- 10 hours ago
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.
02:31trauma healing 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
02:53orphans the release herd we have a special one with the elephants when you give them
03:05laugh they give back laughs no let's go right now sanctuary life has never been busier
03:23as the team gears up for the most significant event in its history
03:32in 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 right becoming taller than me for keeper Coleman it's the result of years of
03:59dedication and care yeah you know these are the couple we have been with for like six years so
04:07I'm feeling sad they they were like my my babies we love them but our goal here is to see
04:19them having
04:20their new life in the bush I will be really meet them yeah
04:36get Lily have you been Coleman has a particularly close relationship with the very smallest member of
04:45the herd in the boy I also let me show Kalele's journey hasn't been easy recovering from an infection he
04:56almost didn't make the grade Kalele had health issues but as you can see the body of Kalele what condition
05:04is
05:07nice they're very happy now Kalele is ready for this along with Kalele these elephants will walk from the
05:21safety of the sanctuary into the untamed while this is real kind of true wilderness there are no fences from
05:34here for thousands of acres co-founder Katie helped shape the plan for the elephants release this is the
05:44best chance that they've got to go back and really have a truly wild existence they're collared to keep
05:51track of them across the landscape the dream is that the elephants rescued from here would once again
06:01walk out back and walk out back into this landscape where they belong be free roaming joining wild herds of
06:10elephants and potentially even meeting up with the the family herds that they came from to see that becoming a
06:22reality is is a huge step a huge part of it this is a special type of rewilding mission rescued
06:36elephants
06:36returning to roam free on the very lands they came from
06:48but on this same land emergencies can happen at any time a call has come in for the Rattetti team
07:09so far hi yeah yeah yeah you can Danny now is it all over here oh Bob hello
07:25uh trying to cutaway huh the dog go left in a new race the guitar dotted throughout the dry riverbeds
07:36in
07:36this region are water holes and a week old baby has fallen into one the elephants can smell water
07:47Those wells are deep. You'll see little trunks that can smell the water but can't quite reach
07:54it. And they either lose their footing or they're kind of nudged in by the excitement
08:00of the rest 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,
08:10leaving calves behind when their rescue attempts fail.
08:15The plan is to get the elephant out of the well.
08:17We can't lose her.
08:43You can actually see how long he was in the water because the bottom of his feet are all white.
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.
09:16The team knows just how deeply the ordeal weighs on a young elephant's mind.
09:28Back 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, 24 hours here is the most important part that can help these babies to heal from trauma.
10:06I'm sorry.
10:08It's very playful.
10:10The first bottle is very important because that's how we bond together.
10:18Feeding babies will always take time.
10:21And you have to be, like, patient.
10:24Beep.
10:30Wait.
10:31No.
10:39How are you going to?
10:40Beep.
10:58All new arrivals have one-on-one care at night.
11:08You always have to sit close.
11:31I've been born from baby elephants before I have my own children.
11:36Elephants are the first babies that I've ever held in my hand, and they have taught me
11:45how to be a good mom.
11:53I get attached to them so much.
12:12The day everyone has been working towards has arrived.
12:19Release 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?
13:04If you raise a child and then you just release them into the bush, you know, it's something
13:10that it's hard to imagine.
13:11There's going to be challenges.
13:12That's the thing.
13:13But it's quite a happy moment for myself, seeing them going out.
13:21You know, one thing now is this elephant will be the future for Rattetti.
13:25You know, one thing now is this elephant will be the future for Rattetti.
13:55The community gathers to say their goodbyes.
14:16A final prayer is offered before the gates open.
14:25Welcome to Rattetti.
14:26This elephant is on a rock of rattle on a rock of rattle.
14:26The mountain is also on a rock of rattle on a rock.
14:38This elephant is on a rock of a rock.
15:05The elephants step into the wild, leaving the keeper's care forever.
15:42The elephants step into the wild, leaving the sea.
15:50go this hard. We have to accept it. We hope with time maybe we will meet with them.
