Behind the Scenes of National Geographic’s Secrets of the Elephants

Elephants have fascinated us for centuries, and only now are we beginning to unlock their deepest secrets. The all-new National Geographic series, Secrets of the Elephants, now streaming on Disney+, shines a light on the complex lives of these remarkable creatures.

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Secrets of the Elephants features renowned National Geographic Explorer and elephant expert Dr. Paula Kahumbu. We had a chance to speak with Dr. Kahumbu, who is also the CEO of Wildlife Direct, from her location in Kenya, about her conservation work and what it was like to create the series.

“Many scientists and filmmakers would love to work with National Geographic on making a landmark series like this, and it was a dream come true for me,” says Dr. Kahumbu, who has been recognized internationally for playing a critical role in raising awareness and pushing for legal reforms to stop elephant poaching in her home country of Kenya. “I was taken to some of the most extraordinary places in Africa and Asia that I’ve always dreamt of going to, meeting extraordinary people at the front lines who are working to save wildlife in some of the most isolated and difficult conditions.”

The series travels the world, from the savanna of Africa to the urban landscapes of Asia. Along the way, Dr. Kahumbu reveals to viewers the lives of different families of elephants, highlighting how similar they are to humans.

“Elephants are easy to fall in love with,” she says. Powerful, loving and wise, these animals’ complex emotions and sophisticated language are highlighted in the four-part series. “They are so unique in their social behavior and their family structures, and I would love for children around the world to see this series and think about how elephants relate to us and our own lives.”

While shooting in Namibia, Dr. Kahumbu experienced an extraordinarily intimate encounter with a family of elephants and a baby traveling across a desert location. For days, from dawn to sunset, the team had followed one family’s footprints along trails and valleys, around mountains and riverbeds. “Finally, on the last day of the shoot, when I was not convinced that we were going to see them, we stopped the car and there they were, walking straight up to us so calmly. They didn’t mind our presence, curiously looking at us—I had to be pulled aside because they were that close!”

Born and raised in Kenya, Dr. Kahumbu described how meaningful it was for her to work on Secrets of the Elephants as an African conservationist. “I’m really proud to be the person who gets to tell this story. African people have been living with and protecting wildlife for eons, developing a lot of deep knowledge. We have a global responsibility to support people in Africa so that we can continue to protect our wildlife.”

Combining cutting-edge expertise and world-class footage, Secrets of the Elephants is sure to thrill, delight and change everything we think we know about elephants. A companion book to the series will also capture the lives and behaviors of these charismatic creatures.

Be sure to tune in to the series on Disney+. And bring home National Geographic’s sense of exploration by redeeming your Disney Rewards Dollars toward shopping for books, activities and apparel that celebrate curiosity in the natural world at shopDisney.com.³