0:00:02 > 0:00:05Previously on Elephant Diaries, I met up with an old friend, Wendi.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08She seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis, more interested
0:00:08 > 0:00:12in interacting with people than elephants.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15And a tiny three-week-old baby elephant was rescued
0:00:15 > 0:00:18when he collapsed in the wild.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22After a few days in the orphanage in Nairobi,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Daphne made a devastating discovery.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Unfortunately, one eye is blind,
0:00:28 > 0:00:30the other one looks like it is going blind.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36So, we've got a blind elephant.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56We're following the stories
0:00:56 > 0:00:59of a group of orphaned baby elephants in Kenya.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04All of them have been rescued by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07and brought to a unique orphanage in Nairobi.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Here they're reared and nurtured by a team of 20 dedicated keepers
0:01:11 > 0:01:13under the guidance of the orphanage founder,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Dame Daphne Sheldrick.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22The ultimate aim is to get them back to the wild in Tsavo National Park.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Ndololo is the newest arrival,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32and despite his blindness, he's making steady progress.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34The other orphans are out in the bush,
0:01:34 > 0:01:38but for now, Ndololo is being kept in isolation.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Everyone adores him, especially Head Keeper Edwin.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45He's a very clever, clever boy.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46Ah...
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Very selective,
0:01:48 > 0:01:52because at the moment, he tries to smell around all the keepers
0:01:52 > 0:01:56and can find out the favourite among the keepers.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59And in return, they attend to his every need,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01protecting his delicate ears with sun cream,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04and shading him from the midday sun.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07They're determined to give him the best chance of survival,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09and what's giving everyone hope
0:02:09 > 0:02:13is that the vet thinks his blindness might be curable.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18Everybody is pity about him, and everybody is worried about him,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20so everybody wants to take care of him,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24everybody wants to be concerned with him,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27everybody wants to be close to him, to see that he can actually improve.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Only time will tell if his eyesight will get better,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34but hopefully he should be well enough
0:02:34 > 0:02:37to meet the other little orphans very soon. But for now,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40playing with the big boys and girls is out of the question.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Their games are far too exciting, and there's a reason for this.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47All of these elephants have had a really tough start to life.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50They've all experienced tragedy, and they've all had to grow up
0:02:50 > 0:02:54and learn lessons far quicker than they would have done in the wild.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56But, nevertheless, they're still very young,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59and so it's still important for them to get some exercise,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03let off some steam, and have some fun, and what better way to do that
0:03:03 > 0:03:06than a good old game of football?
0:03:10 > 0:03:12These games are more than just a chance
0:03:12 > 0:03:14for the orphans to run rings around the keepers.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Playing is a great way for this little herd of unrelated babies
0:03:18 > 0:03:20to bond with each other.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11The friendships the little elephants form here in Nairobi are for life,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15because when you've lost your family, friends are all you've got.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17And these bonds will stay with the orphans
0:04:17 > 0:04:19as they reach the age to leave the nursery
0:04:19 > 0:04:23and go through to the next stage in their journey back to the wild.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28And this second stage is the one I'm following
0:04:28 > 0:04:30down here in Tsavo National Park.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I'm on my way to one of the Trust's two release sites
0:04:33 > 0:04:36to catch up with an orphan called Wendi.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40This is Ithumba, and it has to be one of the wildest places in Kenya.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43But it's also where the little elephants from the Nairobi orphanage
0:04:43 > 0:04:47are brought to begin the process of introducing them back into the wild.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50But not only is it wild, it is stunningly beautiful,
0:04:50 > 0:04:55and a safe haven for the elephants, too. Perfect.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Down here, the elephants spend the night in open-air stockades,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and go out into the bush each day
0:05:01 > 0:05:06to learn everything they need to know about life in the wild.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10But my main concern here at the moment
