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Deep within the rugged terrain of the Angolan Highlands, a mysterious herd of elephants exists in the realm of legend rather than scientific record. These creatures, known as "Ghost Elephants," have evaded official documentation by scientists for decades. The narrative of this quest forms the core of the new documentary, Ghost Elephants, which was directed by the renowned filmmaker Werner Herzog. After premiering at the Venice International Film Festival, the film is scheduled to broadcast on National Geographic and stream on Disney+. While it may appear contradictory for Steve Boyes, a specialist in ornithology and bird conservation, to lead an expedition for elephants, the connection feels instinctive to him. Boyes grew up in South Africa, where his imagination was ignited by the maps and narratives found in National Geographic magazine. He viewed the publication's pages as his own personal garden and river system, dreaming of exploring the wild territories he read about. His parents frequently transported him and his brother into the wilderness, visiting nations such as Botswana and Tanzania. They immersed themselves fully in nature, walking alongside troops of baboons and herds of impalas. While his brother harbored a fear of elephants, Boyes approached these massive creatures with an insatiable curiosity from a very young age. The documentary showcases spectacular underwater footage of elephants swimming on their sides and walking along the riverbeds beneath the water's surface. This behavior aligns perfectly with Boyes' own experiences; he has observed that if elephants feel secure, they will swim near people and engage in interaction. This fascination has remained a constant thread throughout his life.
As an adult, Boyes earned his PhD by researching Meyer's parrots within the Okavango Delta, a region that hosts the world's largest elephant population. During his extensive study, he uncovered a unique symbiotic relationship between the parrots and the elephants. He observed that every tree consumed by the parrots was also a tree favored by the elephants. In a fascinating display of ecological engineering, the elephants created nesting cavities for the parrots by damaging and disturbing the trees. Boyes first met Werner Herzog at a restaurant through a mutual friend. They spent hours discussing the meaning of life, the origins of thoughts, the nature of personal loneliness, and the mythical existence of the ghost elephants. Herzog later explained that meeting Boyes sparked an urgent project that felt like a modern-day hunt for Moby Dick, the famous white whale from Herman Melville's novel. Like many of Herzog's other films, this documentary explores the complex tension between dreams, imagination, and tangible reality.
When Herzog visited Boyes in Namibia, he was deeply captivated by the local culture, mythology, and the people. His camera captures much more than a simple scientific quest; it documents a ritual elephant dance, a powerful ceremony where a tribal elder falls into a trance to allow the spirit of an elephant to enter his body. The film also reveals the tribe's difficult history of using poisoned arrows for hunting. Boyes met with the local king to request a blessing for the expedition. At one point, Herzog became fascinated by a poisonous spider he filmed at night, noting the dozens of baby spiders clinging to her back. Boyes described Herzog's creative process as incredibly direct. Once Herzog was focused on the story, there was no room for discussion or hesitation regarding the narrative. Herzog captured the necessary footage with great speed, asking unique and profound questions. Boyes recalled, "The first question was, 'What would a world without elephants be like? What do you dream of?'" Herzog pushed the team into a mode of thought far different from just preparing for a standard expedition.
Ghost Elephants opens in the grand rotunda of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Since 1959, this space has housed the largest elephant mount in the world. Named Henry, or "the Giant of Angola," this specimen was shot by a Hungarian big game hunter named Josef J. Fénykövi in November 1955. Henry was killed with many high-caliber bullets, yet an old iron slug from a flintlock rifle was also found in his left front leg. This finding suggests Henry was over one hundred years old when he died. He stood over 13 feet tall and weighed approximately 11 tons, making him the largest elephant ever recorded.
Visiting Henry serves as the perfect starting point for the film. Boyes suspected that Henry might be related to the new species of ghost elephant living in the Angolan highlands. Boyes had searched for these elephants before, using modern camera traps and advanced technologies, but found nothing. This time, he recruited three KhoiSan master trackers named Xui, Xui Dawid, and Kobus. They left their southern village to accompany Boyes' team deep into the Angolan Highlands. The journey was incredibly difficult. These elephants live in a remote area known as the "Source of Life," or the Angolan Highlands Water Tower. This region provides 95 percent of the water for the entire Okavango Delta. The team drove their vehicles for the first part of the trip, but they had to abandon them at the first impassable river. They then carried supplies and motorcycles through the water to the other side before walking the final 30 miles on foot.
After several months, Boyes collected dung samples for DNA analysis. He also managed to capture blurry cell phone footage of a ghost elephant hidden within thick leaves. Eventually, Boyes reached a point of "complete surrender." It was the last day of the expedition. He and several team members ventured out just before dawn. Other members had been tracking two large bulls. Boyes and his group followed the tracks, with master tracker Xui leading the way. About three hours into the walk, Xui suddenly stopped and whispered, "Steve, Steve, Steve." An elephant then walked into full view. Boyes captured the footage on his cell phone, the only camera available at the time. He attempted to take a skin sample with an arrow, but it bounced off the elephant's thick hide. This scared the animal away. Boyes and his team chased it for the next five hours but eventually stopped when they ran out of water. Exhausted, they returned to camp.
Genetic analysis has since confirmed important facts. These remote elephants are indeed a new, genetically isolated species. The results also showed that Henry's father was a ghost elephant. As a conservationist, Boyes is deeply concerned about their survival. The documentary includes disturbing footage from the 1950s showing hunters killing elephants from helicopters. These hunters killed the magnificent creatures without considering the delicate ecosystem. Boyes explained, "What you're seeing in that horrific footage is the wholesale destruction of wildlife populations to make room for agriculture and development." He noted that this happened all across Africa, resulting in the loss of a huge amount of wildlife. The remoteness of the ghost elephants' home has protected them so far. Even a helicopter could not reach the area and have enough fuel to return. However, Boyes argues that traditional Western conservation might not be the best strategy. This approach often designates land as a protected wildlife reserve where people are removed. Boyes believes we should learn from the local inhabitants instead. He said they can talk for days about conservation because they have their own hunting seasons, sacred sites, and methods to confiscate weapons. They manage the land very closely.
The idea of separating people from the elephants is counterintuitive to the local community. They believe the place would completely fall apart without them. Boyes described how about 20,000 people live in an area the size of England. They remain deeply connected to their language, tradition, and culture. Boyes feels the best strategy is for these people to remain there as the guardians and custodians of the landscape, continuing to protect the elephants. Meanwhile, the quest to document the herd continues. Last November, Boyes collected samples from five different bull elephants based on their tracks. They found tracks of 16 more herd members across the river, including five babies. They later found tracks of another 18 elephants. Boyes noted that the gift of working with master trackers is that you do not need to see the animals to know they are there. He has returned to the area three times since filming and plans to go back again in May and July. He stated, "I can't get enough of these forests. But I don't need to see that first elephant again—if I do, I do."
Ghost Elephants premieres on National Geographic on March 7, 2026. It will be available for streaming on Disney+ the following day. A companion book titled Okavango and the Source of Life: Exploring Africa's Lost Headwaters is also available.