02x01 - Elephants 1: Educating Emily

[bunniefuu]

This time we're on a different
kind of creature adventure.

Baby-sitting elephants--
where do you start?

How about here?
A mud bath!

There's nothing like
an elephant mud bath.

[Elephants trumpeting]

The elephants
are getting a little restless.

You guys have some
baby-sitting problems.

Elephants
aren't afraid of mice.

All this and more coming up
on kratts' creatures.

There it is.
Let's go!

Iarriba!

Iandale, andale!

O.k., Here's the story.

The creature screen
is on the fritz again.

Chris and martin
are somewhere in east africa.

And if this doesn't work...

I got it!

Can you hear me?

Loud and clear, al.

What's the word?

Jambo!

We're here in kenya,
east africa,

Looking for the largest
land animal alive.

He tips the scales
at 12,000 pounds.


A hippo, right?

Nope.

He's gray and really
sharp at one end.

We're definitely
talking about rhinos.

Good try.
But this creature's


Giraffes, then.

O.k., One last clue.

He's got
really big ears.

Elephants!

Bingo!

Then why are they driving
in a residential neighborhood?

Isn't the best place to find
elephants on, say, the savanna?

Because that's where
the animals roam free.

The savanna is africa's
wild creature stomping ground.

Check it out.
You got cheetahs...

Lions...

Wildebeests...

Wild dogs.

Plus you can find
ostriches...

Impala...
Gazelles and hyenas...

And giraffes.

If you're in africa
looking for elephants,

Isn't the savanna
the place to be?

Normally,
that's where we'd be,

But this time, we're
on a different kind

Of creature adventure,

And we're starting it
in a kind of
unusual place.

Sheldrick wildlife trust?

What are you guys
doing there?

We'll help take care
of some baby elephants

That have been orphaned.

Hey, jill,
how are you?

Martin, chris,
how are you?

Welcome. I'm so glad you guys
have come to help us out.

Jill runs
the elephant nursery

And takes care
of baby elephants

That lose
their families.

Now we've got
somebody to help.

How many orphaned
elephants do you
have here now?

We've got three.

[Ttark]
orphans? What's all
this orphan stuff?

Animals who don't have
a mother and father are orphans.

They become orphans
when their parents are k*lled.

One of the main reasons
elephants are k*lled

Is for their ivory tusks.

I'm speechless.

I could go on for hours
about how speechless I am.

That's where
the orphanages come in.

They help save
the baby animals.

[Martin]
orphanages give them
a lot of things.

First of all,
a place to sleep.

The elephants sleep
in this stable

And so do their keepers.

If the baby elephants
get hungry at night,

The keepers are there
to feed them.

[Jill]
they don't like to be confined.

Obviously, this is only
to sleep at night.

We can't have our keepers

Running around
being eaten by lions.

Can we go meet
the baby elephants

We're going
to take care of?

Yes. Let's go.

[Martin]
hey, there they are.

[Chris]
how small they are!

[Martin]
the biggest one can't be more
than a couple years old.

They're friendly.

I think they're
trying to say hello.

Elephants greet each other
by holding out their trunks.

This is emily.

Hi, emily.

Emily is 1 1/2
years old

And the biggest
of the three orphans.

Emily was orphaned when
her mom was k*lled by poachers

For her ivory tusks.

This is imenti. She's
five months younger than emily

And was separated
from her family

When she fell
into a latrine pit.

This is aitong.

Aitong is just 3 months old,

Making him the youngest
and the smallest.

At this age, aitong needs
a little help staying warm.

This is cool.

But baby-sitting elephants?
Where do you start?

[Martin]
it's simple.

Simple?

Absolutely, al.

If you're going
to take care of
baby elephants,

You need
two major things--

Time and commitment.

And all this stuff.

Elephant caretakers
spend every minute
with the young elephants.

Right now, we're emily's
substitute family.

This kind of attention
is the only way

She can develop that
strong sense of security

So that one day
they can grow up healthy

And be ready
for life in the wild.

When you're getting
a baby elephant

Ready to be released
back into the wild,

You have to
make sure you

Raise them
in an environment

As close to their
natural one as possible.

That's the only way
the transition has
a chance of working.

We teach emily
what her mother
would have taught her.

When the baby elephants
get here,

They're depressed
and very lonely for
the first few months.

The most important
thing we can do

Is give them
love and attention

To make them feel
like they're hanging out

With their
fellow elephants.

[Martin]
one of the most
important things

About taking care
of baby elephants

Is finding them food.

[Chris]
humans may only eat
for an hour or two a day,

But elephants eat


The first thing we'll do
is find these guys breakfast.

Seems like emily,
imenti, and aitong

Know where they're going.

They've been out here before,
so they're leading us,

But we'll help them find
good leaves to eat.

[Martin]
elephants are herbivores,

Which means
they're plant-eaters.

