Working elephants in tourism, logging, and religious contexts face significant welfare challenges. Understanding and reforming the conditions of captive working elephants is a major wildlife welfare priority.
Working elephant welfare is complex because many elephants in captivity were captured from the wild or born into captivity through traditional breeding programs, creating multi-generational welfare concerns. The mahout (handler) relationship is central — positive relationships involving trust and understanding significantly improve welfare, while those based on fear and pain cause chronic stress. Welfare-responsible tourism seeks operators who have eliminated riding, use positive reinforcement management, and provide adequate space, social interaction, and enrichment. Phasing out cruel training practices and transitioning toward positive contact or protected contact management represents the realistic path forward for elephants already in captivity.