0:05:10 > 0:05:14is to see how Wendi is getting on. At the age of four,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17she should be settled into life with her elephant family,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21and forming close bonds with other females in her herd.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25But because she was raised by humans from the day she was born,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Wendi has other ideas.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30You can see how Wendi, really, at the moment,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34is much more interested in people than she is in the other elephants.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37She's completely isolated here. That's not what we want.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40We want her to be an elephant. But at the same time,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42we ARE her family, the keepers are her family.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46We have to play that role for her if it's what she needs.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50And each of these animals are very distinct characters.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Right now, Wendi seems almost lonely at times,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57as if she doesn't quite know what to do with herself.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00This is a complex problem,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04and shows how sensitive and intelligent elephants are,
0:06:04 > 0:06:05but Daphne and the keepers
0:06:05 > 0:06:08are hoping that they have come up with a solution.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Crucially, it's something which will help her bond with other elephants,
0:06:12 > 0:06:17and it involves some of the little orphans up in Nairobi with Michaela.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20There are ten of them living here at the moment,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23but things are about to change.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26The nursery is a great place for all these orphans
0:06:26 > 0:06:28to start their journey back into the wild.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31However, they all get to an age, around the age of two,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35where they need to move on to the next stage of their rehabilitation.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Now, currently in this group there are three elephants
0:06:37 > 0:06:40that are big enough to make that move.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43So, how is this going to help Wendi? When she was in Nairobi
0:06:43 > 0:06:48she was the mini-matriarch, and this is the key to the whole plan.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49What they're going to do
0:06:49 > 0:06:52is when they move the new group of little elephants
0:06:52 > 0:06:55from the orphanage in Nairobi up here to Ithumba,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58they're going to separate them in one part of the stockade,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02and they are going to put Wendi with them. Now, that will suddenly
0:07:02 > 0:07:05give her a role again. It'll give her a purpose in life.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09It'll make her a mini-matriarch again. I just hope the plan works!
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Here in Nairobi, preparations are in full swing for this move,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20which is due to happen early tomorrow morning.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23So for the keepers, it's time to say goodbye
0:07:23 > 0:07:25to the three who are leaving.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Among them is a little elephant called Orok.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32He's the smallest and the most nervous of the three.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35The move could be pretty stressful for him,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38and he's really going to need a big friend like Wendi
0:07:38 > 0:07:39to take care of him.
0:07:39 > 0:07:45So it's as important for Orok as it is for Wendi that the plan works.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Back at the stables, the trucks are ready and waiting
0:07:53 > 0:07:56to take all three to their new life.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06After an early start, the three little elephants from Nairobi
0:08:06 > 0:08:09are well on their way down to join Wendi and the others
0:08:09 > 0:08:10here in Ithumba.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15It's eight hot hours in a truck,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18driving deep into Tsavo National Park, which will be home
0:08:18 > 0:08:21for the rest of their lives.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Here they come.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31HE LAUGHS
0:08:31 > 0:08:34They seem none the worse for their ordeal, although I have to say,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37little Orok does look quite anxious.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41It must be tough for them. Different voices, different sounds, different smells,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43a whole different place for them.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48But the one thing they've got, of course, is the keepers -
0:08:48 > 0:08:51the keepers are the continuity in this whole project.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55And wherever they are, Nairobi, Ithumba, they will be very much loved.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01This one, the littlest one, Orok,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03you can tell its whole body language
0:09:03 > 0:09:07says "I'm nervous, I'm not sure where I am.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10"In eight hours, you've moved me, you've changed my whole world."
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Poor little Orok. I mean, he looks so scared.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19He really does need a bigger elephant to take him under her wing.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21And we're all hoping it's going to be Wendi.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26OK, here come the other elephants, and amongst them is Wendi. This could be crucial.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29ANXIOUS TRUMPETING
0:09:38 > 0:09:41OK, what does that say in elephant language?
0:09:41 > 0:09:45I reckon it says, "There's something going on here and we want to know what it is."
