Elephant Evolution is Science Fiction

July 2026

Evolution: 1 of 5, the Elephant

A review by Rev Peter Ratcliff

I watched a programme on BBC2 on 14th July 2026 called Evolution of the Elephant by Chris Packham. It should have been a tour de force of evolution but it gave no evidence at all, just a story of fiction. Then I read Genesis 1 and it was beautiful and stood head and shoulders above evolution. So why not ditch the evolution theory and follow the Bible creation account?

The Elephant is the first of a five part series of hour-long TV programmes called Evolution, presented by Chris Packham.

Packham got a degree in zoology in the 1980s, studying animal behaviour and became a TV presenter. In recent years he became a controversial environmental activist.

Now however we find Packham rather out of his depth on television, making claims that his belief in evolution is supposedly “truth”. The implication is not stated in the programme : that the Bible’s six thousand year creation is false because Packham “knows” that everything came into existence, not by God, but by billions of years of nothing going bang and then evolving by making mistakes.

Controversial? You would think so. Yet Packham does not argue his case as a scientist might, but rather presents what could better be described as “science fiction”. Strangely absent is any scientific argument, evidence or proof. Rather the whole matter is presented in a manner more like how the Bible reads, “Thus saith the Lord”. It is as if Packham has a different Bible. Atheists object to the way that the Bible merely declares the truth of God and creation without argument or explanation but ironically Packham presents his evolution in a similar manner. In fact Packham is far less reasonable than the Bible. At least the Bible begins with a cause, God, and explains the purpose of mankind. Packham does nothing of the sort, presenting only a meaningless science fiction story.

Being presented by Chris Packham on the BBC, this programme will confirm and influence people to ridicule creation and follow atheistic evolution.

We might have expected this Evolution programme to challenge Biblical creation. Christians should openly admit that we must face arguments against us and we should give a response.

We might find such a prospect daunting but amazingly this programme gives no such challenge! There is no evidence presented and therefore nothing against biblical creation to unsettle us.

The hour-long programme gave nothing at all convincing to prove anything about evolution or against biblical creation !

Packham keeps using the word "truth", a biblical word, but ironically he is using it to describe nothing that is truth. Rather Packham simply stated what he believed to be facts, but with no evidence or proof given, not even an argument.

The excuse for evolution is that it took billions of years so the evidence is invisible.

Packham says that all created things came from one cell. All cells battled for survival.

Then came one cell called "Luca" standing for "last universal common ancestor", a cell from which every living thing including plants and people all evolved.

Therefore the argument, or perhaps the circular reasoning, is that there must be a shared origin. (Yes and no. A shared creator!)

Packham says he must skip over a few billion years.

Why? What is wrong, we cry!

Now Packham has a bit of sludge in his hand and is saying how complex it is. O that Packham might have a Bible in his hand and say how much more wonderful it is.

O that Packham might read the end of the book of Job and read about the wonders of creation !

I am astonished, but not surprised, that the BBC are allowed to broadcast Packham's unsubstantiated science fiction as science. What is hard to stomach is that Packham has free range to present this 100% uncritically.

A creationist would never be allowed to broadcast a biblical view of creation on BBC, never mind to be critical of Packham's fantasy story of evolution. If creation was ever presented it would only be in the context of a lion's den of being mocked with the evolutionist lions always having the last bite.

Packham says all evolution was/is fuelled by mistakes, which after billions of years adapt to capture sunlight, feed on decay etc etc....

But there is NO EVIDENCE. IT IS ALL A FANTASY.

Now Packham says he is introducing us to the first tiny creature, the ancestor of elephants and of us, a tiny little thing like a mite.

Then he is watching ants eating and he is pulling some out of his arm. But so what?

Now we need a few hundred million years.

And ah, here we go, we have a little worm in the sea. Of course, that makes sense. Or does it? No.

But now we need oxygen apparently which is hard to get as there is very little oxygen at the bottom of the sea.

Then after billions of years the worm adapted to take on more oxygen and grow bigger and stronger. (So says Packham!) until a whole new bodypart evolved.

Then the emergence of gills was a huge advance!

Apparently gills grew on something like a worm but getting more oxygen so getting bigger.

So apparently everything descended from a creature with gills, even us.

Why did we ditch gills? Asks Packham.

Now jumping 300 million years from a lungfish breathing air, limbs start developing.

Now, 30 minutes into the programme, Packham gets to 66 million years ago. Having covered a few billion years in 30 minutes, Packham will do this small remaining period in 30 minutes or less. And just to think, people mock when the Bible says that with God a thousand years is but as a day.

Now we have the extinction of dinosaurs. Ha, it seems like we are dodging about here Chris, but it was an asteroid impact?

Now a little animal called a Tree Hyrax is supposedly a close relative of the elephant.

Now with dinosaurs extinct other creatures get on well, including plants. But many plants make themselves very indigestible to avoid being eaten.

Packham claims that if a zebra cannot digest cellulose then what chance had previous less evolved creatures?

Now Packham talks of different organisms working together, for example termites with termite fungus. Sounds like God made it to me!

So now we have the evolution of gut bacteria. Packham admits there is no evidence of this evolving.

Nearly 43 minutes into the programme now....

Then 20 million years on we have a creature called a probosidean, something looking like an early version of a warthog. Then comes a nose pointing forward..

Then came a creature with a bend in the leg called a knee so it could eat from the ground!

I know...surely the elephant will grow a nose so as not to have to bend down.

Yes, really folks, that was all that Packham said in an hour-long programme that was supposed to prove that we were not created by God, "fearfully and wonderfully made" but that we evolved!

The programme ends with a kind of advert for the next programme in the series. He ironically or blasphemously calls evolution "the tree of life", all evolved from Luca! Notably there is no mention of the other tree, “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”.

A BETTER VIEW

This programme was, at best, complete nonsense. True science fiction. God made us and we need to quit the evolution fairytale and turn to Christ to be washed from our sins and recreated in the image of God.

Now consider the Bible: that is something for which there is evidence!

Go and read Genesis 1.

There is simply no comparison to the story that Packham told. Packham told an entirely imaginary story with no meaning or purpose or hope. But when we read Genesis 1, we are amazed.

For a start Genesis speaks about God doing everything, so you know that the power of creation is intentional and under control. Packham has no explanation whatsoever for why the world is here.

The next thing you read in the Bible is that everything was created in order and that it was good. There is none of this with Packham, only the vague idea that mistakes must have become positive after billions of unknown years. This is not saying that we learn from our mistakes. Strange!

The next thing in the Bible is that man was created in the image of God.

This is absolutely beautiful and wonderful.

With Packham there is no mention of God or of anything good and in Packham's view man is literally no better than slime. I wonder how his atheist view can inspire anyone.

The next thing in the Bible, in chapter 2, is that we get rest, just what we so desperately need. There is no rest in Packham's view. No blessing. No peace. Packham only had a continual survival of the fittest war with no peace.

None of what Packham says provides what the soul needs. The Bible perfectly fits the reality of who we are. In Genesis 3 we even understand the origin of the shame of mn and God's provision of clothing both for our bodies and our shame. In comparison Packham’s evolution lacks provision for the soul. It is indeed soulless.

The atheistic evolutionary alternative is not based on better evidence or science than the Bible but is simply a poor attempt to justify atheism.

When you know your Creator then the fraud of evolution is easy to spot.

Nevertheless I think that if the BBC made a film running the two views alongside each other it would be clear enough that the Bible gives the true account.