BBC Natures Epic Journeys_1of3_Elephants
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Transcript
00:00We're about to follow the world's greatest migrations and reveal their secrets in a way
00:08that's never been done before.
00:13All over the world, animals are on the move, on journeys that their lives depend upon,
00:22migrating to find food, to give birth, or to escape danger.
00:29To reach their destination, they must travel hundreds of miles through some of the most
00:33inhospitable wilderness in the world, their drive stronger than the obstacles in their
00:39path.
00:40That rapids really picking up.
00:41They're just disappearing under the water.
00:43For the first time, groundbreaking science allows our specialist team to follow these
00:48migrations more closely than ever before and understand them in unprecedented depth.
00:55We can track this Ellie's movement in real time.
00:59Using the latest satellite tracking technology, we can monitor individual animals and witness
01:05firsthand their struggles for survival.
01:08We've got a drama down here.
01:09We've got him.
01:10We've got the wolf.
01:11We've got the wolf.
01:14This time, we're following one of the largest elephant migrations in East Africa, joining
01:20them for the most important stage of their journey.
01:24That's extraordinary.
01:26We'll follow them as they enter the Samburu National Reserve in eastern Kenya, when around
01:31a thousand elephants come together.
01:35We'll stay with them and investigate the challenges they face as they search for food,
01:43brave hungry predators,
01:45The lions are somewhere in between us and them.
01:51And battle to win the right to mate.
01:54Below us, around a thousand elephants are coming together from all over northern Kenya
02:04in the most crucial gathering of the year.
02:08And we're here to follow them every step of the way.
02:22Kenya, East Africa, and Samburu National Reserve, 165 square kilometers of rugged highlands
02:33and dry grassland.
02:35For the next month, we'll base ourselves here, the arena for one of the greatest elephant
02:40gatherings on earth.
02:44Right now, all across northern Kenya, dozens of elephant families are leaving their home
02:49territories, traveling huge distances to get here.
02:54Triggered by the annual rains and the promise of new vegetation, family groups and lone
03:00bulls will walk up to 100 miles to reach this one place in search of food, water and a mate.
03:11It's a brief but important opportunity, because in about 21 days' time, the elephants will
03:16begin to head back out to their home ranges across northern Kenya.
03:23We're basing ourselves at the headquarters of Save the Elephants, a key research organization
03:29located in the very heart of the reserve.
03:35Using this as our base camp, a team of biologists, camera crews and local experts will study
03:41the elephants' every move.
03:45I'll be working closely with elephant expert Saba Douglas-Hamilton, analyzing satellite
03:53tracking data as it comes into camp.
03:58Using this information, the team will head out each morning to track the elephants as
04:02they enter the reserve.
04:13Fifty elephants are currently fitted with satellite tracking collars, and the latest
04:18data suggests that the numbers coming to the reserve could now be the highest in five years.
04:25To help us assess the success of this year's migration, we're going to follow two distinct
04:30groups.
04:33Wildlife cameraman Bob Poole will follow the bulls as they enter the reserve to find a
04:38mate.
04:41In recent years, these males with their large tusks have been targeted by poachers.
04:47This gathering will help reveal much-needed information about the health of these individuals
04:52and of the East African population.
04:57At the same time, wildlife cameraman Max Hugg-Williams hopes to follow a special group of young elephants
05:03– a herd of orphans where every single adult member has been killed by poachers.
05:10Unexperienced and leaderless, these young orphans can use this remarkable gathering
05:16to try to get an older, wiser herd to accept them in a form of adoption before they begin
05:22to disperse back out of the reserve in just three weeks' time.
05:29Satellite tracking collars will be key to helping us to follow our elephants.
05:36I'm joining Save the Elephants as they collar an individual from another orphan herd – an
05:4311-year-old female who lost her mother two years ago.
05:47The more orphans that are collared, the more we can learn about how these young elephants
05:52cope without their mothers.
05:57She's been given a sedative by the vet so the team can get in to fit her collar.