0:09:49 > 0:09:50The whole herd are so excited,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and the little ones are being thoroughly checked over.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Just reassuring. Just touching, feeling.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00"Are you OK? Everything's fine, don't worry.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02"You're in a new place, but it's going to be OK."
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Orok needs some reassurance, so where is Wendi?
0:10:06 > 0:10:10There she is - and how typical, she's taking no interest,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12just doing her own thing.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Let's hope the enthusiasm of the others rubs off on her,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20and she starts to feel maternal towards these little ones.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23She's going to be put in charge of them in the stockade tonight,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27and during the night is when Orok will need her most.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34But it's not only the Ithumba herd meeting new friends.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Up in Nairobi, the keepers have decided
0:10:38 > 0:10:41that Ndololo is finally ready to meet the other orphans.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44He's been kept apart from them till now,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46as he's been too weak to meet them,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49but now he's getting so much stronger,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51it's time to say hello.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Despite their overwhelming curiosity,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02the bigger orphans are being very gentle and careful,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06and seem to be able to sense Ndololo's fragility.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11But doting Edwin and the keepers are watching very closely
0:11:11 > 0:11:14to make sure their precious little elephant is coping.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27The meeting has gone well,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30but it will be a long time before Ndololo is ready
0:11:30 > 0:11:34to join the whole gang for their daily walks out into the bush...
0:11:35 > 0:11:38..and the little elephant is led back to his stable
0:11:38 > 0:11:41for a much-needed rest.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Down here in Ithumba, the eles are heading for bed.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53An area of the stockade has been sectioned off
0:11:53 > 0:11:57so that Wendi can be put in charge of the three new arrivals.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00This is her chance to be a mini-matriarch again,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04and for Orok, a chance to get some much-needed TLC.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07It's a little bit like kids at their first night at boarding school.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The three new ones off by themselves
0:12:10 > 0:12:12where they feel safest, with the keepers.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15The three that know the ropes, including Wendi,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17are just very relaxed, as you'd expect. They know the routine here.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Our new ones don't yet.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Little Orok seems quite stressed
0:12:22 > 0:12:26and is looking for comfort, but no-one is interested.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31You can imagine how different, though, this is,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34this set-up, for our three little elephants from Nairobi,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37because normally, at this time of the day in the evening,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40they'd be going back to a stable - their own place to sleep -
0:12:40 > 0:12:42with their keeper.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Suddenly, this is big and scary. "What's this about?"
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Poor little Orok is getting pushed around,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52and it's Wendi that's doing it!
0:12:52 > 0:12:54There are a couple of older elephants in there as well,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and they are following her lead, pushing and shoving.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00This is not quite going to plan,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04but what they don't realise is they're being watched from next door.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08You see the way Nasalot, she's one of the bigger elephants...
0:13:08 > 0:13:13is just thinking, "What's happening here?
0:13:13 > 0:13:16"I want to go and check those little ones out."
0:13:16 > 0:13:20And that's exactly what you'd expect from one of these bigger elephants,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23acting as an auntie. She's not the matriarch...
0:13:23 > 0:13:27but she's a very, very caring elephant.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30She's desperate to get in there and look after the little ones,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33but this is supposed to be Wendi's job.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36You know, Wendi is SO naughty. It's not what I expected.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40I was hoping that she was going to sort of smother these little ones
0:13:40 > 0:13:42with a bit of love, but instead, it's just like,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46you know, "What are you doing here?" She's pushing them out of the way.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49You can see right there, actually getting quite shovey, quite pushy.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52THEY GRUNT
0:13:52 > 0:13:53Hang on, what's this?
0:13:53 > 0:13:57OK, the keepers are putting Nasalot in with the little ones,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and they certainly look pleased to see her!
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Oh, look! Just look at them!
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Now, that's interesting. That was Wendi,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10just being basically told, "Sorry.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12"You're not going to stay with those little ones."
