Is this elephant sanctuary ethical? A checklist before you book

Last updated 8 October 2026

An ethical elephant sanctuary is observation only: no riding, no bathing or washing by tourists, no shows, no hands on feeding or photo sessions, no bullhooks in use, minimal chaining, no breeding, and no buying, selling or renting of elephants. That is the standard set out by World Animal Protection, the UK travel association ABTA and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. The word "sanctuary" on a website proves nothing, so use the checks below before you book. This page describes practices only; it does not rate or name any venue.

The 10 second test

Can a paying visitor touch, ride, wash or hand feed the elephants without a barrier? If yes, the venue does not meet the standards of World Animal Protection, ABTA or the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), whatever it calls itself. World Animal Protection puts it plainly: if a venue lets you get close enough to ride, bathe or touch elephants, it is because they have been cruelly trained. If the answer is no, keep reading to check the rest.

1. Riding

Ethical: no riding of any kind. Red flag: rides with a seat, bareback or "mahout experience" rides.

ABTA, the UK's largest travel association, classes elephant riding as unacceptable in its 2019 Animal Welfare Guidelines, and says the vast majority of its members, including the UK's largest travel companies, have stopped selling elephant rides. World Animal Protection's survey of 2,923 elephants at 220 Asian tourist venues found that every elephant it judged to be in poor or unacceptable conditions was at a venue offering rides. Bareback riding is not a welfare fix: the elephant still has to be trained and controlled to accept riders. More in Is it ethical to ride an elephant?

2. Bathing and washing

Ethical: elephants bathe or wallow when and where they choose, while visitors watch from a distance. Red flag: scheduled sessions where tourists wash, scrub or splash elephants in a river or pool.

Bathing is often sold as the kind alternative to riding. ABTA's guidelines treat it as unacceptable tourist contact, and World Animal Protection says close contact experiences such as washing and hand feeding have surged at venues calling themselves sanctuaries or rescue centers, masking punishment based training and regular restraint. IFAW adds that elephants use mud to cool down and protect their skin from the sun, so washing it off repeatedly can itself be harmful.

3. Shows and performing

Ethical: no shows, tricks or "demonstrations." Red flag: painting, football, headstands, dancing, kneeling on command or any timed performance.

ABTA lists elephant shows or performances for tourists as unacceptable and names headstands, football and painting as examples. Its guidance also rules out any performance or tourist interaction where training involves punishment or food deprivation, causes fear, injury or distress, or asks for behavior that is not normal for the animal.

4. Bullhooks and training

Ethical: no bullhooks (ankus) carried or used; any care training uses rewards, through a protective barrier. Red flag: handlers carrying hooked sticks or other sharp tools.

World Animal Protection describes the traditional training of captive elephants for tourist contact as a process in which young elephants are restrained, beaten with sharp metal bullhooks and deprived of food and water until they submit. ABTA states that elephants should not be subject to punishment and cruelty to make them submissive, and says there is a strong weight of evidence that harmful training methods are widespread. Watch handlers' hands, and ask how the elephants are managed for veterinary care.

5. Chaining and living space

Ethical: elephants spend most of the day and night free to roam, forage and socialize in a large natural area. Red flag: elephants on short chains, standing on concrete, or kept in small pens near roads or loud music.

World Animal Protection's survey found that elephants at riding venues were typically chained day and night when not working, mostly on chains less than 3 m long, often on concrete near noise. Its elephant friendly guidance asks venues to give elephants space to socialize and forage and to live without chains or forced interactions. Brief restraint for a specific veterinary need is different from routine chaining; ask how many hours a day elephants are chained.

6. Breeding

Ethical: no breeding; new arrivals are rescued elephants. Red flag: calves on show, "baby elephant" marketing or breeding programs at a venue with no plan to release animals to the wild.

GFAS states that a true sanctuary does not intentionally breed animals in captivity. Its elephant standards allow breeding only in narrow cases, for example animals that came in through confiscation or surrender, with a definite, lawful plan to release parents and young to the wild; a hope to release animals one day is not enough. ABTA lists animal breeding in sanctuaries as unacceptable, and World Animal Protection says a true sanctuary rescues elephants from captivity and does not breed them.

7. Buying, selling and renting elephants

Ethical: elephants are rescued or retired from tourism, logging or other work, and the venue does not trade them. Red flag: elephants bought for tourism, rented from owners for the high season, swapped between venues, or recently taken from the wild.