06:05Back, back, he's saying to go back, he's saying to go back.
06:19While the elephant is unconscious, my job is to keep her cool and comfortable.
06:29While the elephant is down, it's hugely important to keep her airways open with a
06:34simple stick, but it does the job.
06:36It's pretty extraordinary to feel her breath on my hand.
06:44With every collar fitted, the researchers gain a greater understanding of these complex
06:49creatures.
06:53This collar is going to gather a whole wealth of information, not only where this orphan
06:59cow goes, but also giving the team insight into aspects of her behaviour, why she chooses
07:04to go certain places at certain times of the year, how she behaves under stressful situations,
07:11but also giving information on her own individual personality, why she makes certain decisions
07:16that other individuals might not.
07:20So this is now going to be sending a signal every hour, on the hour, so we can pretty
07:24much track this Ellie's movement in real time, see exactly where she's going and why.
07:31With the tracking collar secure, it's time to bring the elephant round and get her back
07:36on her feet.
07:38The vet administers a drug to reverse the effects of the anaesthetic.
07:57Each collared individual will tell its own tale and help to paint a bigger picture of
08:02this year's annual gathering.
08:06Over the next few days, the satellite tracking data shows elephant families making their
08:11way to the reserve from all over northern Kenya.
08:17Amongst those arriving, the incoming data reveals that a herd of young orphaned elephants,
08:23well known to the scientists, is already in the reserve.
08:28Max, it's Liz.
08:29I've got coordinates for you.
08:31North, 0.33 degrees. East, 0.47.
08:36So Wilson, I think we need to go left.
08:42Max finds the elephants not far from their last coordinates.
08:51He filmed this herd five years ago, before the family was decimated by poachers.
09:00This is the first time he's seen them since.
09:04It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand out when you think, last time I was
09:09filming these guys, they were in the perfect family and now they've been reduced to this
09:15orphan group.
09:18This herd lost all seven adult members.
09:28Across Africa, ivory poaching is at an all-time high, with one elephant killed on average
09:33every 15 minutes.
09:38It's been described as an elephant holocaust, with over 30,000 elephants killed for their
09:43ivory every year.
09:47By killing adults with the largest tusks, poachers are depriving herds of their most
09:52experienced and important members, disrupting the elephant's close-knit society, and leaving
09:59younger, inexperienced elephants to fend for themselves.
10:06Now in this area of northern Kenya, almost one in five herds are orphan herds.
10:14This one is led by a young 13-year-old female called Habiba.
10:21Getting up this close and seeing Habiba looking into her eyes, you have to think what she
10:31has been through in her short life and how she's had to grow up so quickly.
10:38Normally, the matriarch is at least twice Habiba's age, but as the oldest remaining
10:44member of the herd, her whole family now look to her for guidance.
10:52Barely a teenager, she lacks the knowledge and experience needed to keep her family safe.
11:06A herd can pay dearly for this lack of knowledge.
11:10Just a few years ago, another orphan herd, led by an inexperienced matriarch, made a
11:15terrible decision.
11:22She decided to cross a river when it was in full flood, a huge error in judgment that
11:31put the lives of the young calves in danger.
12:02This family was lucky.
12:10The calves were washed ashore, but it drives home just how important an older, experienced
12:16leader is.
12:19Habiba, our orphan leader, is herself a first-time mother to a little calf called Zawadi, who
12:27is already proving to be quite a handful.
12:30This little character is going to give us heart attacks, I think, because he's always
12:34disappearing off on his own.
12:37Even with the short time we've spent with him, you can just see what a character he
12:41is.
12:42Zawadi is a plucky little elephant, but he's still only a year old and completely reliant
12:51on Habiba.
13:11For a first-time mother with no help or guidance, keeping Zawadi safe is a real challenge.
13:22I suppose he's had to grow up fast in a family like this.
13:26His mum is so young, everyone else in the group is so young, so he's probably just been
13:31left to his own devices.
13:33I think Habiba's really got to keep an eye on him because it's not a good idea for someone
13:38that small to go wandering off on his own.
