Award-winning elephant conservation documentary premiers in the UK on Channel 4

This is the first time the remarkable story of legendary elephant scientist Iain Douglas-Hamilton has been documented in a feature film. We are familiar with the work of Jane Goodall and Diane Fossey but Iain’s incredible story of his passion for elephants is every bit as exceptional. 

This award-winning film from acclaimed Scottish production company Maramedia will be shown on UK television on Channel 4 for the first time this coming Saturday and after on channel 4 streaming.

A Life Among Elephants, directed by Nigel Pope, is to air on UK’s Channel 4 on Saturday 10th May at 4:25pm and on Channel 4 streaming service. 

Link to the film trailer here.

Following successful theatrical screenings across Europe, the UK and the US, A Life Among Elephants has garnered rave reviews and multiple awards and nominations, which include winning the recent 2025 DC Environmental Film Festival’s prize for Outstanding Artistry in Filmmaking.  The documentary features never-before-seen archival footage and intimate interviews with Douglas-Hamilton’s family and renowned figures like Jane Goodall alongside breathtaking visuals of Elephant families in northern Kenya.

The film chronicles the remarkable journey of Save the Elephants’ founder, Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, the world’s foremost elephant scientist, whose ground-breaking research and conservation efforts have shaped our understanding of these magnificent creatures for over six decades. Douglas-Hamilton’s story begins in 1965 at Tanzania’s Lake Manyara, where he pioneered the study of wild African elephants, discovering their complex social structures and distinct personalities. Alongside his wife Oria and daughters Saba and Dudu, he formed deep connections with elephant families, including the memorable matriarch Boadicea and the gentle mother Virgo.

When a devastating poaching crisis emerged in the 1970s, Douglas-Hamilton transformed from researcher to defender. His pioneering documentation of Africa’s elephant population decline – which fell by half between 1979 and 1989 – was instrumental in securing the 1989 global ivory trade ban. Years later, when poaching resurged with an estimated 100,000 elephants killed between 2010 and 2012, he again led the charge, using scientific data to advocate for stronger protections, culminating in China’s 2018 ivory trade ban. Douglas-Hamilton founded Save the Elephants in 1993 “to secure a future for elephants” by preserving the environments in which these animals live and encouraging a tolerant relationship between elephant and human populations.

The film captures Iain’s poignant return to Samburu following a life-threatening accident, accompanied by his protégé David Daballen, now Director of Field Operations at Save the Elephants, as he reconnects with the elephant families that have been central to his life’s work.

Nigel Pope Film Director said “Elephants are among the most intelligent, charismatic and iconic animals on our planet. Iain Douglas-Hamilton not only discovered many of the secrets of their lives in the wild, but he also battled to save them from the cruel ivory trade. This film shows how just one person can make a huge difference in a world at war with nature.

Douglas-Hamilton’s legacy continues through a new generation of researchers dedicated to protecting Africa’s most iconic species. This compelling film not only celebrates his extraordinary contributions to elephant conservation but also highlights the ongoing importance of protecting these remarkable animals for future generations.

The film was produced by the award-winning documentary team from Maramedia under their Maradocs label. Directed by Nigel Pope and Executive Produced by Jackie Savery and Justin Purefoy, the film was edited by Alex Broad, shot by Purefoy and scored by Fraser Purdie. The narrator is Sarah Parish. This is the first film under the Maradocs label. The film was first transmitted on ARTE France and is distributed by Munich-based Autentic.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

About Maramedia

Founded by Nigel Pope and Jackie Savery – Scotland based Maramedia has produced a slate of award winning global natural history features and singles – including the Emmy-nominated Highlands Scotland’s Wild Heart narrated by Ewan McGregor, the epic Stormborn trilogy featuring animal families of the north; Chasing the Rains, which follows the dramatic lives of cheetahs, elephants and wild dogs in the wilds of North Kenya narrated by Adjoa Andoh and Hotel Armadillo and voiced by David Attenborough. 

Maramedia works collaboratively across the globe championing engaging stories about our natural world – producing content for broadcasters such as BBC, SKY, channel 4 ARTE, ORF, Love Nature and PBS among others.  In May 2024, the company announced Maradocs – a premium feature documentary label which launched with A LIFE AMONG ELEPHANTS. Maradocs is a collaboration between Filmmakers Nigel Pope, Jackie Savery and Justin Purefoy. www.maramedia.co.uk

About Save the Elephants

Save the Elephants works to secure a future for elephants. Specialising in elephant research, it provides scientific insights into elephant behaviour, intelligence, and long-distance movements and applies them to the challenges of elephant survival and harmonious coexistence with humanity. High-tech tracking helps plan landscapes while low-tech beehive fences, among other tools, provide people /communities living with elephants with protection as well as income. Education and outreach programmes share these insights with local communities as the true custodians of this rich heritage. Save the Elephants (www.savetheelephants.org) runs the Elephant Crisis Fund (www.elephantcrisisfund.org) in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Network, providing flexible and responsive support to NGOs combatting the ivory trade, promoting human-elephant coexistence, and protecting elephant landscapes.

Press Contacts

For more information, interviews and images contact Sophie Toumazis at tpr media consultants [email protected] (+44 7974 428858) or Charlotte Maher [email protected] 

Maramedia contact, Jackie Savery: [email protected] 

Save the Elephants contact, Jane Wynyard: [email protected]