Caitlin O'Connel

Caitlin O’Connell is a consulting faculty member at Stanford University School of Medicine who has studied elephants in the wild for the past 25 years. She demonstrates how incredibly sensitive elephants are to underground vibrations. This superhero trait gives them a long-range communication system to aid in detecting potential threats for miles around. She is the author of Elephant Don: The Politics of a Pachyderm Posse MIND OF A GIANT Premieres Sunday, June 19, at 9/8c on Nat Geo WILD (WASHINGTON, D.C. — June 1, 2016) Across Africa, elephants are in crisis. Each day, 96 elephants fall victim to poachers, human-elephant conflict and habitat loss. In 2013, Paul G. Allen launched the Great Elephant Census, the first pan-African aerial survey of savanna elephants in more than 40 years. Soon after surveyors began their work, they observed something that truly surprised them. In the past 40 years, in the face of growing threats, elephants have changed where and how they live in their historic ecosystems. This incredible discovery, combined with the latest studies from the top elephant researchers in the world, revealed that elephants are learning to adapt and survive in ways we’ve never seen before. We join the experts in Africa to see their work firsthand in Mind of a Giant, premiering Sunday, June 19, at 9/8c on Nat Geo WILD. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com or our press site www.foxflash.com, or follow us on Twitter using @NGC_PR. “Mind of a Giant started with a noble cause that turned into revolutionary research that may help save a beloved and threatened species,” said Geoff Daniels, executive vice president and general manager, Nat Geo WILD. “The dedicated scientists and conservationists featured here are pushing the boundaries of elephant research to reveal a smarter, more thoughtful animal than ever known before. We are thrilled to share their story of hope with our viewers who love animals and the people working to save them.” Never before has this volume of compatible elephant research been featured in a single film. Mind of a Giant is a window into the world of the modern elephant, supremely intelligent creatures living and fighting for their lives in a world of poachers, new human settlements and other dangers. Together with the top elephant researchers in the world, we learn about how these gentle giants exhibit empathy, grief, joy, fear and vengefulness. The more we understand these majestic creatures, the more we can help them live on for future generations.