FEELS PASSIONATELY ABOUT SAVING THESE ANIMALS, SHE'S MOVED HER
FAMILY TO KENYA. HARRY SMITH REPORTS.
>> Reporter: IN KENYA'S SAVO NATIONAL PARK, SPRING RAINS HAVE
FINALLY COME, THE GRASS TURNED GREEN ALMOST OVERNIGHT, AND JUST
AS QUICKLY, THERE ARE ELEPHANTS, MORE THAN A HUNDRED THIS DAY,
DRAWN BY INSTINCT AND MEMORY, ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE.
YES, THEY LOOK RED, FOR RED IS THE COLOR OF THE EARTH IN THIS
PART OF AFRICA, BUT THE SIGHT OF HEALTHY HERDS CAN BE DECEIVING.
THE ELEPHANT'S EXISTENCE IS THREATENED AND MANY FEAR THE
ELEPHANT IS NEARING A TIPPING POINT.
THE MOMENT IN THE LIFE OF A SPECIES WHEN NUMBERS CAN'T
SUSTAIN SURVIVAL. THERE'S AN ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE IN
NAIROBI. HERE THERE ARE DOZENS OF ORPHANS
WHOSE MOTHER HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE CHILDREN, COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
>> WE'RE HERE TODAY AND WE SEE SOME OF THE WOUNDS, THE DWUN
SHOT WOUNDS, THE SNARE WOUNDS, BUT HUMAN INFLICTED WOUNDS AND
THESE YOUNG INNOCENT BABY ELEPHANTS ARE THE VICTIMS OF
THAT. IT DEFINITELY DRIVES THE
IMPORTANCE OF IT HOME. >> Reporter: FAY QUAFEIS IS AN
EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN, AN AMERICAN WORKING FOR THE INTERNATIONAL
FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE. IFAW.
>> ONCE THEY'RE RELEASED INTO THE WILD, THERE ARE MANY MORE
THREATS, AND VARIABLES, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE ELEPHANT
HAS TO SURVIVE. >> Reporter: TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF ELEPHANTS ARE KILLED EVERY YEAR FOR THEIR TUSKS.
IT'S THE IVORY THEY'RE AFTER. THE POACHERS ARE USUALLY LOCALS
WHO KNOW THE TERRITORY, HIRED BY OTHER AFRICANS, CONNECTED TO A
CRIME SYNDICATE THAT REACHES ALL THE WAY BACK TO ASIA.
FAY BRINGS A UNIQUE SKILL SET TO KENYA.
SHE'S A LAWYER AND A LIEUTENANT COLONEL IN THE UNITED STATES AIR
FORCE RESERVE, AN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER WHOSE STOCK IN TRADE IS
FIGHTING TERRORISM AND FINDING BAD GUYS.
TOGETHER WE WALK PATROL WITH A UNIT OF THE KENYAN WILDLIFE
SERVICE, STATIONED DEEP IN THE BUSH.
THEIR COMMANDER HAD BEEN KILLED BY POACHERS JUST WEEKS BEFORE.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PATROL?
>> VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE PATROL.
IT'S A REMOTE OUTPOST FOR SURE. THESE GUYS ARE LIVING IN TENT
CONDITIONS, BUT WE HAVE A FINE SENIOR NCO WHO IS LEADING THEM
TODAY. WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
EVERYBODY'S SHINY BOOTS, CLEAN WEAPONS, FULL CLIPS, READY TO
GO. >> HOW DO YOU MAKE THE LEAP FROM
I'M DOING THIS INTELLIGENCE WORK, TO I'M GOING TO MOVE TO
KENYA AND WORK TO FIGHT ELEPHANT POACHING?
>> WELL, IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO TODAY, ALMOST NEARLY TO THE DAY
THAT I SAW MY FIRST ELEPHANT IN THE WILD, AND IT'S NOT AN
EXAGGERATION TO SAY IT CHANGED MY LIFE.
>> I'VE WATCHED YOU WATCH ELEPHANTS.
WHAT DO YOU SEE WHEN YOU SEE THESE ANIMALS?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, ELEPHANTS ARE A MATRIARCHAL SOCIETY.
