Elephant Diaries - Season 1 (2005)

Michaela Strachan meets Wendi, a two-year-old orphaned elephant that has become leader of the herd of baby elephants at the Nairobi nursery. Jonathan Scott tries to win over 10-year-old Emily, matriarch of the older orphans who are on their way back to a life in the wilds of Tsavo National Park. Meanwhile, a rescue team heads to Samburu National Reserve to try to save a starving orphan rejected by the rest of the herd.

In Nairobi, the team check on newly rescued baby elephant Naserian's condition. Michaela Strachan follows preparations to move Wendi and five older babies to a new release site. But one young elephant panics as it is being transported. Meanwhile, in Tsavo, Jonathan Scott keeps an eye on Emily and the 30 larger orphans as they come face to face with a herd of wild elephants and are visited by Dika, an enormous orphan bull now living wild.

Wendi and her charges struggle to settle at their release site in Ithumba. Four of the older female orphans are separated from Emily's herd and sent to Ithumba to help them acclimatise to their new surroundings. But the plan goes badly wrong. Meanwhile, back in Nairobi the remaining baby elephants must cope with losing Wendi.

Charismatic baby elephant Jipe arrives at the Nairobi nursery as the dry season brings a flood of new orphans. Emily's behaviour suggests to her keepers that she's ready to go back to the wild. Disaster strikes when a rabid dog attacks Wendi's herd.

Jonathan Scott reports on the unfolding drama of the rabies emergency. What will be the fate of Wendi and her herd? In Nairobi, Michaela Strachan follows the contrasting fortunes of orphans Jipe and Lualeni, and the keepers organise a special football match. Meanwhile, in southern Tsavo, Emily has finally decided to strike out on her own. Can Jonathan track her down for one last time just to say goodbye?