Operationalizing veterinary compliance in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus): A voluntary management approach

Providing preventive and therapeutic veterinary care to captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) requires methodologies that uphold animal welfare while ensuring personnel safety. This study evaluates the implementation of a protected contact (PC) management system in combination with operant conditioning using positive reinforcement to facilitate voluntary participation in clinical procedures. This approach was applied to a range of routine and advanced veterinary interventions in rehabilitated elephants, resulting in 100% compliance for pedicure, sphygmomanometry, and intramuscular injection; 96.4% for phlebotomy; 89.3% for oral examination; 75% for pulse oximetry; and 71.4% for thermometry. Moderate compliance was observed for trunk wash (67.9%) and ocular ultrasonography (64.3%), while the lowest compliance was recorded for electrocardiography (57.1%). These results demonstrate the efficacy of a welfare-centric, voluntary approach in minimizing stress responses, reducing reliance on chemical restraint, and enhancing procedural compliance and safety for both elephants and veterinary personnel.