AS THE MARK YARK, SHE HAS BEN-OF-MANY RESPONSIBILITIES,
SOME WE WOULD CONSIDER TO BE TRADITIONALLY FEMALE.
SHE'S A MOTHER, BUT SHE'S ALSO A TEACHER IN THAT IT'S HER JOB TO
TEACH ALL THE ELEPHANTS IN THE HERD SKILLS.
SHE TEACHES THEM CHARACTER. THERE'S A PRIDE AND A CONFIDENCE
BALANCED AGAINST A COMPASSION AND EMPATHY AMONG ELEPHANT HERDS
THAT'S JUST ASTOUNDING. >> WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO
KNOW THAT THIS ANIMAL IS UNDER ASSAULT?
>> IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME THAT I'VE RELOCATED MY FAMILY TO
NAIROBI, KENYA, IN HOPES THAT WE CAN BE PART OF MUCH BROADER
EFFORT TO SAVE THEM. BECAUSE TO LOSE THE ELEPHANTS,
WHICH ARE ON A PATH TO EXTINCTION, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
NOTHING BUT HUMAN APATHY AND GREED TO BLAME FOR IT.
AND THAT TO ME IS AN INESCAPABLE TRUTH.
>> FAY IS CONVINCED MILITARY TACTICS AND TECHNOLOGY WILL MAKE
A BIG DIFFERENCE HERE. AT EVERY STOP SHE WAS LIKE A
SPONGE, SOAKING UP LOCAL INTEL. >> THE QUICKER WE CAN COLLECT IT
AND DEPICT THE DOTS ON THE MAP, AND KNOW WHO TO ATTRIBUTE THE
CRIME TO. >> Reporter: DETAILS AND DATA
THAT BUILD INTO ELF FANT-SAVING STRATEGIES.
THE COLONEL IS ON A MISSION. WHILE HER MILITARY BACKGROUND IS
HIGHLY VALUED, EQUALLY VALUED ARE HER DIPLOMATIC SKILLS.
AT AN HONORED GUEST NEAR THE MASAI MARA PARK.
THE MASAI ARE A KEY ALLY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST POACHING.
FAY ENVISIONS A DAY WHEN A MASAI HERDSMAN WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE A
HEADS-UP IF POACHERS COME INTO THE AREA.
WE TOOK THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED FOR A FIVE-HOUR JOURNEY.
IN TRUTH, LITTLE MORE THAN A DIRT TRAIL, THAT WITH AN
OVERNIGHT TRAIL TURNED INTO A STICKY TRAP FOR OUR VEHICLES.
GETTING STUCK IN THE MUD WAS NOT GOING TO STOP FAY.
OUR DESTINATION, THE MASAI'S SACRED FOREST, HOME TO THE
TRIBE'S HIGH HOLY MAN. >> THANK YOU, SIR.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE.
[ SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE ] >> HE'S ON BOARD TOO.
>> THAT WAS INTENSE. FOR HIM TO ENDORSE A COMMITMENT
TO STOPPING POACHING, IT WAS THE ULTIMATE SUCCESS.
>> Reporter: AS ONE OF THE OLDEST SURVIVING CULTURES ON THE
PLANET, THERE IS LITTLE THEY DON'T NOTICE.
>> THAT WARRIOR KNOWS THAT AREA BETTER THAN ANYBODY.
HE KNOWS, YOU KNOW, EVERY BEND IN THE RIVER.
HE KNOWS WHERE VEGETATION IS. HE KNOWS BY LOOKING AT A RAIN
CLOUD WHICH DIRECTION THE RAIN WILL MOVE AND HOW LONG IT WILL
LAST. >> Reporter: FAY IS NOT ALONE IN
HER FIGHT TO SAVE THE ELEPHANTS. IN OUR TWO-WEEK TRAVELS ACROSS
KENYA, WE WERE OFTEN AWED AND WE FOUND OTHER WOMEN, LOCAL WOMEN,
WHO ARE MAKING A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE.
IN KENYA'S NORTH COUNTRY, WE MET A KIND OF COMMUNITY
ORGANIZER/MIRACLE WORKER, THIS
AREA, INFAMOUS AS A HOTBED FOR SMUGGLING AND POACHING.
