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Like the giant sea monsters

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that once stalked the
ocean floors,

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an unlikely creature still
roams the earth.

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So much like the treasured
whales of the seas,

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elephants are the precious
last remnants of the

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00:00:21,321 --> 00:00:23,619
largest land animals in
the world.

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Even a gigantic bull
will play away the day,

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wallowing in the coolness of a

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life that ambles along at
its won pace...

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A life as long as our own,

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but with so much more time

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to be simply
what they are.

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But this sense of calm and
meditation can be deceptive.

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For a whole year one small
herd races against time

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and the drying water holes.

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Often the battle over the
precious water enrages them.

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Two tiny calves are caught up
in this struggle,

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coaxed through their early

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years that are fraught
with dangers.

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As large as they are,

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elephants are sensitive
and gentle creatures.

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Haunting discoveries of
burial rituals, language,

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and understanding suggest

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intelligence and even emotions.

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These are the last of
a dying race.

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Watching them, we can reflect,

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not only on their complex behavior,

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but on our own as well.

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Join us for a few moments

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and Reflections on Elephants.

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Africa seldom relaxes.

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It always seems to be waiting

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for the gentler moments to pass.

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Around rainwater pools strewn

35
00:03:18,131 --> 00:03:20,725
across the dry country
of Botswana,

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doves and sandgrouse stir up
the air in a frenzy to drink

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before the soft edges
of the day burn off.

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Elephants are is symbol
of the African wilderness,

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woven into its fabric like the

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blazing skies and the
endless savannas.

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In the midst of a swirling
dance of smaller creatures,

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huge males live separate lives

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usually ignoring any passing
herds of females and calves.

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Around these scattered water

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holes they live out their
isolation,

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slowly drawing life from
the earth's open wounds.

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With a life-span of 60 years
or longer

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elephants pursue the rhythms

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of lifeat a leisurely but
determined pace.

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Each movement is a calculated
conservation of energy,

51
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each day a tiny investment
in legend.

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In the crisp morning a herd
of females and calves

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pads in silently from
the forest.

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It is unusual for females like

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these to wander into the
bull area,

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But they are anxious.

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It's been an eventful night.

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A calf was born to the matriarch,

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the leader of this herd.

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From the first day
danger is every where.

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The youngster is a female

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and she will be guided carefully

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through life by her mother

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and the other family members.

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Because elephant societies
are led by females

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and her mother is a matriarch,

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It is likely that one day

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she too will have to carry on

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that tradition of leadership.

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But for now she seems

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blissfully unaware of the
dangers of life,

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more concerned with keeping close
to her mother

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and balancing on
her one-day-old legs.

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For this young calf,

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lions will be a recurring
threat to her life.

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Towering giants block the way.

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The determined opportunist
is reluctant to go.

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When the calf flounders

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in theunfamiliar muddy water,
she panics.

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But at this age,
help is seldom far away.

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They bunch together,

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protecting her within a wall
of legs and trunks.

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Even the females have tusks
that lions must avoid.

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Safe against the bank,

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the little female has to contend

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with another new challenge

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The first bowel movement,

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an unbalancing and
alarming experience

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With the lions still menacing,

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the matriarch must soon
move her calf

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out of the water hole

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With her front toenails
she breaks away the edges,

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making a ramp for the short
strides of the baby.

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As she leads her family
through the gauntlet of lions,

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The matriarch's bloodstained

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legs are a testament to
a stressful night

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and a new beginning

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The start of a long journey.

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This journey takes place
in southern Africa.

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Once elephants roamed over
most of this continent.

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They still wander freely over all of
their ancestral range in Botswana,

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one of the last havens
for wild elephants.

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These seasonal movements of
following the water

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cover over forty thousand
square miles

105
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The matriarch is guiding her

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herd along a network of
ancient paths.

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She has decided to visit an

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old site to supplement the
diet of the herd.

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They dig open the holes and

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turn the soil into fine,
white powder.

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Locked inside the dust are

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sodium and other
valuable minerals

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that have leached into
these soils.

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These mineral digs are
investigated, remembered,

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and used...

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A rudimentary form of
self-medication.