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Maybe she was being a bit too rough.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Nasalot's immediately taking over the babysitting of these little ones,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24comforting and soothing them. You can see the effect she's having.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26They're so much more relaxed,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and the whole atmosphere has calmed right down.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34So for the first night, these little ones are going to have
0:14:34 > 0:14:36a very big sister, and it won't be Wendi.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43But the big question is, what's going to happen to Wendi?
0:14:43 > 0:14:47How are they ever going to get her to bond with the rest of the herd now?
0:14:55 > 0:14:58It's been a few weeks since the little blind calf Ndololo
0:14:58 > 0:15:02arrived in a terrible state at the Nairobi nursery,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and he's making really good progress.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08He goes on daily outings, and the keepers have come up with
0:15:08 > 0:15:11a simple but effective way to help him cope.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19The first day we took him out,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22he was very happy to go out with a keeper,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25trying to make a sound with a stick,
0:15:25 > 0:15:30and he was actually was following the sound and the keeper as well.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34He knew that, because he could not see, could not use his eyes,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38that he could use that to direct him to show where the keepers are
0:15:38 > 0:15:41and he was very happy to spend out the day with a keeper.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45He's got a strong spirit to live.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50He actually has the desire to go on, despite the fact that he can't see.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53You see him want to run around in the bush
0:15:53 > 0:15:57and sometimes hits the trees. So he doesn't mind being blind -
0:15:57 > 0:16:00he wants to behave like a real wild elephant,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02despite the fact he's blind.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07He's still under treatment for his eye condition,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10but it's too early to tell if it's working.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15Unfortunately, he's not yet ready to go out with the rest of the orphans.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18He could never keep up, let alone cope with
0:16:18 > 0:16:20the rough and tumble of their daily outings.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23In the afternoons it's often time for a bit of exploration,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26and today we're taking our little orphans to the quarry.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32The quarry is full of beautiful, soft, iron-rich red earth,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35and the eles love it!
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Every time these elephants come to this quarry they seem to have a good time.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43They just love to get stuck in and have a good old dust bath.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45It does have a purpose - it cleans them,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47it protects them from the sun, gets rid of parasites -
0:16:47 > 0:16:49but you know what, at this age
0:16:49 > 0:16:53I think it's more to do with having fun and just getting dirty.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06This is actually very funny, this bit here.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08They seem to be using it as a slide,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13and once one elephant does it, another comes along and has a go.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18But Makena, the smallest elephant here,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22is only interested in playing with the herd's mini-matriarch Lualeni.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27These two have a very close and loving bond,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30and it's one of the wonderful things about elephants - the way
0:17:30 > 0:17:33they form these deep, lifelong friendships with each other.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40This is something I'm hoping to see
0:17:40 > 0:17:43as I head back towards the Ithumba stockade.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46It's been a couple of weeks since I was last here,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and I'm hoping that Wendi has started to bond again
0:17:49 > 0:17:51with the other elephants.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54But first, I want to check out Orok, as the keepers say
0:17:54 > 0:17:58he's formed a strong attachment to one of the older elephants,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02and I've arrived just in time for midday milk.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Look at that, look at the dust! Look at the excitement.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06This is the last group of elephants,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and amongst them, there in the middle, that's the one
0:18:09 > 0:18:11I've been waiting for, that's Orok.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Now he's one of the ones that we moved from Nairobi just recently,
0:18:15 > 0:18:20and he has made a relationship with Nasalot. She's like his mum,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and wherever she goes, he tries to follow.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Just coming through the middle here, the tiniest of all.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Looking just a touch confused,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30but knows what's good for him.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38And just going past him, I think that's Nasalot.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41That's his surrogate mother.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Just a touch of nervousness. And you'd expect it.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47This little elephant didn't come to the orphanage
0:18:47 > 0:18:53until he was 18 months old, so he knew all about his wild family.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55He knew what he was missing when he was orphaned.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59His mother got sick, she died, and at a year and a half
0:18:59 > 0:19:03he was suddenly torn away from his complete support system.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Look.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Now, you see? Nervous. "Where's Mum?