13:43This year's Great Elephant Gathering is a critical time for these young orphans.
13:49One of the best ways to increase their chances of survival is to be accepted by another,
13:54more experienced herd.
14:00But it won't be easy.
14:02It's rare for animals to help, let alone accept, other animals if they aren't related.
14:09They now have about 14 days before the elephants start to disperse, during which time Max will
14:15keep a close eye on their progress.
14:26With plenty of family groups already in the reserve, the lone bulls are beginning to arrive.
14:36Driven by the urge to mate, these impressive animals may have travelled non-stop, day and
14:42night, for up to 100 miles.
14:45Once in the reserve, they won't have much time to find a female that's in just the right
14:50condition for mating.
14:53And they could face tough competition from other visiting bulls.
15:11Just five years ago, over 30 large tuskers would have visited this reserve.
15:17Now as a result of poaching, there could be as few as four.
15:24Using the satellite data, combined with our observations on the ground, we can get a unique
15:29and timely insight into the lives of these magnificent individuals.
15:38Right now, the live data shows that one of these few remaining big tuskers is heading
15:43straight for the gathering.
15:51Rarely seen in the reserve, he's a legendary bull elephant called Matt.
16:07He's right on the edge of the reserve, so he's coming in any minute.
16:10And how long have you been familiar with this particular bull?
16:13I think we started colouring him about 10 years ago, and he's just the most fantastic
16:18male.
16:19Really beautiful ivory.
16:20It was very exciting, because he's somebody we don't see very often.
16:24But I can tell you one thing, he's not one to mess around with, because he's not used
16:27to people.
16:28He's been spending a lot of time up here in the north, about 50 kilometres from here.
16:32And now he's just had a major behaviour change.
16:36Matt is travelling from his home in the foothills of the Matthews Range and heading south, straight
16:42for the gathering.
16:44Moving much faster than usual, he covers the last 50 kilometres in just over a week.
16:52The latest data shows he's now right on the edge of the reserve.
16:56So if you look here, you can see how fast he's been moving.
17:01I mean, this is amazing.
17:02He's just streaking straight down towards Sunbury, which I reckon indicates that he's
17:07in must.
17:09Must is a state of heightened aggression, during which a bull's desire to find a mate
17:14is at its greatest.
17:17For a short period, their bodies are flooded with the male sex hormone testosterone.
17:23In some cases, as much as 60 times more than when not in must.
17:29In this elevated state of arousal, they are primed to do two things, mate or fight.
17:38It's a time when they're at their most unpredictable and dangerous.
17:46Matt's arrival in the reserve means the other bulls now have serious competition.
17:53But just how easy will it be for him to assert his dominance and find a suitable mate?
18:05Using the information from Matt's satellite caller, wildlife cameraman Bob Poole hopes
18:11to find out.
18:12Go ahead, go ahead with the coordinates.
18:13OK, north, zero degrees.
18:14Thirty-four minutes, twenty-eight seconds.
18:16East, thirty-seven degrees, seventy-one seconds.
18:19You got that?
18:20Perfect.
18:21We'll go straight there.
18:22That's very exciting.
18:23Over.
18:24Good luck.
18:25Have fun.
18:26There we are on the river and he's just there.
18:34So, let's go find a musk bull.
18:40Let's go find a musk bull. A big musk bull.
18:48Bob grew up in Kenya and has been around elephants his entire life.
18:53Even so, this is a rare opportunity to get close to a bull of Matt's stature.
18:59There, there, there, there's an elephant under a tree over there.
19:04A big male all by himself. It's got to be Matt.
19:08After his long journey, this is Matt's last chance to rest before he begins his non-stop search for a mate.
19:16He must have gotten a little hot and decided to take a break under the only tree around.
19:23It may be nice for him to get our scent, so I'll go upwind a little bit so he can smell who we are.
19:30And then we'll just take it really nice and slow because we're going to spend a lot of time with this elephant
19:37and we want to sort of meet on peaceful terms.
