Global Rumblings Podcast

Episode 67: "Rethinking Elephants – The Bigger Conversation"

Date: March 9, 2026
Hosts: Nadia Mari (Elephants in Japan), Kat & Scott Blais (Co-founders, Global Sanctuary for Elephants)

Episode Overview

In this engaging transition episode, the Global Rumblings hosts reflect on three years and 67 episodes of sharing the realities of sanctuary life—and announce a new focus for the podcast: deeper, holistic conversations about elephants themselves, their welfare, history, and the complexities of captivity versus sanctuary. The conversation is honest, celebratory, sometimes weary, and always passionate about offering insight and provoking thought about the lives of elephants.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Celebrating the Community and Podcast Milestone

• Shout-out to loyal listeners, especially "DVS05" in Australia, for bingeing 65 episodes (00:31–02:27)
• Recognition of reaching Season 4 and episode 67:

  "Only a third of new podcasts survive the first year... Here we are, season four, our fourth year, and we are at episode 67."
  — Nadia (08:07)

2. Update: Sanctuary License & Regulatory Pressures

• Good news: Suspension of the sanctuary’s operating license, which restricted new animal intakes, has been lifted, though the process is ongoing (03:59–04:05)

  “It is a good step forward... It does show that they are seeing a little bit more of the truth behind the picture... But it’s not done.”
  — Kat (04:05)

• Significant regulatory scrutiny continues, with demands for further documentation—raising the issue of how politics and influence can jeopardize sanctuaries (04:05–06:57)

  "It just takes one person of influence and all of the people that he can wrangle to flip that on its head... Nobody else can come even remotely close to the standard of care that we provide."
  — Scott (05:24)

• Listeners encouraged to continue supporting, especially by sharing the online petition (06:57)

3. Context: Reflecting on Three Years of Podcasting

• Recap of the journey: from candid stories of founding the sanctuary, travels for property search in Brazil, first elephant arrivals, heartbreaks, and joys (08:07–10:22)

4. Podcast Evolution: Deeper Dive into Elephant Life

• Shift from daily sanctuary updates to more profound topics about elephants—behavior, trauma, neuroscience, welfare, and history (10:22–15:35)

  "We're going to go back a little bit... people say you guys talk about stuff nobody else talks about, because a lot of people are scared to talk about the struggles and the negative..."
  — Kat (10:58)

• Upcoming topics: physiological toll of captivity, herd dynamics, emotional impacts of separation, historical context of elephants in captivity, and the ethics of it all (13:31)

  "What price does the body pay of an elephant if they are in captivity?... Who are elephants? What does it actually mean for such an emotional being to possibly be split from a herd?"
  — Nadia (13:31)

• Listeners are invited to suggest topics:

  "If there is anything that you as a listener would like to hear about or learn more about, do send us an email."
  — Nadia (14:58)

5. The Realities of External Scrutiny: Recent Veterinary Review

• Recent inspection by Federal Veterinary Council-appointed professionals, who visited GSE as well as other facilities involved in a current court case over elephant relocation (15:35–18:37)

  • Initial reactions from veterinarians were overwhelmingly positive and eye-opening

  “The sanctuary is completely demystified now. I never imagined you guys could do and are doing what you’re doing. I’ve heard the stories and seen the videos, but the reality is unfathomable...”
  — Scott relaying visiting vet's feedback (17:25)

• Importance of not publicly denigrating other institutions, keeping doors open for education and cooperation (18:37–19:27)

6. Nuanced Perspective: Veterinary Care in Zoos vs. Sanctuary

• Discussion on systemic shortcomings in zoo environments highlighted by staff-to-animal ratio, undermining the often-cited argument that zoos provide superior care (19:27–20:53)

  "You have 1,300 animals, and that's multiple animals a day... And you have five veterinarians to do it, including days off, including vacation. One of the zoos has 1,500 animals and three veterinarians."
  — Scott (19:27)

• GSE veterinarian Matthias is acknowledged as a leader in the field due to the breadth of hands-on experience, especially with geriatric elephants

7. Optimism and Validation from External Reviews

• Anticipation that transparent, third-party reviews becoming public record will dispel unfounded criticism and validate sanctuary efforts (20:53–22:36)

  "We don't see that visit as a negative... I think it's great that we're going to have official veterinary board reports that we can then reference afterwards."
  — Kat (21:36)

• The team’s composure and seamless caregiving during the inspection showcased sanctuary standards:

  "Our girls are rock stars... and our caregivers."
  — Kat & Scott (23:02)

8. Final Thoughts & Looking Ahead

• Mood of calm and optimism as the hosts contemplate new podcast directions and future official validations
• Ongoing commitment to transparency, open dialogue, and centering elephants (23:46–24:46)

  "Thanks for sharing that... Let's all calm down and take some Zen and take a deep breath."
  — Nadia (23:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On why deeper topics are needed:

  "When we talk about elephant communication... What is the nature of elephant communication with a traumatized individual? Completely different topic."
  — Scott (11:42)

• On the impact of working with elephants on humans:

  "Elephants are good at cracking you open... they're exposing us to something very different, in a broader spectrum of emotion—both happy and sad."
  — Scott (12:24)

• On the effects of scrutiny:

  "It’s ridiculous because as we mentioned, nobody else can come even remotely close to the standard of care that we provide... But as is always, sanctuaries are held to a different standard."
  — Kat (06:00)

• On external validation:

  "The sanctuary is completely demystified now... I heard all the stuff on social media and saw that backlash. None of that is true... the life you can provide is unfathomable."
  — Visiting vet (as relayed by Scott, 17:25)

Important Timestamps

• 00:31–02:27 – Listener shout-outs, Australian binge-listener award
• 03:59–06:57 – Sanctuary license update, bureaucratic hurdles, and standards
• 08:07–10:22 – Milestone reflection and podcast journey so far
• 10:22–15:35 – Introduction of the new "bigger conversation" focus
• 15:35–18:37 – Federal Veterinary Council visit and its impact
• 19:27–20:53 – Zoo vs. sanctuary care, staff comparison
• 20:53–22:36 – The potential power of official reports/public record
• 23:46–24:46 – Embracing a calm, optimistic tone moving forward

Tone & Takeaways

Candid, compassionate, sometimes weary—but ultimately hopeful and committed to change, the episode charts a new course for the podcast. Listeners are assured that the podcast's evolution into a more complex conversation about elephants, grounded in both experience and science, will reveal not only the realities of sanctuary life, but provoke broader reflection on humanity’s relationship with elephants.