Zoe the elephant becomes the matriarch of a herd of buffalo after losing her family to poachers

This exclusive clip from National Geographic Secrets of elephants shows how Zoe the savannah elephant manages her unconventional herd

Zoe the savannah elephant has found her family.

When the pachyderm was 2 years old, her entire family was killed by poachers for their ivory tusks, leaving Zoe orphaned – until she met her new herd.

Zoe’s story is explored in National Geographic Secrets of elephantsan upcoming documentary series directed by general explorer and National Geographic filmmaker James Cameron.

In an exclusive excerpt from the series – narrated by Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman – Secrets of elephants introduces viewers to Zoe’s current family.

After losing her herd to poachers, Zoe tried to join other elephants. Unfortunately, the young animal did not fit in with any of the herds of elephants that the rescuers had introduced to him.

“Her need to have a family never went away,” Portman says in Zoe’s clip.

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Eventually, after failing to connect with the other elephants, Zoe “took matters into her own hands” and became the matriarch of “her own herd of buffalo.”

The clip of Secrets of elephants shows Zoe, now 50, communicating with her herd of buffalo, using moans and head bobs to make her wishes known.

In the video, Portman explains that Zoe’s buffalo family “has learned to understand her” and takes long walks throughout the day to keep up with the elephant matriarch, who likes to eat on the go.

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Zoe is just one of the extraordinary elephant stars of Secrets of elephants. The series travels from the deserts of Africa to the urban landscapes of Asia to show how elephants use emotion, strategy and language to make their way around the world.

Secrets of the Elephants premieres Friday, April 21 at 9/8c CST on National Geographic and the following day on Disney+.

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