0:19:09 > 0:19:11"Where's my new mum?"
0:19:11 > 0:19:13He's looking for Nasalot.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16"Where is she?" He's on the search, look.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Look at the difference between him and the other elephants.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22All the other elephants, quiet, relaxed,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25and he's looking for somebody. Here comes Nasalot.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27THEY GRUNT
0:19:27 > 0:19:29See the trunk go out.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36And that's what he needs right now. He needs that reassurance.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39The keepers are not enough for him.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44And that's the reason why Nasalot actually joins Orok -
0:19:44 > 0:19:48to keep him calm, to keep him settled.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Totally different behaviour now.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Once Mum's that big presence behind him, just reassuring,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56and of course, that's what he'd get from his mother.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03One of the things that I love about elephants,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06and you can see it happening right here in front of you,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09is the empathy that they have for one another.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12These two elephants aren't related - it's not a mother and calf -
0:20:12 > 0:20:14but you'd never know it,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18because they really do seem to care, and actually I think it's essential
0:20:18 > 0:20:22to Orok, the little elephant, to have that kind of nurturing right now.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25He needs it, and Nasalot knows it,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29and she's prepared to give it to him, that's just the most wonderful thing.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33So, life's looking great for Orok,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36and the keepers tell me that the other two little eles
0:20:36 > 0:20:40who came up with him have also settled in really well.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42But what about Wendi?
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Well, it looks as if things have really turned around for her, too.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I mean, just look at Wendi!
0:20:49 > 0:20:53When we brought those three little orphans from Nairobi to Ithumba,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56we thought that Wendi would adopt the role of the matriarch,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59she would be like a mother to them. Well, it didn't happen.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03But look at her now! She's beginning to actually move away
0:21:03 > 0:21:06from that dependence on people and become an elephant.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09To be part of the herd, just to have fun.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Just to enjoy herself! It's almost as if she's growing up a little bit
0:21:12 > 0:21:16but, very much now, connected with being an elephant,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18and that's just what we wanted.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22So, what could have prompted Wendi's change of heart?
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Maybe, with three new babies in the herd
0:21:25 > 0:21:28occupying the keeper's attention, she decided it was time
0:21:28 > 0:21:31to look to the other elephants for companionship again.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36We'll never know the answer, but what I can definitely say
0:21:36 > 0:21:39is that she's back to being her old, happy self again.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46Up in Nairobi, it's a big day for Ndololo.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49After weeks of treatment, it's time to see
0:21:49 > 0:21:53if there's been any improvement in his eyesight.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54The result could decide
0:21:54 > 0:21:58whether he has any chance of a life back in the wild.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03Angela Sheldrick, Daphne's daughter, has brought the vet to see him.
0:22:04 > 0:22:05Hiya!
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Angela, there's no question, the opacity is much reduced.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15There's no question of it, and he is a bit visual.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18He could see me. He could see...
0:22:18 > 0:22:22He could distinguish my silhouette, and that's why he was looking at me.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25But also, all his other senses have compensated.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29- Yeah? - That's the bad eye, Sanjay.- Yeah.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- See...? Just on the centre there... - Oh, I can see...
0:22:32 > 0:22:35I can see the fungus. I can see it.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38This is... No, this is really good. I'm not surprised he can see so well.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43- So you think there's definitely some vision?- Yeah, definitely.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Definitely.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48- Yeah.- Light and dark and shape?- Yeah.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Yeah, exactly.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54You're going to be all right!
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Isn't that amazing?
0:22:57 > 0:23:00It's fantastic news for everyone,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02especially Ndololo.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11It's nightfall in Ithumba,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14and the elephants have returned to the stockade.
0:23:14 > 0:23:20They sleep behind electric fences to keep them in and predators out.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Using specialised equipment, I'm going to get a unique insight
0:23:24 > 0:23:28into what Wendi and Orok do once the lights go out!
