Where Have All the Elephants Gone? Poaching in Tanzania and Kenya

Foreign correspondent Eric Campbell teams up with wildlife ranger Sean Willmore here to document the rampant killing of elephants in Kenya and Tanzania—an estimated 60 a day in Tanzania alone—and the illicit ivory trade that feeds the voracious appetite in China and elsewhere for items fashioned from the animals' tusks. The opening scene is heartrending, as an exhausted orphan collapses after searching in vain for its mother—quite possibly among the latest victims. The camera also records the efforts of unarmed patrols that are largely helpless in stopping the poaching and slaughter. Posing as traders, the filmmakers convince some contacts to show them their stash of illegal goods, offering more proof (if any was needed) of this horrendous practice. Many of the sequences in this documentary appear to have been patched together from other sources (and may be found, for example, on YouTube). Although not an in-depth investigative report, this short documentary does highlight the ongoing plight of the world's elephants, a situation most strikingly expressed by Dame Daphne Sheldrick at her sanctuary in Kenya, who sadly predicts that they may be totally eliminated within 20 years. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (F. Gardner)