Bearing Weight | Podcast on Podbay

Bearing Weight

Weeping Elephant Project

Elephants carry more than we ask them to. So do the people who care for them. Bearing Weight is a podcast about the untold stories of elephants and the veterinarians, caregivers, researchers, advocates, and sanctuary leaders around the world who have dedicated their lives to them.These are honest, grounded conversations about what it really takes to put elephants first: the science, the sacrifice, the hard-won knowledge, and the quiet, daily work that rarely makes headlines. At a time when elephant welfare organizations often work in isolation, Bearing Weight is a space for their voices to gather — so their work can be found, understood, and supported.Hosted by David Ebert, Founder, and Danielle Carnahan, Executive Director of the Weeping Elephant Project, this podcast invites you to slow down, listen closely, and sit with the realities we too often look past.The stories are heavy, and they're worth carrying.

Putting Elephants First — with Katherine Connor

What does it actually take for a traumatized elephant to begin to heal? And what does it mean to be a truly ethical traveler in a world where every venue calls itself a sanctuary?In part two of our conversation with Katherine Connor, we move from her personal story into the broader landscape of elephant welfare in Thailand. Kat takes us inside the recovery process at BLES — where no two elephants heal the same way, and where true sanctuary means recognizing that trauma sits differently in every individual. She challenges the misconception that rescue is a fairy tale, and shares what it really looks like when an elephant finally feels safe.We also explore one of the most misunderstood relationships in elephant welfare: the bond between elephants and their mahouts. Kat makes a compelling and compassionate case for why mahouts are not the enemy — and why the responsibility for change lies with all of us.This is a conversation that will challenge the way you think about tourism, advocacy, and what it truly means to put elephants first.About Katherine Connor & BLESKatherine Connor is the founder of Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary in Sukhothai, Thailand — one of the world's most respected true sanctuaries for elephants. BLES has been operating for 20+ years and has rescued over 45 elephants in Boon Lott's name, providing them with hundreds of acres of land, a mahout family that has cared for elephants for generations, and a life defined by freedom, space, and dignity.🌐 blesele.org 📸 Instagram: @blesele 🐘 Adopt an elephant: blesele.org/adopt 💛 Donate: blesele.org/financial-giftAbout the Weeping Elephant ProjectThe Weeping Elephant Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and affecting change for circus and zoo elephants in the United States. Bearing Weight is our effort to bring voices together — because the work is stronger when it's shared.Consider donating to support the work we're doing: weepingelephant.org🌐 weepingelephant.org 📸 Instagram: @weepingelephantprojectIf you haven't listened yet, go back and start with Part One — A Promise to Boon Lott — to hear Katherine's full origin story and the remarkable life of the elephant who started it all.

Mar 19

36 min