By Paul Salfen, Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine
Join 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-shrouded highlands of Angola, where ancient forests whisper secrets long buried by war and time, a legend persists: the ghost elephants of Lisima. These elusive giants—potential descendants of the largest land mammals ever recorded—are said to move like phantoms, evading modern detection for decades. For over ten years, Dr. Steve Boyes, a dedicated conservation biologist and National Geographic Explorer, has pursued them relentlessly, driven by a blend of scientific curiosity and profound wonder.
The result is Ghost Elephants, a captivating documentary directed, narrated, and written by legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog (known for Grizzly Man). The film follows Boyes and his team—including National Geographic Explorer Kerllen Costa and three KhoiSan master trackers: Xui, Xui Dawid, and Kobus—as they venture into remote wilderness where technology fails and ancient knowledge prevails. These trackers, refugees from conflict with deep ancestral ties to the land, succeed where drones and gadgets could not.
In a recent conversation with Paul Salfen for AMFM Magazine, Boyes reflected on the profound journey behind the film. He described breathtaking moments at sunrise with mist rolling over rivers and elephants swimming through forests. The production spanned a decade, but the final three years with the master trackers proved extraordinary. Boyes highlighted an intense three-hour trance dance and conversation with Herzog in a remote village—an unforgettable anchor that built toward deeper exploration.
Herzog, ever the visionary, described the project as an urgent pursuit akin to hunting Moby Dick, an exploration of dreams weighed against reality in what locals call the “Land at the End of the Earth.” The film transcends a simple wildlife search; it’s a lyrical meditation on survival, reconnection, and the power of traditional knowledge amid modern loss.
Boyes, who has explored Africa’s wildest rivers—from the source of the Nile in Rwanda to the Zambezi basin—views his work as a calling. “I’ve never been confused,” he shared. “I’ve never thought about anything else.” Leading the Okavango Wilderness Project since 2015, he protects the Angolan Highlands Water Tower, the “Source of Life” that supplies 95% of the water sustaining the Okavango Delta and ecosystems across seven nations.
The expedition pushed Boyes to his physical and mental limits. On the film’s climactic day, he and trackers pursued a massive bull elephant for hours after an intense encounter. Returning to camp speechless for an hour, Boyes embodied the film’s theme: entering the “wilderness mind” makes one calm, plodding, and unstoppable.
He credits indigenous trackers for their sustainable, hyper-aware approach—living connected to risks like lions and snakes with deep calmness. This presence, he says, feels like a superpower: lifting heavy loads, paddling vast distances, normalizing chaos like a hippo capsizing a canoe.
Boyes urges reconnection to place: become “indigenous again” by caring fiercely for a local pond, river, or garden—enough to defend it. This, he believes, expands to broader environmental stewardship.
The film isn’t just about elephants; it’s about dreams. Boyes hopes viewers feel the forest alive with unseen presences—elephants, hippos, crocodiles, or even mythical creatures—reviving wonder in our own wild spaces.
Complementing the documentary is Boyes’ coffee table book, Okavango and the Source of Life (released March 3), featuring over 100 photographs, maps, and reflections from years of expeditions, with a foreword by Prince Harry.
Ghost Elephants opened in select North American theaters on February 27, aired on National Geographic on March 7, and streams on Disney+ and Hulu. It’s a call to dream bigger, connect deeper, and recognize the wildness within us all.
As Boyes continues his adventures—next up, the Linyanti River and extraordinary discoveries in South Sudan—his story reminds us that the greatest explorations often chase what might remain forever just out of sight, yet profoundly real in our imaginations.
