SIMON NARRATOR: This is Chodoba,
 a boisterous adolescent
bull elephant.
 He's distinctive because
he has a torn ear.
(ELEPHANT RUMBLES)
 Chodoba is a survivor.
 When he was just two,
he lost his whole family.
 Now 11, he's the young
leader of a new herd.
Chodoba's new family is unique
because there are no adults.
 In this herd,
they are all orphans.
 None would be alive today
if it hadn't been for a group
of dedicated people.
The orphans have been rescued.
 They're being rehabilitated,
and now
the plan is to release them
back into the wild.
 Chodoba and his herd
have all cheated death.
 Their human saviors
are giving them a new start
by bringing them here to
Kafue National Park in Zambia.
 Three thousand wild
elephants live in this
huge and remote region.
 The Ngoma Teak Forest
is a refuge to a dwindling
elephant population.
 It's hoped that one day,
the orphans will help boost
their numbers.
 Chodoba's home is the banks
of the Nkala River.
Year-round, it provides all
the water and lush vegetation
a growing elephant needs.
 On the edge of the teak
forest is the Camp Phoenix
Release Facility.
 Here, a dedicated group
of Zambians looks after
the young elephants
 round the clock.
 They have become
the elephants'
new mothers.
 Altogether, there
are 10 orphans.
 It will take years
to teach them the lessons
they'll need to survive
 in the forest
where they belong.
 Just like at school,
the six youngest orphans
have a routine.
Every day, they go for walks,
 feed,
 have an afternoon nap,
 and playtime.
 Each night,
they are kept safe
inside locked gates,
 protected from predators
by a high-voltage fence.
 The four oldest elephants
are big enough to defend
themselves against lions,
 and they're free to come
and go as they please.
 They have learned
that if they're out
when the gate is closed,
 then they'll have
to stay out
for the night.
 They wear radio collars
to keep track of their
whereabouts.
 Chodoba is 11.
 As the eldest, he is
the project's pioneer.
 He was rescued when
he was just a tiny
2-year-old calf.
 Chodoba was found wandering
emaciated in the bush.
 His torn ear is a memento
 from the hyena
who attacked him
 after he lost his mother.
 She was probably killed
for her ivory,
 for her meat,
or for raiding crops.
 When he first arrived
at the sanctuary,
 Chodoba was too weak
to feed standing up.
 He's lucky.
When their mothers die,
 baby elephants
very rarely survive.
 The few that live
are first taken here,
 to the Lilayi
Elephant Nursery.
 It's just outside
the Zambian capital,
Lusaka,
 and nearer the specialist
care they need.
(HISSING GENTLY)
 The rescued infants
are very fragile.
 They are wild animals
 and they arrive starving
and traumatized.
 They're often found
lost and alone.
 Some have seen
their family shot.
 Others have been attacked
with machetes.
 The young elephants
sometimes wake at night,
 seemingly screaming
from nightmares.
 Their keepers sleep
above the stables
 so they can hold
the orphans' trunks
if they need comforting.
 Recovery takes time.
 Musolole, Zambezi
and Nkala have been here
since they were infants.
 Their keepers
have built trust,
 so the little elephants
now accept them
as their new mothers.
 The best rehabilitation
comes through play.
(ELEPHANT KEEPERS
CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY)
(ELEPHANT KEEPER CHUCKLES)
NARRATOR: Musolole
and Zambezi are five,
 and they're ready
to graduate from
the nursery.
(RUMBLING SOFTLY)
 They are healthy
and seem happy,
 and soon they'll make
the 220-mile journey
to Camp Phoenix.
Here, they'll start to learn
the survival skills they need
 for their eventual release
into the wild.
 The new arrivals
are gradually weaned.
Then the keepers can encourage
them to be more independent.
 The aim is to get
the little herd to learn
to rely on each other
 so they can face
the challenges
of the wild together.
 It's dawn. Still cool,
and the youngest elephants
make their way out
 of the protection
of the enclosure
for a day exploring.
 Their keepers and a guard
follow them to keep
them out of harm's way.
 Wild elephants are shy
and dangerous,
 so intimate details of
their social lives can
be difficult to study.
 Chodoba and the orphan herd
provide a good opportunity
to observe elephants up close.
(INAUDIBLE)
 Lisa Oliver is leading
a long-term study.
 With the help of volunteers,
 they spend hours every day
gathering data
 and learning from
the group's interactions.