16:36I feel pain. We know that we can't deny them the right to go back into the wire. It is
16:47very hard to say goodbye to our babies so many people are trying to forget that
16:52sadness singing and also dancing to change the moods.
17:41I don't know. It is very difficult for us to forget them.
17:45It was not easy to say goodbye to the best elephants and I love them so much.
18:14Thirty-four elephants remain at Rattetti. And so, the daily routines continue. Sweetened with honey,
18:27fortified with supplements, the milk bottles are carefully prepared.
18:39Keepers know that the elephants feel the absence of the oldest herd. That's why this bottle feed
18:47is even more important. To provide comfort and reassurance.
18:59The release herd has moved on. But a new chapter begins.
19:25We found this Hebron with Amataskakas, already mediated by the high nurse.
19:35This is her first time to be human. You can see that it is so, so strange for her.
19:46All these sounds. It's a must for us. It's a must for us, for her to do it. It's a
19:55must for us, for her to do it.
19:58Walking around daily, just within this combo.
20:10To ease her nerves, Cosima 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'll adapt with him.
20:50The next step is to fall.
20:53The next step is to help.
20:55To be continued.
20:56To be continued.
21:03The next step is to help.
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.
22:42It's at 45 minutes ago.
22:45Wow.
22:46It's actually a good decision for them to go that direction.
22:50Yeah.
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 cows have gone really fast, 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 low.
23:36You know, we all are worried about him.
23:38But he's really doing well.
23:39Very tough boy.
23:41I'm happy with 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
23:59and 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.
24:34And she's now learning how to browse.
24:37She's still very young, but she's a bright girl.
24:45She'll follow me wherever I go.
24:49She always wants to be with me.
24:51When I try to go away, she just cries.
24:55I don't know what she's feeling.
24:58But I think inside, I think, I don't know.
25:02She's feeling abandoned.
25:07Helping orphans through their fear and loneliness
25:10is 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
25:44when he was just a month old
25:46and found it difficult to bond with other elephants.
25:54Longoro's come a long way,
25:56learning 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.
26:28I think my mother got another baby to take care of.
26:32The time will come that they will interact together
26:34and they will be friends.
26:53Overnight, the team has rushed one of the released herd back to the sanctuary.
27:03Kalele's radio callers showed he had separated from the herd.
27:08The reason is clear to see you.
27:12Kalele, Kalele, it is me.
27:15Some months ago you were totally healed, now you have got another problem, so sad to see
27:23you like this.
27:28I feel sorry for you, Kalele.
27:34Israel, you got me, daddy.
27:38Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, Kalele.
27:40Sorry, sorry, sorry.
27:45I'm feeling the same thing you are feeling.
27:49Sorry, Kalele.
27:50I think further investigation of Kalele's limb.
28:03He's not in the best condition.
28:06Vet Sharon has to be hands off.
28:09Kalele.
28:11Examination could cause more discomfort.
28:14He was in quite a bit of pain.
28:16Yes.
28:18The limb was swollen.
28:20Probably fracture or dislocation.
28:25The herd was up the mountain.
28:28And we think that he might have probably missed a step and just had a bit of a stumble.
28:35We just make a plan.
28:43Oral medication, that would be much better than constantly giving him injections.
28:49No problem.
28:51I don't want to disturb him too much so that he doesn't have too much movement and he doesn't
28:57injure himself further.
29:02But he's clearly with a healthy condition a lot.
29:03He has a long way to go.
29:17We can manage the pain.
29:21Kalele will undergo an intensive course of anti-inflammatories, carefully mixed into
29:28every 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.
30:26Survival for everyone becomes a daily challenge, and it's no different for the elephants of
30:34Teti.
30:36Dry season is a bit difficult, very hard to get food, water.
30:43The small babies struggle.
30:46We teach them how to adapt so that they can learn different ways to spy.
31:02For the youngest herd, the heat brings a new lesson with keeper Dorothy.
31:12The task today is to let them find water.
31:20During dry season, we have natural pools, so we take them around those areas to forage.
