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Nature S44E12
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00:06At Rattetti Elephant Sanctuary, the Samburu people rescue orphans and nurture them back to health.
00:25We love these animals the way we love our kids.
00:31Each elephant is navigating its own path back to the wild.
00:41While new arrivals adapt to this unlikely family, the oldest members prepare to leave.
00:52We can't deny them the right to go back into the wild. It is very, very hard to say goodbye.
01:02This will be the ultimate test of a journey years in the making.
01:59Each of the 47 elephants here arrived with a tragic story.
02:05Some were orphaned by poaching and conflict.
02:10Others by the challenges of the wild.
02:16elephants trying to heal their trauma.
02:35Healing is helped by a sense of belonging, so they're grouped into herds.
02:41The youngest calves, the middle group of three to five-year-olds, and the oldest orphans,
02:54the release herd.
03:01We have a special bond with the elephants.
03:04When you give them love, they give back laughs.
03:09No.
03:12Let's go.
03:16Right now, sanctuary life has never been busier.
03:23As the team gears up for the most significant event in its history.
03:33In just one week, the release herd will be returned back to the wild.
03:40Set free from the sanctuary gates, with the hopes they'll explore the vast expanse of the
03:47Samburu Wilderness.
03:55For keeper Coleman, it's the result of years of dedication and care.
04:02You know, these are the calves that we have been with for like six years, so I'm feeling
04:07sad.
04:09They were like my babies.
04:14We love them, but our goal here is to see them having their new life in the bush.
04:22I will really meet them.
04:40Coleman has a particularly close relationship with the very smallest member of the herd.
04:47I will really meet you.
04:51Kelele's journey hasn't been easy.
04:54Recovering from an infection, he almost didn't make the grade.
04:59Kelele had health issues, but as you can see, the body of Kelele, body condition is nice.
05:08They are very happy now.
05:11Kelele is ready to release.
05:17Along with Kelele, these elephants will walk from the safety of the sanctuary into the untamed
05:24wild.
05:28This is real kind of true wilderness.
05:33There are no fences from here for thousands of acres.
05:37Co-founder Katie helped shape the plan for the elephants' release.
05:43This is the best chance that they've got to go back and really have a truly wild existence.
05:50They're collared to keep track of them across the landscape.
05:54The dream is that the elephants rescued from here would once again walk out back into this landscape
06:03where they belong, be free roaming, joining wild herds of elephants, and potentially even meeting
06:15up with the family herds that they came from.
06:19To see that becoming a reality is a huge step, a huge part of it.
06:31This is a special type of rewilding mission.
06:35Rescued elephants returning to roam free on the very lands they came from.
06:47But on this same land, emergencies can happen at any time.
06:56A call has come in for the Rattetti team.
07:09All right.
07:13Hello!
07:14Are we short, Shawa?
07:15Do you want to see us as well?
07:18Oh, Bob!
07:20Hello!
07:23Yes.
07:26Are we long doing more?
07:34Dotted throughout the dry riverbeds in this region are water holes, and a week-old baby
07:40has fallen into one.
07:43The elephants can smell water.
07:47Those wells are deep.
07:48You'll see little trunks that can smell the water but can't quite reach it.
07:54And they either lose their footing or they're kind of nudged in by the excitement of the
08:00rest of the herd that are trying to also get to the water.
08:06Elephant herds are often forced to move on for their own survival, leaving calves behind
08:12when their rescue attempts fail.
08:14The plan is to get the elephant out of the well.
08:17Well, we can't lose her.
08:32Well done, well done.
08:43You can actually see how long he was in the water because the bottom of his feet are all
08:49white.
08:50Just like us, you know, if you sit in the bath for too long, you get wrinkly fingers.
08:58You're just constantly thinking about them.
09:01You're sort of waking up in the night and it's the first thing you think about.
09:07You know, you're checking in with the team at all hours.
09:15The team knows just how deeply the ordeal weighs on a young elephant's mind.
09:29Back at Rattetti, in order for this baby to heal, the keepers must earn its trust.