19:44Don't mind us. You are spectacular.
19:50Wow. Magnificent bull.
19:56It's a good opportunity for Bob to confirm that Matt is indeed in must.
20:02Oh, there's the dribble. Look at that. OK.
20:05Urine dribbling is a classic sign of a bull's increased sexual arousal and aggression.
20:13Now what's he doing? He's on the move. It appears he's coming.
20:29That's a must bull for you.
20:32He's not quit. Come on, Matt. We're going to be buddies, aren't we?
20:39Jeez, that gave me a... I'm shaking. I'm literally shaking. That was it.
20:46Over the next two weeks, Bob will need to tread very carefully,
20:51using all his knowledge and expertise if he's going to stay close to Matt as he goes about securing a mate.
21:02At base camp, the collar data from Habiba and the orphans
21:07shows how they've fared since the loss of their mothers.
21:11Savva, what is your movement data revealing about your orphan herds in Samburu?
21:16If you just look at somebody like Habiba, what you can see is that she's become extremely conservative,
21:22restricting her movements to largely within the reserves.
21:25You know, where she knows where she feels safe is inside the reserves,
21:29and she's just keeping her movements very small and certain.
21:32Habiba is being very cautious, never venturing far.
21:37This makes it less likely that she'll encounter another herd willing to help them.
21:47But the tracking data does reveal an encouraging sign.
21:50With around ten days to go until the elephants begin to disperse,
21:54a large, mature herd is heading towards our orphans.
21:59This is just the kind of family they could learn from.
22:03As Max waits for this herd to arrive, he joins Habiba and the orphans in the shade.
22:09It's the middle of the day, it's boiling hot, and for young calves,
22:13it can be really dangerous, sunstroke, heat stroke,
22:16and dehydration could even kill a young baby.
22:20So it's vital that she brings them into the shade.
22:24As Habiba's family enjoy some respite from the heat,
22:28the more experienced herd heads straight for them,
22:32perhaps bringing the leadership the orphans so desperately need.
22:36The leader of the other herd approaches them.
23:06But instead of sharing the shade with them,
23:09the incoming herd forces them out into the hot sun.
23:13Most of the other families are moving into the shade,
23:16but Habiba and our little group of orphans have been displaced.
23:23In an attempt to find another place for her family to rest,
23:27Habiba has to lead them across the river towards another herd.
23:31But here too, they face rejection.
23:40That's just ridiculous, because that bull is actually smaller than Habiba,
23:45but yet he's stopped our entire family in their tracks.
23:50I mean, this tiny bull is bullying around our little family of orphans,
23:55and they're not going to be able to pass until they get to the other side.
23:58They're orphans, and they're not going to be able to pass until he moves on.
24:05That just goes to show that our young family of orphans
24:10are really low in the pecking order.
24:13And that's because she's just still so young to be a matriarch.
24:18Habiba and her herd don't have much time to find help.
24:23Soon the gathering will start to break up,
24:25and the elephants will head back to their home ranges.
24:35At the top of elephant society,
24:38older bulls in must are constantly on the move,
24:41roaming day and night in search of females.
24:47Armed with Matt's latest coordinates,
24:50Bob heads out early each morning to follow the bulls every move.
24:56Today, he finds him with a large group of females.
25:07But there are several younger males also trailing the herd.
25:11They too are looking for a chance to mate.
25:17It's time to deal with the competition.
25:26Oh!
25:32Here we go.
25:41You take the biggest, strongest terrestrial animal on this planet,
25:47and then you give him this infusion of testosterone,
25:50and he just becomes this force of nature
25:53that just is unparalleled.
25:56There is nothing out there that can compare with a must bull.
26:01None of the males here are a match for Matt.
26:05But if he meets a bull of equal size, the result could be very different.
26:14Brutal fights like this one are rare,
26:17but bulls are prepared to fight to the death for the right to mate.
26:23Here we go.
26:46As Matt sees off the young bulls, Bob decides to move on.
