Captive elephants in zoos and sanctuaries face fundamental welfare challenges given the incompatibility of their needs with captivity.
Elephants represent perhaps the hardest welfare challenge in captivity — they are simply too cognitively complex, socially sophisticated, and physically demanding to be adequately accommodated in standard zoo environments. Foot disease, stereotypic behaviors, and reduced lifespans are endemic. Sanctuaries in natural range countries with large, naturalistic spaces come closer to meeting their needs.