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It's not long before she gives
the command to move on.

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As they glide along

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they communicate gently

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in rumbles of very
low frequencies.

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These sounds, almost silent to
us, drift over the herd...

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just vibrations floating
in the dust.

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Ahead, at the next water hole,
a tragic drama is unfolding.

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Another calf has been

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abandoned in the first few
days of its life.

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Sometimes sick or old females
struggling to survive

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do leave infant calves to fend
for themselves.

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Innocent to the virtues of
silence in the dark,

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the young elephant calls out
to the shadows.

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The cry in answered.

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But the hyena is nervous, wary
of the approaching elephants.

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When the matriarch leads her
herd intothe water,

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they are drawn to the disturbance.

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But with a long journey ahead,

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this abandoned calf could be
a grave burden to the whole herd.

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And he is rejected.

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Perhaps the calls are too chilling,
and the herd returns.

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The calf is caught up in the
swirl of running legs,

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and swept off into the dark.

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Adoption is rare in
most species,

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but by daybreak the rescued

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calf is part of the herd.

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Now, however, he has even
greater challenges to deal with.

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It's an adoption,

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but by some strange twist of fate,
his new mother is the matriarch,

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Who already has her
own newborn daughter.

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He is immediately seen
as a competitor

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for the rich-flavored milk.

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Elephants rarely have
two calves at a time,

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so usually there is no
competition for milk.

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Whether the matriarch
adopted the calf

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or the calf found the only
lactating female in the herd,

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is hard to tell.

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But his rescue is no
less than remarkable.

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Now he faces a new threat...

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starvation by sibling rivalry.

157
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Probing and testing like

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serpents coaxed out by a
charmer's flute,

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Sensitive trunks dance for a
hidden delicacy.

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Each shake is followed by
a moment's silence,

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not in reverence, But to listen
for the seed pods falling.

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These pods are
harvested annually.

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The trees are seldom damaged...

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unlike the robust mopane trees
that they smash down to get

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to the nutritious upper leaves

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A little bark from certain

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acacias yields fatty acids
and minerals.

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It is thought that the fiber

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in the bark has medicinal sues
for elephants

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as it does for humans.

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Herds all over northern Botswana
are on the move now

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traversing the corridors
of their memories...

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Ancient trails that run
like long veins of life,

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spreading out,

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then converging on
the scattered water holes.

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The most vulnerable are the
very young

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By the age of three, fewer than
half the calves survive.

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Some lions specialize in
outmaneuvering the herds,

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Waging a constant way
of nerves.

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Sometimes older calves
become isolated

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separated because their mothers
have new young to lookafter.

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These newborn can be
snatched up easily

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and must be well guarded.

184
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Often the older calves must
fend for themselves.

185
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As harsh as it may seem,
it is necessary.

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With animals that live so long

187
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some deaths are important to
regulate the population.

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Only in paradise is death banned
from claiming the weak.

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At the water hole a lone male suddenly
feels the awakenings in his body.

190
00:18:33,412 --> 00:18:35,209
It is the time of his musth.

191
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Like the new dawn, this feeling
is fresh and vital.

192
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He can take on anything.

193
00:19:05,410 --> 00:19:08,208
Musth comes to males
once a year,

194
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But only begins halfway
through their lives.

195
00:19:11,850 --> 00:19:13,181
This is their breeding phase,

196
00:19:13,418 --> 00:19:18,879
when high levels of testosterone turn
their thoughts to conquests.

197
00:19:20,893 --> 00:19:24,385
Another bull has the same
feelings of elation today

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00:19:24,630 --> 00:19:27,224
and is also ready to
confront the world.

199
00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:52,520
When a breeding herd of females
glides towards the combatants,

200
00:19:53,325 --> 00:19:55,452
the silence is deceptive.

201
00:20:05,237 --> 00:20:08,400
This victorious bull has already
heard the low rumbles

202
00:20:08,507 --> 00:20:10,907
from an eager female
across the plain.

203
00:20:13,745 --> 00:20:17,010
As he draws nearer,
she coyly breaks away.

204
00:20:18,183 --> 00:20:19,844
And the chase is on.

