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 & BLES

Katherine 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 Project

The 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.