31:27the elephant.
31:28Elephants have an extraordinary sense of smell.
31:33Normally babies follow their elders, learning their way over time.
31:37But these orphans have to rely on their instincts much earlier.
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.
34:09You can see they are just eating dry sticks. So during the dry season, they have to struggle a lot.
34:21This tree has some juicy bark. I'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. He 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,
38:37but also for the wild elephants that roam this region.
39:08The Samburu is a great man.
39:10darkness.
39:14Elephants gather at the many wells dotted throughout the dry riverbed, taking over where
39:21the herders left off.
39:28The 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
40:32the edge.
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, Kelele is now making good progress.
41:35It is very impressive and very amazing seeing him walking by himself.
41:41We will now allow him to forage.
41:49To aid his recovery, the keepers rely not just on Western medicine, but on something prized
42:00call him to do his work.
42:00He is also trained by both the Samburu and elephants, an essential lifeline in the dry
42:06season.
42:11Keisha pods are like medicinal.
42:15Eating the Keisha pods will make him get minerals and also to get some important ion in
42:22his body.
42:36We play the role as a parent, make sure we feed our babies what their body requires.
42:46If Kalele continues to heal, the team hopes he could be returned back to his release
42:53herd family.
43:10Integration isn't always easy.
43:15Kisima struggled at first, but with time, she's found her footing among the other animals.
43:23She's now doing well, she's very happy and she's very healthy.
43:28They are now browsing together.
43:33I 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, like
44:21mountain, like browsing.
44:25The knowledge for him is just growing day by day.
44:29He's changing the childhood behavior now.
44:32He's becoming an adult.
44:40I feel happy helping Longoro 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.
45:05Longoro now has a future full of possibilities.
45:10One where he can thrive on his own, beyond the sanctuary.
45:31Kimani is really doing okay.
45:35Very playful.
45:38Very energetic, baby.
45:43Kimani is settling in well.
45:49And one member of the herd can't wait to meet him.
45:52You've got not going to be the best to heal things.
45:56You're not getting the basic, you're not getting the same.
46:15One member of the herd can't wait to see him.
46:20I'm in a hospital.
46:21Sometimes the adults are waiting for him to be taken.
46:22play a role of mom
46:34Bonds like this help orphaned elephants heal not just physically but emotionally too
46:46They look calm
46:51They look very happy
46:55Sarah is very kind and the fun and very loving and
47:00How are you?
47:13As the dry season comes to an end the next chapter for a Teddy begins as
47:19As one generation is ready to welcome the next
47:23Yeah
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
47:58That's what we want
47:59Our ultimate goal
48:04These little ones are just beginning to form bonds
48:07To become part of the Rattetti family for the next six years
48:13Before they too return to the wild
48:31Drown to the last remaining water sources
48:35The release herd has descended into the valley
48:38and passes close to the sanctuary.
48:47It's not something the keepers would ordinarily do,
48:51but Dorothy can't resist going to see the elephants
48:53she helped raise.
49:00Oh, my God!
49:15Oh, my God!
49:22I'm so happy.
49:25Yes.
49:27But I've missed her.
49:37Hi, everyone.
49:50I feel like they're changing so fast and they're happy.
49:54We no longer need human help.
49:59That's what we want for them.
50:01This is where they belong.
50:04And this is their home forever.
50:07Very proud.
50:10Thank you for being gentle.
50:15Bye, everyone.
50:24But the goodbyes aren't quite over.
50:43Oh, my God.
50:48Oh, my God.
50:50Bye.
50:52Bye.
50:57Bye.
50:58Friends, they're in joe.
50:59Bye.
51:21Being here is not something that you take for granted, it is life transforming for both
51:34human and for the wild animals.
51:40That is why Rettetti exists.
52:04C那我們, as a whole, we are still here to bring to the gut.
52:14They have to be able to spread the gut.
52:16That's what the hell is.
52:16That's why it is.
52:23That's why it's a wild skin.
52:32Diffie's mind is not enough.
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