Elephants must learn
which plants are good to eat

And which plants
might be poisonous.

These guys
have a pretty good idea

About what's right for them.

[Laughing]

Aitong,
you want a little?

Got it?

Grab some yourself.
Here.

Got some leaves.

Ooh, there's good stuff
down there.

Pretty bitter.
They like it.

I have no idea
what leaves these are,

But these guys know.

Ha ha! Here.

[Chris]
wild elephants eat
a huge variety of plants,

And I'm not talking about
a little bit of grazing.

They eat everything from leaves
and vines off high branches

Down to grass and roots.

Look at her picking up
this little leaf.

Emily, the older elephant,

Is showing baby aitong
what kind of leaves to eat.

[Chris]
so now that we got
breakfast squared away,

It's on to another
morning ritual--

A mud bath!

We know more about this than
what leaves are right to eat.

You don't need much--

A pail or two, baby elephants,
and a ton of mud.

There's nothing like
an elephant mud bath.

[Chris]
and it's not just baby elephants
who love a mud bath.

Adult elephants love it, too.

It's a great way to cool down,

Which you need to do
because it gets hot.

[Martin]
chris, did you know
that elephants produce

As much body heat
as 30 people?

They really got to keep cool.

[Chris]
when you're this big, though,

Laying down in the mud
takes a little extra effort.

Maybe that's why the elephant
brings the mud to him.

Mud helps keep the elephant's
skin from cracking.

It gets inside the wrinkles
and dries.

Water just
slides off the skin.

When you add it all up,

An elephant mud bath
is multipurposed.

But let's not forget--
it's also fun.

There you go.

[Chris]
after a good mud bath,

Elephants like to dry off
with something else--

Dust.

Dust works as an abrasive.

It helps to get rid of
annoying bugs and pests.

Elephants love
a good dust bath.

They suck up the dirt
with their trunks,

Sort of like a portable
vacuum cleaner,

And then they blow it
all over themselves.

It feels great
and helps protect their skin

From the sun and insects.

[Martin]
I never really
thought of this before,

But elephants
spend a lot of time

Throwing dirt
on themselves.

[Chris]
you're right.

Have you noticed how some
elephants are different colors?

They'll cover themselves
with dirt and mud so completely

That they seem to change color
right before your eyes.

If you didn't know
any better,

You'd think that's
how he normally looks.

[Martin]
hey, all this dust
is making me thirsty.

Let's hit the water barrel.

[Chris]
absolutely. We don't want
these guys getting thirsty.

Wild elephants drink


That's 50 times
what a human will drink.

Wow! Look at them
slurping up that water.

That's some
serious trunk action.

[Allison]
now that's something
I've always wondered about.

Do elephants really drink
from their trunks?

Not really,
but it sure helps.

Helps?

They can't drink the water
through their trunks,

But they can suck up water
with their trunks

And put it into their mouths

Or spray it all over
their bodies for a shower.

The elephant's trunk
is not like a straw.

It's really like a combination
of straw and spoon.

They draw water into their
trunks like it was a straw,

Then lift it to their mouths
and drink from it like a spoon.

So when he drinks,
he's sucking water up his nose,

Then blowing it
into his mouth.

Without a doubt,

The elephant's trunk is one of
the most effective natural tools

In the creature world,

And the way he uses
his trunk to drink

Is an unbeatable way
for a big creature

To take in
huge quantities of water.

But there's something
I've always wondered--

How much water fits
in an elephant's trunk?

The answer
is about 3 gallons.

Imagine being able
to hold all that water.

An elephant's trunk
is really amazing.

[Ttark]
they're more
than amazing.

It's all
about advantages.

If you're traveling
with a trunk,

You've got advantages
coming out your nose,

Which is probably
why elephants

Picked them up
in the first place.

If you didn't have a trunk

And you were
as big as an elephant,

You'd have to...

Bend down to drink water,

Which leaves you
vulnerable to enemies...

Ouch!

And with a very sore back.

But you know what
I never realized before?

That elephants are not
the only ones with trunks.

Take a look at the tapir.

Some people think the tapir
is a relative of the elephant.

The biggest population
of tapirs

Lies 3,000 miles from africa
in south america,

And they're not
related to elephants.

The tapir has a trunk
like an elephant

And an amazing ability
to get at grass and leaves.

What the tapir uses
is his prehensile upper lip.

That means his upper lip
can grab on to things

As good as a hand.

There are other animals who do
the same thing to get at food.

Tapirs aren't the only ones
with a prehensile lip.

There's black rhinos...

Horses...

And camels.

It lets them shovel food
into their mouth

Like an elephant does.

The tapir's trunk
is smaller than the elephant's.

Al, size
isn't everything.

They've only got
a short trunk

Because they only need
a short trunk.

