Elephant sanctuaries provide refuge for rescued working, circus, and zoo elephants, with welfare depending critically on herd formation, space, and freedom from performance demands.
Elephant sanctuaries represent a significant welfare improvement over circuses, logging camps, and many zoos, but their quality varies enormously. The best sanctuaries provide vast acreage allowing natural ranging behavior, form companion groups allowing social bonding, use positive reinforcement training for necessary health management, and allow elephants to make choices about their environment and social interactions. Welfare-positive sanctuaries prohibit riding, performances, and close public contact. Poor-quality sanctuaries restrict movement, allow public bathing and riding, and use hook-based control methods. The Global Sanctuary for Elephants and similar projects demonstrate that rescued elephants can recover from severe trauma when given appropriate space and social conditions.