0:00:02 > 0:00:05Previously on Elephant Diaries, there was heartbreak in Nairobi
0:00:05 > 0:00:09as the mini-matriarch Lualeni and two-year-old male Kora
0:00:09 > 0:00:10had to leave for Ithumba,
0:00:10 > 0:00:14one of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's release sites.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16He doesn't know what's going on.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19But how will Makena react when she wakes up
0:00:19 > 0:00:23and finds her adoptive mum, Lualeni, has gone for good?
0:00:41 > 0:00:44The trucks carrying Lualeni and Kora are heading out of Nairobi
0:00:44 > 0:00:48to a new life, deep in the heart of Tsavo National Park,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52but how are things with the little orphans they've left behind?
0:00:52 > 0:00:57It's time for Makena to come out now. It'll be interesting to see how she reacts.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01The likelihood is that she'll go around sniffing,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03very much looking for Lualeni.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08You can see her trunk. She's already having a good sniff about.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Come on, gorgeous!
0:01:12 > 0:01:17The first thing Makena does is look for some reassurance from Sian.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20At 18 months, Sian's the oldest female here,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22and a wise and gentle elephant.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Makena then double-checks
0:01:26 > 0:01:30that Lualeni really isn't still in her stable.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32These are such intelligent animals,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35they've probably worked out what's happened.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41You can see that all the elephants are having a good look
0:01:41 > 0:01:43for Lualeni and Kora. They've even gone to the trucks.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46They can see the trucks have now gone.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Now, remember, they were watching all the rehearsals,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51so they're very much aware of the fact
0:01:51 > 0:01:54that those two elephants were being encouraged
0:01:54 > 0:01:56to go into the back of those trucks.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03It seems that Makena almost realises what has happened
0:02:03 > 0:02:05and now she just doesn't know what to do.
0:02:05 > 0:02:11She's just standing on her own, thinking, "Where's my Lualeni?
0:02:11 > 0:02:12"Whose ear am I gonna suck now?"
0:02:16 > 0:02:18This subdued little group follow their normal routine
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and head off out into the bush for the day.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Although these separations are only temporary,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25and they'll eventually meet in Ithumba,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29there's no way these little ones can understand that.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33All they know is that their beloved mini-matriarch has gone.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42In the trucks, Lualeni and Kora
0:02:42 > 0:02:45must be feeling just as anxious and confused.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50After an eight-hour journey,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54at last they've arrived at their new home, the Ithumba stockade.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59Everyone rallies round to make sure the newcomers are OK.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Lualeni and Kora are going to be meeting up
0:03:08 > 0:03:11with pals who moved up here a little while ago,
0:03:11 > 0:03:16and the keepers are also getting a chance to catch up with old friends.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Word is out that the new members of the family have arrived,
0:03:34 > 0:03:39and the 22-strong herd rush back to greet them.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43Quite a few were in the nursery with Lualeni and Kora, including Orock,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46who only moved up here a few months ago.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52These joyful reunions should go a long way
0:03:52 > 0:03:55to helping Lualeni and Kora forget the stress and trauma
0:03:55 > 0:03:57of leaving Nairobi.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09Even elephants they've never met before are really excited
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and seem genuinely pleased to see them.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Eventually, it's time for the Ithumba herd
0:04:14 > 0:04:18to lead the new members of the family off into the bush
0:04:18 > 0:04:20and show them round their new home.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25I only hope that the Nairobi herd are coping as well as these two.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Up here, the orphans are out in the bush,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35and they're definitely feeling very out of sorts.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38It's hoped that a new mini-matriarch will soon emerge
0:04:38 > 0:04:42to fill the void left by Lualeni, bringing harmony to the family,
0:04:42 > 0:04:47and the eldest female, Sian, is the obvious candidate.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Now, look at this.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54This is Zurua and Makena having a real go at each other.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Now, when Lualeni was here, she would come and break that up
0:04:57 > 0:05:00pretty quickly. She wouldn't let it get this far.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04It's gonna be interesting to see if Sian will eventually come over
0:05:04 > 0:05:06and sort these two out.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10It still looks like it's equal.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11They're still play fighting,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15but it very quickly turns into a one-sided fight.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Look, and this is Sian.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Is Sian gonna do anything?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Yeah, look at that!
