Elephants provide joy rides to tourists in Amber Fort, Jaipur. Credit: Shubhobroto Ghosh
Elephants in India are at the centre of heated debates, controversies and conservation crises, as incidents involving both wild and captive elephants continue to dominate headlines.
On 18 November 2024, Deivanai, a revered temple elephant in Tamil Nadu, fatally trampled her mahout and his relative, reigniting concerns over the welfare of elephants in religious institutions. The proposal to bring an elephant from Assam to a South Delhi temple sparked a public outcry; and Delhi Zoo has been suspended from the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums for chaining its lone African elephant, Shankar.
Wild elephants are not spared. In Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, at least 10 elephants died after they are thought to have consumed toxic kodo millet, while in West Bengal, a pregnant elephant was killed with a flaming spear, allegedly by so-called ‘hula parties’ of youths entrusted by state governments with chasing away elephants.
Globally, the plight of captive elephants, such as the five African elephants in Colorado who may sue the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for human-like rights, underscores the ethical dilemmas of keeping these intelligent animals in confinement.
A recent study1 lays bare the welfare issues faced by an estimated 17,000 captive elephants worldwide, of which 14,000 are Asian elephants held outside traditional zoos, often in temples, tourism, or logging camps. Despite efforts to improve captive conditions, the study highlights persistent challenges such as space constraints, lack of social structures, inadequate diets, and stereotypic behaviours caused by boredom and stress.
India, home to more than 2,500 captive elephants, already has unique policies including the 2009 Central Zoo Authority directive to ban elephant exhibits in zoos. Yet implementation falters due to the logistical challenges of relocating animals. The elephants’ plight is compounded by tourist attractions such as Amer Fort in Jaipur, where they endure gruelling conditions to provide rides, despite documented health and welfare issues.
Internationally, captive elephant management is under scrutiny. Studies1 emphasize that captive environments fail to replicate the spatial, social, and cognitive richness of the wild. Wild elephants can travel more than 20 kilometres a day, an impossibility for their captive counterparts. Solitary elephants, often isolated in zoos, suffer the most severe psychological effects, including demonstrating continuous swaying — a sign of extreme distress.
India’s evolving approach to captive elephants includes a growing discourse on replacing live animals with robotic alternatives in temples, a point raised recently by the Kerala High Court, which questioned the necessity of elephant parades in religious practices. Elsewhere, efforts to revise wildlife trade laws to integrate animal welfare are gaining traction. Advocacy groups are calling for better alignment between domestic and international legislation to ensure ethical and sustainable wildlife trade practices2.
The future of captive elephants — African and Asian alike — hinges on evidence-based policy reforms, stakeholder collaboration, and the recognition that elephants are sentient beings with complex needs. As recent analysis emphasises, it is crucial for us to determine which animal species should continue to be bred and kept in captivity, and which should not. For elephants in India, we must balance tradition with modern ethics and evidence-based welfare standards.