HER JOB TO, PERSUADE LOCALS IT'S IN THEIR LONG-TERM INTEREST TO
PROTECT WILDLIFE. AUDACIOUS IN THAT IT'S A WOMAN
DELIVERING THE MESSAGE. COURAGEOUS BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD
WAY TO GET KILLED. >> I DECIDED TO SIT DOWN WITH
THEM DIRECTLY. >> EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME.
YOU HAVE THIS IDEA TO COME FACE THE POACHERS, FACE TO FACE.
>> WEREN'T YOU AFRAID? >> I WASN'T AFRAID BECAUSE I
KNOW IF YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT THING, YOU SHOULD NOT BE
AFRAID. >> Reporter: SHE'S CONVINCED
LOCAL TRIBESMEN TO STOP FIGHTING AND POACHING, TO TRADE THEIR
LIFE OF CRIME FOR JOBS AS RANGERS.
THESE TWO FORMER POACHERS WERE MORTAL ENEMIES, ONE FROM A
CHRISTIAN TRIBE, THE OTHER, MUSLIM.
AND NOW? >> THIS IS YOUR BROTHER?
>> THIS IS MY BROTHER. >> IN THE SAFETY OF THE RESERVE
TO THE SOUTH, WE MET WITH MANIRA BASH IR, THE KENYA DIRECTOR OF
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY. SHE REMEMBERS A KENYA WHERE
ELEPHANTS WERE EVERYWHERE, AND SHE SAID IT CAN BE LIKE THAT
AGAIN. >> IF YOU OWN SOMETHING, THEN
YOU TAKE CARE OF IT. >> IT'S BOTTOM UP, INSTEAD OF
TOP DOWN. >> BOTTOM UP AND THE WAY TO GO.
>> Reporter: THE IDEA THAT RURAL FOLKS ARE IN CHARGE OF THEIR OWN
LIVES AND ARE IN CHARGE OF THEIR OWN SPACE, HOW IMPORTANT IS
THAT? >> MAKES ME VERY PROUD AND IT
MAKES ME BELIEVE THAT THE WILDLIFE THAT IS HERE TODAY, TEN
YEARS, 20 YEARS, IT'S GOING TO BE THERE.
BECAUSE IT'S IN THE HANDS OF THE RURAL PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: KENYA IS MAKING CLEAR POACHERS ARE NOT WELCOME
IN THEIR COUNTRY. CONVICTED POACHERS RECEIVE A
MANDATORY 20-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE.
AND LAST YEAR, THIS. A CLEAR AND EMPHATIC MESSAGE TO
THE WORLD. THE KENYAN GOVERNMENT SET FIRE
ON A 100-TON PILE OF IVORY. ELEPHANT TUSKS CONFISCATED OFF
THE BLK MARKET. STREET VALUE, A STAGGERING $100
MILLION. >> WE IDENTIFY WITH THE
ELEPHANTS. >> Reporter: JUDY IS KENYA'S
SECRETARY OF THE ENVIRONMENT. >> THIS IS THE ASH?
>> THESE ARE THE ASHES. THIS IS TO COMMEMORATE THAT
IVORY HAS NO VALUE UNLESS IT'S ON A LIVE ELEPHANT.
>> Reporter: WE WISH WE COULD WRAP UP HERE WITH AN ALL IS WELL
IN AFRICA MOMENT. BUT THE NUMBER OF YOUNG
ELEPHANTS IN THE ORPHANAGE IN NAIROBI CONTINUES TO GROW, WHICH
SHOWS THE FIGHT AGAINST POACHERS IS FAR FROM OVER.
THE HOPE HERE IS COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION LIKE THE EFFORTS WE
WITNESSED, WILL BE THE STRATEGY THAT ULTIMATELY SLOWS AND STOPS
THE SLAUGHTER. EFFORTS THAT SEEM PARTICULARLY
EFFECTIVE WHEN WOMEN ARE INVOLVED.
IS IT MY IMAGINE OR ARE WOMEN REALLY HAVING A DRAMATIC EFFECT
ON WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? >> IT'S NOT YOUR IMAGINATION.
I THINK THERE'S A FEMALENESS THAT'S NECESSARY.
BECAUSE WE'RE WILLING TO LISTEN. WE AS WOMEN, WE FEEL DEEPLY.
AND I THINK IT'S FROM THAT