205
00:20:23,889 --> 00:20:25,049
He hunts her down.

206
00:20:25,824 --> 00:20:27,416
She knows she is being hunted,

207
00:20:28,026 --> 00:20:29,288
and with a smaller body weight

208
00:20:29,528 --> 00:20:34,227
She could easily outrun him as
she has lesser suitors this week.

209
00:20:39,938 --> 00:20:42,964
But this time she is willing
and stops

210
00:20:46,044 --> 00:20:48,638
Elephant mating takes
a lot of cooperation.

211
00:20:51,216 --> 00:20:54,879
This coordinates sexual readiness
of both male and female

212
00:20:54,953 --> 00:20:58,150
is quite unique in animals
and for several days

213
00:20:58,423 --> 00:20:59,947
they will stay together.

214
00:21:00,892 --> 00:21:02,917
By soliciting this musth bull,

215
00:21:03,562 --> 00:21:05,757
she has purposely
chosen her mate,

216
00:21:05,998 --> 00:21:10,662
and wins as a prize his dominant
genes for her offspring.

217
00:21:14,206 --> 00:21:17,801
Her calf will be born nearly
two years from now.

218
00:21:58,250 --> 00:22:01,879
Waves of thirsty giants
stampede the water holes.

219
00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:04,850
Anything in the way is
chased off.

220
00:22:10,228 --> 00:22:14,062
But before rushing in,
they stop and test the air.

221
00:22:17,035 --> 00:22:20,300
Each family, under the
leadership of their matriarch,

222
00:22:20,539 --> 00:22:23,997
Maintains long-distance
contact with other groups.

223
00:22:29,181 --> 00:22:31,376
As the groups meet
at the water holes,

224
00:22:31,750 --> 00:22:35,345
they melt together to
become one clan again.

225
00:22:36,955 --> 00:22:39,822
Here they congregate
and reinforce bonds.

226
00:22:53,739 --> 00:22:55,400
Even after short separations,

227
00:22:55,507 --> 00:22:58,806
Greetings are very active
and affectionate.

228
00:23:09,287 --> 00:23:12,188
Screams of tension drive out
non-clan members;

229
00:23:12,958 --> 00:23:16,086
Elephants tend to
avoid strangers.

230
00:23:19,030 --> 00:23:22,557
But the large water holes
attract herds from all around,

231
00:23:23,001 --> 00:23:26,334
Both wanderers and regulars
on this route.

232
00:23:26,605 --> 00:23:27,731
All mass together,

233
00:23:28,540 --> 00:23:31,668
but maintain their discrete
groups around the water hole,

234
00:23:31,877 --> 00:23:36,075
hundreds or sometimes even
thousands at a time.

235
00:23:39,951 --> 00:23:44,547
These gentle animals appear to
want to avoid stressful encounters.

236
00:23:47,192 --> 00:23:51,219
With language skills of at least
twenty-five different concepts,

237
00:23:51,863 --> 00:23:55,731
A complex "stacking" system is
at work at these water holes

238
00:23:56,435 --> 00:23:58,130
When incoming herds signal,

239
00:23:58,403 --> 00:24:01,429
the herd that was drinking
vacates the water.

240
00:24:11,016 --> 00:24:13,780
In all this activity,
the matriarch has arrived.

241
00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:18,915
Over the last two months
the adopted,

242
00:24:19,057 --> 00:24:22,151
Smaller calf seems to have
worked out a way to survive.

243
00:24:40,545 --> 00:24:43,981
The water is still an unfamiliar
experience for both calves.

244
00:24:56,428 --> 00:24:57,417
The adopted calf,

245
00:24:57,562 --> 00:24:59,621
possibly with less
pleasant associations,

246
00:24:59,798 --> 00:25:02,392
is even more reluctant
to venture in,

247
00:25:03,101 --> 00:25:05,661
despite the gentle coaxing.

248
00:25:25,824 --> 00:25:27,917
Others are here for the
water as well.

249
00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:30,921
As hundreds of buffalo
crowd in,

250
00:25:31,029 --> 00:25:35,363
stress rumbles through the elephant
herds like an electric storm.

