NATURE . WILDLIFE

ELEPHANT KING

52' (ENG, GER)

An isolated, ever-shrinking water hole is their sole means of survival. Rain has not fallen for months. As Namibia’s worst drought on record grips Etosha National Park, the fate of an extraordinary band of bull elephants is in the balance.

They have been forced into unnatural proximity by thirst. When the giant leader of the bull elephant group goes missing, drought or no drought, the battle for his crown begins. The stakes are high. Only with the survival of this year’s calves will the herd survive.

Scientist Caitlin O’Connell is one of the world’s leading experts on elephant behaviour. Her studies in elephant communication have shown that they form strong familial bonds. They are nature’s ideal family. Extreme times reveal extreme behavior: if the stress continues, the family will become dysfunctional. What happens in this long dry season will shape the future of this herd for decades to come. The King can only reign if the next generation survives. And what is a king without his followers?