Ghost Elephants follows South African National Geographic Explorer Steve Boyes as he sets out with master trackers in pursuit of Earth’s largest land mammal.
The show is available to watch on National Geographic Wild (DStv 182, Startimes 221) and Disney+ from today (11 March 2026).
In the mist-covered highland forests of Angola, a mystery endures: the elusive ghost elephants of Lisima, a potential living descendant of the largest land mammal ever recorded. Steve Boyes, conservation biologist and leader of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project, is determined to prove their existence.
To find these elusive elephants, Boyes and fellow National Geographic Explorer Kerllen Costa have teamed up with three KhoiSan master trackers – Xui, Xui Dawid, and Kobus – to succeed where advanced technology could not.
Ghost Elephants is directed, written and narrated by Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man) and produced by Ariel León Isacovitch and Herzog. The film is from Sobey Road Entertainment, The Roots Production Service and Skellig Rock.
Narrated by Herzog, the movie is a lyrical tale of survival, reconnection and the enduring power of ancient knowledge in the face of modern loss. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Herzog received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
Complementing the documentary is the coffee table book Okavango and the Source of Life by Steve Boyes, releasing in tandem with the film. The book expands the journey beyond the screen, featuring more than 100 striking photographs, detailed maps, and Boyes’ personal reflections from years of grueling expeditions to the Angolan headwaters of the Okavango.
The book documents the same remaining waterways, communities and fragile ecosystems explored in the film, conveying the physical and emotional toll of navigating a wilderness long closed off by war. With a foreword by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and portraits of local traditional knowledge keepers, the book offers an intimate and visually rich companion to the cinematic experience.