0:05:24 > 0:05:30Isn't that incredible? Sian has taken the role of mini-matriarch
0:05:30 > 0:05:33and done exactly what Lualeni would have done.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37It took her a little bit longer, but it is only day one.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Hopefully, things will settle down in the coming days,
0:05:40 > 0:05:46as the Nairobi orphans come to terms with all the changes in the family.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Next day, I'm up in Ithumba
0:05:50 > 0:05:55to see Lualeni and Kora for their first full day in their new home.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01I'll be very interested to see how they're settling in. Here they come.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19They're definitely looking a little bit like new kids in the school,
0:06:19 > 0:06:24because, at the moment, they're just not really mixing in with the others
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and they're very much together
0:06:26 > 0:06:28and, of course, depending on the keepers
0:06:28 > 0:06:31for a little bit of comfort, a little bit of confidence.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33But that's the whole role of the keepers -
0:06:33 > 0:06:35to act in this transition,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38in terms of getting these little ones integrated in the group.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44It's still early days for Lualeni and Kora. There's so much to learn.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47The food is different, the landscape, the faces,
0:06:47 > 0:06:51and they have to get used to a whole new routine.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59In Nairobi, while the seven little orphans
0:06:59 > 0:07:02slowly come to terms with the changes in their lives,
0:07:02 > 0:07:07a drama is unfolding which is about to change everything.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Head keeper Edwin and the team are co-ordinating a rescue.
0:07:10 > 0:07:15A baby elephant has been spotted next to the body of its dead mother.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Now it's a race against time to rescue it.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24The baby was spotted, lost and confused, in Tsavo National Park.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26The rescue team have found the dead mother,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29but the little one has run off into the bush.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Fortunately, the keepers quickly spot the terrified baby,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36desperately trying to hide.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42The little calf is only a few weeks old
0:07:42 > 0:07:46and, without his mother, he has absolutely no chance of survival.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56FRIGHTENED CRIES
0:07:59 > 0:08:04Despite his initial terror, this clever little baby soon works out
0:08:04 > 0:08:06that these humans mean him no harm
0:08:06 > 0:08:10and to everyone's utter relief, he quickly calms down
0:08:10 > 0:08:12and quietly follows his rescuers.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16This extraordinary acceptance of humans by elephants
0:08:16 > 0:08:21is part of what makes these rescues so successful.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24It looks as if his mother died yesterday,
0:08:24 > 0:08:28so the poor little calf will be hungry, dehydrated
0:08:28 > 0:08:30and very confused.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32It's not clear why his mother died,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36but she has lost a large portion of her trunk,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38probably in a poacher's snare.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Elephants need their trunks to get food,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45so it's possible that she has partly succumbed to malnutrition.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Her tiny little calf tries to wake her,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52but with the plane on its way to take him to the nursery in Nairobi,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54it's time for him to leave.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00The keepers want to get him up to the orphanage
0:09:00 > 0:09:01as quickly as possible.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05A baby elephant this young is incredibly fragile
0:09:05 > 0:09:09and unless he gets expert care, he simply won't make it.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21For the calf, this is the last time he'll be seeing Tsavo
0:09:21 > 0:09:22for a couple of years.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26If he survives, then Nairobi will be his home
0:09:26 > 0:09:29until he is old enough to come back
0:09:29 > 0:09:31and learn to live in the wild once more.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37Safely aboard the plane,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40this little elephant is lucky to have been rescued.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Next stop, the nursery and a whole new life.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Two hours north of the rescue site,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Lualeni and Kora are having to get used to their new life
0:09:51 > 0:09:55and, at midday, this means trying out the Ithumba mud wallow.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01In Nairobi, the mud wallow is filled with fresh water daily.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06Out here, things are more natural and a lot dirtier and smellier
0:10:06 > 0:10:08than what these city slickers are used to.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12A couple of the others try to tempt them in,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14but these two are having none of it.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18They're in no hurry to lose their lovely red colour and turn grey.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23The keepers do their best to get tough with some firm encouragement,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25but they're not convinced!
