Monkeys in the Kitchen This Wild Life

In the heart of Africa,

a young family is heading for an epic adventure.

They are moving with their three children

to a remote Kenyan wilderness.

Mum Saba is here to run a safari camp...

Welcome!

..while dad Frank is helping to protect elephants.

Collar's almost on, now the scary bit.

But raising a family

and running a business in the bush is going to be a massive challenge.

-Shoo!

-There are monkeys in the kitchen...

Oh, you monkeys, I'm going to kill you!

..floods threatening the camp...

It's looking like it's going to be a mega storm.

..medical emergencies...

It's bad and it needs urgent action.

..and wildlife in need of help.

My heart really is in my mouth.

It's going to be a huge gamble.

Will the business survive Saba's first season in charge?

Oh, my God.

This time, the drought is forcing animals to invade the camp...

Hey, out! Out, out! Shoo! Go, shoo!

..hungry livestock are causing havoc...

No, they are going right through the middle of camp!

..and Frank takes on a dangerous mission...

We've got him on the transmitter, so we're going to try and walk in.

..to find the biggest bull elephant in Northern Kenya.

Sticking together is very important.

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

The high season in Samburu

is drawing to a close.

Elephant Watch Camp is preparing for the last of their guests.

But after four months of drought,

keeping the business going is a huge challenge.

Uh-oh, a monkey!

The dry weather means less food for monkeys.

So, they are getting bolder by the day.

Saba's daughter makes an easy target.

-SHE CRIES

-What happened? Naughty monkey!

-One monkey took Luna's mango.

-Oh, darling.

You've got to chase them away, sweetheart.

With guests arriving later,

Saba must try and get the monkeys' thieving under control.

But they aren't the only ones struggling in the drought.

Elephants are having to travel much further in search of food.

The wildlife scours the landscape for the last green shoots.

Even the livestock of the local Samburu herders are finding it tough.

Their animals are pouring into camp to find food,

creating havoc for Saba and the business.

We're just getting camels and goats

and all sorts of things coming to camp and we chase them out,

but just as quickly as we get them out, they come back in again.

Saba relies on Samburu warrior Mporian

to keep the livestock out of camp.

No, they are going right through the middle of camp! Come on, shoo, out!

Sh-sh!

Shoo!

Camels and donkeys might look sweet, but they cause a lot of damage.

When livestock start invading,

it is a sign that the drought is going to hit Samburu hard.

It is also causing problems for husband Frank.

He is working to protect elephants.

Today he is concerned for the safety of Matt,

one of the biggest bulls in Northern Kenya.

I'm just in a bit of a rush, trying to get out the door, to get

up north in time to catch Matt, who is our biggest ranging elephant.

You can see here, he is five or six tonnes, mid-40s,

prime of his life, with his enormous tusks.

So, he is one of the most impressive elephants

that we've got in Kenya,

and I'm really looking forward and slightly nervous about meeting him.

Matt's search for food has led him into a dangerous poaching hotspot -

the badlands, 100 miles north of the reserve.

As North Kenya's biggest tusker, he is a prime target for

ivory poachers and an elephant they don't want to lose.

Save The Elephants' head of field operations, David Daballen,

is leading the expedition.

Matt travels far beyond the reserve.

They follow his movements

using a GPS tracking collar to help keep him safe.

But he has become an expert at breaking his collar off.

Unfortunately, he doesn't much like having the collar on him,

and he is so big and strong that he pulls it off somehow,

and he's got rid of four of them in the last two years.

David has strengthened this last collar that we've put on,

so we want to see how that strengthening is working and see

if we can get an idea of quite how he is ripping these collars off.

Although it is reinforced with extra webbing,

they have to find Matt to see if it is still secure.

Where is Lesaya?

-Lesaya's here.

-OK.

The badlands are lawless, so an armed guard is crucial.

The area where Matt is is up north, and we're pretty sure it's

going to be fine, but you never quite know,

and the one time you don't bring your guard with you,

that's when something goes wrong,

so that's one reason we are bringing Lesaya,

and the other reason is because Lesaya knows this area

very, very well and he's going to be able to guide us

on which little rat run route we can find through the bush.

