Watch Elephant Hospital
- 2021
- 1 Season
-
6.2 (17)
The show Elephant Hospital on discovery+ is a heartwarming and educational series that takes viewers on a journey through the lives of animal doctors and conservationists working tirelessly to save the world's largest land mammal, the elephant. The show follows the story of Paul O'Donoghue, a wildlife veterinarian, and his team at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in Northern India as they work to provide medical care and treatment to these majestic creatures.
Elephant Hospital is a six-part series that immerses the audience in the daily lives of the hospital teams who are dedicated to saving elephants from various health complications. In the show, viewers get to see the diverse range of work that goes into saving an elephant, from the diagnosis of complex medical conditions and treatment to the rehab procedures.
The series provides an insightful look into the clinical world of veterinary medicine and the unique challenges that come with working with elephants. Hospital teams must work with elephants who can grow up to 11 feet tall and weigh up to six tonnes, making them one of the most challenging animals to deal with in terms of logistics.
In Elephant Hospital, we get to witness the daily challenges faced by elephant caregivers, such as creating new feeding strategies for poorly nourished animals and developing unique treatment plans for the smallest of wounds on a giant animal.
The hospital teams also have to contend with treating an animal in an environment that may not always be safe. Due to poaching and habitat loss, many of the elephants treated at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre have suffered human-animal conflict, and veterinary teams have to tend to wounds resulting from this conflict.
The show also reveals how medical interventions often require strong bonds between the elephant and the caretakers, as they carefully monitor and care for the animals throughout their medical treatment. The series follows the stories of many of these caretakers, showcasing their commitment to the well-being of these endangered species.
In Elephant Hospital, viewers also get to experience the beauty and complexity of elephant culture, as the show's cameras capture their social behaviors, communication systems, and their inherent intelligence. Elephant Hospital highlights the importance of preserving the species, not just for its inherent beauty but for critically fragile ecosystem balance.
The series doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of conservation efforts that aren't always successful. Many of the elephants treated at the hospital are rehabilitated back into the wild or resettled into other elephant sanctuaries where they can live the rest of their lives with other elephant families. The hospital team experienced the heartache of loss and the sorrow of having to make difficult ethical decisions at times.
In conclusion, Elephant Hospital is an excellent example of an educational wildlife documentary that blends the presentation of scientific expertise with heartwarming human stories. The series takes viewers on a compelling journey, highlighting the struggles and successes of endangered species conservationists in our world. It is an excellent reminder of the importance of preserving and protecting endangered species like elephants and a tribute to the heroes dedicated to their treatment and protection.