0:10:27 > 0:10:29They're not willing to dip so much as a toe
0:10:29 > 0:10:33in that smelly black water, and that's final!
0:10:37 > 0:10:41The keepers are forced to give up, but they'll have to go in eventually
0:10:41 > 0:10:44as elephants need mud to protect their skin.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Let's hope they get over their fussiness soon
0:10:47 > 0:10:48and start to blend in.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57But trying out the new bathing facilities
0:10:57 > 0:10:59is not the only lesson for the day.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03The sleeping arrangements are also a challenge.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08In Nairobi, they're used to individual stables.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Up here, it's a bit more like life in the wild,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14sleeping under the stars with the herd.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21And two-year-old Kora is in for a shock!
0:11:21 > 0:11:26- ELECTRIC FENCE CRACKLES - The electric wire is there for their own protection.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Fortunately, one of the older females, Nasalot,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31is there to reassure him.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34There's still a lot to learn about life with the big elephants.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Let's hope it's not too traumatic for them.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Trauma is unavoidable for the poor little rescued calf.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45We're all waiting anxiously for his plane to touch down.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Let's hope he's not too stressed out!
0:11:51 > 0:11:55The journey may have put this little chap into shock,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59and Edwin is very anxious to get him safely to his new home.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08He seems fairly calm at the moment,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11but you can hear quite a lot of noise already.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Poor little thing!
0:12:17 > 0:12:20It only lost its mother yesterday, perhaps,
0:12:20 > 0:12:26and already it's been captured, it's had to go in an aeroplane
0:12:26 > 0:12:29and now, fortunately, it's only a short journey
0:12:29 > 0:12:31until we get to the orphanage.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35You can't imagine what this poor little thing must be going through.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39The little calf still has his legs tied together from the flight,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42but it's only a 15-minute drive.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47We're nearly at the orphanage, so the straps are just being taken off.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51It'll be great to be able to untie this little baby's legs.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55FRIGHTENED NOISES
0:12:57 > 0:13:01I'll tell you something, it's a very strong little orphan,
0:13:01 > 0:13:02which is a really good thing.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06You can hear it's making a lot of noise, and that's very positive too,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09because it's still got a lot of life in it.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14He's going straight in the stable,
0:13:14 > 0:13:19where he's going to get as much care as they can possibly give him.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Daphne Sheldrick, the orphanage's founder,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24along with her highly skilled team,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27are world experts in saving baby elephants,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30but it's not just the humans who are concerned
0:13:30 > 0:13:31about this new arrival.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36This is Loijuk from the stables next door, and look!
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Oh, that is so sweet!
0:13:38 > 0:13:43Loijuk has just come to say, "Hello. It's OK, you're in a safe place now.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45"We'll take care of you."
0:13:45 > 0:13:49It must be such a comfort to see another elephant's face.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54And this could be the start of a really close friendship.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58But it is so tragic!
0:13:58 > 0:14:04Its whole little world has been torn apart in the last 24 hours.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06From now on, everything is gonna be done
0:14:06 > 0:14:09to make this little elephant's life better.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14What a little sweetheart!
0:14:14 > 0:14:17But what an absolute tragedy.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22Head Keeper Edwin, along with Angela, Daphne's daughter,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25work out the best treatment for this frightened little youngster,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28as sometimes it can be trauma of their rescues
0:14:28 > 0:14:30which kills the baby elephants.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I think this little baby has had enough stress for one day,
0:14:33 > 0:14:34so we're gonna leave him alone.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36He's gonna spend the night with Edwin.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Don't think Edwin'll get much sleep!