Back in camp, Saba is dealing with more problems caused by the drought.

Mporian's job is to keep animals out of camp and the guests safe,

but today, he has problems of his own.

-Saba?

-Whoa.

Oh, the life of a nomad is complicated!

You know, the problem with all these guys is that

when they've got to go, they've just got to go,

it's like you can't say, "Well, you know, I've got guests

"arriving tomorrow and I need you in camp,"

and they are like, "Well, you know, my goats need me

"much more than I need you and your guests, so I'm going."

Saba has guests arriving soon,

guests that are coming here to see elephants.

But at the height of the drought, many of them are leaving the reserve.

Saba must find out where they are.

It's so dry at the moment.

There is hardly a blade of grass left to eat, especially

here around the camp.

I just want to go and see what it's like a little bit

further inside the reserve, where maybe elephants have gone.

Just so that we can find them.

The dry weather is tough on all the animals,

but the grazers are hit the hardest.

I mean, everything is hungry right now.

You see it with the baboons, you see it with the impala,

you see it with the dik-dik,

you see it the waterbuck, you see it with the zebra.

The elephants, you know, they are not quite...

They are not affected so immediately by the drought,

because they are browsers, they can eat everything,

they can eat all the branches and leaves, and the grass as well.

And also, they can walk long distances and

they are not territorial, so they can move and go to better areas.

Elephants must eat for 18 hours a day to sustain their huge bodies.

When times are tough,

they have to move further afield to find enough food.

Experienced elephants remember where the best feeding grounds are.

Saba has spent years in Samburu and has a good idea of which spots

they are likely to visit.

This is quite a nice area,

obviously there is still quite a bit of vegetation here.

So, at least there is some decent food here for them.

Oh, look, we've got some elephants!

Saba wants her guests to fall in love with elephants.

Across Africa, they are in desperate need of help.

The more people that know what's going on,

the more they can spread the word.

One of the key reasons why we started our camp was

because we were having these amazing experiences every day with

elephants, you know, like this,

getting to know each individual and getting to know their character

and personality, and that's really how Elephant Watch began.

Saba hopes this herd stays here until her guests arrive.

But driven by hunger, the matriarch could take her family anywhere.

It's so important that in the long term,

we manage to secure these areas outside the parks

and create these huge corridors that link up in a way that makes

sense to the elephants, and that is one

of the things that we are getting from all the collar data,

that we can see where they are going and see how they use the landscape.

Male elephants range for hundreds of miles.

When they leave the reserve, they run the gauntlet of angry farmers,

poachers and busy roads in their search for food.

One of the widest ranging

and most experienced bulls in Northern Kenya is Matt.

The information from his collar is crucial to find out which

corridors need protecting to keep the elephants safe.

After four hours on the road, Frank and the team have

arrived in the badlands, where Matt's collar last sent a signal.

-We are now 3.6 K...

-Away?

-Away.

-Three?

-Three.

Frank and David are relying

on Lesaya's expert knowledge of the badlands.

This area is dangerous.

Not only are there unpredictable bull elephants,

there are also armed bandits. It's no place to be on foot.

So, we are going to stay in the vehicle, um,

and try and do all our observations that way.

The thick bush has stopped them in their tracks,

but they still haven't reached Matt.

The signal from his collar shows they still have a way to go.

They are now facing a dilemma.

Walking in the bush with wild elephants is risky.

They have no choice - they must continue on foot.

While Frank heads into the badlands, Saba has guests on the way.

She is racing to prepare this evening's meal.

"Roast it for 12 to 15 minutes,

"until the flesh is soft and smoky and the skin is burnt."

The food supply has arrived in the nick of time.

But Saba is not the only one pleased to see it.

The hungry vervet monkeys are stealing tonight's dinner.

Hey, out, out, out! Shoo!

Shoo!

While Saba deals with the monkeys...

..the camp team gathers for the guests' arrival.

Hello!

These guests have come all the way from New York.

They are expecting a rustic experience,

but they have never shared a tent with primates before.

We've got all sorts of little knick-knacks for you to use,

in case you've forgotten anything. So, just explore.

