Elephants can live for 70 years. But what happens when one of these magnificent beasts dies in the wild? This stunning film turns normal wildlife documentaries on their head to find out what happens after death, as a five-tonne adult elephant is transformed into six million calories worth of fat, meat and guts, feeding a whole new cycle of life.
The documentary gives scientists the chance to watch close up, day and night, as animals from leopards, hyenas and vultures to flies and beetles take just days to reduce the largest land animal on earth to bare bones. Biologist Simon Watt leads a team of experts watching the events unfold in Tsavo West National Park in Kenya.
They follow the action as never before, using remote cameras and night vision equipment under the supervision of animal behavior expert Warren Samuels. The elephant, a young adult male, had to be put down by a vet after being mortally wounded by ivory poachers. But his remains will provide a feast for the local ecosystem and a new source of research.
Raptor expert Simon Thomsett is keen to study the behavior of local vultures, whose increasing timidity could mark a shift in the food chain. Meanwhile big cat expert Alayne Cotterill is treated to the incredibly rare sight of leopards feeding on the elephant and insect expert Dino Martins marvels as flies and maggots swarm across the body and attract other predators in their turn. The eye-opening documentary is a unique insight into a natural spectacle that reveals how life has adapted to reap the bounty of death.
8.38
Rating: 8.38/10 based on 21 votes cast.
Advertisement
Join The Conversation
Thank you for posting this. I enjoyed the short preview here. I tried to watch the longer version on YouTube, but YouTube said the uploader had not made it available for viewing in the United States.
I just love animals! And another news… I just found out that Manila Zoo has a cute elephant named Mali, and she is the only elephant in the Philippines! She has lived there for almost all of her lives, for more than 30 years. The zoo should feel like her sweet and cozy home now. But then, I read some articles in PETAAsiaPacific.com, and I noticed that Mali is in fact sad and lonely! Look at her here: https://www.facebook.com/FreeMali. She is like a prisoner, who cannot spend her days with her friends, roam in vast territories, and have delicious adequate food! She even suffers from foot problems. Why does she deserve this? 🙁 Please Help Her!
As Colonel Sanders would say…”It’s finger licking good”
Youtube full version, apparently hasn’t made it available in my country (the US) 🙁
Why do we humans cremate our dead – when we can for once in our life give back unconditionally, after death
Why do we humans cremate our dead – when we can for once in our life give back unconditionally, after death
bitch u dont make any sense shut up fo i drop a deuky inbetween ur vaginal crevasses
poor elephant 🙁
poor elephant 🙁
I am NOT impressed with the lady scientist who placed her infant in danger!!! Totally reckless!!!
It is such a nice documentary of wild life of the elephant. The documentary shoot with high technologies camera. They done such a hard job for this documentary.
usa online casinos
It is such a nice documentary of wild life of the elephant. The documentary shoot with high technologies camera. They done such a hard job for this documentary.
usa online casinos
It is such a nice documentary of wild life of the elephant. The documentary shoot with high technologies camera. They done such a hard job for this documentary.
usa online casinos
Sure would have been nice if they used some of that tech to put a nice, cheap, timescale up.
It is such a nice documentary of wild life of the elephant. The documentary shoot with high technologies camera. They done such a hard job for this documentary.
usa online casinos