Written by: Yasmin Rojas Gayosso
LinkedIn: Yasmin Rojas Gayosso

There are so many animal documentaries out there that the choice can sometimes be overwhelming. Luckily, we've done the sifting for you and selected a list of documentaries focusing on five different topics: orcas, chimpanzees , cattle , bears, and ivory. Although the topics vary, they all share the same goal: to inform and remind the public of the importance of respect and protect wildlife from all the dangers that threaten it.

Apart from watching these documentaries, we encourage you to participate in the following whenever possible: active conversations that aim to educate on these (usually little-discussed) topics. It is something that can have a great impact about the way we see the world and how we move in it.

That said, we want to take this moment to also Appreciate the effort behind these documentaries : from the research to the images we see later. Now, grab the popcorn, we're getting started!

When spectacle meets marine life

Documentary: Blackfish

The American documentary 'Blackfish' was released in 2013 with the intention of bring to light everything that was happening in the water park industry. Tilikum, also known as Shamu, was one of the orcas that used SeaWorld as a tourist attraction . To the public, the orca was called ' the happy orca ', however that nickname could not be further from reality .

At just two years old, Tilikum was captured and separated from his family . Tilikum was physically abused by the female orcas and spent many hours confined. Later, he was forced to join the entertainment industry where he was required to operate under a very strict schedule. As a result of this stressful environment and lack of freedom, Tilikum ended up acting aggressively.

In the documentary, one quickly learns that man's relationship with nature It's not always what it seems . The tragic death of Dawn Brancheau (along with others) had to do with the lack of care and knowledge about orcas. SeaWorld was insufficiently informed and therefore unable to protect the well-being of either the orca or its employees. Tilikum's violent attitude was nothing more than the consequence of 33 years of captivity.

We can take this incident as a lesson about the importance of protecting marine animals and respecting their way of life. If you'd like to learn more about Tilikum's story, we recommend watching Blackfish.

Jane could do it

Documentary: Jane

The National Geographic documentary 'Jane' shows us 100 hours of exclusive content from the research that Jane Goodall carried out on the apes of Tanzania. Her mission was to obtain unbiased scientific data that could help understand nature . Although she had no specialized training in research and the world she was about to enter was a male-dominated one, Jane proved to be fearless and more than capable for this. He managed to capture and document the moment in which a chimpanzee He took an object and turned it into a tool . This discovery helped revolutionize the way people think about wild animals and pushed researchers to question whether they might need to reconsider the definition of man or even that of the tool .

In 'Jane', we witness the way the researcher has observe chimpanzees , and how they differ from others. Instead of dismissing the idea of ​​anthropomorphism, Jane embraces it, believing that enriches her research . Jane names the apes, and is able to identify their personalities and also their feelings . This new perspective, little supported by the scientific community, is what allows you to capture moments of affection, wars, and differences of opinion among apes.

In addition to this, the documentary allows us delve into Jane's personal life along with her husband, Baron Hugo Van Lawick, and their son, Hugo. You can find this documentary on Disney+ and Hulu.

It all starts with a question

Documentary: Cowspiracy

In this documentary, Kip Anderson tries to answer a very important question: Why don't environmental organizations talk about the impact livestock has on the planet's well-being?

Seeing the lack of answers, Anderson decides to take it upon himself to investigate the matter in depth. In an attempt to find the answers, contact environmental organizations such as Greenpeace, Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council and others, but most they refuse to talk of the subject or even to admit that cattle are one of the factors responsible for the emission of 18% of greenhouse gases and deforestation.

This documentary exposes the taboo that exists around the topic of the livestock industry and the controversy that generates between environmental groups themselves and corporations. Not only that, but the issue itself endangers to people who choose to speak openly about it. Dorthy Dane, for example, is an American activist who was murdered in Brazil for speaking out about cattle exploitation, and Howard Lyman was sued by cattle ranchers themselves for speaking out about the reality of the cattle industry.

Although these situations are something to be concerned about, Kip Anderson wants to make it clear that research on this topic it is something positive if we think about the good of our planet. If you want to learn more about Kip's story and his plan for global sustainability, you can watch Cowspiracy in the official website or in Netflix .

The kind warrior

Film: Grizzly Man

'You have to be more powerful to survive alongside the bear,' says Timothy Treadwell in the documentary 'Grizzly Man.' In it, we see Treadwell immerse yourself in the lives of grizzly bears in the Alaskan reserve. He eventually became known as 'the gentle warrior' for his personal mission to protect and educate the public about bears. Tim spends several summers documenting animals in their natural habitat, and breaks many protocols in the process. And although he does not respect the park's rules, he justifies most of his actions with the connection you have with animals.

Although most of the footage in the documentary is of Timothy himself, he wasn't alone on this expedition. He was accompanied by Amie Huhuenard, whom he met at the reserve in late summer. Unlike Timothy, Amie was afraid of bears and had expressed his desire to leave the reservation.

On October 6, 2003, park rangers discovered a 28-year-old bear had attacked Treadwell and Huguenard the day before . This tragic death was recorded, which means that Tim's final moments were also documented. For 13 years Timothy exposed himself to great danger, but it is important to remember that He did it to protect the bears from illegal hunting. If you want to learn more about Timothy's summer expedition and his love for bears, we recommend watching this documentary on Netflix.

It's worth taking the risk

Documentary: The Ivory Game

This documentary was directed by Richard Ladkabni and Kief Davidson in 2016. It shows the dark side of ivory trafficking and the multiple efforts by different people to stop it . According to the documentary, about 150,000 elephants have been killed since it was released. Many of these deaths were due to high demand for ivory in China (there it is a symbol of wealth). Since illegal ivory is sold legally in China, International criminal networks could continue to grow without problems.

To investigate this topic, the documentary films Andrea Crosta (in charge of the investigation in China), Elisifa Ngowi (Tanzania's head of intelligence), Hongxiang Huang (Chinese activist), Ian Craig (the conservation director in Kenya) and Georgina Kamanga (the head of intelligence in Zambia) during their respective missions as infiltrators.

As the documentary progresses, it becomes clear that entering the world of trafficking, particularly if it is through infiltration, It is a very dangerous thing . In the investigation and pursuit of Shetani, a known elephant killer, we learn that traffickers want the elephants to be killed. elephants become extinct because That will drive up prices . Unfortunately, that mentality is what gets an elephant killed. every 15 minutes and that even Tsavo, the most famous and longest-lived elephant, was killed.

Although all this may be difficult to hear, it's the reality of these animals. Fortunately, all this material has brought this topic to international attention and discussion. If you want to learn more about the various investigations that took place, you can watch "The Ivory Game" on Netflix.