So an elephant has
a bigger trunk

Because that's what
it needs?

Took the words
right out of my trunk.

[Ttark]
the trunk is more than a nose,
lip, or spare hand.

It's all those things
put together.

Look at it this way--

An elephant can
pick, touch, lift, scratch,

Slurp, fight, smell,
and say hello

Just by using his schnoz.

Do you realize
an elephant's trunk

Is powerful enough to lift
a tree up by its roots?

But it's also
sensitive enough

To pick up
a blade of grass...

Or grab a baby elephant's tail

And hold him in line.

[Chris]
an elephant can do
more than that with her trunk.

Elephants can even grab
a leaf with their trunk.

Trunks can be used
to pulverize enemies

Or caress friends.

[Chris]
so, in short,
an elephant's trunk

Is about a lot more
than just sucking stuff up.

Sometimes it
does the opposite.

Everybody has to
blow their nose.

Elephants blow the moisture
out of their trunks,

Or they'll put the end
of their trunk in their mouth

And suck out the mucus.

In other words, boogers.

The scientific word
is...snot.

Boogers.

Snot.

You know where
this is going, don't you?

[Ah-choo]

Wow!

Ahh...mucus!

Can't live with it.
Can't live without it.

Trunks also play
an important role

In feeding
baby elephants.

In order to simulate
the feeding experience

Of the baby elephant
in the wild,

There's something important
trainers have to know.

[Chris]
for the baby
to feel comfortable,

Especially young ones
like aitong,

The tip of the trunk has to
rest against something

That feels like it
could be its mother.

If this doesn't happen,
the baby won't eat.

Elephant calves will hang close
to mom for about 10 years.

That's a pretty long time
in the animal kingdom,

Which means that the keepers at
the sheldrick elephant nursery

Must provide care
for a long time.

To do that, elephant calves
have to trust them.

A keeper
needs patience

To develop this
level of comfort
with the calf.

This is the most
important step

In his journey
to being released
into the wild.

[Allison]
I've got another
question about elephants.

Are they really afraid of mice,
or is that a myth?

[Martin]
hold it!

We can put that myth
to rest right now.

Imenti, look over there.

[Screeching]

See? She doesn't
even care.

Elephants aren't
afraid of mice at all.

That wasn't a mouse.

It was a hyrax.

Wow! Whatever
a hyrax is, it's neat.

But what is it?

It looks like a cross between
a beaver and a mouse.

A hyrax? A hyrax
isn't even a rodent.

Hyraxes are related to
elephants, right?

Yeah. We've got to
check him out.

There it is!
Let's go!

[Allison]
you want to know
something amazing?

You know how scientists decide
what animals are related?

You won't believe this,
but it's by their bones.

That's how they decided

That hyraxes and elephants
were related,

Which is super neat.

Take a look at their size--

Big difference, if you ask me.

[Martin]
hyrax, hyrax.

I know I saw one around here.

There he is--the elephant's
closest relative.

Hmm...but how can you tell?

All right, let's examine
their similarities.

Elephants are the largest
creatures on land,

And hyraxes are
one of the smallest.

Elephants aren't furry,

But these guys
are covered with it.

Hey, there are
no similarities here.

And another thing--
elephants knock down trees,

And these guys climb them.

No similarity there,
but they are related.

So how are these two totally
different-looking animals

Creature cousins?

Aha. Like al said,
it's in the bones and teeth.

See anything
familiar about his teeth?

Two elongated incisors.

In other
words...

Tusks.

[Martin]
those tusks are made
mainly of dentine,

Which is the same hard stuff
in our teeth,

But the difference
between our teeth

And the elephant's tusk

Is that tusks are hard enough

To drive a hole
in a metal jeep.

[Chris]
elephants use their tusks
for digging up roots,

Prying apart tree branches,

Digging for water,
mining for salt,

And sometimes for fighting.

Check it out.

This elephant broke off
one of its tusks.

[Martin]
actually, that's not so unusual.

In fact, most elephants
you'll see on the savanna

Have some sort of damage
to their tusks.

If you use them for everything,
something's bound to break.

[Chris]
hey, did you know that
an elephant's tusks

Never stop growing?

In fact, at the age of 60,

An adult male's tusks
might weigh 132 pounds each.

[Chris]
wow! So to recap...

Tusks are actually
huge, enlarged teeth,

And like the trunk,

Elephants aren't
the only ones who have them.

[Chris]
no kidding.

What about the suave
sultan of the savanna--

The warthog?

His tusks are more than just
part of his irresistible charm.

They're mighty handy.

He uses them for defense
against predators

And also for sparring matches
with other males.

And hey, those tusks

Also make him look
darn good.

So, in other words,

Tusks aren't just
for the elephant.

[Ttark]
tusks have been
a part of elephants

For 50 million years.

They didn't always look
like they do now.