 The orphans' best
chance of survival
 will be to join
a wild herd.
 To do that successfully,
the calves need to learn
 how to behave like
normal elephants.
 In the bush, this little
wild elephant
 could live until
she's past 60
 if she follows
her mother's example.
 Humans are the world's
longest-living land mammals.
Elephants are a close second.
 Elephants live so long
in the wild because
they look after each other.
 They have complex
relationships
 and long memories,
 and this allows them to
pass on their experiences.
 Beyond the confines
of the sanctuary,
 life in the wild can be
a much harder struggle,
 especially during
the dry season.
 At this time of year,
 temperatures exceed
100 degrees Fahrenheit.
 Greenery withers and dies.
 This family is made up of
females and their young.
 They follow the elder.
She's the matriarch.
 When the going gets tough,
the family's survival
is dependent on her knowledge.
 Experience will tell her
where to find the best food,
and where there's still water.
 The elder is so important
to her family
 that she, like all female
elephants, lives long past
her ability to bear young.
 Her role now is not to have
calves of her own
 but to use her knowledge
 to ensure the survival
of all her family.
 Humans also outlive their
ability to have children
 so they can nurture
their wider family.
But elsewhere amongst animals,
it's very unusual.
 This young calf
 will be completely
dependent on her mother
 until she's weaned
at two or three years old.
 Their bond will remain close
for the rest of their lives.
 For males in the wild,
 it's a slightly
different story.
 Adolescent bull behavior
 becomes too boisterous
for the family herd.
 The females gradually
encourage the teenagers
to go their own way.
(RUMBLING)
 Eventually, the young males
will become independent,
 spending time
in bachelor herds
 or wandering on their own.
 Two years ago,
 Chodoba started to move away
from his surrogate family
 and to answer the call
of the wild.
 He's the first elephant
the project has
successfully rescued,
rehabilitated, and released.
 Like any teenager,
he now goes where he likes
and he stays out all night.
 This morning, he's waiting
just outside camp
 for his buddies.
 As is often the case,
 Chodoba's been off
on an adventure for days,
 but he always comes back
 because he shares a powerful
bond with the other orphans.
 Because Chodoba
is the project's pioneer,
 and because he grew up
isolated from normal
wild elephant society,
 no one can be sure
how he will develop.
 For years, Chodoba
trusted his keepers,
 and now they have to teach
the growing elephant
 to keep away from humans.
 Ultimately, Chodoba's
survival in the wild
 will depend on how well
he learns this hard lesson.
A powerful electric fence
now runs right round the camp.
It's there to persuade Chodoba
to roam elsewhere
and seek the company
of wild elephants in the bush.
 Seeing Chodoba living
on the loose encourages
the older orphans.
 In the last year,
three more have
joined him
 living outside
the enclosure.
(ELECTRICITY CRACKLES)
(BELLOWING)
 The newcomers are still
learning about
the electric fence.
(RUMBLING)
 All the semi-wild elephants
still like to hang out
near the camp,
 so they're easy
to keep an eye on.
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
 But the rainy season
is coming.
 Soon, there'll be
an abundance of food
 and the elephants
will be tempted
 to explore further afield.
 For Lisa and the keepers,
keeping tabs on their charges
 becomes all
the more important.
 So this is where
the radio collars
are vital.
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
 Chodoba's collar
needs replacing,
 and some other orphans
are getting collars
for the first time.
 But putting a collar
on an elephant
 is a tricky business.
 So the orphanage team has
called for reinforcements.
 Rachel's the boss.
 She's in charge of Zambia's
elephant orphanage project.
The rest of us will
be with Chodoba.
Then, when Chodoba's
recovered,
we need one keeper
who's going to stay
watching Chodoba
while we then come
and start the other four.
NARRATOR: Veterinarian
Ian Parsons
 is a specialist
in dangerous wildlife.
Everybody has
a role and they will
be in their places...
NARRATOR: The orphans
will have to be sedated.
 If they get it wrong,
an elephant could die.
Good seeing you, yeah.
You good?
NARRATOR: They plan to collar
five elephants today.
 It's an ambitious goal,
 so numerous specialists
and volunteers
 have travelled from
all over Zambia to help.
 Doctor Parsons will
sedate the elephants from
as far away as possible.
RACHEL: Are you ready
to go, Ian?
