Gonçalves tracks the elephants’ movements. She also spends a lot of time in the field observing them. She takes photographs of each animal. Some have distinguishing marks, like a missing tusk. Others have been marked by war with a bullet hole through the ear or a missing tail.

Gonçalves also records their behavior. She pays attention to how they are grouped and how they spend their time.

One day, Gonçalves was traveling with a student who had an interest in elephants. The team had not seen an elephant in three days. They went out looking for them.

The elephant bolted forward, striking the vehicle on the metal grate with all her strength. She stepped back and charged again, shearing off the grate. The elephant then started pushing against the vehicle with her head.

Next, the elephant tried to reach the passenger’s side where Gonçalves’ student sat. She hit the window on the student’s side, shattering the glass and sending it in all directions. Gonçalves’ student ducked.

When the elephant hit the car again, they began yelling and banging on the doors. They tried to make enough noise to send the elephant away. But the elephant charged a third time.

Just then, the matriarch, who had been peacefully grazing, started to move. Gonçalves thinks that the matriarch may have made a low rumble.

That rumble would have stopped the attack. Whatever signal was given, the attacking elephant stopped and ran back to join the others.

The vehicle was badly damaged. Driving away was not an option. They were stranded. With her heart beating wildly, Gonçalves radioed for help. When help arrived in another vehicle, she and her student, badly shaken, sped off with their rescuers.

There is still a lot to learn about the elephants in Gorongosa. Despite the trauma of the war, Gonçalves knows that Gorongosa is a magical place.

She remembers one of her first elephant encounters with a group of young bulls. One bull approached the door of her vehicle. He came so close to her, she could see her own reflection in his large, amber eye. He studied her, as if trying to decide what should be done about her.

After staring, the bull moved gently away. He did not perceive her as a threat. He and the other bulls went back to grazing, as if nothing had happened. But Gonçalves felt that her life changed forever in that moment.