
..to tracking bulls across the barren Makgadikgadi Pans.
Two bulls. You think there's two?
Yeah, there's two here.
It's not always been easy.
It's about to come for us. Go, go, go.
LAUGHTER
Although it's been a magical and enlightening trip, it's also laid
bare the huge challenges elephants face in their fight for survival.
So, is your family expecting us or is this going to be a surprise?
It's going to be a surprise. Really?
Now, as we walk the final, few steps into Kane's home village,
we're nearing the end of our own epic journey.
You see the crowd there? That's home. That's home.
Yeah. I thought you said it was a surprise.
There's hundreds of people waiting.
SINGING
Is this your mum? Yes, this is Mama.
Hello, Mama.
Hey, hey.
I'm moved by the warmth of Kane's welcome home and also
by my entire journey walking with elephants.
They're very, very intelligent animals, and seeing them,
you see the emotions in their eyes and I've seen that in bucket loads.
I feel I've gained a rare connection to these giants of Africa.
Thank you so much for guiding me on this journey.
We're going to be friends for life. We will, we will.
Without this inspiring man,
Kane Motswana, I'd never have got this rare
glimpse into the lives of elephants, both the good and the bad.
It's people like Kane, real ambassadors, that we
should encourage to, to help support, you know, those
initiatives where humans and animals can live together in harmony.
However, it's a race against time to ensure that these
magnificent animals don't
join the thousands of others that have become extinct at the hands
of humans. But as conflicted and as complicated as this story is,
I do feel that there may be a glimmer of hope,
that we can coexist.
Subtitles by Red Bee Media