NARRATOR: Using compressed air,
 he'll fire a dart that
administers the drugs.
 With a stroke of luck,
all the elephants
getting collars
have chosen to spend the night
with the youngsters
 in the enclosure.
(BEEPING)
 All the elephants,
that is, except
Chodoba.
 He's gone missing.
(STATIC HISSING)
That's how it works.
Everything is in order,
everything is in place,
and then your elephant
doesn't show up, so...
(BLOWS RASPBERRY)
Part of the job.
(LAUGHS)
NARRATOR: Chodoba can't be
sedated in the bush
 where there's a chance
that wild elephants might
show up and attack the team.
 The keepers quickly find him
and, because he trusts them,
he follows them back to camp.
 Doctor Parsons and his
team approach slowly.
 Chodoba is calm and relaxed,
 so he should only need
a light sedative dose.
 Doctor Parsons has
to get in range to fire.
 But he doesn't want
to get too close,
 in case Chodoba
reacts badly and
charges at him.
PARSONS: It's fine
once they stand up.
NARRATOR: No one wants to mess
with an angry elephant.
 The drug will take time
to work its way through
Chodoba's bloodstream.
MAN: (OVER RADIO)
 Don't go closer.
 Don't go closer.
Let him calm down.
NARRATOR: But there's a snag.
PARSONS: Thank you.
This is a good chance to check
He hasn't had the whole dose.
Hmm...
if he's had the whole dose.
So, there's a...
That's going to be a problem.
We'll have to wait and see.
Oh, yeah.
It's only been a
partial injection here.
I may have to reload.
Mmm-hmm.
NARRATOR: The dart
has malfunctioned.
 Chodoba only received
half the drug.
MALE VOLUNTEER: Yeah.
He's just...
NARRATOR: Luckily, there's
no need for another shot.
 The sedative appears
to be taking effect.
 But there's only one way
 to find out if Chodoba
is actually asleep.
Let's push him over.
NARRATOR: The team needs to get
Chodoba on his side.
Push, push, push, push.
NARRATOR: He weighs
well over 4,000 pounds,
 and if he spends too long
lying on his chest,
his weight will suffocate him.
 That immediate danger
is averted.
Water, please,
on the ears,
immediately.
NARRATOR: But the team still
needs to work fast.
 Chodoba could overheat.
PARSONS: Make sure
no one ever stands
on the trunk, please.
Be cautious,
keep it upright.
Like that.
Super.
(EXHALING DEEPLY)
NARRATOR: They continuously
monitor his condition.
PARSONS: CO2, 93%.
Heart rate, 43.
NARRATOR: If his vital signs
start to fluctuate,
 they will have to abandon
the operation
 and quickly revive him.
(ALL CHATTERING)
MALE VOLUNTEER 1: Antenna.
Antenna's up about here.
MALE VOLUNTEER 2:
All right.
Fuss a little bit.
Yeah, there's
a little bit more.
Okay.
NARRATOR: This is an opportunity
to check Chodoba's health
 and measure his progress.
And 39, length.
NARRATOR: The new satellite
collar is secure.
RACHEL: John?
You ready to reverse him?
RACHEL: Okay, it's 8:30...
NARRATOR: Doctor Parsons injects
the drug to revive Chodoba
 and everyone retreats
to a safe distance.
 He should revive in minutes.
Okay, let's keep
going back.
RACHEL: Yes, good boy.
Go on, go on.
Yes. We'll keep someone
watching him for a while.
Awesome.
NARRATOR: One down, four to go.
 This is Tafika.
 He is just seven
 and the eldest
of the pre-release orphans.
 He's nervous
in the outside world
but when safe in the paddock,
Tafika is brave enough to show
who rules the roost.
(RUMBLING)
The orphanage staff are hoping
that one day soon,
 timid Tafika will have
the courage to try
life in the forest,
 so they've decided
he needs a collar, too.
 But it's going to be
a challenge.
 It's 9:00 a.m. and it's over
70 degrees Fahrenheit.
 In a couple of hours,
it will be over 100.
 They need to do
the other eles while
it's still cool,
 so all four elephants
have to be sedated
and collared straightaway.
RACHEL: That's Kafue.
Tafika.
RACHEL: Uh-oh.
Oh, oh, oh!
(ELEPHANT KEEPER EXCLAIMS)
NARRATOR: After rehearsing
on Chodoba,
 each team knows exactly
what they have to do.
