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India has hundreds of elephant venues, and "sanctuary" is not a protected term — any camp can use it. This page explains the observable criteria animal welfare researchers use, so you can evaluate any venue yourself before you book.
Note: This page summarises criteria developed by World Animal Protection (WAP) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). We do not certify individual venues — we share the framework so you can ask operators the right questions.
Sanctuaries that prioritise animal welfare do not offer elephant rides. Carrying passengers causes spinal and muscular damage in Asian elephants.
Bull-hooks (ankus) are used to force compliance through pain. A venue that removes these as standard operating practice — rather than just for visitor viewing — is a meaningful signal.
In a habitat-centred venue, elephants are not restrained near tourists. They approach, or don't — visitor interaction ends when the elephant moves off.
Painting, playing football, or performing tricks require aversive training. Venues focused on animal welfare do not schedule shows.
Offering fruit or jaggery, or joining a supervised bathing session where the elephant chooses to enter the water, is low-stress for the animal and gives visitors a genuine experience. It's the closest most ethical venues get to direct contact.
Mahouts (elephant keepers) with fair pay, long-term relationships with their elephant, and a say in operational decisions tend to produce better outcomes for the animals.
Asian elephants are highly social. Venues that keep family groups together, or build new social bonds, are prioritising elephant needs over throughput.
Ask the operator directly:
A venue that answers these openly — with specifics rather than marketing language — is a more credible choice than one that deflects or uses broad labels.
Our tours section lists elephant experiences in Kerala (Thekkady, Munnar, and near Guruvayur), Jaipur, and Coorg. Use the criteria above when comparing options — look at what activities are offered and check operator reviews for specific mentions of riding or shows.
Browse elephant tours →Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We encourage you to verify welfare criteria directly with the operator before booking.
World Animal Protection's RAISE framework assesses five areas: the space elephants can Roam, how they Arrive (no bull-hooks, no capture), the quality of Interactions (low-stress, visitor-initiated), the conservation message Shared, and whether mahouts (Employed keepers) are treated fairly. GSTC wildlife criteria add requirements around captive-breeding transparency and veterinary access.
Bathing itself can be low-stress when elephants choose to enter water on their own. The issue is how it's set up: if elephants are forced into a small pond and don't leave when they want to, that's different from a large habitat where elephants naturally cool off in water near visitors.
Estimates put the number at around 2,600–2,800 captive elephants in India, held in temples, forest department camps, circuses, and private ownership. Kerala alone accounts for a large share of privately owned captive elephants, many used in temple festivals.
No. Any venue can call itself a sanctuary or elephant camp. The label has no regulatory meaning, which is why observable criteria matter more than the name a venue gives itself.
Kerala has the highest concentration of elephant tourism focused on ethical, no-riding experiences — camps such as the Kodanad Elephant Training Center near Kochi, Punnathur Kotta near Guruvayur, and camps around Thekkady (Periyar) and Munnar. Jaipur has Hathi Gaon (Elephant Village) near Amber Fort, offering bathing and feeding experiences — note that elephant rides up to Amber Fort itself have faced sustained welfare criticism in recent years, so ethical operators there favour bathing, feeding, and no-riding visits. Karnataka has the Dubare Elephant Camp near Coorg, run jointly with the forest department. Search our tours with "elephant" to compare options.
Planning a Kerala or Rajasthan trip? See things to do in Agra, all tours, and first-time visitor guide.