In Asia, particularly Thailand and India, tourists can often interact closely with captive elephants, while African elephant tourism is more focused on observing free-ranging animals in national parks.

The researchers identified at least 12 confirmed or potential zoonotic infections that can be transmitted between elephants and humans in tourism settings.

Tuberculosis (TB) emerged as a primary concern, with studies finding TB prevalence rates of 16 to 23% in captive elephant populations.

The researchers emphasize that even in highly regulated environments like zoos, disease transmission between elephants and humans continues to occur. They conclude that lower-regulated tourism activities cannot reasonably be expected to manage these risks effectively.

One study of 1,422 captive elephants in Thailand found that 86% were kept on short chains when not being used for tourist activities, with 26% confined to concrete floors. Another survey revealed that 40% of observed elephants exhibited stereotypic behaviors indicative of psychological distress.