Watch Battle for the Elephants

Battle for the Elephants is a captivating wildlife documentary series produced by PBS, taking viewers on an insightful journey into the ivory trade, elephant poaching, and the fight to save these majestic creatures. The show stars investigative journalist, Bryan Christy, and elephant expert, Jonathan Davis, as they embark on a mission to uncover the truth behind the poaching epidemic and bring the criminals behind the ivory trade to justice.

In this three-episode series, Christy and Davis take viewers across three continents to expose the elephant poaching crisis, its impact on elephant populations, and the illegal ivory trade. The series features footage from Kenya, Thailand, and China, where the elephant population is rapidly declining due to poaching activities.

In the first episode, Christy and Davis investigate the African elephant poaching crisis, which has claimed thousands of lives in the past decade. They explore the demand for ivory in China, the largest market for illegal ivory, and how organized crime syndicates are responsible for the poaching activities. The episode also highlights how technology, particularly DNA tracking, is being used to combat elephant poaching.

The second episode of Battle for the Elephants moves to Thailand, where the illegal ivory trade is facilitated by the country's legal ivory market. Christy and Davis discover how poachers are exploiting the loopholes in the Thai government's laws, which allow them to smuggle ivory into the country with impunity. They visit the infamous Golden Triangle, a hub for the illegal ivory trade, to meet with an ivory dealer who reveals the extent of the trade.

The final episode of the series takes viewers to China, the ultimate destination of the ivory trade. Christy and Davis reveal how the Chinese government's decision to allow the sale of ivory legally is fueling the demand for ivory products, leading to increased poaching in Africa. The duo goes undercover posing as buyers to the markets, where they discover the scale of the illegal ivory trade.

Throughout the series, the duo works with conservation organizations, wildlife rangers, and government officials to develop innovative solutions to put an end to elephant poaching. The show also sheds light on the complex web of people driving the demand for ivory, including collectors, traders, and buyers.

Overall, Battle for the Elephants is a gripping, enlightening, and sometimes heartbreaking, portrayal of the elephant poaching crisis. Through this show, Christy and Davis highlight the importance of taking action to end this illegal trade and protect one of the planet's most iconic species. Many conservationists and animal advocates hope that documentaries such as this can spur more people to become aware of the elephant poaching crisis and the broader problems around the ivory trade. Using education and awareness-raising efforts, perhaps changes can be made before it's too late for the magnificent species, which have no chance to fight back on their own.