Indian circus elephants to nature reserves

This video says about itself:

The largest of land mammals GAJRAJ, as the elephant is popularly known in India, is inseparably woven with the culture, history & tradition and symbolizes strength, prosperity and wisdom.

This film shot in the idyllic surrounding of the Jim Corbett National Park, typical elephant country, takes viewers through the elephant‘s natural history- from its evolution 55 million years ago to its present distribution and depicts its physiology & ecology and also talks of history, of gestation & mortality, of domestication & conservation and about poaching for ivory.

From Wildlife Extra:

The end of the show for India’s elephants

November 2013: The sight of elephants languishing in circuses and zoos in India are to be a thing of the past according to the country’s Central Zoo Authority (CZA). The CZA has issued a notice to zoo authorities stating that their elephants should be sent to national parks, sanctuaries or reserves with immediate effect and that these measures would also apply to circus animals.

It is estimated that there are about 140 elephants in zoos and circuses in India. The directive is reported to state that zoos and circuses are “not the best places for large animals” which “require a large area to move about freely”.

Jan Creamer, Chief Executive of Animal Defenders International, said: “This is a fantastic step towards animal protection in India. Elephants are intelligent, social animals that need a large amount of space, a natural social network and a great deal of stimulation. Our investigations have shown time after time that wild animals such as elephants suffer greatly in captivity, especially under the impoverished conditions provided by travelling circuses. The temporary and transient nature of circuses means that even with the best will in the world, circuses cannot provide animals with adequate facilities to keep them physically or psychologically healthy. Welfare is always compromised.”