0:00:23 > 0:00:25Beyond the southern tip of India
0:00:25 > 0:00:28lies a jewel in the ocean -
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Sri Lanka.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37It's a land of extraordinary beauty,
0:00:37 > 0:00:42of jungles, mountains and vast, fertile plains.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53A rich variety of animals live here.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Many of them are found nowhere else.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05But for me, one animal stands out.
0:01:06 > 0:01:12It's totally iconic and instantly recognised right around the globe.
0:01:15 > 0:01:21Sri Lanka is home to its own unique subspecies of the Asian elephant.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26They look very different from their African cousins.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Their ears are smaller, their foreheads domed
0:01:30 > 0:01:32and their backs more arched.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39I'm intrigued to find out just how deep those differences go.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43I really want to get to know them and their world.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46For me, it's the chance of a lifetime.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05Sri Lankans have a deeply spiritual relationship with nature.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09For 30 years, their country was torn apart by civil war.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Now that's over, they want to welcome people back
0:02:13 > 0:02:15to share their natural riches.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Theirs is a vibrant culture
0:02:23 > 0:02:26and one that has always lived close to wildlife.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30And their relationship with elephants is particularly special.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33CHAINS JANGLE
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Elephants also have a very special place in my heart.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45I'm a wildlife cameraman and elephants are my great passion.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48I've spent many years filming them all over Africa,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51but I've never filmed Sri Lankan elephants
0:02:51 > 0:02:53and that's why I'm here.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05For me, Sri Lanka's hard-won peace offers a golden opportunity
0:03:05 > 0:03:09to get to know its elephants and the world they live in.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24My destination is Uda Walawe National Park,
0:03:24 > 0:03:25in the south of the country.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32With me is elephant scientist Shermin de Silva.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36If anyone can help me get to know the elephants, Shermin can.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45It's the end of the dry season and the vegetation is pretty sparse.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49I'm hoping that'll make the elephants easier to spot.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59- Ooh - there's an elephant! - Oh, yep.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02It's amazing!
0:04:02 > 0:04:04I had no idea it was there and I suddenly saw it!
0:04:04 > 0:04:06They disappear in the grass quite easily.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08They're really good at hiding actually.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12'It's great to see one so quickly.'
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Physically, they're similar in many ways to the African elephants
0:04:24 > 0:04:29I know so well, though their ears are significantly smaller.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Shermin tells me we know relatively little
0:04:36 > 0:04:39about the behaviour of these elephants.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42She's been studying them for seven years - a lot less than the
0:04:42 > 0:04:46many decades that scientists have been studying African elephants.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50The first challenge is always to find ways
0:04:50 > 0:04:53to identify individual elephants
0:04:53 > 0:04:56and to try to understand the relationships in the herd.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00At this relatively early stage of her research,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03even Shermin sometimes struggles.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Studying seven years is not a long time compared to the
0:05:05 > 0:05:09lifespan of an elephant, I don't really quite know who's related.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Some of them, the younger ones, I know are mother and calf pairs,
0:05:12 > 0:05:17but the older ones, I'm only guessing that they're families.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19A lot of people would come out and they'd say these
0:05:19 > 0:05:22elephants all look exactly the same, but I mean,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24as I know from African elephants,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27you learn how to recognise individuals very quickly.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Now, for me coming here for the first time,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32it's quite difficult for me at the moment to separate out these
0:05:32 > 0:05:36individuals so I'm going to have to use all these visual clues.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39You're going to have to learn a lot of ears and tails,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43- and pretty much anything that's distinctive, you make use of it. - Yeah.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46'There's something magical about these animals.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51'It's not just their size, or that slow, peaceful way they have.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53'It's the way they seem to think.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'They're as interested in me as I am in them.'
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Very close. Are you curious?
0:06:00 > 0:06:03ELEPHANT SNORTS
0:06:05 > 0:06:07ELEPHANT SQUEALS
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- Oh, what an amazing sound. - That's a squeal.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12What a great sound!
0:06:12 > 0:06:14That's incredible.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19'It's great to get so close.'
0:06:25 > 0:06:27'But this one's not so happy about it.'
