Passed in May 2021, this position statement outlines the WAZA position on elephant rides in WAZA member facilities. This position statement is based on the 2003 WAZA Code of Ethics and Animal Welfare, 2015 World Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare Strategy, and the 2020 WAZA Animal Visitor Interactions Guidelines.

WAZA supports the keeping of elephants, in general, to advance conservation and education, where the care and welfare of elephants are prioritised. However, elephant welfare at a WAZA member institution should never be knowingly and fundamentally compromised by its activities.

This position statement applies to the riding of elephants in WAZA member facilities.

The relevant WAZA documents listed above describe the guiding principles for all Animal – Visitor Interactions, and include safety, staff expertise, positive reinforcement, choice for the animal, monitoring and animal welfare assessment (as per the Five Domains animal welfare assessment framework), and clear conservation messaging.

The 2003 WAZA Code of Ethics and Animal Welfare states:
“Whilst recognising the variation in culture and customs within which the WAZA operates, it is incumbent upon all members to exercise the highest standards of animal welfare and to encourage these standards in others.”

The 2020 WAZA Definition of Animal Welfare states:

”Animal welfare refers to a state that is specific for every individual animal; it is how the animal experiences its own world and life through its association with pleasant experiences specific for that species such as vitality, affection, safety and excitement or unpleasant experiences such as pain, hunger, fear, boredom, loneliness or frustration.

Many of these experiences can be generated through features of its diet; environment; physical health and fitness (including injury and disease); social environment (including interactions with humans); and its ability to fulfil the species specific and an individual animal’s behavioural motivations to have positive physical or social experiences. An animal’s welfare state can be influenced both positively and negatively by all parameters of its living environment with husbandry practices (i.e., animal care) being only one of them. The ability to have species specific choices and individual control over their environment is a very important contributing factor for positive animal welfare.”

Visitor elephant rides at a zoo/wildlife park are contrary to these statements and elements of the 2020 WAZA Animal Visitor Interactions Guidelines. Therefore, WAZA does not approve of elephant rides at WAZA members institutions as they do not meet WAZA’s view or guiding principles on animal welfare, conservation messaging, and safety. Given that elephants are known to be potentially hazardous animals, free contact between a visitor and an elephant, such as riding an elephant, should be excluded from all visitor interactions due to safety considerations.

WAZA members should not engage in animal visitor interactions that are fundamentally in conflict with WAZA‘s view and guidelines. WAZA members that currently allow elephant rides for visitors should phase out this practice as soon as possible and align with the 2003 WAZA Code of Ethics and the 2020 WAZA Animal Visitor Interactions Guidelines.