Just how do you move elephants?

The day before the elephants are located, the transport trucks start to mobilise. The trucks are huge with specially made crates (see day 40 to see how this was done) and need time to make their way into these areas because it’s very sandy terrain, very remote. Next comes the helicopter to identify a good capture area. This is essentially an open area with few trees and with road access. Once that spot is identified, the trucks head over and the whole team gathers there. On the morning of the translocation a pilot and a wildlife vet take off in the helicopter and start finding the elephant. Then, slowly, the elephants are pushed towards the area where the trucks are, because what is critical is that the trucks can get to the elephants. If they cannot gain access to the tranquilised elephants, the whole operation becomes a whole lot more complicated.