Tom Hardy’s Poaching Wars

Having investigated rhino and elephant poaching in South Africa in episode one, Hollywood Brit heartthrob Tom Hardy is concluding his journey in the southwest of the continent. Ready with yet more tricky questions, Hardy camps with the Botswana Defence Force, which patrols the boarder to fend off poachers – something he finds out Mozambique can’t afford to do – and visits a rhino sanctuary in Tanzania.

While exploring, he reveals how rapidly numbers of these animals are declining and the cost of ivory on the black market, in a way that’s not patronising, but likeable. Perhaps it’s his slip of ‘fucking heck’ when a fanboat blows him over, or his cooing at Mr Brrr the baby elephant that expose his everyman qualities. These make him more relatable than, for example, Joanna Lumley chatting about cats in her plummy tones, and infinitely easier to listen to when he’s talking about a subject that is alien to the UK.

The eradication of illegal poaching isn’t happening any time soon, but Hardy’s showbiz megawatts are shining a revealing light on behalf of the people who are working towards it.