09:41The moment they arrive here in the sanctuary, we put them in this quarantine room.
09:50They can die of a broken heart.
09:54First, Jennifer was here.
09:56It's the most important part that can help these babies to heal from trauma.
10:10The first bottle is very important because that's how we are born together.
10:18Feeding babies will always take time and you have to be patient.
10:24Feeding babies will always take time and you have to be patient.
10:31Feeding babies goes for hours of your sleep.
10:48Feeding babies are less visible and obviously train females.
10:53They'll treat babies as long as they have to avoid time and they fail.
10:57All new arrivals have one-on-one care at night.
11:08You always have to sit close.
11:28I started realizing motherhood from baby elephants before I have my own children.
11:36Elephants are the first babies that I have ever held in my hand.
11:42And they have taught me how to be a good mom.
11:53I get attached to them so much.
12:12The day everyone has been working towards has arrived.
12:18Release day.
12:27A milestone for Rattetti and for the elephants who are about to return to the wild.
12:38They'll be free to roam, wherever they want, across northern Kenya.
12:45Good morning.
12:52It's six years in the making for everyone, including Katie and manager Peter.
12:59Are you nervous?
13:00Yeah.
13:01Yeah.
13:04If you raise a child and then you just release them into the bush, you know, it's something that it's
13:11hard to imagine.
13:11There's going to be challenges, that's the thing.
13:13But it's quite a happy moment for myself, seeing them going out.
13:20You know, one thing now is this elephant will be the future for Rattetti.
13:25He's gonna be in.
13:26Come and Hoo.
13:49On this momentous day, from every corner of this valley,
13:55The community gathers to say their goodbyes.
14:16A final prayer is offered before the gates open.
14:31To bless your NOR d Jewlox.
14:32A final prayer is taken advantage.
14:35Alec acreditos por loco.
14:36Ar musste laun al purpose.
15:05The elephants step into the wild, leaving the keeper's care forever.
15:49Letting them go, it is hard.
15:56We have to accept it, we hope with time, maybe we will meet with them.
16:35I feel pain.
16:41We know that we can't deny them the right to go back into the wild.
16:46It is very hard to say goodbye to our babies, so many people are trying to forget that sadness.
16:53Singing and also dancing to change the moods.
16:58Singing and dancing to change the moods.
17:00Singing and dancing to change the moods.
17:13Singing and dancing to change the moods.
17:13Singing and dancing to change the moods.
17:33Singing and dancing to change the moods.
17:41I don't know, it is very difficult for us to forget them.
17:46It was not easy to say goodbye.
17:50The best elephants in a Rattetti.
17:53And I love them so much.
18:14Thirty-four elephants remain at Rattetti.
18:18And so, the daily routines continue.
18:23Sweetened with honey.
18:27Fortified with supplements.
18:30The milk bottles are carefully prepared.
18:39Keepers know that the elephants feel the absence of the oldest herd.
18:45That's why this bottle feed is even more important.
18:48To provide comfort and reassurance.
18:59The release herd has moved on.
19:04But a new chapter begins.
19:25We found this Hebron with Amatas Kakas.
19:29Already been eaten by the high nurse.
19:35This is her first time to be with a human.
19:40You can see that it is so, so strange for her.
19:46All these sounds.
19:52It's a must for us, for her to go and explore.
19:58Walking around daily, just within this combo.
20:10To ease her nerves, Kasima is given time to grow familiar with her new surroundings.
20:31As a keeper, you must have a passion to share with an animal and give her all she needs so
20:38that she will adapt with him.
20:39your sweet comfort and fun.
20:53Good morning, good morning.
20:55And so, she is a great person.
21:00Let's go.
21:03The action of the Titans.
21:04One month, two weeks before mommy, one month, three months, two months, two months...
21:08and trying to make sense of the absence of his mother.
21:13Elephants are the most sensitive animals.
21:18Good boy. Well done.
21:22When they don't receive good care or even love,
21:27they feel like they're being stressed.
21:32We are happy, but we monitor closely, physical appearance,
21:40everything about him to ensure that we continue to progress well.
