Entertainment
The Circus
3. Roadside Attractions
4. Sham Zoos and Sanctuaries
Sham zoos and sanctuaries are facilities that claim to provide a safe haven for animals, often including elephants, but instead exploit them for financial gain. These places often present themselves as legitimate sanctuaries, deceiving tourists while subjecting animals to harmful practices. [1 15]
Sham sanctuaries force animals into stressful interactions with tourists, using brutal methods like the “crush” or phajaan process to break their spirits. [5 6 4] This process involves separating young elephants from their mothers, confining them in small spaces, depriving them of food and water, and subjecting them to repeated beatings until they become submissive. [3 4 5 11]. Physical abuse, confinement, and isolation from their own species are common, causing both psychological and physical harm. [6 9 14 16]
A hallmark of these facilities is the prioritization of profit over animal welfare. They sell interactions such as rides, bathing, or feeding as entertainment, which not only harms the animals but also reinforces the idea that animals exist for human amusement. [1 5 7] Sham sanctuaries typically do not provide animals with spacious, natural habitats where they can engage in normal behaviors; instead, animals are often kept in cramped, unnatural conditions to maximize tourist exposure. [6 9 17]
In summary, sham sanctuaries exploit animals under the guise of rescue and conservation, subjecting them to cruel training, confinement, and forced interactions for profit, rather than prioritizing their welfare or providing genuine sanctuary. [1 5 15]
Two Tails Ranch in Williston, Florida, has faced significant criticism and scrutiny for its treatment of elephants and public safety practices. The facility has a documented history of USDA citations for failing to maintain secure perimeter fencing, with repeated violations noted for inadequate barriers that put both animals and visitors at risk. [8] These lapses have resulted in dangerous incidents, including elephant attacks on workers and visitors, as well as concerns over disease transmission such as tuberculosis among the elephants. [8]
The ranch has also been the subject of controversy over the welfare of individual elephants. In 2018, Anna Louise, a 35-year-old African elephant, died suddenly after being transferred to Two Tails Ranch. [8] Additionally, Asha, an elephant transferred from the Natural Bridge Zoo, lost her tusk under unclear circumstances, raising further welfare concerns. [1] Two Tails Ranch is known to rent out elephants for circuses, weddings, parades, and other events-practices widely criticized as exploitative and harmful to the elephants' well-being. [1 4 8]
Animal welfare advocates have repeatedly called out the ranch for its use of bullhooks-sharp metal tools used to control elephants-which are considered abusive and are banned in several states, though still legal in Florida. [4 6] Reports indicate that elephants at Two Tails Ranch are kept in restrictive environments, leading to frustration and aggressive behavior. For example, Asha was involved in incidents where she injured a keeper and killed another elephant, which advocates attribute to stress from confinement. [4]
The ranch’s practices have resulted in federal citations not only for shoddy enclosures and lack of adequate fencing but also for failing to meet basic animal welfare standards. [8] Despite these issues, regulatory bodies like the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have sometimes concluded there were "no welfare concerns" after inspections, though these findings are disputed by animal advocacy groups. [1]
Similarly, the Endangered Ark Foundation in Oklahoma presents itself as an elephant sanctuary but has been exposed as a roadside zoo that breeds, trains, and warehouses elephants for circus acts, charging visitors for dangerous close encounters-practices that no reputable sanctuary would allow. [3 5 7] The facility has a record of serious injuries and even deaths resulting from human-elephant interactions. [5 7]
The Many Ways In Which Circus Elephants Suffer
Physical and Emotional Abuse: Circus elephants are often subjected to harsh training methods that rely on fear, pain, and punishment. Bullhooks, whips, and electrical prods are commonly used to force them to perform unnatural tricks, leading to both physical injury and psychological trauma. [1 2]
Separation from Family: Young elephants are forcibly separated from their mothers, often at just 18-24 months. This causes intense psychological distress for both the calves and their mothers, who are known for their strong familial bonds. [3]
Confinement and Deprivation: When not performing, elephants are typically confined to small spaces, often chained for hours or even days. Unlike their lives in the wild, where they roam, socialize, and forage over large distances, circus elephants are kept in isolation or forced proximity with incompatible individuals, leading to neurotic behavior and aggression. [4 5]
Physical Health Risks: The unnatural tricks circus elephants are forced to perform cause long-term musculoskeletal damage, and poor living conditions can result in premature death. Transport between venues often occurs in poor conditions, exposing elephants to extreme temperatures and limited access to food and water. [6 7]
Mental Health Consequences: Circuses are especially harmful to elephants’ mental well-being. Elephants display signs of depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of their captivity and forced performances. [8 9]
Public and Handler Safety: Due to the stress and unpredictability caused by their mistreatment, elephants can become aggressive, leading to risks for trainers and circus attendees. [10 11]
Conservation and Ethical Concerns: Some elephants are poached from the wild, directly contributing to population declines. Keeping such intelligent, sentient animals in entertainment roles is increasingly viewed as unethical and unjustified. [12 13]
In summary, elephants in circuses are subjected to substantial cruelty, deprived of natural behaviors, and endangered both their physical and psychological health. This has led to increased public outcry, legislative action, and the phasing out of elephants in reputable circuses.