The monkeys are very naughty, by the way, they love stealing things.

-They go after the toothpaste and...

-Just toothpaste?

Well, I just saw they had stolen one this morning.

They don't take face creams,

but toothpaste sometimes is something they go after.

That's it.

The guests are settled and happy.

But they haven't come all the way from America to see monkeys.

This is their big trip, really, to come out here

and see what we do, which is why it's really, really

important that they have a deeply meaningful experience of elephants.

Saba hopes that the elephants are still where she left them.

Back in the badlands, light is fading.

Frank and David have to make a decision.

OK, so, we've just hit a point where the sun is just

dipping below the horizon now,

we are 500 metres away from the elephant,

the bush is too thick and we have

got him on the transmitter so we are going to try and walk in.

Matt is a wild elephant. Approaching him on foot is dangerous.

If he charges, shooting in the air should give them

enough time to escape.

More people are killed in Africa by elephants than lions.

-OK, I think we can turn in...

-Slowly?

-Yeah.

-OK.

An elephant's sense of smell is second to none.

They must approach Matt downwind.

If he catches their scent, they could be in trouble.

He should be very close, but they can't find him.

STATIC NOISE

The signal they picked up from the car has disappeared.

You know, Frank, to be honest...

Their only option now is to retrace their steps

and find a safe place to camp for the night.

With Frank away, Saba is juggling work and childcare.

Who is ready for a shower?

-Girls? Who's ready for a shower?

-Me, me!

OK.

See, the monkeys are all up in the tree.

They are all going up to sleep.

They are climbing right up into the top branches,

-do you know why they are doing that?

-No.

Just in case a leopard comes along.

-Not high, Mama, not high!

-Hold on.

There we go.

Frank has gone off, so I'm here with the kids tonight on my own,

and I've got to do this really quickly,

because I've got guests here.

Have to go and have dinner with them. OK, ready, darling?

Here, you jump into this towel.

Come here, Mayian. Can you turn that light off, Selkie, please?

Oh, don't put it in the water!

All right, sweets, let's go and find you a towel.

Mwah, mwah! All right, OK.

-After a quick wash and change...

-I look awful!

..Saba is ready to swap from mum to hostess.

I'm late!

Hi, everybody.

While Saba's entertaining her guests at the dinner table,

Frank is setting up camp.

They've moved a safe distance from Matt's last known location.

But he is certainly not roughing it.

And the table, and then we've got the tablecloth, I think,

in the car, and the silver service is somewhere in here!

David has thought of everything.

Here is the kitchen sink!

Very, very important not to drop your standards in life.

Yeah, we've got a ready-made dinner.

Samburu take-out!

I've been complaining about your style of camping, David.

OK, well, it was quite short notice, so, if I knew...

-We could have done it a bit rougher!

-Yeah, a bit rougher!

THEY CHUCKLE

Tomorrow is a big day.

They've got to be up before dawn

if they have any hope of finding Matt and his collar.

BIRDSONG

At Elephant Watch,

wildlife guide Bernard is preparing to take the guests on a game drive.

We are going out for a picnic lunch today,

so, we just want to make sure that we've got everything.

Bernard has worked here for six years and knows Samburu's elephants well.

We want to show them what we've got in terms of, um,

the Samburu culture and the elephants and the wildlife.

Feathers are an important part of attire for all Samburu warriors.

Everyone has their own style and opinion.

In the drought, even Bernard may not be able to find elephants.

It becomes a bit of a challenge for us,

because you know, there aren't that many elephants.

He is taking the guests to the place where Saba saw them yesterday.

But when they arrive at the spot, there are no elephants in sight.

In the badlands, Frank and David are also up early,

back on the trail of Matt.

They need to get close enough to see

if his collar is still in good condition.

-WHISPERS:

-We are now about 500 metres away,

we've got to be very quiet now.

No snapping of twigs and no loud voices.

He's been walking here, this is his tracks, right here.

You can see the footprint here, with the wrinkles.

Very likely that's him. Very big.

This guy is a big bull!

As they move deeper into the bush, they make an alarming discovery.