251
00:25:44,910 --> 00:25:47,174
Boxed in by the huge
herd of buffalo,

252
00:25:47,412 --> 00:25:49,107
the matriarch and her family

253
00:25:49,247 --> 00:25:51,738
are forced to use the
steep side of the bank.

254
00:26:02,727 --> 00:26:05,059
An older calf is
jostled into the water.

255
00:26:12,837 --> 00:26:16,705
With the buffalo still threatening,
a quick rescue is mounted.

256
00:26:21,479 --> 00:26:25,006
Displaying an intelligence of
communication and astounding logic,

257
00:26:25,116 --> 00:26:27,482
Theelephants divide their efforts.

258
00:26:28,286 --> 00:26:32,245
Some fend off the buffalo while
others tend to the frantic calf.

259
00:26:56,147 --> 00:27:01,175
Just a gentle stabilizer is needed
and a well-placed trunk does the job.

260
00:27:08,293 --> 00:27:10,625
And still the matriarch
doesn't lead them away.

261
00:27:11,529 --> 00:27:14,862
They need water before attempting
the long journey ahead.

262
00:27:15,767 --> 00:27:17,098
In their eagerness to drink,
the smaller,

263
00:27:17,302 --> 00:27:21,864
adopted calf is shoved over
the edge and into the mud.

264
00:27:25,276 --> 00:27:29,303
Now the danger of a buffalo
stampede is even greater than before.

265
00:27:29,547 --> 00:27:32,380
The thick mud sucks
at the calf's back legs.

266
00:27:47,032 --> 00:27:51,560
Following the matriarch's lead
they all climb into the mud to help.

267
00:28:05,717 --> 00:28:10,154
Desperate attempts to break down
the bank only make the problem worse.

268
00:28:26,137 --> 00:28:28,298
The two females combine efforts,

269
00:28:28,506 --> 00:28:32,636
using tusks and trunks like shovels
to keep the calf from drowning,

270
00:28:33,244 --> 00:28:35,474
while another digs a ramp.

271
00:28:43,588 --> 00:28:46,648
Together the two females squeeze
and push at the calf.

272
00:28:47,659 --> 00:28:49,854
The suction underneath is
suddenly released

273
00:28:51,996 --> 00:28:54,931
and the calf is free at last.

274
00:29:13,017 --> 00:29:16,180
They tenderly reassure
and smell the youngster,

275
00:29:16,588 --> 00:29:18,886
rescued for the second time
in his life.

276
00:29:19,824 --> 00:29:24,761
The concerned herd now bunches
against the converging buffalo

277
00:29:28,500 --> 00:29:31,526
Outrage runs like wildfire
among the herds,

278
00:29:31,636 --> 00:29:33,900
sparking explosions of aggression.

279
00:29:47,318 --> 00:29:49,878
But the buffalo keep pouring
out of the forest,

280
00:29:50,421 --> 00:29:53,754
and dust hangs like smoke
on a battlefield.

281
00:30:03,902 --> 00:30:05,893
The contest is finally resolved.

282
00:30:07,205 --> 00:30:11,369
As the dust settles,
the buffalo disperse.

283
00:30:15,580 --> 00:30:16,979
Somewhere in the confusion,

284
00:30:17,348 --> 00:30:20,840
a young buffalo was struck
heavily in the head and side.

285
00:30:21,753 --> 00:30:25,280
The calf is doomed,
injured beyond hope.

286
00:30:31,529 --> 00:30:33,895
The two calves move off
with the herd.

287
00:30:34,299 --> 00:30:37,166
Having avoided a
muddy death themselves.

288
00:30:37,802 --> 00:30:41,761
The young buffalo's broken
body is left behind.

289
00:30:47,879 --> 00:30:51,110
It causes some concern to the
departing elephants,

290
00:30:51,616 --> 00:30:54,949
Suggesting an awareness
of in jury and death,

291
00:30:55,620 --> 00:30:57,986
even of other species.

292
00:31:16,841 --> 00:31:20,368
Like huge cathedrals
or ancient monoliths,

293
00:31:20,612 --> 00:31:23,308
The solid shapes
block out the sun.

