Ghost Elephants, directed, written and narrated by Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), will air on National Geographic Wild (DStv 182, Startimes 221) on Wednesday 11 March 2026 at 6pm (CAT) as well as streaming on Disney+ in South Africa.
The film follows South African National Geographic Explorer Steve Boyes on an epic journey as he sets out with some of the last remaining master trackers in the world in pursuit of an animal long believed to be a myth.
In the mist-covered highlands of Angola, deep within its forests, a mystery endures: the elusive ghost elephants of Lisima, the potential living descendants 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.
In order 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 a lyrical tale of survival, reconnection and the enduring power of ancient knowledge in the face of modern loss. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Herzog received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
Expanding the journey
Complementing the film is the coffee table book Okavango and the Source of Life by Steve Boyes, releasing in tandem with the documentary. 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.
It 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.
What: Ghost Elephants Werner Herzog
Where and when: National Geographic Wild (DStv 182, Startimes 221) from Wednesday 11 March 2026 at 6pm (CAT) | streaming on Disney+ in South Africa
WS
