Elephants in Zoos: Conservation Gains versus Welfare Losses

Abstract

Abstract The first recorded elephant in England arrived in 1255; a gift to King Henry III from King Louis IX of France. Elephants have been kept in zoos in the United States for over 200 years and, throughout the world, they are extremely popular with zoo visitors. Since the 1980s there have been captive breeding programmes for elephants in zoos but these have not been successful in creating self-sustaining zoo populations. Many people now believe that the welfare compromises endured by captive elephants outweigh any actual or potential benefits for elephant conservation that accrue from their being kept in zoos. Although there have been recent improvements in the longevity of elephants living in zoos, many zoos have given up keeping elephants and some have sent their animals to elephant sanctuaries. This case study considers the relative merits of the claims that elephants living in zoos have conservation and scientific functions and the counter-claims that, not only do they have no legitimate function, but they suffer significant welfare harms.