26:51Matt coming up right behind us.
26:55I think it's time to go.
27:05He always gives me a little bit of a fright when he comes at us like that.
27:10We can't take our eyes off Matt.
27:14For Matt, these young males were nothing more than an irritating distraction.
27:18But as the gathering grows, so does the size of the competition.
27:28The team has picked up a signal from the collar of another big bull coming in from the west.
27:39He's a 28-year-old bull called Edison, and we head straight out to meet him.
27:44Look at him. I mean, for goodness sake.
27:48There is such determination in the way he's walking. It's beautiful to watch.
27:53You can just see he's got his mind on one thing at the moment.
27:56He's picked up a scent of an Easter's female. He's picking up her calls.
28:01He's in full must, isn't he?
28:05Taking a little sniff this way.
28:08He's coming. He's coming.
28:10He's coming. He's coming.
28:13Don't move your thing. Don't move. Don't move.
28:17Stand back. Don't move.
28:33That was amazing. I am completely giddy. That was amazing.
28:39Unlike Matt, Edison is familiar with vehicles and takes a more curious than aggressive approach.
28:47I will never forget that for as long as I live.
28:51Thrilling.
28:53With Edison in the park, there's now some real competition for Matt.
28:58And time is running out for him to find a mate.
29:02His coordinates show just how hard he's been looking since he arrived.
29:08He's been moving between different herds almost 24 hours a day, seven days a week, non-stop, without any luck.
29:22For Matt to successfully mate, he needs to find a female during the short period she's an oestrus, the only time she's able to conceive.
29:32The way that the elephants can know what state of oestrus the female is in is through their urine.
29:38So she'll urinate for him.
29:41Now you see what Matt's doing there with his trunk. He's testing the ground where she was.
29:45His nostrils are wide open.
29:48But it's not good news.
29:51The levels of hormones in her urine tell Matt that she isn't ready to mate.
29:55Matt's moving on. He didn't really like what he smelled there, I guess.
29:59She did her urination, and then she moved off just a few feet to sort of like, is he going to be interested, you know?
30:07And, wow, here's another bull coming. Not a big bull, but he's going to come in now.
30:13And I bet you she backs away.
30:17Yeah, see, there she is. She's like, no, not interested in you.
30:21Yeah, see, there she is. She's like, no, not interested in you, pal.
30:25You are a pipsqueak.
30:30An elephant's trunk is not only the longest nose in the animal kingdom, it's also one of the most sensitive,
30:37allowing it to detect even the smallest changes in hormone levels in urine.
30:42Back at base camp, a visitor is using this incredible sense of smell in a more poignant way.
30:50A bull called Jaeger has found a collection of tracking collars,
30:55all of which belonged to elephants killed by poachers.
30:59He gently manipulates and smells each collar, but there's one in particular that holds his interest.
31:08Jaeger has found a collection of tracking collars, all of which belonged to elephants killed by poachers.
31:19He gently manipulates and smells each collar, but there's one in particular that holds his interest.
31:29It's hugely emotive to watch this elephant behave in this way.
31:37He recognises who these collars belong to.
31:43He is inhaling megabytes of information about who these individuals were,
31:48and it's extremely emotional to watch this.
31:52We can't of course know what he's thinking,
31:55but his behaviour suggests that he's been affected by what he's found.
32:01It just goes to show how incredibly emotionally intelligent these animals are.
32:07They remember, they recognise years after elephants pass away.
32:12We know that they grieve the dead, and they often manipulate the skulls and the bones of the dead,
32:17but I'd never seen anything like this before.
32:26Jaeger finally leaves camp, having spent over half an hour with the old collars.
32:37With Matt constantly on the move day and night, Bob has to be given his location each morning.
32:47His latest collaring data, already nearly an hour old, points to an area of thick bush just a few miles from camp.
32:56In such difficult terrain, Bob needs to use all his tracking skills to work out where Matt has moved to since his last known position.
33:08You can see right here there's been an elephant. I mean, that's very clear.