There's signs of several large males in the area.

If Matt's got company, there is a greater chance of being charged.

DAVID WHISPERS TO LESAYA

I think, Frank, we just want to discuss a little bit.

OK.

So, I think this is very nasty stuff, to run on it.

You run, then stop.

BELLS TINKLING

Lesaya has heard goat bells.

This makes the situation even more dangerous.

We've got some livestock, some goats,

you can hear some goats clanking around.

And that's going to... that's going to push the elephants away

and make them very disturbed, so, if they've got livestock on

one side and we approach the other, they are going to be pissed off.

They are now only metres away from Matt, but despite his size,

they still can't see him.

I think let's try that side.

Here is the collar.

Success. They've found Matt.

Now they must check if his collar is OK.

-WHISPERS:

-David has somehow, in the middle of this really thick bush,

managed to manoeuvre us into a position,

even in this shifting wind,

where we've got a perfect sight of his collar,

this is the perfect position to inspect his collar,

because we are just behind and every time he opens his ear,

we can look in and see the full length of the collar.

What I'm seeing is that even after six months, which is

about how long it took him to break off his last one,

David's repair job, or rather reinforcement job,

is holding well, it's not fraying

and it looks like we might have found a solution for these

big boys and for keeping these collars on them.

It's great news. His collar is firmly in place.

As they observe him over the next hour,

David and Frank get an insight

into how intelligent this important bull is.

-WHISPERS:

-We just had a herd of goats and kids walk past

on the other side of him,

and we could watch his strategy in action,

and all he does is stop breaking branches and stand and wait, and you

can't fight that, because you can't see him, he blends in perfectly.

Matt has worked out how to survive in the badlands.

He knows there is enough food for him here and he has discovered

a strategy to remain undetected and safe from poachers.

Well, we found him!

Despite the drought and threat from poachers, this impressive bull

is showing the wisdom he's gleaned from years of hard-won experience.

The information from his collar will help them protect Matt

and the other bulls for years to come.

Back in the safety of the reserve, wildlife guide Bernard has

spent the morning combing the area where Saba saw elephants yesterday.

After hours searching, he's finally found them.

And it's a rather special group.

Their leader, Cinnamon, is a 48-year-old tuskless female.

She is one of the oldest

and most experienced matriarchs in the reserve.

Cinnamon may be a toughie, but she has a soft heart.

When her sisters were lost to poachers,

Cinnamon took their young calves under her wing.

But Cinnamon's goodwill reaches well beyond her own herd.

Remarkably, she even allows unrelated orphans to tag along with her family.

What's more extraordinary is that

she is doing this at the toughest time of year - in the drought.

Bernard is pleased to have found a group that shows the guests

how intelligent and compassionate these animals are.

Even when the odds are stacked against them,

elephants like Cinnamon are finding ways to help orphaned

youngsters get back on their feet and giving them a chance of a future.

Look! Don't fall, don't fall!

In contrast to the badlands,

Samburu's elephants couldn't be more relaxed.

It was a great experience, it was amazing.

I always look forward to these experiences.

Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't.

But this was a very lucky day.

It's been a great day for Saba, Frank and the team.

Whoo, Daddy's here!

SABA CHUCKLES

I gotcha!

It's the guests' last evening,

and Saba is taking them to a viewpoint to watch the sun go down.

Despite the drought, she's managed to keep the guests happy

and the business on track.

I mean, we've had absolutely phenomenal encounters

with elephants, where they've literally been two feet away

from the edge of the car, just looking at them. It's been...

..just beyond all of their expectations,

and exactly what I was hoping would happen.

Life in the African bush is tough, but Saba, Frank and the team

have made it through the hardest part of the season.

And Samburu's extraordinary elephants are finding ways

to survive by helping each other.

Next time...

Oh, my God!

..a pregnant elephant is about to give birth.

Her waters have broken and we are racing to get to her in time.

David must win over Kenya's top judges to secure

the future for Samburu's elephants.

If they come into the park, they see elephants, then actually,

they might understand, so, this is my hope.

And Elephant Watch Camp celebrates

the end of Saba's first season in charge.