The families of elephants contain up to 10 members moving together as one unit. This family structure is called herd with the oldest female elephant called matriarch, in charge. She leads the pack and controls the daily activities of its members. The matriarch elephant in the herd is also the most experienced family member. In critical moments, the entire group relies on the experience of the oldest female. The wealth of experience of the matriarch is due to her photographic memory and the ability to retain superior memories for several decades. Those sharp memories sometimes even last a whole lifetime.

The recalling power of elephants in the wild and captivity has been fodder for many stories, both fiction and non-fiction. Ancient legends and tales have it that elephants never forget a face that they have seen even just once. Moreover, they also remember people with whom they have come into contact. The ability of elephants to recall their peers and human beings from the past serves them well as they can live up to 70 to 80 years. Not only are they able to recognize peers and people, but also express emotions in ways that perhaps only human beings can.

Major David Sheldrick was the founder of Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Kenya. Before he founded it, he was the senior warden and one of the pioneers of Tsavo east national park during the sixties. His passion for the wilderness led him to undertake in-depth research delving into all early records of the habitat to comprehend the changes taking place in the Tsavo area under his control during his wardenship. By studying the root systems of trees and grasses, David understood the effect they had on a changing water table. Hence, David knew about Tsavo and its rhythms more than anyone.