0:14:38 > 0:14:42They've given the little baby some camomile tea and rescue remedy,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45so hopefully he'll get a little bit of sleep himself.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48We're gonna come back and check on him in the morning.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55An elephant this young and traumatised could go into deep shock
0:14:55 > 0:14:57and simply lose the will to live,
0:14:57 > 0:15:02but everyone is going to be doing their utmost to keep him alive.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Knowing how critical things are for the little calf,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13I'm up at the crack of dawn.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17It's six o'clock in the morning.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20We've come to check on our newest little orphan
0:15:20 > 0:15:22and see how he's got on.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Well, he and Edwin are still fast asleep,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33which probably means that they've had a bit of a rough night.
0:15:33 > 0:15:39That's one exhausted elephant and one exhausted Edwin.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41We'll check on them later.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45The little calf will get the best possible care,
0:15:45 > 0:15:49but it's not just the tiny ones who get this unconditional devotion.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54I'm travelling to Voi, the second of the two release sites here in Tsavo.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56I want to catch up with one of the older elephants
0:15:56 > 0:16:02who's been given years of TLC to try and improve her quality of life.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Looking back a few months, seven-year-old Mweiga was crippled
0:16:08 > 0:16:11with painful joints and a suspected heart condition.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16The team had been trying her on some new medicine to ease her discomfort.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18I'm just hoping it's worked.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22I can see, that's amazing!
0:16:22 > 0:16:25She's actually picking up her pace. That's incredible!
0:16:28 > 0:16:30This is quite remarkable,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33because this is Mweiga actually almost at a run.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35What a difference from just a few months ago!
0:16:35 > 0:16:38That just shows you what effort the Trust puts
0:16:38 > 0:16:41into all of these elephants. Each of them are treated as individuals
0:16:41 > 0:16:43and, if they have a problem,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46you can guarantee that the Trust will look after it.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Normally, she's completely separated from the rest of the group.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Look, she can't wait to get to the mud wallow,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58and she looks in so much better condition.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I mean, even just looking at her bottom,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05she just doesn't look that much different from the other elephants.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08A few months ago, she was skin and bones.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Now, we know that Mweiga almost certainly
0:17:19 > 0:17:22can never go back to the wild. She's just not strong enough.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24In fact, if she'd been left in the wild,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26she would have died for certain.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30But she can always be comfortable in the knowledge
0:17:30 > 0:17:36that she has a home here in Voi, and a great quality of life.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40But Mweiga is also able to give something back to the herd.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Eventually, she could act as an auntie to the younger ones.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Every single one of Kenya's elephants is precious
0:17:47 > 0:17:49and, by saving so many of them
0:17:49 > 0:17:52and helping to care for their environment,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54the Trust are making a real contribution
0:17:54 > 0:17:56to conservation here in Africa.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Here in Nairobi, the struggle to save these orphaned elephants
0:18:03 > 0:18:08is at its most intense, and I'm hoping that the little rescued calf
0:18:08 > 0:18:12is responding to all the love and care they're giving him.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Well, our little newcomer has woken up, and so has Edwin.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Was it a bad night, Edwin?
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- A little difficult night.- Was it?
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Not a real bad one, but he slept for some time.
0:18:24 > 0:18:30About ten, 15 minutes, he wakes up, ten, 15 minutes, he wakes up.
0:18:30 > 0:18:31I could hear him.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35When we left last night, I could hear him bellowing and trumpeting.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Did he do that all through the night as well?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Yeah, most of the time during the night.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42So what's the plan now?
