Frank Pope came to elephants by accident. He spent years with his eyes fixed on the ocean, until he looked into the eye of an elephant in Samburu and felt the same thing he'd felt looking into a whale's eye. That was enough.

In this episode, Frank takes us inside the research engine at Save the Elephants, from using AI to assess camera-trap footage to reveal that scientists were missing 30% of elephants in aerial surveys, to the groundbreaking study that proved elephants give each other names. We also wrestle with the harder question underneath all of it — whether the upsides of AI in conservation are worth the misinformation, fake fundraising campaigns, and displacement it leaves in its wake.

This is a conversation about science, technology, legacy, and what it means to keep fighting for a future that isn't guaranteed.

Frank Pope is the CEO of Save the Elephants, an organization founded by the late Ian Douglas-Hamilton — one of the most significant figures in elephant conservation history, and Frank's father-in-law. Under Frank's leadership, Save the Elephants operates at the center of a continental network of more than 120 organizations across Africa, funding field research, supporting local communities, and developing the tools that are redefining how we understand and protect elephants in the wild.

💛 Donate to support their mission

🌐 savetheelephants.org
📸 Instagram: @savetheelephants

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 those voices together — because the work is stronger when it's shared.

Consider donating to support the work we're doing, and follow along with our work:

🌐 weepingelephant.org
📸 Instagram: @weepingelephantproject