0:06:30 > 0:06:32ELEPHANT GROANS
0:06:32 > 0:06:33'Whoa! That's not good.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37'Two of them have taken a dislike to our support vehicle.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41'That head down and ears-forward stance is a threat posture.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43'And that's serious.'
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Elephants are said to have killed 50 people in Sri Lanka last year.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54ELEPHANT GROANS
0:07:00 > 0:07:02There was no cue, or anything like that.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04No, she just decided that she didn't like the car being there.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07It must be quite invasive, mustn't it, a very loud diesel engine?
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Yeah, and the engine sounds so similar to their vocalisations,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12it's in the same frequency range.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Yeah, there must be a lot of infra sound coming out of this car
0:07:14 > 0:07:17so it probably sounds much louder to them than it does to us.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18Right. Yes.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33'I'm starting to notice subtle details of behaviour.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36'The elephants here swipe clumps of grass against their feet
0:07:36 > 0:07:40'before eating it - something I've not seen before.'
0:07:42 > 0:07:44'It seems to be their way of knocking off the sand
0:07:44 > 0:07:49'and dust that sticks to the roots when they pull it from the ground.'
0:07:49 > 0:07:51She's lifting her foot right up
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- and just deliberately smacking the toenails.- Yes.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02'Shermin tells me this is a trick
0:08:02 > 0:08:05'they have to learn from their parents.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09'The behaviour is passed down, from one generation to the next.'
0:08:18 > 0:08:20As with their African cousins,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Sri Lankan elephants have a matriarchal society.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Groups are made up of females and youngsters.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29But the size of the groups is quite different.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35African families can be 30 or 40 strong.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40Here, I can see far fewer animals in each so-called social unit.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43And Shermin explains that the Sri Lankan elephant's
0:08:43 > 0:08:47social system seems to be less fixed and more fluid.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51The herd covers the whole park.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55But it's made up of many smaller units and the elephants
0:08:55 > 0:08:58switch between them as and when they please.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01There's one thing I've seen here that's just
0:09:01 > 0:09:03the same as African elephants.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07The bond between mother and baby is every bit as strong.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11I've always thought you learn a lot about elephants
0:09:11 > 0:09:13by watching them with their young.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16These little ones are already six months old.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19What I'd really like to see is how they behave
0:09:19 > 0:09:22with their new born babies.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26So I've tried to time my trip with the arrival of the monsoon,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29when there's the best chance of a new baby being born.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35As I travel through Uda Walawe,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38the whole park seems to be waiting for the rains.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Peacocks are the heralds of the monsoon.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59PEACOCK SQUAWKS
0:09:59 > 0:10:02As the rains approach, the males' elaborate tails grow
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and the courtship displays begin.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16The birds give me confidence I won't have long to wait.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26In the meantime, Shermin has someone else she wants me to meet.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35She takes me to look at another side of elephant life here in Sri Lanka.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38An insight into the challenges they face growing up here.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45This is an area on the very edge of Uda Walawe Park.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49The Elephant Transit Home, or ETH for short.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Meet the gang.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57All these elephants are orphans -
0:10:57 > 0:11:00their families either killed or separated.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05The ETH hopes to release all 28 of them back into the wild.
0:11:09 > 0:11:10But first,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14these little ones must learn as much as possible about elephant society.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19With no family around, that means learning from each other.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24But who's to say learning can't be fun?
0:11:24 > 0:11:27For these orphans, bath time is a highlight of the day.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29They're a joy to watch.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32It's heartening to see these unfortunate elephants
0:11:32 > 0:11:34so relaxed and content.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Shermin wants me to meet one particular elephant.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45This is Namal.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48He's just two-and-a-half years old.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52He was found a year ago, tangled in a snare.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54He's been here ever since.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Namal can't play with the gang at bath time.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04His only company is his keeper, Salinda.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Luckily, they seem to be good friends.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35But he's obviously missing out on the social bonding
0:12:35 > 0:12:38that elephants need if they're to prosper.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46It's not just about learning - it's about belonging.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Playing with Salinda is fun,
0:12:49 > 0:12:53but it's no substitute for the company of other elephants.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54Like toddlers everywhere,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Namal is quite a handful.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20When he leaves the water,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24it becomes obvious why Namal can't play with the other orphans.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39When ETH rescued him from the snare, they couldn't save his leg.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59The prosthetic limb helps him get around.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13But he's just too fragile and nervous to hang out with the gang.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24The caring staff here tell me that there is hope.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Apart from his disability, Namal is a normal, healthy calf.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36He's smart enough to save Salinda the trouble of rubbing him dry.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39And, like any youngster, he's always keen to make friends.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51But as Vijitha Perera, the head vet at ETH, explains,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55the trouble is, Namal now sees humans as family.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Oh, so he actually prefers human company to elephants?