33:13The grass has been trampled down.
33:16Matt is a master of hiding in thick bush.
33:20I could go walking up all through this stuff looking for him, but it would be kind of silly because by the time I see him,
33:28he's so close to me that, you know, if he wanted to, he'd step on me like that.
33:42So Matt could be anywhere in here. It's thick bush again.
33:45We just have to keep our eyes open. We don't want to come around a bush going too fast and suddenly bump into him.
33:52You know, this guy could pummel us, seriously.
34:06We've just found Matt guarding a female.
34:10The fact that Matt is guarding her suggests that she's an oestrus and ready to mate.
34:16He now has to ensure that no other bulls get to her first.
34:21And he's pushing other bulls around.
34:28Now you see the action happening.
34:30This is fun, following Matt around for a few days and not having him do anything.
34:35And suddenly he's in full swing here.
34:38This is really tight quarters for us and Matt together, but the action is on.
34:44Where's Matt? There he is.
34:53Clearly this female is ready or just about ready to mate.
34:57Clearly this female is ready or just about to be ready.
35:01Enough that Matt's willing to guard her.
35:04Up till now we just haven't seen Matt taking such a keen interest in mating.
35:09And finally, after all these days, he is.
35:12But Matt is not the only one that wants to mate.
35:17The younger males are interested too.
35:27And we definitely need to keep an eye out on Matt.
35:31See these guys retreating right now means Matt's probably pushing this way.
35:36Can you see Matt?
35:39As Matt moves one of the young bulls away, Bob gets caught up in the action.
35:54We got stuck.
35:57We got stuck.
36:10I just high centered myself on the dog.
36:14We got to hurry guys. They're just going to winch themselves over this dog.
36:28Let's just take this stuff here for now.
36:31Alright, we can go.
36:43That was a little intense, you know.
36:46Trying to give Matt some space and then we were stuck.
36:49Luckily Matt went the other way.
36:57Matt may have found a receptive female, but to mate with her he needs to keep the other males away.
37:13A mile downriver, cameraman Max is desperately trying to catch up with Habiba and her young calf Zawadi,
37:20as the satellite data shows she is leading her little family into lion territory.
37:57Just in this salt brush, you can see just by the bush there, this is perfect lion habitat.
38:05They lie in here waiting to ambush prey and they're just opportunists waiting for a calf straying away from their mother.
38:12Oh, there's another one.
38:20Across Africa, lions have been known to hunt elephants.
38:25Like this pride in Botswana, they target young and vulnerable individuals,
38:31separating their victims from their family and using strength in numbers to make a kill.
38:40Max knows the danger little Zawadi could be in.
38:44It looked like it might be a pride that I know and there's about seven of them,
38:48so if it's them, they're a serious threat to these calves.
38:54And a lion in Samburu is very little game around, they have to be opportunists.
39:01If they see a calf stray away from its mother, then it's fair game, they'll be onto it,
39:07because this pride has got a lot of mouths to feed.
39:11Habiba is just 50 metres that way and the lions are somewhere in between us and them.
39:18Habiba and the orphans are oblivious to the danger.
39:32Wilson, Wilson, Wally, Wilson, they're here.
39:35The lions are just in this clearing.
39:37I just saw a female slinking behind this tree and Habiba is literally 50 metres over there
39:44and this lion's now moving that way.
40:00I've always known the lions here sometimes are a bit more aggressive.
40:04I've always known the lions here sometimes take elephants,
40:09but to see them so close to this really vulnerable family, I mean they're a group of babies
40:15and if ever there was a scenario where a lion could grab an easy meal, it's with this lot.
40:28Zawadi, he's venturing off on his own, which is a terrible idea.
40:32The lions are just between here and him.
41:03A bull chasing a female charges through where the lions were stalking Zawadi.
41:09This is just crazy.
41:13This female almost came to us for protection and he virtually mounted us as well as her.
41:20In a twist of fate, the commotion has flushed the lions out into the open.
