The sudden passing of Paul O’Grady at 67 just a year ago left the nation grieving the loss of a beloved TV personality and animal advocate.
Known for his deep love for animals, as seen in his show For The Love Of Dogs, Paul’s legacy of compassion extended even after his death, with £775,000 from his will being donated to animal charities.
It feels fitting that his final TV series also focuses on animal welfare. Paul O’Grady’s Great Elephant Adventure is a touching tribute, highlighting his connection with animals—this time with elephants.
The series, filmed in December 2022, just three months before Paul’s passing, follows his journey to Thailand and Laos, where he visits sanctuaries that care for elephants rescued from harsh treatment in the tourism and logging industries.
Asian elephants are endangered, with Thailand’s population having dropped by 75 percent over the past 35 years, leaving just 7,000 remaining.
In Laos, the number of elephants has plummeted to between 500 and 1,000—only a third of what it was two decades ago.
While at Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand, Paul formed a special bond with Lotus, a rescued elephant.
Katherine Connor, a British woman who left her life in London to establish the sanctuary 20 years ago, recalls the moment Lotus connected with Paul.
“When Paul arrived, Lotus went straight to him,” she said, noting that such instant connections between elephants and humans are rare.
“It’s a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of thing. Paul adopted Lotus and sent me money for her every month until he passed. He had the biggest heart.”
Paul also spent time at the Elephant Nature Park, Thailand’s largest elephant rescue center, which is home to 120 elephants, many of whom bear injuries from years of abuse.
While playing with two young elephants, Chobah and Pyimee, Paul narrowly avoided being knocked over by the playful pair.
“They were running around like crazy, not realizing their strength,” recalls producer Rory Dalziel. “We had a couple of close calls, but we managed to pull Paul out of the way just in time.”
Rory shared that there were plans for more documentaries before Paul’s unexpected death. “He wanted to do a series about the wild dogs of Canada,” Rory said. “We also had ideas for a show about African elephants. Paul had so many plans.”
This final series, focusing on his love for elephants, is all the more meaningful in light of those unfulfilled dreams.