Solitary Elephants in Japan: Still Alone — A Current Assessment

Key Findings and Recommendations

In 2016, our campaign for Hanako—an elephant who had lived alone at Tokyo’s Inokashira Park Zoo for more than 60 years—brought her story to the world’s attention. It also raised a larger question: how many other ‘Hanakos’ are out there?

While there are many solitary captive elephants around the world, Hanako’s story led us to focus on those in Japan. Following her death, we released the first nationwide assessment of solitary elephants in Japanese zoos in 2017, written by renowned elephant biologist Dr. Keith Lindsay.

Eight years later, we went back to find out what had changed.

In 2025, Elephants in Japan and Zoocheck commissioned a follow-up assessment by animal welfare specialist Georgina Groves. She assessed elephants from the original investigation as well as additional elephants across Japan, including some who had since become solitary.

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Below are the key findings and recommendations from this latest investigation:

1. All of the elephants need far more stimulation and opportunities to behave naturally

Finding: Every elephant observed displayed abnormal repetitive behaviors, including pacing, swaying and head-bobbing. These behaviors can develop when elephants are unable to meet their behavioral needs or have little control over their surroundings. Across the facilities assessed, elephants had few meaningful opportunities to explore, make choices or engage in natural behaviors. At Utsunomiya Zoo, Miyako showed particularly concerning behavior that may indicate learned helplessness, including apparent self-soothing.

Recommendation: Give elephants far more opportunities to stay physically and mentally engaged through meaningful, varied enrichment. Programs should be regularly reviewed and changed so elephants continue to encounter new challenges and opportunities to behave naturally.

2. They require soft flooring to protect their health and rest comfortably

Finding: JAZA guidelines call for soft flooring such as sand, mats or straw indoors, yet none of the indoor spaces observed had soft flooring; all consisted of concrete. Because elephants spend significant periods indoors, this can interfere with comfortable lying down and sleep and contribute to foot and joint problems.

Recommendation: At a minimum, provide soft flooring in indoor areas, preferably well-drained sand deep enough for elephants to lie down comfortably.

3. They need safer, larger spaces

Finding: Most outdoor enclosures were smaller than JAZA recommends and considerably smaller than international standards. Elephants need room to walk and explore, varied environments they can engage with, and the ability to make choices about how they spend their time. At some facilities, deep moats used as barriers also present a serious risk of injury.

Recommendation: Give elephants more usable, varied space and establish clearer environmental standards that better reflect their needs. Deep moats should be phased out and ultimately eliminated as enclosure barriers.

4. They should be given the freedom to choose whether to be indoors or outside

Finding: Elephants were commonly kept either indoors or outdoors rather than allowed to move freely between the two. This takes away a basic choice over where they spend their time and how they use their space.

Recommendation: Give elephants free access between indoor and outdoor areas, weather permitting.

5. They need more natural feeding opportunities throughout the day

Finding: Elephants can naturally spend up to 18 hours a day foraging, yet no facility appeared to provide extended feeding opportunities or replicate this natural behavior. Feeding practices offered little opportunity for elephants to search for food or engage their minds as they would naturally.

Recommendation: Provide longer, more natural feeding opportunities by dispersing and hiding food, using varied feeding methods and offering a greater selection of foods. JAZA should develop guidance that reflects how elephants naturally spend much of their day finding and eating food.

6. Serious foot problems and poor body condition need greater attention

Finding: Elephants showed concerning differences in body condition, with some overweight and others in poor condition. Foot and horn problems were also documented. Mac and Zuze at Kobe Oji Zoo showed particularly concerning deformities and overgrowth. Mac’s back feet appeared twisted upwards and outwards, all four legs appeared slightly deformed, and he was observed leaning back onto his rear feet and standing on his toes.

Recommendation: Provide stronger, individualized health care, including regular monitoring of body condition, feet and horns, with veterinary care and follow-up tailored to each elephant.

7. Addressing their social isolation must remain a top priority

Finding: Elephants are highly social animals that naturally live in complex social groups and form strong, long-lasting relationships. Yet the elephants assessed continue to be kept alone, without the companionship and social relationships fundamental to their welfare.

Recommendation: Prioritize moving solitary elephants into appropriate social environments wherever possible, while considering the needs and welfare of each individual elephant.

Note: Most of the report’s recommendations are directed to JAZA because it already has elephant welfare guidelines and is in a strong position to help improve conditions for elephants at its member zoos. The report calls on JAZA to strengthen these guidelines and ensure they are put into practice. Doing so could also help drive wider change, encouraging non-member zoos across Japan to improve their practices.

Progress Since 2017

There have been some important developments since the original investigation. In 2018, JAZA announced its support for moving solitary elephants into social environments where possible, and in 2021 introduced elephant management guidelines.

These were important steps. However, the latest assessment found only nominal compliance with JAZA’s minimum welfare guidelines, with deficiencies identified across every area assessed.

Looking Ahead

The central finding of our latest report is clear: Eight years after our first investigation, too many elephants in Japan are still alone, trapped in conditions that do not meet their physical, behavioral or social needs.

Japan has an opportunity to become a leader in improving the lives of elephants in captivity. We know what needs to change. The opportunity now is to turn that knowledge into action.

Read the full report: Solitary Elephants in Japan: Still Alone — A Current Assessment