41:33The orphans move off, blissfully unaware of their close call.
41:52With not long to go before the herds begin to leave the reserve,
41:56Bob heads out to see how Matt is doing keeping the female away from the other bulls.
42:03We've got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven bulls following the female with Matt right behind her.
42:13With so many males still around, Matt can't afford to take his eyes off her for one second.
42:20I mean we've watched the action building every day and finally it's really getting serious.
42:27Matt not caring about us anymore, he's just surrounded by so many bulls.
42:34This is great action.
42:38These younger bulls aren't big enough to challenge Matt directly, but they're crafty.
42:47With Matt distracted, one male grabs his chance and chases after the female.
42:56Matt could be about to lose everything he's worked so hard for.
43:27Matt took his eye off the ball for a minute and he almost let one of these other bulls mate that female.
43:38And I don't think he was successful because Matt was coming in full bore and managed to push him off.
43:48Matt can really move when he has to.
43:54With all these bulls here, it's unlikely the female will stop long enough to allow Matt to mate her.
44:01His best chance is still to get her on her own.
44:06Satellite collars have revealed incredible insights into elephant behaviour.
44:11And the more time we spend with them, the more we're learning about the intricacies of their daily lives.
44:18The more we spend with them, the more we're learning about the intricacies of their daily lives.
44:25And the more time we spend with them, the more we're learning about the intricacies of their daily lives.
44:36I've just received news of something extraordinary happening close to camp.
44:50As I arrive on the scene, I can barely believe my eyes.
44:56A group of elephants are gorging themselves on weaver bird nests.
45:02Nests that at this time of year are certain to be full of eggs and chicks.
45:26For an animal that's supposed to feed solely on vegetation, this is astonishing behaviour.
45:33And it's never been filmed before.
45:36It raises a compelling question.
45:39Are these elephants deliberately targeting these nests for the eggs and even the young chicks?
45:47The elephants have moved on and it's a fascinating sight.
45:52The elephants have moved on and it's a fascinating sight.
45:57Because littering the floor under these trees laden with weaver bird nests are eggshells.
46:05And just looking at the nest, and considering there is so much lush green grass and shrubbery around
46:13that the elephants absolutely love at this time of year,
46:16you can't help wondering whether it's a nest that these elephants really have a taste for.
46:22Shells everywhere. A dead chick here.
46:29And another one here.
46:32But what's clear is they have pretty much decimated quite a large number of the population of weaver birds here.
46:43What the elephants are liking about these nests, whether it is just the foliage, the vegetation,
46:48or whether they've acquired a taste for eggs, or chicks, or both.
46:55Whatever the reason, it's clear there's still much more to learn about an animal we think we know so well.
47:11Out in the reserve, Bob continues to track Matt's progress.
47:15Finally, he's got the female on her own.
47:29She's an 18-year-old called Lepidoptera, in her prime and already a mother to three calves.
47:45More importantly, she's finally showing interest in Matt, slowing down and stopping him in his tracks.
48:15At last, strength, experience and persistence have paid off, and Matt has successfully mated.
48:34In 22 months from now, if all goes well, Lepidoptera will give birth to a calf that could carry Matt's legacy well into the future.
48:45The behavior now is just incredible. Look at her, she's so, so happy about this.
48:56Standing next to Matt, and she's constantly reaching out and touching him.
49:03He knew what he was doing.
49:06All the elephants are so excited about this.
49:15Tracking Matt's every move has allowed Bob to witness just how a dominant bull goes about choosing a mate.
49:31Using its incredible sense of smell to choose the right female.
49:36Its remarkable strength to ward off other males.
49:40But also demonstrating an ability to be tender and sensitive.
49:45Here's this magnificent bull, you know, one of the last of his kind, you know, of that size in Africa.
49:53And you see him passing his jeans on, and you just think, wow, that is so cool that I was here for that.
50:01When that calf is born, they'll know who the father was.
50:05You know, that is so amazing, I'm just, I'm thrilled right now.
