Of Oozies and Elephants

Gr 9 Up—A multinational group of scientists travel to Myanmar to study elephants and their handlers, called oozies. Almost one third of Myanmar's economy is dependent on sustainable logging, and the elephants and their oozies are the backbone of this work. The elephants seem well cared for, but there are not many baby elephants born in captivity, and many calves die young. Since the wild Asian elephant is endangered and a healthy captive population could be key to saving the species, any information these scientists can gather is vital. The film documents their travels across the country as they visit logging camps and present papers at conferences. The scientists discover books and ledgers noting elephant births and deaths going back to the 1920s. Working with local veterinarians, they create an elephant blood serum bank and an elephant sperm bank, as well as some small laboratories. It is interesting to see the logging camps, and to see how the scientists work in field conditions, but long scenes of the group traveling on a train or visiting a market slows the pace without adding to the narrative. There are some lighthearted moments-even scientists and veterinarians cannot help but giggle during the "manual stimulation" of elephant in-vitro fertilization—and sterling camerawork highlights the beauty of Myanmar and the rough-and--tumble life of the oozies.