0:23:28 > 0:23:31It's such a privilege to come up to the stockade at night.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34I mean, it's a different world, because, after all, remember,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38the night, particularly for the little ones, must be really scary,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41little Orok recently having moved here from Nairobi.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43I mean, if it wasn't for Nasalot,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47this big elephant that's acting as mum to them,
0:23:47 > 0:23:49this would be a really tough time for them.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53THEY TRUMPET
0:23:53 > 0:23:56HE LAUGHS Now, next door to Nasalot and Orok
0:23:56 > 0:24:00and these elephants, we've got the youngsters, the adolescents.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02We've got Wendi and her chums,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05and they are just like a naughty bunch of schoolkids.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07They've been sent to bed, the lights are out,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10and suddenly it's like, "OK, is it safe?"
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and they start just mucking around. I mean, they're having such fun.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21You can see that Orok is determined to stay as close as he can,
0:24:21 > 0:24:26just as he does during the daytime, to Nasalot, to his surrogate mum,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and it must be so comforting for him, because remember,
0:24:29 > 0:24:33this little elephant, he lost his herd, he lost his mum
0:24:33 > 0:24:38when he was 18 months old, so he has a real memory of the wild herd.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43So this must be just heaven for that little elephant.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Next door Wendi is thoroughly enjoying her new-found friendships -
0:24:48 > 0:24:53she's not allowing her sleepover chums to get any rest at all!
0:24:54 > 0:24:58You can see Nasalot's eyes now just beginning to droop.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01She's obviously very tired, and the reason, I'm sure it is,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03is because she's got new responsibilities.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04She's got a little elephant,
0:25:04 > 0:25:09little Orok, to look after, and it's obviously taking it out of her.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12There she goes! Nasalot's finally given in.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15She's just toppling over, just going down on her side.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19That must feel so good!
0:25:25 > 0:25:29You can see that Orok... I mean, it's just like during the daytime,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33he wants to be as close as he possibly can to Nasalot.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36So he's curled up there, right, just between her legs.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40It's just like a cradle for him. He must feel so contented doing that.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47That's lovely, the way Wendi and the others now,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50they've finally had enough. The party's over,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52and they're going to get some sleep.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57This really proves to me that both Wendi and Orok
0:25:57 > 0:26:02have found their place in the family. They seem so content.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Up in Nairobi,
0:26:11 > 0:26:16morning brings unexpected and totally devastating news.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23Little Ndololo has died very suddenly,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25and the keepers are in shock.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47He was fine.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Eyesight coming back...
0:26:51 > 0:26:52..putting on weight,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56lively, feeding well,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59and then he just suddenly went off his food in the morning
0:26:59 > 0:27:01and was dead an hour later.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06So we were all devastated, of course.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11The tragedy was that we really thought he had a chance.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14And he did so want to live.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16We all loved him to bits...
0:27:17 > 0:27:19..but...
0:27:19 > 0:27:20it was not to be.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Edwin has seen his share of tragedies here,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29but this death has hit him very hard.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32I feel very sad and very shocked about it,
0:27:32 > 0:27:36because I loved that baby elephant.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45The Trust did absolutely everything they could
0:27:45 > 0:27:49to save this little calf. Across their three centres,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52they currently care for over 50 orphaned elephants,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56but almost the same number have been rescued and not made it,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00and these are tough statistics for the team to live with.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Every elephant is precious,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04but for Daphne and the whole team in Nairobi,
0:28:04 > 0:28:09this particular little elephant will never be forgotten.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13And the fight to save Kenya's wild orphans will go on.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Next time on Elephant Diaries...
0:28:17 > 0:28:19We've just heard from Daphne
0:28:19 > 0:28:22that another orphan has been brought into the stockade
0:28:22 > 0:28:26and I'm just hoping that it's in a lot better condition
0:28:26 > 0:28:28than little Ndololo was. Let's go and check him out.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35To discover more about elephants
0:28:35 > 0:28:37and the people who work with them, visit...
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd