Captive Elephants Freed From a Life in Chains

In Nepal’s Chitwan National Park and the forests surrounding it, elephants used to be chained for as many as 19 hours a day. The links lay heavy on their ankles, preventing them from moving more than a few inches in any direction and leaving them unable to take shelter from the sun. They stood in their own waste. Some developed arthritis and foot infections.

Even when they were unchained, it was only to work, carrying tourists around on safari or carrying rangers on patrol—work the elephants have been forced to do for generations.

The process of training Asian elephants to carry humans can be brutal, and some captive elephants in Southeast Asia are severely overworked. But since 2014, 83 elephants at camps in around Chitwan National Park have been set free from their chains. Elephant Aid International, a United States-based nonprofit, found success with a new way to contain the elephants: solar-powered electric fences.

This setup lets the elephants engage in some natural behaviors, an important indicator of animal welfare. They can walk and lie down, play and socialize, dust and bathe.

To read the full article, click on the story title