Bearing Weight

Weeping Elephant Project
  • 5.0 (1)
  • NON-PROFIT

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.

Episodes

  1. 1H AGO

    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-gift About 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: @weepingelephantproject If 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.

    37 min

  2. 1H AGO

    A Promise to Boon Lott — with Katherine Connor

    At 21 years old, Katherine Connor quit her job, left London, and flew to Thailand — drawn by a lifelong love of elephants she had never actually seen. What she found there would change everything. In this episode, Kat shares the origin story behind Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary — from traveling to over 30 elephant venues in search of one that truly put elephants first, to a chance encounter with a premature baby elephant named Boon Lott that would redefine the entire course of her life. This is a conversation about love, grief, purpose, and what it means to dedicate your life to something bigger than yourself. It is one of the most extraordinary origin stories we have ever heard. 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-gift About 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: @weepingelephantproject Don't miss Part Two of our conversation with Katherine Connor — Putting Elephants First — where we dive into elephant tourism in Thailand, the role of mahouts, and what recovery truly looks like for elephants once they arrive at a true sanctuary.

    40 min

  3. TRAILER

    Bearing Weight Trailer

    What do the people on the front lines of elephant welfare and conservation have in common? They carry a weight most of us will never fully understand — and they carry it anyway. Bearing Weight is a podcast hosted by David Ebert and Danielle Carnahan of the Weeping Elephant Project, dedicated to bringing together the voices of researchers, sanctuary founders, and advocates doing the work for elephants every day. In a world where animal protection organizations often work in isolation, this is a space for their stories to live in one place — for listeners, collaborators, and funders alike. In this teaser, you'll hear from: Frank Pope — CEO of Save the ElephantsKatherine Connor — Founder of Boon Lott's Elephant SanctuaryDavid Ebert — Founder of the Weeping Elephant Project, on why he created this podcast and what he hopes it becomesAbout Bearing WeightBearing Weight is hosted by David Ebert, Founder of the Weeping Elephant Project, and Danielle Carnahan, Executive Director of the Weeping Elephant Project. Together they're building a central space where the people doing elephant work can share what they do, connect with collaborators, and be heard by the people who need to find them. About 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 and ideas together within the elephant welfare and conservation space— because the work is stronger when it's shared. 💛 Consider donating to our mission: weepingelephant.org 📸 Instagram: @weepingelephantproject New episodes coming soon. Follow or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss them.

    3 min

Trailer

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Weeping Elephant Project
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Weeping Elephant Project
  • Show Website
    Bearing Weight