21:57It's been a week since the graduates left Rattetti.
22:02Each has been fitted with a radio collar to track their movements.
22:08This is their movement.
22:11Coleman expects to find them close by.
22:15Don't let it. Very new to them.
22:18You see them moving, moving.
22:21It looks like they've traveled far.
22:28So Coleman is setting out with manager Peter to check on them.
22:35But with the radio collars only pinging once every few hours,
22:40tracking isn't straightforward.
22:46It's actually a good decision for them to go that direction.
22:49Yeah.
22:53They've come to the end of the road.
23:03The herd is completely inaccessible, heading on a new course.
23:12Look at their movement.
23:14These cars have gone really far, 19 kilometers.
23:18Oh, wow.
23:20They are going up the mountain.
23:22They are now in a very new environment.
23:26I feel like it's so quick for them to go that long distance.
23:30Just gone that quickly.
23:33And even Kelele.
23:34Kelele has always been this slow.
23:36You know, we all are worried about him.
23:38But he's really doing well.
23:39Very tough boy.
23:41I'm happy for them.
23:42You know, they went in a good area where there's good browsing,
23:44there's good water.
23:45It's actually a proof to everyone that the elephants know what they are doing.
23:50This is now a good set for our elephants.
23:55Climbing higher offers richer vegetation and shows that the elephants are adapting fast to their new freedom.
24:23Keeper Mary is looking after newest arrival, Kisima.
24:31She's doing well, friendly to keep us, and she's now learning how to browse.
24:37She's still very young, but she's a bright girl.
24:49She's always wanting to be with me.
24:52When I try to go away, she just cry.
24:55I don't know what she's feeling.
24:58But I think inside that, I think, I don't know.
25:02She's feeling abandoned.
25:07Helping orphans through their fear and loneliness is part of everyday life here.
25:18She fears these big boys and girls.
25:24Mary is helping ease the young zebra's separation anxiety,
25:30gently encouraging her to bond with the other animals.
25:37And one of them knows that struggle well.
25:41Longoro lost his trunk in a hyena attack when he was just a month old,
25:46and found it difficult to bond with other elephants.
25:54Longoro's come a long way, learning to play and connect with his herd.
25:59But after receiving so much one-on-one care to help him adapt,
26:08he's become a little territorial.
26:11This boy is very jealous.
26:15Longoro's not happy to see me with another baby.
26:28Longoro's not happy to see me with another baby.
26:28I think my mother got another baby to take care of.
26:32The time will come that they will interact together and they will be friends.
26:55Longoro's not happy to see me with another baby.
27:04Longoro's not happy to see me is a little better than the baby.
27:05from the herd. The reason is clear to see you.
27:38Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, Kaleli. Sorry, sorry, sorry.
27:45I'm feeling the same pain you are feeling. Sorry, Kaleli.
27:51I think further investigation of Kaleli is illim.
28:03He's not in the best condition.
28:06Vet Sharon has to be hands-off. Examination could cause more discomfort.
28:14He's in quite a bit of pain.
28:17Yes.
28:18The limb swollen, probably fracture or dislocation.
28:25The herd was up the mountain,
28:27and we think that he might have probably missed a step
28:31and just had a bit of a stumble.
28:35We just make a plan.
28:43Oral medication.
28:44That would be much better than constantly giving him injections.
28:49No problem.
28:51We don't want to disturb him too much
28:53so that he doesn't have too much movement
28:56and he doesn't injure himself further.
28:59Recovery-wise, he has a long way to go.
29:17We can manage the pain.
29:21Kaleli will undergo an intensive course of anti-inflammatories,
29:26carefully mixed into every milk bottle.
29:36Monitor movement for the next few days.
29:40This is a very large animal and weight is a factor in healing.
29:45With rest and recovery, the vets are hopeful he can still be rewilded.
30:03Over the next three months, the dry season descends upon Samburu, transforming the land.
30:12rivers shrink, vegetation withers, and temperatures soar above 100 degrees.
30:25Survival for everyone becomes a daily challenge.
