Thousands of Asian elephants are used in tourism, logging, and religious ceremonies. Their welfare is compromised by training methods, workload, and inadequate veterinary care in many contexts.
Working elephant welfare in Asia exists on a spectrum from severely compromised to reasonably managed, depending on the context, ownership, and management approach. Tourism elephants performing for visitors, giving rides, or engaging in contact interactions show the most consistent welfare deficits. The phajaan training process historically used to make elephants manageable involves severe physical and psychological abuse. Sanctuaries using positive reinforcement and observation-only visitor models demonstrate that elephants can be managed humanely without coercive methods. Consumer choices about elephant tourism directly determine the economic viability of different welfare models.