Captive elephants and cetaceans show neurotic, stereotypic behaviors from psychological trauma.

Tourist demand for elephant rides at Amer Fort dropped 70% in seven years amid welfare concerns.

As more people become concerned with animal well-being, tangible benefits for the animals emerge.

Co-written by Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., and science writer Shubhobroto Ghosh

The recent announcement of the decline in demand for elephant rides in Amer Fort in Jaipur in Rajasthan, India, and recent debates and controversy surrounding the plight of beluga whales at Marineland Niagara in Canada took me back to a topic that I addressed in a previous post, regarding the physical harms suffered by large captive mammals, including cetaceans and elephants. These latest developments add to the growing concern that visitors to venues that house captive animals, especially large mammals like cetaceans and elephants, are becoming increasingly aware that these animals suffer both physically and psychologically and that it is inappropriate and unethical to incarcerate them in captive facilities for human entertainment.

The decline of elephant rides

Ample research shows that elephants are extremely intelligent sentient animals. The recent observation of a female carrying a corpse that wasn't her own—referred to as being "an intimate moment, almost spiritual"—went global and clearly suggests the depth of their emotional lives.

Unfortunately, elephants continue to be abused in many sorts of entertainment venues, including zoos, circuses, and tourist camps. However, recent information released by government agencies in Rajasthan, India, reveals that there has been a decline of around 70 percent in tourist demand for elephant rides at Amer Fort over the past seven years. According to a news report, “The popularity of elephant safaris at the historic Amer Fort has declined sharply, with the number of tourists opting for elephant rides falling by around 70 per cent in seven years, according to official........

© Psychology Today