Hunting for elusive “ghost elephants”

In the heart of the Angolan Highlands, a mysterious new species of elephant has captured the imagination of conservationist and ornithologist Steve Boyes. His relentless pursuit to uncover this elusive herd is the centerpiece of 'Ghost Elephants,' a compelling documentary directed by Werner Herzog. After premiering at the Venice International Film Festival last summer, the film is set to debut on National Geographic and Disney+. While it may seem unconventional for an ornithologist to embark on a quest for elephants, Boyes believes the connection is quite natural. Growing up in South Africa, he dreamt of becoming an explorer, inspired by the stories he devoured every month in National Geographic magazine. "I grew up waiting for the magazine to arrive; I wanted the maps," Boyes shared. Those maps served as his portals to wild places, both imagined and real. Boyes recalls adventures with his family in the wild, including trips to Botswana and Tanzania, where they immersed themselves in nature. "We used to embed ourselves in baboon troops and walk with impalas," he reminisced. While his brother harbored a fear of elephants, Boyes felt drawn to them from an early age. The documentary features breathtaking underwater footage, showcasing elephants gracefully plodding through water and swimming alongside one another. Boyes describes how, under the right conditions, elephants display curiosity and camaraderie, swimming around and interacting with humans. "So elephants have always fascinated me," he said. As an adult, Boyes focused his PhD research on the Meyer’s parrot in the Okavango Delta, home to the world’s largest elephant population. He elaborated on the symbiotic relationship between the elephants and parrots, noting that the elephants' foraging habits inadvertently created nesting cavities for the birds. "Every tree that the parrots were feeding on, the elephants were feeding on," he explained, highlighting the interconnectedness of life in these remarkable ecosystems.