0:15:09 > 0:15:10- Yeah.- Right.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13- So that wouldn't be good if he were released back.- Yeah.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Namal will never return to the wild.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30What's so sad is that after a year in ETH's care,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33he's still not strong enough to spend time with the other orphans.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41But Vijitha tells me he's growing fast. His time may yet come.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49ETH's aim isn't to teach elephants how to live with humans.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52They must learn to live with each other,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55and ultimately with other wild elephants.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04In fact, the further these orphans stay away from humans, the better.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Last year, people killed 228 elephants in Sri Lanka.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14That's what's brought the orphans here in the first place.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19If they're to return to the wild, it's best to steer clear of people.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25I can't help thinking about the challenges these animals face.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30The gang are unperturbed.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35That's the wonderful thing about childhood.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39The future always seems a long way off.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Change is coming.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54I can sense something different in the air.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04The monsoon is about to begin.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Cool air from the Himalayas sweeps down India's eastern coast,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30warming and picking up water as it goes.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Eventually, these warm wet winds reach Sri Lanka.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Rain lashes the land.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45The water will trigger lush new growth.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Fresh pasture for hungry elephants.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21BIRDS CALL
0:19:32 > 0:19:36As the land becomes saturated, the air comes alive.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Flying termites, newly hatched.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Each insect might be the founder of a new colony.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27But I know very few will succeed.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36The whole place feels more alive,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38like it's waking up from a long sleep.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59The elephants are taking advantage of the monsoon's gifts as well -
0:20:59 > 0:21:02an entire tree brought down by the wind.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Males and females have gathered to make the most of it.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Usually elephant groups are strictly females and young only.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Adult males are normally solitary, or hang out with other males.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33But here, males and females tolerate each other
0:21:33 > 0:21:35as they all take advantage of the windfall.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44It's a rare treat to see so many animals together.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48I finally feel like I'm beginning to really get to know them.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56There's one particular individual that I've already got to know called Deepa.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00And she has amazing ears. They're torn on the edges.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Rather like drapes, like curtains.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05And she's always flapping them.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07And they flap, because they're quite small,
0:22:07 > 0:22:12they flap right across their eyes, so I'm sure part of it is that
0:22:12 > 0:22:15they're actually getting rid of flies around their eyes.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17But they're very expressive at the same time
0:22:17 > 0:22:21because her ears are particularly flappy and loose
0:22:21 > 0:22:24and so she's always slapping them against her shoulder blades.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31But they're always flapping them and you can hear
0:22:31 > 0:22:34when they slap against their bodies the sort of sound they make.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42And I think there's a lot going on with Asian elephant ears
0:22:42 > 0:22:45in terms of communication with each other.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52These two females are flapping their ears in absolute synchrony.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56I am sure that this represents some sort of visual greeting.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Everywhere I look, I find new mysteries
0:23:06 > 0:23:08and new points of connection.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17This male is repeatedly curling his trunk up against his cheek.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22In African elephants, that's a sure sign of stress.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27I'm puzzled as to what's bothering him.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34It soon becomes clear.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39I don't know what killed this elephant.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Inside the reserve, it's unlikely to have been people.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11He pays his respects... and moves on.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30It's a reminder that there are hidden depths to these animals
0:24:30 > 0:24:33that we can only begin to understand.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Once a year, normally during the monsoon,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48glands in front of the ears swell up.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Both these males are in a state of musth.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Their testosterone soars to 60 times its normal level.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17They're restless, aggressive, and ready to fight.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15I can tell that both these males are in their prime.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Males tend to lose their grey pigmentation as they get older.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28The clash is like nothing I've seen in Africa.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Despite their age and size, neither of these giants has tusks.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40African elephants fight with their heads up and tusks locked.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43But here, the heads are down.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48And curiously, they hold the tips of their trunks in their mouths.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23If this was Africa,
0:27:23 > 0:27:27both would have tusks, perhaps a couple of metres long.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32It seems that after centuries of ivory hunting,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34only tuskless males are left.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44But even without tusks, this is a fight only one of them can win.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05Why most males go into musth during the monsoon is a mystery.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Females are sexually receptive, on and off, all year round.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15I think this has more to do with dominance than sex.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19I've been here almost a month now,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23and I'm getting used to the relaxed rhythm of life in the park.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26I've seen a good variety of elephant behaviour,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28though it's frustrating
0:28:28 > 0:28:31that I still haven't been able to see them with a newborn calf.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44It's two weeks since the monsoon began in earnest.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54As the rivers flood, countless fish hurry to spawn.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Their young will get the best possible start...
