Part 1

The animals that we know of as elephants are technically part of the family Elephantidae which contains two species: the African elephant (Loxodonta Africana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). They are typically classified as exotic species, being found mainly in the wild, but also being featured in zoos and circuses and occasionally used for work.

Social History and Domestication

Elephants have never truly been domesticated, but they have worked extensively alongside humans. Humans have used them as working animals since the Indus Valley Civilization in the Bronze Age. In many cases, they help carry out large tasks requiring lots of manual labor. Some of these tasks include: hauling large loads, moving logs into trucks, transporting tourists, and pulling wagons. It can be highly advantageous to use elephants in certain cases because they can be trained, work in deep water, and require relatively little maintenance aside from basic food, water, and shelter.

Elephants being used for manual labor

Historically, elephants were also considered a highly valued component of warfare. Equipped with full sets of armor including metal tipped tusks, they were also trained to dispose of enemy soldiers. Between the sheer size and great charging speeds, they were a formidable sight for any enemy forces. References to these war elephants are seen as early as the 4^th century BCE in the Mahabharata, an Indian epic. Their usefulness spread across the Asian and European continents until they were being used by even Alexander the Great.  

Depiction of elephants in war

These giant creatures have also been kept for display in zoos and circuses. This has been in practice since the times of Ancient Egypt, China, Greece and Rome where ownership of an elephant was a sign of wealth and power. The practice has lasted until today’s times where we keep both Asian and African species in captivity in zoos and circuses. Captive reproduction programs have not fared too well due to a limited understanding of the male and female reproductive cycles. Asian elephants are typically more common than African in captivity.

Circus elephants for entertainment

Social Perceptions

In today’s society, many people consider elephants as “gentle giants”. In some cases, this is far from the truth because they have never been fully domesticated. We use them for work, entertainment, and research but as large, intelligent mammals, they do have wills of their own that can be exerted with a great deal of force. But as an exotic species, many people hold a special place in their hearts for these creatures. Zoo elephants remain popular as zoos tend to have a better record for the medical, physical and social care of the elephants whereas circuses present a novelty factor of a trained elephant. Location is also a factor in how elephants are used. In the US, they are an exotic animal that show us glimpses of other countries while in parts of Asia, they are seen purely as working animals.

Elephant Emotion and Intelligence

Elephant calf playing with a ball

Elephants are currently considered as one of the more intelligent species in the Animal Kingdom. We use common phrases like, “an elephant never forgets” and they are commonly used as symbols of proper or exemplary behavior. We perceive them as very intelligent for several reasons: the ability to grieve, self-medicate, a sense of humor, use of tools, problem-solving abilities and self-awareness. Elephants have a large capacity for grief as seen when any one of their herd members die. Mothers will mourn the death of a calf and a herd will go through great lengths to bury the body of the deceased. Years later, elephants will revisit the site where a loved one died and mourn for several days. Regarding self-medication, pregnant mothers will chew on certain plants to induce labor when she knows she is due to give birth. Elephants also play and have a sense of humor when throwing sticks, passing objects or squirting water out of the trunk into a fountain. Zoo elephants have been known to steal hats and hide them, teasing the onlookers. They also use tools on a regular basis, especially in the form of digging for water when they know that there has been a water source at a particular source although it looks dried up. Sticks have been used as useful tools for scratching those hard to reach itches.  Some elephants in captivity have used their capacity for problem-solving to figure out complex locks in order to free themselves and their fellow “inmates”. Lastly, elephants have shown that they recognize themselves in a mirror, demonstrating self-awareness. All of these aspects further our respect and recognition of elephants as some of the most intelligent creatures in the Animal Kingdom.

Speciesism

One of the main cases of speciesism that we see in regards to elephants is poaching for their ivory, meat and skins. Many cultures value ivory for ornamental decoration and it is a very expensive commodity worldwide. Bans on ivory have been placed in many countries but the trade continues regardless. This leads to the unnecessary butchering of elephants in the wild. There only other sources of ivory are walruses and narwhals, which are much less accessible than elephants so they bear the brunt of the poacher's focus. Working elephants are also susceptible to abuse by their handlers. Because they are large animals, abuse is sometimes seen as the only way to control their actions. There is legislation in place to deter handlers from abusing the animals but it still happens. Elephants were also one of the few species to be used to perform human executions. Practiced in Asian countries by royalty, it was seen as a status symbol of absolute power and the ability to control wild animals. While the practice is not continued today, it is one of the few cases where humans force animals to do their dirty work of execution.

Execution by elephant

For the most part, all elephants are viewed similarly. There are some differences between captive and wild individuals but we have a degree of fascination with them regardless. We like to consider captive individuals, both in zoos and in circuses, as less dangerous because they have become accustomed to being around humans. However, they can be just as violent as the wild ones when provoked. Also, males are universally viewed as more volatile because they are more aggressive and can be provoked more easily than females.

References

Bist, S. S.; Cheeran, J. V.; Choudhury, S.; Barua, P.; Misra, M. K. "The domesticated Asian elephant in India". Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Retrieved 24 September 2013.

Shoshani, J., ed. (2000). Elephants: Majestic Creatures of the Wild. Checkmark Books. ISBN 0-87596-143-6.

Wylie, D. (2009). Elephant. Reaktion Books. ISBN 978-1-86189-397-0.