Meghan Markle gushes over elephants in first interview after Megxit: 'They're a lot more like us'
Meghan Markle has made her return to the small screen in an interview given to 'Good Morning America' where she spoke about being a narrator on Disneynature's documentary 'Elephant' and expressed her fondness for the animal.
The Duchess of Sussex, 38, spoke about her part in the Disneynature documentary about a herd of elephants preparing to migrate 1,000 miles beginning from the Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa, in a never-before-seen interview that was taped last Summer and aired on Good Morning America on Monday, April 20.
The show aired the interview -- where Meghan talks about her gratitude for being involved in the project, as well as her special relationship with elephants -- alongside footage from the documentary, which released as a Disney+ exclusive on April 3.
"I'm really grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of bringing a story about elephants to life," Meghan said. "I've been very lucky to be able to have hands-on experience with elephants in their natural habitat."
'Elephants' follows a herd led by a matriarch called Gaia and her younger sister Shani, who has helped her keep their family safe, as they migrate across the desert in search of water. Footage released on 'Good Morning America' includes clips of Meghan narrating scenes where the elephants are playing in the water and having a "pool party" and traveling across a dry landscape.
It also includes a moment when the herd is approached by lions. "This... is unsettling," the Duchess narrates. "Gaia must show her family is strong. The predators shouldn't waste their time."
In her interview, she spoke about how she hopes the documentary will teach people how similar they are to elephants and encourage their conservation efforts.
"When you spend time with connecting with them and the other wildlife, you really understand we have a role to play in their preservation and their safety," she said. "These creatures are so majestic and at the same time they are so sensitive and so connected."
"We see in this film just how remarkable they are; their memories are amazing, the close connection of the herd, the protectiveness of their young. I think they're a lot more like us than they are different."
Profits from the proceeds of the documentary will go towards 'Elephants Without Borders,' a charitable organization dedicating to conserving not just elephants, but all wildlife and natural resources.
Meghan had joined Prince Harry in teaming up with EWB to assist with conservation efforts taking place in Botswana, where the organization is based, in 2017. The royal couple had traveled to the country on an annual holiday to assist Dr. Mike Chase and gotten up close and personal with elephants. Photos of the trip were later posted on the Sussex Royal Instagram page, including one where Meghan was caressing one of their trunks.
"I hope that when people see this film, they realize how connected we all are," she said. "If we have more of an awareness about the obstacles they're facing, we'd take care of each other, this planet, and animals in a very different way."