294
00:31:27,485 --> 00:31:30,215
A long way from the
congregating female herds,

295
00:31:30,889 --> 00:31:35,155
the bulls gently sway to a
rhythmic dance of the giants

296
00:31:35,593 --> 00:31:37,788
A shuffle of constant adjustment

297
00:31:38,029 --> 00:31:41,692
in a display of dominance
and submission.

298
00:32:07,091 --> 00:32:09,559
Each one of these bulls has a rank

299
00:32:09,861 --> 00:32:12,193
each responds to the next one.

300
00:32:12,964 --> 00:32:16,297
Every newcomer to the
gathering provokes a reaction

301
00:32:16,467 --> 00:32:19,994
that flashes through the
memories of all the contestants.

302
00:32:23,641 --> 00:32:25,438
Anyone unsure of his status

303
00:32:25,510 --> 00:32:28,775
soon learns the rules of
this tournament of giants.

304
00:32:33,418 --> 00:32:36,683
Status is determined
by body size, rage;

305
00:32:37,522 --> 00:32:40,082
tusks have little to do with it.

306
00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,400
The contest is for water,
as usual.

307
00:32:52,136 --> 00:32:55,037
In a classic bull area like Savuti,

308
00:32:55,340 --> 00:32:58,673
up to 200 elephants compete
for this one resource.

309
00:33:00,979 --> 00:33:04,574
In this melee they must constantly
be aware of who is around

310
00:33:05,550 --> 00:33:08,246
A sensitive tail is an advantage.

311
00:33:32,677 --> 00:33:35,976
With their head used like
huge medieval maces,

312
00:33:36,214 --> 00:33:40,241
bodies jostle and tusks joust
for precious liquid.

313
00:33:51,629 --> 00:33:54,996
This struggle may seem like a
chaotic free-for-all.

314
00:33:55,233 --> 00:33:57,326
But with each changing combination,

315
00:33:57,568 --> 00:34:03,302
the field plan of the hierarchy is reset
in a surprisingly orderly fashion

316
00:34:12,650 --> 00:34:17,519
One ghostly form is excluded
from the commotion.

317
00:34:17,755 --> 00:34:20,087
His gaunt features and
sagging skin

318
00:34:20,291 --> 00:34:25,058
are sure signs of his age
and fading energy for life.

319
00:34:32,503 --> 00:34:36,701
With his last set of grinding
teeth nearly worn away,

320
00:34:36,941 --> 00:34:38,966
his days are numbered.

321
00:34:52,356 --> 00:34:54,051
Too weak to join in,

322
00:34:54,592 --> 00:34:59,325
he can only watch the
competing bulls, and wait.

323
00:35:04,969 --> 00:35:09,872
By dusk his body cries out for the
moisture leached from it by the heat.

324
00:35:14,879 --> 00:35:16,744
He can no longer resist,

325
00:35:16,981 --> 00:35:21,008
and with fewer bulls around the water,
he makes his move.

326
00:35:23,087 --> 00:35:25,749
Drawing himself up
to his full height,

327
00:35:25,857 --> 00:35:28,690
he forces himself into the circle.

328
00:35:29,594 --> 00:35:32,757
At last the drinks.

329
00:35:35,233 --> 00:35:37,929
When a mud-covered,
dominant bull returns,

330
00:35:38,169 --> 00:35:41,263
the ghostly elephant
should retreat.

331
00:35:41,506 --> 00:35:43,736
But the water still
beckons him.

332
00:35:44,976 --> 00:35:46,841
It is a mistake.

333
00:35:47,945 --> 00:35:52,575
A jagged tusk slices through
the old skin into his neck.

334
00:35:52,850 --> 00:35:55,375
The old bull goes down
with barely a struggle,

335
00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:58,388
losing blood fast.

336
00:36:21,846 --> 00:36:23,507
Even before the old bull dies,

337
00:36:23,981 --> 00:36:27,815
a young male carries out a
bizarre mock-mating display.

338
00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:31,017
This behavior can only
be explained

339
00:36:31,155 --> 00:36:34,022
as an attempt to upgrade

340
00:36:34,125 --> 00:36:36,719
his own status with this
show of domination.

