The Best Documentaries About Animals
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Documentaries about animals, migration, animal cruelty, and wildlife on Earth.
1Pierce Brosnan, Rie Miyazawa, Pedro ArmendárizMost of the Earth's surface is covered by water; using the latest technology, filmmakers Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud set out to explore the underwater world. Diving deep into the waters that ultimately sustain all life on Earth, Perrin and Cluzaud capture spectacular footage of the amazing beauty and harsh reality of life beneath the waves.
2Tilikum, Dave Duffus, Samantha BergThe story of Tilikum, a captive killer whale that has taken the lives of several people, underscores problems within the sea-park industry, man's relationship to nature, and how little has been learned about these highly intelligent mammals.- When a rival pride attacks and kills her mate, lioness Ma di Tau faces an arduous battle to preserve the lives of herself and her three cubs. She knows the conquering lions will kill her offspring if they are found, so she leads them to Duba Island. There, she and her cubs face additional danger from the hungry crocodiles and the fierce water buffalo.
4Life
5Romane Bohringer, Charles Berling, Jules SitrukMarch of the Penguins is a 2005 French nature documentary film directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. The documentary depicts the yearly journey of the emperor penguins of Antarctica. In autumn, all the penguins of breeding age leave the ocean, their normal habitat, to walk inland to their ancestral breeding grounds. There, the penguins participate in a courtship that, if successful, results in the hatching of a chick. For the chick to survive, both parents must make multiple arduous journeys between the ocean and the breeding grounds over the ensuing months. It took one year for the two isolated cinematographers Laurent Chalet and Jérôme Maison to shoot the documentary, which was shot around the French scientific base of Dumont d'Urville in Adélie Land. The documentary won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.- #9 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
- #27 of 277 onThe Greatest Documentaries of All Time
- #127 of 188 onThe 180+ Top Kids Movies
- 6
The Loneliest Whale
The mysterious 52 Hertz whale emits a call unrecognized by other whales, leading to a life of solitude. 
7An Apology to Elephants
Lily Tomlin, Pat Derby, Colleen KinzleyAn Apology to Elephants is a 2013 documentary that explores purported abuse and brutal treatment of elephants. It showcases elephant training and the alleged psychological trauma and physical damage done by living conditions in some zoos and circuses. It was premiered on HBO on April 24, 2013, also celebrated as an Earth Day. The documentary includes interviews with environmental activists and biologists, including Performing Animal Welfare Society co-founders Ed Stewart and Pat Derby. The film was dedicated to Derby, also known as an "elephant lady", who died on February 15, 2013. Narrator Lily Tomlin campaigned on the subject for several years, in the course of which she met Pat Derby. Later, she suggested that HBO make a movie about elephant captivity. HBO began work on the documentary in 2011. It was later joined by PETA, which offered pictures and video footage, including photos from a whistleblower depicting elephant training at the Ringling Bros circus.
8Richard O'Barry, Louie Psihoyos, Hardy JonesIn Taiji, Japan, local fishermen hide a gruesome secret: the capture and slaughter of dolphins. Activist Ric O'Barry, who trained dolphins for the "Flipper" TV series, joins forces with filmmaker Louis Psihoyos and the Ocean Preservation Society to expose the brutal practice, risking life and limb in the process.More The Cove
- #325 of 675 onThe Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
- #12 of 118 onLife-Changing Documentaries You've Got to See
- #15 of 277 onThe Greatest Documentaries of All Time
- 9
Fathom
Ellen Garland, Michelle FournetTwo biologists set out on an undertaking as colossal as their subjects -- deciphering the complex communication of whales. Dr. Michelle Fournet and Dr. Ellen Garland journey to opposite hemispheres to uncover a culture eons older than our own. 
10Joaquin PhoenixEarthlings is a 2005 American documentary film about humanity's use of other animals as pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and for scientific research. The film is narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, features music by Moby, was directed by Shaun Monson, and was co-produced by Maggie Q, all of whom are practicing vegans.More Earthlings- #115 of 277 onThe Greatest Documentaries of All Time
- #16 of 28 onThe Best Food Documentaries
- #19 of 65 onThe Saddest Documentaries Of All Time
11The Tiger Next Door
The Tiger Next Door is a feature length 2009 documentary film directed and produced by Camilla Calamandrei.
12Jacques Perrin, Philippe LabroThis documentary presents an epic portrait of winter bird migration. Filmed on all seven continents over four years, the footage is brought together into one portrait of a journey that's uniformly arduous for all kinds of different birds. Rather than concentrating on statistics and facts, the film near-wordlessly portrays the sheer physical effort demanded of the birds on their disparate routes. Along the way, we see the many dangers they face, from man-made waste to a group of hungry crabs.
13Jewel Palovak, Warren Queeney, Carol DexterPieced together from Timothy Treadwell's actual video footage, Werner Herzog's remarkable documentary examines the calling that drove Treadwell to live among a tribe of wild grizzly bears on an Alaskan reserve. A devoted conservationist with a passion for adventure, Timothy believed he had bridged the gap between human and beast. When one of the bears he loved and protected tragically turns on him, the footage he shot serves as a window into our understanding of nature and its grim realities.More Grizzly Man- #296 of 675 onThe Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
- #32 of 118 onLife-Changing Documentaries You've Got to See
- #82 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
- 14André Bauma, Emmanuel De Merode, Mélanie GoubyA team of brave individuals risk their lives to protect the last mountain gorillas.
15Kristin Scott Thomas, Jacques PerrinIt may appear tiny to the human eye, but there is no denying that the insect kingdom -- as captured by the filmmakers behind this documentary -- is as dramatic, action-packed and beautiful as any other. Indeed, using a variety of film techniques and an inspired score, the moving image of a beetle pushing a ball of dung takes on the mythic quality of Sisyphus with his boulder. Meanwhile, endless caterpillar caravans suggest, amazingly, the rhythm of modern highways during rush hour.- 16
In the Valley of the Wolves
17Galapagos: IMAX
Kenneth Branagh, Carole BaldwinGalapagos: IMAX is a short documentary film directed by David Clark and Al Giddings.
18Queen Latifah, Christina Robinson, Preston BaileyNanu, a polar bear cub, and Seela, a young walrus, live and grow to maturity in the frozen wilderness of the North, where the tundra has been a haven to their kind for countless generations. Now Nanu, Seela and the rest of the Arctic's wildlife experience the diminishment of their environment, as global warming literally melts the ice beneath them.- 19Nicolette KluijverFamous feline Abatutu presents this celebration of cats, showcasing their finest and friskiest moments with a collection of home videos.
- #118 of 176 onThe 150+ Best Animal Movies
- #69 of 94 onThe Best Foreign Documentary Films
- #4 of 87 onThe Best Documentary Movies Streaming on Netflix
20Jane's Journey
Dr. Jane Goodall is a well-known anthropologist famous for her work with primates in Africa. This film follows her travels through the world speaking about her conservationism and scientific research, most notably her four-and-a-half-decadelong study of African chimpanzees. Although well into her 70s at the time of this film, Goodall is sprightly, energetic and a seemingly endless font of knowledge about her subject in particular and conservationism in general.- 21Tchéky Karyo, Jack Wallace, André LacombeA bear cub is left alone, unable to feed or defend itself, when its mother is killed in a rockslide. Eventually, the cub attempts to bond with a male grizzly, which initially ignores it. When the grizzly is pursued by hunters, the cub comes to its aid and wins the grizzly's affection. However, when one of the hunters captures the cub, the grizzly must confront the armed hunters. The tale is told from the cub's perspective.More The Bear
- #50 of 122 onThe Best Movies Of 1988
- #155 of 176 onThe 150+ Best Animal Movies
- #70 of 75 onThe Best Movies For Boys To Watch
- 22Ed HelmsPenguins is a 2019 American nature documentary film directed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson. The coming-of-age story follows an Adélie penguin named Steve who joins millions of fellow males in the icy Antarctic spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, find a life partner and start a family.
- 23Alistair Allan, Tamara Arenovich, Jonathan BalcombeSeaspiracy is a 2021 American nature documentary film directed by Ali Tabrizi. Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species - and uncovers alarming global corruption.
- Best Friend Forgotten is a 2004 American documentary film that sheds light on the difficult issue of pet overpopulation. The documentary, hosted by David Duchovny, tells the stories of Oreo the cat and Clover the dog as they face the harsh realities of pet overpopulation. Viewers get a thoughtful and balanced look at the controversial practice of euthanasia and the alternative no-kill movement. Candid interviews reveal common myths about spaying and neutering, and leaders from government to animal rights groups discuss the plague of pet overpopulation and the impact on our society.
- This spare documentary follows a group of shepherds as they guide hundreds of sheep through endless miles of Montana wilderness. Herding the livestock through the Beartooth Mountains, the crew covers stunning landscapes as they brave dangerous weather and the threat of various wild animals, including bears and wolves. As the shepherds make their journey, the film depicts the hardships that they face in their age-old occupation, which seems largely outmoded in 21st-century United States.
26Shelter Dogs
Shelter Dogs is a 2003 documentary film directed and produced by Cynthia Wade about animal welfare in the United States and the ethics of animal euthanasia. Following a particular New York animal shelter and its staff over a three-year time span, Wade gives her audience a complex, honest look at the situations that arise when it comes to homeless animals and some of the difficult, controversial decisions that must be made within them
27Sharkwater
Paul Watson, Rob StewartArguing that sharks are misunderstood as dangerous creatures, biologist Rob Stewart travels to the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica and other places where the animals can be found. Underwater, he feeds sharks to demonstrate their fundamentally nonviolent nature. With 90 percent of the shark population destroyed by indiscriminate hunting, Stewart joins forces with conservationist Paul Watson to fight poachers who illegally kill the animals for their fins and sell the meat to the Taiwanese Mafia.- 28Akumu Filda, Maarit Haapasaari, Hugh "Shug" HarknessA contemplative odyssey across the planet looks at the simple and extraordinary ways that dogs influence people's daily lives.
- Following five spirited puppies from the moment they're born through their quest to become guide dogs for the blind.
- 30Romel Eduardo Ledezma Abaroa, Rafael Pacchiano Alamán, Hector CapetilloSea of Shadows is a 2019 Austrian documentary film directed by Richard Ladkani, Sean Bogle, and Matthew Podolsky. A look at how Mexican cartels and the Chinese mafia are threatening the endangered population of the world's smallest whale, the vaquita.