Look at those choppers
on stegodon.

That must give you a headache
carrying those around.

Paleoloxodon--
look out!

A real pair of shovelers
on that guy.

The woolly mammoth--
lugging these things,

No wonder he didn't want to
stick around past the ice age.

No ice age
for aitong.

Baby elephants
can't handle
that kind of cold.

You must keep an eye
on their temperature.

Baby elephants can
get pneumonia very easily,

So we have to keep
a close eye on imenti

To make sure she doesn't
catch a chill.

Emily doesn't need
a blanket,

Because she's older
and is not as prone

To getting sick.

[Chris]
in the wild, baby elephants
will stand under mom.

Babies need protection
from the scorching sun.

The sun dries out their skin

And can make them
get overheated,

So mom acts like a sunscreen.

But in colder, rainy weather,

That's when mom
acts like an umbrella.

She shields her baby
from stormy weather

That could give the baby a cold
or, even worse, pneumonia.

What do you do
when it starts to get hot?

When it starts
getting too hot,

The blanket comes off.

It's time for aitong's
coconut oil rubdown.

[Martin]
the coconut oil

Keeps the young
elephant's skin soft

So it doesn't cr*ck.

Hey.

You want
some baby oil, too?

You're too old
for baby oil.

[Allison]
o.k., Guys, I have
another elephant question.

With ears that big, elephants
must have hyper hearing, right?

[Chris]
well, not exactly.

The elephants need
those big ears

For another purpose--

To keep cool.

When they fan the ears,

The air passes
over the veins,

Which cools down
the elephants' blood.

Their ears make up 15%
of their body surface,

So we're talking about
a lot of blood in there.

And they are no slouch
in the hearing department.

Elephants transmit superlow
noises called infrasounds

That cannot be heard
by the human ear.

[Martin]
you're right. Listen.

[Silence]

You guys have some
baby-sitting problems.

What's going on?

The elephants are getting
a little restless,

So we'll take a walk
and explore a little bit.

O.k., Where do
you want to go?

This way? O.k.

[Martin]
because elephants in the wild

Need so much food,

They spend a lot of time
moving around.

Elephants could live
almost anywhere in africa

With enough
vegetation and water.

They're well-equipped
to handle most terrains.

Wait a minute.

What's up?

Smell something?

[Elephant purrs]

A lion?

[Martin]
maybe she remembers lions

From when she was
out in the wild.

[Chris]
I don't think
she wants to be reminded.

Memory, recognition--

This can't be that
hard to find.

Chris, martin,
what's the scoop?

Do elephants
really never forget,
or is that a myth?

Elephants probably do
forget sometimes,

But they do have
really good memories.

They need good memories
so they can remember

Where the food sources
and water holes are.

They also probably remember
their mothers very well.

That's why we have to take
extra special care of them.

You guys are
pretty good elephant-sitters.

What's next on the agenda?

[Chris]
walking.

[Allison]
walking?

A good walk is important
for these guys.

It develops
their muscles

And improves
their coordination.

They'll need that to
keep up with the herd.

A walk gives them
a chance to

Learn about
their environment.

That's important
for all young creatures.

It also keeps them
from becoming bored.

Elephants are
intelligent creatures.

They need something
to keep their minds busy.

That's when play
comes back into play.

In the creature world,

Play isn't only fun,

It's also really important.

[Martin]
play stimulates the brain

And actually helps it grow.

[Chris]
and it allows
animals to practice

And develop skills
and coordination.

[Martin]
another thing about play

Is that it's just fun,

And humans haven't
cornered the market on that.

Here we go.

There you go.

All right.

That's amazing.

Emily's playing soccer
with the guys.

Hey, you know what that means?

[Martin]
yeah, but it's not emily.
It's aitong.

If he's playing soccer,
it means he's happy.

[Chris]
being happy is the most
important thing

For aitong, imenti, and emily

If they're going to grow
into healthy wild elephants.

There you go.
All right.

[Chris]
well, bro,
it's the end of the day.

It's been great taking care
of the baby elephants.

All in all,

I'd say that hanging with emily,
aitong, and imenti

Has been an amazing
and educating experience

For all of us.

Elephant caretakers
have to spend every minute

With the baby elephants.

For now, we're the elephants'
substitute family.

This kind of attention
is the only way

They can develop a strong
sense of security

So they'll grow up healthy

And one day be ready
for life in the wild.

You comfortable, bro?

Yeah. This place
is all right.

Chris, I just
thought of something.

What?

What will emily face
on the savanna?

I don't know,

But I've got a great plan
for tomorrow.

Let's check out the life
of elephants in the wild!

Oh, I'm there.

Elephants in the wild?

I'm not doing
anything tomorrow.

This sounds like something
we should check out.

Good night, emily.

Emily, come on.

I'm trying
to get some sleep.