Elephant welfare in zoos is one of the most contested issues in captive animal care, with evidence of significant psychological and physical harm in inadequate facilities.
Zoo elephants in inadequate facilities develop foot disease from hard substrate, arthritis from restricted movement, and stereotypic behaviors from social and cognitive deprivation. The welfare gap between wild and captive elephant life is enormous. Elephants in well-managed large-acreage facilities with appropriate social groups fare better but still face fundamental constraints.