2. Zoos
P.T. Barnum introduced Jumbo, an African elephant, to his shows in 1882, setting a dreadful precedent for circuses and other attractions for the next century and beyond. [1 3 6]
In May 2016, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus stopped using elephants in its performances due to public pressure, legal actions, and a shift in societal attitudes. [1 2 6 ] This decision was influenced by years of activism from animal rights groups, changing public opinion, and increasing local legislation restricting the use of wild animals in circuses. [1 3 6 ]
Once the details are known, the practice of using elephants for entertainment is so obviously unethical, immoral and cruel, several states have imposed statewide bans specifically targeting the use of elephants in entertainment, traveling shows, or circuses, including California (2019), [1 11] Colorado (2021), [2] Hawaii (2018), [3] Illinois (2017), [48] Kentucky (2022), [5 12] Massachusetts (2024), [6] New Jersey (2018), [7] New York (2017), [8] and Washington State (2025). [5] There are currently eight states and over 150 localities in 37 states that have passed various restrictions or bans. [5 7] Over 40 countries around the world prohibit the use of some or all wild animals in circuses and other traveling promotions, [9] as have 33 municipal jurisdictions in Canada. [10 13]
We review here circuses that still use elephants according to publicly available information, including promotional videos and website content.
Please note that because circuses are (for obvious reasons) aggressively secretive about how they treat animals, it’s not possible to know whether a particular circus currently engages in specific conduct but, as we discuss, there’s a plethora of demonstrative evidence of the awful past practices of the circuses discussed.
To appropriate an elephant’s life - or any sentient being’s life - to suffer and, ultimately, die in a zoo “exhibit” is inherently cruel a travesty. There is no justification for it.
It’s difficult to describe the many ways in which zoos are a devastating existence for elephants. In Defense of Animals for the past 20 years has released its 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America. It is extensively researched and identifies the worst zoos, and why they appear on the list. We encourage interested readers to take a look at IDA’s 10 Worst list for 2024 to get a sense of just how awful this industry is, and to what its captive elephants are subjected. Also, IDA has on its site a section on the many ways in which sentencing zoo and circus elephants to a life in captivity is cruel, unethical, immoral and entirely unconscionable.
