World Elephant Day – Nat Geo Wild

Follow the Herd for a Gigantic content Line Up

They are smart. They are family oriented. They remember forever. They have complex emotions and they look after each other. With World Elephant Day approaching on 12 August 2019, National Geographic Wild has lined up a jumbo content block dedicated to these iconic tusked giants. Not only are they the biggest of the big five, they are also the largest land mammal on Earth, weighing up to seven tons each.

Stomping off at 13:15 CAT, Elephant Queen follows the old elephant matriarch, Mensah, who must now take her young calf and the herd to safety, after the tragic death of her mother. She is their final hope and must lead them into their ancient feeding grounds.

Botswana is home to more elephants than anywhere else in the world. It’s the setting for a titanic battle. Every year, thousands of Elephants trek over 7 000 miles in search of food and life-giving water. But the desert is a hostile place, especially as the dry season takes hold, so they must use their strength and cunning to survive. Along the way, they are shadowed by some of the most ruthless predators on earth – lions. Experience their remarkable lives in Elephant King of the Kalahari at 14:05.

Confronted by fire, famine, predators, and poachers, three elephant families overcome adversity in ways that feel almost human in nature. An Elephant’s World, at 14:50, follows the journeys of elephant herds in Kenya, India, and Mali as they migrate towards food and safety, using knowledge shared over generations. We get a glimpse into the minds of elephants, seeing that their unique abilities to communicate, educate, and sympathize, provide them with extraordinary skills to survive.

In Baby Elephant Rescue, at 15:38, a perilously ill and orphaned elephant calf has been found abandoned. He’s the victim of the growing battle for space and resources between people and elephants in Sri Lanka. Will he be rescued in time?