50:10Sadly, with impressive bulls like Matt targeted for their tusks, this might be the last chance he has to pass on his jeans.
50:20Already, the very latest tracking data shows that the elephants are beginning to disperse.
50:26And that this year's gathering will soon come to an end.
50:30The movement data is so clear, I mean, not only can you see the musk bulls dropping out of must, moving away, but the families are also dispersing.
50:39Now it's getting a lot drier, there's no more surface water, they have to go out.
50:43So you're beginning to see this dispersal now, the land is drying up, and the elephants are parting.
50:49With less water around, most of the elephants are spreading out again.
50:54And of course, when they're away from this protected area, they are facing a whole gamut of threats.
51:00We always, you know, you always see them go with a bit of a heavy heart.
51:04Suddenly, an animal like Matt, every time he goes, I wonder whether we're ever going to see him again.
51:24With only nine days or so left until most of the herds disappear, time is running out for Habiba and her family to find help.
51:34But her collar tells Max she's heading in the direction of a well-established herd.
51:46Its leader is an experienced 50-year-old tuskless matriarch.
51:53This could be the orphan's last chance to be accepted by another family before the gathering ends.
52:02Zawadi, there's some other youngsters here, so it'll be so nice to see Zawadi interacting with another group.
52:13Zawadi's just wandered up to another baby.
52:18He got put back in his place a bit, a bit of a nudge.
52:23But he seems to be almost playing with these other youngsters, which is so lovely to see.
52:36If Habiba can associate with an older female, she'll learn so much.
52:48And then something remarkable happens.
52:52As the herd heads off, the orphan herd leaves with them, both families now moving as one.
53:00This is so nice to see because this tuskless female is now leading not only her family, but also Habiba.
53:09She's right in the middle of the herd with Zawadi.
53:14And for some reason, our ragtag group are being tolerated.
53:28This is what elephant society should be like.
53:33This is what elephant society should be like.
53:38And I just hope that some of this knowledge is rubbing off so she can lead this little orphan group wisely in the future.
53:49And I suppose it's not just Habiba who's learning here, because when you look in the middle, there's Zawadi sparring with someone a little bit older than him.
53:59But this is what it's all about.
54:02Every single member is learning from others in the group, and Zawadi now has some sparring partners.
54:09And that's so important for a youngster like him, because if he's ever to become a majestic bull like Matt, then he needs to learn the ropes in a family group.
54:22And one day, he may well grow up to be the size of Matt and be having kids of his own.
54:29Despite everything they've been through, the orphans have finally found the support they so desperately need.
54:45As the number of orphan herds increases, scientists are discovering that elephants are finding new ways to adapt.
54:53This is how an intelligent, social species is learning to respond to the new challenges it faces.
55:04Over the past month, Samburu National Reserve has been the setting for a remarkable gathering.
55:11Using the data from the satellite collars, we've been able to see for ourselves how young orphan herds are coping with the loss of their matriarchs.
55:21How bull elephants select females to pass on their great legacy.
55:29And we've captured incredible new elephant behaviour.
55:39Whilst we still don't fully understand the complex relationships between these majestic animals,
55:45what we have seen reveals an astonishing capacity for emotional intelligence, compassion and kindness.
55:56These elephants are finding ways to help each other and preserve their unique society.
56:03It's this that gives hope for bulls like Matt and families like our orphans,
56:08so that they might continue this age-old gathering for generations to come.
56:14Our Samburu elephants have faced countless challenges, and for the many who have succeeded, the time has come to leave the reserve.
56:23They'll now need to use the lessons they learned here to tackle the many threats and obstacles they'll come up against as they disperse across northern Kenya.
56:32And if they manage to survive out there, they'll do it all again next year.
57:03Next time, we join the largest land mammal migration on the planet.
57:09200,000 caribou brave the western Arctic to reach their calving grounds.
57:15Failure to get there could spell disaster.
57:22And you can see that next Wednesday.
57:24And you can see that next Wednesday night at nine here on BBC One.
57:54.