0:28:59 > 0:29:01..assuming the adults ever get that far.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11This is boom time for predators, too.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50With so many fish on the menu,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52choosing the right starter isn't easy.
0:30:32 > 0:30:37And somewhere out there, there's a fish even for the smallest appetite.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52I decide to head back to the orphan elephants at ETH,
0:30:52 > 0:30:54to catch up with how they're getting on.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59I think the gang are glad to see me!
0:31:07 > 0:31:11Most wild elephants of this age would have been weaned by now.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16But these guys still get regular bottle feeds.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21They form an orderly line.
0:31:24 > 0:31:25But Namal comes first.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31He's still not strong enough to feed with the others.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Unlike the rest of the gang, this is milk he actually needs.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48But it's still a treat - one he always looks forward to.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51The others will have to wait their turn.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11In the wild, suckling strengthens the bond between mother and calf.
0:32:12 > 0:32:17It's sad to think that the closest Namal has to a parent is Salinda.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21The others don't even have that.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49The keeper in charge of maintaining order in the gang
0:32:49 > 0:32:51does so with his back turned.
0:32:54 > 0:32:55It's part of ETH's policy
0:32:55 > 0:32:58of keeping contact with the orphans to a minimum.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Only when Namal is done do the others get their turn,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10a few at a time.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33They have impeccable manners.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36They seem to know they're only allowed a jug-full each.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Then, very politely, off they go
0:33:41 > 0:33:45and the next customer takes their place.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17For the ETH staff, this is a tricky balancing act.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19They must support the orphans
0:34:19 > 0:34:23without compromising their release into the wild.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29We know so little about their wild behaviour, it's hard to know
0:34:29 > 0:34:33what aspects of elephant education the gang are missing out on.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39But this is the only chance they've got of getting back into the wild.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52I've only got a couple of weeks left here
0:34:52 > 0:34:55and the weather is making filming difficult.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00We have spent days keeping our eyes peeled for a newborn calf.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Just as we're heading home for the day,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13one crosses the road right in front of us.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19ELEPHANT TRUMPETS
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Then, frustratingly, it's gone again.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38And it's clear we're not welcome.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40ELEPHANTS TRUMPET
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Suddenly, the elephants are on us.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50They make it very clear they want us gone.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01We back off, but they follow.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22A stand-off.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33I'm intrigued by the strange squeaking noises they make
0:36:33 > 0:36:35and this peculiar breath-checking.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42But the elephants clearly want us to leave them alone.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45So that's exactly what we do.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51I've rarely seen African elephants so defensive,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54but I'm hopeful I might get a little closer tomorrow.
0:37:04 > 0:37:09The monsoon rains have produced an explosion of greenery.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Adult elephants are still easy to spot.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30In fact they're hard to miss.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34But the babies are just a metre high.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45But finally, persistence pays off.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55This calf is just a day old.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58It's exactly what I've been looking for.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04A chance to see how the adults behave around such a tiny baby.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52Of course, everyone wants to meet the new arrival.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57But the female standing over the baby is not the mother,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59just part of the group.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04She seems to be behaving rather strangely.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17She's trying to shove the calf's mum out of the way.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32It's as if she wants the baby for herself.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Not surprisingly, the mum isn't happy about it.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55With all the shoving, I'm worried the calf could be injured.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07The calf's grandmother takes the baby aside.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12The females will have to sort this out for themselves.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40This is completely bewildering.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49African elephants sometimes kidnap a calf from another family
0:40:49 > 0:40:51as a display of dominance.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05But I don't think that's what's happening here.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09Perhaps Asian elephants play by different rules.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18The conflict is a real shock.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22What's even more shocking is the outcome.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30The mother loses the fight.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36So that was sort of...head up...
