Elephant welfare in zoos is among the most challenging and scrutinized in captive animal management, requiring vast space, complex social groups, and behavioral autonomy.
Elephant welfare in zoos represents an ongoing ethical crisis. Stereotypic weaving, head-bobbing, and foot problems in aging zoo elephants reflect decades of inadequate housing. While modern zoo exhibits are dramatically larger than their predecessors, the fundamental challenge - that elephants evolved for vast, complex landscapes and cannot thrive in fixed facilities - may be insurmountable. Sanctuary transfer for elephants that fail to thrive in zoo environments is increasingly recognized as a welfare-positive option.