341
00:36:39,964 --> 00:36:43,161
The old bull dies quickly
and silently in the night,

342
00:36:44,001 --> 00:36:46,492
though his fate was
long since determined.

343
00:36:51,475 --> 00:36:54,740
Companions defend the
carcass against the hyenas,

344
00:36:55,179 --> 00:36:56,874
a useless endeavor.

345
00:36:57,348 --> 00:37:00,374
His body must continue
its usefulness to Africa,

346
00:37:01,018 --> 00:37:03,612
even after his death.

347
00:37:14,899 --> 00:37:17,060
Like an ancient burial ritual,

348
00:37:17,301 --> 00:37:20,099
attention is paid
to every detail.

349
00:37:53,871 --> 00:37:57,034
We don't yet understand
this behavior.

350
00:37:57,675 --> 00:38:00,269
Is it a macabre fascination
with the dead

351
00:38:01,279 --> 00:38:04,043
or perhaps a tribute to
a fallen companion?

352
00:38:10,187 --> 00:38:11,882
And why is the ivory so often

353
00:38:12,123 --> 00:38:15,957
the focus of these haunting
examinations?

354
00:38:27,772 --> 00:38:28,796
As a week passes,

355
00:38:28,873 --> 00:38:31,774
the carcass gradually
relinquishes its form.

356
00:38:32,743 --> 00:38:36,042
There is no mythological
elephant graveyard,

357
00:38:36,414 --> 00:38:40,043
no common place where bones
and tusks are taken...

358
00:38:40,818 --> 00:38:43,981
just the eventual scatterings
in the dust.

359
00:38:47,992 --> 00:38:51,428
As the last scavengers squabble
over the scraps of the body,

360
00:38:51,495 --> 00:38:53,360
A few bulls remain,

361
00:38:54,031 --> 00:38:57,592
perhaps still nurturing a special bond
with the old elephant.

362
00:39:22,526 --> 00:39:27,930
Before we could really understand
his ways and the ways of his species,

363
00:39:28,132 --> 00:39:31,101
The bull's spirit floats away.

364
00:39:34,438 --> 00:39:38,772
Eight days and what was once
a giant of the world

365
00:39:39,009 --> 00:39:44,504
is no more thanjust a memory,
just a reflection of a time

366
00:39:44,749 --> 00:39:46,011
when elephants roamed Africa

367
00:39:46,250 --> 00:39:50,744
from sea to sea and
ruled the continent.

368
00:40:02,099 --> 00:40:06,763
Once again the clans are gathering,
marching for the rivers.

369
00:40:06,971 --> 00:40:08,734
Paths interlace,

370
00:40:08,973 --> 00:40:13,410
leaving behind a swath
of flattened vegetation.

371
00:40:26,323 --> 00:40:27,984
This constant ebb and
flow of bodies

372
00:40:28,225 --> 00:40:31,683
affects some areas
while resting others,

373
00:40:31,929 --> 00:40:34,420
A balance that is
forever changing.

374
00:40:40,037 --> 00:40:42,801
The females head for the best
feeding and good water,

375
00:40:43,407 --> 00:40:47,571
not only for the living,
But for their unborn as well.

376
00:41:00,624 --> 00:41:05,118
The final miles are covered
on the run toward the rivers.

377
00:41:05,362 --> 00:41:07,887
Here the matriarch and
her calves will see out

378
00:41:08,132 --> 00:41:11,363
the next three months
of the dry season.

379
00:41:25,516 --> 00:41:27,882
Even in this chaotic clamor
for water,

380
00:41:28,118 --> 00:41:31,986
The elephants show a sensitivity
and awareness of who is around them

381
00:41:32,189 --> 00:41:35,955
and where their other clan
families are

382
00:41:45,369 --> 00:41:46,961
After a grueling six months,
the calves,

383
00:41:47,204 --> 00:41:51,004
possibly sensing that their
constant march is over

384
00:41:51,242 --> 00:41:54,837
take on a new playfulness
and relax.

385
00:42:11,262 --> 00:42:15,722
But now when the oppressive
heat stings their dark bodies,

386
00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:18,992
They can hide from its burning fingers

387
00:42:26,176 --> 00:42:31,614
Gradually the elephants drop down
like weary puppets at the end of a show.

