Inside the World’s Largest Baby Elephant Sanctuary: A Unique UK-Canada Venture!

A unique documentary co-production between the UK and Canada will showcase life at the world’s largest nursery for juvenile elephants.

Channel 4 in the UK and CBC in Canada are collaborating on Baby Elephant School, a series set in the 30-year-old Udawalawe Elephant Orphanage. This sanctuary is a refuge for up to 80 young orphaned elephants at a time and has successfully reintroduced over 170 elephants back into the wild, many of whom have successfully bred in their natural habitat.

The project will include two distinct adaptations. The UK edition will feature Welsh biologist and elephant expert Lizzie Daly as the host, while the Canadian version, slated to air on CBC’s The Nature of Things, will be presented by Anthony Morgan. Both versions will focus on the rehabilitation journey of 60 orphaned elephant calves being prepared for a life back in the wild.

Baby Elephant School, which has already been pre-purchased by Arte in France, represents a rare factual collaboration between the UK and Canada. The series is produced by Canada’s Serial Maven-backed Cantina Media and the UK’s Big Wave Entertainment.

Kirstie Mclure, head of Big Wave, remarked, “From the very beginning, Baby Elephant School has encapsulated all that we strive for – immersive storytelling, global cooperation, and a profound reverence for nature.”

Julia Chang of Serial Maven stated, “Initiatives like this thrive through inventive negotiations, robust international alliances, and a mutual dedication to launching compelling, significant narratives. We are thrilled to be part of a co-production that assembles such a distinguished group of collaborators.”