 They are racing against
the rising heat of the day.
 They're done.
But waiting for the elephants
to revive is an anxious time.
 No one can relax until
all four are on their feet.
MALE RANGER: No, no.
They're disoriented.
NARRATOR: Little Tafika
seems to be struggling.
I think we might need
to go and check him.
(ELEPHANTS RUMBLING SOFTLY)
NARRATOR: Finally, he stands.
I'm so happy that
they're all awake
again! (CHUCKLES)
MALE RANGER:
Check him and see
if everything is fine.
(MAN LAUGHING)
You know,
I actually feel like
crying right now.
NARRATOR: The collars
are unfamiliar
 and will take
some getting used to.
 The team starts receiving
signals straight away.
(TYPING)
NARRATOR: For
the next two years,
 they'll be able to check up
on the collared orphans
 day or night
and follow their transition
back to the wild.
 Elephants are
voracious eaters,
 and in the wild,
range over large areas,
 looking for wherever
the food is most plentiful.
 With enough food and water,
 elephants can adapt
to survive anywhere.
 Once, they ranged all over
Africa and Asia.
 But in many countries,
elephants have been
disappearing.
 In Zambia,
the population has declined
 by over 90% in
the last 50 years.
 If their decline continues
at this rate,
 all wild elephants
will be wiped out
 before any of these
young calves reach old age.
 The name "elephant" comes
from the ancient Greek
word for ivory.
 It's their tusks,
just enormous incisor teeth,
 that have caused
their downfall.
 Yet their teeth are also
the secret of their success.
 They have four powerful
grinding molars.
 Each one weighs
a colossal 11 pounds.
 It's these that
allow elephants
 to chew their way
through everything,
 from grass to trees.
 Of all the herbivores,
 elephants have
the widest diet.
 They can't afford
to be choosy.
 To keep body
and soul together,
 an elephant needs to eat
 over five percent
of its body weight
 every single day.
 That means chomping
through 650 pounds
just to stay in condition.
 At Camp Phoenix,
 the keepers are heading out
on their daily mission
 to find enough fresh fodder
 to feed the young elephants'
insatiable appetites.
 Each day, the keepers
have to find a new grove
 so they don't exhaust
a single patch.
 The elephants
will eat everything.
 Leaf, bark, and bough.
 The thicker the branches,
 the longer they'll keep
the orphans amused.
 As the day gets hotter,
 Tafika leads the orphans
back from their walk.
 The older elephants
tuck into the new brash.
 For the youngest eles,
the race is on.
 There's a treat in store.
(RUMBLING)
NARRATOR: With a happy rumble,
 the calves greet
their keepers.
 The youngest elephants
are bottle-fed
 every three hours,
day and night.
 In the wild, calves suckle
until they're about four,
 when their mother's next
calf supplants them.
(CALF EXHALES SHARPLY)
NARRATOR: It's impossible
to milk a wild elephant,
so the orphans drink a recipe
 that's been perfected
over the years.
 Most of the formula
 is the same milk powder
used for human babies,
 but in vast quantities.
The staff mix in dried
coconut to add saturated fat,
 whey powder to build muscle,
 and calcium and magnesium
 for bone and nerve
development.
 Then, eight times a day,
 the keepers have
to mix the powder
with nearly half a gallon
of warm water and cooked oats.
We are done.
NARRATOR: The baby
eles love it.
(RUMBLING)
NARRATOR: After their bottle,
it's time for a little snooze.
 In the wild, elephants
only take short naps,
 sleeping a total of four
or five hours a day.
 Elephants are at their most
vulnerable lying down.
 Their jaws and tusks
are so heavy
 that adults have difficulty
getting back on their feet,
 so they sleep standing.
 They stop themselves
toppling over
 by turning their
front feet outwards
 and locking their knees.
 While only 11 years old,
 Chodoba is the orphan
herd's dominant male.
 Gentle Chamilandu is 10,
and the eldest female.
 She's always had strong
maternal instincts.
 Her reassuring trunk
has comforted each new
rescued baby.
 For the last few months,
 Chamilandu has been
spending time outside
 with boisterous Chodoba.
But she loves coming back
to be with the little orphans.
 Seeing them on their walk
is a chance to make up
for lost time.
 She hurries
to the youngest calf...
(ELEPHANTS RUMBLING SOFTLY)
 Flapping her ears
and rumbling a greeting.
