Positive Reinforcement Training Insight from Working Elephants in India

Working elephants in India are predominantly trained using dominance-based and punitive methods. Research over the past few decades has shown that these methods, when contrasted with positive reinforcement training techniques, can be detrimental to animals mental and physical well being. Positive reinforcement based methods have also been shown to be effective in obtaining the voluntary participation of many species of animals in husbandry and routine medical procedures. Our study aims to characterize the stress responses of a group of captive working elephants longitudinally while desensitizing certain procedures and training assistive behaviours. We documented the duration and frequency of stress signals presented by elephants during regular training sessions over a four month period. We found that as sessions progressed, elephants displayed fewer stress signals - suggesting a decrease in stress with continued exposure to training. Our findings align well with prior research showing similar patterns across multiple non-human species. Further, our findings suggest that voluntary cooperation can be achieved even under challenging circumstances and provide learning opportunities for both elephants and mahouts. Our work outlines a pathway to reshape captive animal welfare measures in India.