Foot problems are the leading cause of euthanasia in zoo elephants — foot care programmes combining substrate management, exercise, and veterinary monitoring are welfare essentials.
Elephant foot health is one of the clearest welfare measures in zoo keeping, and failure is measured in premature deaths. Hard concrete substrates, insufficient exercise, and poor foot care routines create a predictable pathway to chronic pain, lameness, and euthanasia. Best practice requires daily foot inspections, regular trimming by skilled keepers, substrate variety (deep sand, grass, packed earth), and sufficient exercise through large enclosures or keeper-managed walks. Positive reinforcement training enables cooperative foot care without the stress of forced restraint. Arthritis management with appropriate analgesia improves quality of life. Welfare-progressive zoos measure and publish foot health outcomes as accountability metrics.