0:41:36 > 0:41:39They just sort of hit each other, didn't they?
0:41:39 > 0:41:41- Mm-hm. Almost like males. - Almost like males.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46And it's very rare you get females actually showing overt aggression.
0:41:46 > 0:41:47Yeah, that's really interesting.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52- They'll usually just avoid each other without ever having made contact. - Right.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57The calf is too young to know what's going on.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02But it's now following a strange female instead of its mother.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07The female should know better.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11What will she do with a calf she can't even feed?
0:42:12 > 0:42:14Why steal it in the first place?
0:42:16 > 0:42:18Shermin has an answer.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21And suddenly it all makes sense.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26The female's name is Athimali, and she was an orphan.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30She grew up at the ETH, with no adults to teach her.
0:42:30 > 0:42:35There, the older orphans take the youngsters under their wing.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43To Athimali, this isn't stealing.
0:42:43 > 0:42:44It's sharing.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47How could she know better?
0:42:53 > 0:42:55And what's she going to do now?
0:42:56 > 0:43:00Athimali moves her leg to make space for the calf to suckle,
0:43:00 > 0:43:02but it's not her calf.
0:43:02 > 0:43:03She has no milk.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15This could turn out really badly for the baby.
0:43:17 > 0:43:18But there's nothing I can do.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31The afternoon rains are on their way.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35I just hope we'll be able to find the baby again tomorrow.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46At the Transit Home, there's better news for Namal.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54Weaning is an important step towards joining the rest of the gang,
0:43:54 > 0:43:58though not all the bananas seem to be up to his exacting standards!
0:44:19 > 0:44:21For now, he dines alone.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24But I hope one day he'll be strong enough
0:44:24 > 0:44:26to enjoy the company of the other orphans.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36The keepers tell me he came incredibly close to dying.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39He's lucky to be alive.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45But elephants are such social creatures.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48A life in solitary is not much of a life at all.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56As Namal hoovers up the last of his treats,
0:44:56 > 0:45:01the gang returns to its temporary life, safe on the edge of the park.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08One day they will leave here.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12For most of these animals, there's hope for a happier future.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23But I now know that their time in captivity can create problems.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27I'm still worried about Athimali and her stolen calf.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32Finding them again could be a huge challenge.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39When I next go out, I find elephants,
0:45:39 > 0:45:40but not the ones I'm looking for.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46Elephants love water - the muddier the better, it seems!
0:45:48 > 0:45:51Each one comes with a built-in sprinkler system.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56It makes spraying on the sun block a breeze.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Like so much in elephant life,
0:46:34 > 0:46:37first you have to learn how to do it.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42Controlling a metre of flexible pipework turns out to be tricky.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50Some animals do everything by instinct.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55They're born knowing everything they'll need.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58For young elephants, it's all about learning.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03And learning about mud is high on the agenda.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11I'm sure mud makes a great insect repellent.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Even with a hide as thick as an elephant's,
0:47:13 > 0:47:17biting insects are a constant annoyance.
