Editing Elephant (section)

===Zoos and circuses===
{{further|Captive elephants}}
[[File:Flickr - …trialsanderrors - Terrific flights over ponderous elephants, poster for Forepaugh ^ Sells Brothers, ca. 1899.jpg|thumb|Circus poster, {{circa|1900}}]]
Elephants have traditionally been a major part of [[zoo]]s and [[circus]]es around the world. In circuses, they are trained to perform tricks. The most famous circus elephant was probably [[Jumbo]] (1861 – 15 September 1885), who was a major attraction in the [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus|Barnum & Bailey Circus]].<ref>Shoshani, pp. 168–69.</ref><ref name=Shoshani184/> These animals do not reproduce well in captivity due to the difficulty of handling musth bulls and limited understanding of female oestrous cycles. Asian elephants were always more common than their African counterparts in modern zoos and circuses. After CITES listed the Asian elephant under Appendix I in 1975, imports of the species almost stopped by the end of the 1980s. Subsequently, the US received many captive African elephants from Zimbabwe, which had an overabundance of the animals.<ref name=Shoshani184>Tuttle, pp. 184–88.</ref>

Keeping elephants in zoos has met with some controversy. Proponents of zoos argue that they allow easy access to the animals and provide fund and knowledge for preserving their natural habitats, as well as safekeeping for the species. Opponents claim that animals in zoos are under physical and mental stress.<ref>{{cite web|author=Sterm, A.|date=28 February 2005|title=Elephant deaths at zoos reignite animal debate: Zoo supporters cite conservation, activists cite confined spaces|publisher=MSNBC/Reuters|url=http://www.elephants.com/media/MSNBC_2_28_05.htm|access-date=24 October 2012|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923235332/http://www.elephants.com/media/MSNBC_2_28_05.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Elephants have been recorded displaying [[Stereotypy (non-human)|stereotypical behaviours]] in the form of wobbling the body or head and pacing the same route both forwards and backwards. This has been observed in 54% of individuals in UK zoos.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Harris, M.|author2=Sherwin, C.|author3=Harris, S.|url=http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=WC05007_7719_FRP.pdf|title=Defra Final Report on Elephant Welfare|publisher=University of Bristol|date=10 November 2008|access-date=16 November 2011|archive-date=24 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141124052942/http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=WC05007_7719_FRP.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> One study claims wild elephants in protected areas of Africa and Asia live more than twice as long as those in European zoos; the median lifespan of elephants in European zoos being 17 years. Other studies suggest that elephants in zoos live a similar lifespan as those in the wild.<ref>{{cite web|author=Mott, M.|date=11 December 2008|title=Wild elephants live longer than their zoo counterparts|publisher=National Geographic News|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081211-zoo-elephants.html|access-date=24 October 2012|archive-date=4 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504050854/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081211-zoo-elephants.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The use of elephants in circuses has also been controversial; the [[Humane Society of the United States]] has accused circuses of mistreating and distressing their animals.<ref>{{cite web|title=Circus Myths: The true cruelty under the big top|publisher=Humane Society of the United States|url=http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/circuses_entertainment/facts/circus_myths.html|date=25 September 2009|access-date=24 October 2012|archive-date=5 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905065353/http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/circuses_entertainment/facts/circus_myths.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In testimony to a US federal court in 2009, Barnum & Bailey Circus CEO [[Kenneth Jeffrey Feld|Kenneth Feld]] acknowledged that circus elephants are struck behind their ears, under their chins, and on their legs with metal-tipped prods, called [[Elephant goad|bull hooks]] or ankus. Feld stated that these practices are necessary to protect circus workers and acknowledged that an elephant trainer was rebuked for using an electric prod on an elephant. Despite this, he denied that any of these practices hurt the animals.<ref>{{cite news|author=Pickler, N.|url=http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20090304/UPDATES01/903040429/Circus-CEO-says-elephants-struck-not-hurt|title=Circus CEO says elephants are struck, but not hurt|agency=Associated Press|date=4 March 2009|access-date=25 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130120082119/http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20090304/UPDATES01/903040429/Circus-CEO-says-elephants-struck-not-hurt|archive-date=20 January 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Some trainers have tried to train elephants without the use of physical punishment. [[Ralph Helfer]] is known to have relied on positive reinforcement when training his animals.<ref>Wylie, p. 142.</ref> Barnum and Bailey circus retired its touring elephants in May 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Karimi|first1=Faith|title=Ringling Bros. elephants perform last show|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/01/us/ringling-bros-elephants-last-show/index.html|access-date=21 September 2017|publisher=CNN|date=2 May 2016|location=St. Petersburg, Florida|archive-date=22 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922050831/http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/01/us/ringling-bros-elephants-last-show/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>