30:31And it's no different for the elephants of Roteti.
30:36Dry season is a bit difficult.
30:39Very hard to get food, water.
30:43The small babies struggle.
30:45We teach them how to adapt so that they can learn different ways to survive.
31:02For the youngest herd, the heat brings a new lesson with keeper Dorothy.
31:10Pick one.
31:12The task today is to let them find water.
31:20During dry season, we have natural pools.
31:23So we take them around those areas to forage.
31:28Elephants have an extraordinary sense of smell.
31:33Normally babies follow their elders, learning their way over time.
31:38But these orphans have to rely on their instincts much earlier.
31:43They've been fighting a lot of times for us to celebrate those who ever can.
31:43And it's always fun for us to see in the past two weeks.
31:46And we can't do so much damage.
31:55But they've been fighting for us to work on all three months,
31:55We don't have an effort to help them out.
31:56But the fervor has been falling in the past two weeks.
31:57Very good one because of these.
32:03and many people have been fighting for us to be a plan for us.
32:05We have to take care of ourselves a little bit.
32:16Dorothy's youngsters have followed their noses and found a natural pool.
32:30Wow. I'm really happy that they find water by themselves.
32:37Telephants are very smart animals.
32:42So the more you teach them, the more they get to understand a natural way.
32:5925 miles away, high in the mountains, the release herd has found a water source of their own.
33:14Elephants drink not just for hydration, but for essential mineral salts abundant in this mountain range.
33:24It's a clear sign they've remembered the lessons Rattetti taught them.
33:40Naomi's herd, next in line for release, are also feeling the weight of the dry season.
33:49This season is very, very hot. Grassland now is finished. It is a very, very challenging time.
33:57With little left to graze, Naomi is teaching them how to survive.
34:05They lack delicious trees. They are not getting fresh leaves. You can see they are just eating dry sticks.
34:13So during the dry season, they have to struggle a lot.
34:21This tree has some juicy bark.
34:26I'm trying to become an elephant.
34:31And it is very, very hard even for me to get the branch down.
34:40And for Longoro, it's even more difficult.
34:44He spent his early life learning to graze while kneeling.
34:48During the dry season, Longoro cannot reach the branches.
35:04He was depending on keepers for food, but we realized he will not help himself.
35:12We don't want to spoil his nature. And that's why we left Longoro to just browse for himself.
35:21In stepping back, the keepers are helping Longoro to fend for himself.
35:29Longoro will have to learn other ways to find food.
35:33So when he goes back into the wild, at least he knows how to depend on himself.
35:58Now out of quarantine, Kimani is joining another young orphan.
36:13Where their mothers would have dusted them to keep them cool, Dorothy steps in.
36:19They are becoming like little brothers together, playing, understanding each other,
36:26which is very important for both of them to not feel lonely.
36:32They will realize there are many in this journey.
36:37And at least that will help them to grow and accept life the way it is.
37:02For the last few weeks that we have been with them, we are seeing a lot of improvement.
37:09You can tell through the physical appearance, they look relaxed and very calm.
37:16What we are doing is making them happy.
37:37The Samburu have long mastered the art of survival in this harsh environment.
37:43And as temperatures rise, their search for water gets more intense.
38:02They dig up to 15 feet deep to reach hidden reserves below ground.
38:09They sing a unique song as they go, a melody calling each cow to its herder.
38:31These singing wells are not only a vital lifeline for livestock, but also for the wild elephants that roam this
38:40region.
39:06They begin.
39:09Under the cover of darkness, elephants gather at the many wells dotted throughout the dry
39:18riverbed, taking over where the herders left off.
39:27The extra hot days mean the whole herd is dehydrated.
39:50The water is almost unreachable for the smallest members of the herd.
40:00The biggest danger of the dry season is babies falling into the wells.
40:07And this is how many orphans come to Rattetti.
40:14The mothers know to be especially cautious, shielding their youngsters.
40:24But in the desperation for water, the young can easily slip or be pushed too close to the
40:32edge.
40:44This tiny baby has had a lucky escape.
41:09When Kelele arrived here, he cannot move.