388
00:42:31,749 --> 00:42:35,708
Both young and old drifting
into a rare sleepiness.

389
00:43:01,011 --> 00:43:05,880
For them there are easy ways to
shut out the world.

390
00:43:26,737 --> 00:43:29,763
They seldom allow themselves
to sleep for long.

391
00:43:30,007 --> 00:43:35,502
Just a few minutes at a time are needed
by animals with such long, slow lives.

392
00:44:15,653 --> 00:44:18,315
Only when they are all up
and ready will the matriarch

393
00:44:18,555 --> 00:44:20,386
lead them out of the shade,

394
00:44:20,624 --> 00:44:22,956
always keeping the herd together.

395
00:44:27,064 --> 00:44:29,760
But sometimes things go wrong.

396
00:44:35,039 --> 00:44:39,533
Occasionally calves are left
behind and wander around lost,

397
00:44:39,777 --> 00:44:42,803
Testing each herd they approach.

398
00:44:43,247 --> 00:44:46,239
When he sees the matriarch
and goes to greet the herd,

399
00:44:46,483 --> 00:44:48,951
this young male is turned away

400
00:44:49,653 --> 00:44:53,487
His best chance of being found
is to keep searching.

401
00:44:54,758 --> 00:44:56,453
Despite their
good communication,

402
00:44:56,694 --> 00:44:59,322
These separations are
inevitable.

403
00:44:59,563 --> 00:45:02,896
Newborn calves have begun to
displace the older ones.

404
00:45:09,940 --> 00:45:11,168
Unbeknown to him,

405
00:45:11,275 --> 00:45:15,336
his real family is across the
plain heading into the forest.

406
00:45:20,117 --> 00:45:23,848
Suddenly he finds himself
among lions.

407
00:45:28,092 --> 00:45:30,060
Before he can turn away,

408
00:45:30,294 --> 00:45:32,353
the juvenile is
locked in a deadly game.

409
00:45:38,802 --> 00:45:42,568
But this time innocence is
matched by inexperience.

410
00:45:42,806 --> 00:45:48,472
The lions are young and seem more
intent on experimenting thank killing.

411
00:46:02,893 --> 00:46:06,989
Lions often prey on the weak,
but this calf is lost,

412
00:46:07,231 --> 00:46:10,997
Not ailing... a determined
opponent with a thick hide,

413
00:46:11,235 --> 00:46:13,533
not easy to penetrate.

414
00:46:30,554 --> 00:46:35,548
But soon he tires and the
lions close in for the kill.

415
00:47:00,918 --> 00:47:03,716
Quite suddenly the
experiment is over.

416
00:47:03,954 --> 00:47:06,821
The lions are exhausted,
and lose interest.

417
00:47:07,057 --> 00:47:08,388
The calf responds,

418
00:47:08,625 --> 00:47:12,152
surprising the lions with his
new zest for life.

419
00:47:15,866 --> 00:47:19,302
As they watch, he slips away.

420
00:47:19,837 --> 00:47:24,035
What emotions elephants feel during
these struggles we do not know

421
00:47:24,274 --> 00:47:29,075
That they do feel something
is quite apparent.

422
00:47:32,950 --> 00:47:34,679
Back in the bull area,

423
00:47:34,918 --> 00:47:38,217
when old bones have
all but turned to dust,

424
00:47:38,455 --> 00:47:40,980
The mud relinquishes
a precious last reminder

425
00:47:41,225 --> 00:47:43,989
of the old bull at the
water hole.

426
00:47:52,102 --> 00:47:53,330
Like a trophy,

427
00:47:53,570 --> 00:47:58,803
it is carried into the open,
displayed, and fondled.

428
00:47:59,042 --> 00:48:03,103
Like a memory,
it is tasted and nurtured.

429
00:48:26,503 --> 00:48:30,371
This haunting behavior is
difficult to understand.

430
00:48:30,607 --> 00:48:33,576
How can we ever know
what elephants feel

431
00:48:34,278 --> 00:48:37,873
and what form these emotions take

432
00:48:38,115 --> 00:48:40,982
A mystery, forever.