0:47:17 > 0:47:18There are millions of them.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30Plagued by mosquitoes and midges, buffaloes take to the water.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35At least their bodies are protected, if not their heads.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49A handy platform for a hungry heron.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27It seems everyone has an itch to scratch.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40Or if you're lucky, a friend to scratch it for you.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11I've noticed that some of the male elephants here have developed
0:49:11 > 0:49:13a neat trick to deal with the problem.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18One of the really interesting things I have seen here,
0:49:18 > 0:49:21which I didn't see in African elephants, was animals
0:49:21 > 0:49:26deliberately breaking off branches and using them as fly swats.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29We found a bull the other day where this was clearly what he was doing.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31He didn't eat the piece of vegetation
0:49:31 > 0:49:33that he was using to swat flies.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36He specifically broke it off, it was a certain size,
0:49:36 > 0:49:40and he had a distinct pattern of hitting one side,
0:49:40 > 0:49:43hitting the other side, hitting between his legs,
0:49:43 > 0:49:45hitting across the front of his trunk.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48So that was really, really fascinating tool use.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52And I've never seen that so specifically in African elephants.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59For some reason, I only ever see males doing this.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04Perhaps, because the males live apart from the females,
0:50:04 > 0:50:07most females haven't had a chance to learn the trick.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12It's a powerful reminder of just how intelligent these animals are,
0:50:12 > 0:50:15and how important learning is to them.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24This is a trick that each new generation must learn
0:50:24 > 0:50:26from the others around them.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29I just hope the orphan elephants will find
0:50:29 > 0:50:31a way to develop these skills.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48I still have no idea if Athimali has figured out
0:50:48 > 0:50:50that what she did was wrong.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56The elephants are so spread out here that finding a particular animal
0:50:56 > 0:51:00is incredibly difficult, let alone a particular calf.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04Females and their young drift between groups,
0:51:04 > 0:51:05as and when they please.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10At long last, I'm seeing plenty of youngsters!
0:51:11 > 0:51:14The trouble is, none of them is the one I'm after.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26The calf that Athimali stole is nowhere to be seen.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31I can't help but worry about how the stolen baby is doing.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51And then, finally, I find the calf with its real mother.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05I have no idea when it happened, or how.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07Perhaps there was another fight.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11Perhaps Athimali got bored and wandered off.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15I'm sure that, in time, she'll learn to do better.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23It's a huge relief to see a happy outcome.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27These animals have such a sophisticated social system.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31It's their greatest strength,
0:52:31 > 0:52:33but it also makes them fragile.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38Continuity has always been the cornerstone of their lives.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43But their world is changing fast and I'm concerned for their future.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50It's time for me to say goodbye.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53The monsoon is nearly over
0:52:53 > 0:52:56and it won't be long before I leave Sri Lanka.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02This is the perfect time to release a few of the more mature orphans.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09It's the moment everyone's been waiting for.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12The hours of patient care,
0:53:12 > 0:53:14the effort to keep the elephants at a distance.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22I think the elephants' loose herd structure makes it easier
0:53:22 > 0:53:24for the orphans to adapt to a life in the wild.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30The herd is so dispersed, the orphans can wander as they please.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33They can find their place in elephant society
0:53:33 > 0:53:37in their own time and on their own terms.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40In the last 15 years,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43ETH have released 90 elephants back into the wild.
0:53:44 > 0:53:4784 of them are alive, and doing well.
0:53:49 > 0:53:50There's hope here.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52This is a system that works.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03It's good to leave knowing that the future is bright
0:54:03 > 0:54:05for the rest of the gang.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08One day, they too will return to the wild.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14They will have to build on what they've already learned -
0:54:14 > 0:54:17their own orphan version of elephant society.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38It won't be long before I have to say goodbye to Namal.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42I've loved getting to know him.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45And I've been told that today could be a big day for him.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01The monsoon has brought new little luxuries.
0:55:02 > 0:55:06A mud bath is the perfect way to start this special day.
0:55:16 > 0:55:21I know he'll never be fit enough for release into the wild.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23I can't help feeling sorry for him.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42Not that Namal's one for complaining.
0:55:42 > 0:55:47He's been positive and outgoing since the day they first found him.
0:55:55 > 0:56:00And now, all that hard work and patience is going to pay off.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03At long last, he's big enough to meet the gang.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18This is what elephants are made for.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23It's what they need more than anything else.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33He's made his first proper friends...
0:56:35 > 0:56:39..and it looks like he's loving every minute of it.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05This has been a fascinating journey.
0:57:05 > 0:57:10Trying to follow individuals through the monsoon has been hard.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12But I've seen and learnt a lot.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16Athimali stealing a calf.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19A lone male visiting the dead.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23In some ways, they're so different to elephants in Africa.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27In other ways, they're much the same.
0:57:28 > 0:57:32For both, elephant life is all about learning and relationships.
0:57:32 > 0:57:38But here, I've seen those relationships take their own unique form.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44It's hard to say goodbye to Namal and his friends.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47They have all become very special to me.
0:57:47 > 0:57:52I will certainly never forget my time here in Sri Lanka.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd