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.- #10 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
- #28 of 277 onThe Greatest Documentaries of All Time
- #125 of 188 onThe 180+ Top Kids Movies
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The Loneliest Whale
The mysterious 52 Hertz whale emits a call unrecognized by other whales, leading to a life of solitude. 
7Richard 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
- #309 of 675 onThe Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
- #14 of 118 onLife-Changing Documentaries You've Got to See
- #16 of 277 onThe Greatest Documentaries of All Time
- 8
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. 
9An 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.
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- #108 of 277 onThe Greatest Documentaries of All Time
- #13 of 28 onThe Best Food Documentaries
- #19 of 65 onThe Saddest Documentaries Of All Time
11Jacques 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.
12The Tiger Next Door
The Tiger Next Door is a feature length 2009 documentary film directed and produced by Camilla Calamandrei.
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- #84 of 143 onThe Best Movies of 2005
- #31 of 118 onLife-Changing Documentaries You've Got to See
- #294 of 675 onThe Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
- 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
17Queen 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.- 18Nicolette KluijverFamous feline Abatutu presents this celebration of cats, showcasing their finest and friskiest moments with a collection of home videos.
- #120 of 177 onThe Best Animal Movies Of All Time, Ranked
- #68 of 94 onThe Best Foreign Documentary Films
- #4 of 86 onThe Best Documentary Movies Streaming on Netflix
- 19Tchéky 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
- #156 of 177 onThe Best Animal Movies Of All Time, Ranked
- #71 of 75 onThe Best Movies For Boys To Watch
- 20Ed 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.
21Jane'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.- 22Alistair 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.
24Galapagos: IMAX
Kenneth Branagh, Carole BaldwinGalapagos: IMAX is a short documentary film directed by David Clark and Al Giddings.- 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.
- 31David Attenborough, Johan RockströmBreaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet is a 2021 American documentary film directed by Jon Clay. David Attenborough and scientist Johan Rockström examine Earth's biodiversity collapse and how this crisis can still be averted.
32Dealing Dogs
Dealing Dogs is a 2006 documentary film created by animal rights group Last Chance for Animals about animal welfare in the United States, specifically about the marketing and sale of dogs to veterinarian schools and research labs. The film was a 2007 Emmy Nominee for Best Cable Documentary and for Outstanding Investigative Journalism - Long Form, and won a 2007 Genesis Award for Outstanding Cable Documentary.- 33Zeytin, Nazar, KartalFilmmaker Elizabeth Lo follows the plight of three stray dogs as they find human companionship on the streets of Turkey.More Stray
- #3 of 118 onLife-Changing Documentaries You've Got to See
- #59 of 277 onThe Greatest Documentaries of All Time
- #56 of 94 onThe Best Foreign Documentary Films
- A homeless musician's life is transformed after he discovers a flock of wild South American parrots living in San Francisco. How they got there is a mystery, but Mark Bittner forms a bond with the exotic birds through his music and his patient, attentive care. Over time he comes to appreciate their individual identities and makes a case for humans to reevaluate their relationship to animals. When he is forced to leave them, he despairs over the birds' fate.
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The Jill & Tony Curtis Story
This 2008 feature-length documentary directed by Ian Ayres, is about Tony Curtis and his wife and their efforts to rescue horses from slaughterhouses. A camera crew follows Jill and Tony Curtis as they take in horses that would have been inhumanely killed and sent overseas as food for humans. The DVD of the documentary includes bonus features including Tony Curtis an artist, how Tony met Jill and their love of horses. 
36Unnecessary Fuss
Unnecessary Fuss is a film produced by Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, showing footage shot inside the University of Pennsylvania's Head Injury Clinic in Philadelphia. The footage was shot in 1983–1984 by the researchers themselves as they inflicted brain damage on baboons with a hydraulic device. The experiments were conducted as part of a research project into head injuries caused by vehicle and sports accidents. The footage shows the researchers laughing at the baboons as the brain damage is inflicted. Sixty hours of audio- and videotape were removed from the laboratory during a raid in May 1984 by the Animal Liberation Front, who handed it over to PETA. It was subsequently edited down to 26 minutes with a voice-over commentary by Newkirk, before being distributed to the media and Congress. Charles McCarthy, director of the Office for Protection from Research Risks wrote that the film had overstated the deficiencies in the clinic, but that the OPRR had found serious violations of the Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
37Bern Cohen, Reagan Leonard, Bob AngeliniProject Nim is a 2011 documentary film directed by James Marsh.More Project Nim- #158 of 277 onThe Greatest Documentaries of All Time
- #28 of 94 onThe Best Foreign Documentary Films
- #37 of 54 onThe 50 Best PG-13 Historical Movies
38A Cow at My Table
A Cow at My Table is a 1998 documentary film examining Western attitudes towards farm animals and meat. It covers the conflict between animal rights advocates and the meat industry, and their respective attempts to influence consumers. It was directed, shot and edited by Jennifer Abbott, who spent five years travelling across Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand to interview representatives on all sides. The film intercuts these interviews with images of farm animals and industrial farming operations. It explores what is sometimes popularly called factory farming. The filming of A Cow at My Table drew early criticism from the Canadian meat industry, with both the Ontario Chicken Marketing Board and the Dairy Farmers of Ontario publishing articles warning of Abbott's actions. Music for the film was performed by Oh Susanna.- A woman helps two elephant landmine survivors walk on their own.
