Foot problems are the leading cause of premature death in captive elephants, directly linked to hard substrate, reduced movement, and inadequate foot care practices.
Elephants are built for movement — their anatomy, physiology, and psychology assume daily long-distance travel on varied terrain. Captive environments that confine them to hard flooring with limited movement create conditions under which foot disease is almost inevitable. The suffering involved in chronic foot disease — lameness, abscess, joint disease — is significant and prolonged. Modern zoological management increasingly recognizes that addressing elephant welfare requires not just foot care protocols but fundamental changes in how much space and movement opportunities captive elephants receive.