Elephants used in tourism throughout Asia face severe welfare problems from capture, training, and ongoing conditions of captivity.
Captive elephants in the tourism industry endure a welfare crisis that spans their entire lives. Many are captured from the wild or born into captivity, subjected to breaking procedures involving physical coercion and isolation, and then spent decades carrying tourists or performing tricks. The chronic stress, physical injuries from hard surfaces and heavy loads, and social deprivation from solitary confinement or incompatible groupings make this one of the most significant welfare issues affecting charismatic megafauna.