In zoos and safari parks across the United States, elephants are trapped in environments that strip them of nearly everything natural to their species. These intelligent, emotionally rich beings—who travel vast distances in family-led herds and live for decades—are confined to small, artificial spaces, often in isolation. Captivity hasn’t preserved elephants. It has broken them.

The average wild elephant may live more than 60 years. In captivity, they often die before reaching 20. These shortened lifespans are compounded by physical ailments like arthritis, foot rot, and obesity, and psychological harm that manifests in repetitive rocking, swaying, or bar biting. These are not quirks. They are signs of neurological distress, sometimes likened to trauma-induced brain damage, PeerJ reports.

Elephants in captivity often die decades younger than those in the wild.

Welfare in Name Only

Despite public claims of conservation and education, the conditions inside many zoos paint a bleaker reality. Elephants—who in the wild walk 10 to 50 kilometers a day—are confined to enclosures often smaller than two acres. In the wild, they travel in complex, multigenerational herds. According to Born Free, in captivity, they may live alone or in groups as small as three.

Zoo breeding programs fare no better. High infant mortality plagues captive populations, and many elephants are subjected to invasive artificial insemination procedures.

Chai, an elephant at the Oklahoma City Zoo, endured over 100 such procedures before dying from a systemic infection and severe fat loss. As Conservation Mag reports, she had previously lost her only calf to a herpesvirus known to thrive in captive herds.

In one especially disturbing trend, wild elephants are still being captured and shipped to U.S. zoos. Conservation Mag shared the story of Mlilo, a wild-born elephant from Eswatini, who was pregnant when she was flown to the Dallas Zoo in 2016. Her calf was born two months later. Like many young male elephants in captivity, he will likely be separated from his mother in the name of managing genetic diversity.

Zoo-born elephants face a 40% chance of dying before age five.

Broken Bodies, Broken Bonds

Captive elephants suffer from more than space deprivation. They are deprived of social and sensory stimulation essential to their well-being.

Wild elephants form deep social bonds and show signs of grief and empathy. They have been seen standing vigil over the bones of their dead. In zoos, where elephants are often transferred between facilities for breeding or management, those bonds are routinely severed.

One elephant, Suki, was shuttled between zoos and circuses before being labeled “unmanageable.” She now lives alone at a zoo in Washington state, diagnosed with uterine tumors and tuberculosis, Conservation Mag rpeorts. Like Suki, many captive elephants exist not in cohesive herds but in states of chronic isolation.

Elephants are also one of the most dangerous animals to keep in captivity, responsible for more zookeeper deaths than any other species. No amount of training can erase their strength or unpredictability when confined. Still, some zoos continue to offer close-contact programs that allow visitors to touch or ride them.

Elephants mourn their dead and grieve when separated from family.

The Global Shift Away from Captivity

Around the world, countries are taking steps to phase out elephant captivity. As Born Free reports, the United Kingdom announced its intention to ban elephants in zoos by the end of the decade. Nations such as India, Mexico, Israel, and Austria already prohibit the keeping of elephants for entertainment. Some U.S. zoos have also voluntarily closed their elephant exhibits on ethical grounds, including facilities in Detroit, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Yet in the United States, many elephants remain trapped. Legal efforts to classify them as “persons” deserving of liberty have repeatedly failed. Most recently, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that five elephants at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo did not have the right to challenge their confinement through habeas corpus.

As Denver Post reports, the decision reaffirmed that, under current law, elephants—no matter how intelligent—are considered property, not individuals.

Captive elephants suffer from arthritis, obesity, and painful foot infections.

A Legislative Turning Point

Now, there’s a new path forward. The Captivity of Helpless Elephants Reduction Act of 2025—known as the CHER Act—seeks to amend the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit keeping elephants in zoos and safari parks nationwide. Introduced by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the bill would end captive breeding and public display, and mandate the relocation of all elephants to accredited wildlife sanctuaries within three years.

These sanctuaries must meet rigorous criteria, including naturalistic environments, no breeding or exhibition, and lifelong care. The CHER Act also allows for federal grants to help facilitate elephant transfers and educate the public on why this transition matters.

The Future Elephants Deserve

The ethical case is clear. Captivity cannot offer elephants the space, social complexity, or autonomy they need to thrive. No amount of enclosure enrichment or advanced veterinary care can replicate the forests, grasslands, and familial bonds of the wild. What remains is a diminished existence—one that exacts a heavy toll on both body and mind.

Sanctuary isn’t a reward. It’s a basic act of mercy.

If we recognize elephants as emotionally intelligent beings, capable of suffering and joy, then the decision should not be difficult. Ending their captivity is not radical. It’s humane.

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