Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure follows the much-missed entertainer’s journey to Asia to learn about the plight of endangered elephants.
In the two-part show, beginning on ITV1 this Easter, Paul O’Grady, who sadly passed away last March, travelled to Thailand and Laos to meet rescued elephants and those who care for them.
Here’s everything we know about Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure…
Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure release date
The first episode airs on Easter Sunday, March 31 on ITV1 at 8pm and the concluding part airs on Sunday, April 7. The series will also be available on ITVX.
Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure - what is it about?
The series is the last show that Paul O’Grady filmed before his sudden death and in it, the animal-lover, who also hosted For the Love of Dogs, got the chance to meet some of the world’s most revered but endangered creatures.
To discover more about the Asian elephant, whose population is dwindling, he visited several wildlife sanctuaries to explore the conservation work being done to care for the elephants, many of whom have been rescued from gruelling jobs that have left them with permanent disabilities.
“There is something special about elephants,” said Paul. “Across Asia they are revered as deities, but life can be tough for these gentle giants and their numbers are plummeting.”
At Elephant Nature Park in northern Thailand, he helped to treat elderly elephants, while at Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary in the jungles of central Thailand, he met a trio dubbed the ‘Gossip Girls’, who all have foot and leg issues. He also dropped in at Friends of the Asian Elephant, the world’s first elephant hospital, and marvelled at plucky patient Motala, who has a prosthetic leg after being injured by a landmine.
Then, after visiting Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) in the south of the country to see rescued elephants who have been used for breeding or in the tourism industry, Paul visited the Elephant Conservation Centre in neighbouring Laos, where a breeding programme aims to rebuild the decreasing elephant population.
“Once they get injured or too old to work, their futures can come under threat, but these parks are a refuge for them to live out their days,” said Paul. “It has been a privilege to get so close to these animals.”
Paul O'Grady's Great Elephant Adventure - exclusive interview with sanctuary worker Tom Taylor
You are Operations Manager at Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), one of several sanctuaries that Paul visited. How would you describe WFFT’s work?
“WFFT protects, rescues, rehabilitates and cares for exploited wildlife. We rescue maltreated wild animals from captivity and give them a place to spend the rest of their lives, which is as close to their natural environment as possible.”
Why do you love your job?
“I manage our wildlife rescue centre, coordinating rescue missions and working on illegal wildlife trade investigations. I’ve worked for WFFT for around 12 years and love helping return animals to the wild or provide them with a better life.
“Our animals come from terrible situations and are frequently traumatised from their previous lives. But their chains come off, they have no more tourists on their backs and watching their behaviour change from being fearful and stressed to calm and relaxed is rewarding.”
What was it like having Paul visit?
“Amazing! He’s been one of my inspirations for as long as I can remember. He was a wonderful man, who really cared for animals, from helping dogs in the UK to shining a light on the plight of other animals, including the elephants of Thailand. Paul did not want to leave at the end of filming with us. He loved every minute and was so interested to meet all the animals and those taking care of them.”
How did he react when he heard of your elephants’ distressing earlier lives?
“He was deeply moved, shocked and frustrated when he learnt about some of the terrible things they had endured. But he loved them all and they responded to his calm demeanour and kindness.”
He seemed to particularly connect to Pun…
“Yes, Pun was rescued by WFFT in 2015. She had been used as a breeding elephant and her calves were sold as working elephants. Pun and Paul instantly had a bond, we had a celebration for her birthday and she was given lots of treats and spent some quality time with Paul.”
What else did Paul assist with at the sanctuary?
“Paul was a great help feeding and cleaning the elephants. He met Jum Nong, who had been malnourished and had skin issues. He also saw Boon Chuey, one of our many elderly elephants who were used for logging or ridden by tourists, and have deformities or chronic conditions such as arthritis. Now, Boon Chuey has non-invasive laser therapy to ease her pain.”
And he met one of your tigers, Susu, who has mobility issues…
“Yes, Susu spent at least a decade chained to a concrete slab at a zoo being forced to have photographs with tourists. Now, she has permanent disabilities in her spine, as a result of bad diet, lack of sunlight and being restricted to a short chain. Paul helped with her health check.”
Finally, what would you like viewers to take away from the show?
“I hope people see what damage the animal tourism industry does to individual animals and species as a whole. And I hope Paul's love for the animals shines through and people understand why he showed so much care and respect to them.”
To find out more about Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, head to wfft.org
