Subject: Science: Natural & Physical

Animal Conservation Series

African Elephant: Crash of the Titans

"Highly Recommended. An informative documentary, including commentary from (a young) Dr. Richard Leakey, which adds historical perspective to this study. The outstanding feature of this program is that it asks questions and offers possible solutions." -School Library Journal
"Highly Recommended. This fascinating, high quality documentary examines African elephants in their natural habitat of Africa; mainly in Meru National Park in Kenya. The "giant lawnmowers" as they are referred to, eat any manner of vegetation they can lay their trunks on; so they are literally eating themselves out of house and home. Poachers are the other serious threat to the survival of the elephants, and the elephants seek the safe sanctuaries of the national parks to elude them. Keeping the elephants in national parks where they are the stars of the tourist industry eventually will wear out as the vegetation is depleted. Culling, or capturing and killing them, is highly controversial as well. Elephants are said to be intelligent and with their close family ties, there is real concern about the emotional impact of the death of a family member. So experts in the field are in a quandary about what to do to prevent them from becoming extinct." -EMRO Review
This timely documentary looks at the danger of extinction of the African Elephant, not only through the ivory trade, but also due to the advance of humanity across the continent. Its survival is crucial to Africa, but a very real dilemma faces those wishing to save it: the build-up of elephant populations inside national parks leads to a loss of biodiversity just as surely as a loss of elephants outside. One solution is to allow the elephants to migrate freely through the land now taken over by farming, while another alternative is 'management' or controlling the population in national parks by culling. As we discover here, each solution is controversial. Produced by ABC International, Inc. 08DR JSCA 30 min.
Also See: Into Africa; Wild Africa.; Africa 1: Botswana's Untamed Wilderness; Adventure 3: Botswana