Jomo, an African elephant, and Shani, her playful son, set off on an incredible journey together with her herd. They traveled hundreds of miles through the Kalahari Desert from the Okavango Delta to the Zambezi River. This is just like their forefathers. Shani, her family and other elephants are the only ones left to experience these long migrations. Jomo is one year old and she’s her mother. At 40, Gaia, her older sister, holds the position of herd matriarch. Gaia’s herd includes a variety of species, including hippopotamus, lechwe and baboons. They all depend on the water flowing from the mountains that transforms desert to Okavango Delta into a green oasis. The season is coming to an end and there will soon be a mass exodus. Water is the most precious thing on Earth. This is perhaps more evident than in the Kalahari desert, south Africa. It’s one of the most dry places on Earth. As the water recedes, paradise is quickly becoming a series disappearing pools. Gaia knows instinctively that she has to lead her group into the Kalahari desert before any water runs dry. Her wisdom and experience, passed down through many generations, will be crucial to the success of her herd. These massive mammal have deep ties to their history, as is the old saying that “an elephant never forgets”. Gaia and her family will travel down old elephant trails, networks of lines, circles and other routes – these circles are water holes that the family will need in order to traverse the desert. They’ll find water sources like rainwater-filled baobab tree trunks and moisture-rich mopane leafs as they travel. The herd will need to cross the Zambezi River as they get closer to their safe place. The herd must cross the Zambezi River to reach the safe haven they seek. Crocodiles hunt elephant calves Jomo and the current could force them into Victoria Falls, the greatest waterfall in the world. The herd is able to rest and enjoy unlimited water as well as all of the nuts and palms they can wrest from the trees, thanks to their strength and endurance. In just a few months food becomes scarce, and water starts its journey back to Okavango. Once again, the family will have to traverse Africa’s wilds. It will not be easy to return to the Delta, since the Angolan floodwaters are still rising this year. The herd will have to move quickly. They have made it this far because of the strong emotional connections between elephants and humans. Gaia Shani Jomo, Jomo, and their families dare to travel the shortest distance – through Lion Country.