GFAS lists no commercial trade among the defining features of a true sanctuary and says acquisitions should be legal, in the animals' best interests and not done in a way that encourages commercial trade. ABTA lists commercial trade in sanctuaries as unacceptable, and also the acquisition of CITES listed species except for demonstrable conservation or rescue purposes.

8. Contact, feeding and photos

Ethical: a substantial barrier or distance between visitors and elephants; elephants can move away at any time. Red flag: hugging, selfies, walking alongside elephants, or hand feeding without a barrier.

ABTA's guidelines class tourist contact or feeding of elephants without a barrier as unacceptable, along with any photo opportunity with wild animals where the animal cannot end the interaction or move away. World Animal Protection says there should be substantial safety barriers, no touching, and that posing for photos, bathing with, walking with or feeding elephants are all red flags. Contact also carries risk for visitors: elephants are large, powerful animals.

9. Transparency and purpose

Ethical: the venue can tell you where each elephant came from, limits visitor numbers, explains its welfare and veterinary care, and puts education and conservation ahead of entertainment. Red flag: vague origin stories, pressure to book "experiences," large daily crowds, or guaranteed close encounters.

World Animal Protection describes responsible venues as focused on education and conservation rather than entertainment. GFAS does not require sanctuaries to offer public visits at all, and accepts tours only if they are guided, educational and protect animal welfare and safety. World Animal Protection's survey found that several of the venues with the worst conditions received more than 1,000 visitors a day.

How to vet a venue before booking

Read the activity list, not the name. "Sanctuary," "rescue," "retirement park" and "eco" are unregulated words. Look for any of the red flags above in the booking options.
Study the photos and videos. Venue and visitor photos showing people in the water with elephants, feeding by hand or posing for selfies tell you how the venue really works.
Ask direct questions by email. Can visitors touch or feed the elephants? How many hours a day are elephants chained? Where did each elephant come from? Do you breed or buy elephants? Do handlers carry bullhooks? A good venue will answer clearly.
Check accreditation. See whether the venue is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, which publishes its accredited sanctuaries on its website. Accreditation is a strong sign; its absence is not proof of a bad venue, but then the checklist matters even more.
Check your tour operator's policy. Many operators that follow ABTA's guidelines will not sell riding, bathing or shows. Ask yours, and be wary of add on excursions booked locally.
Read reviews for details, not stars. Search reviews for words such as "bathe," "ride," "feed," "chain" and "baby" to see what visitors actually did.
Consider wild elephants instead. Seeing elephants in a national park is often the best experience of all. Our ethical viewing guide lists well known protected areas.

Printable checklist

Tick each box. A venue that fails any one of these does not meet current welfare standards.

☐ No riding of any kind
☐ No tourist bathing, washing or swimming with elephants
☐ No shows, painting or tricks
☐ No bullhooks carried or used
☐ Elephants not routinely chained; space to roam and socialize
☐ No breeding and no calves on display
☐ No buying, selling or renting of elephants
☐ No touching, selfies or hand feeding without a barrier
☐ Clear answers about each elephant's origin and care; limited visitor numbers

Sanctuary checklist FAQ

Is a sanctuary that lets you bathe elephants ethical?

No, by current welfare standards. ABTA's 2019 Animal Welfare Guidelines class tourist contact or feeding of elephants without a barrier, explicitly including bathing, as unacceptable, and World Animal Protection says close contact experiences such as washing and hand feeding mask punishment based training and regular restraint.

Is feeding elephants at a sanctuary okay?

Only if there is a barrier between you and the elephant and the elephant can choose whether to approach. ABTA lists tourist contact or feeding of elephants without a barrier as unacceptable, and World Animal Protection lists feeding as a red flag.

Does an elephant sanctuary have to be accredited?

No, and many venues in elephant range countries are not. Independent accreditation, such as from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, is a strong positive sign, but you can still judge an unaccredited venue by its practices using this checklist.

Why is breeding a red flag at a sanctuary?

Because a sanctuary exists to care for animals already in need, not to produce more captive animals. The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries says a true sanctuary does not intentionally breed animals in captivity, with narrow exceptions tied to a definite release plan, and ABTA lists breeding or commercial trade in sanctuaries as unacceptable.

Is it ethical if the mahouts are kind and the elephants look happy?

Kind individual handlers matter, but they do not change the system. If elephants can be ridden, bathed or touched on demand, World Animal Protection says they have been trained to accept it, typically through restraint and punishment. Judge the practices, not the marketing photos.