Kahumbu elated after 2 Emmy nominations for ‘Secrets of the Elephants’ documentary
The Wildlife Direct CEO and filmmaker Dr Paula Kahumbu has expressed her joy after her documentary ‘Secrets of the Elephants’ received 2 nominations at this year’s PrimeTime Emmy Awards.
The UHD 4-part natural history series, produced by Oxford Scientific Films for Disney Nat Geo picked up nods for Outstanding Doc Series and Outstanding Cinematography.
Narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman, executive produced by James Cameron and featuring renowned National Geographic Explorer and elephant expert Dr Kahumbu, this blue chip series not only reveals the extraordinary lives of different families of elephants across 4 key eco-systems but also highlights how similar they are to us.
“Dream come true, heading to LA for the Emmys for NatGeo, Disney’s Secrets of the Elephants! Fingers and toes crossed for a win – Manifesting like a ninja,” she shared on her social media platforms.
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The documentary premiered on April 21, 2023 tracks families of elephants through desert, savannah and rainforest. Among the African destinations featured are Central African Republic, Gabon, Kenya, Namibia, Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe; highlights in Asia include Borneo, Thailand and India.
This four-part, gorgeously filmed series travels the globe to unveil majestic stories about and intimate peeks at these most massive of land animals, whose abundant emotional lives are surprisingly similar to humans in myriad ways, expressing compassion, cooperation, empathy, generosity, grief, playfulness and resilience.
Elephants’ strategic intelligence, advanced cognitive skills, profound memory, acute sense of smell and intricate language communication are powerful reveals.
Significantly, the show unmasks elephant behaviours never witnessed before and captured on film.
Compellingly fun facts flourish, such as the hyper-sensitive pads of their feet that can detect distant ground rumble.
Kahumbu is a Kenyan biologist and ecologist, and an inspiring and committed advocate for international wildlife conservation in Africa.
She is also the producer and presenter of Wildlife Warriors, Africa’s first wildlife documentary series.
She is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife conservationists and sits on the boards of WWF International and National Geographic. She is the brainchild of the Hands Off Our Elephants campaign with Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta, the immediate former First Lady of the Republic of Kenya.
The campaign is widely recognised for its singular successes in advocacy and the engagement of the people of Kenya to support the protection of elephants.
She holds the title Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) and is the Rolex NatGeo Explorer of the Year 2021, winner of the Whitley Gold Award 2021, and is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and was recognized by the Financial Times as one of the 25 most influential women of 2022.
Postponed because of 2023’s US Actors and Writers strikes, the 75th annual Emmy Awards will be broadcast on January 15, 2024.