Elephants up close

In the two-part documentary, the multi-award-winning animal filmmakers Thoralf Grospitz and Jens Westphalen take the viewer on a fascinating journey through southern Africa and draw a detailed picture of the largest land mammal on Earth. Part 1/2: The gray giants are considered rulers of the savannah. How do the animals communicate with each other? Africa's elephants are the largest mammals living on our planet. Once upon a time, they were spread far beyond the African continent, but the giants are becoming rarer. The hunt for coveted ivory and the spread of human habitat endanger its existence. Only in Botswana, he is with more than 130,000 animals as a secured - strict protection and a consistent anti-poaching policy, thanks. Protected are the majestic and powerful giants, they are considered rulers of the savannah. Their amazing abilities ensure the elephant survives months of drought and blistering heat. Thanks to their highly sensitive senses, the gray giants feel water holes over miles away and their proverbial elephant memory shows them the way to the longed-for source of cooling. The elephants also demonstrate high intelligence in their life together - they are empathetic, helpful and empathic. Their strong sense of family and the ability to communicate over long distances help them to survive. To get to the bottom of the gentle giants' way of life, award-winning animal filmmakers Thoralf Grospitz and Jens Westphalen traveled through southern Africa for more than two years. With their two-parter "Elefanten hautnah" they draw a complex picture of the "icon of Africa" ​​and give intimate insights into the life of the largest land mammals on earth.

Botswana - over 130,000 African elephants live here. The gray giants are sensitive, helpful and meek. Thanks to their many amazing abilities, they are true survivors. But where their paths intersect with those of men, worlds collide. Do elephants and humans have a common future? There are thousands of elephants in Botswana's savanna. Her extraordinary sensitivity and her social intelligence are the foundation of her survival. Just like human children, small elephants need years of support from their families until they become self-employed at the age of 14. Until then, the young animals have learned how they can procure food with the help of their trunk - the powerful and at the same time highly sensitive "all-purpose body part" - and orient themselves in their environment. But despite their extraordinary sense of smell, the elephants come dangerously close to people on their migrations, conflicts are not uncommon. In the city of Kasane in Botswana, for example, the giants appear almost daily and plunder the barren fields of the peasants there. Botswana and its neighbors recognized the need to protect the endangered species and established one of the world's largest trans-national sanctuaries to restore their old migration routes to the animals. The governments benefit economically as well: the big pachyderms are considered as real tourist magnets. Award-winning animal filmmakers Thoralf Grospitz and Jens Westphalen traveled through southern Africa for more than two years to get to the bottom of the riddles surrounding the gentle giants. With their two-parter "Elefanten hautnah" they draw a complex picture of the "icon of Africa" ​​and give intimate insights into the life of the largest land mammals on earth.