The harm suffered by zoo elephants includes:
Physical Health Problems: Captive elephants frequently develop arthritis, chronic foot conditions, obesity, musculoskeletal disorders, and even cancer, largely due to enforced inactivity on hard surfaces and poor diet. Captive elephants are much more likely to suffer these ailments than wild ones. [5 6 7]
Psychological Suffering and “Zoochosis”: Elephants are highly intelligent and social, but in captivity they are often kept in small enclosures, isolated, or in groups that do not reflect natural social structures. Many display “zoochosis”: repetitive, compulsive behaviors such as swaying, rocking, and head-bobbing, which indicate psychological distress and brain damage. Studies report that up to 40% of zoo elephants exhibit these signs of trauma. [7 9 10 11]
Separation and Disruption of Social Bonds: In zoos, elephants are routinely separated from family members, especially mothers and calves, breaking lifelong social ties. These disruptions cause long-term psychological damage, as wild elephants build complex, enduring relationships. [12 13 14]
Confinement and Lack of Stimulation: Wild elephants may travel 17 to 30 miles daily, but zoo enclosures are tens of thousands of times smaller than their natural habitat. This extreme restriction prevents elephants from expressing natural behaviors and results in boredom and stress-induced behaviors. [3 7 9]
Lack of Meaningful Conservation Impact: Zoos often act as "net consumers of elephants," removing more individuals from the wild or losing more to premature death than are added through breeding. Arguments that zoos are vital for elephant conservation are undermined by these statistics and by reliance on wild captures to sustain populations. [15 13]
Exploitation and Degrading “Experiences”: Many zoos still use elephants in entertainment, including performances, rides, and unnatural “experiences.” These are frequently enforced through pain and fear-based tools such as bullhooks, subjecting elephants to pain and psychological harm. [16 14]
Poor Reproductive Success and High Infant Mortality: Zoos have a poor record in breeding elephants; approximately 40% or more of infant elephants in zoos die before the age of five. Stillbirth rates and calf mortality are significantly higher than in wild or semi-wild populations, undermining claims that zoos help population sustainability. [8 4]
Premature and Unnatural Deaths: Zoo elephants regularly die from stress-related diseases, chronic infections, and mental health issues. Many facilities do not provide appropriate sanctuary or retirement, condemning elephants to die in poor conditions or at a young age. [17 3 4]
Accelerated Aging and Shortened Lifespans: Elephants in zoos live on average less than half as long as those in the wild, with median lifespans for zoo elephants reported as only 16.9–18.9 years compared to up to 56–70 years in the wild. Chronic stress, lack of movement, and inadequate environments accelerate aging and contribute to early deaths—even with veterinary care. [1 2 3 4]. Note: Sources differ on the extent to which a life in captivity affects an elephant’s longevity.
Expert and Advocacy Consensus: Scientists, veterinarians, and animal welfare advocates have consistently agreed that zoos cannot meet elephants’ complex physical, emotional, and social needs. Nearly every major study and review endorses the view that captive environments cause widespread harm and fail to provide an acceptable quality of life for elephants. [ 3 9 13]
Roadside zoos are typically small, privately-owned, and often unaccredited facilities that keep wild animals for public display and entertainment. They are generally located in rural areas near highways or common travel routes to attract passing travelers to stop and view the animals. [1 10 12]
Roadside zoos and similar attractions raise significant ethical and welfare concerns. Many fail to provide proper nutrition, medical care, and mental stimulation, leading to boredom, agitation, or despondency in the animals. [2 4 12] Animals are often kept in small, dirty cages that restrict their natural movements and behaviors, with enclosures lacking appropriate shelter, shade, and temperature control. [1 2 4 12] Some facilities encourage dangerous interactions between animals and visitors, such as bottle-feeding bear or tiger cubs, putting both animals and people at risk. [4 5 7] Roadside zoos frequently mislead the public about their educational value and conservation efforts, promoting the false notion that animals exist for human entertainment. [1 6]
Poor sanitation and overcrowding can lead to the spread of disease among animals and potentially to humans. [2 7] Many roadside zoos have insufficient fencing and safety measures, increasing the risk of animal escapes and endangering both animals and the surrounding community. [1 2 5] These facilities often operate under lax or poorly enforced state and federal laws, with minimal oversight. [4 6]
There have been documented cases of animals in roadside zoos being subjected to cruel training methods, including physical abuse, restraints, and psychological distress. [5 6] Tools such as bullhooks, whips, and electric prods are sometimes used to enforce compliance. [8] Animals in these facilities are often kept in small, dirty cages, denied adequate food, medical care, and mental stimulation, leading to boredom, agitation, and emotional distress. [1 2]
Reports also describe animals exhibiting signs of psychological suffering, such as pacing, rocking, swaying, and even self-harm like chewing on their own limbs or pulling out their fur or feathers. [4 6] Additionally, some roadside zoos have faced lawsuits and legal action for inhumane treatment, including documented cases of animals being physically abused or neglected. [5 6] Animals are also transported in cramped, poorly ventilated trailers for extended periods, often without adequate access to food, water, or veterinary care, leading to severe health issues and stress. [9 7]