41:12He was very frustrated with the pain.
41:16But we have really worked very hard to make sure Kelele can recover.
41:22After extensive rest…
41:24Kelele!
41:25Kelele!
41:25Kelele!
41:27Kelele!
41:28Kelele!
41:28Kelele!
41:30Kelele is now making good progress.
41:35It is very impressive and very amazing seeing him walking by himself, we will now allow him
41:43to forage.
41:49To aid his recovery, the keepers rely not just on western medicine, but on something
41:59prized by both the Samburu and elephants, an essential lifeline in the dry season.
42:12Kesha pods are like medicinal, eating the kesha pods will make him get minerals and also
42:19to get some important iron in his body.
42:46If Kalele continues to heal, the team hopes he could be returned back to his
42:53release herd family.
43:11Integration isn't always easy.
43:15Kissima struggled at first, but with time, she's found her footing among the other animals.
43:23She's now doing well.
43:24She's very happy and she's very healthy.
43:28They are now browsing together.
43:32I think she's learning a lot from the big boys and girls.
43:41So I think they will be great friends here in Rattetti.
43:54Another of Rattetti's residents has made great progress.
44:01Longoro has endured the long dry season, foraging for himself and emerging with an independent
44:09spirit.
44:10Longoro has gone through many challenges, learning different ways to survive.
44:17gauntling goes wrong.
44:18Younger!
44:20Youngerian!
44:20Like a mountain, like browsing.
44:25The knowledge for him is just growing day by day and he's changing the childhood behavior
44:31now.
44:32He's becoming an adult.
44:40I feel happy helping Longuro to come this far.
44:45If it is not my love and other people's love, he could have not reached this time now.
44:53So actually in my heart, I believe that he will survive in the wild.
45:05Longuro now has a future full of possibilities.
45:11One where he can thrive on his own beyond the sanctuary.
45:30Kimani is really doing okay.
45:34Very playful.
45:38Very energetic baby.
45:43Kimani is settling in well.
45:49And one member of the herd can't wait to meet him.
46:18Sarah is like trying to...
46:22play a role of a mom.
46:34Bonds like this help orphaned elephants heal,
46:38not just physically, but emotionally, too.
46:47They look calm.
46:52They look very happy.
46:55Sarah is a very kind elephant, and very loving, and caring.
47:14As the dry season comes to an end,
47:16the next chapter for Rattetti begins.
47:19As one generation is ready to welcome the next.
47:44I feel happy seeing these babies getting better.
47:51Our aim is to give them a second chance in life.
47:56That's our goal, that's what we want, our ultimate goal.
48:04These little ones are just beginning to form bonds, to become part of the Rattetti family
48:10for the next six years, before they too return to the wild.
48:31Drawn to the last remaining water sources, the release herd has descended into the valley
48:38and passes close to the sanctuary.
48:47It's not something the keepers would ordinarily do, but Dorothy can't resist going to see the elephants
48:53.
48:54She helped raise.
48:59Oh my God!
49:14Oh my God!
49:17Oh my God!
49:22I'm so happy.
49:25Yes.
49:27But I've missed her.
49:50I feel like they're changing so fast and they're happy and no longer need human help.
49:59That's what we want for them.
50:01This is where they belong and this is their home forever.
50:07Very proud.
50:11Thank you for being gentle.
50:15Bye everyone.
50:24But the goodbyes aren't quite over.
50:27But the goodbyes aren't quite over.
50:38Hi.
50:41Hi.
50:42Hi.
50:44Hi.
50:45Oh my God!
50:48Oh my God!
50:51Hi.
50:57Hi.
50:58Hi.
50:59Hi.
51:00Hi.
51:02Hi.
51:03Hi.
51:04So thank you.
51:05See you.
51:07See you.
51:20Being here is not something you take for granted.
51:31It is life transforming for both human and for the wild animals.
51:39That is why Brachete exists.
52:32Brachete exists.
52:33Brachete directs from a city.
52:33Brachete is a real place of the forest.
52:33Brachete is a beautiful place for you.
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