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Well, the plan is to let him stay in the stable
0:18:45 > 0:18:48and maybe walk out when the sun is shining.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51Not with the others,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55but we will allow him to join the others for some time,
0:18:55 > 0:18:56not to spend the whole day.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Yeah.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03The little calf has been named Shimba
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and, for his emotional and mental wellbeing,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10he's going to be meeting up with the rest of the herd later today.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18A couple of hours later, and the Nairobi herd are out in the bush
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and still seem very subdued.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26Makena is clearly still feeling insecure after Lualeni's departure,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30so perhaps meeting little Shimba will be just what they need
0:19:30 > 0:19:32to distract them from all that's happened.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37In a minute, Shimba is going to meet the bigger orphans
0:19:37 > 0:19:40for the very first time, so we're just getting him ready
0:19:40 > 0:19:41to go out in the sun.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46It's surprising how susceptible little babies are to sunburn.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49In the wild, they get lots of shade from their mothers
0:19:49 > 0:19:53and the rest of the herd, but here, they get good old factor 30
0:19:53 > 0:19:56and also an umbrella if it's really hot!
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Hey! You're gonna meet the big ones, aren't you?
0:20:02 > 0:20:06At last, it's time to meet the new member of the family.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Look at the ears go out!
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Oh, look at that! Makena's first over.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18And Sian and Loijuk.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22And look at the way they're just all putting their trunks over
0:20:22 > 0:20:24in a very caring, loving way.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28You can see the way that they're all trying
0:20:28 > 0:20:30to protect this little newcomer.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34And look how tiny Shimba looks!
0:20:34 > 0:20:38You look so sweet and so little and so vulnerable.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- And that's gonna be his new family. - Yes.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Little Shimba has only just lost his own herd,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58but look - already he's found a new herd to be part of.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59They may be very young,
0:20:59 > 0:21:04but they're still gonna be a very loving, supporting group to be with.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08The friendship and affection of this little herd of survivors
0:21:08 > 0:21:12is probably the most important factor in helping young Shimba
0:21:12 > 0:21:14to survive his personal tragedy.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18What Shimba can do in return is help them forget the trauma
0:21:18 > 0:21:20of losing Lualeni and Kora.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26It's now been a week since Lualeni and Kora
0:21:26 > 0:21:30moved down to the release site here in Tsavo National Park.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34I'm keen to see whether they've really settled into life
0:21:34 > 0:21:37in their new home, and the midday mud wallow
0:21:37 > 0:21:39is where I'm hoping to find out.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48A week ago, our two little elephants from Nairobi, Lualeni and Kora,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51didn't want to know about this mud wallow.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53It was just like, "Oh, that's far too dirty for us!"
0:21:53 > 0:21:56But look now! They're just having the time of their lives.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00They have slotted into the routine here at Ithumba perfectly,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03and I could get very muddy any minute!
0:22:03 > 0:22:05But the beauty of the whole system
0:22:05 > 0:22:07is that those little elephants from Nairobi...
0:22:07 > 0:22:09HE LAUGHS
0:22:09 > 0:22:12make the transition, learn how to be little elephants
0:22:12 > 0:22:14and then they're brought here.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15They graduate to Ithumba,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18which is where eventually they will go back to the wild.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21And I am certainly gonna need a bath after this!
0:22:22 > 0:22:25I should've guessed that that friendly little elephant
0:22:25 > 0:22:30under all that sticky mud was Lualeni. I reckon that says it all
0:22:30 > 0:22:33about how well she's taken to her new life.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38There are 24 young elephants living here, all growing up strong
0:22:38 > 0:22:42and healthy, and preparing for a life back in the wild.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47Ultimately, the benefits they bring to this environment will be immense.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50All the wild elephants were poached out of this area in the '80s,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53but the presence of this herd of orphans
0:22:53 > 0:22:56will help to encourage the elephants back.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00They'll open up game trails and promote the growth of grasslands,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04making Ithumba a better place for all the Tsavo wildlife.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11We've seen five little elephants move down here from the nursery
0:23:11 > 0:23:12in the last few months,
0:23:12 > 0:23:17and it's great to know that they're all thriving in their new home.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21But I can't help wondering how Lualeni's little friend Makena
0:23:21 > 0:23:23is getting on without her.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28Do you know, I reckon Lualeni leaving is the making of Makena.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Suddenly, she's realised that there's more to life
0:23:31 > 0:23:33than sucking Lualeni's ear.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36She's become a lot more independent in the last couple of days -
0:23:36 > 0:23:38you can see, a lot more feisty!
