ABSTRACT
The continued improvement of captive elephant care is dependent on the adoption of standards by the elephant industry, including circuses and private individuals using elephants for traveling exhibitions. Circuses are pioneers in developing and adopting advanced new training methods for elephants as well as other animals. Just as veterinarians are gaining more knowledge of elephant physiology, circuses are incorporating new training methods-ones that assimilate such new scientific knowledge-into training protocols and husbandry techniques for elephants. In addition, some large circuses have their own very strict animal care standards. In addition to providing entertainment to large numbers of people annually, circuses in North America have been active in promoting elephant conservation and research. Circus elephants provide a handson, one-on-one experience that cannot be replaced by interaction through television, Internet, or movies.