- The Story of the Weeping Camel is a 2003 German docudrama distributed by ThinkFilm. It was released internationally in 2004. The movie was directed and written by Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni. The plot is about a family of nomadic shepherds in the Gobi Desert trying to save the life of a rare white bactrian camel calf after it was rejected by its mother.
- 41Carole Baskin, Howard Baskin, Keith GadA retired cop investigates the exotic animal trade and presses lawmakers to enact new legislation, banning the private breeding and exploitation of big cats.
- Impressionen unter Wasser is a documentary film released in 2002. It was directed by Leni Riefenstahl. After the premiere of her film Tiefland in 1954, for decades it was generally thought this would be Riefenstahl's last film. However, a few days before her 100th birthday, saw the release of Impressionen unter Wasser premiered in Berlin 48 years after Tiefland.
43Daphne SheldrickMorgan Freeman narrates this documentary about two dedicated animal preservationists. Daphne Sheldrick has created an elephant sanctuary in Kenya, while Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas has set up an orphanage for orangutans in Borneo. In both cases, the young animals have been left alone after their parents were killed, by either poachers or similar human incursions into their natural habitats. Viewers get to see the animals nurtured with love and care before they are introduced back into the wild.- Shores of Silence: Whale Sharks in India is a landmark film by Mike Pandey that brought about major legislative changes to protect whale sharks worldwide. This documentary depicts the needless killing and harvesting of whale sharks by poor Indian communities. In response to the film, the Indian government introduced legislature to ban fishing of whale sharks, declaring them endangered species and protecting them under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. This gives whale sharks equal status to other endangered species such as tigers and rhinoceroses. Internationally, the film helped to bring the whale shark global protection under CITES. The film won 11 international awards including The Wildscreen Panda, also known as the Green Oscar. Recently, the film received four stars from the Hindustan Times.
45Nicole Ladmiral, Georges Hubert, André BrunierBlood of the Beasts is a 1949 short French documentary film written and directed by Georges Franju. Blood of the Beasts was Franju's first film and is narrated by Georges Hubert and Nicole Ladmiral. The film features on The Criterion Collection DVD for Eyes Without a Face.
46Paul WatsonAt the Edge of the World is a 2008 documentary film directed by Dan Stone.
47A Sacred Duty
Theodore BikelA Sacred Duty, subtitled Applying Jewish values to help heal the world, is a 2007 60-minute documentary from Jewish Vegetarians of North America, written and produced by Lionel Friedberg. The film focuses on Jewish teachings about caring for the earth, treatment of animals, and the environment, with a focus on vegetarianism. Interviews with rabbis, activists, and scholars are interspersed with footage and stills illustrating the points being discussed.
48Peter Brette, Bonnie Holthus, Frank AmonteThough the Kentucky Derby only lasts two heart-pounding minutes, preparation for the annual event takes years. In this documentary, fraternal filmmakers the Hennegan brothers follow six trainers on their way to the 2006 event. The Hennegans traveled 150,000 miles and filmed 500 hours of footage in their quest to chronicle the road to this epic race in the first Saturday in May.- 49Andrew Ackerman, Pim Bongaerts, Neal CantinChasing Coral is a 2017 documentary film directed by Jeff Orlowski. As coral reefs around the world vanish at an unprecedented rate, a team of divers, photographers, and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world.
50Cat Dancers
Joy Holiday, Ron Holiday, Chuck LizzaCat Dancers (HBO, 2008) is an American documentary film directed by Harris Fishman. The film follows how Ron Holiday, Joy Holiday and Chuck Lizza, aka the "Cat Dancers", became one of the world's first exotic tiger entertainment acts and shared a happy if unorthodox life until it ended in tragedy.- A film crew follows two leopard cubs.
- Celebrating the resurgence of tiger populations and showcasing their triumphant return to the wild. As they reclaim their territories, they venture beyond forest reserves, posing challenges for humans and animals alike.
- 53A young tigress raises her cubs in the forests of India.
- Filmmakers Kip Andersen and Kameron Waters expose unforgiving truths about animal cruelty in the name of religion.
- 55Ron TaylorPhotographer Valerie Taylor becomes a trailblazing advocate for the ocean's most maligned and misunderstood creatures.
- 56John Chester, Molly ChesterThe Biggest Little Farm is a 2019 American documentary film directed by John Chester. When the barking of their beloved dog Todd leads to an eviction notice from their tiny LA apartment, John and Molly Chester make a choice that takes them out of the city and onto 200 acres in the foothills of Ventura County, naively endeavoring to build one of the most diverse farms of its kind in complete coexistence with nature.