0:23:38 > 0:23:41She's even beginning to mother little Chyulu here.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44In fact, I think that, when it's her time,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47she's gonna be a fabulous little mini-matriarch.
0:23:47 > 0:23:53Makena is growing up quickly and proving how resilient she is.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00But the little elephant who's made the most progress is Shimba.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03He's bursting with energy, out with the herd every day
0:24:03 > 0:24:06and sticking like glue to his neighbour,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08and now adoptive mum, Loijuk.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Being the tiniest, the keepers all adore him.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25But Shimba is totally devoted to Loijuk.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Despite what he's been through
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and the fact that he's only a couple of months old,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Shimba loves to wrestle with some of the bigger bulls in the herd.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38If he's not rolling around with the boys,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40then a roll in the dirt will do just as well.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46But it's bedtime, which says so much about how little Shimba
0:24:46 > 0:24:50has fitted into life with his new family of people and elephants.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54He's so attached to Loijuk that he tries to sneak into her stable
0:24:54 > 0:24:57to spend the night with her, but, round here,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00it's strictly one elephant per stable,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04and Shimba is tempted back to his own room with a warm bottle of milk.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10But Loijuk is only next door.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16She knows just how much he needs her,
0:25:16 > 0:25:21and she's there to reassure Shimba as he settles down for the night.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27The keepers tuck him in as gently as possible.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32This little one needs every bit of sleep he can get.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36Considering that he's been through the horror of seeing his mum die
0:25:36 > 0:25:40at such a young age, this is as close as Shimba could get
0:25:40 > 0:25:41to a happy ending.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48And Loijuk gently soothes him off into a deep sleep.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57It's heart-warming to see how well Shimba is getting on,
0:25:57 > 0:26:02but these are still dangerous times for all Africa's elephants,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04with ivory poaching on the increase,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07and pressure on land from human settlement.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12But there IS hope and, for little Shimba and all the other orphans,
0:26:12 > 0:26:18there is a real chance for a life back among the wild herds of Tsavo.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21It just makes you feel wonderful to be alive,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25to see tiny little baby elephants, wild elephants,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28with their mothers, relaxed within the herd,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30able to drink, able to socialise...
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Because you think about the lives our orphans have led -
0:26:34 > 0:26:38where they came from, many of them orphaned, losing their mothers,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41when they were just a few days old, a few weeks old.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Imagine the trauma that they must have felt!
0:26:44 > 0:26:47But they have got a second chance.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49The females will come back to the wild
0:26:49 > 0:26:52and hopefully will have their own calves.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53It's happened already.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58And this is the point of the whole thing, the cycle coming full circle,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00the orphans going back to the wild.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03We know that it can work.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07This is the future for the orphans, and it's a wild future.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Of course, not all the elephants that get orphaned in the wild
0:27:13 > 0:27:15get found and rescued.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Even those that do, sadly, as we've seen, sometimes don't make it.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23These little babies represent the lucky ones,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26the ones that are given a second chance.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30With plenty of time, love, dedication and patience,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32their fate can be turned around.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39It's been an incredible year here at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust,
0:27:39 > 0:27:44seeing all the elephants come and go, growing, changing, having fun,
0:27:44 > 0:27:50making friends and learning how to live in the wild.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Elephants like Wendi, who struggled with an identity crisis,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57little blind Ndololo, who lost his fight for life,
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Makena, who was so deeply devoted to Lualeni,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04but coped so well with her separation,
0:28:04 > 0:28:09and Emily, who showed us just how successful life in the wild can be.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11The loveliest creature.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16All this is made possible by Daphne Sheldrick
0:28:16 > 0:28:19and her team of dedicated keepers.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22The work here with the orphans is ongoing
0:28:22 > 0:28:25and as long as there are baby elephants in need,
0:28:25 > 0:28:29there will be a home and a family for them here.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:46 > 0:28:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk