Our Wild World

Part 2: Among the Elephants - Africa's Gentle Giants

In this special three part Elephants Among Us series of Our Wild World, we will explore the savannah elephants of Africa.  In Part Two we will dig deeper into elephant communication, including the recent exciting discovery that elephants use unique names to identify each other, and its implications.  I'll share the amazing account of a lone female elephant in South Africa apparently using infrasound to communicate with a blue whale just off the coast.  Then, I'll also recount how Chris and I saw a large bull elephant bully a family at Amboseli National Park, and how they used infrasound to call for help from another large bull.  We will also learn how ethologists have learned to identify individual elephants in the field.  Finally, we will discuss the different lives bull elephants lead from matriarchal led families as well as elephant babies.  I will share the amazing encounter I had with a family of elephants while hiking at Lake Manyara National Park, where the great elephant conservationist Dr. Iain Douglas Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants and the Elephant Crisis Fund, began his studies of elephant migration routes in 1965.  I'll also share how patient and polite elephants are when it comes to queuing in line.

Part 1: Among the Elephants - Africa's Gentle Giants

In the first of a three part Elephants Among Us series of Our Wild World, we will explore the savannah elephants of Africa.  Elephants are highly intelligent, emotional and social beings and you’ll learn all about their strong family bonds, their social behavior, the different roles of males and females, their unique anatomy, and the truly amazing discoveries being made on how elephants communicate.  Elephants are the gardeners and architects of Africa spreading seeds and creating habitat wherever they go.  Yet they could disappear within our lifetime due to poaching, habitat loss, and climate change without our help. You’ll also learn about brave ethologists such as Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Cynthia Moss, and Joyce Poole who have contributed vastly to our knowledge of these remarkable creatures and have dedicated their lives to elephant conservation.  My wife, Christina and I have studied elephants in Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Uganda, and are own adventures will be included.  Finally, be sure to check out our companion Our Wild World website, Facebook, Instagram,  BlueSky, or X pages to see pictures of the elephants discussed in these podcasts.