 This little one
lost his real mother
 when only three months old
 and he appreciates
a little tenderness.
 Adopted mother and son
 can spend some
quality time together
 doing what elephants
like to do most,
 eating.
 Knowing the orphans' routine
makes it easy for Chamilandu
to find the youngsters.
 Keeping in touch in the wild
is much more difficult.
 But elephants have
an ingenious solution.
 It's long been known that
even when widely dispersed,
elephants can still converse.
(RUMBLING)
NARRATOR: They use
infrasonic bass,
 a sound so low
it's inaudible
to the human ear,
 but it can be heard
by elephants
 over five miles away.
Elephants like to drink daily,
 so the river is a good place
for a rendezvous.
 Long-lost relatives greet
and inspect each other
 by putting their trunks
in one another's mouths.
 It's the elephant version
of a sniff and a hug.
 For little Tafika,
 a reunion with the older
semi-wild orphans
 is a chance to test
his strength.
 Wrestling is useful practice
 for when he'll have
to compete for a mate.
(BOTH RUMBLING)
NARRATOR: As the biggest bull,
Chodoba makes sure
 that play doesn't
get out of hand.
 The interaction's all useful
data for the study.
 Having shown everyone
who's boss,
 Chodoba tries a little
playfulness of his own.
But this isn't play fighting.
It's flirting.
 As a 10-year-old female,
 gentle Chamilandu is almost
old enough to conceive.
 Unfortunately, Chodoba
is only an 11-year-old
adolescent.
 He'll have to wait
till he's around 25
 before he's big enough
to successfully mate.
(RUMBLING)
(TRUMPETS)
 It's been an exhausting day
for the young orphans
 and they are ready for home.
 But something's
not quite right.
 One elephant is missing.
Tafika is enjoying the company
of the older elephants so much
 that he's forgotten
his timidity.
 The other youngsters headed
home without him
 and the gate is now closed.
 This will be the first night
Tafika has spent in the wild
 since he lost his mother.
 Although this is the moment
 Tafika's keepers have long
worked towards,
 it's still a worrying time.
 They have to hope
 that Chodoba and Chamilandu
will look after him.
 Tafika is small for his age,
 and in the wild,
 lions have been known
to attack young elephants.
(RUMBLING)
 Elephants use
the cool of the night
to continue eating.
(RUMBLING)
 They can't sweat.
 A thermal camera
shows a beautiful
network of capillaries
blooming just under the skin,
cooling the blood.
 The ears are darker
and cooler,
 showing just how vital
they are
for regulating the temperature
of such a big body.
 Night in the bush isn't
a time for deep sleep.
 This is when creatures
need to be most wary.
 The cover of darkness
 is a good time for predators
to go on the prowl.
(RUMBLING)
 Everyone needs to be alert.
 These lions spent
their day asleep,
 and under the cover
of night,
 they're looking
for their next meal.
An adult elephant is too big,
even for a pride of lions.
 But an elephant calf
is a different matter.
 The lions are testing
their luck,
 but the matriarch's wisdom
teaches her family
 how to protect
their most vulnerable.
 Faced with a united front,
 the lions go in search
of easier targets.
(RUMBLING)
Back at Camp Phoenix,
Lisa has had an anxious night
 and she's up early
to look out for Tafika.
 Lisa can't be certain
 that the orphans
know how to deal
with a lion attack.
 In the enclosure,
 the younger orphans
are enjoying
 the novelty
of Tafika's absence.
(RUMBLING)
 There's more food
 and no big brother
to boss them about.
 The young eles
are in party mood.
 But they don't celebrate
alone for long.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
(ELEPHANT KEEPER SPEAKING
LOCAL LANGUAGE)
NARRATOR: Tafika is back.
Alive and well.
 After a wild night out,
 it's always nice
to have a bath.
 Faint-hearted Tafika
has overcome his nerves
 and spent his first night
in the bush.
 It's only a matter of time
before he finds the courage
 to join his older
brothers again.
 Tafika is the fifth elephant
 the orphanage has rescued
and rehabilitated,
 and is now staying out
all night in the wild.
 No one knows what
Chodoba, Chamilandu,
 or Tafika will do next.
 The hope is that they
will find acceptance
 with a wild herd.
 Perhaps one day soon,
 there'll be a whole new
elephant family
 thriving in the teak forest
of Zambia.
♪♪♪