433
00:48:53,297 --> 00:48:57,893
When they attempt to destroy ivory
by smashing it against rocks

434
00:48:58,201 --> 00:49:01,659
or try to crush tusks
by standing on them,

435
00:49:01,905 --> 00:49:04,703
are they displaying a
new behavior...

436
00:49:04,908 --> 00:49:09,038
a solemn response to the
atrocities of our time?

437
00:49:09,279 --> 00:49:11,839
Or is this an ancient ritual
and if so what does it mean?

438
00:49:12,082 --> 00:49:15,449
At the river the matriarch

439
00:49:29,366 --> 00:49:36,465
leads her herd on a final push
for better feeding on the north bank.

440
00:49:44,181 --> 00:49:47,173
Swimming is little
problem for elephants.

441
00:49:53,757 --> 00:49:59,753
They share an ancestry with seagoing
mammals like dugongs and manatees.

442
00:49:59,997 --> 00:50:03,933
Large, vacant, nasal and sinus cavities
keep their heavy heads afloat,

443
00:50:04,568 --> 00:50:07,002
and their fat makes
them buoyant.

444
00:50:21,118 --> 00:50:25,145
On the south bank a timid
young bull refuses to swim

445
00:50:25,389 --> 00:50:28,483
and watches the herd disappear

446
00:50:42,873 --> 00:50:47,207
By now the young bull has given up
all attempts at swimming.

447
00:50:51,581 --> 00:50:55,813
The herd's ancient knowledge
has betrayed them this time.

448
00:50:56,053 --> 00:50:58,578
For when they finally emerge
on the north bank,

449
00:50:58,822 --> 00:51:02,553
They have crossed into another
country, Namibia.

450
00:51:11,168 --> 00:51:15,605
The stranded young bull still
calls to them in alarm.

451
00:51:18,575 --> 00:51:23,444
The herd is now fair game for
hunters poachers and traders

452
00:51:23,680 --> 00:51:28,344
A wave of communication flashes back
and forth across the river.

453
00:51:30,220 --> 00:51:33,781
Then, reacting as one,

454
00:51:34,024 --> 00:51:38,051
they plunge into the water
so swim back to the young bull

455
00:51:51,141 --> 00:51:53,666
Although by now the
exhausted young calves

456
00:51:53,743 --> 00:51:56,735
are at risk of drowning
in the strong current,

457
00:51:56,947 --> 00:52:01,509
A fatal conflict with man
has been avoided.

458
00:52:03,019 --> 00:52:07,820
On the south bank greetings and
urgent reassurances flood from the herd,

459
00:52:08,125 --> 00:52:10,593
But he will not be persuaded.

460
00:52:10,927 --> 00:52:12,861
The herd gives up and remains

461
00:52:12,929 --> 00:52:16,763
on the familiar and safer
soils of Botswana...

462
00:52:17,000 --> 00:52:19,400
The end of the restless
journey for the matriarch

463
00:52:19,636 --> 00:52:23,697
and her calves, for this year.

464
00:52:30,013 --> 00:52:32,447
This may be the last
generation of elephants

465
00:52:32,682 --> 00:52:35,776
to traverse these ancestral ranges,

466
00:52:36,019 --> 00:52:38,920
the last truly free elephants.

467
00:52:41,892 --> 00:52:45,350
As we succeed more
and more as a species,

468
00:52:45,562 --> 00:52:49,999
They seem to trickle further
and further from our reach.

469
00:52:50,267 --> 00:52:52,258
It has been said
that we could do worse

470
00:52:52,402 --> 00:52:55,963
than mold our own lives
on those of elephants...

471
00:52:56,139 --> 00:53:01,941
Lives filled with dignity
and gentle bearing, and time.

472
00:53:02,112 --> 00:53:05,138
Perhaps we need more time
to understand those gentle

473
00:53:05,348 --> 00:53:07,646
celebrations of life and death

474
00:53:08,084 --> 00:53:11,417
that are like silent whispers
in the moonlight...

475
00:53:11,655 --> 00:53:16,251
more time for reflectionson elephants