Stories of Africa
Elephants in the Room
S1 E1 Jan 31, 2013 50m
At a luxury lodge in Zambia something bizarre is happening; - a phenomenon that has the world's elephant experts stumped. Every year, tourists flock to witness an extraordinary event: Six wild elephants, led by a matriarch called Wonky Tusk, climb the stairs of the lodge and enter the foyer. The giants stroll past the reception desk and through the dining room. Their destination is a 100-year-old mango tree growing in the courtyard and the fruit that falls from its branches. This "check in" is accomplished without as much as bumping a tea-trolley or breaking a crystal glass. At the lodge, their manners are impeccable. And yet, down the road they cause havoc in the local villages where they destroy crops, rip out fences, flatten homes and terrify the residents. Nathan Pilcher, a wildlife cameraman follows this family for 5 years and discovers that elephants are far more intelligent, more resourceful and more like us than you could ever imagine. During the rainy season, he negotiates flooding rivers and churning lagoons to track them in the bush. He is impressed with the way Wonky Tusk commands and protects her family. She gives birth to a baby bull which the staff at the lodge calls Wellington. Remarkably, Wonky Tusk allows Nathan to observe the little one, and a few days later Wonky Tusk appears at the lodge with Wellington in tow. When they get to the steps, she lifts Wellington, helping him up the stairs. This kind of wild elephant behavior is unheard of. Wonky Tusk leads Wellington into the foyer where the baby falls asleep. Over a period of five years, Nathan follows Wonky Tusk and films the unfolding drama of a close-knit family that inspires tourists, survives the threats of predators, evades the wrath of villagers and teams up to protect and teach Wellington.