An Apology to Elephants

This coming Monday HBO will air An Apology to Elephants, narrated by Lily Tomlin and directed by Emmy winner Amy Schatz.

An Apology to Elephants spotlights elephants’ importance to global ecology and the environment. Known as the “gardeners of the forest,” they clear large trees and branches for food, which makes way for smaller plants and animals to thrive. However, due to the ivory trade and habitat destruction, elephant species are considered either vulnerable or endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and are at risk of extinction within the next ten years. [The documentary also] describes the often-brutal treatment elephants undergo when they are trained to perform, the psychological trauma they suffer and the physical damage done by inadequate living conditions in some zoos and circuses.

An Apology to Elephants premieres Monday, April 22nd, at 7pm EDT.