The final 250 elephants remaining in the wilds of China

Nature · Published 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Once roaming across the entire continent, China's elephant population has dwindled to a tiny remnant. This documentary captures the urgent race to document these animals in their final habitat and the grassroots efforts to save them from extinction.

The film explores the plight of the remaining 250 elephants currently hiding in the jungles of Xishuangbanna, a remote region in China's Yunnan province. It highlights the transition from a continent-wide presence to a population existing on the very brink of extinction.

The narrative follows two distinct perspectives: Grace Gabriel, who works to shift local perceptions and campaign for conservation, and wildlife cameraman Richard Kirby, who aims to capture footage of the animals in the wild before they disappear forever.

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